Новости за 25.02.2022

Executives of miner Vale said on Friday that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to speculation in the price of nickel, and they expect the conflict to also influence the price of iron ore pellets. Shares of the miner were falling 1.5% in Sao Paulo after the company posted fourth-quarter results that beat expectations, although analysts were disappointed by a weaker operating income and low cash flow generation amid higher provisions related to two dam disasters that killed hundreds.

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says he expects Eskom to make an application soon for a Section 34 determination to facilitate gas-to-power generation at some of the coal power stations that the utility aims to repower and repurpose as part of its unfolding just energy transition strategy. Speaking during an energy dialogue hosted by the Central Energy Fund (CEF) and the Financial Mail, Mantashe indicated that the determination would be “in addition” to the 3 000 MW allocation... Читать дальше...

Coal miner Wescoal has decided to put its Vanggatfontein Colliery on care and maintenance while it tries to secure an extension to a coal supply agreement (CSA) with power utility Eskom. Wescoal acquired the mine, in Delmas, Mpumalanga, in 2017 as part of its buyout of Keaton Energy.

In the Bylong Valley in the verdant hills of southeastern Australia, a community’s victory over a planned coal mine shows the rising opposition that’s stalling new supply of the fuel and pushing prices higher. For campaigners in this pastoral countryside adjacent to a world heritage site, a decision this month by the High Court of Australia was the culmination of a years-long legal battle against a global corporate giant. For the loser, Korea Electric Power, and for the coal industry as a whole... Читать дальше...

China will limit the price of coal in its three biggest mining regions as it adds yet another layer of controls to stop the market from overheating. The “reasonable range” for benchmark thermal coal at the mine head in Shanxi province has been set at 370 to 570 yuan a ton, the National Development & Reform Commission said in a release on Friday. For mines in Shaanxi province, the range is 320 to 520 yuan a ton, and for eastern Inner Mongolia, it’s 260 to 460 yuan.

London-listed Petra Diamonds says it has successfully closed sales for about 80% of the volume of diamonds on offer during its fourth tender cycle for its 2022 financial year ending June 30. About 589 100 ct have been sold for $110-million, at an average price of $188/ct.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer unpacks Kumba Iron Ore's continued exploration in the Northern Cape under new CEO Mpumi Zikalala; Platinum Group Metals playing a role in batteries; and Anglo American's record financial year, under the stewardship of Mark Cutifani.

Samarco Mineracao, an iron-ore producer jointly owned by Vale and BHP Group, presented a new plan to restructure its 50-billion reais ($10-billion) in defaulted debt in an effort to gain support from creditors. Samarco, which filed for bankruptcy protection in April 2021, will continue to offer creditors two alternatives: a debt-for-equity swap or an inflation-linked bond with a 75% haircut, maturing in 2041. But it now proposes a cap of $2.4-billion in payments for repairs from a deadly dam disaster that happened in 2015... Читать дальше...

Brazilian miner Vale on Thursday said it maintained "positive" expectations for the price of iron ore and nickel in the long term, two of its key products, after reporting quarterly earnings that beat analyst expectations. "Our outlook for iron ore remains positive, given the recovery of the global economy," Vale said after iron-ore prices plunged in late November, hit by over-supply concerns and weaker steel demand. They have since recouped some of those losses.

Vancouver-headquartered Lucara Diamond Corporation achieved a more than five-fold year-on-year increase in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) to $102.5-million for the financial year ended December 31. That compares with the adjusted Ebitda of $18.4-million reported for the 2020 financial year. Lucara has attributed the increase primarily to higher revenues of $230.1-million for 2021 – an 84% increase on the revenue of $125.3-million in 2020.

With multidimensional and multifaceted change being the only constant in the mining industry, nonprofit organisation Project Management Institute (PMI) says an agile approach to project management is vital to accommodate the constant changes within mining projects. “There is a technological element that is driving change; an environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) element that is driving change; as well as the undeniable impact that the pandemic has had on the industry. This, coupled with talent shortages and megatrends... Читать дальше...

Following structural changes at several client organisations that affected the available internal Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) implementation capacity, ESD advisory and project management firm Zevoli Growth Partners has had increased demand from companies that restructured their ESD teams, thus relying more heavily on external ESD implementation partners with virtual solutions. The impact of Covid-19 required that Zevoli fully digitise its ESD implementation approach. However, despite... Читать дальше...

Mining sector training courses help to ensure increased safety, efficiency and productivity in the mining environment, and mining sector specialist training solutions company Prisma aims to launch itself in the Namibian mining industry this year, says Prisma MD Jacques Farmer.

Namibia has consistently maintained its position as one of sub-Saharan Africa’s primary mining investment destinations, with increased investment in minerals such as cobalt, lithium and co

Namibia’s bustling mining scene is witnessing exciting expansion and technological innovation with original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) Kwatani supplying five custom-designed and -manufactured mill discharge screens to a leading gold mining operation in the country. The screens were all custom designed and manufactured at Kwatani’s Gauteng facilities.

Coal mining company Kangra, a subsidiary of mining investment company Menar, is nearing the completion of its Udumo Adit housing relocation project, in Donkerhoek, Mpumalanga. Udumo shaft (previously known as Twyfelhoek mine) forms part of one of the planned shafts to access the Kusipongo resource that has a coal reserve of around 41.9-million tons which could extend the life of the mine by more than 20 years. In line with the requirements set out by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy... Читать дальше...

Aim-listed mining company AfriTin Mining is implementing the expansion of its Phase 1 Uis tin mine operation in Namibia. The expansion will result in a 67% increase in monthly tin concentrate production, from 720 t/y to 1 200 t/y.