Новости за 11.07.2019

BHP Group is moving ahead with plans to exit thermal coal, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest move by the world’s biggest miners to retreat from the dirtiest fuel. BHP is looking at options to divest the business that includes assets in Australia and Colombia, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the development has not been made public. There’s no guarantee the company will go ahead with a sale, the people said.

Colombia’s largest underground gold and silver producer, TSX-listed Gran Colombia, has increased its guidance for 2019 to between 225 000 oz and 240 000 oz. The new guidance compares with a previous range of 210 000 oz to 225 000 oz, and follows a strong six-month period.

Precious metals miner SSR Mining, which operates mines in the US, Canada and Argentina, expects to meet or exceed its yearly production guidance for the eighth consecutive year, following a strong first half of 2019. The company is on track for higher yearly gold production, having produced more than 98 000 gold-equivalent ounces (GEOs) from its three operations during the second quarter, and more than 210 000 GEOs year-to-date.

The acquisition of mines in Africa through a merger with Randgold Resources early this year, has raised the overall risk of Toronto-headquartered Barrick Gold’s mining portfolio, but analysts at Fitch Solutions believe that South African geologist Mark Bristow, who has a track record of operating successfully in difficult jurisdictions, will be able to pull it off. In a global company strategy review focusing on Barrick Gold, Fitch said this week that the mining major was stronger after the merger with Africa-focused Randgold... Читать дальше...

The tin market is under greater pressure from an economic slowdown and falling demand than supply issues, where lower production from countries such as Myanmar is likely to be offset by a new project in central Africa. Tin prices on the London Metal Exchange at around $18 000 a tonne are down 15% since hitting one-year highs at $21 800 a tonne in February, when the market was fretting about record low stocks in LME approved warehouses.

The expansion of the Proyecto Riotinto mine to 15-million tonnes a year is about to be finalised, paving the way for the Spain-based copper operation to increase production to between 50 000 t/y and 55 000 t/y in 2020. Mechanical completion was expected in the “next few weeks”, Aim- and TSX-listed Atalaya Mining said on Thursday, reporting that the new flotation and concentrate handling areas were finished and operational, while the new primary crushing area was mechanically finished with commissioning under way. Читать дальше...

Stornoway Diamonds, the operator of Quebec’s first diamond mine, has told shareholders that weak conditions in the rough diamond market continued to persist, with CEO Patrick Godin saying on Wednesday that further decreases in pricing were observed during the second quarter of the year. The company, which operates the Renard mine, sold 460 832 ct in two tender sales, netting gross proceeds of C$47-million, achieving an average price of $76/ct.

This week Mining Weekly editor Martin Creamer unpacks the Mirai Creation fund, carbon tax and lower cost electricity.

Uranium developer Berkeley Energia has announced the resignation of its MD and CEO Paul Atherley, who has been at the helm since 2015. Atherley’s replacement would likely be a Spanish National, the company said on Thursday, revealing plans to establish a head office in Madrid.

Coal miner Whitehaven Coal’s run-of-mine (ROM) production for the full year ended June has exceeded its expectations, following a record year from its Maules Creek mine. ROM production for the full year had been estimated at between 21.8-million and 22.8-million tonnes, however, Whitehaven on Thursday announced that full-year ROM production had reached 23.2-million tonnes.

Coal exports from Queensland set a new record in June this year, with 21.43-million tonnes of metallurgical and thermal coal exported during the month, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) revealed on Thursday. QRC CEO Ian Macfarlane said the 11% increase on the same month last year highlighted the increasing demand from world markets for Queensland’s coal.

Australia-based miner Oz Minerals on Thursday announced a hub strategy for its Brazilian assets, with copper and gold processing facilities serving multiple small and mid-sized mines in Carajás and the Gurupi provinces. A nine month review and concurrent drilling programme of Oz Minerals’ Brazilian assets have now been completed, following the A$430-million acquisition of Avanco Resources, which was completed in the third quarter of last year.