Новости за 27.04.2020

Opencast mines are permitted to return in phases to 100% operation from May 1 but underground mines must continue at 50% of production capacity, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Saturday. Speaking during a media briefing covered by Mining Weekly on South Africa’s easing from the current Level 5 lockdown stage to Level 4, Patel said: “Mining has already begun the process of workers returning to work. They do so in batches because of the large numbers involved. Not all workers in mining... Читать дальше...

Six employees at the Caylloma mine, in Peru, have tested positive for Covid-19, precious metals miner Fortuna Silver confirmed on Sunday, but said that the mine continued to operate. The NYSE- and TSX-listed company is testing all employees at Caylloma.

TSX-listed Silvercorp is diversifying with the acquisition of fellow-listed Guyana Goldfields, which operates the Aurora gold mine in Guyana. Silvercorp, which currently produces silver, lead and zinc from mines in China, will buy Guyana Goldcorp at a premium that values the company at C$105-million. "This transaction provides our shareholders with an immediate and significant upfront premium and exposure to a geographically diverse mid-tier precious metal company,” said Guyana Goldfields president and CEO Alan Pangbourne.

Poland's biggest coal group, state-run PGG, has temporarily closed two of its mines due to the spread of the new coronavirus among the miners, it said on Monday. Poland, which generates most of its electricity from coal, has confirmed 11 761 coronavirus cases, including 539 deaths. PGG, which employs around 40 000 people and produces almost 30-million tonnes of coal annually in eight mines in southern Poland, said that it had confirmed 38 coronavirus cases in the Murcki-Staszic mine in Katowice and 32 cases in the Jankowice mine in Rybnik.

The rapidly evolving Covid-19 crisis learning curve is still too steep to conclusively define what a ‘best practice’ response looks like from the mining industry, says the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), which is facilitating a rapid exchange of information and knowledge to support the responses to the pandemic of its members. ICMM is also working with national and commodity associations in the same way.

The Pueblo Viejo gold mine – a joint venture between Barrick Gold (60%) and Newmont (40%) – has made an early tax payment this month to help contribute to the stability of Dominican Republic and aid the country in containing the spread of Covid-19. Pueblo Viejo paid $113-million to the Internal Tax Collector, despite the government extending its deadline for certain tax declarations, operator Barrick has said. In the first four months of 2020, Pueblo Viejo has paid $185-million in direct taxes... Читать дальше...

Mexican mining and transport firm Grupo Mexico registered a net loss of $369.2-million during the first quarter of this year in a sharp reversal from the year-ago period, the company said in a filing with the Mexican stock exchange on Friday. Grupo Mexico posted a profit of $626.2-million profit during the January to March period last year.