Новости за 30.01.2019

India is preparing the groundwork to sign a slew of bi-lateral agreements with Argentina encompassing nuclear energy, mining of copper, lithium, cobalt during the visit of Argentine President Mauricio Marci, next month. The Argentine President who will be leading a high-level business delegation to New Delhi in February, and hold meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Indian foreign office mandarins would also be addressing Indian business leaders in Mumbai.

Gold has benefitted in the fourth quarter of 2018 from investors seeking safe-havens, the latest GFMS Gold Survey, which Refinitiv released on Wednesday, states. Renewed interest from professional investors and a shift in the purchasing behaviour of emerging market central banks have compensated for a decline in the retail investment and jewellery segments.

Russia's Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel), the world's largest palladium producer, said on Wednesday its output of palladium and nickel from Russian raw material would increase in 2019. Nornickel, part-owned by Russian tycoon Vladimir Potanin and aluminium giant Rusal, said previously it would ramp up output by 2025 to tap an expected boom in demand from electric vehicle makers.

State-owned utility Eskom’s proposed tariff increases would cost some 150 000 direct mining jobs, all but eliminate the gold sector and, as a consequence, reduce Eskom’s mining client base by around 36%, thereby exacerbating the utility’s “death spiral”, Minerals Council South Africa chief economist Henk Langenhoven said on Wednesday. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) is currently holding public hearings across the country to gather input into the power utility’s request for a... Читать дальше...

London-listed Chaarat has completed the $55-million acquisition of Kapan Mining and Processing from fellow-listed Polymetal International. Of the total consideration of $55-million, $10-million was settled on completion in convertible loan notes and $5-million was paid as a deposit in November. The remaining $40-million is payable in cash following the execution of certain settlement procedures.

Precious metals miner Great Panther Silver has announced a 28% increase in the measured and indicated mineral resource at the Topia mine, in Mexico, to nearly 15-million ounces of silver equivalent. Since its last mineral resource estimate four years ago, the measured and indicated mineral resource increased to 475 900 t, grading 461 g/t silver, 1.35 g/t gold, 3.87% zinc, containing 14.77-million ounces of silver equivalent.

An independent report commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme has found that the Colluli potash project had the potential to significantly boost the Eritrean economy and advance that country’s sustainable development agenda. “The report reinforces the uniqueness of Colluli. We appreciate the magnitude of the opportunity and the responsibility that comes with developing an asset of this significance with the potential to improve the lives of millions,” said Danakali executive chairperson Seamus Cornelius.

Some 14 500 workers have registered with Indian major Adani for work on the $16.5-billion Carmichael coal project, the head of its Australian unit said on Wednesday, lobbying the Queensland government get behind the project “When you get 14 500 people wanting to work for you and most of these people come from Queensland, you would hope the Queensland Government would take notice,’’ Adani Australia Mining CEO Lucas Dow said.

Copper miner Sandfire Resources was predicting that copper production in the full 2019 would be at the upper end of the guidance of between 63 000 t and 67 000 t, following another strong quarter. Gold production for the full year was also expected to be at the higher end of the guidance of between 37 000 oz and 40 000 oz, the miner said on Wednesday.

Miner AngloGold Ashanti said on Tuesday it has halted a soil study at a site in Colombia after the town's mayor issued a suspension order because of a recent mining ban. Work at the site in Jerico, Antioquia province, was stopped on Monday and the project will remain halted pending a review by the province's tribunal, AngloGold said.

Operations have resumed at Aim-listed BlueRock Diamonds’ Kareevlei diamond mine, in Kimberley, in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. This follows a temporary suspension of operations from January 22, after the Department of Mineral Resources imposed a Section 54 notice.

JSE- and LSE-listed platinum-group metals (PGMs) and chrome producer Tharisa has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets, effective February 6. Tharisa has a market capitalisation of R5.1-billion and has its primary listing on the JSE, and a secondary standard listing on the main board of the LSE. Its share capital will be unaffected by the A2X listing.

The global iron-ore market was pitched into turmoil after Brazil’s Vale SA, the world’s largest producer, outlined plans to cut output after a deadly dam breach, buoying shares of rivals as investors weighed the impact of the disruption. Prices soared, with futures rallying more than 9%. Vale will decommission some tailings dams, curbing production by 40-million tons a year, Chief Executive Officer Fabio Schvartsman said at a press conference, citing a plan presented to the Energy and Environment Ministries. Читать дальше...

Vedanta's Zambian unit will press ahead with expansion plans even as the government of Africa’s second-biggest copper producer increased mining royalties, and has undertaken not to fire any workers. The assurance by Konkola Copper Mines, following a meeting between management and government officials on Monday, is an about turn after the company announced earlier this month that the new taxes made some operations unviable and cut output at its Nchanga smelter. First Quantum Minerals on January 23... Читать дальше...

Brazilian police arrested three employees and two contractors for embattled mining giant Vale SA as an investigation into a dam rupture that has killed at least 65 and left a path of destruction in the state of Minas Gerais widens. The two contractors worked for German consultancy firm TUEV SUED, which had recently carried out safety studies concluding the tailings dam was stable. The Vale employees were allegedly directly involved in obtaining the licensing for the mining project, the public prosecutors... Читать дальше...