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Monday, March 15, 2010.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon de Ryhove.

Making headlines today:

Australia has welcomed a report saying that China didn't blame Rio Tinto or the Australian government for the collapse of a 19,5-billion-dollar tie-up between Chinalco and the Australian mining giant.

An Australian newspaper reported from Beijing that a detailed report to the State Council, or China's cabinet, blamed economic forces and a powerful public relations campaign by BHP Billiton for the failure of what would have been China's biggest offshore investment.

Australia's Trade Minister said the report should help heal Sino-Australian relations, soured over the failed bid, and that Australia continued to welcome foreign investment to help expand its iron ore production.

South Africa's gold production declined by 5,8% in 2009, which was an improvement on the large 14,5% decline in production in 2008.

South Africa's Chamber of Mines said that the electricity crisis and the stoppages of mines and shafts for safety related reasons, had the impact of prematurely downscaling the country's gold sector in 2008.

The 2009 production number means that South Africa has slipped down to position four on the global production ranking, behind China, Australia and the US.
South Africa was the world's largest gold producer for most of the last century until 2006.

Also making headlines:

Australia tells Beijing to stay out of iron-ore talks.
The mining division of the JSE-listed Basil Read construction group may be hived off into a separately listed entity.
The water treatment problems at Aurora Empowerment Systems' Groovlei mine have been resolved.
And, South Africa worries over rising Asia coal demand.

That's a round up of news making headlines today.