Новости за 28.06.2019

Eco Oro Minerals Corp has pulled out of its Angostura gold concession in Colombia amid a legal battle with the Andean country over environmental restrictions the Canadian miner said made the project impossible, according to a company letter. The March 29 letter to the mining minister was disclosed by environmental group Comite Santurban in a tweet on Thursday.

Chile's Codelco, the world's top copper miner, told Reuters on Friday that its Chuquicamata copper mine was once again fully operational following a two-week long strike that had docked output from the sprawling deposit. The three largest labor unions at the mine voted last night to accept the latest labor contract offer from Codelco, officially ending the walk-off.

A Zambian court on Friday withdrew an earlier order blocking a provisional liquidator at Vedanta's Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) business from disposing of KCM's assets or making arrangements with its creditors. The about-turn from the Zambian High Court is the latest twist in a dispute between Vedanta and the Zambian government, which says KCM breached its operating licence.

Aim-listed BlueRock Diamonds expects the operating time at its Kareevlei diamond mine, in Kimberley, South Africa, to increase by more than 30% after it shifted to a 365-day-a-year operation in March. This improvement will add to those improvements already achieved during the company’s 2018 financial year, ended December 31, during which it increased its diamond sales by 71% year-on-year to 5 805 ct.

Gold/copper/silver miner Orvana, which operates mines in northern Spain and Bolivia, has received a positive preliminary economic assessment (PEA) report for what could be its third operation – Taguas, in Argentina. The TSX-listed miner in May bought the property, about 25 km north of Barrick Gold’s Veladero mining operations and on Friday published the results of the PEA.

The dozens of people killed in a landslide at Glencore’s mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo highlight a constant struggle in the industry: illegal mining. It’s the result of a harsh economic divide across Africa, home to some of the world’s richest reserves of metals and minerals and some of the poorest people, who are willing to risk their lives in dangerous conditions to eke out a living.

Gold is extending its rally to head for the biggest monthly climb since the UK voted to leave the European Union in June 2016. Prices have surged to the highest since 2013 on expectations for looser monetary policy, rising geopolitical tensions and slower global growth amid a prolonged US-China trade war. Gold’s strong June comes ahead of the highly anticipated meeting Saturday between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Japan.

The Jacobina mine has significantly improved in the last several years and is now considered to be one of Canadian gold miner Yamana Gold’s higher quality, high-value operations. The mine, located in Bahia state, Brazil, produced 144 695 oz of gold last year and one year ahead of schedule in its plans to increase sustainable production to 150 000 oz/y.

Metals and mining company Nyrstar extended a production stoppage at its Port Pirie lead and zinc smelter in Australia, it said on Friday. The force majeure will continue into July 2019, the Belgium-based company said in a statement, adding that it expects now both TSL and Blast furnaces to restart in the second week of July.

Mining major BHP has reached a A$250-million settlement with the Western Australian government in a royalty dispute. The state government earlier this year said that it would seek royalty payments of up to A$300-million from BHP, which the state believed was underpaid over a 12-year period.

The three main labor unions at Chile's Chuquicamata mine voted on Thursday to accept the latest contract offer from Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, ending a two-week-old strike that had docked output at the sprawling copper deposit. The unions, which make up 80% of the workforce at the mine, had rejected Codelco's offer on Saturday, but asked the state miner for another chance to vote on the proposal this week.

This week Mining Weekly editor Martin Creamer discusses the Platinum Valley Special Economic Zone, the Kukama shaft and Orion’s Bankable Feasibility Study.

Gold mining and exploration company Harmony Gold reported a 4% improvement in its lost time injury frequency rate (per million hours) to 6.16 in the nine months ended March 31, this year, compared with 6.43 for the nine months ended March 31, 2018. This is according to an operational update released on May 2.

Filtration designer and manufacturer Cummins Filtration’s new Fleetguard portable fuel cleanliness analysis kit can reduce mining companies’ total cost of ownership for equipment using modern diesel engines, says Cummins Filtration mining sales manager Tinus Naude. Clean, uncontaminated fuel is key to optimal fuel system performance and the longevity of engines in the mining industry; without high-quality fuel filtration and regularly scheduled servicing, fuel contamination can lead to costly repairs and engine downtime.

In a tough economic climate, South Africa’s mining, cement and other industrial sector players are facing numerous challenges, including a strained electricity supply, rising operating costs, and fuel increases. This has put them under pressure to maintain profitability by cutting costs. However, cutting costs in the wrong places could have a negative long-term impact on a business’s sustainability. Rather than looking to cut costs by opting to use cheaper maintenance products, companies need to... Читать дальше...

In his speech during the opening session of the recent 2019 Intersessional Meeting of the Kimberley Process (KP), World Diamond Council President Stephane Fischler urged the Governments of KP-member countries to optimise the developmental opportunities provided by their natural resources through the protection of the interests of their mining communities. The meeting took place in Mumbai, India, and was the first of two KP meetings scheduled to be held in that country during this year, which is the... Читать дальше...

Certain segments of the mining sector that have traditionally provided most of the impetus for players in the mining lubricants industry have declined significantly, but lubricants specialist FUCHS Lubricants South Africa (FUCHS SA) commercial sales manager Mitch Launspach says the company expects slow, but consistent, growth in the mining segments in which the company operates. He tells Mining Weekly that the decline is especially prevalent in the gold and coal sectors; however, platinum and the mining of rare earth minerals... Читать дальше...

There is significant interest from the local mining community in bearings and accessories distributor Bearings International’s (BI’s) Dykem cross-check torque seal, and company sales at BI branches in mining areas are increasing monthly, says BI offer marketing manager Victor Strobel. The tamper-proof, vibration-warning indicator paste was launched in February this year and can improve safety and reduce maintenance costs with visual inspection, across several industries. Its applications range from long-distance haul trucks and trailers... Читать дальше...