Новости за 28.11.2019

Sweden's Granges said on Thursday it had agreed to buy Polish aluminium producer Aluminium Konin for 2.3-billion Swedish crowns ($239-million), expanding its presence in Europe and boosting its position in growth areas such as materials for electric vehicles. The deal, subject to approval by competition authorities, values Aluminium Konin at 6.9 times its annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), and Granges said it expected to close the transaction in the second quarter of 2020.

Despite production disruptions during the monsoon season, coal stock availability at thermal power plants across the country has shown marked improvement, Indian Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi has said. In reply to Parliament, the Minister said that coal stocks available with thermal power plants across the country, on November 19, were assessed at 22.78-million tons, or 14 days consumption-equivalent, with five thermal power plants categorised as having ‘critical’ levels of feedstock. This compared... Читать дальше...

Despite production disruptions during the monsoon season, coal stock availability at thermal power plants across the country has shown marked improvement, Indian Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi has said. In reply to Parliament, the Minister said that coal stocks available with thermal power plants across the country, on November 19, were assessed at 22.78-million tons, or 14 days consumption-equivalent, with five thermal power plants categorised as having ‘critical’ levels of feedstock. This compared... Читать дальше...

Although strides have been made in reducing mine fatalities, occupational diseases and industry disasters, there is still work to be done in the mining industry’s quest for zero harm, speakers at the Anglo American Tripartite Health and Safety Initiative, said on Thursday. With the industry continuing its pursuit of zero harm, and having to contend with issues relating to the environment, health, wellness and social impact, this year’s summit was aimed at maintaining and strengthening collaborative... Читать дальше...

Chile has asked top lithium miner SQM to decide by year's end what it will do with its holdings in the Maricunga salt flat, the country's second richest in lithium, the country's Mining Minister told Reuters. Though Maricunga's 145 km2 make it less than 5% the size of the lithium-rich Salar de Atacama in northern Chile, high-grade deposits of the ultralight battery metal nonetheless make it attractive to miners. But fractured ownership has slowed development.

State-owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Co plans gem auctions outside the country, including in Asian cities, to widen marketing options amid a market glut that’s steadily made polished stones cheaper. The company must explore and penetrate the international market to boost sales volumes and plans 11 international tenders in 2020, according to acting CEO Rob de Pretto.

ASX-listed Lucapa Diamonds has confirmed that it is in talks to potentially secure a majority stake in the Project Lulo joint venture (JV), which holds the primary kimberlite exploration licence for the 3 000 km2 Lulo diamond concession, in Angola. Discussions are currently under way with the Angolan Ministry of Mineral Resources and Petroleum and Angola’s national diamond company Endiama.

Kazakh uranium miner Kazatomprom reported a 48% increase in third-quarter consolidated net profit on Thursday to 38.026-billion tenge ($98.4-million). The company's revenue fell 38% while its cost of sales shrank 71%, its unaudited financial report showed.

Dual-listed diamond explorer Botswana Diamonds and Aim-listed Vast Resources have signed the terms of a new agreement in respect of their proposed joint venture (JV) in the Chiadzwa Marange area, in Zimbabwe. When the detailed agreement between Vast’s Katanga Mining subsidiary and Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company becomes effective, Botswana Diamonds will be issued with new shares representing 2.5% of Katanga.

This week Mining Weekly editor Martin Creamer unpacks Vedanta’s electricity concerns, investment in the DRC and BHP’s technology focus.

A feasibility study into the New Elk coking coal project, in Colorado, has estimated that the $28.4-million project could produce some 2.7-million tonnes a year of run-of-mine coal, and two-million tonnes a year of saleable coal. ASX-listed Allegiance Coal on Thursday said that the study estimated that the project would have a mine life of 23 years, based on a total resource of 267.6-million tonnes.

The board of copper/gold miner Oz Minerals has taken a final investment decision on the $35-million Pedra Branca mine, in Brazil. The one-million tonne a year underground operation is expected to have a mine life of eight years, and would produce some 18 000 t/y of copper and 11 000 oz/y of gold.

Exploration will resume on the Newmont Goldcorp-funded Lyra project, after a force majeure condition relating to security in Colombia has been lifted, TSX-V-listed Outcrop Gold reported on Wednesday. Lyra lies between Continental Gold's Buritica and Orosur Mining's Anza projects and Outcrop Gold believes the project caputres the ‘Buritica trend’, which is a 30 km extension of the Tonusco fault system that bisects the Buritica vein system and continues to the south to Anza.

Project developer Aquila Resources is awaiting issuance of the amended mining permit and air permit for its Back Forty zinc and gold project, in the US, after the state of Michigan environmental review panel upheld the mining permit. The decision by the panel marks the final step in the contested challenge to the mining permit that began in April 2018 and is the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s final decision, the company said on Wednesday.

Project developer Aquila Resources is awaiting issuance of the amended mining permit and air permit for its Black Forty zinc and gold project, in the US, after the state of Michigan environmental review panel upheld the mining permit. The decision by the panel marks the final step in the contested challenge to the mining permit that began in April 2018 and is the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s final decision, the company said on Wednesday.

Codelco’s standing as the world’s top copper producer is increasingly at risk in the wake of a citizen uprising that is shaking Chile to its core. Codelco planned to spend $20-billion over a decade to modernise its aging mines and hold off a looming production slump. But protests that have sent millions into the street to demand changes in everything from pensions and health care to education could jeopardize the state-owned miner’s push for needed government funding.

Bougainville Vice President Raymond Masono said he will revive a plan to overhaul the region's mining laws after its ongoing independence referendum, which could strip the former operator of the Panguna gold and copper project of its interests. The proposed changes, which have been criticised by Panguna landowners, would also erase an interest in the project held by the Papua New Guinea government, potentially complicating negotiations between the two governments after the referendum.

Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals is looking for strategic partners to develop new copper projects and a joint venture with Rio Tinto in Peru could be on the cards, First Quantum's CEO said on Wednesday. "That is what we are going to explore and it just depends on what kind of partner we get," First Quantum CEO Philip Pascall said on the sidelines of a conference in London, referring to the company's plans to find strategic partners.