Новости за 21.04.2023

The small end of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) received a big boost on Friday with the listing of Copper 360, which has an ambition to be Africa’s next big copper play. The alluring deep beat of the African drum accompanied investor bids that flashed across the big screen at the JSE as offers came in from investors wanting to get their hands on some of the 629.7-million Copper 360 shares listed on JSE’s Alternative Exchange (AltX) under the symbol of CPR. This is the second company to list on the JSE this year... Читать дальше...

As the latest round of Eskom wage negotiations is under way until the end of May, trade unions the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and Solidarity have confirmed they have rejected Eskom’s offer of a 3.75% increase, owing to it being below the inflation rate of 7.1%. The negotiations will span three rounds, with the first having been held on April 19.

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund voted in favor of Teck Resources' plan to spin off its coal business, as the Canadian miner fends off a takeover attempt by larger rival Glencore. Norges Bank Investment Management voted to back all Teck’s resolutions at the vote scheduled for April 26, according to disclosure on its website. Norges Bank held about 1.5% of Teck’s Class B shares at the end of 2022, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

China’s massive coal imports last month included record purchases from Russia and Mongolia and a significant increase in cargoes from Australia, according to the latest Chinese customs data. Shipments in March totaled 41.2-million tons, trailing only the record 43.6 million set in January 2020, which included cargoes held over from the previous year to avoid breaching Beijing’s annual cap on shipments. The government has made energy security a priority as its economy reopens and demand for its mainstay fuel increases.

TSX-V- and AltX-listed Buffalo Coal has completed the going private transaction approved by the company’s shareholders at a special meeting held on April 17. The common shares of the company will be delisted from trading on the TSX-V on April 21, and on the AltX on April 28.

Capital market solutions company SP Angel says the agreement signed between London-listed Arc Minerals and diversified miner Anglo American on April 20 marks a return and restoration of relations between Anglo and the Zambian government. “The agreement is a meaningful event for both Zambia and Anglo, with both parties working to ensure mutual respect and cooperation,” comments SP Angel analyst John Meyer, referring to Anglo investing in Zambia again for the first time in 20 years.

Mineral resource company GoviEx Uranium has entered into an agreement with Eight Capital and Sprott Capital Partners, as lead underwriters and joint bookrunners, in connection with a bought deal private placement financing of 68.6-million units

Namakwa Diamonds’ subsidiary Storm Mountain Diamonds (SMD), which it co-owns with the Lesotho government, has recovered a 108.39 ct fancy pink diamond from the Kao mine, in Lesotho. SMD says this exceptionally rare Type IIa diamond is one of the largest pink diamonds ever recovered.

The mining industry has significantly enhanced its safety protocols and advanced technologies are available with customised safety measures, data and analytics company GlobalData said in its 'Digging deeper into sustainability: key disruptive forces in mining​' report. By accurately identifying the potential hazards and proactively preventing accidents, mining companies are paving the way for a safer and more secure work environment. This transformation is further accelerated by the adoption of technologies... Читать дальше...

Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses South Africa's need to raise capital at the small end of the stock exchange;  the first wave of Anglo American’s renewable energy projects; and the fifth South African Investment conference, which saw the biggest investment pledge in green hydrogen.

The world's appetite for copper to build most electronic devices will exceed supply over the next decade and imperil climate targets unless dozens of new mines are built, executives and analysts said this week at a key industry conference. The forecast lays bare the growing tension over where and how the world can procure metals for the green energy transition, including copper, one of the best electrical-conducting metals that is widely used in motors, batteries and wiring.

Although global diversified miner Glencore has reported lower production of most of its commodities for the first quarter of the year, compared with the first quarter of last year, it remains on track to meet full-year production guidance. In the first quarter of the year, Glencore completed the acquisition of the CEZ zinc refinery, in Canada, after previously owning 25%, while the Newlands coal mine in Queensland ceased production.

Antofagasta sees “good opportunities” to expand outside of Chile as the hunt for new copper deposits heats up along with global demand for the wiring metal crucial to the transition away from fossil fuels. While the London-listed firm remains squarely focused on developing existing assets, it has small teams in Canada, the US and Peru looking at early-stage opportunities, CEO Ivan Arriagada said in an interview Wednesday in Santiago. Options include associations with junior companies and acquiring land rights.

As automakers and chemicals suppliers scramble to secure raw materials, resource-rich Australia has become a rare global bright spot with $37 billion worth of M&A deals in the first quarter, with the trend expected to continue in the near term. The increased dealmaking activity is forecast to be mainly supported by cash-rich miners looking to expand quickly via acquisitions to tap into the rising resource demand and others looking to divest their fossil fuel portfolios, bankers and analysts said.

The board of coal miner Whitehaven Coal has approved the investment to start early mining at the Vickery coal deposit, in New South Wales. Whitehaven on Friday told shareholders that the early mining at the deposit would comprise of a low capital project that would use surplus coal processing and washing infrastructure capacity at the Gunnedah coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) as well as existing road haulage, rail and port capacity.

Mining has restarted at the Wilkie Creek coal mine, in Queensland. Owner New Wilkie Energy on Friday said that the mine is forecast to produce approximately 2.4 million tonnes per annum of high-quality thermal coal, destined for markets in Asia.

Chile’s government delivered its long-awaited lithium development policy in which the state will partner with companies in projects to tap more of the world’s biggest reserves of the battery metal. President Gabriel Boric announced the new model in a national television address late Thursday. Initially, state copper giant Codelco will sign up partners for new contracts. That role would then be undertaken by a dedicated national lithium company.

Diversified major BHP has reported a mixed bag of results for the nine months ending March and has adjusted the production outlook for a number of its commodities. “Our Western Australian iron-ore business achieved record production, and total copper output for the group was up for the nine months, while metallurgical coal volumes were down slightly due to significant wet weather,” said CEO Mike Henry on Friday.

Mining and industrial machinery developer Komatsu announced in December that it has entered into an agreement to acquire underground mining, tunnelling and special civil engineering equipment manufacturer GHH Group, which is headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.  Founded in the 1960s and currently part of the German-owned industrial solutions provider Schmidt Kranz Group, GHH offers a range of equipment focused on load, haul, dump (LHD) machines as well as articulated dump trucks in the mid-seam mass mining... Читать дальше...

Modern technology has transformed the construction industry, says diverse prefabricated deployment solutions company Turnkey Modular, which has implemented its robust Intelligent Component Design and System Assembly (ICSA) technology to deliver units for mine-site accommodation in less deployment time. The Turnkey - Archway technology works in parallel with its ICSA technology, and the value largely lies in using intelligently designed componentry, says Turnkey Modular MD Warwick  Jackson.

Mining and infrastructure equipment manufacturer Epiroc says it is continuously accelerating the transformation of the mining industry toward lower emissions, improved safety, and higher productivity. Epiroc is reported to be a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and infrastructure industries.

International exploration company Boart Longyear announced the launch of its new subsidiary Veracio, which will combine science and digital technologies in a single, integrated platform for the mining and exploration sectors, in February. The platform will help mining companies derive more value from orebody data, faster, and help mitigate the environmental impact of the processes.