Новости за 23.11.2020

Chile's copper production will likely rise by 0.6% to 5.82-million tonnes in 2020, State copper commission Cochilco said on Monday, and to 5.99-million tonnes in 2021. Cochilco estimated that the copper price will average $2.75/lb in 2020, before rising to $2.90/lb in 2021. In August, Cochilco's price estimate was $2.62/lb for 2020 and $2.85/lb for 2021.

The Minerals Council South Africa has expressed its concern about the sovereign ratings downgrades by agencies Moody’s and Fitch on November 20, which pushed South Africa deeper into “junk territory”. While not unexpected, the ratings downgrades reinforce the fact that South Africa faces a deep economic crisis which, if not rapidly arrested, will continue to plunge the country into a vicious socio-economic downward spiral towards a full-blown sovereign debt crisis which will cause significant economic pain to all South Africans.

Midtier miner Iamgold has temporarily reduced the underground workforce at its Westwood mine, in Quebec, following the seismic event reported earlier this month. The temporary reduction affects about 437 workers (about 70%) from the underground workforce, the Toronto-listed company said on Monday.

Commodities trading group Trafigura has signed an offtake deal to buy cobalt from Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC) – the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) State-owned buyer that markets cobalt from artisanal miners. Under the agreement, Trafigura will provide funding for the creation of strictly controlled artisanal mining zones, the installation of ore purchasing stations and costs related to the transparent and traceable delivery of cobalt hydroxide on an export cleared basis.

Aim-listed Bluejay Mining has joined the European Raw Materials Alliance (Erma). Erma was launched in September by the European Commission, as part of its action plan on critical raw materials.

JSE-listed diversified mining company Exxaro has announced a new supplier development partnership with the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). The two organisations are launching a new contractor development programme, which aims to promote and support the advancement and empowerment of local Exxaro suppliers by providing business education and mentorship.

Joe Biden’s victory in the US Presidential election marks a potential new chapter for one of Cuba’s biggest foreign investors. Sherritt International’s top executive calls the result of the vote good news for his company, given the steady tightening of sanctions under President Donald Trump. Sherritt produces nickel and cobalt in Cuba for the global market, and has a growing energy business on the Caribbean island.

Sun Metals Corporation, a unit of Korea Zinc, said on Monday it would commit to being carbon neutral by 2040, as part of an initiative that sees large companies set zero carbon targets to help slow the impacts of climate change. The zinc smelter was Australia's first major energy user to build its own large scale solar farm, spending A$200-million ($146.38-million) to build a 125 megawatts installation by 2018. The solar farm provides 22% of the refinery's power and is expected to generate more than 240GWh per year from next year. Читать дальше...

Junior Metals X has inked an Indigenous Land Use Agreement in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, covering all of its Nifty and Maroochydore tenure, including the Nifty copper mine and the Maroochydore copper project. The agreement was inked with the Western Desert Lands Aboriginal Corporation (WDLAC) on behalf of the Martu people.

Diversified miner Anglo American will invest more than A$240-million at its Aquila metallurgical coal project, in Queensland, to extend the mine life of the existing Capcoal underground operations by six years. The company has awarded nearly A200-million to six longwall equipment suppliers to deliver a walk-on, walk-off system using two complete longwalls, a A$20-million overland conveyor system and more than A$20-million in civil works. The project includes a A$5-million reverse osmosis water... Читать дальше...

Preparations to restart mining activities at the Los Filos mine, in Mexico, have been suspended, owing the to resumption of the blockade by members of the Carrizalillo community. The company said in a statement on November 20 that it continued to communicate with the individuals and that it hoped to achieve a long-term solution. Mining activities have been suspended since September 3, owing to a blockade by members of the nearby community, which allege noncompliance with the community social collaboration agreement signed in 2019.

TSX-listed Midas Gold is reviewing the requisition notice from shareholder Paulson & Co. and said on Friday that it would “respond appropriately in due course”. In a letter to employees and shareholders of Midas, Paulson said that it was “the appropriate time to start planning the next phase of the company” as it evolved from seeking permits to eventually taking the Stibnite gold project into production.

Coking coal major Teck Resources has announced that it is restructuring its sales book for next year to target higher sales to China, where prices have increased on the back of rising demand. The Canadian major is targeting Chinese sales of 7.5-million tonnes in 2021, which it aims to sell at CFR China pricing that is currently at a premium of about $50/t to Australian FOB spot pricing.

Coal markets had a volatile week, as Chinese import restrictions may be lifted, whilst severe weather is affecting Newcastle port loadings. RB1 prices rallied slightly although the ZAR continues to strengthen, despite further sovereign credit downgrades by Moody’s. Chinese officials are considering starting to restrict the further development of coal-fired power plants from the 14th five-year plan for 2021-2025. With half of China’s coal capacity less than 10 years old, and around 100 large plants already under construction... Читать дальше...

The number of resources and energy major development projects has increased by 19% over the last 12 months, new data from the Office of the Chief Economist has shown. There are currently 335 major projects in the development pipeline, with the value of the projects in the pipeline increasing by 4% over the last year, to A$334-billion. The value of committed projects has increased by 30%, to A$39-billion, marking a turning point in the cycle and a change in investment style, the Office of the Chief Economist noted. Читать дальше...

A worker´s union at Antofagasta Minerals' Centinela copper mine in Chile is preparing to vote next week on a contract offer but says it will likely reject it, paving the way for a strike at the deposit, the union chief told Reuters on Friday. Luis Redlich, president of the Centinela District union, said workers had set the bar high following their efforts to maintain copper output even during the height of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Chile. He said the deal offered by the company should reflect their hard work. Читать дальше...

One of the unions on strike at Chile's Candelaria copper mine accepted a 30-month collective agreement from Lundin Mining on Friday, the company and the union said. The Candelaria AOS Union, representing about 550 workers at Lundin's Candelaria operations in Chile, accepted the last formal offer, presented by Candelaria on November 12, the company said. It said it was assessing a resumption of partial operations at the mine, while the other union, Candelaria Mine Workers Union, representing about 350 workers, continues its strike.