Новости за 16.10.2020

The disposal of thermal coal mines in response to environmental, social and governance (ESG) investors is not lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions but exacerbating the problem, Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg pointed out on Friday. Questioned by Financial Times (FT) natural resources editor Neil Hume at the FT Commodities Mining Summit during a panel discussion with Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani, Glasenberg said that allowing coal majors to deplete their own coal assets contributed more to the... Читать дальше...

Aim-listed Galileo Resources has finalised the acquisition of Africibum and its five prospecting licences in the North East Kalahari Copperbelt project, in Botswana. The transaction also includes two mining tenement applications that Africibum had submitted.

Global nickel production is expected to decline by 7.4% to 2.19-million in 2020, data and analytics company GlobalData says, citing the temporary suspension of mines caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the advancement of Indonesia’s export ban. Indonesia’s mine production is expected to fall to 680 000 t in 2020 – down by 15%, compared with 800 000 t in 2019, owing to the advancement of the exports ban from 2022 to 2020. “Indonesian nickel mining companies without integrated nickel pig iron operations... Читать дальше...

Russian diamond producer Alrosa's third-quarter production fell 24% year on year but was up 62% from the previous quarter to 9.2-million carats, it said on Friday. Alrosa, the world's largest producer of rough diamonds, said coronavirus-hit demand started to recover in August but it added a note of caution on longer-term prospects. "The diamond industry began to show signs of improvement. It is, however, too early to talk about a full recovery before we see the year's key figures – the US holiday... Читать дальше...

The Delaware Supreme Court has affirmed the favourable decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery regarding dual-listed Sibanye-Stillwater’s decision to uphold the price of its acquisition of Stillwater Mining Company. The action was brought by a group of dissenting Stillwater shareholders, following the acquisition by Sibanye in May 2017 for a cash consideration of $18 per Stillwater share.

TSX- and NYSE-listed Platinum Group Metals (PTM) has closed the private placement to existing major beneficial shareholder Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI) through its subsidiary Deepkloof. Closing of the private placement raised gross proceeds of $2.5-million for PTM and allows HCI to maintain a shareholding of over 31% in the company.

TSX-V-listed Cornerstone Capital Resources has claimed victory in defending against a hostile bid from SolGold – its joint venture partner in the Cascabel concession, in Ecuador. Cornerstone said that SolGold’s hostile bid expired on October 14, without any common shares being taken up. Australia-headquartered SolGold, which is backed by BHP and Newcrest Mining, on June 30 formalised an unsolicited offer for Cornerstone – a year-and-a-half after it first announced its intention to buy the company.

ASX-listed Nickel Mines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire a 70% interest in a development project within the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP). The development project with PT Angel Nickel Industry (ANI), and in collaboration with Nickel Mine’s largest shareholder SDI, will comprise four next-generation 54 KVA rotary kiln electric furnace (RKEF) lines with an annual nameplate production capacity of 36 000 t of nickel metal, and a 380 MW coal-fired power station.

A prefeasibility study (PFS) into the Vares silver project, in Bosnia & Herzegovina, has estimated that the project would require a capital investment of $173-million. LSE- and ASX-listed Adriatic Metals told shareholders this week that the PFS estimated a net present value of $1.04-billion and an internal rate of return of 113%, with a pay-back period of 1.2 years. The study is based on a probable ore reserve of 11.1-million tonnes, with annual throughput estimated at 800 000 t/y, to produce... Читать дальше...

Chilean State-run copper miner Codelco is producing at full capacity and aims to meet its 2020 output targets, its CEO said on Thursday, noting that the coronavirus pandemic was now under control with a low infection rate. The pandemic hit Chile in March, forcing Codelco, the world's top copper producer, to sharply reduce its workforce, adjust shift schedules and pause expansion projects. "Our production situation is 100% normal and we expect to meet out commitments by year's end," Octavio Araneda told reporters in a presentation.

Diversified miner Rio Tinto has reported increased production in iron-ore, aluminium and titanium dioxide for the three months to September, compared with the June quarter, while production for its other commodities dropped slightly. “We have delivered a good operational performance across most of our assets catching up on planned maintenance activity, particularly in iron-ore, and continuing to adapt to new operating conditions as we learn to live with Covid-19. We have maintained our capital expenditure... Читать дальше...

The Australian mining industry has been a key contributor to the growth of fatigue-monitoring technology provider SmartCap Technologies. SmartCap CEO Tim Ekert says that Covid-19’s impact on other key markets has further reinforced Australia’s importance to the company’s growth. “SmartCap has been growing a local base in Australia, and I expect this to continue in the coming years. We have had particular success in servicing the coal and iron-ore industry over the past year.”

Australian engineering consultancy firm MEC Mining last month launched a new geotechnical engineering division, as part of the company’s in-house services, to cater for industry demand in the mining sector. The division will be led by MEC Mining technical services and Western Australia manager Erin Sweeney.

Australian mining and heavy equipment trader ComponentsONLY is aiming to broaden its product offering as it begins to incorporate new supply solutions. This includes the commercialisation of an asset manager and customer relationship software package for the heavy earthmoving and mining industry, called Markets Manager, as well as the range of its new subsidiary, Earthmoving Supplies.

Australian mining group National Group, through its earthmoving equipment supplier subsidiary National Plant & Equipment, continues to be a key supplier to the mining industry, including its supplying the multinational equipment manufacturer Liebherr R 9200 Excavator to an opencut gold mine in western New South Wales. The Liebherr R 9200 Excavator offers the biggest payload in its class with the 12.5 Nm³ bucket capacity enabling sustainable performance and peak fuel burn efficiency in the “most challenging conditions”.

In spite of the 2017 Tanzanian Mining Act Amendments, Tanzania remains a “premium mining investment destination” for Australian energy minerals developer Walkabout Resources, says Walkabout Resources director Allan Mulligan. “Our relations with government and ministries in Tanzania is excellent, and we continue to invest in Tanzania.”

Aim- and Botswana Stock Exchange- (BSE-) listed diamond explorer Botswana Diamonds (BOD), last month announced the preliminary results of the next phase of its drilling campaign on the Marsfontein project.  “The objective of this limited exercise was to test an historical anomaly identified as M17 to see if it had the potential to be a blow (or enlargement) on the M8 kimberlite dyke.”   Two down-the-hole hammer percussion holes were drilled at depths of 67 and 61 m. Four metres of kimberlite were... Читать дальше...

Australia is abundant in minerals, with more mines being established every year; this results in more mined ore having to be processed, says local foundry company Thos Begbie sales engineer Esli Bantjes. He states that the company’s goal is to be the preferred supplier of components for Australian mines’ pyrometallurgical operations.

Adapting to the ‘new normal’ bought on by the Covid-19 outbreak will require companies to listen to and meet the changing needs of customers by adopting new working methods and complying with evolving lockdown regulations, says explosives and blasting services provider BME technology and marketing GM Ralf Hennecke. BME is focused on delivering products safely and reliably, ensuring customers’ security of supply while improving their processes to realise greater efficiency amid the pandemic and beyond, he notes.