Новости за 13.11.2019

The Geological Survey of Ireland’s ‘Tellus’ airborne geophysical survey, covering TSX-V-listed explorer Group Eleven’s Stonepark, PG West and Silvermines zinc projects, have yielded some “large surprises”, including a number of previously unknown geological features. The Canadian company said on Wednesday that the geological features opened up new areas of prospectivity and added significant refinement to its already-established zinc target areas.

Five years ago, the diamond industry’s biggest worry was being forgotten by millennials, who – the theory went – didn’t covet sparkly gems the way their parents had. The concern turned out to be mostly unfounded, but the reality is almost worse. While Americans are buying more diamond jewelry than ever before, most polished diamonds are getting steadily cheaper. The lower prices and a glut of the type of stones that go into a discount-store engagement ring or pair of earrings have pushed the global diamond trade into crisis.

Saskatoon-headquartered Orano has taken an option to acquire up to 70% in the mineral claims and associated property comprising the Fir Island project, in the Black Lake area of Saskatchewan from Forum Energy Metals. Under the agreement, Orano is to spend a total of $6-million on the property by the end of 2023 to earn 70%. Half of that should be spent before the end of 2021 for a 51% interest.

Gold producer Nordgold, which has mining operations in Africa, Eurasia and the Americas, produced 288 900 oz in the third quarter, while the average realised gold price was $1 474/oz. Production was 27% higher year-on-year and 12% higher quarter-on-quarter.

TSX-, NYSE- and Aim-listed Caledonia Mining says its earnings for the third quarter were positively impacted on by significant currency devaluations, which realised foreign exchange gains, during the quarter ended September. The company achieved basic earnings per share (EPS) of 61.1c, compared with basic EPS of 34.6c reported for the third quarter of 2018.

Zimbabwe will vigorously enforce a policy to force companies to develop their mining assets and not keep the land for speculative purposes, mines minister Winston Chitando said on Wednesday. Chitando said some investors had not developed gold and platinum assets that they had held dating back to the 1960s and the mines ministry had asked some companies to justify why they should keep their claims to those assets.

JSE- and NYSE-listed Harmony Gold produced 361 085 oz of gold in the quarter ended September 30 – the first quarter of its 2020 financial year. This was lower than the 378 510 oz produced in the quarter ended September 30, 2018, but 2% higher than the 355 620 oz produced in the quarter ended June 30.

Media company Hyve Group portfolio director Simon Ford speaks to Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Online about the twenty-sixth edition of the Investing in African Mining Indaba, which will be held in Cape Town over four days in February 2020. In acknowledging the increased appetite for engagement within the African mining sector, with particular attention being shown towards discussions touching on sustainability, Ford elaborates during a video interview what delegates and attendees can expect from next year’s event.

Diamond miner De Beers’ rough diamond sales value for the ninth sales cycle of this year increased to $390-million, compared with the $297-million reported for the eighth sales cycle. Sales were, however, lower than the $442-million recorded for the ninth sales cycle of 2018.

Media company Hyve Group portfolio director Simon Ford speaks to Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Online about the twenty-sixth edition of the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba, which will be held in Cape Town over four days in February 2020. In acknowledging the increased appetite for engagement within the African mining sector, with particular attention being shown towards discussions touching on sustainability, Ford elaborates during a video interview what delegates and attendees can expect from next year’s event.

A logistics study looking onto possible solutions to market ore from Aim-listed Jangada Mines' Pitombeiras vanadium project, in Ceará, Brazil, has identified three potential routes, two of which have Chinese ports as a final destination and one a Brazil refinery. The study contemplates trucking ore from Pitombeiras to two Ceará ports, Pecém and Fortaleza, and then ship them to main Chinese ports.

Aim-listed Phoenix Copper has raised £850 000 (about $1.09-million) to develop the Red Star silver deposit adjacent to its proposed Empire openpit copper mine, in Idaho, US. The company raised £340 000 by way of a subscription for new ordinary shares of no par value at 17p each, and £510 000 by issuing 12% unsecured loan notes.

A consortium of Guinea's Societe Miniere de Boke (SMB) and Singapore's Winning said on Wednesday it won a tender to develop blocks 1 and 2 of Guinea's giant Simandou iron-ore project, edging out Australia's Fortescue in a $14-billion deal. The consortium committed to developing the mine, which holds over two-billion tonnes of high-grade ore, the largest known deposit of its kind, but which has been held up by legal disputes and high costs.

Aim-listed Arc Minerals will sell its 99.43% interest in Casa Mining, which holds a 73.84% interest in the Akyanga gold deposit, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Canadian private equity group Century Capital Management for up to $9.8-million. The purchase price includes an initial $1.8-million in cash, as well as a further $2.5-million in cash should Casa’s minerals resource estimate increase to six-million ounces during the five-year period after the transaction closes.

The openpit mine at Oyu Tolgoi, in Mongolia, produced significantly less copper and gold during the three months ended September, but Vancouver-headquartered Turquoise Hill reported on Tuesday that the quarter was a strong one from a production and safety perspective, while announcing an increased 2019 gold production guidance. Compared with the third quarter of 2018, copper concentrate production fell by 28% to 28 400 t, gold production decreased by 66.8% to 28 600 oz and silver output dropped 17% to 191 000 oz.

Uranium developer Aura Energy on Wednesday told shareholders that it has started a broad-based process of cost management, which will include staff reductions. Aura said that the hours of head office staff would be reduced, while all services from all technical and consultant staff would be suspended. Director payments will also be suspended, while staff costs in both Mauritania and Sweden would also be reduced.

ASX-listed Consolidated Zinc has struck an offtake agreement over all of the zinc concentrate produced at its Plomosas mine, in Mexico, until December 2020, with the option to extend for a further two years. Consolidated Zinc Wednesday reported that its subsidiary Minera Latin American Zinc had executed the offtake agreement with Industrias Penoles, which has a smelter in Torreon.

The burgeoning lithium industry, which produces the powerhouse metal used to make electric vehicle (EV) batteries, has entered its first major downturn, an unwelcome bruising for investors eager to help combat climate change. Albemarle Corp, Tianqi Lithium Corp and others have been producing more lithium than automakers need. Global supply exceeds demand by about 5%, according to Canaccord data.