Cobalt - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

Ivanhoe’s Kakula mine development advances ahead of schedule

May 2, 2020May 2, 2020 arnbethnic1 Comment

Ivanhoe (TSX: IVN) announced on Monday that underground development at the Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to advance ahead of schedule and said it will bring the deposit into production on time and budget by the third quarter of 2021. Kamoa-Kakula mine in the DRC. (Image courtesy of Ivanhoe Mines). The company reported that more than 13.5 kilometres (8 miles) of underground development is now completed, 4.2 kilometres (3 miles) ahead of schedule. “The mining team is on pace to set a new monthly development record of… Read More Here

Cobalt Copper Covid-19 Mining in DRC

China Moly shakes off South African ports disruption as DRC cobalt sales rise

May 2, 2020May 2, 2020 arnbethnic

China Moly (China Molybdenum Co.) is sending more copper and cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to ports in Tanzania, Namibia and Mozambique, a spokesman said on Thursday, as it weathers coronavirus disruption at South African outlets. Aerial view of the processing plant at China Molybdenum’s Tenke Fungurume mine in 2015. (Image courtesy of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold) South Africa implemented a covid-19 lockdown on March 27, under which ports handle only essential goods with reduced staff, leaving minerals mined across southern and central Africa without a key route to international… Read More Here

Cobalt Copper Mining in DRC

Katanga Mining, 2020 First Quarter Production Results

April 30, 2020May 1, 2020 arnbethnic

ZUG, SWITZERLAND, April 22, 2020 – Katanga Mining Limited (TSX: KAT) (“Katanga” or the “Company”) today provides an update on its major projects and announces its 2020 first quarter production results at its 75%-owned subsidiary, Kamoto Copper Company (“KCC”). COVID-19 Update on Operations On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the outbreak of COVID-19 to be a pandemic. The Company is closely monitoring the progress of the virus and is taking measures to contain the impact of COVID-19 on the health of its employees and its operations.… Read More Here

Cobalt Mining in DRC

Cobalt collaboration in the DRC

April 27, 2020April 27, 2020 Copperbelt Katanga News

The mining industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can be considered one of the most difficult countries on the African continent. True or not, one of its largest copper / cobalt producers, Chemaf, together with its partners – the commodity trader Trafigura and the NGO PACT – has completely ignored this feeling after successfully formalizing manual mining operations in its previously dormant Mutoshi mine would have. In this way, the company has tapped a resource that was not operationally feasible, while improving legal transparency and the livelihood… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Cobalt Copper

The DRC should become the largest mining economy in Africa

April 27, 2020April 30, 2020 Copperbelt Katanga News

“Investment appetite in the resources sector is low and investment hurdles have been raised which means that only the best investment jurisdictions, like the Democratic Republic of Congo, will receive much needed investment for growth.” This is according to a statement by Dr Tony Harwood, president and CEO of Montero Mining and Exploration. “The slow-down in the global economy has depressed metal prices and the advent of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has also worsened this, bringing many countries into a negative growth and some in recession,” Dr Harwood, who is also… Read More Here

Copper Cobalt Mining in DRC

Glencore de-lists giant Katanga Mining

April 27, 2020April 28, 2020 arnbethnic

Glencore is taking its Toronto-listed Congo unit Katanga Mining private, the subsidiary said on Wednesday, citing limited trading liquidity and the costs of a stock exchange listing as reasons for the move. Katanga Mining, which produces copper and cobalt from mines in the southern copper belt of Democratic Republic of Congo, was first listed in August 1997 and Glencore owns 99.46% of its shares. The KOV and Kamoto East pits. (Image courtesy of Katanga Mining) Its de-listing comes as depressed copper and cobalt prices due to the covid-19 pandemic put added pressure on miners also… Read More Here

Cobalt Mining in DRC

Spread of COVID-19 threatens cobalt supply out of DRC

April 22, 2020April 22, 2020 Copperbelt Katanga News

As COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, the pandemic is having an extraordinary impact on the global economy and commodity markets, including cobalt. With countries imposing prevention and control measures against the virus, a number of cobalt-producing operations have been temporarily closed for maintenance since March. Roskill has so far recorded the closure of 21 operations as a result of the outbreak, including: Vale’s Voisey’s Bay and Glencore’s Sudbury in Canada; Ambatovy in Madagascar; Coral Bay and Taganito in the Philippines; CTT in Morocco. At this time, the loss of supply… Read More Here

Cobalt Mining in DRC

Program to monitor Congo’s artisanal cobalt miners expanded

April 21, 2020April 21, 2020 Copperbelt Katanga News

A scheme to monitor and improve artisanal cobalt mines in Democratic Republic of Congo will reach four times the number of sites it currently covers by 2023 after a deal between RCS Global and the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI). Cobalt, a by-product of copper or nickel, is used to make lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones and electric cars. Currently about two-thirds of it comes out the DRC. However, due to the region’s intense poverty and the mineral’s soaring price, thousands of impoverished Congolese have flocked to the cobalt rich areas to… Read More Here

Cobalt Mining in DRC

Congo enacts new plan to minimize COVID-19 impact as cobalt exports slump

April 18, 2020April 18, 2020 arnbethnicCobalt, Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo will begin a massive public-health information campaign for hundreds of thousands of hand-miners as part of a plan to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its key cobalt and copper industry. The proposals are contained in a report drafted by the Mines Ministry that warns of a “catastrophic” situation if the effects of the covid-19 outbreak lead to major mine closures. MOST MINES, INCLUDING ONES RUN BY GLENCORE AND CHINA MOLYBDENUM, CONTINUE TO OPERATE AMID STAFFING RESTRICTIONS Congo, the world’s biggest producer… Read More Here

Copper Cobalt Mining in DRC

Glencore’s Katanga Mining Sends Back 350 Contractors

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 arnbethnic

Glencore’s Katanga Mining sent 350 workers to be repatriated this week after the copper and cobalt miner delayed the commissioning of an acid plant they were working on in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lualaba province. Katanga Mining’s 75%-owned subsidiary Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) had sent the 350 Indian contractors from the mine site near Kolwezi to Lubumbashi, capital of Haut-Katanga province, to be repatriated, a source at KCC told Reuters. They are awaiting flights back to India. Haut-Katanga governor Jacques Kyabula Katwe told Reuters: “There are about 300 Indians in Lubumbashi, they came from Kolwezi and are waiting… Read More Here