Irish miner, Ormonde Mining, this morning posted a first half loss on ordinary activities that widened to E0.94m, from a loss of E0.49m a year ago as it gears up to start extracting ore from its Spanish operations. Turnover was nil as the group continued work on the permitting and arrangement of financing for our flagship Barruecopardo Tungsten Project, located in western Spain, said chairman Michael Donoghue in a statement. "Significant progress has been made in relation to permitting, with the process having passed the public consultation stage with just one public submission being received, and advancing on from provincial to regional level. The Company is now confident that the permitting process is in its final stages," he added. "In parallel, active discussions in relation to the financing of the Project have been ongoing, and with the Company satisfied that the debt component of the financing package will be available, these discussions have focussed on potential joint venture partners interested in providing the equity component of the overall financing package. The Company is hopeful for a successful conclusion to these discussions in the near future."