You are here

Written by 

In house writer & editor

DRC cobalt-mine Cobalt Mining in DRC 

Congo’s move to control artisanal cobalt is double-edged

Copperbelt Katanga News
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced ambitious plans to take control of the country’s wild-west artisanal cobalt sector. A new state company, Enterprise Generale du Cobalt (EGC), has been given monopoly powers to purchase and market cobalt from the informal sector. The move is being hailed by the government as a way to clean up a sector that is tarnished with a reputation for child labour, lax safety and illegal activity. That would be very good news for the cobalt market. The human cost of mining… Read More Here
BHP becomes world’s top copper producer 3 Emeralds International 

BHP becomes world’s top copper producer

Copperbelt Katanga News
BHP Group on Monday became the world’s largest copper mine based on production after Chile’s copper commission announced a slide in output at state-owned Codelco. Hampered by declining grades Codelco production declined by 5.6% or about 100,000 tonnes  last year. Overall, Codelco, nationalized in the early 1970s, churned out 1.706 million tonnes of copper, the lowest level since 2008, when output was at 1.55 million tonnes. Last month, the world’s number one mining company, BHP, reported robust six months to end December numbers from its copper operations, including at Escondida… Read More Here
Gold Gold Mining in DRC 

Banro dangling Congo gold mine to best bidder

Copperbelt Katanga News
Canada’s Banro Corporation will put its Namoya gold mine in eastern Congo up for sale at a significant discount, after repeated attacks from armed rebels forced it to leave their operations once again in September. The Toronto-based miner, present in eastern DRC since the 1990s, said the decision to offload Namoya was based on lack of government support to keep its staff and assets safe. Banro had a challenge run that nearly ended in bankruptcy three years ago. The government had confiscated its licenses during a civil war that killed… Read More Here
Violence in the African Sahel affects the mining food chain 4 International Regional conflict 

Violence in the African Sahel affects the mining food chain

Copperbelt Katanga News
  The violence in the African Sahel has caused mine exploration companies to put their  projects on hold, which is detrimental to an industry struggling to grow and to fragile local economies. At least 37 people died while 60 others  were wounded last November when militants attacked a convoy of Semafo Inc employees, the deadliest attack to date on a mining company in the region. Islamist groups pushed south from their  strongholds in northern Mali and attacked much of Burkina Faso and also  parts of western Niger. As security costs… Read More Here
Severstal earmarks millions for growth at mines 5 International Iron & Steel 

Severstal earmarks millions for growth at mines

Copperbelt Katanga News
  Russian steelmaker and miner Severstal recently released its capital investment programme for 2020, which in addition to planned projects at its steel facilities includes sizable funding for development work at its mines. As part of its plan for the Severstal Resources division, company officials confirmed, it would be spending 30.9 billion roubles (US$484 million) in 2020, with 12.7 billion roubles aimed at asset development alone. At the Yakovlevskiy iron ore mine, which will receive 6 billion roubles from the total, it is aimed at increasing  production capacity so the… Read More Here
Zambia-Vedanta row escalates, minister calls company “criminal” 6 Emeralds Mining in Zambia 

Zambia-Vedanta row escalates, minister calls company “criminal”

Copperbelt Katanga News
Zambia has continued its attacks on miner Vedanta, owned by Indian mining magnate Anil Agarwal, saying the company has been involved in criminal activities, including underpaying taxes and breaking investment promises. “Zambia is a victim and it needs support,” mining minister Richard Musukwa told delegates at the African mining indaba in  Cape Town, the continent’s largest gathering of professionals from the resource extraction sector. “We deserve African and international support to make sure Vedanta pays the price.” He was referring to a bitter row with the mining company that broke… Read More Here
Endiama searching for partners to make Angola top diamond producer 7 Diamond 

Endiama searching for partners to make Angola top diamond producer

Copperbelt Katanga News
In preparation for its initial public offering in 2022 , which will involve a 30% stake in the company , Angola’s state-owned miner Endiama  is looking for partners “with financial and technical abilities” to increase the country’s diamond production. this was  According to an interview  by José Manuel Ganga Junior, head of the Endiama group that controls diamond mining concessions in Angola, to the Financial Times. In his comments, Ganga Junior said that Angola wants to move up from its spot as the world’s seventh-biggest diamond producer to reach the… Read More Here
Ivanhoe Mines employee dies after accident at copper project in Congo 8 Mining in DRC 

Ivanhoe Mines employee dies after accident at copper project in Congo

Copperbelt Katanga News
Ivanhoe Mines is saddened by the death of one of  its employees who  passed away due to fat embolism syndrome causing brain damage following a broken bone  that incurred in a workplace accident on January 21, 2020 at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Fat embolism syndrome is a rare, but life-threatening complication of long bone fractures. The accident resulting in the broken bone involved a contractor-operated underground utility vehicle at the Kakula Mine. “We are all deeply saddened by the unfortunate loss of life and… Read More Here
Somalia ratifies petroleum law 9 Oil & Gas 

Somalia ratifies petroleum law

Copperbelt Katanga News
  Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo  had ratified the country’s first petroleum law in the modern era in Mogadishu last Saturday. The legislative process, having earlier been approved by the upper and lower houses of the federal parliament, is now complete. “The petroleum law demonstrates the capacity of the Somalian people to unite in an historic effort to work together to build an equitable, prosperous and peaceful nation. In supporting this law, our democratic institutions have renewed their commitment to work for all Somalis and advance the cause of continued… Read More Here
Miners join the fight against coronavirus 10 International 

Miners join the fight against coronavirus

Copperbelt Katanga News
Fortescue Metals Group said it would donate A$1 million (US$670,000) to the Wuhan Qingshan Charity Federation to support medical efforts at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China. The funds will be used to convert the WISCO Sports Stadium, owned by long-standing FMG customer Wuhan Iron & Steel Co, into a 388-bed shelter hospital to treat patients who have been infected by the virus. “FMG offers our strongest support to the Chinese government and people at this time, as they work with the global community to address this significant… Read More Here

You have successfully subscribed to the newsletter

There was an error while trying to send your request. Please try again.

Copperbelt Katanga Mining will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.