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Thursday, August 6, 2009.

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

Making headlines today:

PT International Nickel Indonesia says its nickel mine on Indonesia's Sulawesi island is operating normally after about 500 villagers blocked a key road to protest against job cuts.

Last month, Inco said it planned to cut 87 jobs, or nearly 3% of its workforce, to reduce costs in response to the global financial crisis. The downturn has reduced demand for stainless steel and thus nickel, a key input.

Brazil's Vale Inco has a 60,8% stake in Inco. The Indonesian firm's Sulawesi mine is its only operation.

South African power utility Eskom is planning to update its coal suppliers' database and has put out a request for information in this regard.

The utility has asked all existing, current and potential new suppliers to respond to the RFI, which will gather information on a number of aspects.

This would include legislative compliance, broad-based black economic-empowerment compliance, the monthly and yearly coal production that would be available to the utility, the remaining life of a coal resource, the quality of the coal, delivery time-frames and the time frame required for ramping up new developments.

Eskom will then evaluate each response for its suitability with the utility's requirements.

Interested parties have until August 18 to respond to the RFI.

Also making headlines:

Gold producer Gold Fields' fourth quarter gold earnings fall, but output rises.
Moto Goldmines accepts Randgold Resources offer and pays Red Back Mining a termination fee.
Troubled diamond company Afgem's listing on the main board of the JSE will be terminated at the end of August.
And, Zimbabwe's Chamber of Mines says the country is heading for a million ounces of platinum a year.

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