Sector News

Coal production insufficient to meet energy demand

It is estimated that South Africa’s domestic demand for coal will increase by more than 75-million tons a year over the next decade and, at some stage, coal production will be insufficient to meet the expected energy demand and alternative...

Coal terminal begins a year of stabilisation

Export coal terminal the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), which exported 61,14-million tons of coal in 2009 under challenging conditions, is advancing its global position in the world export market.

Contractor awarded Chinese coal operation contract

Mining equipment and services provider Sandvik Mining and Construction has received an order from Chinese Shenhua Energy Company for seven bolter miners for its Shendong coal production centre.

Data management system implemented to assist 
development projects

South African coal exploration and development company Keaton Energy has implemented software solutions provider Micromine’s Geological Borehole Information System (GBIS) data management system to ensure geological data integrity and consistency...

Empowerment consortium acquires stake in specialist coal-miner

Independent corporate transaction specialists the Bravura Group has finalised an empowerment deal for specialist underground coal mining company Magatar SA.

Five-year 2Mt/y supply deal secured

Singapore-listed coal-miner Straits Asia Resources (Straits Asia) has signed a five-year coal-supply contract with Indian diversified company Adani Group to supply two-million tons a year of coal.

Ground engineering firm provides mining services to industry

South African diversified mining group Exxaro Resources contracted ground engineering and environmental services company Golder Associates to carry out a resource reserve audit, which was completed in December 2009.

Local coal mine commissions self-levelling wet drums

Process equipment manufacturer Multotec Magnetics has commissioned five self-levelling wet drum separators at diversified miner Exxaro’s New Clydesdale coal mine.

Lower costs and maintenance with bulk handling range

Specialists in materials handling equipment Big Lift Trucks (BLT) is offering the coal mining industry range of bulk materials handling equipment that is designed for efficient bulk handling and that lowers operating costs and maintenance...

Malawi government receives first tax, 
royalty payments from Kayelekera mine

Australian resources group Paladin says it has earned $33-million to date from uranium exports from its Kayelekera mine, in northern Malawi.

JSE wants more miners, but access to capital an issue

The fact that there are just 69 mining companies listed on the JSE, compared with thousands on the TSX and TSX Venture Exchange is "a bit embarrassing”, JSE business development and marketing director Noah Greenhill commented in Toronto on...

Nationalisation a non-starter, SA Minister assures in Toronto

South Africa will not adopt a policy of nationalisation of mines, the country's Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu asserted in Toronto on Saturday. There is also no intention to introduce “stringent measures” as part of the review of...

Equinox to seek finance for uranium plant, mulls M&A

Equinox Minerals, which owns the Lumwana copper mine in Zambia, plans to seek funding and offtake deals for its uranium project and will also consider acquiring a second copper project or mine, CEO Craig Williams said on Friday. Uranium ore is...

R462m cash mining profit signals Metorex's growing strength – CEO

The R462-million cash mining profit of the JSE-listed Metorex indicates the growing strength of the formerly troubled diversified mining company. "We've got through most of the woods," Metorex CEO Terence Goodlace told Mining Weekly Online in a...

Highveld mulls sale of Mapochs iron-ore to third parties

Vertically-integrated steel and vanadium producer Highveld was considering developing its Mapochs iron-ore mine into an "independent mining play", potentially releasing it to sell production to customers other than its Mpumalanga-based steel plant...

Creative company incorporates venomous snakes in mine safety campaigns

Creative communications company Unplugged has developed a safety campaign for mining companies using venomous snakes as a metaphor for safety hazards in the workplace. Unplugged creative director Rick Melvill tells Mining Weekly that the company...

Northam Platinum likely to go to market for R3bn Booysendal – CEO

JSE-listed platinum miner Northam was likely to go to the market to finance the proposed R3-billion 1 200-employee Booysendal platinum mine in Mpumalanga province, its CEO Glyn Lewis said on Tuesday. Lewis said in reply to mining analyst Nic...

Shareholder threatens to quit ARM over Motsepe's nationalisation prevarication

A shareholder on Monday publicly threatened to divest from diversified miner African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) after its executive chairperson Patrice Motsepe prevaricated on the issue of the nationalisation of South African mines and indigenisation...

TGME gold to go on care-and-maintenance – Simmer & Jack

JSE-listed gold-mining company Simmer & Jack (Simmers) intended placing its already downsized Transvaal Gold Mining Estate (TGME) in Mpumalanga province on care-and-maintenance in order to focus more intensely on its better-performing gold mines...

Strongly producing Kumba lifting 2010 iron-ore capex

Strongly producing South African iron-ore miner Kumba will be increasing its capital expenditure in 2010, to between R4,5-billion and R5-billion. When some of its more cautious competitors were cutting back, Kumba singled itself out by...

Wescoal posts big jump in FY earnings

Acquisitive HudBay already has 'irons in the fire'

Moly price well above $10/lb needed to fund new supply – Thompson Creek CEO

Illegal miners death toll at Harmony shaft reaches 61

Canadian miners propose doubling flow-through credit for 2 years

$2 000/oz gold 'quite conceivable' in medium term – Agnico CFO

Diamond juniors must merge to stay on the map – Rockwell chief

Randgold won't overpay for 'over-promoted' assets

Banro looking for big brother to help fund DRC gold mine

Pan African seeking govt help after 13 trespassing gold miners are found dead