Новости за 07.02.2019

Fourteen nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) including Amnesty and Global Witness have opposed plans by the London Metal Exchange to ban cobalt tainted by human rights abuses, a letter seen by Reuters showed. Cobalt is a key ingredient in the batteries that power electric vehicles, a fast-growing sector of the auto industry, and in metal alloys used to make jet engines.

Brazil's mining agency plans to ban upstream tailings dams used for storing mining waste, a director at the National Mining Agency (ANM) said on Thursday, after such a dam burst last month, likely killing at least 300 people. Eduardo Leão, a director at ANM, said the agency aims to issue an ordinance on Friday requiring that such dams be taken down or converted into other types of dams.

Canadian miner First Quantum has signed a new $2.7-billion term loan and revolving credit facility, replacing the existing $1.5-billion revolving credit facility. Underwritten by three core relationship banks, the new $2.7-billion facility, with an accordion feature to increase it up to $3-billion before the end of 2019, comprises a $1.5-billion term-loan facility and a $1.2-billion revolving credit facility maturing on December 31, 2022.

Aim-listed gold, copper and silver producer Anglo Asian has announced its highest-ever production guidance, forecasting metal production of between 82 000 and 86 000 of gold-equivalent ounces (GEOs) for 2019. The guidance compares with a target range of 78 000 GEOs to 84 000 GEOs in 2018 and actual output of 83 736 GEOs in the year.

Relatively stable carat recovery and sales contributed to a strong performance for LSE-listed Gem Diamonds in the fourth quarter ended December 31. Gem on Thursday reported that it had recovered three diamonds larger than 100 ct at its Letšeng mine, in Lesotho, during the quarter, taking the number of diamonds larger than 100 ct recovered during 2018 to 15 – a record for the company.

Minerals Council's warns of tipping point for mining if electricity tariffs increase by 15% a year; and, BME to focus on product improvement and organic growth

President Nicolas Maduro blew through more than 40% of Venezuela’s gold reserves last year in a desperate bid to fund government programs and pay millions to bondholders. The government sold a total of 73 t of gold to two firms in the United Arab Emirates and another in Turkey, opposition lawmaker Carlos Paparoni told reporters in Caracas on Wednesday.

Bolivia has chosen a Chinese consortium to be its strategic partner on new $2.3-billion lithium projects, the government said on Wednesday, giving China a potential foothold in the country's huge untapped reserves of the prized electric battery metal. China's Xinjiang TBEA Group will hold a 49% stake in a planned joint venture with Bolivia's state lithium company YLB, the Bolivian firm said.

Norwegian metals producer Norsk Hydro warned it will miss its 2019 savings targets after falling well short of fourth-quarter earnings expectations hit by restricted output in Brazil and higher costs. Underlying operating profit fell 85% to 534-million Norwegian crowns ($62.48-million) versus the 1.45-billion crowns expected by analysts in a Reuters poll.

TSX-V-listed Namibia Critical Metals has signed a deal with a private, undisclosed Namibia-based group for the development of a small-scale manganese mine at its wholly-owned subsidiary Kunene Resources Namibia’s operations. The agreement allows the local Namibian group to produce manganese mineral concentrates from a small manganese occurrence within the Kunene cobalt/copper project area in exchange for sliding-scale royalty payments.

Vale’s licence to operate a dam key to production at one of its largest mines was revoked by a Brazilian state regulator on February 5, adding another hurdle to efforts by the iron ore king to return to normal operations. Shares declined. The world’s largest miner of the steelmaking ingredient declared force majeure on some of its contracts Tuesday after a judge forced it to suspend some operations at its Brucutu mine – a move that it said would result in an annual production loss of 30-million metric tons. Читать дальше...

Junior mining company, Prospect Resources, has won the 2019 Mining Indaba Investment Battlefield for its lithium project located in Zimbabwe. Prospect Resources executive director Harry Greaves scooped the first prize at the Investing in African Mining Indaba, in Cape Town, after pitching the project to a panel of judges made up of leading analysts and investors.

South African engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Lesedi has recently been awarded a contract to assist South32’s Mozal aluminum plant in its expansion project. The $38-million AP3XLE energy efficiency project was approved in the third quarter of 2017 and started the rollout of its pot line upgrade programme ahead of schedule during the September 2018 quarter.

Five people have been killed by a gas explosion in an unused coal mine in South Africa's eastern province of Mpumalanga and several others remain trapped, police said on Thursday. State broadcaster SABC said about 20 people were still stuck underground at the mine, in Middelburg.