Новости за 11.02.2022

The incoming chairperson of Rio Tinto will review the position of CEO Jakob Stausholm to determine whether he is suitable to lead an overhaul of the company's toxic work culture, two people familiar with the matter said. Dominic Barton, a former diplomat who takes up the role of chairman in May, could remove Stausholm if he decides Rio would be better served by a leader who was not in the upper echelons of the organisation in recent years, the sources told Reuters.

JSE-listed Thungela Resources’ share price rose by nearly 12% on Friday after it announced that its earnings per share (EPS) for the year ended December 31, would be between R60.32 and R61.27, compared with the loss a share of R5.31 reported for 2020. Headline earnings per share (HEPS) are expected to be between R65.81 and R66.76, compared with a headline loss a share of R5.31 for the prior period.

This week Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer talks about the just energy transition providing South Africa with significant opportunities for new jobs; Glencore’s new global marketing relationship with United States Strategic Metals; and Webber Wentzel's warning that mining and energy directors could be liable for climate change risks.

London-listed mining development Galileo Resources has received R50-million, or £2.4-million, in respect of the Glenover unconditional asset sale between Glenover Phosphate and JSE-listed Afrimat. The company has also received royalties of $118 000, or £86 000, due under a Star Zinc sale agreement, from the first three shipments having been made.

France's Renault and US carmaker Rivian have backed a moratorium on deep-sea mining and will exclude seabed metals from their supply chains in a blow to an industry that aims to capitalise on demand from electric vehicle and other industries. French President Emmanuel Macron has said deep seabed exploration was a priority as a way to gain access to "rare metals" and to better understand marine ecosystems.

TSX-listed Liberty Gold Corporation has secured water rights in excess of 2 300 acre-feet a year in the area of Black Pine, which will supply the operation in future. Preliminary engineering studies suggest that this water supply is sufficient to sustain up to a 70 000 t/d of gold ore, run-of-mine heap leach operation and associated infrastructure at Black Pine.

Swedish mining and smelting group Boliden unveiled an extra payout to shareholders on Friday as higher metal prices and record milled volumes at some of its main mines lifted earnings. The company said in a statement it was proposing an extra payment to shareholders of 15.50 Swedish crowns ($1.66) per share, in addition to an ordinary dividend of 10.50 crowns per share, a sharp rise on last year.

Nickel and cobalt miner Sherritt International Corporation says it met its 2021 production and unit cost targets at each of its business units, despite continued sanctions against Cuba, where it is a 50% partner in the Moa project; rising input costs; and persistent Covid-19 impacts. This while market fundamentals remain robust for nickel and cobalt as many industries are adopting green initiatives and rolling out electric vehicles.

TSX-V-listed Diamcor Mining has had a fruitful first rough diamond tender for the year, selling 3 062 ct and generating gross revenue of $1.01-million. Diamonds sold for an average price of $329.93/ct.

Coal mining company Kangra – a subsidiary of mining investment group Menar – started mining first coal from its new underground Udumo adit on February 9. The new adit, which was previously known as Twyfelhoek, was renamed Udumo – which means “honour” in isiZulu – to better reflect the spirit and culture of the surrounding Saul Mkhizeville community in Mpumalanga.

South Africa focused copper developer Orion Mining has issued more than 49.1-million shares, at a price of 3.4c each, as part of a data acquisition deal struck in 2021. The ASX- and JSE-listed company last year secured an option to acquire the entire furnished head office and database of the O’Okiep Copper Company, in South Africa, for R25-million in cash and shares, allowing the company to fast-track exploration and evaluation of its Okiep copper complex (OCC).

The outlook for silver demand in 2022 is “exceptionally promising”, with global demand tipped to soar 8% to a record of 1.11-billion ounces, the Silver Institute reported this week. The increase will be driven by record silver industrial fabrication, which is forecast to improve by 5%, as the metal’s use expands in both traditional and critical green technologies. Even with ongoing efforts to reduce silver loadings, the institute forecasts that record photovoltaic installations will lift silver... Читать дальше...

Top copper miner Codelco has committed to have all its sites participate in the copper assurance programme on responsible practices by the end of next year, with the El Teniente site, in Chile, set to be the first of the group to participate in the Copper Mark. The Copper Mark is an assurance framework to promote responsible practices and demonstrate the copper industry’s contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

A top Republican US senator urged the US energy secretary this week to provide information on the Biden administration's strategy for domestic mining of minerals for electric vehicle batteries on the seabed floor. Seabed mining is a new industry that backers say can supply many of the metals including nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese for advanced batteries and other components in electric vehicles. The Biden administration's strategy to fight emissions blamed for climate change includes boosting batteries and electric vehicles.

Indonesia has suspended the operations of more than 1 000 miners of coal, tin and other minerals due to a failure to submit 2022 work plans, according to a document reviewed by Reuters issued by the Minerals and Coal Directorate of the mining ministry. Sony Heru Prasetyo, an official at the minerals and coal directorate, on Friday verified the document and said: "Before the temporary suspension was imposed, the companies had been given a warning but still have not submitted the 2022 plan."

Vale, the Brazilian firm vying with Rio Tinto Group for the title of top iron ore supplier, delivered less of the steel raw material than expected in a welcome boost to a wavering recovery in prices. Fourth quarter production came in at 82.5-million metric tons, compared with the 85.6-million-ton average estimate. Vale’s output also fell short of the third quarter and the year ago result.

A proposal to abruptly end oil and gas exploration in Colombia would lead to higher prices for local consumers and be challenged in court, according to the country’s state-run driller. Gustavo Petro, the leading candidate ahead of presidential elections in May, is looking to speed up Colombia’s transition to clean energy by ceasing exploration on day one of his government. While the industry needs to prepare for a future with less fossil fuel demand, the transition has to be “orderly,” Ecopetrol SA CEO Felipe Bayon said.

US coal giant Peabody Energy surged in early trading after posting quarterly profit that were almost triple what analysts expected, driven by strong demand and high prices for the dirtiest fossil fuel. Shares soared as much as 8.6% to $14.76 at 9:30 a.m. in New York trading, touching its highest price since October.

Bearing and seal manufacturer SKF’s South African distributor Bolt & Engineering Distributors (B.E.D.) supplied and fitted System 24 to provide a seamless solution for a platinum mine that was facing lubrication problems on its agitators.

Since the emergence of exchange traded funds, platinum has increasingly been used as an investment vehicle. Owing to its value, platinum tends to be recycled quite readily and, because of its rarity and use as a store of value, “there’s no more important precious metal to recycle and refine than platinum”, says precious metals refiner Gauteng Refinery.

Over the last decade, dozens of new special economic zones (SEZs) have been created to cater to the mining industry and as new zones are announced, this will change many of the underlying assumptions about the African mining industry, says Adrianople Group cofounder and chief researcher Thibault Serlet. He notes that SEZs are business parks or cities that have been created for the purpose of attracting foreign direct investment. They have their own rules and regulations which exist separate from those of their home countries. Читать дальше...

Reagents manufacturer and supplier Axis House has identified 2022 as the year to introduce its platinum group metals (PGMs) range of technical reagents – comprising collectors, depressants and frothers – into the Southern African market.

Global platinum investment organisation the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) believes that the current state of the platinum group metals (PGMs) industry is, overall, buoyant as PGMs continue to be in demand for a range of industrial, and other, applications.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government faces challenges regarding the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) industry but has begun to create positive changes in the industry, says law firm Beech Veltman CEO Warren Beech. “The DRC government has made good strides in transforming and regularising ASM, which includes the establishment of the State buyer, the Enteprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC), and the conclusion of the offtake and financing agreement with commodity company Trafigura.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted on the mining and natural resources sectors of most African countries, as well as the artisanal and small mining (ASM) subsector of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), despite the drastic changes in the country’s political landscape, says law firm Beech Veltman CEO Warren Beech. “The global Covid-19 pandemic could not have come at a worse time for the DRC as it transitioned from former President Joseph Kabila’s reign and all that this brought... Читать дальше...