Новости за 19.02.2020

Initial data from core leach tests at the Phoenix in-situ recovery (ISR) project has established uranium concentrations that are up to four times the amount assumed in the prefeasibility study (PFS), dual-listed Denison Mines reports. The test work returned concentrations of 13.5 g/l to 39.8 g/l, which compares with the previous metallurgical test work that supported a uranium concentration of 10 g/l for the ISR processing plant design used in the PFS.

The Wits Mining Institutes’ (WMI’s) Digital Mining Laboratory, DigiMine, will host a seminar on digital mining technology from April 7 to 9 at the University of the Witwatersrand Club. The seminar is expected to shed light on digital technology trends within the mining industry and will be headlined by a keynote address by precious metals miner Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman.

Vedanta Zinc International CEO Deshnee Naidoo has called on the South African mining industry to “change the gender narrative” and to engage in conversations about the lack of female representation in the industry. According to recently published statistics by the Minerals Council South Africa, of which Naidoo is also a board member, the South African mining industry has a female representation of only 12.4%.

Diamond miner Lucapa will continue the hunt for the primary hard-rock sources of alluvial diamonds at its Lulo mine, in Angola, noting that the first stream bulk samples excavated from the Canguige tributary had resulted in the recovery of 45 diamonds weighing 30.3 ct. The bulk sample included eight diamonds weighing more than 1 ct each and three diamonds of more than 2 ct each, with the largest being 3.75 ct.

Aim- and TSX-V-listed Altus Strategies on Wednesday said its shareholders had approved all resolutions to effect the proposed strategic investment by mining investment group La Mancha Holding in the company. Altus will issue about 124-million new ordinary shares at a price of C$0.09 apiece to La Mancha, for a consideration of C$11-million, or $8.4-million, on or about February 21.

Ratings agency Moody’s has expanded its price sensitivity range for gold, based on supportive factors such as lower-for-longer interest rates and geopolitical uncertainties. Moody’s has increased the higher end of the sensitivity range by $100/oz to $1 400/oz, while the lower end of the range remains at $1 100/oz.

Coal miner New Hope has reported a 9% increase in coal production for the quarter ended January, and an 84% increase in production in the six months ended January, as the Bengalla project, in New South Wales, increased output. Total saleable coal production for the quarter reached 2.8-million tonnes, up from the 2.6-million tonnes produced in the previous corresponding quarter, while interim production was up from 4.6-million tonnes to 6.2-million tonnes.

Dual-listed Silvercorp Metals has resumed mining operations at its Ying and CG mines, following an extended holiday period shutdown in line with the Chinese government’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Silvercorp’s production was suspended on January 17 for the Chinese New Year holiday, and was scheduled to restart on February 1. However, with the government extending the holiday by three days to February 3, Silvercorp will only restart production on February 10.

Canadian exploration junior Star Diamond said on Tuesday that it would take all necessary actions to ensure that its interests in the Star-Orion South project, in which Rio Tinto Exploration Canada (RTEC) is earning into, were protected. The company said that RTEC’s purported exercise in November 2019 of its four options under the option to joint venture agreement of June 2017 did not comply with the terms of the agreement. Excercising the four options would give RTEC a 60% interest in the Star-Orion project, in central Saskatchewan.

The Relief Canyon gold mine, in Nevada, has successfully poured its first gold and has now completed initial construction within its budget of $28-million to $30-million, TSX- and NYSE American-listed Americas Gold and Silver reported on Tuesday. The first gold pour was achieved in nine months from the start of production in May last year. The mine will ramp up to full design capacity of 14 500 t/d in the second quarter, president and CEO Darren Blasutti confirmed in a statement.

London-based hedge fund Odey Asset Management said it would vote against Anglo American's bid to acquire Sirius Minerals at the current offer price of 5.5p a share, saying the terms do not represent fair value. Odey, which recently became a shareholder in Sirius and held a 1.29% economic interest as of Feb. 18, said in an open letter it would vote in favour of any bid at 7p a share or above. "The lack of 'final' offer, in Odey's opinion, suggests that Anglo American would be willing to bid substantially more for Sirius... Читать дальше...

Freeport Indonesia, operator of Grasberg, the world's second-biggest copper mine, expects to start construction of a new smelter in August, its chief executive said on Wednesday. Front-end engineering and design for the $3-billion smelter has been concluded and ground preparation is expected to finish in around three months, said Tony Wenas, chief executive of PT Freeport Indonesia, a unit of Freeport-McMoran. Construction of a smelter is part of Freeport-McMoran's deal with the Indonesian government... Читать дальше...

TSX-V-listed Canada Rare Earth has narrowed its search for a location to base its refinery to six regions in South America. The Vancouver-headquartered company, which sources and sells rare earths, says it has launched a study to consider refinery permitting, logistics and government support, such as grants, tax deferrals and loans to help it determine the two best regions in which to situate a full spectrum refinery. Its refinery will be capable of producing a saleable rare earth concentrate,... Читать дальше...

Suitor TerraCom’s takeover offer for ASX-listed Universal Coal seems to have gained traction with shareholders, despite Universal’s obvious reluctance. TerraCom on Wednesday announced that acceptances to date, when aggregated with TerraCom’s existing interest in Universal, gave the company over a 51% voting right to Universal shares.

ACWA Power has been informed by the South African government that its environmental authorisation to build a 306 MW coal-fired power plant in the country has expired, according to lawyers opposing the project. The authorisation for the Khanyisa coal-fired plant lapsed on October 31, 2018, and the Saudi electricity company has opposed the ruling in South Africa’s High Court, the Cape Town-based Centre for Environmental Rights, a legal organisation, said in a statement Tuesday. The ruling that the... Читать дальше...

Gold traded near the highest level since 2013 on concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus and how it’s impacting global growth. Palladium topped $2 700/oz as it continued its record-breaking rally. Bullion steadied after surging 1.3% Tuesday’s as Apple’s warning that the virus and efforts to contain it would have its sales missing forecasts spurred a sell off in stocks. China’s death toll from the disease topped 2 000, while the province at the center of the outbreak reported fewer additional cases. Читать дальше...

The community of Chilloroya has formally approved a surface rights agreement with TSX- and NYSE-listed miner Hudbay for the Pampacancha satellite deposit, located near the Constancia mine, in Peru, paving the way for mining to commence from the deposit in late 2020. Announcing the agreement, president and CEO Peter Kukielski said on Tuesday that Pampacancha added high-grade copper and gold ore into the Constancia mine plan, lowering future cash costs for the mine and increasing operating cash flows at Constancia.

Potash developer Salt Lake Potash has inked a binding term-sheet with trading and investment giant Mitsui & Co for the sale of sulphate of potash (SOP) from its Lake Way project, in Western Australia, into Bangladesh, Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. The sales agreement will span for a period of five years, and will see Salt Lake initially provide 4 000 t/y of SOP to Mitsui.

ASX-listed American Pacific has raised A$7.1-million through a share placement to fund construction activities at its Fort Cady borate mine, in Southern California. The company placed more than 17-7-milliion shares, at a pri9ce of 40c each to institutional, profession and sophisticated investors under its existing placement capacity.