The Democratic Republic of Congo's state-owned miner, G?(C)camines, is seeking to take advantage of the country's new mining code and revise contracts with its international partners, as it claims the old rules meant foreign firms benefitted more from the country's riches than local producers.The company, which is heavily indebted and has consistently failed to meet production targets as of late,...Read More
Three years after a commodity slump left their finances in shambles, mining companies are swimming in so much cash that investors aren't sure where the industry will spend it all.With metals from zinc to palladium trading at multi-year highs, four of the world's top producers generated combined free cash flow last year of about $87 million a day. Some of the unprecedented windfall is earmarked for...Read More
Africa-focused gold producer Randgold Resources (LON:RSS) has doubled its full-year dividend after solid 2017 results, but it's warning the good times may be over soon as it's now facing demanding new regulations in Congo, one of its key jurisdictions.The company, which has five operating gold mines across west and central Africa, boosted shareholder payout by 100% to $2 a share, after a year of...Read More
Miners operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo are pulling out the heavy artillery in their fight against the country's new mining code which, they say, will stifle investment in the copper and cobalt-rich nation.Today, Africa-focused gold producer Randgold Resources (LON:RSS) issued a press release saying its executives are engaging "at the highest level" with the Joseph Kabila government t...Read More
Global investors are radically underinvested in gold today. Years of relentless stock-market rallying to endless new record highs have left this classic alternative investment deeply out of favor. But this gold-demand ebb is ending. The same central banks that fueled these extreme stock markets through epic easing are reversing to massive and unprecedented tightening. As stocks roll over,...Read More
Mining and metal companies are rediscovering the downside of rallying prices: higher costs.A sharp rebound in commodity markets in the past two years put producers in a profitability sweet spot after years of cost-cutting to cope with low prices. Now, as the upturn matures and the higher cost of energy and other materials starts to bite, some companies are beginning to struggle to maintain margins...Read More
Southern Copper Corp surprised the market by reporting a $287.5 million net loss in the fourth quarter on Friday, citing a $743.3 million one-time payment related to U.S. tax reform.Analysts had forecast a $419 million net profit for the company in the fourth quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.The Arizona-based company, controlled by Grupo Mexico, said that without the tax adjustment it...Read More
Our deal to develop the underground phase of our mainstay Cannon gold mine near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia has turned a cash consuming asset into a cash-generating one.With an upfront payment, ongoing per-ounce amounts and continued upside exposure, the deal leaves us free to focus on our South Korean projects, where high-grade gold and silver have been confirmed.The Cannon deal involves our...Read More
Concerted global economic growth could hit 4% and top commodities consumer China is set to expand at a 6.6% clip this year according to the IMF and others.Factories around the world are buzzing - the global JP Morgan manufacturing PMI entered the year at its highest since February 2011.The LME index of base metals has climbed to the highest since 2014. Given its widespread use copper is considered...Read More
SANTIAGO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The powerful union at BHP's Escondida copper mine, the world's largest, on Wednesday cast doubt on chances of starting talks on a new labor agreement with the company before formal negotiations scheduled for June.The 2,500-member Union 1, which held a strike for 43 days last year and cost BHP Billiton an estimated $1 billion, also questioned in a letter to members the l...Read More
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Glencore on Thursday said copper output in 2018 should rise to nearly 1.5 million tonnes as its Katanga mine in Democratic Republic of Congo ramps up to add roughly 150,000 tonnes, as well as 11,600 tonnes of cobalt.During the commodities crash in 2015, Glencore reduced output of commodities including zinc and copper and shut its Katanga operation in Congo for an up...Read More
Acacia Mining (LON:ACA), Tanzania's No.1 gold producer, said Thursday it had bought $2 million worth of options that protect it against lower gold prices in a fresh effort to offset the impact of a government ban on concentrate exports.The company, majority owned by Barrick Gold (TSX, NYSE:ABX), acquired 20,000 ounce of gold put options at a price of $1,320 an ounce. The contracts will expire...Read More
Cecilia Jamasmie, MINING.com editor will be a moderator.CRU's 17th World Copper Conference is the world premier copper conference and attracts over 500 delegates. Together with CESCO Week the event constitutes one of the most important gatherings in the mining industry. This CEO-level meeting boasts an impressive delegation of industry decision-makers and is the best opportunity to hear from coppe...Read More
SHANGHAI, Feb 1 (SMM) - Copper: The US dollar is unlikely to fall further in the short term as the Federal Reserve Board implied an interest rate increase in March. Physical market stayed weak as buyers were cautious ahead of Chinese New Year. We expect SHFE copper to trade at 52,500-53,000 yuan/mt today with spot discounts at 140-90 yuan/mt.Aluminium: We see SHFE aluminium trade lower at 14,...Read More
Unlike the recovery from most bear markets, today's commodity prices are a reflection of the industry being both supply constrained and restrained - not enough quality projects are coming through at the same time as projects are taking longer to move into development. The damage was done several years ago when, in the face of falling commodity prices, miners and the investors backing th...Read More
"The downturn hit us hard and we are about two years behind schedule," said IR manager, Igor Dutina.Atico spent recent years upgrading and expanding its plant to about 800 tonnes per day, upgrading the mine through the installation of a new decline, and exploring for new ore at the mine, such as the Zeus orebody that is now in production that hosts grades up to 6% copper and 6g/t gold.Its 2017 pro...Read More
Shares in Canada's Ivanhoe Mines fell sharply on Wednesday after lawmakers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Ivanhoe is advancing two major projects, voted in favour of new mining laws that immediately lifts a provision which exempted licence holders from compliance with the new code for 10 years.Ivanhoe Mines, headed by billionaire mining financier Robert Friedland, ended down 11.3% on t...Read More
Miners and explorers knew that the Democratic Republic of Congo would be raising taxes and royalties, but were blindsided on Wednesday when lawmakers of the country voted in favour of an immediate lifting of a provision exempting licence holders of compliance with the new code for 10 years.That means mines and projects run by companies including Glencore, Randgold Resources, China Molybdenum, Eura...Read More
MOSCOW, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel), the world's largest palladium producer, said on Wednesday its production of palladium could decline in 2018, while the output of nickel from Russian raw material would remain flat. Nornickel, part-owned by Russian tycoon Vladimir Potanin and aluminium giant Rusal, previously said its production of nickel and platinum group metals would be unch...Read More
Rio Tinto (ASX, LON, NYSE: RIO), the world's second largest mining company, denied Wednesday a report released by a Dutch non-profit organization claiming it had dodged $700 million in taxes to Mongolian and Canadian authorities relating to its Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine.According to the Dutch Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), Rio and its Canadian subsidiary Turquoise...Read More