Новости за 29.06.2022

Minerals Council South Africa legal deputy head Mxolisi Ngubane says that, although the prevalence of illegal mining is not new, the brazenness and evolving nature at which operations are taking place, is becoming increasingly concerning to the wider mining industry and especially to miners in hotspot or sensitive areas. Illegal mining continues to pose an “unprecedented crisis” to the legitimate mining industry and especially mines in hotspot areas in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, reports Minerals Council CEO Roger Baxter.

Governments around the world are using next-generation public geoscience to meet many of the same challenges and opportunities, including meeting increased demands for critical minerals, clean energy supply and disaster risk reduction. As such, many national and regional geological survey organisations (GSOs) and related associations are banding together under the banner of the World Community of Geological Surveys (WCOGS) with the aim of connecting people and organisations, generating synergies... Читать дальше...

ASX-listed Metro Mining’s board has approved a final investment decision (FID), subject to financing, to expand the capacity of its Bauxite Hills mine, in Queensland, to 7-million wet metric tonnes a year for a capital expenditure (capex) of A$28.3-million. The expansion will be financed from a combination of internal operating cashflow and external sources.

Plans to build the UK’s first deep coal mine in three decades are “absolutely indefensible” because the resulting pollution would blow holes through the nation’s pledge to reduce emissions by 2050, the climate change watchdog said. The government is expected to decide next week whether to allow the mine in Cumbria, northwest England. The ruling was put on hold last year after concerns were raised that the mine is at odds with the country’s legally binding goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

This week: Small diamond miners want big licence holders built in so they can grow sector together; Sustainability taking front seat at Harmony Gold; and, NSDV says Deeming could bring regulatory certainty to much-needed minerals investment

The Botswana government and diamond miner De Beers Group have extended their existing agreement for the sale of Debswana’s rough diamond production by 12 months until June 30, 2023. Following further positive progress towards a new agreement being made in the first half of this year, the two parties have agreed to the one-year extension to enable the finalisation of the ongoing discussions, De Beers said in a statement on June 29.

An opportunity to subscribe for new shares in parcels starting from R20 000 to a maximum of R330 000 is being offered to eligible shareholders by Orion Minerals. The capital raise is being undertaken to fund the Sydney- and Johannesburg-listed Orion’s Prieska copper/zinc mine, as well as other copper and battery precursor projects in the Northern Cape.

Diversified miner Rio Tinto has exercised its voting power to place the Star-Orion South diamond project, in Saskatchewan, Canada, on care-and-maintenance, its joint-venture (JV) partner said on Wednesday. Star Diamond said that, subject to fulfilling its existing obligations, Rio Tinto would not commit additional capital to the project during 2022 beyond what was necessary for care-and-maintenance.

The World Wildlife Fund's chief warned on Tuesday that the potential impact of mining the deep sea could be "terrifying" and called for strict regulations to avoid yet another environmental disaster. There is growing interest in deep-sea mining but there is also pressure from some environmental groups and governments to either ban it or ensure it only goes ahead if appropriate regulations are in place. Deep-sea mining would involve using heavy machinery to suck up off the ocean floor potato-sized rocks or nodules that contain cobalt... Читать дальше...

At Glencore's aging Mt Owen opencut coal mines north of Sydney, a team of scientists and engineers is restoring woodlands to mined-out fields, aiming to burnish the company's environmental credentials with climate activists and shareholders who want it to back away from coal. But just hundreds of metres away, active mines still churn out nearly seven-million tonnes of coal a year, and are due to keep producing for 15 more years, as they fuel the company's profits from surging coal prices.