Новости за 07.04.2020

Copper mining company Mopani Copper Mines plc said on Tuesday that it had placed its mining operations on care and maintenance and a number of projects on hold. Mopani, owned 73.1% by Glencore, is an integrated copper producer located in the Copperbelt of central Zambia.

South Africa's strict coronavirus lockdown has caused miners to divert copper from the country's ports to others in Africa, with Dar es Salaam the clear winner, sources told Reuters. Authorities in South Africa initially said ports would only process essential goods during a three-week nationwide lockdown that began on March 27. On Friday, the Department of Transport said ports remain open to all types of cargo.

North America-based Kore Mining has published a positive preliminary economic assessment with compelling project economics for the Imperial Oxide gold deposit, in California. The assessment determines a net present value (NPV) for the project of $343-million, with a 44% internal rate of return at a $1 450/oz gold price.

Commodity prices and investment in South African mining will undoubtedly be impacted on by measures taken to curb the spread of coronavirus and the anticipated economic fallout, says advisory firm Moshe Capital founder and CEO Mametja Moshe. South African mining operations, except for essential operations such as thermal coal mines that supply power utility Eskom and furnace and smelting operations, have been limited to care and maintenance activities since March 26, which will impact on production... Читать дальше...

Diamond mining and marketing corporation, the De Beers Group, on Tuesday announced that it would contribute $2 500 000 across Botswana and Namibia to aid the response to the Covid-19 crisis. De Beers Group is a 50/50 joint venture partner with both Botswana and Namibia in the recovery and sorting of rough diamonds.

Zambia said on Tuesday that Glencore has declared "force majeure" and will shut its copper mines in the country, adding that the government would block the move which would result in 11 000 people losing their jobs. Mines Minister Richard Musukwa said Glencore plans to put its Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) operations under "care and maintenance" for three months from Tuesday as the global coronavirus outbreak weighs on copper prices and restricts the movement of key staff. "The Government of the Republic... Читать дальше...

From oil to copper to coal, China’s gigantic commodities industry is signaling that the first economy to be flattened by the coronavirus is getting closer to a return to normality. Bloomberg Economics estimates that most of China was 90% to 95% back to work at the end of last week, noting pick-ups in the steel market, construction activity and crude processing. Those oil refineries, as well as coal-fired power plants, are nearing last year’s operating rates, while metals stockpiles have shrunk from record or near-record levels. Читать дальше...

Aim-listed Edenville Energy has introduced a business continuity programme to protect its staff, while ensuring the continued and safe operation of the company, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The move has resulted in all nonessential travel being cancelled since early March, and all nonoperational staff working from home.

Kazakhstan’s uranium major, Kazatomprom, on Tuesday announced that its uranium production volumes would decrease by about 4000 t, owing to measures imposed to combat Covid-19. The previous guidance for 2020 was 22 750 t to 22 800 t, on a 100% basis. The reduced production level should not impact on Kazatomprom’s 2020 sales obligations, CEO Galymzhan Pirmatov said, noting that its full contractual requirements to the nuclear industry would be met.

Aim-listed listed diamond producer BlueRock Diamonds’ good performance during the first quarter of 2020 has been overshadowed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which has halted operations. The group, which owns and operates the Kareevlei diamond mine, in Kimberley, sold 3 267 ct during the first three months of the year, a surge of 77% compared with the 1 847 ct sold in the comparative quarter last year.

Takeover target Stanmore Coal has again urged shareholders not to take any action in relation to a takeover offer from suitor Golden Investments, after its shareholding in the company increased from just over 31% to around 51%. Golden Investment last week launched a takeover bid for Stanmore, offering shareholders A$1 in cash for every share held.

A lower average copper price realised for the year ended December 31, 2019, resulted in TSX- and Aim-listed Atalaya Mining generating lower aftertax profit of €31-million, compared with €34-million in the year ended December 31, 2018. The average copper price realised in the year under review was $2.73/lb, compared with an average realised price of $2.95/lb in the prior year.

South African coal miner Buffalo Coal has appointed Emma Oosthuizen as its CEO. Oosthuizen has been interim CEO since February 2019 following the resignation of the previous CEO.

Africa’s biggest bank by assets, Standard Bank Group, said on Tuesday that it had noted the contents of the guidance of the Prudential Authority of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on dividend distributions to ordinary shareholders. SARB’s Prudential Authority, headed by Kuben Naidoo, has recommended that banks hold back on dividend distribution and executive bonuses to preserve capital for continued lending to those impacted by the national coronavirus lockdown.

The mining industry is still “dragging its heels” on the step-change measures required to prevent catastrophic tailings failures, such as the Brumadinho tailings dam collapse in Brazil that killed 270 people, says Responsible Mining Foundation (RMF). In the newly released 'Responsible Mining Index 2020', RMF reveals that while investor-led action, triggered by the disaster in Brazil, has resulted in improved transparency on companies’ tailings storage facilities (TSFs), the "vast majority" of companies... Читать дальше...

ASX-listed Allegiance Coal has finalised a sale and marketing agreement with M Resources Trading over the coal produced at its New Elk mine, in Colorado. The agreement provides for an exclusive global sales and marketing arrangement spanning five years, with M Resources’ marketing fees to be based on a percentage rate of the free-on-board (FOB) coal sales price, multiplied by the tonnes of coal sold.

Three employees at a New Mexico mine owned by Freeport-McMoRan, the world's largest publicly traded copper producer, have tested positive for Covid-19, the state's lieutenant governor said on Monday. It was not immediately clear if operations at the mine have been affected. A Freeport spokeswoman said the company planned to issue a statement later. Freeport alerted state officials last Thursday that employees in the Chino mine's truck shop had tested positive. Their workstations have been disinfected and the employees sent home... Читать дальше...