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Monday, August 17, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

On Friday, black-owned investment and holdings group Shanduka reported that three workers had been injured in an underground explosion at its Springlake coal mine, in KwaZulu-Natal.

Springlake COO Hentie Hoffmann said that one worker was critically injured, while two others suffered minor injuries when the accident occurred. All workers on site were treated for shock.

Hoffmann said that a thorough investigation would be undertaken to determine the cause of the explosion.

Workers from the operation were evacuated, as the company prepared for an internal investigation into the accident. The Department of Mineral Resources was also notified.

It was unsure how long operations at the site would be suspended.

The National Union of Mineworkers said that early reports into the explosion suggested that it might have been caused by lack of ventilation.

Zambia's largest cobalt producer Chambishi Metals will delay restarting production until September after suppliers in the Democratic Republic of Congo failed to deliver cobalt concentrates.

Operations at Chambishi were suspended in December and were due to restart in August, but CEO Derek Webbstock said it would have to wait until mines in the DRC begin to deliver raw materials.

Webbstock said Chambishi would first have to stockpile the cobalt concentrates before starting operations. The mine had forecast output of 3 400 tons of cobalt in 2009 from 2 500 tons before it suspended operations last December.

The resumption of output had already been pushed back to August from July while Chambishi waited for supplies from the DRC.

Also making headlines:

Xstrata Coal CEO Peter Freyberg says that putting the coal businesses of Xstrata and Anglo American together would leverage "massive" opportunities in coal.
The debt-free, cash-positive Northam Platinum could return to being a platinum-industry takeover target.
African Minerals' Tonkolili project could start iron-ore production in 12 months.
And, African Copper plans to restart the Mowana mine, in Botswana, by the end of the month.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit miningweekly.com.