Новости за 17.06.2022

Green hydrogen, when earlier identified as a necessary clean energy source to help the world achieve net-zero emissions in the coming decades, was higher up the cost curve than fossil fuels. Now that has changed with this week’s Financial Times Hydrogen Summit emphasising that green hydrogen’s competitive price position, brought about by rising fossil fuel prices, is likely to be entrenched.

A European fund to invest in critical minerals needed for a transition to zero carbon emissions is seeking billions of euros of public and private money for a launch early next year, an official working with an EU initiative on the project said. Europe and the United States have been scrambling in recent years to restart domestic production of rare earths, lithium and other raw materials used in electric vehicles (EVs) and to wean themselves from dependence on China.

Copper prices recovered slightly on Friday on the prospect of a strike in the world's biggest copper producer Chile and signs of improvement in top buyer China's economy. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange added 0.4% to $9 107/t by 10:15 GMT after slumping by 1.7% on Thursday. It was on track to shed about 3% this week.

Diversified miner and commodities trader Glencore said on Friday that its marketing division’s interim earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) would exceed $3.2-billion, which is the top end of its full-year guidance. The company’s full-year adjusted EBIT guidance range was between $2.2-billion and $3.2-billion. Glencore said its marketing business had successfully navigated the extraordinary global challenges faced during the six months, and continued to be a source of reliable commodity supply to customers.

Canada’s Global Atomic has received a letter of intent (LoI) for the procurement of 2.1-million pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) from the Dasa mine, in Niger, with a revenue potential of $110-million. The LoI was received from a “major North American utility”.

The Canadian federal and Yukon and governments have concluded the environmental and socio-economic assessment process for the Kudz Ze Kayah project, paving the way for the project to proceed to the regulatory phase. The Kudz Ze Kayah project, proposed by metals and mining company BMC Minerals, is an openpit and underground silver, copper, gold, lead and zinc mine development located about 115 km southeast of Ross river.

The Raglan nickel and copper mine, in Quebec, is gradually resuming certain operations from Friday, but diversified major Glencore reported that a wage negotiation impasse continued to persist. The company suspended production at Raglan in late May after 630 unionised workers went on strike. Glencore said operations would be carried out by professional staff and contractors which were already performing similar work prior to the dispute, in accordance with the provisions of the Quebec Labour Code.

This week, Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer unpacks the new age battery metals potential in Namibia; the new green hydrogen partnership between Prieska Power Reserve and the IDC; and Volvo Construction Equipment’s first fuel-cell articulated hauler prototype.

Lithium developer Lake Resources has appointed project finance institutions Citi and JP Morgan as joint coordinators for its Kachi lithium project, in Argentina. The coordinators will work together on a debt financing package to fund the development of the 50 000 t/y Kachi project.

Chile's government is set to push forward its tax reform plans, including a bill on mining royalties, by the end of this month, a top cabinet member to President Gabriel Boric told Reuters, legislation that could impact the world's top copper producer. Giorgio Jackson, a former student leader alongside Boric and now his Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency, said tax adjustments were a key focus, essential to raising funds to pay for overhauling social programs from education to health.

About 3 000 t of gold are mined each year, of which 50% goes directly into bank vaults. Environmental, social and governance finance company Nature's Vault aims to keep gold in the ground, thereby avoiding the carbon emissions and environmental impact of mining, while providing investors with stable, tradeable tokens representing what they dubbed “nature's gold” or environment-friendly gold. "In many jurisdictions, investors and investment companies must declare the carbon associated with the gold investments they own... Читать дальше...

Revamping its distributorship base in recent years has given submersible pump specialist Integrated Pump Technology a solid foundation to support customers around sub-Saharan Africa. A key focus has been on mining areas, and the expansion has included new distributors in a number of Southern African countries.

Government needs to provide regulatory laws that protect the interests of natural diamond owners with the rise of laboratory-grown diamonds in the market, Aim- and BSE-listed Botswana Diamonds MD James Campbell tells Mining Weekly.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a blessing in disguise for the diamond industry, as supply constraints caused by the knock-on effects of the restrictions resulted in increased prices, after sustained periods of subdued commodities prices, says minerals processing plant supplier Bond Equipment business development manager JP Oosthuizen.

With China being Africa’s, and South Africa’s, most important trading partner, the Asian superpower’s expected economic slowdown in coming years is a cause for concern, unless these economies can find alternative drivers of growth from other emerging markets, says Standard Bank mining head Mark Buncombe.

The last half century has seen a massive shift in geological thinking, and technological innovation and developments, in all facets of diamond exploration, mining, processing, recovery, manufacturing, marketing and sales, says exploration, evaluation and mining geologist Dr John Bristow. He notes that new technologies for exploration and evaluation of kimberlites and lamproites include rapid ‘high-resolution’ airborne geophysical surveys, drones to delineate lineaments and trap-sites in land-based alluvials... Читать дальше...

Following the protests over water shortages in Musina last month, a meeting was convened between the Musina local municipality, the Vhembe district municipality and diamond miner De Beers’ Venetia mine to find ways to assist the municipalities in efficiently and safely resolving the issue.