Новости за 06.07.2020

Vancouver-headquartered zinc explorer Group Eleven’s share price surged nearly 40% on Monday, as the company announced its best-ever mineralisation at the PG West project in Ireland. The company intersected 10.3 m of 14.6% zinc, 5% lead (19.6% combined) and 43 g/t silver during its drilling programme.

TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines continues to progress ahead of schedule with underground development of the Kakula copper mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The company, together with its joint venture (JV) partner Zijin Mining Group, has completed more than 17 km of underground development at the mine, of which 5.1 km is ahead of schedule.

A number of workers at silver and gold mining company Hochschild Mining’s Inmaculada operation, in southern Peru, have tested positive for Covid-19, despite preventative measures being in place, including a comprehensive testing programme and quarantine for all employees. The UK-based company has prioritised the health of its employees above business continuity and has temporarily halted operations.

Mining and quarrying equipment specialist Osborn has completed an export order to Kyrgyzstan, which extends its reach into the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region. The equipment supplied by Osborn has been installed at the country’s second-largest gold mine, the Jerooy gold project.

Construction of the Caucharí-Olaroz lithium project, in Jujuy, Argentina, has been halted, after two workers tested positive for Covid-19. Both workers were asymptomatic and in good health, dual-listed Lithium Americas said on Monday. Construction activities had been temporarily suspended while additional testing was undertaken.

Aim-listed metals exploration and development company Power Metal Resources has raised £1-million to accelerate exploration across its portfolio of projects and to commercialise select project interests. The funds raised will increase the available working capital (cash and listed financial instruments only) of the Company to more than £1.5-million.

Coal miner MC Mining has concluded a conditional loan restructuring agreement with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa, which increased the IDC’s project level interest in the Makhado coal project to 6.7%. The company first secured a R240-million loan facility from the IDC in March 2017 for its subsidiary Baobab Mining and Exploration to develop the Makhado project.

NYSE- and TSX-listed Fortuna Silver Mines has voluntarily suspended operations for two weeks at its Caylloma mine, in Peru, following the sudden death of a 34-year old contractor employee on July 5. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but the individual had completed a health check, including a Covid-19 rapid diagnostic test, in accordance with the company’s health protocols. The employee tested negative for Covid-19.

TSX-listed Endeavour Mining has been granted a mining permit extension by the Burkina Faso government, covering the full Kari Area at its Houndé gold mine. The Kari area hosts the Kari Gap, Kari South, Kari Pump, Kari Center and Kari West discoveries.

Diversified miner Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) says the unprecedented levels of stimulus across the world are set to sustain the recovery in copper demand in the longer term, with the supply impact of the Covid-19 pandemic expected to extend beyond this year. Growth drivers include the digital economy, renewable energy and the fact that electric vehicles (EVs) are three to four times more copper intensive than conventional vehicles, CEO Benedikt Sobotka said on July 6.

Physical coal markets can’t seem to catch a break. Even as paper prices strengthened slightly across the curve, the discount to physical deepened as lack of buyer activity persisted. The Rand is also stubbornly strengthening as a wave of “risk on” sentiment permeates global markets and the energy complex. Natural gas and emissions prices saw some impressive gains, with natgas seeking to escape its weakest price in a long time. Chinese domestic prices remain firm, towards the top end of government’s preferred range... Читать дальше...

ASX-listed Pensana Rare Earths started trading on the LSE on July 6. The company has more than 188.2-million ordinary shares in issue and is not raising any funds. Chairperson Paul Atherley says the $16-trillion post-Covid stimulus programmes that have been announced globally are “transforming the renewable energy sector, supercharging the demand for critical rare earth magnet metals”. With no new rare earth mines in construction, magnet metal prices are forecast to rise strongly over the next few years.

Zinc miner New Century Resources has declared commercial production at its Century zinc mine, in Queensland. “Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, operations at Century continue to ramp up and have again delivered record production in the June quarter. Century has now achieved seven consecutive quarters of increasing production and lowering costs, and the company remains focused on continuing this trend,” said MD Patrick Walta on Monday.

Japan's Mitsui Mining and Smelting said on Monday its two zinc mines in Peru resumed operations on July 2 after a closure of more than three months to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. The company's Huanzala and Palka mines had been suspended since March 16 after the local government issued a state of emergency. They restarted operations after some economic activities resumed and the local government gave approval, a spokesman at Mitsui Mining said. "The mines' operations have returned... Читать дальше...

TSX-listed Lundin Gold has issued a 2020 production guidance for its Fruta del Norte mine, in Ecuador, after confirming on Sunday that operations have resume. The mine is forecast to produce between 200 000 oz and 220 000 oz during the year, of which 150 000 oz to 170 000 oz will be produced in the second half. Operations at Fruta del Norte were suspended in March, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Before the suspension, Lundin Gold had aimed to produce about 300 000 oz of gold this year.

A small tailings dam associated with a mine run by Ecuadorean firm Austro Gold has collapsed, Ecuador's government said on Friday, sending mining waste into a nearby river. A retaining wall collapsed at the Armijos tailings station, located in the Camilo Ponce Enriquez area in southern Ecuador, the Energy and Mines Ministry said. Nobody was injured. "One of the immediate measures in the area will be ... to prohibit mining activities at that plant," the Ministry said in a statement, without providing details on the incident. Читать дальше...

TSX-listed Trevali Mining now has more than 80 confirmed cases of Covid-19 at its Santander operation, which is nearly 30% of the total workforce of the mine in Peru. The company suspended operations at Santander in late June, after 19 workers tested positive for the virus during routine serological testing. In response, all 298 workers on site were quarantined and underwent further testing. A total of 82 workers have tested positive for Covid-19 using polymerase chain reaction tests.

Brazilian miner Vale is ready to resume dividend payments to investors and is just waiting for more certainty around the coronavirus pandemic before approving the move, CFO Luciano Siani told investors on Friday. Vale has suspended dividend payments since the Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, dam burst, in 2019. The company last paid dividends in September 2018.

The government of the Northern Territory has awarded ASX-listed Thor Mining’s Molyhil tungsten/molybdenum project Major Project status. A 2018 definitive feasibility study estimated that the project would require a capital investment of A$69-million and would produce an annual 125 000 t/y of ore, recovering some 8 583 t of tungsten and 3 133 t of molybdenum over a mine life of seven years.