Новости за 08.04.2019

Anglo American will scrap its next big copper project if studies indicate the plan could harm nearby glaciers or there’s major opposition from local communities in Chile, a top executive says. The London-based company will file for environmental approval of the $3-billion project to increase production at its Los Bronces mine during the third quarter, Henni Faul, who heads the miner’s copper business, said in an interview. The project is sensitive because of its proximity to Andean glaciers and the Chilean capital.

JSE-listed and TSX-V-listed Alphamin Resources’ largest shareholder, Tremont Master Holdings, has acquired about 40-million shares, or 50% of shares placed, in the private shares placement that Alphamin launched. The company placed 79-million shares, raising gross proceeds of C$15.9-million, or $12-million.

TSX-listed Endeavour Mining on Monday confirmed that commercial production at its carbon-in-leach (CIL) project at Ity, in Côte d'Ivoire, is at its full nameplate capacity following a quick ramp-up phase. Achieving commercial production at the Ity CIL project marked a “transformational moment” in Endeavour’s history and an inflection point as the miner significantly increased its free cash flow capabilities, CEO and president Sébastien de Montessus said in a statement.

Iron-ore’s poised to hit $100/t, according to Citigroup, which highlighted “very, very low” seaborne cargoes just as data from China may show a pick-up in demand. That view follows advice from Goldman Sachs Group that investors should be closing bullish bets after recent gains. “Iron-ore is not a demand story, it’s a supply story,” Citigroup global head of commodities research Ed Morse said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Monday, reiterating the bank’s three-figure forecast.

Canadian junior GoviEx and the government of Niger have agreed on a framework to jointly develop the Madaouela uranium project, in terms of which the government will acquire an additional 10% working interest. The 10% stake in the uranium project is in addition to the government’s 10% free-carried interest provided for under the 2006 Niger mining code.

Indian coal miner Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has set a coal extraction target of 70-million tons for the 2019/20 financial year. The target is 8% higher than coal produced during 2018/19 at 64.4-million tons, says SCCL chairperson N Sridhar.

Canadian junior Japan Gold reported on Friday that base metals miner First Quantum would not proceed with an agreement to earn into four of its exploration properties in Japan, following the completion of an initial surface evaluation on the lithocap projects. The four projects evaluated comprise Eboshi, Kobui, Minamikayabe and Kamitsue.

MMG Ltd said on Monday its Las Bambas mine in Peru is expected to restore normal mining, production and transport operations after an indigenous village agreed to end a two-month blockade of the company's copper mine. The indigenous village agreed to end its road blockade of MMG's Las Bambas copper mine in exchange for a commitment from the company to pay it for transiting through its farmland, according to a document on Saturday detailing the deal.

Aim-listed Arc Minerals’ Kalaba demonstration pilot plant, in Zambia, has been completed and successfully commissioned with the initial production of copper/cobalt sulphide concentrate. The junior explorer is finalising detailed oxide resource tonnages, grades and mining plans in line with the completion of the block modelling of the overall oxide resource, it reported on Monday.

Takeover target Riversdale Resources is actively seeking alternate offers after an independent expert concluded that an offer from Australian iron-ore producer Hancock Prospecting is neither fair nor reasonable. Hancock in March announced a A$2.20-a-share all-cash offer for the unlisted Riversdale, 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. Hancock already holds a 19.8% share in Riversdale... Читать дальше...

The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has granted environmental approval for the development of the Beyondie sulphate of potash (SOP) project. Kalium Lakes MD Brett Hazelden said on Monday that achieving EPA approval for the Beyondie project was another first for the fledgling SOP industry in Western Australia.

Nigeria has suspended mining in the restive northwestern state of Zamfara, a presidential aide and the police chief said on Sunday, amid concerns that illegal miners were connected to a surge in banditry. The suspension underscores the breakdown of security in a part of the country where the military, police and state security forces have been deployed in recent weeks to tackle criminal gangs behind a spate of killings and kidnappings.

LSE-listed Firestone Diamonds has recovered a 72 ct yellow diamond from its Liqhobong mine, in Lesotho. The diamond was recovered together with a 22 ct white diamond and an 11 ct fancy light pink diamond.

Copper producers must collectively raise their game to improve the metal's ethical and green credentials as ageing mines require more water and energy to produce the same amount of metal, one of BHP's most senior executives said on Friday. Many in the industry have emphasised the importance of copper in the quest for a lower carbon economy as its properties as an electricity conductor hand it a leading role in any shift to electric vehicles and a modernised grid.

Giant mines currently under construction will churn out an additional one-million tons of copper through 2023, but that won’t be enough to fully close an expected gap between supply and demand in the next few years. Industry analysts and executives descending on Santiago this week for the Cesco conference, one of the industry’s biggest events, are in bullish spirits: a key indicator of the market for copper ore – known as concentrates – is pointing to the tightest market in more than five years... Читать дальше...

Mining major BHP is reportedly looking to cut up to 700 jobs across Australia, with up to 200 job cuts expected from the Perth office, as the company works to simplify its business and streamline its processes. “BHP is working to simplify its business and in its support functions we aim to streamline processes, remove duplication, bureaucracy and hierarchy to improve effectiveness of decision making and reduce time to implement and innovate,” a spokesperson for the company told Mining Weekly Online.