Новости за 04.12.2020

Diamond miner De Beers’ artisanal and small-scale miner (ASM) global market promotion platform Gemfair responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by mobilsing its Kono, Sierra Leone-based team to develop and roll out an extensive response plan to the pandemic. The response was focused on providing food and medical support to Gemfair members, their families and the wider community. This, alongside keeping Gemfair staff safe, became the organisations operational focus for the year.

JSE-listed coal miner, trader and supplier Wescoal has managed to generate a net profit of R11-million in the six months ended September 30, despite the impact of Covid-19, low growth and a low price environment. The company reported a loss of R51-million in the corresponding six-month period.

Vedanta Resources dropped in the bond market after a credit rating cut deeper into junk territory by Moody’s Investors Service. The miner’s 2026 dollar note fell 4.8 cents on the dollar to about 58 cents, the biggest drop since October 12, Bloomberg-compiled prices show. Moody’s lowered its corporate family rating to B2 from B1 Thursday, citing weak liquidity and high refinancing needs. It’s the second downgrade this year after the rating firm cut its grade by a notch in March.

TSX- and Aim-listed Horizonte Minerals reports that the Araguaia nickel project, in Brazil, is steadily moving towards construction, with the company having completed the value engineering phase. This phase included improvements made to the plant design and flow sheet to optimise the project’s operational performance. The company is in the process of preparing key environmental and social programmes in preparation for the construction phase, while the financing for the project is also progressing.

Aim-listed BlueRock Diamonds has recovered a 12.6 ct diamond from its Kareevlei diamond mine in the Kimberley region of South Africa. Executive chairperson Mike Houston said on Friday that the discovery was “exceptional”.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer unpacks mining companies going all out for investors, a bull market in copper is now firmly under way and South Africa’s buoyant trade relations with China.

ASX-listed Nickel Mines has successfully completed the institutional component of its A$364-million equity raising. The company on Friday announced that the institutional entitlement offer raised some A$275-million, at 94c a share, and was well supported by institutional shareholders with a take-up of some 73%.

Wyoming-based rare earths explorer Arcadia Minerals has asked EnerCom to assist in identifying potential joint venture (JV) partners or buyers for its properties. Arcadia owns two proven resource blocks on 1 133 ha located in Wyoming, containing zirconium, titanium and rare earths.

Copper in London hit the highest in more than seven years amid deepening concerns that miners will struggle to match demand as a global recovery bolsters this year’s China-driven boost. The metal used in wires and cables is on the cusp of a fifth weekly advance, in a powerful rally fueled by hopes that developed-world demand will follow China as the coronavirus crisis eases next year.

Copper miner Oz Minerals has completed the ramp-up of its Carrapateena mine, in South Australia, reaching a mine production rate of 4.25-million tonnes a year during November. “While the mill achieved nameplate capacity in March, the mine production ramp-up has continued throughout the year and has been completed some six months earlier than originally anticipated,” MD and CEO Andrew Cole said on Friday.

Diversified miner Exxaro Resources has partnered with the Steve Tshwete local municipality and mining companies Arnot OpCo, Anglo American Coal South Africa and Glencore to establish an enterprise development centre (EDC) for local entrepreneurs in the Mhluzi township, in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. The establishment of an EDC is one of the local economic development projects Exxaro committed to in its 2013 to 2017 social and labour plan, with Arnot Coal having since become Arnot OpCo.

Ore-processing equipment supplier TOMRA Sorting Mining’s experience in copper ore sorting globally came to the fore with its X-ray transmission (XRT) technology, with which the company has attained “ideal” results in the recovery of material and waste removal. TOMRA Sorting Mining area sales manager Christian Korsten, a former Test Center Manager, says XRT technology can be adapted to copper ore sorting, particularly for miners active on the African Copperbelt.

The Chinese manufacturing sector has recovered quickly from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which, complemented by a shortfall in raw materials in the country, has resulted in high demand for copper in China. Consequently, the lockdowns in South American countries and the challenges of moving cargo out of the region have created an ideal opportunity for countries in the African Copperbelt to export more copper to China, explains international commodities consultancy Core Consultants MD Lara Smith.

Local foundry company Thos Begbie opened a workshop in Solwezi, Zambia, in March last year to supply and service copper smelters in the region more efficiently; however, the impact of Covid-19 has forced the company to close its workshop indefinitely. “There has been a drastic decrease in smelting activities in Zambia during this period. As such, we pulled our technicians back from Zambia and mothballed the workshop until further notice. We will now focus on offering on-site assistance with remote... Читать дальше...

Local consulting firm Metallurgical Engineering Technology and Construction (METC) was approached in 2017 to provide detailed engineering and equipment supply for the Mutoshi copper mine, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). METC director Steve Cathey states that the main objective was to design a metallurgical plant with minimal risk and maximised upside potential.

Openpit mining company Afrimat released its interim results for the six months ending on August 31, in October. The group, which has built up a track record of “excellence in small-scale mining and materials supply”, delivered solid results despite the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic. As reported by Mining Weekly Online, CEO Andries van Heerden explained that the disruption was countered by Afrimat’s diversification strategy, the implementation of proactive measures to minimise the impact of the pandemic... Читать дальше...