Mining Weekly

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that Eskom’s eight “lender groups” have given their consent to the establishment of the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) as a separate subsidiary under Eskom Holdings. Bondholder consent was one of several key approvals required ahead of the operationalisation of the NTCSA, officially scheduled for April 1, alongside the appointment of an independent board and licensing approvals from the regulator.

The European benchmark ferrochrome price for the second quarter of this year has been settled at $1.52/lb, 5.6% up on the first three months of 2024, Merafe Resources informed shareholders on Monday, March 25. Ferrochrome is a prime ingredient of stainless steel and most of the ferrochrome produced in South Africa is consumed by China, which is the world’s biggest producer of stainless steel

Diamond miner Botswana Diamonds chairperson John Teeling has outlined some positive developments achieved by the company during 2023, including that a gravity survey has discovered a high-grade anomaly similar in size or larger than the KX36 high-grade kimberlite pipe in the Kalahari. In an unaudited interim statement and financial results for the six months ended December 31, 2023, he also highlights positive progress on the awarding of the Thorny River mining permits, in South Africa, as well as renewed interest in the Ghaghoo diamond mine, in Botswana.

The South African mining industry has made significant inroads into addressing tuberculosis (TB) since 2017 and has met its ten-year target to reduce the incidence rate among mineworkers to below national levels, industry body the Minerals Council South Africa says. In 2014, the Mine Health and Safety Council set the milestone of achieving a TB incidence rate for the sector of below the national average by 2024.

More than two years after climate negotiators first attempted to consign coal to history, the dirtiest fossil fuel is having a moment. Thanks to a combination of China’s energy insecurity — pushing Beijing back to trusted power sources — plus rising Indian demand, the continued fallout from the war in Ukraine and faltering international programs to wean developing economies off fossil fuels, coal is proving remarkably resilient. Output hit a record last year, and producers are preparing for a future where they will be required for decades yet to balance renewable energy.

Newmont Corp. has kicked off the sale of its Akyem gold mine in Ghana, which is attracting interest from potential bidders including Chinese producers amid soaring prices for the metal, people with knowledge of the matter said. Newmont is working with Citigroup Inc. on the disposal and they have started sounding out prospective suitors, according to the people. Shandong Gold Mining Co. and Zijin Mining Group Co. are among companies showing early interest in the asset, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo overtook Peru as the world's second largest copper producer in 2023, though it still lags the South American country in exports, official data from both nations show. Congo produced about 2.84 million tons of copper last year, the country's central bank reported. Peru's output was 2.76 million tons, the Andean country's mining and energy ministry said.

Mining explosives and chemicals company AECI, which turned 100 this week, will be unveiling a digital strategy for the mining market during the course of this year. It is also looking to become greener as it keeps innovation closest to its rapidly internationalising heart.

Gemstone miner Gemfields has recorded its second highest yearly revenues in 2023, on the back of record prices being paid for its rough coloured gemstones sold at auction. Gemfields CEO Sean Gilbertson notes, however, that production of premium rough gemstones has been weaker at its two key operating assets – the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia, and Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) in Mozambique – compared with 2022.

In preparation for Debswana’s upcoming Jwaneng underground project, in Botswana, the company has been fostering local talent and enhancing skills development by recruiting graduate learners in various mining-related disciplines. The 26 selected graduates are undergoing experiential learning at the Mopani Central training centre, in Zambia.

Management at the Tormin mineral sands mine in South Africa, held by ASX-listed Mineral Commodities’ 50%-owned subsidiary Mineral Sands Resources (MSR), have reported that there has been damage to the liner of the main seawater storage dam that provides water for processing. While the investigation, inspection and assessment of repairs are being conducted, alternative water arrangements are being planned to allow production to continue and with a focus on minimising the impact on volumes.

Global miner Glencore has announced the retirement of board member Peter Coates effective May 29, after a 30-year association with Glencore. He joined the Glencore board in 2011 and has served as chairperson of the health and safety committee.

Namibia’s first gigawatt scale green hydrogen project – the $10-billion Hyphen development scheme – this week received a major boost from Germany. The boost came in the form of the German government presenting a letter of intent to Enertrag, confirming the suitability of the project to be designated as a strategic foreign project.

A growing group of Glencore investors are keen for it to keep mining coal instead of spinning out the soon-to-be enlarged unit, with one eye on its financial outlook and another on the environmental benefits of keeping the fuel in-house. Echoing a demand last week by activist Tribeca Investment Partners, investors said the polluting fossil fuel would be a lucrative option - for a decade or two at least - even as it is phased out in favour of renewable energy.

Amid South Africa’s ticking of all the boxes for a fertile environment for organised crime – economic inequality, rampant crime, widespread government corruption and poorly performing State organs – addressing security is a key part of ensuring the sustainability of the mining industry. During a webinar hosted by Creamer Media on February 28, experts unpacked the evolution of security risks for mines over the past 30 years, with mining and allied security professional Nash Lutchman averring that mining companies “are operating in an unprecedented safety risk environment”.

A unit of International Holding Company IHC.AD, Abu Dhabi's most valuable company, is interested in acquiring Zambia's Lubambe Copper Mine, an asset that China's JHCX Mining has already agreed to buy, three sources familiar with the details told Reuters. International Resources Holding recently told EMR Capital that it is interested in bidding for the private equity manager's 80% stake in the Lubambe copper project, which is up for sale, a development that may complicate a sale process that's already underway, two of the sources said.

The stage is set for proudly South African mining explosives trailblazer, AECI, to become the third biggest in its field globally by 2030, AECI Group chairperson Dr Khotso Mokhele told an enthusiastically applauding audience at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), where the newly strategised company on Wednesday celebrated 100 years of being in business. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.) Having pioneered the explosives industry in South Africa in the late 1800s, AECI currently has a 22-country presence on six continents, served by a workforce of more than 7 500 people, whose collective efforts have shaped the veteran into a global powerhouse, Mokhele pronounced while highlighting the course being charted for the company’s next era of innovation.

Industry organisation the Minerals Council South Africa has welcomed comments by Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla in support of the continued collaboration between the council and the National Department of Health in expediting the certification and payment of medical benefits to current and former mineworkers with compensable occupational lung diseases. Phaahla also acknowledged the constructive and positive role the Minerals Council has played in ensuring that sufferers of occupational lung diseases or their dependants are timeously compensated, the entity points out.

Global miner Glencore confirms in its latest Climate Action Transition Plan (CATP) for 2024 to 2026, published on March 20, that it is on track to achieve its emission reduction targets of 15% by end-2026 and 50% by 2035 across Scope 1, 2 and 3 industrial carbon dioxide emissions. The company also maintains its 2050 ambition of reaching net-zero carbon emissions.

Mining and development company Marula Mining’s wholly owned South African subsidiary South African Lithium and Tantalum Mining has signed a long-term offtake agreement with UK-based based metals, minerals and energy commodities trading group Fujax UK for spodumene ore and concentrate from the Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine, in the Northern Cape. The agreement is based on the sale and purchase of 100% of Blesberg's production of spodumene ore and concentrate to Fujax through to December 31, 2026, with a minimum of 50 000 t at a grade of 6% lithium.