Новости за 14.03.2019

Advantage Lithium said on Thursday it has temporarily replaced CEO David Sidoo after he was arrested last week by US. authorities as part of a sweeping college admissions scheme. The company, which is developing a lithium project in Argentina, has named board member Callum Grant as its interim president. "All plans are the same to put Advantage into production at some point," spokesman Max Sali told Reuters.

The Ecuador Ministry of Environment has issued an environment licence to the Bramaderos gold and copper project, paving the way for diamond drilling to get under way in the next two to three weeks. TSX-V-listed Cornerstone Capital Resources owns the Bramaderos project and ASX-listed Sunstone Metals has the right to earn 51% by spending $3.4-million over three years on a Phase 1 drill programme.

Canadian gold miner Goldcorp said on Thursday that operations had restarted at its Cerro Negro mine, in Argentina, following a stoppage that started at the end of last week. Workers representing Asociación Obrera Minera Argentina downed tools on March 8, Goldcorp said, without giving a reason for the strike.

ASX-, Aim- and JSE-listed MC Mining’s directors have approved the phased development of the company’s flagship Makhado coking coal project, which will result in the start of mining operations on the west pit. Construction of Phase 1 is set to start in the third quarter of this year.

Diversified miner Exarro Resources has facilitated a transaction that enables former employees of Exxaro Coal Mpumalanga (ECM) to participate in 50:50 joint venture that is set to acquire the assets and liabilities of the Arnot coal mine, in Mpumalanga. On February 22, Exxaro signed a transfer agreement with the Arnot OpCo consortium, whose shareholders are former employees of Arnot and coal mining company Wescoal.

Lithium developer Bacanora’s share price gained 45% on Thursday, on reports that Mexican miner Southern Copper is interested in investing in the company. In response to its share price movement, London-listed Bacanora said that it remained focused on securing the full funding of $460-million for the Sonora lithium project in the second quarter, and that it was in discussions with potential cornerstone investors as part of the fundraising process.

Metallurgical and smelting test work conducted on dual-listed Horizonte’s Vermelho nickel/cobalt project has returned positive results, confirming the project’s potential to produce high-grade, commercial specification ferronickel from saprolite and transition ore. Vermelho is Horizonte’s second development project in Brazil, after Araguaia. The projects are within trucking distance from one another.

Metallurgical and smelting test work conducted on dual-listed Horizonte’s Vermelho nickel/cobalt project has returned positive results, confirming the project’s potential to produce high-grade, commercial specification ferronickel from saprolite and transition ore. Vermelho is Horizonte’s second development project in Brazil, after Araguaia. The projects are within trucking distance from one another.

TSX- and Aim-listed Avesoro Resources produced 220 458 oz of gold at its New Liberty mine, in Liberia, and its Youga mine, in Burkina Faso, in 2018 – a 179% year-on-year increase. This was achieved at a consolidated operating cash cost of $774/oz sold and an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $1 043/oz sold.

Despite having experienced some challenges during the six months to December 31, 2018, ASX-, Aim- and JSE-listed MC Mining on Thursday reported a loss for the period of $3.6-million, compared with the $97.3-million loss reported for the six months to December 31, 2017. Revenue was $15.2-million, compared with $17-million in the prior comparable period, while cost of sales decreased to $12.3-million, compared with $14.4-million in the prior comparable period.

LSE-listed Gem Diamonds on Thursday announced the sale of a 13.33 ct pink diamond on tender in Antwerp for $8.75-million. The diamond was recovered from the Letšeng mine, in Lesotho, in which Gem Diamonds holds a 70% stake, in February.

Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) president Joseph Mathunjwa on Wednesday called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the ongoing protracted strike at miner Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations. He spoke at a media briefing that was called to clarify some of the issues at Sibanye since the start of the AMCU strike on November 21.

Empowered diversified miner Exxaro Resources achieved a robust financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2018. The company reported record coal production, sales and exports, while its revenue increased by 12% year-on-year to R25.5-billion. Its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) increased by R4.5-billion year-on-year to R7-billion.

This week Mining Weekly editor Martin Creamer discusses the country’s ferrochrome potential, the national platinum strategy and the Nevada JV agreement.

The referendum that was meant to be held on March 24 to decide on mining activities in Girón Canton, near the Loma Larga property of TSX-listed IVN Metals, has been called off. The referendum was previously called by the Ecuadorian National Electoral Council, but was opposed by a group of community members of San Gerardo. A judge on Wednesday ruled in favour of the local group, a move which IVN CEO Candace MacGibbon welcomed.

The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has withdrawn its revised guidelines on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, saying that consultation with companies had revealed uncertainty on the technical aspects and practical implementation of the guidelines. The EPA last week revealed new guidelines on GHG emissions, which included rules that all new projects that emitted more than 100 000 t/y of carbon dioxide, should offset those emissions.

BHP Group has stepped up exploration drilling in deep water off Trinidad and Tobago hunting for gas which could supply the country's Atlantic LNG (liquefied natural gas) plant in the 2020s, a senior executive said. The company expects to complete drilling of three wells in block 14, located in its northern contract area, by the middle of this year, Niall McCormack, BHP's vice president for exploration, said on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

South African coal mining company Exxaro Resources, which is led by CEO Mxolisi Mgojo, said on Thursday its full-year earnings climbed 7%, boosted by higher coal prices and the absence of one-off transactions seen a year earlier. Core headline earnings per share (HEPS) rose to 2 159c or R7.17-billion for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018, from 2 011 cents per share or R6.30-billion in the same period last year.

Southern Copper Corp, one of the world's biggest copper producers, is considering an investment in a lithium project in Mexico that has also attracted interest from a Chinese firm, the company's CEO told Reuters on Wednesday. Oscar Gonzalez said company officials visited the lithium project in the state of Sonora, Mexico, although he could not recall the name of the Canadian miner he said was "trying to sell it".