Новости за 04.02.2022

Aim-listed Red Rock Resources says it finds itself in the unusual position of expecting a combination of gold, copper and cobalt drilling results from six targets in three countries over coming weeks. Red Rock has gold exploration assets in Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Australia, and a copper/cobalt exploration asset in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Market researcher S2 Research has published an updated valuation for ASX- and JSE-listed Orion Minerals at R1.16, or A$0.11, a share, compared with its current share price valuations of R0.34 and A$0.03. The professional market research provider says Orion’s Prieska copper/zinc mine project is valued at about R8.5-billion after tax, which is a 21% increase on the evaluation it had prior.

JSE-listed Tharisa has signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) with renewable energy independent power producer Total Eren and African-focused transitional energy company Chariot. The MoU, which is a precursor to the signing of a long-term power purchase agreement for the supply of electricity on a take-or-pay basis, envisages the partners developing, financing, building, owning, operating and maintaining a solar photovoltaic project that will supply power to the Tharisa mine, on the Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex.

Gold headed for a weekly advance as US equities fell after Meta Platforms suffered a historic share-price rout, while investors awaited a key jobs report for more clues on the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy path. The Facebook parent plunged 26% Thursday on the back of woeful earnings results, erasing about $251-billion in market value in the biggest one-day wipeout for any US company. Concerns over tightening monetary policy also contributed to the worst slide for American technology shares since 2020.

TSX-V-listed Forum Energy has acquired, by staking, 40 claims, totalling 53 402 ha of ground formerly held by Cameco, the junior said this week. The claims are on trend with the 133-million-pound Kiggavik uranium deposit, which is one of the biggest undeveloped uranium deposits in the world.

Alberto Bailleres, a Mexican billionaire who once owned the world’s largest refined silver company, has died, according to a statement from his business conglomerate Grupo Bal. He was 90. Bailleres’s vast mining fortune earned him the nickname “King of Silver” or Mexico’s “King Midas.” He had a net worth of $8.5-billion, making him Mexico’s fourth richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He also held stakes in insurance, retail and financial companies.

Accelerating sales of electric vehicles have fuelled a scramble for nickel, cobalt and lithium, propelling prices of the battery materials to multi-year highs Phasing out internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in favour of electric vehicles is part of the energy transition and efforts to cut carbon emissions. More than 6.36-million electric vehicles were sold last year globally compared with 3.10-million in 2020, data from Rho Motion shows. China accounted for half of the total last year and 40% the previous year.

TSX-V-listed GoviEx Uranium has kicked off its 2022 drilling programme at the polymetallic copper/silver/uranium Falea project, in Mali. The company appointed Foraco Mali to undertake 6 000 m of diamond core drilling, down to 600 m, focusing mainly on targets identified through induced polarisation (IP) surveys conducted in the last two years.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer unpacks Anglo American's low-cost renewables; Ubuntu principles in going green; and clean energy opportunities in Mpumalanga for the GreenCape organisation.

TSX-V-listed Group Eleven Resources has started drilling on its Stonepark project, in Ireland, and has unveiled plans for an initial drilling campaign at the recently staked Tullacondra copper/silver project, near the PG West project. The first hole of a six-hole programme at Stonepark, in which Aim-listed Arkle Resources holds 23.44%, began earlier this week at the Carrickittle North locality. With a target depth of 750 m, this hole represents a 250-m step-out from previous drilling, targeting... Читать дальше...

A proposal to annul water rights granted to Chile’s private sector over the past four decades was approved in an initial vote by an environmental committee as part of the process to draft a new constitution. The plan would require mines, agribusinesses and utilities to seek temporary permits to use water in a new model that prioritizes human consumption, the sustainability of water reserves and indigenous rights. Other non-industrial holders of water rights would receive compensation within two years. Читать дальше...

The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has backed copper/gold miner Oz Minerals' plans for its West Musgrave operations. Oz Minerals is proposing to develop two openpits, accommodation, an airstrip and processing facilities 100 km east of Warburton, near the South Australian and Northern Territory borders.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has shown that Australia’s resources and energy exports in 2021 were up almost one-third on the previous year. The ABS’ International Trade in Goods and Services data for December 2021 shows total resources and energy exports were worth A$348.9-billion in the 12 months to December, which was 29% higher than for the previous 12 months to December 2020.

Some traditionalists in the mining sector are still reluctant to adopt variable-speed drive (VSD) technology for their pump operations, despite VSD technology being more than 20 years old, says digitalisation and automation technology company Schneider Electric South Africa product manager Jaque Mare. He says that VSDs have proven to contribute significantly to the lowering of energy consumption in pump applications, the importance of which has been highlighted by the economic pressures caused by Covid-19... Читать дальше...

Mechanical seals, pumps and complementary pumps products supplier Mechanical Rotating Solutions (MRS) has added rental mobile pump sets to its core business offering. The company had its first rental enquiry at the end of November last year and officially launched the service on December 1.

The Envirotech pumps range from pumps manufacturer Weir Minerals benefits significantly from synergies in research and technology development, as well as application knowledge sharing across a portfolio of industry-leading brands, says Weir Minerals Africa GM Marnus Koorts. “The Weir Minerals Africa Envirotech pumps range is ideal for the harsh African conditions,” he tells Mining Weekly. Its simplicity and low maintenance costs continue to make the pumps a popular choice in the African mining sector. Читать дальше...

The demand for low-maintenance, cost-effective couplings has increased year-on-year, with the emphasis on ease of assembly to alleviate hours of downtime, says industrial products provider BMG power transmission product manager Brandon Bouillon. BMG supplies premium Timken Quick-Flex couplings to the Southern African mining sector.

Despite North America and the UK being the global frontrunners in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), with more than 40 new related projects announced last year, society body the National Society of Black Engineers of South Africa president Mdu Mlaba says the organisation does not support CCUS for a developing country. “We are not currently involved in any carbon capture projects because the business case for South Africa to be involved in such projects is not feasible. These projects... Читать дальше...

With the mining industry’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is a potential mechanism that can significantly decrease the industry’s emissions, states mining law firm Beech Veltman. “Carbon reduction is carried out through various programmes and mechanisms, such as transitioning to renewable-energy sources, with a particular emphasis on solar power, and transitioning large fleets of equipment from using diesel power to hydrogen technology,” explains Beech Veltman CEO Warren Beech.