Новости за 19.03.2019

Two workers died in an accident at Glencore's Zambian operation Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) on Tuesday, prompting it to suspend production pending investigations, the company said. "All operations at the South Ore Body (shaft) have been suspended until further notice," the company said in a statement without providing details of the accident.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has accepted, in principle, a proposed settlement agreement advanced by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), in at attempt to resolve the wage dispute between the union and precious metals miner Sibanye-Stillwater. The union has had a protracted strike at the miner’s gold operations since November 21, to date.

The World Gold Council (WGC) on Tuesday released its latest ‘Investment Update: The impact of monetary policy on gold’ publication, in which it outlines expectations that the upcoming Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meeting on March 20 will confirm market expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will hold interest rates steady for the rest of the year. This, in turn, will likely influence gold’s performance, the council said.

U.S. hits Venezuela with new sanctions on state-run mining company

The chairperson of South American gold project developer Orosur Mining, John Walmsley, has died, following an illness, the TSX- and Aim-listed company reported this week Walmsley joined the board of directors as chairperson in 2013 and has served in that capacity since that time.

TSX-V-listed Equinox Gold has completed an updated mineral resource estimate for its Aurizona gold mine, in Brazil, and an updated mineral reserve and resource estimate, as well as a technical report, for its Mesquite gold mine, in the US. Aurizona’s measured and indicated resources increased by 50% to 692 000 oz of contained gold, while its underground inferred resources increased 115% to 1.1-million ounces of contained gold.

Lawmakers from Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party proposed on Tuesday to cut mining tax payments so that major copper producer KGHM could spend more money on investment. The mining levy, introduced in 2012 and calculated using a formula based on local production volumes and prices, primarily affects KGHM, a major employer in southeast Poland and one of the world's biggest copper and silver producers.

Palladium topped $1 600/oz for the first time, and there’s little sign of the rally slowing as global supply tightens. The price of the metal – mainly used in autocatalysts in gasoline vehicles – has almost doubled from a recent low in August. Demand has remained robust as manufacturers scramble to get hold of palladium to meet more stringent emissions controls, particularly in China, even as auto sales in key markets slow.

The completion of the environmental baseline study has brought the Khemisset potash project, in Morocco, closer to production, with the study identifying no areas of concern that could impact on the scale, location, cost or profitability of the project. LSE-listed potash development company Emmerson is now planning to start the full environmental- and social-impact assessment (ESIA), which will form a core component of the application for a mining licence at Khemisset.

The European benchmark ferrochrome price has been settled at $1.20/lb for the second quarter of 2019, JSE-listed Merafe Resources said in a statement on Tuesday. This is an increase of 7.1% from the benchmark price of $1.12 /lb in the first quarter of this year.

Chilean copper miner Antofagasta announced a higher-than-expected dividend payout on Tuesday and reported a drop in annual core earnings that was in line with analysts' projections. The company lowered its final dividend by about 9% to 37c a share from last year, but topped the expectations of at least two analysts.

Potash developer Kalium Lakes has secured A$102-million in debt funding for its Beyondie sulphate of potash (SoP) project, in Western Australia. The company on Tuesday told shareholders that it has signed a non-binding term sheet with German bank KfW IPEX-Bank to provide the senior debt funding for the development of Beyondie.

ASX-listed Mincor Resources has signed an offtake term sheet with the Nickel West division of mining major BHP. The term sheet will form the basis for a binding ore tolling and concentrate purchase agreement, which will replace the 20-year agreement that Mincor had with Nickel West, which expired in February this year.

Coal miner New Hope has reported a 21% jump in revenue for the half-year ended January, while profits jumped by 33% on the previous corresponding period. New Hope on Tuesday reported revenues of A$616.7-million first the first half of the year, while profits before tax was reported at A$228.9-million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization was also up by 31% on the previous corresponding period, to A$285.1-million.

Diversified miner BHP has appointed Ian Cockerill and Susan Kilsby as independent non-executive directors to the company’s board, effective from April 1. Cockerill has extensive mining experience and has held a number of management roles, including as CEO of Anglo Coal and Gold Fields, and has been a senior executive with AngloGold Ashanti and the Anglo American Group.

A union at Chile's Sierra Gorda copper mine, controlled by Polish mining company KGHM, could go on strike this week after rejecting the latest offer in contract negotiations, the union leader told Reuters on Monday. The company still has until the end of Tuesday to request government mediation to help reach a deal with the union of 520 workers.

Vale’s shares declined on Monday as the world’s biggest iron-ore producer faces continued backlash from Brazilian authorities after a deadly mining accident in January. Rio de Janeiro-based Vale was ordered on March 15 to shut its Timbopeba mine in Minas Gerais state, which produces 12.8-million tons of iron-ore ayear, due to safety concerns. On Monday a court ordered the company to freeze one-billion reais ($264-million) in funds as compensation for affected communities in the state.

Rio Tinto Group must face a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawsuit over the company’s valuation of coal assets in Mozambique, a federal judge ruled. US authorities in October 2017 filed fraud charges against London-based Rio Tinto, former CEO Tom Albanese and former CFO Guy Elliott, claiming they inflated the value of assets acquired in 2011 for $3.7-billion. The assets were sold for $50-million in 2014, a year after more than $3-billion in writedowns on the properties led to Albanase’s departure.