Новости за 14.01.2022

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has deployed a team of environmental management inspectors to assist in an investigation into a slurry dam burst in KwaZulu-Natal on December 24, which resulted in tailings material flowing into nearby rivers and onto nearby land. Anthracite producer the Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC) last week confirmed the incident.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has issued a certificate of nonresolution in respect of a gold wage negotiation dispute between JSE-listed Sibanye-Stillwater and labour unions the National Union of Mineworkers, Uasa, Solidarity and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union. The certificate permits the unions to embark on a strike and the company, likewise, to implement a lock-out within a 12-month period.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) will continue to pursue an energy mix that will ensure security of supply, while remaining cognisant of the country’s international commitments to respond to climate change, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said during a keynote address at the inaugural Energy South African Youth Economic Council Summit, on January 13. The theme for the summit was: “How will the COP26 Green Deal affect South Africa’s ‘Just Energy Transition’ plan and its developmental economic objectives?

JSE-listed ferrochrome producer Merafe Resources reports that it and Glencore Operations South Africa have reached an agreement to contribute to the Glencore-Merafe chrome joint venture (JV) a new platinum group metal (PGM) production plant that is currently being built at the Kroondal mine. The new PGM plant’s main operations will be the treatment of PGM-bearing material derived from the mining operations at the JV’s western chrome mines, as well as that available in applicable tailings facilities and dams. Читать дальше...

After completing a 46-hole drilling programme and having conducted various geophysical surveys in October last year, TSX- and NYSE-listed Platinum Group Metals (PTM) is ready to advance the palladium-dominant Waterberg project to a development and construction decision. The company’s other near-term objectives include completing a construction funding package and securing concentrate offtake agreements.

High seaborne prices for coal will push India to lift domestic supplies and accelerate efforts to curb imports, according to a top government official. The country’s miners, including State-run Coal India Limited, are preparing to meet the entire coal demand from grid-connected power plants in the fiscal year starting in April, federal Coal Secretary Anil Kumar Jain said in a phone interview. The government expects a sharp rise in production from Coal India’s mines as well as from captive producers... Читать дальше...

Momentum behind the rally that has taken nickel prices to historical highs is expected to recede as supplies of the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel start to ramp up. Nickel prices touched $22 935 a tonne on Friday, the highest since 2011, while on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) prices are at their highest since contract launch in 2015.

Indonesia's state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) said on Friday that together with the energy ministry it was strengthening a coal delivery monitoring system to ensure enforcement of domestic sales rules and energy security. The world's biggest thermal coal exporter introduced an export ban on January 1 as coal inventories at local power plants were at critically low levels, amid low compliance with a so-called Domestic Market Obligation (DMO).

Germany's hard coal imports in 2022 could rise 7.7% on the year to 42-million tonnes due to economic recovery, high prices of rivalling gas and the need to compensate for the closure of nuclear power plants, industry association VDKi said on Friday. The VDKi also published preliminary data showing Europe's biggest coal importer bought 39-million tonnes of the commodity in 2021, 24.5% more than in 2020, as low wind speeds in 2021 increased the need for thermal generation to plug supply gaps.

Chile’s government pushed ahead with contracts to tap more of the world’s biggest lithium reserves despite calls from President-elect Gabriel Boric to delay the bidding process. The country awarded two of five contracts on offer -- one to Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD Co. Ltd. and another to local firm Servicios y Operaciones Mineras del Norte, according to an emailed statement from the Mining Ministry.

Canadian miner Yamana Gold has significantly exceeded its fourth-quarter production guidance and also beat its full-year guidance, reporting standout performances at its core operations. The company posted fourth-quarter production of 281 388 gold-equivalent ounces, exceeding the guidance of 270 000 GEOs and full-year output of 1.01-million GEOs, compared with a guidance of one-million GEOs.

Junior Astro Resources on Friday announced plans to spin-off its Lower Smoke Creek diamond project, in Western Australia. The company told shareholders that the spin-off would be in the form of an initial public offering (IPO) on the ASX, and will comprise Astro’s East Kimberly project, together with a collection of other projects in Australia and potentially overseas.

Coal miner New Hope Corporation on Friday reported the immediate resignation of CEO Reinhold Schmidt, following a short period of personal leave. CFO Rob Bishop has been appointed as acting CEO.

This week, Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer unpacks South Africa’s first green ammonia project, which launches next week; foreign direct investment for countries transitioning to clean energy; and whether South Africa has effectively deployed funds secured at COP26.

Indonesia’s pledge to be more than a raw-materials supplier is set to pile pressure on China’s steel to electric vehicles industries that are already grappling with rising cost volatility. The Southeast Asian country said Wednesday it’s studying a progressive levy on exports of nickel pig iron and ferronickel that could be imposed as soon as this year. Concerns about lower shipments from the world’s biggest nickel supplier sent the London Metal Exchange benchmark surging to the highest in more than a decade. Читать дальше...

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has warned that the State capture report may launch heavy attacks on deployment - and by extension, transformation and democracy. The minister delivered a keynote address at the gala dinner of the Energy Summit, hosted by the South African Youth Economic Council on Thursday evening. His address focused on the country's just energy transition, but he also used the opportunity briefly to address the Zondo Commission's report on State capture. Mantashe... Читать дальше...

Another day, another heat record. Australian authorities warned people to stay indoors on Friday as a severe heatwave along the northwestern coast pushed temperatures to a blistering 50.7 degrees Celsius (123 degrees Fahrenheit), hitting a high last seen 62 years ago.

ASX-listed Red River Resources has reported lower production from its Thalanga operation in Queensland, during the three months to December. The miner on Friday reported that zinc concentrate production had reached 4 697 t during the December quarter, while lead concentrate production reached 1 100 t, and copper concentrate production reached 1 996 t.

Triple listed SSR Mining has announced plans to sell its Pitarrilla silver/lead/zinc project in Durango, Mexico, to TSX- and NYSE-listed Endeavour Silver for up to $127-million. The consideration would consist of a $35-million cash payment, $35-million in Endeavour Silver shares, with the number of shares to be issued based on the ten-day volume weighted average trading price preceding the date of the share purchase agreement, and a 1.25% net smelter return royalty on the Pitarrilla property currently... Читать дальше...