High costs, low prices hit ferrochrome

South African ferrochrome makers are being squeezed by rising production costs, and some are already selling at a loss, the chief executive of Hernic Ferrochrome, a unit of Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation, told Reuters on Tuesday. Prices of...

Xstrata to spend $14bn over 3 years, profit drops

Diversified miner Xstrata would spend $14-billion on capital projects over the next three years, CEO Mick Davis said Monday, when the group released its 2009 financial results. The company would focus its capital expenditure on its nickel, coal...

International Ferro Metals swings to R338m FY loss

South Africa-focused ferrochrome producer International Ferro Metals (IFM) on Monday reported a loss of R338,5-million for the financial year ended June 2009, compared with a profit of R578,1-million recorded in the previous year. IFM CEO David...

Ferrochrome sector likely to stabilise by third quarter - analyst

South Africa’s ferrochrome industry – heralded for producing about three- quarters of the world’s supply of the anticorrosive alloy – hit a slump in 2008, which spurred an unprecedented shutdown of operations in the country. At present,...

Yes, I think ferrochrome will definitely stabilise by third quarter – Cadiz’ Peter Major

South Africa’s ferrochrome industry - heralded for producing about three quarters of the world’s supply of the anti-corrosive alloy- hit a slump in 2008, which spurred an unprecedented shutdown of operations in the country. At present, only...

Xstrata-Merafe ferrochrome down to 20% of capacity, but workforce saved

Demand for ferrochrome has fallen so low that the Xstrata-Merafe chrome venture is producing only 20% of what it is capable of producing - but its made a point of retaining its permanent employees who operate its suspended furnaces. The...

R1,5bn Buffelsfontein chrome project on scedule

International Ferro Metals’ (IFM’s) Buffelsfontein chromite mining operation near Mooinooi, in the North West, is to open officially at

SA ferrochrome producers seek 12-cent Q2 rise

South African ferrochrome producers are seeking increases of 12-15 cents per lb in second quarter contract talks with stainless steel producers, industry sources said this week.

SA Chrome’s losses widen, eyes profits in 2004

South African Chrome and Alloys said yesterday that costs and delays in moving a project into production widened the group's losses for the year to March, but said it expected to make profits by early 2004.