Новости за 07.03.2019

After four consecutive months of inflows, holdings in global gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and similar products fell by 33 t in February to 2 479 t, which is equivalent to about $1.3-billion in outflows. Global assets under management (AUM) fell by 2% to $105-billion over the course of the month.

Russian diamond miner Alrosa in February sold rough and polished diamonds worth $345-million, which was up 23% compared with January’s sales of $281-million, but down significantly on the $541.9-million sold a year earlier. Rough diamond sales in February comprised $340-million, compared with $278-million in January, while polished diamond sales comprised $5-million, compared with $3.4-million in January.

JSE-listed Wescoal on Thursday said negotiations regarding a potential buyout of Universal Coal by a consortium that Wescoal is a part of, were ongoing. “Negotiations regarding the conclusion of detailed transaction agreements are still in progress,” it said in a statement.

TSX- and NYSE-listed Platinum Group Metals (PTM) on Thursday reported that Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (Jogmec) has completed the transfer of a 9.75% interest in the Waterberg palladium project, in South Africa, to Hanwa. Jogmec previously held a 21.95% interest in the Waterberg project. Jogmec and Hanwa in October last year agreed to the transaction.

Following the return of former chairperson Stephen Copulos and the resignation of UK-based chairperson Andrew Vickerman and MD Marcus Engelbrecht, Crusader Resources on Thursday detailed its future strategy, which includes a withdrawal from the Aim and a planned return to trading on the ASX. The company said that it would focus on bringing the Borborema gold project, in Brazil, into production and that it would dispose of all noncore exploration projects.

About 1 500 members of the National Union of Mineworkers have resolved to press on with a strike at Dwarsrivier mine in Limpopo to back demands for various allowances, the union said on Thursday. Underground, surface and administration workers have now been on strike for three days, demanding that the company provide a housing subsidy, allocate transport to and from work, and increase its medical aid contribution to 60%.

Chilean State-run miner Codelco will continue to develop its lithium assets, including committing $57-million for further exploration, Chile's Mining Minister told Reuters, even as progress has stagnated at its flagship projects. The company, already the world's largest copper producer, has tried unsuccessfully in recent years to attract a partner to develop its lithium projects in Chile, stifled by legal and regulatory hurdles.

Rusal, the world's largest aluminium producer outside China, said on Thursday its business was back to normal after U.S. sanctions were lifted in January, and reiterated a positive outlook for the global aluminium market. The company said sales were gradually returning to levels seen before the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the company and other businesses linked to Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska in April 2018.

An updated scoping study for the Wiluna uranium project, in Western Australia, has reduced the potential capital cost from A$91.6-million to A$87.9-million. Projected operating costs have also been reduced from A$16.08/lb of uranium dioxide (U3O8), to A$14.59/lb.