Новости за 19.04.2019

The number of women working in the mining sector has increased significantly over the past 17 years, with the numbers growing from 11 400 in 2002 to over 53 100 today, comments female footwear brand Sisi’s senior brand manager Vanessa Ronald. Sisi is one of eight brands under the BBF Safety Group, which was established after a merger of several South African safety footwear manufacturers, including Bagshaw Footwear, Beier Safety Footwear, Bronx Safety, United Frams and Wayne.

Mining solutions provider Underground Mining Services (UMS) Group is focusing on an alternative shaft sinking methodology that emphasises safety and mechanisation. The UMS Group comprises Shaft Sinkers as well as Mining Engineering Technical Services (METS) aims to provide clients with the full value chain offering of mining services.

Lukewarm investor sentiment for natural diamonds seems to contradict the stable demand and favourable supply forecasts for natural diamonds, US-based diamond analyst Paul Zimnisky notes in a statement released last week. He recalls that during the State-owned Russian diamond company Alrosa’s Capital Markets Day on March 18, the company noted that the questions most frequently asked during one-on-one meetings with investors are ones related to the impact of laboratory-grown diamonds on the business.

Russia’s predominantly State-owned global diamond mining major Alrosa and Angola’s State-owned national diamond mining company Endiama signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) early this month. This marks the latest stage in the development of the relationship between the two entities, which have been cooperating for more than 25 years. They are the co-founders and main shareholders (with 41% each) in Angola’s largest diamond mining company, Catoca. (Catoca has estimated reserves of 120-million carats... Читать дальше...

The South African mining industry has continuously recommitted to the shared aspiration of zero harm, which aims to ensure that mineworkers return home from work unharmed every day. While there was an 86% decline in the number of fatalities from 1994 to 2016, the death of 90 mineworkers marked a notable regression in 2017, which has resulted in industry stakeholders recommitting to achieving zero harm.

Ivanplats, the South African subsidiary of Ivanhoe Mines, is expected to complete early-works construction at Shaft 2 of the Platreef palladium/platinum/nickel/copper/gold/rhodium project, near Mokopane, in Limpopo, South Africa, in the second quarter, says Ivanplats VP and project director Gerick Mouton. Mining contractor Murray & Roberts Cementation is the principal contractor for Shaft 2 and has employed the services of civil engineering company Concor Holdings as a subcontractor.

Copper ore company Nevada Copper has confirmed that its Pumpkin Hollow underground copper project remains on target to start production in the fourth quarter this year. Pumpkin Hollow is located in Nevada, in the US and has substantial reserves and resources including copper, gold and silver.

Mining contractor Murray & Roberts Cementation has been awarded a contract by copper miner Palabora Mining Company for a 1 200-m-deep ventilation shaft. The shaft, with a lined diameter of 8.5 m, will reach a final blind sink depth of 1 190 m before a drop raise takes it to its final depth, according to Murray & Roberts Cementation project executive Braam Blom.

Africa will struggle to keep up with major lead-producing countries, such as China and Australia, owing to a lack of new projects in the pipeline, says credit and macro intelligence solutions provider Fitch Group commodities industry expert Diego Oliva-Velez. There are currently only four new lead projects in Africa, three in Namibia and one in Algeria, according to Fitch Solutions’ mining projects database.

New legislation and regulations by the Chinese government for the import of scrap materials could be a significant factor in the copper market this year, suggests international metals and minerals consultancy Roskill associate consultant Jonathan Barnes. China announced plans in April last year to restrict imports of eight scrap categories, including metals such as copper and steel, which will start from July 1 this year. These plans also include a ban on Category 7 scrap imports, which pertain to... Читать дальше...

The poor performance of Chinese smelters and the closure of major zinc mines in the past two years have led to global and refined zinc inventories continuing to fall, says international commodities consultancy Core Consultants MD Lara Smith. “Many smelters last year chose not to buy expensive concentrate, but instead to cut down on consumption rates and production. This was further exacerbated by environmental regulations in China, which resulted in smelter utilisation rates falling to its lowest... Читать дальше...

Canadian mining company Hudbay Minerals has announced the discovery of 35.6 m of high-grade mineralisation including both zinc-rich massive sulphides and gold. The deposit is located between the old Chisel North mine and the producing Lalor mine in Manitoba, Canada, at a down hole depth between 540.7 m and 576.3 m. The property is wholly owned by Hudbay and is free of any hindrances.

The growth of the nickel pig iron (NPI) market in Indonesia has led to the rapid increase of nickel mining operations in the country, says international metals and minerals consultancy Roskill senior analyst Olivier Masson. Nickel pig iron, a low-grade ferronickel, was created in China as a cheaper alternative to high-grade nickel that is used for stainless steel production.

Owing to a lack of significant new copper mining projects, constant illegal exports of copper scrap and import reductions from key copper producing economies, South Africa could struggle to meet local demand for copper in the next five years, says regional copper commodity body Copper Development Association Africa executive chairperson Evert Swanepoel. Local copper production is currently insufficient to meet the country’s production requirements, he adds.