Новости за 21.01.2022

Botswana-based coal miner Minergy says in a voluntary update that is has made considerable progress toward reaching nameplate capacity of 125 000 t a month at its Masama coal mine during the six months to December 31. Among the milestones achieved during this period was producing the highest six-monthly volumes across all disciplines since the inception of the mine.

India’s largest electricity producer is stepping up a campaign of coal imports as the nation seeks to avoid a new power crunch. State-run NTPC has sought about 10-million tons of overseas coal since it issued its first international tender in two years in October, according to documents posted on its website. The reversal after years of supporting the government’s push to favor local producers underscores concern about a repeat of fuel shortages that triggered outages and power restrictions last year.

Coal prices are surging as traders in Asia scramble to snatch up winter supply amid fears of delayed deliveries from Indonesia and as a global energy squeeze continues. At least one cargo of Australian coal for February loading changed hands at $300 a metric ton on Friday, according to traders who saw the transactions on the globalCOAL platform. That’s one of the most expensive cargoes ever transacted, the traders said, and could push spot price indexes above last October’s record high.

Canadian base metals mining company Trevali Mining has started an early works programme on its Rosh Pinah 2.0 (RP2.0) mine expansion project, in south western Namibia. The Rosh Pinah underground zinc/lead mine – which is 90%-owned by Trevali and 10%-owned by Namibian broad-based empowerment groupings and an employee empowerment participation scheme – has been in continuous operation since 1969.

Following a disposal of shares by UBI General Partner, in its capacity as general partner of the African Rainbow Capital Fund, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has bought additional shares in building materials, industrial minerals and bulk commodities company Afrimat. The PIC now holds a 15.55% stake in Afrimat.

TSX-listed base metals company Talon Metals has announced a C$27.5-million bought-deal public offering and a concurrent private placement to advance its Tamarack nickel project, in the US. A syndicate of underwriters, led by TD Securities, has agreed to purchase 38.2-million shares on a bought-deal basis at C$0.72 each, the nickel company says. The underwriters have been granted an over-allotment option for an additional 5.73-million shares.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer unpacks huge advantages in South Africa modifying its Integrated Resource Plan to focus its energy effort exclusively solar, wind and storage; Hillside Aluminium which could go green by 2030; and Australian investment in Orion’s Prieska as well as in West Wits Mining.

Alcoa, the largest US aluminum producer, warned investors Wednesday that any conflict between Russia and Ukraine could have an impact on the global market for the metal. CEO Roy Harvey said any kind of aggression could have an impact to supply coming out of Russia, the world’s second-largest aluminum producer. It could also cause a rise in energy prices, which would have a knock-on effect to the aluminum industry given the high energy consumption needed to make the metal. Responding to a question... Читать дальше...

The world’s top fertiliser producer could be a takeover target for BHP Group after a “peculiar” CEO change earlier this month, according to research from Gordon Haskett. The surprise exit of Nutrien CEO Mayo Schmidt to start the year after only eight months on the job suggests the company is struggling with figuring out what it wants to do, Don Bilson, head of event-driven research at Gordon Haskett in New York, said Wednesday by phone.

Vast deposits and more welcoming policies have turned Argentina into a lithium hot-spot in recent years. Now the global copper industry is taking another look at the South American nation. That’s the view of Rob McEwen, whose namesake company is drilling a property in San Juan province near the border with Chile. Called Los Azules, it’s attracted the attention of large producers such as Vale, Anglo American and Barrick Gold as a potential acquisition, he said. All three companies declined to comment.

RioZim is weighing a listing on Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, where trading is denominated in foreign currency, according to people familiar with the matter. The nickel, gold and diamonds producer is “seriously considering all options available to it under the legal framework of the country and will move in consonance with such opportunities,” Wilson Gwatiringa, a company spokesman said Thursday via text message. Any decision to list on the bourse would require shareholder approval, which... Читать дальше...

Copper developer Hot Chili has started port access negotiations, marking the final critical infrastructure item required for the development of the Costa Fuego copper development hub in Chile. The company on Friday announced that it has executed a letter of intent (LoI) with Puerto Las Losas SA (PLL) to negotiate a port access and port services agreement for PLL’s facilities located at Huasco, some 50 km west of Costa Fuego’s proposed processing plant.

ASX-listed Centaurus Metals will raise A$75-million in a share placement to institutional investors to drive the continued development of its owned Jaguar nickel sulphide project in northern Brazil. The company on Friday announced that it would issue more than 64.6-million shares, at a price of A$1.16 each in a single tranche, under its existing placement capacity.

The shareholders of diversified miner BHP have voted in favour of a corporate restructure to unify the company under its existing Australian parent company. BHP currently operates under a dual-listed company (DLC) corporate structure, which was established at the time of the BHP and Billiton merger in 2001.

Mining companies that partner with professional medical consultants to provide on-site medical assistance have the confidence that medical issues are treated appropriately and quickly. This immediate treatment can help avoid unnecessary off-site referrals, treatments and prescriptions, states medical support provider Remote Medical International (RMI) business development VP Kevin Thompson.

South Africa and the rest of the world have faced formidable challenges over the last two years, caused by the Covid-19 virus, and the various variants thereof.  Law firm ENSAfrica mine and occupational health and safety executive Pieter Colyn says measures taken in the South African mining industry to deal with Covid-19 have been pursued in the context of employers’ obligations to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of employees working at their operations.

Metals and mining company First Quantum Minerals (FQM) is “determined” in its mission to increase local content across its mining operations. The mining firm has backed Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema’s appeal to industry players to “step up” and exercise holistic and prudent management of resources while fostering partnerships that can boost the country’s productivity in a sustainable manner that stands to benefit local communities as well. Speaking during the Zambia Association of ...

Copper producer Aurubis AG and Düsseldorf-based metallurgical plant supplier SMS group, last year signed a contract for the construction of a multimetal recycling plant in the US. As Aurubis announced on November 10, 2021, construction of the new Aurubis recycling plant will start in mid-2022 in Richmond County, Augusta, which is in the US state of Georgia. Upon commissioning, which is scheduled for the first half of 2024, the plant will process about 90 000 t of complex recycling materials yearly. Читать дальше...

The steady decline in the uptake of galvanised steel in South Africa is directly related to the drop-off in manufacturing activity and the dwindling number of construction and civil engineering projects under way, notes association body International Zinc Association (IZA) Africa Desk coordinator Simon Norton, expressing “serious concern” at the current state of affairs. Contextualising the situation, he notes that South Africa produced 110 000 t of refined zinc in 2001, in addition to importing 19 000 t for local consumption. Читать дальше...

Law firm Beech Veltman states that, in terms of the developments regarding the production and beneficiation of base metals, particularly battery metals, current legislative frameworks in South Africa and the rest of Africa do not generally distinguish between precious and base metals regarding extraction. However, the legislative frameworks differ with regard to royalties and tariffs, and, in various African countries, certain minerals are designated as strategic minerals, therefore, with special... Читать дальше...

The South African mining industry continues to show promise in terms of base metal extraction and production despite challenges such as the impact of Covid-19, supply chain constraints and poor infrastructure, according to law firm Beech Veltman.  “South Africa is well known for its large reserves of platinum-group metals, manganese, chromium and gold, but is also recognised for minerals such as titanium, vanadium, vermiculite and fluorspar. It also has significant reserves of copper and nickel,... Читать дальше...