- Home
- Covid-19 News
- Latest News
- Sector News
- Back
- Base Metals
- Coal
- Chemicals
- CSR
- Diamonds
- Diversified Miners
- Environmental
- Exploration
- Ferrous Metals
- Fluorspar
- Gemstones
- Gold
- Graphite
- Health & Safety
- Hydrogen
- Legislative Environment
- Lithium
- Critical Minerals
- Mineral Sands
- Mining Services
- Oil and Gas
- Platinum Group Metals
- Potash & Phosphates
- Project Management
- Rare-Earth Minerals
- Silver
- Uranium
- Vanadium
- World News
- Magazine
- Video Reports
- Audio
- Research
- Press Office
- Electra Mining
- Back
- Electra Mining Home
- Electra Clips
- Floorplan
- Electra Mining E-Magazine
- Electra Mining Day 1 on 07 September 2020
- Electra Mining Day 2 on 08 September 2020
- Electra Mining Day 3 on 09 September 2020
- Electra Mining Day 4 on 10 September 2020
- Electra Mining Day 5 on 11 September 2020
- Electra Mining Day 6 on 17 September 2020
- Announcements
- Virtual Showroom
- Topics
- What's On
- Jobs
- Mining Indaba
- Apps
- Product Portal
- About Us
- Legal Notice
- Comment Guidelines
- Marketing Videos
- Live Twitter Feed
Middle East News
Gold tires of political shock and bore with swings at decade low
By: Bloomberg 26th July 2017 As political leaders find ways to shock like never before, the world’s favourite haven investment hasn’t been calmer in years. In the past four months, gold prices moved in a 7.6% range, the least in 10 years, while 120-day volatility is at the lowest since 2005. That’s amid unprecedented... →
Copper rallies to two-year high, miners surge as China brightens
By: Bloomberg 26th July 2017 The red metal is red hot. Copper surged to the highest level in more than two years on the London Metal Exchange, lifting shares of producers including Glencore, driven by expectations that increasing demand in China may fuel a global shortage and buoyed by a weak dollar. Benchmark three-month... →
Sishen productivity leaps by spectacular 57% – Kumba 
By: Martin Creamer 25th July 2017 With 30% fewer trucks, the fleet productivity at the Sishen iron-ore mine in the Northern Cape has leapt by an extraordinary 57%, Kumba Iron Ore CEO Themba Mkhwanazi said on Tuesday, when the company reported a 23% increase in production in the six months to June 30. The contribution of... →
Norsk Hydro rides aluminium price, divisions underperform
By: Reuters 25th July 2017 Overall profit growth at Norsk Hydro was overshadowed on Tuesday by below-forecast performances from several businesses including rolled products, knocking the aluminium producer's shares. Norsk Hydro's stock was down 3.04% at 12:01 GMT, lagging an Oslo benchmark index, and CEO Svein Richard... →
Kumba CEO Mkhwanazi concerned by Minister’s reneging
By: Martin Creamer 25th July 2017 Kumba Iron Ore CEO Themba Mkhwanazi on Tuesday expressed concern about the mineral rights and mining transaction moratorium that has been gazetted by Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, especially because it followed his agreement to suspend the implementation of Mining Charter Three... →
Kumba lifts iron-ore output 23%, reinstates dividend, shares rise
By: Martin Creamer 25th July 2017 Iron-ore mining company Kumba Iron Ore on Tuesday reported a 23% increase in production in the six months to June 30 on the back of a productivity step change linked to the revised Sishen mine plan. The Anglo American subsidiary achieved a fatality-free half year and reduced lost-time injuries in... →
Kumba Iron Ore CEO Themba Mkhwanazi
Fuel cell vehicle sales boosting platinum demand outlook 
By: Martin Creamer 24th July 2017 Growth potential for platinum is emerging in the rapid build-up off a low base of fuel cell electric vehicle sales. Fuel cell vehicle sales are expected to grow by more than 200% this year, with Japan targeting 200 000 fuel cell electric vehicles on its roads in 2025 and 800 000 in 2030. →
Global lead production set to stagnate after 2017 acceleration
By: Natasha Odendaal 21st July 2017 Following a decline in overall lead production worldwide in 2016, a slight rise in prices will drive a short-lived acceleration in global lead mine production growth in 2017. Subdued prices and a weak project pipeline in several major lead-producing countries will bring this rapid rate of growth... →
Iron’s surge to $70 draws out sceptics as prices reverse
By: Bloomberg 21st July 2017 Iron-ore’s strong start to the second half and surge above $70 a metric ton will probably fade through the year-end as demand from top buyer China slows and global mine supplies remain robust, according to Sucden Financial and Bank Julius Baer & Co. “Any significant uptick in seaborne cargoes... →
World copper market shows 80 000 t surplus in first four months of 2017
By: Henry Lazenby 21st July 2017 The world refined copper balance for the first four months of 2017 indicates a surplus of about 80 000 t, the International Copper Study Group (ICSG) reported on Thursday. It ascribed the surplus mainly to a decline in Chinese apparent demand, a market that currently accounts for about 48% of the... →
Fast-growing Chinese aluminium sector attracts increased govt scrutiny
By: Henry Lazenby 21st July 2017 As the Chinese aluminium sector comes under greater pressure to moderate its capacity growth, the government is cracking down on so-called ‘illegal’ smelters, analysis by Wood Mackenzie global aluminium markets senior research analyst Ami Shivkar has found. Shivkar argues that unqualified... →
Diamond output leap helps Anglo
By: Martin Creamer 20th July 2017 A sharp rise in rough diamond production at a time of stable diamond trading conditions has boosted diversified mining company Anglo American in the three months to June 30, when overall production was 8% up on a copper-equivalent basis. Rough diamond production increased by 36% to 8.7 million... →
Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani
Amplats own-mine output up, sales down in two-fatality quarter
By: Martin Creamer 20th July 2017 Performance from its own mine operations helped platinum production from Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) to increase in the three months to June 30, but sales volumes fell sharply on technical problems and two mineworkers succumbed to fatal injuries. Full-year production guidance remains... →
A decade since global financial crisis, diamond industry yet to re-test 2011 summer highs
By: Henry Lazenby 19th July 2017 This year marks ten years since the start of the global financial crisis in 2007, an event that shook global markets to the core and precipitated a changed market landscape for many commodities, including diamonds. With this in mind, independent diamond industry analyst and consultant Paul... →
Zinc, lead demand continue to outstrip output
By: Henry Lazenby 18th July 2017 New analysis by the International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) has found that demand for zinc grew by 1.14% during the first five months of 2017, with mine output rising 6.3% and refined metal output up 0.4%. In its latest report published on Monday, the ILZSG said that preliminary data it... →
Demand growth for some metals may exceed 1 000% – World Bank
By: Martin Creamer 18th July 2017 A new World Bank report highlights the potential impacts that the expected continuing boom in low-carbon energy technologies will have on demand for many minerals and metals, including Southern Africa's platinum, manganese and chrome. Using wind and solar energy, and energy storage batteries, as... →
Amplats earnings head for sharp half-year fall
By: Martin Creamer 18th July 2017 Platinum mining company Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) on Tuesday advised its shareholders to expect a sharp fall in earnings of between 45% and 67% for the six months to June 30. The JSE-listed platinum major advised that headline earnings for the first half of the year are likely to decrease... →
Nine recommended improvements should charter renegotiation ensue
By: Martin Creamer 17th July 2017 The agreed suspension of the implementation of the controversial Mining Charter Three may present an opportunity for the parties to negotiate a revised version that reflects terms acceptable to all parties. If so, the renegotiated charter should contain at least nine improvements, say Herbert... →
Herbert Smith Freehills Africa partner and co-chair Peter Leon
Having stemmed flow of conflict diamonds, new WDC acting president to stay course
By: Henry Lazenby 15th July 2017 The World Diamond Council (WDC) will stay its course, focused on its primary mission of curbing the trade in conflict diamonds, under new acting president Stephane Fischler, who took the helm on July 1 from Andrey Polyakov, who has resigned. “We have succeeded in almost totally eradicating... →
A Central African Republic conflict diamond operation
Chamber wins round one in battle against mining charter
By: Martin Creamer 14th July 2017 In what is a clear first round victory for the Chamber of Mines of South Africa against the errant Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has agreed to suspend the implementation of the controversial Mining Charter Three until after the High Court has... →
FDI key for mining growth in North Africa, Middle East
By: Anine Kilian 14th July 2017 State-owned miners will continue to drive mining output in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), with governments slowly encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI) into the sector, however, political instability will keep investment rates relatively low compared with other regions, according... →
Merafe expecting sharp earnings rise
By: Martin Creamer 14th July 2017 Ferrochrome company Merafe is expecting a sharp rise in earnings for the six months to June 30. Merafe shares in 20.5% of the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture, which has a total installed capacity of 2.3-million tonnes of... →
Merafe CEO Zanele Matlala
Best-performing metals as hard to trade as they are to find
By: Bloomberg 14th July 2017 Even if you’d heard of this year’s best-performing metals, betting on them would probably have been a struggle. Ruthenium, iridium and the somewhat better known rhodium – used mostly in specialised products like hard disks, spark plugs and autocatalysts – have trounced almost all major... →
May mining output falters on uncertain commodity prices
By: Martin Creamer 13th July 2017 Mining production data released by Statistics South Africa on Thursday revealed a second consecutive month of production contraction. The -0.2% contraction and the -1.4% contraction in April are viewed as concerning by Chamber of Mines of South Africa chief economist Henk Langenhoven, owing to... →
Chamber of Mines of South Africa chief economist Henk Langenhoven
Oil traders turn bespoke crude tailors in offshore megastore
By: Bloomberg 12th July 2017 The biggest oil traders feeling the squeeze in a world awash with crude are seeking an edge by offering tailor-made cargoes in an offshore megastore. By selling bespoke from a fleet of ships anchored off Singapore and Malaysia, the likes of Vitol Group, Trafigura Group, Glencore and Gunvor Group... →
Platinum for new fuel cell Mercedes cut to autocat level
By: Martin Creamer 12th July 2017 German car manufacturer Daimler has cut the platinum loading of its new fuel cell Mercedes to catalytic converter level. “We reduced the amount of platinum by 90%, which provides a significant cost reduction. Our fuel cell is not much above the platinum loading of a catalytic converter on a... →
Daimler fuel cell director Prof Dr Christian Mohrdieck
Miners rewarded for improved capital discipline
By: Henry Lazenby 11th July 2017 Increased cash flows, merger and acquisition (M&A) activity and new debt issues have helped many of the world’s top miners strengthen their balance sheets in 2016, reflecting miners’ response to investor messages around capital discipline, according to new analysis from PwC Canada. "As the global... →
World energy investment drops for second consecutive year
By: Creamer Media Reporter 11th July 2017 Global energy investment fell by 12% in 2016, the second consecutive year of decline, as increased spending on energy efficiency and electricity networks was more than offset by a continued drop in upstream oil and gas spending, according to the International Energy Agency's (IEA’s) latest ‘World... →
Manganese makes list of key tech metals heading for short supply
By: Martin Creamer 11th July 2017 Nothing can stop the proliferation of iPhones, solar panels and Teslas, except perhaps a shortage of key natural resources, comments the latest Fortune magazine, which puts manganese from South Africa on the list of crucial technology metals needed in the US. Fortune’s world map showing the... →
Industrial Development Corporation Mining and Metals Industries divisional executive Abel Malinga (right) talking to Mining Weekly's Martin Creamer.
Upstream oil industry continuing on the road to recovery – Woodmac
By: Esmarie Iannucci 11th July 2017 New data by advisory firm Wood Mackenzie (Woodmac) has shown that the number of upstream oil projects reaching final investment decision (FID) in 2017 could double to 25, compared with only 12 last year. In its latest report ‘A big year for FIDs: 2017 marks a turning point’, Woodmac points out... →
Gold-based ETFs add 22.2 t in June
By: Henry Lazenby 10th July 2017 The global holdings of gold-backed exchange traded funds (ETFs) have increased by 22.2 t, or 74.4-million ounces month-on-month to 2 313.2 t at the end of June. According to the latest data released by the World Gold Council (WGC), these holdings are valued at $92.4-billion, 1% lower when... →
Work starts on R1.7bn fluorspar mine
By: Martin Creamer 10th July 2017 Work has begun on the building of an opencast fluorspar mine and concentrator at Rust de Winter, 80 km northeast of Pretoria, Nokeng Fluorspar Mine announced on Monday. The wholly owned subsidiary of SepFluor said that the R1.7-billion finance for the 21-month project had been raised through a... →
Dr Lelau Mohuba
Tharisa delivers another record production quarter
By: Martin Creamer 10th July 2017 Platinum group metals (PGM) and chrome producer Tharisa, which has again shown incremental improvements in production volumes and recoveries in the three months to June 30, is continuing to examine ways of further optimising its operations. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Tharisa, headed... →
Tharisa, headed by CEO Phoevos Pouroulis
Gold elite challenged by base metals bourse on market future
By: Bloomberg 10th July 2017 The world’s biggest industrial metals exchange is taking on the most powerful players in the gold market with the launch on Monday of its first futures contract for the commodity since the middle of the 1980s. The London Metal Exchange and its partners aim to grab a piece of the action in a city... →
Another bullion flash crash is testing the nerve of traders
By: Bloomberg 8th July 2017 After-hours surges and plunges that have whipsawed gold and silver prices over the past two weeks are unnerving traders. Silver futures sank as much as 10%, as more than 25-million ounces of the precious metal traded within a minute just after 7 AM in Singapore Friday. Last week, gold fell below... →
CEO says his Canadian streaming company misunderstood by markets
By: Bloomberg 7th July 2017 The head of Sandstorm Gold Ltd. is feeling misunderstood. Shares in the Vancouver-based royalty and streaming company haven’t done much since it announced a deal in April to acquire Australia’s Mariana Resources Ltd. The complexity of the arrangement -– in which Sandstorm will obtain a 30 percent... →
Copper drops as warehouse inflows undermine shortage speculation
By: Bloomberg 6th July 2017 Copper futures posted the biggest loss in two weeks as inventories tracked by the London Metal Exchange climbed the most since early March, dispelling concerns about potential shortages. Stockpiles rose 15% to 315 925 metric tons, bourse data show. Copper also fell as the dollar rose and... →
Top gold forecaster sees bulls heading for heartbreak on Fed
By: Bloomberg 6th July 2017 For top gold forecaster BNP Paribas SA, bullion bulls are up against a clear and present danger – the US Federal Reserve. The central bank’s plan to raise interest rates again this year while potentially reducing its balance sheet is negative for the non-interest bearing asset, says Harry... →
Latest News
Latest Videos
Latest News: Africa and Europe
Latest News: Americas
Topics In These Articles
