Новости за 06.04.2020

LSE-listed Gem Diamonds’ second round of the flexible tender sales process has been concluded and raised a further $6.7-million for a selection of  large, high-quality diamonds recovered at its Letšeng mine, in Lesotho. The company achieved an average value of $1 615 /ct for the first quarter of 2020.

Copper production has been suspended at the Pumpkin Hollow mine, as a result of stringent travel and workplace restrictions that the US state of Nevada imposed to combat the spread of Covid-19. The suspension of production is expected to last for at least six weeks, owner Nevada Copper, which trades on the TSX, reported on Monday.

ASX-, Aim- and JSE-listed Kore Potash has been granted 25-year certificates of environmental compliance by the Congo-Brazzaville government for the Dougou and Kola mining licences. The environmental- and social-impact assessments (ESIAs) for both licences previously required reapproval on a yearly or three-yearly basis.

Aim- and TSX-listed Atalaya Mining on Monday confirmed that operations had resumed at its Proyecto Riotinto copper mine, in Spain, after the mining department of Junta de Andalucía clarified that mining operations supplying other essential industries should continue to operate. Atalaya stopped operations at Proyecto Riotinto on March 30, in response to the Spanish government's royal decree, which declared mining a nonessential industry. The royal decree was put in place to increase the national... Читать дальше...

LSE-listed Pembridge Resources is set to restructure the share ownership of its Minto copper mine, in Canada. In light of the current financial market conditions owing to the outbreak of Covid-19 globally, and the potential for material cash calls on Pembridge, the company, with other Minto shareholders, has agreed to remove certain future funding obligations of Pembridge and to restructure the mine’s share ownership.

Chilean miner Antofagasta Minerals has suspended contracts with most companies building its Los Pelambres expansion project for up to 120 days, but has stressed that this does not imply that contracts will be terminated. The London-listed company last week confirmed that its Los Pelambres expansion project, referred to in Chile as the Inco project, was on care-and-maintenance as a result of the Covid-19 health emergency.

As calls go out for mining to resume on April 17 or face serious setback, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has found excellent Covid-19 compliance by some coal mines that have been allowed to stay open to supply coal to Eskom – but inadequate response to directives by others. The Minister undertook unannounced visits to collieries in Mpumalanga last week to assess the extent to which mines are observing the directives and guiding principles issued to mines to prevent the spread of the virus.

Following its merger with Randgold Resources, NYSE- and TSX-listed Barrick Gold has made progress towards its goal of being a modern mining business, according to executive chairperson John Thornton in the company’s information circular for 2020 published on April 6. The circular follows the recent publication of Barrick’s 2019 annual report, in which president and CE Mark Bristow said the work done during the past year had equipped management well to take Barrick to the next level.

Global diversified miner Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) CEO Benedikt Sobotka and first deputy CEO Aldiyar Kaztayev have offered to take a 30% cut in their salaries for 12 months, owing to the unprecedented challenges that the world is facing as a result of Covid-19. The company is confident that the crisis will be resolved in the near future and that metal and mining companies will have a role to play in producing products that play a crucial role in the recovery of the global economy.

Global diversified major Vale is joining the fight against coronavirus by launching the Vale Covid-19 Challenge, offering up to $1-million to propel innovative solutions into the marketplace. The challenge is open in Canada and Brazil with each selected solution eligible to receive up to $200 000. Companies, startups, institutions, universities and professionals with innovative solutions to help communities and lessen the impact of Covid-19 are eligible to participate.

ASX-listed Zeta Resources has provided nickel miner Panoramic Resources with an A$8-million unsecured loan to fund activities at the Savannah project, in Western Australia, and for working capital purposes. The loan will have an interest rate of 6% a year, and is unsecured and subordinated to the Macquarie Bank senior facility, and has a maturity date of June 30, 2022.

Uranium developer Peninsula Energy has suspended all non-essential site activities at its Lance uranium project, in Wyoming, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “The Covid-19 pandemic has lead to considerable global uncertainty and equity market volatility. However, we are committed to both carrying the company through these challenging times and ensuring we are well prepared on the other side to resume our core activity of producing uranium for the US domestic and global markets,” said Peninsula MD and CEO Wayne Heili.

Mining major Rio Tinto has relocated more than 700 of its staff with "specialist skills" to Perth from interstate as the Western Australian government put in place a hard border. Premier Mark McGowan last week announced that while interstate fly-in, fly-out workers would be allowed into the state, they would be subjected to a strict 14-day self-isolation measure before being allowed onto Western Australian mine sites. Rio on Monday also noted that more than 1 200 of its employees at two of its Pilbara... Читать дальше...