Новости за 15.02.2024

Germany’s Heraeus Precious Metals and South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater are partnering to explore new applications for platinum-group metals (PGMs) in the hydrogen economy, with a specific focus on how applications can profit from the unique traits of palladium, one of the six PGM elements. Currently, it is the platinum and iridium PGMs that dominate in the hydrogen space. However, this is the second joint effort by Heraeus and Sibanye to develop new PGM markets.

Canada-headquartered Kinross Gold had a “great year” in 2023, CEO Paul Rollinson said on Wednesday, reporting that the company had met its production, cost and capital guidance, as well as completed its projects at Tasiast, in Mauritania, and La Coipa, in Chile. “Our portfolio of mines produced solid results, we more than doubled free cash flow year-over-year, while maintaining our investment grade balance sheet, and we are carrying this momentum into 2024,” he said, announcing the group’s fourth-quarter and full-year results.

New York- and Toronto-listed mining company Barrick has replaced more than 140% of its gold reserves in the last five years and more importantly at the same grade, Barrick CEO Dr Mark Bristow pointed out in reporting full-year 2023 gold production of 4.05-million ounces and copper output of 420-million pounds. Recording a 50% increase in free cash flow to $646-million for 2023, Bristow again placed emphasis on replacing reserves organically rather than acquisitively and highlighted Barrick’s position of not being forced to buy its growth.

Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, posted a better-than-expected adjusted quarterly profit on Wednesday as aggressive cost cuts helped offset plunging prices for the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries. The slowing pace of EV adoption globally, combined with lithium overproduction in China, has dragged down lithium prices and financially dented Albemarle and its peers.

Diversified mining major BHP is considering closing its Western Australia Nickel operations, amid the sharp fall in prices, the company announced on Thursday. BHP said it could place Nickel West into care and maintenance and that it was assessing the phasing and capital spend for the development of the West Musgrave project, acquired as part of the OZ Minerals acquisition.