Новости за 03.04.2019

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi and Barrick Gold Corporation executive chairperson John Thornton on Wednesday confirmed a partnership to develop the country’s gold mining industry. The two held a meeting during Tshisekedi’s State visit to the US.

Kalahari Metals (KML), in which Aim-listed Metal Tiger owns 50%, has received notification that the environmental management plan (EMP) for KML’s Ngami copper project has been reviewed and approved by the Botswana Department of Environmental Affairs. The EMP authorisation is, however, subject to a four-week public review period but should it be granted, it would allow diamond drilling to start on three targets within the project area.

A last lap unprecedented surge in production has enabled State-miner Coal India Limited to end the 2018/19 financial year with production of 607-million tons, marginally short of the 610-million-ton target agreed with the government. The miner thus achieved a production growth of 7% during the year ended March 31, 2019, against growth of 2.4% in the previous financial year, according to data released by the company.

Iron-ore’s supply-driven rally picked up pace on Wednesday, with futures topping $90 a ton, amid increasing concern the crisis at Brazil’s Vale will be drawn out as regulators ordered dozens of dams to be shut. Futures for benchmark material rallied as much as 4.1% in Singapore, while spot ore climbed to a two-year high and the contract for high-grade ore extended gains above $100/t. Barclays raised price forecasts on expectations for a global deficit.

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe will on Thursday visit the community of Phola, in Mpumalanga, for an inspection and to engage with community members. Community members have raised concerns about damage to their houses as a result of blasting by mines around the community.

Dual-listed Kibo Energy on Wednesday said a final decision regarding a strategic development agreement (SDA) with China-based Sepco III at the Mbeya coal-to-power project (MCPP), in Tanzania, has not been made and that discussions are ongoing. As previously reported by Mining Weekly Online, Kibo in July 2018 signed an SDA with Sepco III to work toward enhancing Kibo’s strategy and the development of its portfolio of energy projects.

Aim-listed African Battery Metals (ABM) is now continuing work across its Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) cobalt and Cameroon cobalt/nickel projects following a strategic review. The company intends using the data obtained to identify an optimal value generation pathway for the company and its investors.

An aluminium joint venture (JV) between majors Rio Tinto and Alcoa has flagged a site for a new research and development facility in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region in Québec. The Elysis JV is working to commercialise a breakthrough technology that eliminates all direct greenhouse gases from the traditional aluminium smelting process, instead producing pure oxygen.

Sulphate of potash (SOP) developer Kalium Lakes has welcomed equity investment firm Greenstone Resources as a cornerstone investor, following a A$20.8-million investment. Kalium Lakes on Wednesday told shareholders that it would issue more than 47.3-million shares to Greenstone, at a price of 44c each, to raise the capital. The investment would result in Greenstone holding a 19.9% interest in Kalium Lakes.

Vancouver-headquartered Sandfire Resources has appointed mining executive John McGonigle its CFO as the company continues to build its senior leadership team ahead of the planned construction and development of its underground Black Butte copper project in the US state of Montana. McGonigle was most recently the CFO of Lundin Mining’s Eagle mine in Champion, Michigan. Prior to that, he spent 19 years with Newmont Mining with experience in Ghana, Indonesia, and the US.

The US Federal Trade Commission, which investigates allegations of deceptive advertising, said on Tuesday that it has sent warning letters to eight companies to insist that they distinguish in advertisements between diamonds that come from mines and those made in laboratories. The FTC said that it had found instances where the eight companies advertised diamond jewelry "without clearly and conspicuously disclosing that the diamonds are laboratory-created," according to the letter.

The US Federal Trade Commission, which investigates allegations of deceptive advertising, said on Tuesday that it has sent warning letters to eight companies to insist that they distinguish in advertisements between diamonds that come from mines and those made in laboratories. The FTC said that it had found instances where the eight companies advertised diamond jewelry "without clearly and conspicuously disclosing that the diamonds are laboratory-created," according to the letter.

Vancouver-based Lundin Gold has drawn $159-million under its previously announced senior secured debt facility to advance the development of the Fruta del Norte gold project, in Ecuador. The company now has $191-million remaining under the facility available to be drawn at its option.