International - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

Barrick, Sandvik partner for BEV truck trials at Turquoise Ridge

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020 admin

Barrick and Sandvik have entered a partnership agreement for trialing and enhancing battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) for underground hard-rock mining. During a three-year production trial, Sandvik will deploy four Artisan Z50 BEV trucks at the Turquoise Ridge gold mine, part of the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture (JV) between Barrick and Newmont. Nevada Gold Mines is the single largest gold-producing complex in the world, forecast to produce between 3.4 million and 3.65 million ounces of gold during 2020. The Z50 haul truck, with a 50-tonne payload capacity, is a ground-up design that… Read More Here

Gold International

Gold price to hit $2,300 next year on inflation risks

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020 admin

Gold prices are expected to break out of the current narrow trading range and soar through 2021 as the coronavirus recession gives way to higher inflation, analysts at Goldman Sachs say. Bullion hovered around $1,900/oz over the past few weeks after its summer rally to record highs fizzled out. While uncertainty surrounding the US election fueled a brief rally, positive news of covid-19 vaccine trials have pushed investors out of safe havens and into riskier assets. GOLDMAN HAS SET A $2,300/OZ PRICE TARGET FOR GOLD, WHICH EQUATES TO A 22% RALLY FROM… Read More Here

Battery Metals Cobalt International Nickel

EV Metal Index rockets to record high on cobalt, nickel price, use

November 19, 2020November 19, 2020 admin

EV Metal Index, which tracks the value of battery metals in newly registered passenger EVs (including hybrids) around the world surged to an all-time high in September, rebounding from two-year lows struck at the height of the pandemic in April. There was a massive sequential jump in battery raw material deployed in September, according to data from Adamas Intelligence, which tracks demand for EV batteries by chemistry, cell supplier and capacity in over 90 countries. According to the Toronto-based researcher, during the month lithium used in newly-sold EVs nearly doubled from September 2019,… Read More Here

Battery Metals International

Quebec funds battery mineral traceability project

November 18, 2020November 18, 2020 admin

Quebec’s government has funded a pilot battery minerals traceability project being developed by smart vehicle organisation Propulsion Quebec and domestic producer Nouveau Monde Graphite. The government has awarded C$151,600 (US$116,000) to the Propulsion Québec-led project, which will generate data using Nouveau Monde’s graphite supply chain from mining to refining. Read More Here

International Uranium

Brazil to export uranium, if mine proceeds

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 admin

A mining project seen as a priority by the Brazilian government would turn the nation into a uranium exporter and reduce its fertilizer import needs if it proceeds. Latin America’s largest economy, which currently imports uranium for its nuclear plants and ships in most of its fertilizer needs, will become more self-sufficient with a $400 million project in the nation’s impoverished northeast, according to the consortium formed to explore the deposit. State-owned INB, which has a monopoly on uranium production in Brazil, formed a consortium with local fertilizer firm Galvani… Read More Here

Battery Metals International Lithium

Carbon filler improves Lithium-ion battery performance

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 admin

New research published in Applied Physics Reviews claims to offer a solution to the issue of lithium-ion batteries not being able to provide high power output while simultaneously allowing reversible energy storage. The solution, presented by scientists with the University of Texas at Austin, Stony Brook University, and the Brookhaven National Laboratory shows how the inclusion of conductive fillers improves battery performance. In their paper, the researchers say the optimum battery design involves thick electrode structures to enhance energy density. However, such a design suffers from poor lithium-ion transport, a key step in… Read More Here

Copper International

Copper price surges on Peru worries as China Launches Future

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 admin

Copper prices set fresh multiyear highs on Monday over worries about possible supply disruptions following unrest in Peru and optimism about the launch of a Chinese futures contract open to international investors. On the Comex market, copper for delivery in December gained 2.7% to $3.2625 a pound ($7,193 a tonne) amid heavy buying, with more than $8.3 billion worth of metal traded by mid-afternoon in New York. Monday’s trading brings the bellwether metal’s recovery since the height of the covid-19 induced sell-off, which sent the copper price crashing to below… Read More Here

Gold International

Gold market authority threatens to blacklist UAE and other centres

November 15, 2020November 15, 2020 arnbethnic

The world’s most influential gold market authority is threatening to stop bullion from countries including the United Arab Emirates entering the mainstream market if they fail to meet regulatory standards, a letter seen by Reuters showed. In the letter dated Nov. 6 addressed to countries with large gold markets, the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) laid out standards they must meet on issues such as money laundering and where they source their gold – or be blacklisted. The move by the LBMA is the first time a market or state authority trying… Read More Here

Diamond International

Lucara strikes again with 998-carat diamond at Karowe

November 15, 2020November 15, 2020 arnbethnic

Canada’s Lucara Diamond (TSX:LUC) has found yet another massive stone at its prolific Karowe mine in Botswana, the same asset that last year yielded the 1,758-carat Sewelô (“rare find”), the second-largest diamond ever mined. The 998-carat unbroken white diamond, measuring 67x49x 45mm is one of the five largest stones ever mined. It won’t remain as such — Lucara said the diamond was clivage, meaning it would have to be split before further processing into polished gems. “Lucara is extremely pleased with the continued recovery of large high quality diamonds from the South Lobe of the Karowe mine,” chief… Read More Here

Equipment & Technology International Mining Equipment

A Domestic OEM Hub for Mining Equipment Manufacturers Launched in South Africa

November 15, 2020November 15, 2020 arnbethnic

The Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP) and the Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (MEMSA) have jointly created a hub, the Technology Availability and Readiness Atlas (Tara) to increase local manufacturing and bring together OEMs with mining houses. The Technology Availability and Readiness Atlas (Tara) will increase local manufacturing and bring together OEMs with mining houses Tara, which MMP dubbed “the Autotrader for South African mining equipment” for the industry, was developed because of a lack of a central database of the offerings of OEMs, it said. Additionally, it wanted to help… Read More Here