Новости за 03.08.2020

HBIS Resources Co, a unit of China's second-biggest steelmaker HBIS Group, said on Monday it had signed an initial deal to develop the Pampa de Pongo iron-ore mine in Peru alongside current licence-holder Zhongrong Xinda. The two Chinese companies plan to set up a joint venture to work on the first stage of the mine, which also contains copper, cobalt and gold reserves, an HBIS Resources filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange showed. The scope of cooperation includes mine and port construction and operation, it added. Читать дальше...

African tin miner AfriTin has secured additional financing by way of a placing and subscription to raise just over £3-million. The majority of the placing is being subscribed for by existing shareholders.

The target date for commissioning at emerging African plant nutrient feed minerals producer Kropz’s Elandsfontein phosphate project has been moved to the fourth quarter of 2021. The move is as a result of additional test work being required, as well as the design and delivery of long-lead capital items and associated works, which have impacted on both timing and the capital cost to first production.

Authorities in Chile are cracking down on water use by mines in the driest desert on earth, threatening future supply in the top copper-producing nation. On Friday, Chile’s environmental agency SMA charged BHP Group’s Escondida for allegedly drawing more water than allowed for almost 15 years in a move that could result in the loss of its permit, closure or a fine. Just to the south, state-owned Codelco has suspended a planned expansion of its Salvador mine until it can resolve a suit filed by the... Читать дальше...

Kazakhstan-based Kazatomprom is mobilising employees and expects to have its sites back to normal staff levels within two to three weeks. The world’s largest uranium producer said on Monday it believed it could safely begin to bring staff back to its mine sites, after a four-month Covid-19-related shutdown. Kazatomprom also confirmed that it had bought “some” volumes in the spot market at the end of the second quarter.

Global miner Rio Tinto on Monday said it has initiated proceedings against a unit of engineering contractor Monadelphous Group over a fire that occurred last year at its iron ore processing facility at Western Australia. A Rio spokesperson confirmed the suit after Monadelphous said in a statement that it would contest a writ received from Rio. Monadelphous said it was separately informed by Rio that the claim is for A$493-million ($351-million), largely consisting of losses due to inability to process... Читать дальше...

There is an expectation of price recovery in the market, as demand for power grows alongside the loosening of Covid-19 restrictions, and as more producers hold back supply. In Europe, coal burn is likely to remain weak through 2020 but will be offset by an even bigger contraction in supply, drawing down stocks heading into 2021 and explaining the steep contango that we see in the forward curve.

Covid-19 notwithstanding, diversified mining company Anglo American will this year be spending the $300-million that it forecast on the Woodsmith polyhalite project in the UK, which gives it entry into the crop nutrients business at a time when fertilising is being hailed a godsend to global food security fears. On  entering crop-nutrient mining and exiting thermal-coal mining, Anglo CEO Mark Cutifani told analysts during a virtual conference: “I think it’s important to remember that as we transition out of thermal coal... Читать дальше...

TSX-listed Guyana Goldfields still expects its takeover by Zijin Mining to conclude this month, despite a delay in a court hearing for the final order to approve the South America-focused mining company's takeover by the Chinese group. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice fairness hearing for the final order to approve the arrangement has been deferred from July 30, to August 14, after two third parties informed the court that they intended to appear at the hearing. The third parties are seeking that the Guyana Goldfields sets aside... Читать дальше...

Uranium and rare earths elements (REE) company Energy Fuels CEO Mark Chalmers is optimistic that the proposed $1.5-billion to create a US uranium reserve will be funded and implemented, despite sometimes “slow and uneven” progress in the government. “Our allies in Congress and the Trump Administration are pushing hard to fund $150-million a year to create the US uranium reserve,” he says, referring to the 2021 Budget request for the Department of Energy to establish a domestic reserve.

Gold and base metals explorer Sipa Resources has inked a A$12-million farm-in agreement with the exploration arm of major Rio Tinto over its Paterson North copper/gold project, in Western Australia. Under the terms of the farm-in and joint venture (JV) agreement, Rio will commit a minimum exploration spend of A$3-million within a two-and-a-half year period. By spending a further A$3-million, the major would secure a 55% interest in the project.

Junior Peel Mining has exercised its pre-emptive rights to acquire joint venture (JV) partner CBH Resource’s 50% stake in the Mallee Bull base metals project, in New South Wales, launching its one-for-eight pro-rata non-renounceable entitlement offer. The company in July this year announced plans to raise A$17.1-million through a share placement and entitlement offer, to fund the Mallee Bull buy.

Diversified miner BHP on Monday announced that up to 30 new jobs would be created in Queensland’s Bowen Basin as a result of a new partnership with Novum Energy to recycle mining truck tyres for the first time in Australia. Used earth moving tyres from all seven coal mine sites in Queensland would be supplied to Novum who will convert the tyres into heavy and light oils, carbon black, syngas and steel at a processing plant being built in Nebo in the Isaac region.

Global coal-fired power capacity edged down for the first time on record in the first half of 2020 as retirements accelerated and the coronavirus saw new projects put on hold. The closing of plants, especially in Europe and the US, outpaced the start of new units, more than 60% of which were in China, according to a report by Global Energy Monitor. The net decline of 2.9 GW may be small, at just over 0.1% of the world’s coal generation capacity, but marks a turning point in the burning of the dirtiest fossil fuel to produce electricity.

Gold’s spot and futures prices opened the week by hitting records, with metal for immediate delivery closing in on $2 000 an ounce as the search for haven assets continued amid the coronavirus pandemic. Spot bullion surged 11% in July, the biggest monthly gain since 2012, as investors weighed a weaker dollar and record low US real yields. Strategists are now considering alternatives to government debt, such as cash, credit, dividend shares and gold.

Chilean regulators have rejected lithium producer SQM's $25-million environmental compliance plan for the Atacama salt flat, requesting the miner to start again from scratch, a filing showed. Chile's Environmental Superintendent (SMA) approved SQM's compliance plan early in 2019 after a multi-year investigation found the miner had overdrawn lithium-rich brine from the salt flat.