Новости за 08.08.2022

Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research expects to see an increase in lithium development projects in Africa, particularly from Chinese firms, with investment buoyed by expectations for lithium to resist the downwards trend of most nonferrous metals in the second half of the year amid strong demand. Fitch Solutions estimates that, presently, there are nine lithium mining projects in development in Africa – in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mali, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)  –... Читать дальше...

Gold and copper mining company Barrick has taken the lead in integrating the various aspects of environmental social governance (ESG) to ensure holistic and objective measurement, Barrick CE Dr Mark Bristow stated on Monday, when the New York- and Toronto-listed company reported strong second-quarter operating performance that generated $169-million free cash. Barrick has launched a sustainability-linked credit facility, progressed its Scope 3 emissions reduction roadmap, received an award for the... Читать дальше...

Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo said on Monday they had raised their estimate of the construction cost for the Quebrada Blanca phase 2 (QB2) copper project in Chile to about $7.5-billion from $4.7-billion. The 60% increase comes as the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed construction which started in 2019 and boosted expenses to deal with the outbreak, they said in a statement.

Copper prices eased on Monday but were supported by rising imports of the industrial metal by top consumer China and by hopes that interest rates will peak soon after rapid increases aimed at curbing inflation. Benchmark copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange (LME) traded down 0.2% at $7 850 a tonne in official rings. Prices of the metal used as a gauge of economic health have climbed 13% since July 15, when they touched the lowest since November 2020 at $6 955.

Gold has long dominated the Western Australian city of Kalgoorlie, born in a late 19th Century prospecting rush and home to one of the world’s largest-open pit mines, nestled right next to residential streets. Blasts to dislodge precious-metal laced rock from the more than two-mile long Super Pit still frequently rattle the main street. As about 2 700 executives, investment bankers and industry stalwarts gathered in the precious metals hub last week for Australia’s key annual mining forum it was clear where the industry’s focus lies. Читать дальше...

To bolster its management team during its current growth phase and expansion into the rare-earth element (REE) industry, Energy Fuels has hired a new COO and CFO. The US-based company appointed John Uhrie as COO and Tom Brock as CFO with effect from August 2 and August 8, respectively.

US-based Energy Fuels has executed three long-term contracts with US nuclear utilities, committing to deliver up to 4.2-million pounds between 2023 and 2030, CEO Mark Chalmers announced on Friday. The company would fulfil deliveries during the early years of these contracts from its existing inventories, but Chalmer said it expected to be in production at one or more of its uranium mines in the next two years.

NYSE-listed pureplay uranium company Uranium Energy Corporation (UEC) has submitted an improved buyout offer to UEX Corporation (UEX). This while Denison Mines Corporation is also trying to acquire all UEX shares in a competing offer.

Vancouver-headquartered Imperial Metals Corporation is seeking to secure additional funds for restart activities at its Mount Polley copper and gold mine by way of a nonbrokered private placement of $45-million in convertible debentures. The company notes that the mine is operating at targeted production rates as the restart progresses; however, the restart took longer than planned owing to difficulties in hiring operating personnel, supply chain challenges and unanticipated electrical and mechanical work.

Copper output in Peru, the world's second-largest producer of the red metal, rose 8.6% in June from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, as operations at the giant Las Bambas mine resumed after a truce granted by indigenous communities protesting at the site. Copper production in June totaled 198,467 tonnes. The total in the first six months of the year reached 1.09 million tonnes, up 1.2% from the same period of 2021, the Energy and Mines Ministry said in a report.

Glencore Alloys head Japie Fullard has hailed the new energy plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa as opening the way for the company to target bigger power projects. “I must say that the President’s energy presentation is definitely something that is appealing to us,” said Fullard, who welcomed the removal of the 100 MW cap, as well as clarity around the ‘wheeling’ of renewable energy back on to the grid.

US carmaker Tesla has signed contracts worth about $5-billion to buy materials for their batteries from nickel processing companies in Indonesia, a senior cabinet minister told CNBC Indonesia. Southeast Asia's biggest economy has been trying to get Tesla to set up a production facility in the country, which has major nickel reserves. President Joko Widodo met with Tesla founder Elon Musk earlier this year to drum up investment.

The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has given stakeholders and community groups an additional two weeks to comment on diversified miner South32’s proposed expansion at its Worsley alumina operations. South32 is proposing to continue operations and expand the existing mining area, which will include developing a bauxite transport corridor at the Boddington bauxite mine, as well as develop a contingency mining area, residue storage extension and maintenance activities at the refinery near Collie.

ASX-listed Nickel Industries has secured $225-million in debt capital for the acquisition of the Oracle nickel project. Nickel Industries in December last year inked a definitive agreement with partner Shanghai Decent Investment to acquire a 70% equity interest in the Oracle nickel project for $525-million, comprising $371-million of acquisition funding and $154-million of shareholder loans.

Copper miner Oz Minerals has rejected a surprise A$8.4-billion takeover bid from diversified miner BHP. BHP submitted a non-binding indicative proposal to Oz Minerals at the end of last week, to acquire all of the company’s shares at a price of A$25 a share. The offer represented a 32.1% premium to Oz Minerals’ closing price on August 5, and a 41.4% premium to the company’s 30-day volume weighted average share price.