Новости за 28.02.2019

As this is the final year of the Kimberley Process’ (KP’s) three-year review, the organisation must grasp the opportunity to correct failings in the system designed to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the distribution chain, World Diamond Council (WDC) president Stephane Fischler told a special meeting conducted on Thursday as part of the United Nations General Assembly's seventy-third session. Fischler, speaking on behalf of the diamond and jewelry industries in the session entitled "From blood diamonds to peace diamonds... Читать дальше...

Coal mining and marketing company Wescoal said on Thursday that it would be acquiring the assets, liabilities and employees of the Arnot coal mine in Mpumulanga from Exxaro, in partnership with Innovators Resources, the shareholders of which are previous Exxaro employees retrenched during the shutdown of the operation in 2015. Wescoal interim CEO Dr Humphrey Mathe said in a release to Mining Weekly Online that the acquisition would quicken the re-start of mining at Arnot, following Section 11 ownership... Читать дальше...

Aim-listed Ncondezi Energy on Thursday announced that the process to conclude a binding joint development agreement (JDA) for its 300 MW integrated power and coal mine project, in Tete, Mozambique, is “moving forward.” The JDA will formally set out the terms on which the project will be developed, funded and operated.

Aim- and Botswana Stock Exchange-listed Botswana Diamonds on Thursday announced that the first phase of the intensification drilling programme at its Thorny River prospect, in South Africa, has been concluded.  Eighteen holes have been drilled with 12 intersecting kimberlite, the company stated in a release, adding that a bulk sampling target of 1.5 km of kimberlite fissure intersection had been identified.

India’s Singareni Collieries Company Limited’s (SCCL’s) bid to expand its mining footprint beyond the southern region received a boost with news from the Coal Ministry that it may be allocated a new coal block in Odisha in the east. Sources say that the miner has received “unofficial verbal communication” that the New Patrapara coal block will be allocated to SCCL, staving off strong competition from an Odisha government agency also seeking allocation of the same asset.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday presided over the official inauguration of Vedanta Zinc International’s (VZI’s) Gamsberg mine, near Aggeneys, in the Northern Cape. The mine, which boasts one of the largest known and undeveloped zinc orebodies in the world, will contribute more than $1-billion of investment into the South African mining industry.

The second phase of South America-focused Guyana Goldfields’ mill expansion is mechanically complete and was fully commissioned this week the TSX-listed miner reported on Thursday. The company expects the Phase 2 mill expansion to improve recovery by up to 2%, throughput by 10% and allow for 75% redundancy of the primary crusher.

Aurubis, Europe's biggest copper smelter, is still seeking growth via acquisitions, CEO Juergen Schachler said on Thursday. "As a practically debt-free company we possess a comfortable financial scope," Schachler said in an advanced release of a speech to the company's meeting of shareholders in Hamburg.

Chile's Chuquicamata underground copper mine is due to start operations in middle of this year, the State copper miner Codelco's chairman said on Wednesday. Chairman Juan Benavides said the start-up will be "a fundamental step and milestone in this structural overhaul" of Codelco.

ASX-listed Titan Minerals has completed wet commissioning of the Vista gold plant and mill, in Peru. The plant will have an initial 150 t/d capacity to generate some 90 oz/d of gold, based on average monthly grades of between 17.5 g/t and 24.4 g/t gold. The plant is permitted and designed to increase its capacity to 350 t/d.

An optimised definitive feasibility study (DFS) into the Ardmore phosphate rock project, in Queensland, has reduced the pre-production capital cost requirements of the project while increasing the pre-tax net present value by some 56%. ASX-listed Centrex Metals on Thursday reported that capital cost estimates for the project have declined from A$77-million to A$69-million, while the post tax net present value has increased from A$109-million to A$192-million, with the internal rate of return increasing from 30% to 54%.

Diversified miner BHP has announced a number of management changed, reflecting its simplified portfolio. Geraldine Slattery will replace Steve Pastor as president of the petroleum operations, while Vandita Pant will take over from Arnoud Balhuizen as chief commercial officer.

Brazilian Senate committees on Wednesday passed a bill to tighten dam safety in the country, after a mining dam owned by Vale SA burst and killed an estimated 300 people in the town of Brumadinho. The legislation, which tightens safety regulations on all types of dams, is similar to a regulation bill that failed to gain traction three years ago. It will now pass to the lower house for consideration, provided Senators do not file an appeal within five working days, which would require it to go to a vote of the full chamber.

A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered the release from jail of several Vale workers arrested last month in a criminal investigation of a deadly mine accident, saying there was no risk they would flee or destroy evidence. Separately, Vale's debt was downgraded by Moody's Investors Service, which sent its shares tumbling 1.6%. The stock bounced off session lows after the eight workers were released.