Новости за 06.12.2022

Toronto-listed miner Equinox Gold has decreased its ownership in fellow-listed Solaris Gold to less than 10%, having sold 11-million shares in that company for C$70.4-million. Immediately prior to the transaction, Equinox owned 15 545 487 common shares of Solaris and warrants entitling the firm to purchase 7 500 000 common shares of Solaris, representing about 17.88% of Solaris on a partially diluted basis.

Glencore added its voice to a chorus of miners warning of coming copper shortages, arguing that a “huge deficit” is looming for the crucial industrial metal. CEO Gary Nagle said that while some people were assuming that the industry would lift supplies as it had in previous cycles to meet a forecast increase in demand driven by the energy transition, “this time it is going to be a bit different".

Uranium producer Aura Energy has announced the successful production of yellowcake from beneficiation pilot plant concentrate samples from the company’s Tiris uranium project, in Mauritania. The production of yellowcake in the form of uranium oxide concentrate (UOC) from the samples is a key milestone for the company as it moves towards near-term Phase 1 uranium production.

Aim-listed energy company Edenville Energy has issued 5.71-million shares in an effort to raise £400 000 that it will use to provide additional working capital, to settle outstanding creditors and provide sufficient funds to meet any unexpected adverse judgement as a result of a legal claim. The company’s board believes the placing is sufficient to ensure it becomes cash flow positive from operations in the coming months, subject to being able to operate during the rainy season.

Diversified mining company Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) and its joint venture partner, Gécamines, have restarted copper and cobalt operations at Boss Mining, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The phased restart will concentrate on processing historically mined fines over the next 16 months to produce copper cathodes and cobalt hydroxide.

Healthy demand from battery manufacturers and shortages have propelled lithium prices to records, but rising supplies and China removing subsidies for electric vehicles mean a retreat is on the cards. Battery grade lithium prices trading near $85 000 a tonne are more than double the levels seen at the start of 2022 and four times the levels seen in September 2021.

Ecuador-focused Adventus Mining has drawn down the $13-million early deposit from Wheaton Precious Metals as part of the $175.5-million precious metals stream commitment to the El Domo copper/gold project. The early deposit has no cost or fees for 18 months, after which it is expected to be consolidated into the full $175.5-million partial precious metals stream.

Toronto-listed Lundin Mining has appointed Jack Lundin as president with immediate effect. Concurrently, Lundin has stepped down from the Canadian base metals company's board of directors. "We are excited to welcome Jack to the management team of Lundin Mining," commented CEO Peter Rockandel.

The Western Australian government has announced a A$22.5-million investment to overhaul environmental approvals in order to shorten the approval timeframes for green energy projects. A new multi-pronged approach will help to drive investment in conventional wind, solar and wave power generators, hydrogen industries, lithium mining and critical minerals processing, and green energy product manufacturing, the government said on Tuesday.

Gold miner Gold Fields and equipment manufacturer Epiroc have struck a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to partner on the development of a diesel-electric mine truck. The truck will combine a traditional combustion engine with electric drive system technology, providing the opportunity of significantly reducing the amount of diesel used across a mine's fleet and increasing operational productivity.

Glencore is moving closer to building a giant copper project in Argentina in a move that would reverse a long-held aversion to developing big new mines. Activity has recently increased at Glencore’s El Pachon copper deposit and it has been making new hires, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. There is an expectation inside the company that it is moving toward building the mine, the people said, although there is still no certainty it will proceed.

ASX-listed AIC Mines will start the compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares in takeover target Demetallica after acquiring more than a 90% interest in the company. AIC Mines earlier this year launched a takeover offer for Demetallica, offering one of its own shares for every 1.5 Demetallica shares held, valuing the company at 33.7c a share, or at A$36-million. However, the suitor later increased its offer to one AIC Mines share for every 1.3 Demetallica shares held.

A definitive feasibility study (DFS) into the Etango 8 uranium project, in Namibia, has confirmed the project’s economic viability, ASX-listed Bannerman Energy said. Based on a nameplate capacity of eight-million tonnes a year, the Etango project is expected to have a mine-life of some 15 years, producing 52.6-million pounds of uranium oxide, averaging some 3.5-million pounds a year.

Diversified miner Rio Tinto, copper miner Oz Minerals and Swedish metals major Boliden will partner on an initiative to manage tailings. Under the umbrella of the Think & Act Differently (TAD) incubator initiative the three companies will fund and support innovators who are working to reimagine mining and processing to eliminate, minimise, reuse or find value in mine tailings.