Новости за 21.01.2019

Global Battery Alliance (GBA) founding member Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) will be piloting a blockchain-based solution based on the IBM Blockchain Solution, to enhance the provenance and traceability of cobalt in the metal’s supply chain. Following the announcement on Monday, ERG explained in a statement that the solution would initially be applied to the group’s Metalkol RTR operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A fourth-quarter drill programme returned promising results from three sectors, including 19 m at 4.17 g/t gold from 42 m, at Canada-based mining company Semafo’s Dangou area, located northeast of the company’s Boungou mine, in Burkina Faso. A total of 5 210 m of drilling were completed in the fourth quarter at Dangou, with the programme having been designed to focus on the best intersections obtained in the second quarter and to establish the geometry of the mineralisation.

Updated developments at Turkey-focused Ariana Resources’ Kizilcukur project show that about 2 800 t of mineralised material is currently stockpiled on site, with the potential to double with limited additional trial mining in 2019. Kizilcukur is part of the Red Rabbit Joint Venture (JV) with Proccea Construction and is 50% owned by Ariana through its shareholding in Zenit.

Canada’s largest diversified mining company, Teck Resources, has increased its stake in Vancouver-based explorer Fireweed Zinc to just shy of 10%, which the junior company sees as a vote of confidence in its Macmillan Pass project, in the Yukon Territory. Teck’s participation in Fireweed Zinc’s recently announced private placement of up to C$5-million, increased its interest in the company from 4.7% to about 9.9%.

Coal developer Cokal has singed a non-binding heads of agreement with Vietnam’s An PhatLoc General Trading Co to jointly develop shallow draft barging on the Barito River to transport coal from the PT Bumi Barito Minerals (BBM) project area, in Indonesia. Barges built by An PhatLoc, carrying some 1 700 t of coal can be designed to operate in 3m depth water. If the load is reduced to 1 000 t, they will be able to operate in 1.95 m depth water. This would enable successful barging operations to be... Читать дальше...

TSX-V-listed Highland Copper has received the mining, air and dam safety permits from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for its Copperwood project located in the Upper Peninsula, in Michigan, in the US. Based on the 2018 updated feasibility study on Copperwood, the company has filed applications with the MDEQ to either amend, renew or obtain all other permits required to begin mine construction at Copperwood.

Base metals miner MMG has warned shareholders of lower profits for the 2018 financial year, compared with 2017, following a softer second half. The company on Monday warned that it expected to record a net profit after tax of between $135-million and $140-million for the 2018 financial year, compared with the $348.4-million reported in the 2017 financial year.

Diversified junior Moreton Resources has instigated talks with funders with the aim of restructuring is debt while maintaining talks with possible buyers. Moreton in August last year launched a strategic review of its assets and subsidiaries in order to determine its core and noncore assets. Since then, the company has initiated discussions with a number of companies that have expressed interest in the Surat Basin Coal business, the Bowen Basin coal business, and has undertaken talks to the advancement... Читать дальше...

NYSE- and TSX-listed Barrick Gold has not sold its biggest copper mine, Lumwana, in Zambia, but given the challenging conditions the mine is facing, “all options" are on the table. The Canada-headquartered company on Monday said that it was continuing to engage with the Zambian government and community stakeholders about a mutually-beneficial way forward for the operation.

Botswana-focused MOD Resources went into a trading halt on the ASX on Monday after Australian copper miner Sandfire Resources confirmed that it had approached the junior to express its interest in exploring a potential merger. Responding to media reports overnight, Sandfire said that the potential combination had been on the basis of A$0.38 a MOD share.

Explorer Amarc Resources has opened the door for a new partnership on two British Columbia copper projects, after diversified miner Hudbay Minerals relinquished its options to earn an interest in the IKE porphyry copper/molybdenum project, near Gold Bridge, and the JOY gold/copper project in the Toodoggone region.

Silver just completed its worst year in three. Investors are showing no signs of taking a shine to the metal in 2019, either. The commodity has erased its 2019 gain, while gold, platinum and palladium hold onto theirs. Silver futures on Friday posted the biggest weekly loss since November.