Новости за 08.03.2019

Gold miner Acacia Mining on Friday assured its shareholders that it was working on a solution to prevent any seepage from its tailing storage facility (TSF) at the North Mara mine, in Tanzania. The government of Tanzania had also directed the mine to resolve a spillage of water at its polishing pond, which the company said had since been resolved.

hina's Tianqi Lithium plans to appoint three members to the board of Chilean miner SQM who will be "fair" and "responsible toward shareholders", Tianqi chairperson Jiang Weiping said on Friday. Tianqi's $4.1-billion purchase of a 23.77% stake in SQM, the world's second-biggest producer of lithium, a metal used in electric vehicle batteries, went through in December. The purchase drew scrutiny from Chilean regulators and opposition from SQM's majority shareholder Pampa Group after it was announced in May 2018.

London’s metals men have often taken an interest in politics. Nigel Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence party who successfully campaigned for Brexit, started his career trading on the London Metal Exchange. Conservative party treasurer Mick Davis headed up miner Xstrata and one of his predecessors, Michael Farmer, runs the the multi-billion pound metals hedge fund, Red Kite.

The Indonesian government has approved one-year export allowances for copper concentrate for miners PT Freeport Indonesia and PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara, officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said on Friday. Freeport will be given an allowance of 198,282 wet tonnes of copper concentrate, while Amman will get 336,100 wet tonnes, said Yunus Saifulhak, director of minerals at the energy and mining ministry.

Diamond-rich Botswana expects mineral revenues in the 2019/20 fiscal year to drop by 4% to 13.6-billion pula ($1.26-billion) due to a decline in royalties and dividends, a minerals ministry budget document showed on Thursday. Mineral Resources Minister Eric Molale said in the document that global diamond demand was showing signs of slowing down. Retail jewellery sales fell during the last quarter of 2018, he said, while polished prices continued to decline into the beginning of 2019, albeit at a slower rate.

The higher-than-inflation tariff increases granted to State-owned Eskom by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) will have a major impact on the South African mining industry’s cost structure, Minerals Council South Africa chief economist Henk Langenhoven said on Thursday. The increases, which amount to nearly two-thirds of what the power utility applied for, will jeopardise the viability of marginal and loss-making mines and, inevitably, accelerate job losses at energy-intensive mines in particular, he asserted.

TSX-V-listed Cornerstone Capital Resources has rejected dual-listed SolGold’s unsolicited proposal to acquire the company, arguing that it undervalues its business and also called into question the timing of the proposed bid in the lead up to the release of the preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of the Cascabel project, in Ecuador. In a letter dated March 8, the Cornerstone board said that it rejected the proposed hostile bid without actually having received the formal bid from SolGold and laid... Читать дальше...

ASX-listed Argosy Minerals will raise A$6.2-million to progress its Rincon lithium project, in Argentina. Argosy on Friday announced plans to undertake a partially-underwritten 1-for-15 renounceable rights issue, priced at 10c a share, to raise the funds. One attaching option will also be offered for every three new shares subscribed for.

TSX- and NYSE-listed Yamana Gold has announced that the Agua Rica project, in Argentina, will be developed and operated using the existing infrastructure and facilities of a joint venture (JV) that it has with Glencore and Goldcorp in that country. The integration of the Agua Rica copper project with the Alumbrera mine that the three companies jointly own, presents an opportunity to enhance project economics, reduce project complexity and its environmental footprint.

Coal miner Atrum Coal has raised A$20-million through a two tranche share placement to progress its Elan hard coking coal, in Alberta Canada, taking advantage of the spotlight cast by a recent takeover offer for its neighbor Riversdale Resources. Hancock Prospecting last week announced an A$2.20 a share all cash offer for the unlisted Riversdale Resources, with the company prepared to increase its offer price to A$2.50 a share once its shareholding in Riversdale reached more than 50% before the close of the offer.

The Western Australian government on Friday said that it would consult with the state’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) after the release of new guidelines to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA said that the revised guidelines would help proponents of significant proposals in the state prepare for an environmental assessment by the EPA.

ASX-listed junior Alta Zinc will raise some A$4.3-million through a four-for-five non-renounceable pro-rata rights issue priced at 0.4c a share. The rights issue price represented a 33% discount to Alta’s closing price on March 7, and a 32% discount to the ten-day volume weighted average share price.

Multinational valves producer KSB Group increased both order intake and sales revenue in 2018, compared to the previous year. This is shown by the interim figures for the company for the past financial year. The amount of incoming orders booked by KSB increased by €38.2-million to €2.304-billion in 2018. This figure would have been higher, by €96.8-million, without negative currency translation effects. However, the 1.7% increase is mainly owing to business in the manufacturing sector, in building services... Читать дальше...

In the heart of the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe, within the world’s second-largest known platinum group metals (PGMs) deposits, exploration has started on the 23 903 ha mining area of the Karo platinum project. One year after Cyprus-based Karo Mining signed the $4.2-billion deal to develop the latest integrated platinum mining and refining complex in Zimbabwe, 72 diamond core boreholes totaling 12 000 m has been completed by the first drilling contractor to be mobilised at the site.

Gauteng-based family-owned WEBA Chute Systems founder and chairperson Werner Baller bested eleven other nominees to be inducted into the International Mining Technology Hall of Fame for 2018 – placing him in the esteemed company of industry pioneers who have shaped the mining equipment landscape.   Nominated in the bulk handling category, Baller’s flagship WEBA chute system impressed the college of voters, which comprising 100 leaders in the fields of exploration, mining and processing.

Engineering consumables and components distributor Bearing Man Group (BMG) will continue to be prominent in the mining sector, as the company’s range of industrial slurry valves are suitable for harsh mining conditions. “BMG’s range of industrial valves, including the butterfly and knife gate, as well as diaphragm and pinch valves, meet stern quality and safety specifications, which make them appropriate for the control and isolation of harsh slurries in mines,” BMG industrial valves product manager Willie Lamprecht tells Mining Weekly.

Valve repair and engineering consulting company Brimis Engineering plans to introduce mobile repair and testing facilities for clients, particularly mining companies, which will be operational from September of this year. This will enable the company to combine the convenience of being on site with clients while saving money and time, says Brimis Engineering MD Andile Nqandela.

Data and analytics company GlobalData has forecast that worldwide zinc production will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.8% between this year and 2022. This growth will be underpinned by production increases and the opening of new mines, in Canada, China, India, Kazakhstan and Mexico, and will result in total global production of 15.7-million tons (Mt) in 2022.