Новости за 12.07.2019

While the outlook for the US coal industry over the next 12 to 18 months is stable, fading utility demand in the 2020-to-2030 decade will drive the ongoing contraction of the domestic coal industry, presenting a significant challenge for US coal miners. Last year, utilities consumed about 84% of the US coal industry’s 756-milliontons of production.

Aim-listed metals processing company Jubilee Metals Group on Thursday confirmed the completion of its acquisition of the Sable Zinc Kabwe refinery, in Zambia. “I am delighted that we have successfully achieved all conditions precedent for the implementation of the Sable Zinc Kabwe acquisition, with the final approval from the Zambian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission being ratified and completion formalised,” Jubilee CEO Leon Coetzer commented.

The shareholders of ASX-listed junior Marquee Resources will meet on August 15 to vote on the acquisition of lithium hopeful Centenario Lithium, after the company took the decision to complete the acquisition agreement. Marquee in June this year announced plans to enter into the lithium triangle in Argentina through the acquisition of Centenario Lithium, which holds a 30% interest in Lithium Power International Holdings, which in turn holds seven leases in the Centenario Salar, in Argentina.

Diversified miner Rio Tinto has unveiled its latest tender from the Argyle diamond mine, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, as the operation nears the end of its life cycle. The 64-diamond collection includes three Fancy Red diamonds and weighs a combined 56.28 ct.

After a protracted period of consolidation, cost reduction initiatives and suspended dividends, the global mining sector is today in far better shape than it was during the years that followed the 2008/9 financial crisis and the subsequent commodities crash, notes Herbert Smith Freehills South Africa director Patrick Leyden. “Global mining revenue has increased 8% year-on-year with shareholder returns up 38% on previous years,” he comments, adding that the JSE/FTSE Africa Mining Index is the highest it has been since 2008. Читать дальше...

Mining investment company Armadale Capital has been fast-tracking work on the graphite resource update to be published this month for its Mahenge Liandu project, in south-east Tanzania, says Armadale technical director Matt Bull. The project is one of the highest-grade, large-flake deposits globally after the recent upgrade to 51.1-million tonnes at 9.3% total graphitic carbon (TGC), including 38.7-million tonnes in the indicated category at 9.3% TGC and 12.4-milion tonnes in the inferred category... Читать дальше...

Although mining companies and junior miners are struggling to secure funding for projects, listing on a stock exchange may offer opportunities for these companies to raise capital and grow their businesses, says exchange trading platform 4 Africa Exchange (4AX) business development head Noah Greenhill. He tells Mining Weekly that the environment in South Africa is not currently attractive and conducive to investment and companies are looking to invest in other jurisdictions in Africa.

Fire protection company Advanced Fire Suppression Technologies (Advanced FST) will extensively increase its African footprint in the next three to five years through local partnerships and acquisitions, says Advanced FST group executive Westley Barnardt. The company aims to offer more permanent in-country support structures to offer its clients the latest technology in various fields.

While mining majors often have in-house exploration experience, juniors lack this experience and thus engineering consulting company SRK Exploration Services (ES) is increasingly providing advisory services, from strategic to operational guidance, to juniors, says SRK ES Johannesburg branch manager John Paul Hunt. SRK ES was established in 2003 to provide services for early-stage junior and midtier miners. In close collaboration with its sister company SRK Consulting, the company provides full and... Читать дальше...

The Angolan Government is making preparations for the setting up of the country’s new National Minerals Resources Agency, the country’s State Secretary for Geology and Mines, Jânio Corrêa Victor, stated recently. The new agency will take over the role of minerals and mining rights concessionary from State-owned mining companies.

Drive engineering company SEW-Eurodrive has more active projects in the rest of Africa, than in South Africa, exports head Marcio Sicchiero tells Mining Weekly. Involved in the delivery of conveyor drive assemblies to various greenfield and expansion projects across a range of commodities on the continent, the company has developed good relationships with engineering project houses, leading to repeat business, he says.

The local mining industry declined by 10.8% in the first quarter of this year and the industry is on a huge cost-saving run, says bearings and power transmission products distributor Bearings International (BI) mining business development leader Shaun Combrinck. He tells Mining Weekly that BI is focusing on the products and services it has to offer the mining industry, as equipment being used at mines will still have to be maintained or replaced.

Besides the significant lure of Namibia’s mineral-rich geology, the country’s various attributes make it a more attractive investment destination for exploration and development companies than other mining jurisdictions, says Canadian strategic minerals-focused company Broadway Gold Mining executive chairperson Duane Parnham. The TSX-V-listed company acquired an 85% interest in an extensive copper/vanadium land package in Namibia last month. Fifteen per cent carried interest will be held by Broadway’s local business partners... Читать дальше...

There are many mining and exploration opportunities in Southern Africa, with exploration work growing as more mining companies are focusing on the region, says South African airborne geophysics technology provider Spectrem Air GM Louis Polomé. In the next ten years, remote sensing in terms of geophysics, will play a critical role in the exploration of Southern Africa, for which geological data is lacking, he tells Mining Weekly.

The African mining industry’s lighting requirements have evolved from standard high-intensity discharge (HID) products, which have been commonly used over the past 50 years, to more efficient and cost-effective light-emitting-diode (LED) products. This is according to South African industrial, commercial and public amenity lighting supplier Magnitech technical manager Mark Vigus-Brown.

Provisional data reported to the International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) indicate that global refined lead metal demand exceeded supply by 39 000 t during the first four months of 2019, the organisation stated in a press release last month. Over the same period total reported stock levels decreased by 21 000 t. Increased production in India, Peru and Sweden, resulted in a 0.7% increase in global lead mine production, partially offset by reductions in China.

The African mining industry is largely holding its own, despite factors discouraging investor interest, with China delivering the sector’s foremost source of investment for mining projects and infrastructure development, says African Mining Network (AMN) chairperson Yolanda Torrisi. She says the Asian country looks set to remain a significant participant in the continent’s mining sector, for at least the medium-term, as its demand for metals continues to grow.