Новости за 21.10.2021

Russia will start testing a potentially nationwide real-time system to monitor air quality at metals giant Nornickel's base in the industrial Arctic city of Norilsk next year, the company and a government official said on Thursday. Nornickel, the world's leading nickel and palladium producer, has been a major emitter of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in Norilsk, its main production base since Soviet times and which for years earned it the rank of the world's most polluted city.

TSX-listed junior diamond miner Diamcor Mining says it continues to achieve significant results in this quarter’s initial tender and sale of rough diamonds recovered from the processing of quarry material through its recently upgraded processing facilities at the  Krone-Endora at Venetia project in South Africa. The sale, completed just weeks into the quarter, resulted in the sale of 2 516.91 ct of rough diamonds at an average price of $192.07/ct, generating gross revenues of $483 422.14.

Kumba Iron Ore’s struggle in getting supplies to ports is further highlighting the constraints South Africa faces in exporting key commodities including coal. The continent’s top iron ore producer said its premium steelmaking material is being held up at mines in South Africa’s Northern Cape province because of rail bottlenecks, which may force it to slow output as stockpiles rise. The logistical issues are also affecting the movement of coal, which contributed to prices hitting a record high, major exporter Thungela Resources has said.

Dual-listed Denison Mines has entered into a private agreement to sell shares and warrants that it held in Africa-focused explorer and developer GoviEx Uranium for investment purposes for $41.6-million. Denison will sell 32.5-million common shares, currently held for investment purposes, and 32.5-million common share purchase warrants entitling the holder to acquire one additional common shares of GoviEx owned by Denison at an exercise price of $0.80 for a term of 18 months.

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses the need for incentives for the listing of companies on the smaller end of the stock exchange; bringing in the private sector to clear excessive government backlogs; and Jupiter Mines's recent decisions relating to the board.

Indonesia is now overwhelmingly China’s biggest overseas supplier of coal, with shipments hitting a record last month after Beijing loosened curbs on imports to tackle its power crisis. Cargoes of coking, thermal and brown coal from the Southeast Asian nation surpassed 21 million tons in September, from just over 17-million tons in August, and now account for about two-thirds of China’s total imports, according to customs data. Chinese buyers have been forced to tap other suppliers of the fuel to... Читать дальше...

BHP Group is looking at the potential to use the waste from its Australian nickel mining operations to capture and store carbon and will conduct field trials this financial year. It is also harnessing new technologies to look deeper underground for minerals critical to the energy transition like nickel and copper, Chief Technical Officer Laura Tyler will say at a trade conference in London, according to prepared remarks.

The world will be unable to meet its zero-carbon targets without the introduction of green hydrogen solutions, says Plug Power chief strategy officer Sanjay Shrestha, at a time when the US has launched a programme to cut the cost of clean hydrogen by 80%. Nasdaq-listed Plug Power, a pure play green hydrogen company with a commercially successful integrated product line, is building out North America’s first completely green hydrogen end-to-end supply chain network, coinciding with the cost target... Читать дальше...

Aim-listed integrated primary vanadium producer Bushveld Minerals achieved a 19% quarter-on-quarter increase in production for the third quarter, which the company said was underpinned by operational stability at Vametco. Bushveld, which is also an energy storage solutions provider with ownership of high-grade assets in South Africa, has been focusing on stabilising its operations to achieve a sustainable production run rate supported by the implementation of a proactive maintenance programme, other... Читать дальше...

Diversified miner Anglo American achieved a 2% increase in production for the third quarter, ended September 30, which CEO Mark Cutifani largely attributed to planned higher rough diamond production at its De Beers subsidiary, as well as increased production from the Minas-Rio iron-ore project, in Brazil, and improved plant performance at Kumba Iron Ore's operations, in South Africa. Operating levels were also generally maintained at about 95% of normal capacity during the period.

Australia risks having tariffs imposed on its exports if it fails to adopt a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, a senior government minister said on Tuesday, as the country's ruling coalition struggles to unite on the issue. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he hopes to present the UN COP26 climate summit this month with a strengthened target of net zero, but the junior coalition partner in his government has yet to commit to supporting the goal.

Diamond miner De Beers expects to produce about 32-million carats for the full-year, which is at the lower end of its initial guidance of 32-million to 33-million carats. Reporting on its production performance in the third quarter ended September 30, the Anglo American subsidiary said demand for rough diamonds remained robust.

Global consumer markets such as China, India and the US are steadily recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, with luxury shoppers showing greater optimism and improved consumer sentiment across all categories, especially precious platinum jewellery, the Platinum Guild International (PGI) has revealed. There is a growing demand for precious jewellery in key markets, particularly among Millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers, according to the latest consumer survey commissioned by PGI during the third quarter of this year.

ASX-listed Allegiance Coal will raise A$30-million through a share placement to institutional and professional investors to fund the acquisition of the Short Creek mine, in Alabama, and to bring the project into production. Allegiance on Thursday announced that it had entered into an agreement with Drummond Coal to acquire the Short Creek mine for $4.4-million in cash and $11.5-million to replace the reclamation bond with the state of Alabama.

Diversified miner South32 has maintained its production guidance for its 2022 financial year, following a strong first quarter. The miner on Thursday reported a 10% decline in alumina production, compared with the fourth quarter of the 2021 financial year, reaching 1.2-million tonnes, while aluminium production increased by 1% to 248 000 t.

The US Forest Service on Wednesday proposed a 20-year ban on mining in Minnesota's Boundary Waters region, a step that would block Antofagasta's Twin Metals copper and nickel mine project. The announcement reversed a decision by former President Donald Trump and set off a review of how mining could affect the popular outdoor recreational area. It freezes issuance of new mining leases or permits in the region for two years.

The chief executive of Mexico's top precious metals miner Fresnillo on Wednesday described the current government's policies as "unfavorable" for the key industrial sector. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's government has been criticized by the mining industry for its policy of no new concessions, as well as what have been described as unprecedented regulatory delays.

Junior BCI Minerals has taken a final investment decision (FID) on its Mardie salt and potash project, in Western Australia, just days after securing A$740-million in debt funding for the project. The ASX-listed company on Thursday said that subject to final approvals, main construction for the Mardie project is targeted for early 2022.