Новости за 15.07.2022

After acquiring platinum producer Lonmin’s operations in 2019, diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater continues to contribute to reparations for those community members who were affected by the violent wage-related protests near the then-Lonmin-operated Marikana platinum group metals (PGMs) mine between August 14 and September 18, 2012, which claimed the lives of 40 miners, two police officers and two Lonmin security guards. Since 2019, Sibanye has been actively engaging with various stakeholders in... Читать дальше...

Copper miner Kamoa Copper has selected mining technology company Metso Outotec to supply key concentrator plant equipment for its copper mining complex expansion in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 
Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of environment-sensitive Planet Positive processing equipment, including energy efficient HIGmill regrind mills with polyurethane wear linings.

Following shareholders’ rejection of a second tranche of funding by resources investor Senosi Group Investment Holdings (SGIH) on July 15, Aim-, ASX- and JSE-listed coal explorer, developer and miner MC Mining has agreed to repay SGIH the $20-million advanced by it as part of a broader $40-million second tranche loan. On February 1, MC Mining entered into a staged R86.04-million (about $5.6-million) convertible advance and subscription agreement with SGIH.

TSX-V-listed GoviEx Uranium will enjoy a 50% tax deferral on its 80%-owned Madaouela project’s surface area taxes due later this month. The government of Niger, which owns 20% of the project, has agreed to GoviEx paying $2.8-million in taxes in July and the other $2.8-million in December.

Chinese bureaucrats studying the energy outlook are proposing to end a near two-year ban on Australian coal as tensions begin to ease and on concerns supply may tighten when Western-led sanctions on Russian energy kick in. The proposal will be submitted to senior leaders, with a recommendation Beijing resume Australian imports prompted by fears European-led curbs on Russian energy will increase competition for coal from China’s main suppliers like Indonesia, according to people familiar with the plan.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses Australia’s PEM water electrolyser; Ironveld’s plans to acquire Ferrochrome Furnaces; and Jubilee Metals's Sable refinery.

Chile's Supreme Court on Thursday ratified the definitive closure of Canada-based Barrick Gold's controversial $8.5-billion Pascua Lama gold and copper mining project, previously ordered to shutter by the country's environmental regulator in 2018. The Andean site along the border between Chile and Argentina was the subject of an extensive legal dispute, leading the firm to halt operations before opening due to increased costs and criticisms from shareholders.

Potash developer BCI Minerals has announced the resignation of its MD and CEO Alwyn Vorster by the end of 2022. Voster’s move comes shortly after BCI pushed back the first sales from its Mardie salt and potash project, in the Pilbara, from the fourth quarter of 2024 to the second half of 2025, and warned of cost blow-outs at the operation.

Diversified major Rio Tinto has reported a solid second quarter of production, with iron-ore, bauxite and copper up from the previous corresponding period. Rio on Friday reported that iron-ore production from the Pilbara had increased by 4% in the June quarter, compared with the same period in 2021, to 78.6-million tonnes, while shipments in the same period increased by 5%, to 79.9-million tonnes.

Civil engineering construction services provider ICON Group is currently progressing with work at a gold mine in Burkino Faso, where it is installing 200 000 m2, 1.5 mm high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lining as part of the construction of a greenfield tailings dam. The country is the fourth-largest gold producer in Africa and is amid a modern gold rush, according to the planetGOLD Burkina Faso project, which was implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.

The global green mining transition, which is driving a significant increase in demand for effective water and waste management in the African mining market, has highlighted a skills shortage, says WSP in Africa Earth and Environment MD Ralph Heath. “We can’t hire enough people and we are not alone. There is a war for talent worldwide. If you can find a good mine waste or water engineer, you are going to pay a premium.”

With about 45% to 60% of the repair and maintenance costs associated with a tracked machine involving the undercarriage, an effective preventative maintenance programme is essential to ensure operators get the maximum equipment life span at the lowest cost per hour, says manufacturer, distributor and solutions provider ITR Africa MD Justin Brink. ITR Africa offers a full undercarriage measuring service, whereby the undercarriage is inspected for excessive or uneven wear, as well as damaged or missing components.

Manufacturing company Komatsu – and subsidiary Komatsu Chile S.A. –  has announced plans for the Komatsu FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) to be deployed on a total of 62 930E ultra-class haul trucks by 2024 at Los Bronces, a Chilean openpit copper mine owned by diversified major Anglo American. The mine site will serve as a showcase for Komatsu’s autonomous technology.

The global mining equipment market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7% during the forecast period of 2021 to¬¬ 2031, says a report by research and consulting services company Transparency Market Research. In 2020, the global mining equipment market was valued at $138-billion and it is anticipated to reach $345-billion by 2031. A rise in mining activity worldwide is estimated to drive the global mining equipment market.

The current steep increase in commodity prices has led to mining clients’ upgrading and maintaining their equipment to reduce downtime and maximise output, says steel fabricator Hydra Arc project management office manager Tyrone van Heerden. While rising costs have had a negative impact on the operational costs of the mining sector, “commodity prices are at an all-time high, allowing for large profit margins”.

Global engineering company Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions in May demonstrated its electric concept rig for surface drilling at the Vei og Anlegg 2022 exhibition, one of Scandinavia’s largest construction trade shows. The concept rig will also be showcased in Tampere, Finland, at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Customer Days 2022, in September.

Local contractors can now deliver desired results across a variety of applications by taking advantage of Finnish industrial machinery company Metso Outotec’s Lokotrack ST2.3 scalping screen. Taking the nomadic nature of contract crushing into consideration, Metso Outotec paid particular attention to ease of transportation when developing the machine.