Новости за 09.10.2019

Blackhawk Mining, a bankrupt US coal producer, closed four West Virginia mines after prices neared a three-year low. The closures will affect about 340 employees at three mines and two preparation facilities Blackhawk owns, as well as workers at a contract mine in the region, according to a statement Tuesday from the closely held Lexington, Kentucky-based company.

One of BHP's biggest shareholders Aberdeen Standard Investments on Wednesday added to pressure for the world's leading miner to cut ties with lobby groups it says are at odds with the company's pledges on climate leadership. Earlier, the Church of England Pensions Board urged shareholder advisers to review their opposition to a resolution calling on BHP to withdraw from groups that lobby for policies inconsistent with global climate change limitation goals.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) on Wednesday called on more whistle-blowers to come forward and provide it with reliable information to further strengthen its legal case against miner Samancor Chrome. The union, together with its partners, law firm Richard Spoor Inc and the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), have lodged a case of alleged fraud and profit shifting against the miner at the Gauteng High Court.

Bosnia's 300-MW coal-fired Stanari power plant has been reconnected to the grid after a ten-day overhaul, its British-based operator Energy Financing Team (EFT) said on Wednesday. The overhaul was the second this year to prepare the plant in the northern town of Doboj for winter operation, the company said.

Nordgold Group, which has gold mining operations in Africa and Russia, has raised $400-million in the international capital markets in a five-year Eurobond issue. This is the second Eurobond issued by Nordgold since its establishment in 2007. In 2013, it raised $500-million in its debut five-year Eurobond issue which was redeemed in 2018.

Zambia's Konkola Copper Mines (kCM) smelter was on Wednesday shut down for annual maintenance two days earlier than planned after a leak, the provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu said. Lungu said the smelter, which was scheduled to undergo annual maintentance for 35 days starting on Friday, would now remain shut for 37 days until November 15 when output would resume.

National Australia Bank (NAB) has trimmed its forecasts for metallurgical coal and thermal coal for next year given weakening longer term demand prospects, it said on Wednesday. It now sees thermal coal prices averaging at $70 a tonne in 2020, from $76 previously, and hard coking coal averaging at $150 a tonne from an earlier forecast of $156 a tonne, it said in a report. Australia is the world's biggest coal exporter.

Diamond miner Lucapa has set production records in the three months to September, with the ASX-listed company recovering 14 610 ct during the period under review. Production at the Lulo alluvial mine, in Angola, reached 7 603 ct during the quarter, a 67% increase on the previous corresponding period, while the Mothae kimberlite mine reported its highest quarterly production since commercial operations started in January, producing 7 007 ct.

Gold miner Troy Resources has reported a fatality at its Karouni gold mine, in Guyana. The company on Wednesday told shareholders that a 3 m high embankment upon which an employee was standing, had collapsed, with the employee suffering fatal injuries.

The Pumpkin Hollow underground copper project is in the final stages before starting producing in the current quarter, which will transition TSX-listed Nevada Copper from developer to producer. The company confirmed this week that it had started precommissioning the grinding circuit of the process plant at Pumpkin Hollow, near Yerington, Nevada.

The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) this week revealed that it is developing its own Climate Action Plan to support work being done by its members to address human-induced climate change. MCA CEO Tania Constable said that the plan, which will be released in 2020, would complement the already strong commitment by MCA members to act on climate change.

ASX-listed FYI Resources has successfully completed a high purity alumina pilot plant trial in Western Australia. The plant operated continuously from October 2 to 9 on a 24/7 basis, and either met or exceeded the modeled operational performances, demonstrating the potential for commercial production of a high purity alumina, FYI said on Wednesday.

Diversified major Rio Tinto has completed the drilling of ten bulk trenches to conclude its sampling programme on Canadian junior Star Diamond’s Star kimberlite, using a new technology. The trench cutter sampling rig that Rio Tinto Exploration Canada (RTEC) used at Star, which is located in the Star-Orion South diamond project in Saskatchewan, has a design sampling depth of 250 m below the surface.

Despite reporting lower production for the 2019 financial year, dual-listed Tharisa remains confident of achieving its Vision 2020 strategy of producing 200 000 oz/y of platinum-group metals (PGMs) and two-million tonnes a year of chrome concentrates from 2020. The JSE- and LSE-listed PGMs and chrome miner's output of platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and gold (6E) PGMs decreased to 139 700 oz for the financial year ended September 30, compared with the 152 200 oz produced in the 2018 financial year.