Новости за 22.02.2022

A de-bottlenecking plan for TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines’ 39.6%-owned Kamoa-Kakula project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been approved by Ivanhoe’s board and will increase the combined design processing capacity of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrator plants by about 21%. Once steady-state production is achieved at both concentrators, the plants will be able to process 9.2-million tonnes of ore, up from the previously planned 7.6-million tonnes a year, Ivanhoe co-chairpersons Robert... Читать дальше...

The first half of the 2022 financial year has set London-listed Petra Diamonds in good stead to maintain profitability and cash flow, as well as meet operational guidance for the full-year. In the six months ended December 31, 2021, Petra grew its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) by 87% to $150-million, compared with adjusted Ebitda of $80-million posted in the first half of the 2021 financial year.

London-listed mineral exploration and development company Blencowe Resources has entered into an agreement to acquire the Akelikongo nickel sulphide and copper project in Uganda from joint venture (JV) partners Sipa Resources and Rio Tinto. The JV was formed in 2018 when Rio Tinto agreed to spend into the project, seeking a material nickel sulphide deposit. In total, nearly 19 000 m of regional drilling was conducted over the past five years.

Diversified miner South32 has completed the acquisition of a 45% interest in the Sierra Gorda copper mine, in Chile, from Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corporation. South32 in October entered into two binding conditional agreements with Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corporation for the acquisition of a 45% indirect interest in Sierra Gorda for an upfront cash consideration of $1.4-billion.

Silver and gold miner Hecla Mining has developed a new, innovative mining method that will allow the Lucky Friday mine, in Idaho, to increase its projected production in 2022 by almost a million silver ounces, CEO Philip Baker announced on Tuesday. The Underhand Closed Bench (UCB) mining method, which Hecla developed in an effort to control fault-slip seismicity in deep, high-stress, narrow-vein mining, contributed to a 75% increase in silver production in 2021. The mine produced 3.56-million ounces of silver in 2021... Читать дальше...

Botswana’s State-run diamond trader reported record revenue last year with sales surging almost five fold after imports from the US recovered from a Covid-19 induced slowdown. Okavango Diamond Company sold $963 million of rough diamonds last year, said Dennis Tlaang, a company spokesman. The revenue was the most since the company began operations in 2012, he said.

The Queensland the Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor (OWHSP) will not be laying charges against miner Anglo American following the 2020 explosion at its Grosvenor coal mine, which injured five. Anglo American this week restarted operations at Grosvenor, after receiving confirmation from the regulator, Resources Safety and Health Queensland, on February 16 that longwall mining operations could now recommence following incident.

Aluminium producer Norsk Hydro has bought a minority stake in US carbon capture firm Verdox for $20-million and plans to use its technology at smelters as part of wider efforts to cut emissions, the Norwegian company said on Tuesday. Hydro announced plans last year to slash its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 30% this decade and reach net zero by 2050 at the latest, in line with the 2015 Paris climate accords designed to limit global warming.

Chilean miner Antofagasta on Tuesday posted a 77% rise in full-year profit, benefiting from higher copper and molybdenum prices, and guided towards a total shareholder payout of $1.4-billion. The miner, majority owned by Chile's Luksic family, said its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) rose to a record $4.8-billion in 2021, compared to $2.74-billion a year earlier.

ASX-listed Mayur Resources has inked a collaboration agreement with fellow-listed listed First Graphene for the development of graphene derived additives for cement manufacturing specific to low carbon cements and Portland Limestone Cements (PLC). Mayur said in a statement on Tuesday that First Graphene’s technology would be used as part of the company’s Mayur’s commitment to the production of low carbon cement products for the Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australasian market from its central cement and lime project (CCL) in PNG.

Copper producer Antofagasta has impaired the full carrying value of its Twin Metals project, which was dealt a serious blow last month when the US federal government cancelled the long-held leases for the group’s proposed copper and nickel mine near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters region. The Chilean mining company stated in its full-year results announcement on Tuesday that while it believed Twin Metals had a valid legal right to the mining leases and a strong case to defend its legal rights, it had... Читать дальше...

Aim-listed BlueRock Diamonds has recovered an 11.95 ct diamond at its Kareevlei mine, in the Kimberley region of South Africa. The diamond miner says the diamond has an expected valuation in excess of $100 000 and will go to tender later this week.

TSX-V-listed coal miner Corsa on Monday announced the resignation of Bob Schneid as president, CEO and a director of the company. The metallurgical coal producer stated that Schneid’s departure was “not the result of any dispute or disagreement with the company, including any matters relating to the company’s accounting practices or financial reporting”.

A Russian aluminum giant with experience of handling US sanctions just took a hammering. United Co. Rusal International tumbled as much as 22% in Hong Kong as investors monitored the dramatic escalation in the West’s stand-off with Moscow over Ukraine. That’s the biggest fall since April 2018, when Rusal was hit by an earlier round of US sanctions in response to what the US Treasury then called Russia’s “malign activity around the globe”.

Iron-ore mining and marketing company Kumba Iron Ore delivered record earnings of R64.6-billion in 2021, when it accumulated 47%-higher attributable free cash flow of R30.5 billion. The average realised export price of $161/t was 18% above benchmark helped the company to achieve a 63% earnings margin. Return on capital employed rose to 147%.

Battery metals developer Ardea Resources will raise A$21.5-million through a share placement to fund exploration and feasibility work in Western Australia. The company on Tuesday announced that it had received firm commitments from professional and sophisticated investors for the placement of more than 30.7-million shares under its existing placement capacity, priced at 70c a share.

Takeover target Western Areas has warned of lower full-year production expectations and higher costs as a result of Covid-related productivity issues, however, higher nickel prices are expected to soften the blow. The miner on Tuesday reported sales revenue of A$182-million for the six months ending December, compared with the A$122.7-million reported in the previous corresponding period, as sales volumes increased from 7 400 t to 8 473 t in the same period, and nickel prices climbed from $7.09/lb... Читать дальше...