Skip to main content

Rainbow reiterates potential of South Africa, Brazil projects thmess

Mining Weekly 1 day ago
Rainbow Rare Earths is bullish about the potential of its Phalaborwa rare earths project in South Africa, as it is expected to be the highest margin rare earth elements (REEs) project in development owing to its different capital and operating cost profile compared to traditional projects, CEO George Bennet says in an unaudited results statement for the six months ended December 31. “Phalaborwa is a unique project in the rare earths space. Due to the fact that it is focused on the reprocessing of phosphogypsum stacks to recover rare earths, it has a fundamentally different cost profile to traditional mining projects, and it is therefore expected to be the highest margin rare earth project in development today,” he comments.

PhD research uncovers invisible gold resourcethmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 1 hour ago
Stellenbosch University PhD graduate Dr Steve Chingwaru has uncovered what is potentially the world’s largest invisible gold resource. The geometallurgist’s findings could help unlock gold to the value of R450-billion “hiding in plain sight” in mine dumps around Johannesburg.

Ironveld ramp-up slower than expectedthmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 2 hours ago
Although high-purity iron, vanadium and titanium producer Ironveld marked the first sales of metal products, including high-purity iron and titanium slag, from its Rustenburg smelter to local buyers during the six months ended December 31, 2023, operational challenges and modifications delayed the expected ramp-up for the remainder of the year. Located on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in Limpopo, Ironveld's project continued with various activities during the period. Directors provided working capital support of up to £500 000 to ensure flexibility in funding. The company also carried on with the refurbishment of the Rustenburg smelter and initiated mining activities.

Kropz records $5.7m loss for 2023 as Elandsfontein ramps upthmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 3 hours ago
As phosphate miner Kropz is still ramping up to steady-state production, the company recorded a $5.7-million gross loss for the 12 months ended December 31, 2023. The company said on March 28 that the loss was largely owing to its Elandsfontein mine having to discount its sales prices as a new market entrant and to consider lower grades being achieved as part of the ramp-up process, coupled with higher production costs per tonne.

Caledonia’s 2023 full-year performance in line with expectations thmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 3 hours ago
Gold miner Caledonia Mining notes in its operating and financial results for the year ended December 31, 2023, that its performance was in line with both market expectations and production guidance. Gross revenue was $146.3-million, 3% higher than in 2022, owing to a 7.8% increase in the average realised price of gold sold.

Lotus appoints debt adviser for Kayelekera restart thmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 3 hours ago
ASX-listed Lotus Resources has appointed Orimco to arrange debt for its flagship Kayelekera uranium project, in Malawi, where the company intends to restart operations in late 2025. Lotus says it chose debt adviser Orimco based on its demonstrated record, knowledge and experience arranging debt for resource projects in Africa and globally.

More green hydrogen insight on way as Southern African scientists head to Germanythmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 4 hours ago
Twelve scientists from Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries will head to Germany in May, where they will have an opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into green hydrogen amid the region’s unveiling of important green hydrogen projects, pilot plant initiatives and the awarding of a large number of green hydrogen scholarships. Highlighting this week during the Sasscal-organised two-day Green Hydrogen Symposium in Namibia was Sasscal executive director Dr Jane Olwoch, who emphasised to Engineering News & Mining Weekly in a Zoom interview that “the countries of Southern Africa should first and foremost take note of the region’s advantages of participating in the green hydrogen economy.” (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Jubilee, Abu Dhabi company to form JV for Zambia waste rock projectthmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 5 hours ago
Abu Dhabi's International Resources Holding (IRH) has exercised its right to proceed with the formation of a joint venture (JV) vehicle with diversified metals processor Jubilee Metals Group for the implementation of a copper waste rock project in Zambia, as well as to progress with the upgrade of Jubilee’s Roan copper facility together with the continued expansion of its chrome operations. The waste rock project scope targets the processing of in excess of 260-million tonnes of copper-containing surface material. The project is aimed at initially implementing four modular processing plants with a combined processing capacity of 2.4-million tonnes a year, capable of producing more than 20 000 t/y of copper in concentrates, starting in the second quarter.

Rivers near Congo copper and cobalt mines are toxic, report saysthmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 7 hours ago
River water near some of Democratic Republic of Congo’s biggest copper and cobalt mines is toxic and may be causing widespread health problems. Scientists from Congo’s University of Lubumbashi tested water in four rivers this month near some of the country’s largest mines and found them to be “hyper-acidic” or “very acidic,” according to a report Wednesday by UK-based corporate watchdog RAID and Congo’s African Resources Watch, which both commissioned the research.

World’s top aluminum producer sees raw material supply risk in Guineathmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 7 hours ago
Aluminum Corp of China said it sees “relatively high” risks to supplies of bauxite from Guinea, highlighting its growing dependence on a single country for the raw material. The West African nation last year provided 70% of China’s imports of bauxite, which is used to produce aluminum. That’s left Chalco, as the company is known, highly exposed to disruptions there.

Former Teck CEO joins BHP board as Cockerill exitsthmess

Mining Weekly 1 day 12 hours ago
Global mining powerhouse BHP on Thursday announced that Don Lindsay, the former CEO of Teck Resources, would join its board on May 1 as a nonexecutive director. With a 17-year tenure at the helm of Teck, Lindsay brings to BHP a wealth of experience in global resource development, growth strategies and a steadfast commitment to community health, safety and education, said chairperson Ken MacKenzie in a statement.

DRDGOLD to determine economic viability of copper recovery from Copper 360’s tailings damsthmess

Mining Weekly 2 days ago
Northern Cape copper company Copper 360 announced on Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with DRDGOLD’s Far West Gold Recoveries tailings retreatment subsidiary to conduct a due diligence on its copper tailings dams to assess their economic copper recovery viability. During the due diligence period, Far West Gold Recoveries will, through an independent expert, determine the total tonnage of tailings material by Lider survey applying a density of 1.4 tonnes per cubic metre.

Draft IRP 2023 lacks environmental, health, climate commitments, says Life After Coalthmess

Mining Weekly 2 days 4 hours ago
Coal phase-out campaign the Life After Coal Campaign, in its comments on the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023, said the plan has fundamental flaws and expressed skepticism in the plan's ability to ensure cost-effective electricity supply, energy security and to uphold the Constitutional right to live in a healthy environment. “The IRP 2023 does not, in real terms, commit to a least-cost pathway and instead opts for expensive technology and fuel choices. This will perpetuate energy poverty, and make essential services for poor communities even more unaffordable and impact on local economies,” said environmental justice organisation Earthlife Africa director Makoma Lekalakala.

Kropz secures R170m loan facility thmess

Mining Weekly 2 days 5 hours ago
Aim-listed phosphate producer and developer Kropz’s subsidiary Kropz Elandsfontein has secured a R170-million loan facility from ARC Fund. The loan will be used by Kropz Elandsfontein to fund its cash flow and operational expenditure needs.

Kumba’s Sishen, Kolomela mines achieve IRMA 75 performance on responsible mining standard thmess

Mining Weekly 2 days 5 hours ago
Anglo American subsidiary Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen and Kolomela mines, in South Africa, have been assessed against the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance’s (IRMA’s) comprehensive mining standard, achieving the IRMA 75 level of performance. The IRMA 75 achievement level means that environmental resources management certification and verification confirmed that the operations at least substantially met all 40 critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as at least 75% of the standard’s criteria in each of the four principle areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies.

Mechanical cutting is going to be key for mining going forward – Master Drillingthmess

Mining Weekly 3 days ago
Mechanical cutting, in which huge progress is being made, is going to be key for the mining industry going forward, Master Drilling CEO Danie Pretorius emphasised on Tuesday, when his Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company presented a dividend-yielding set of 2023 full-year results that included the best ever safety performance and the biggest ever order book. “The industry can benefit big time from what we've already achieved in the field of mechanical cutting,” Pretorius highlighted in a Zoom interview with Mining Weekly while reporting record-high revenue of $242.8-million and an order book that topped the $288-million mark. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Salungano expects to widen headline loss to at least 50.6c thmess

Mining Weekly 3 days 1 hour ago
After having multiple subsidiaries experience financial difficulty in recent years, with some having entered into business rescue in recent months, JSE-listed Salungano Group expects to report a headline loss a share of between 50.65c and 57.65c for the year ended March 31, 2023. This compares with headline earnings a share of 6.13c reported in the prior financial year.

Transnet Freight Rail’s North Corridor achieves weekly record thmess

Mining Weekly 3 days 5 hours ago
Transnet Freight Rail’s (TFR’s) North Corridor accomplished the delivery of 1.41-million tonnes last week, marking the most substantial weekly performance in terms of volume for the current financial year. This includes the transport of 1.18-million tonnes of export coal to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal and the running of 11 chrome trains.
Mining Weekly covers real-time news on mining projects across a range of minerals including gold, platinum, diamonds, copper and ferrous metals.
Subscribe to Mining Weekly feed