Merged Glencore, Xstrata would take aim at iron ore

An $80-billion marriage of commodities trader Glencore and miner Xstrata could lead to a new round of takeovers in iron ore, creating a goliath eager to muscle its way onto one of mining's richest and most closely guarded industries. Glencore and...

Advancements to lie in metallurgical processes

The most significant advancements in the Southern Africa base-metals sector will in future relate to metallurgical processes, forecasts banking major Standard Bank mining and metals research analyst Michael Starke.

Lundin's Conibear running the firm as though permanent CEO

Lunding Mining interim CEO Paul Conibear said on Wednesday he was running the company as though he was permanently in the post, though the board had yet to appoint a permanent CEO. The TSX-listed copper and zinc producer said in May it would not...

China’s NDRC approves Perilya/Globestar deal

Base metals developer Perilya has received formal approval from China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) for its C$184-million takeover offer for TSX-listed GlobeStar Mining Corporation. ASX-listed Perilya said on Tuesday that...

Nyrstar meets upstream goals with Farallon takeover

Top zinc producer Nyrstar is making good on a promise to improve its upstream integration with the proposed acquisition of Canada's Farallon Mining, CEO Roland Junck said on Tuesday. Farallon's main asset is the Campo Morado property in Mexico,...

Zinc major continues investments in metal-rich Peru

Despite the current low zinc prices – they are at about half the level they were a year ago – metals company Votorantim Metais, part of Brazilian conglomerate Votorantim Group, has confirmed that it will complete its $500-million expansion of...

Project delays, mine shutdowns and cutbacks

A chronological summary of project delays, mine shutdowns and production cutbacks announced by miners around the world in response the falling metals prices and tightening financial markets. Begins July 2008.

OZ Minerals arranges bridge loan

The world's second-biggest zinc producer, OZ Minerals, has secured a bridging finance facility of up to A$140-million, the firm announced on Thursday. The company has been struggling to refinance about $560-million of debt for months, and will...

Base-metals-miner Oz Minerals shuts Australian mine

The world’s second-largest zinc producer, Oz Minerals, on Tuesday announced that it would put the Scuddles mine, at its Golden Grove operations in Western Australia, on care-and-maintenance. The company stated that operating costs would be...

Oz Minerals warns of lower profits as commodity prices fall

The world’s second largest zinc producer, and Australia’s third largest diversified miner, Oz Minerals, on Wednesday warned that 2008’s profits would be lower-than-expected, because of the substantially lower commodity prices, the current...

Workers to strike at Namibia's Skorpion Zinc

Workers at Namibia's biggest zinc producer Skorpion Zinc are going on strike from Friday over a pay dispute, the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (NUM) said on Wednesday. NUM General Secretary Joseph Hengari said annual wage negotiations with...

Aim Resources reshuffles board, looks to appoint new MD

Emerging African zinc producer Aim Resources announced on Tuesday that it was looking to appoint a new MD, as current Mark Flory had been appointed as nonexecutive chairperson.