Новости за 31.10.2018

Coal miners in developing countries are likely to be exposed to health and safety risks more often than those working in advanced economies, new research has found. Researchers from Cardiff University, funded by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), have found that a lack of resources in the mines they visited in India, for example, “impacted strongly” on the “substantial inequality in their risk profiles”.

In a sudden move, the Indian government on Wednesday announced that it would disinvest 9% of its equity holding in Coal India Limited (CIL) through an offer for sale (OFS) to institutional and retail investors. The sale of 9% equity from total existing government holding of 78.32% was expected to net the government an estimated $2-billion assuming full subscription of the OFS at the floor price fixed at Rs 266 ($3.6) a share.

Run-of-mine coal production at MC Mining’s Uitkomst colliery increased to 125 153 t in the quarter ended September 30, compared with the 125 108 t produced in the comparable quarter of the prior year. Third-party coal purchases for the quarter, which is the first quarter of MC’s 2019 financial year, were 12 466 t, compared with 45 313 t in the prior comparable quarter, as a result of the expiry of a supply contract during the year.

Russian diamond miner Alrosa has marked the official start of diamond mining operations at the Verkhne-Munskoye diamond field, which will produce about 1.8-million carats a year for the next 20 years, replacing capacity from the flooded Mir mine. Verkhne-Munskoye will be using the processing plant of the Udachny mining and processing division, which is about 170 km away. Alrosa has constructed a service lane to connect Verkhne-Munskoye to Udachny.

Russia's Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) said on Wednesday its consolidated nickel production was at 53 739 t in the third quarter of 2018, up 9% quarter-on-quarter. Nornickel, one of the world's largest nickel and palladium producers, also said its palladium production totalled 699 000 troy ounces, down 14% quarter-on-quarter. Platinum output fell 10% to 178 000 troy ounces, the company said.

Aim-listed Cradle Arc has raised £396 000, before expenses, by way of a conditional placing of 44-million new ordinary shares of 0.01p each in the capital of the company at a price of 0.90p a placing share. The proceeds of the placing will be used alongside the funding from the $2-million loan facility provided to the company’s 60%-owned subsidiary Leboam Holdings, by PenMin Botswana, to complete the rehabilitation and improvement of the current processing facilities at the Mowana copper mine.

In line with its strategy of the early detection of large diamonds and reducing diamond damage, LSE-listed Gem Diamonds has approved the construction of a $3-million pilot plant, at Letšeng, in Lesotho, that will use innovative technology to identify diamonds within kimberlite ore and nonmechanical means of liberating the encapsulated diamonds. The pilot plant will be commissioned in the second quarter of 2019.

Mining Weekly editor Martin Creamer discusses MC Mining’s coking coal offtake agreement, the need for the industry to reinvent itself and electric vehicles being used underground.

NYSE-listed Peabody on Tuesday announced solid results for the third quarter, despite ending the three-month period with substantial challenges at the fire-hit North Goonyella mine, which remains idled. The miner reported revenue of $1.41-billion, compared with $1.48-billion a year earlier, and net income of $79.8-million, down from $230-million in the September 2017 quarter.

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi has challenged innovators to develop new technology solutions to lower energy consumption for crushing mined rock - a process that currently accounts for up to 3% of the world’s electricity usage. Launching the $10-million Crush It! Challenge, Sohi said on Tuesday that the mining industry used a disproportionate amount of energy to extract minerals.

The Northern Territory government will amend provisions in the proposed new environmental impact assessment and approval system, in response to concerns raised by industry. Earlier this month the government released the draft Environment Protection Bill and draft Regulations for eight weeks of public consultation before being introduced into Parliament.

Recent mine acquisitions have helped Glencore Plc achieve 50% more cost savings in its coal business than it had targeted, the world's biggest exporter of coal for power plants said on Wednesday. Glencore had expected to achieve annual cash savings of more than $300-million in its coal business by the end of 2018 in a two-year cost-cutting drive, but on Wednesday said it now expects savings of more than $450-million by year-end.

Chile's antitrust court on Tuesday rejected appeals filed against its authorization of Tianqi Lithium's $4.1-billion purchase of a stake in lithium producer SQM, Tianqi said on Tuesday. The decision marks the latest legal victory for Tianqi, a Chinese miner seeking to acquire 2%of Chile's SQM, the world's No.2 lithium miner, as Beijing promotes electric vehicles that rely on the metal.