China infrastructure push to boost zinc imports, support prices

China is likely to boost imports of zinc in the fourth quarter of the year after Beijing said it would speed up infrastructure investment, market players said, helping support prices for the base metal. Zinc is set to reap the benefits of a push...

China's top aluminium province idles plants as demand slows

China's top aluminium-producing province has idled about 700 000 t of capacity in recent months, a senior industry official said, further evidence that slower growth in the world's No. 2 economy is denting the country's appetite for commodities....

PanTerra starts processing at Las Lagunas

ASX-listed gold miner PanTerra Gold has started processing at its Las Lagunas gold/silver project, in the Dominican Republic. High-grade refractory tailings from the Pueblo Viejo mine were currently being fed into the Albion carbon-in-leach (CIL)...

Thompson Creek studying wall slough's potential production impact

Molybdenum miner Thompson Creek Metals suffered a wall slough, or slippage, at its eponymous mine in Idaho last week, but there will not likely be a material impact on the mine plan. The TSX- and NYSE-listed company said it would review any...

Nondestructive testing used to improve mine safety

A range of new nondestructive testing (NDT) products, which can be used to improve mine safety, were introduced by sensing systems manufacturer GE Measurement and Control Solutions at the World Conference for Non-Destructive Testing, held in...

Glencore tightens grip on global zinc market

Commodity trader Glencore is tightening its grip on the global zinc market by moving material to inaccessible locations, forcing industrial users to pay high physical premiums for a metal that is in surplus. The matter is under scrutiny because...

'When, not if' for $2 000/oz gold – Coxe

The rout in gold stocks in recent weeks has been “truly stunning”, with investors rushing out of them in a near-manic fashion, but BMO Financial Group strategy adviser Don Coxe continues to believe their fortunes will change. “When (not if)...

Gold hits 4-1/2 month low on Greece turmoil

Gold extended losses on Wednesday to slip to its weakest level since late December after efforts to form a new government in Greece collapsed, prompting investors to cut their exposure to the precious metal. Bullion has this year been moving in...

Northam says smelter rebuild to impact FY revenue

JSE-listed Northam Platinum said on Tuesday that it was in discussions to secure smelting services while it implemented plans to rebuild the smelter at its Zondereinde mine. The company suspended smelting operations last week following a run-out...

Company Announcement: Update on Smelter Operations

Further to the announcement issued by Northam on Friday, 11 May 2012 advising of a smelter run-out at its Zondereinde mine

Johnson Matthey sees platinum at $1 600/oz, oversupply forecast

The platinum market’s forecast surplus in 2012 was likely to result in the prices remaining steady between $1 450/oz and $1 750/oz – averaging at $1 600/oz – during the next six months, said platinum researcher Johnson Matthey on Monday. In...

Copper hits near 1-month low on China doubts

London copper fell to near one-month lows on Monday, giving up early gains, as investors worried about slowing growth in top copper consumer China, which some think may need more than the unsurprising weekend cut in banks' cash reserves to...