Новости за 08.03.2022

TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines’ 39.6%-owned Kamoa-Kakula joint venture mining complex, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, produced 105 884 t of copper concentrate in 2021, exceeding even the upwards revised guidance range of between 92 500 t and 100 000 t for the year. The project’s copper recoveries increased from an average of 81% in July 2021 to a record 88.5% in December 2021.

The Minerals Council South Africa has chosen the forty-fifth International Women’s Day on March 8 to host its own celebration of women in mining, or rather the “unsung heroes of the industry”. Since being allowed to work in underground mining since 1996, women have come to represent 14% of the total mining workforce, but a panel of experts speaking during the Minerals Council’s Women’s Day conference, agreed that this is not enough.

This week: Implats allays fears that Russia/Ukraine conflict may impact PGMs supply; ESG slowing down as energy transition highlights mining as indispensable; and, Decarbonisation creating greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime

Nickel climbed higher, following Monday’s spectacular day of trading that saw prices surge 90% to a record, and the 145-year-old London Metal Exchange announce unprecedented rule changes. The metal used in stainless steel and electric vehicles soared to a record of $55 000/t on Monday, before closing at $48 078/t. The spike was fueled by a short squeeze and concerns over tightening supplies from Russia.

Diamond miner De Beers Group has extended its partnership with female-empowering social enterprise WomEng for a further three years, expanding the reach to cover all four of the countries – South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Canada – where De Beers mines diamonds. The announcement was made on March 8 – International Women’s Day.

Peabody Energy has been forced to raise $150-million to support potential near-term liquidity requirements, after the recent rally in coal prices resulted in the US miner posting an additional $534-million to satisfy margin requirements for its derivate contracts. The coal major currently has derivative contracts of 2.3-million tons, the majority of which were entered into in the first half of 2021 and relate to 1.9-million tons of production at the Wambo mine that supplies the seaborne thermal market.

Palladium prices surged on Tuesday as the Russia-Ukraine crisis fuelled supply worries, with the conflict also powering safe-haven gold back through the key $2 000 level. Spot palladium jumped 5.9% to $3 173.02 per ounce by 0716 GMT, resuming its rally after slipping from an all-time high of $3 440.76 to close marginally lower on Monday.

Volatile commodity prices are having a "dramatic" impact on businesses, BHP Group CEO Mike Henry said on Tuesday, flagging inflationary concerns following Russia's war on Ukraine. Prices of oil, metal and other commodities have soared as fighting in Ukraine has intensified, adding to concerns that the rising prices will contribute to higher inflation rates, which are already at the highest in decades.

Ahead of the planned start of strike action by many employees of Sibanye-Stillwater’s South African gold mines at the evening shift on March 9, Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman has remained steadfast, stating that the offer made on February 4 in an attempt to reach agreement on wages was “final”. “Wage increases that are higher than inflation are not sustainable and cannot be considered,” he stated on March 8.

ASX-listed Manuka Resources has completed Phase 1 gold production at the Mt Boppy project, New South Wales, and will now transition to silver production at its Wonawinta plant in March. Manuka told shareholders on Tuesday that the Mt Boppy gold project had outperformed forecasts by over 70% in terms of tonnage milled, ounces recovered and sales revenue achieved.

About 1 000 km of copper cable used to power electric locomotives has been stolen, to date, in the financial year ending on March 3, Transnet reports. This is a significant increase on the 700 km of cable stolen in the 2020/21 financial year and the 395 km of cable stolen in the 2019/20 financial year.

The “contentious” landowner consent requirement for mining-related environmental authorisation (EA) or waste management licence (WML) applications has been withdrawn, law firm Webber Wentzel senior associate Tendai Bonga and partner Garyn Rapson report. With effect from March 3, consent is no longer required for EA or WML applications for mining-related activities, where the EA or WML applicant is not the owner or person in control of the land intended for such activities.

There’s one simple reason why Vale SAwas one of the few shining lights among major Brazilian shares Monday -- nickel. While Vale gets most of its earnings from iron-ore, it’s also one of the world’s biggest producers of nickel. The metal that helps makes steel stainless and is used in lithium-ion batteries posted a whopping 66% gain in London. Prices have doubled in the past five trading days as intensifying fears over Russian supplies leave buyers exposed to a historic squeeze.

With battery makers screaming out for new supplies of lithium, a Brazilian-focused company is raising its initial output projection and turning toward a second-stage development. Sigma Lithium expects to churn out 240 000 metric tons of lithium concentrate a year from the fourth quarter at its Grota do Cirilo hard-rock facility after operating on a pilot basis since 2018. That’s 9% more than its original production plan for the 1.2-billion-real project, which would be about $246-million at today’s exchange rate.

Concerns of a looming global shortage of coal are driving up prices in every US region that has access to export markets. Potential sanctions on Russia, a key supplier, have buyers around the world scrambling to line up supplies of the dirtiest fossil fuel. The war in Ukraine has roiled global markets, sending prices soaring for key commodities from oil to wheat and natural gas to nickel, exacerbating an inflationary surge for energy-consuming nations and worsening a cost-of-living crisis for millions.

Saving up for a new ride? Better start putting more cash aside. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is ramping up the price of metals used in cars, from aluminium in the bodywork to palladium in catalytic converters to the high-grade nickel in electric vehicle batteries, and drivers are likely to the foot the bill.

Industry organisation Women in Mining (WIM) UK on March 8 announced that the nominations for the fifth edition of its 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining (WIM100) would open from 10:00 GMT. “We thank our confirmed sponsors, BMO Capital Markets, Heidrick & Struggles and BCG, for their continued support of the WIM100,” the press release stated, adding that everyone is welcome to nominate inspirational women in mining by going to www.womeninmining.org.uk/wim-100-nominations-2022.

Platinum group metals company Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) on Tuesday delivered record production and earnings in the 12 months ended December 31. The RBPlat board has declared a gross cash final dividend of 535 c per share, equating to R1.5 billion. This is in addition to the interim dividend of R1.5 billion, declared in August 2021, bringing total capital returns for the year to R3.5-billion.

Diamond miner Lucapa Diamond Company on Tuesday announced plans for a A$12.5-million capital raising to fund accelerated exploration programmes in order to take advantage of higher diamond prices. The ASX-listed miner on Tuesday said that it had received firm commitments from institutional and sophisticated investors for the placement of 166.6-million shares, at a price of 7.5c each.

Diversified miners BHP, Rio Tinto and Glencore have all donated to flood recovery efforts in Queensland and New South Wales. BHP has announced that it would donate A$2-million to the Australian Red Cross to to support emergency relief efforts for those impacted by the floods, which to date have seen over 30 000 houses flooded in Queensland and 34 000 evacuations.

The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (Appea) is backing a new study by the Western Australian LNG Jobs Taskforce into opportunities for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) development in the state. The study will help inform the future of the state’s existing gas industry and the development of new industries and projects.

A 1 MW clean hydrogen plant will form part of renewable microgrid planned for the Diantree community, in Far North Queensland. The federal government this week announced that it had awarded Volt Advisory Group A$18.75-million over three years to develop a highly innovative renewable energy microgrid for the Daintree region, supporting more than 200 jobs in Far North Queensland.

Brazilian miner Vale said on Monday that the train circulation in its Carajas iron-ore mine railroad was temporarily halted due to a land movement caused by heavy rains. The incident did not cause any casualties and Vale expects to conclude maintenance on the railroad by Wednesday and resume the train circulation.

Canada, a major car and parts producer, is bolstering its battery and electric vehicle supply chain to ensure future growth for its vital $10-billion auto industry. On Monday, General Motors and Posco Chemical announced a $400-million investment in a new Quebec facility to produce cathode active material, which represents about 40% of the cost of EV battery cells. Last week, German chemical giant BASF said it acquired a site for a battery materials facility in the province, taking advantage of Quebec’s... Читать дальше...