Новости за 24.01.2019

Lucara Diamond Corp continues to make progress with the feasibility study for a potential underground operation at its 100%-owned and operated Karowe diamond mine, in Botswana. Following the release of a positive preliminary economic assessment (PEA), the company last year embarked on a technical programme to support a feasibility study for a potential underground operation at Karowe, with the aim of extending the mine life from 2026 to at least 2036.

Latin American miner Sierra Metals achieved strong production results in 2018, continuing a ten-year track record of consolidated yearly ore throughput growth, as well as record quarterly ore throughput at both its Bolivar copper and Cusi silver mines, in Mexico. This is according to the company’s 2018 fourth quarter and full-year production results from its three underground mines in Latin America: the Yauricocha polymetallic mine in Peru, and the Bolivar and Cusi mines.

NYSE-listed Freeport-McMoRan on Thursday a drop in fourth-quarter revenue and net income, although the base metals miner finished the year on a stronger foot than in 2017 and said it remained confident in the long-term outlook for copper. The miner posted revenue of $3.68-billion in the fourth quarter, down 27% on that of the prior-year period, while net income declined to $140-million, from $1.04-billion a year earlier.

Diversified natural resources company Vedanta will in the near future have invested $1.2-billion in South Africa. It has already invested $400-million in the development of the first phase of the Gamsberg mine, in the Northern Cape. Development of the mine started in 2016 and it produced its first finished zinc concentrate late in 2018.

TSX-listed Endeavour Mining achieved a 52% increase in production to 612 000 oz of gold for 2018, beating the top end of its guidance of 555 000 oz to 590 000 oz. The company also reduced its all-in sustaining cost (AISC) by about $30/oz to $745/oz, which is below the guidance range of $760/oz to $810/oz.

Diversified miner Anglo American achieved a 7% year-on-year increase in total production on a copper equivalent basis for the fourth quarter of 2018, excluding the effect of the stoppage at its Minas-Rio iron-ore mine, in Brazil. “Our continuing focus on efficiency and productivity improvements across the business resulted in another strong quarter, adding to our consistent record of delivery,” CEO Mark Cutifani commented in a statement on Thursday.

Aim-listed BlueRock Diamonds has temporarily suspended operations at its Kareevlei mine in the Kimberley region of South Africa, owing to the imposition of a Section 54 notice from the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR). The Section 54 notice is in relation to the code of practice relating to the operation of trackless mining machines only and resulted from an accident on Friday involving an external contractor.

Diamond miner De Beers has lowered its production guidance for 2019 to between 31-million and 33-million carats. The company, which on Thursday reported production of 35.3-million carats for the 2018 financial year, attributes the lower production guidance to its existing Venetia openpit, in South Africa, where the Venetia underground mine will become the principal source of ore from 2023.

Kazakhstan- and London-listed Kaz Minerals managed to increase its copper production for 2018 by 14% to 294 700 t, compared with 258 500 t in 2017, hitting the upper end of its 270 000 t to 300 000 t guidance. The company’s gold production for the year also increased to 183 400 oz, compared with 178 700 oz in 2017, which exceeds the guidance set between 160 000 oz and 175 000 oz.

Russian diamond miner Alrosa reported 2018 production volumes of 36.7-million carats and sales of 38.1-million carats. Production declined by 7% year-on-year, owing to the shutdown of the Mir underground mine and the completion of openpit mining at the Udachnaya pipe.

Several government departments have raised red flags over the Coal Ministry’s proposal to liberalise captive coal mining in the country. The departments contend, in internal discussions, that the regulatory framework is not in place to support the Coal Ministry’s plans to permit captive coal miners free merchant sale of production from their respective coal blocks.

India’s Commerce Ministry is pushing for a hike in alumunium and aluminium scrap import duties in the forthcoming national Budget to offer protection to domestic producers reeling from a sharp spike in inward shipments of the non-ferrous metal. There have been numerous representations from domestic aluminium refiners seeking import protection and the Commerce Ministry is supporting the proposal to increase import duties in the Budget 2019/20 slated to be presented before Parliament on February 1, government officials said.

Russian diamond giant Alrosa and Chinese-owned Anjin are the two foreign companies chosen by Zimbabwe's government to partner the state-diamond firm in exploring and mining diamonds, a state-run newspaper reported on Thursday. The southern African nation announced in December that it would allow two private companies to explore and mine gems and Alrosa said last week it had set up a local subsidiary to start operations.

TSX-V-listed Strongbow Exploration reported on Thursday the Cornwall Council had voted in support of a £1-million investment into the company, subject to a listing on London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim) Exchange. “We welcome this positive decision for the project, which reflects the high level of cooperation between the local community, Cornwall Council and Strongbow, where all parties share the common goal of responsible mine development in an urban environment and high-quality job creation.

Copper and gold production from the Prominent Hill operation, in South Australia, has exceeded expectations in 2018, ASX-listed Oz Minerals reported on Thursday. Copper production from Prominent Hill reached 110 111 t during the full year ended December, which was higher than the guided 100 000 t to 110 000 t, while gold production for the full year reached 130 856 oz, also higher than the guidance of between 120 000 oz and 130 000 oz.