Irish mining and exploration group MinMet said yesterday it planned to apply for more gold exploration rights in Portugal. MinMet said its subsidiary, Connary Minerals, had agreed with the Portuguese mining licensing authority to apply for rights to a 57 sq km area around 170 km east of Oporto and just south of Mirandela. MinMet already has operations in Portugal at the Castromil mine and the Valongo-Gondomar site.