Новости за 16.06.2022

The turmoil that rocked financial markets this week has done little to shake the optimism around global mining, if the signs of exuberance on display at one of the industry’s biggest gatherings in years are to be believed. Thousands of people from all areas of the industry converged at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada gathering this week in Toronto, a global hub for mining capitalism, to strike deals, generate buzz and network after more than two years of pandemic restrictions put an end to most big industry gatherings.

st gold producer isn’t about to join bullion bugs in predicting a price rally. But Tom Palmer does see a higher floor forming under the market as years of stimulus devolve into a fight to contain inflation. As global markets wilt on fears of stagflation, gold has stayed relatively resilient given its haven status. Prices are set to stay around current levels of about $1 800/oz, or even a little higher, amid inflationary, economic and geopolitical uncertainties, said Newmont’s CEO.

Mining giant Anglo American said on Wednesday that it planned to stop using fresh water at its Los Bronces copper mine in Chile by 2030, instead switching to desalinated and recycled water amid a protracted drought in the Andean country. The miner is trying to convince a government committee, led by the environment minister, to extend its mining permit at the site near the capital Santiago after being rejected by the country's environmental permit evaluator earlier this year.

Investment in Chile's mining sector could face gridlock if political uncertainty over a new constitution is not resolved, ratings agency Moody's said on Wednesday, a reflection of industry concerns in the world's top copper producing nation. Chile is redrafting its market-orientated constitution which dates back to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. It will hold a nationwide referendum vote on the new text in September, a process which has been hit by flagging support.

Workers at Chilean state-owned Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, maintained the threat of a strike on Wednesday if a solution was not reached on investments required by a troubled smelter. While workers said on Tuesday they would wait for an announcement during a congressional session on Wednesday to act, union members did not set a specific date after the session ended without concrete solutions.

Bolivia's government on Wednesday declined to name which of six short-listed companies it would select to help mine its untapped lithium riches, with the chief of the country's state-run lithium company saying more than one could be eventually selected. The government had already postponed a final announcement on its selection last month, amid high hopes the private partners can help jumpstart lithium extraction in Bolivia's sprawling salt flats, home to the world's largest deposits of the white metal.

ASX-listed TerraCom has signed an offtake agreement over its Blair Athol coal operations, in Queensland, with long-time Japanese trading partner. Under the terms of the agreement, TerraCom will deliver one cargo a month during the offtake term, between August 2022 and August 2023, with each cargo to hold between 76 000 t and 88 000 t.

Diamond miner Burgundy Diamond Mines has unveiled its ‘ultra-luxury’ diamond brand Maison Mazerea, aimed at cutting and polishing natural fancy colour diamonds. The ASX-listed company said that Maison Mazerea was the final key part of Burgundy’s strategy to become an end-to-end diamond company, with a vertically integrated model of mining and buying rough stones, conducting its own cutting and polishing, and selling through the retail brand in profit-sharing agreements with design jewellers.

Major BHP has announced that it will retain its New South Wales energy coal (NSWEC) operations in its portfolio. The company told shareholders that it would seek the relevant approvals to continue mining beyond its current mining consent that expires in 2026 and would proceed with a managed process to cease mining at the asset by the end of the 2030 financial year.

ASX-listed Cobre has struck a share purchase deed with fellow-listed Metal Tiger to acquire take full ownership of the Kalahari Metals (KML) exploration vehicle. Cobre holds a 51% stake inKML, which controls some 8 595 km2 of tenements within the Kalahari copper belt, in Botswana.The tenement holdings is in close proximity to ASX-listed Sandfire’s T3 and A4 copper deposits.