Новости за 14.09.2020

Aim- and AltX-listed Jubilee Metals’ application for the renewal of a small-scale mining licence in Kabwe, Zambia, has been granted by the Zambian Minister of Mines and Mineral Development. The licence is in respect to lead, zinc, copper and cobalt and has been renewed for ten years.

Dual-listed Clean TeQ, which is developing the Sunrise Dam cobalt-rich nickel deposit in Australia, has announced that it is considering separating its water division from its mining division and that it would also review its secondary listing on the Toronto exchange. The company, which has a primary listing on the ASX, said on Monday that about 1.6% of its shares were held on the TSX share register.

Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research has adjusted its 2020 copper price forecast upwards from $5 900/t predicted in March to $6 000/t as demand is supported by the Chinese government’s stimulus and recovery in global economic activity. In its outlook for copper prices update, the average price forecast for 2021 has also been raised to $6 300/t from $6 100/t.

JSE- and NYSE-listed AngloGold Ashanti has announced that all conditions precedent to the sale of its remaining mining mines in South Africa to Harmony Gold have been met. This includes the unconditional approval by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy for the transfer of the West Wits mineral rights, comprising the Mponeng, Savuka and TauTona mines, to Harmony.

Diamond miner Alrosa has held two successful auctions of larger diamonds, which deputy CEO Evgeny Agureev said on Monday confirmed the demand for high-quality rough diamonds. At the Israel auction, total proceeds of $13.3-million “significantly exceeded” the reserve price, Agureev said, reporting that the company sold 100 rough diamonds with a total weight of 1 860 carats to 31 participants from Israel, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Belgium.

The Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) has progressed the Sorby Hills lead/silver/zinc project, in Western Australia, to the due diligence stage. Project owner Pacifico Minerals on Monday announced that the NAIF had completed its strategic assessment of the project.

The $2.1-billion environmental damage that Russia has claimed from major Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) for a fuel spill in the Arctic indicates growing environmental, social and governance- (ESG-) financial exposure of commodity companies operating in the emerging markets, says Fitch Ratings. In a recent note, the ratings agency states that the magnitude of Nornickel is comparable to only that of Brazil’s Vale, following the tailings dam collapse in 2019. Fitch says the importance of the “environmental factor” will continue to increase... Читать дальше...

Brazilian development bank BNDES hired Banco Bradesco BBI SA to coordinate a potential secondary offering of up to 214-million local bonds of miner Vale, it said in a filing on Friday. The sale would be part of Brazil's government efforts to raise cash by reducing its stake in big Brazilian firms and state-controlled companies. BNDES issued the filing in reaction to a press report by "Veja" magazine saying banks have been hired to organize what could be a 2.5-billion reais ($470-million) transaction.

Weaker capesize freight rates helped FOB prices edge higher, whilst pressuring delivered markets. Firmer power and gas prices also helped strengthen physical bids for Dec-20 tonnes, with the back end of the curve steepening as prompt prices remain lifeless. Colombian coal supply from Cerrejon remains blocked as the strike continues. A cynic with an eye for history would note that Colombia always seems to endure strikes, derailments etc. whenever coal prices are weak.

Gold-focused royalty streaming company Franco-Nevada on Friday advanced $100-million to dual-listed developer SolGold under a net-smelter royalty finance agreement (NSR). The funding, which was first announced in May, would be used to advance the Alpala copper/gold project through to a final feasibility study and a development decision, as well as for the remainder of the Cascabel concession in northern Ecuador.

Potash developer BCI Minerals on Monday announced a A$48-million capital raise to allow for the start of early construction at the Mardie salt and potash project, in Western Australia, and to order long lead items. The junior company is undertaking a one-for-two fully underwritten, accelerated a non-renounceable entitlement offer priced at 24c each. The offer price represents an 8% discount to the company’s 15-day volume weighted average share price.

Coal production in Colombia, the world's fifth-largest coal exporter, fell by 48.8% in the second quarter because of coronavirus quarantine measures and low international prices, the government said on Friday. The South American country produced 9.7-million tonnes of the fuel between April and June, down from 18.8-million tonnes in the year-ago period, the mines and energy ministry and national mining agency said in a joint statement. The country was under quarantine for more than five months from March to the end of August. Читать дальше...

The world's top gold miners are retrenching after Covid-19 related shutdowns despite record prices for the yellow metal, with cost-conscious executives prioritising investor returns over production growth. Gold prices have jumped 30% this year to roughly $2 000 an ounce as central banks dial up stimulus measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Congo said on Saturday it will reimburse value-added tax payments to mining companies operating in the country following an audit to determine how much it owes them, after a backlash over an earlier decision to stop payments. Africa's top copper producer has suspended the VAT on mining imports since July 2016 to help operators during a commodity price downturn, and to pay down hundreds of millions of dollars in VAT reimbursements owed to the companies.