International - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

Panama opens public consultation on First Quantum mine

January 10, 2025January 10, 2025 Constance0 comment

Panama’s government has kicked off a public consultation on an environmental audit of First Quantum Minerals’s (TSX: FM) Cobre Panama copper mine, which was announced in mid-2024 by then president-elect José Raúl Mulino. The Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente) invited this week environmental organizations, local communities, academia, the private sector, and the general public to participate in the process, which will remain open until February 7. Mulino announced in July last year he would order a “strict audit” of the $10 billion mine, which was shuttered in 2023 after Panama’s Supreme… Read More Here

Ivanhoe Electric and BHP Launch First Survey in Arizona Under Exploration Alliance

January 9, 2025January 9, 2025 Constance0 comment

Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American: IE, TSX: IE) has launched its inaugural geophysical survey using the advanced Typhoon data acquisition system as part of a copper exploration alliance with global mining giant BHP (ASX, NYSE: BHP). The partnership, established in May 2024, aims to uncover hidden mineral deposits across the southwestern United States. The exploration focuses on six areas of interest in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, spanning approximately 3,655 km². BHP has committed $15 million in funding over a three-year period, while Ivanhoe Electric will serve as the operator, deploying… Read More Here

International Copper

Chile’s year-end copper windfall signals mines are recovering

January 9, 2025January 9, 2025 Constance0 comment

Chile’s copper export revenue jumped in December, despite lower prices for the metal, indicating that mines in the top-producing country extended a recovery from the lowest levels in two decades. The sales were up 10% from November and 13% compared with the same month a year earlier, at $4.66 billion, according to data released Tuesday by Chile’s central bank. The increase comes despite average monthly prices continuing to decline — to $4.16 a pound in December from a peak of $4.73 in May. Supply from a country that accounts for… Read More Here

International

Timothy Foden Warns of Persistent Risks for Foreign Mining Companies in Africa

January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 Constance0 comment

Timothy Foden, Partner and Co-Head of the Arbitration Group at Boies Schiller Flexner, has cautioned that foreign mining companies operating in Africa continue to face significant risks. Boies Schiller Flexner specializes in representing mining companies in disputes with sovereign states. Foden attributes these risks to the rise of “Coup Belt” states, which are challenging the Western-dominated international order and increasingly aligning with Russian and Chinese interests. He noted that while some African nations, such as Mozambique and Zambia, have demonstrated prudent dealings with foreign investors, optimism regarding a broader trend… Read More Here

International

Republic of Congo Finalizes Study on Development Minerals to Boost Local Economic Growth

January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 Constance0 comment

The Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Mining Industries and Geology, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has convened a steering and review committee to finalize a baseline study on development minerals. This initiative is part of a €13.1 million capacity-building project aimed at enhancing the management and utilization of these underexploited resources to drive local economic growth. The study identifies development minerals, such as construction materials and industrial minerals, as crucial to employment generation and economic activity. This is particularly relevant during the Republic of Congo’s municipalization… Read More Here

International Battery Metals

China Strengthens Export Controls on Battery Technology to Safeguard Strategic Advantage

January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 Constance0 comment

China has announced plans to tighten export controls on critical battery technologies, a move aimed at securing its supply chain and bolstering its dominance in the global new energy sector. The proposal, unveiled by the Ministry of Commerce in a notice seeking public feedback, highlights restrictions on technologies related to lithium refining and battery chemical production. This development follows earlier export bans on key materials like gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials, targeting the United States and other markets. According to state-run Xinhua News Agency, the restrictions are intended to… Read More Here

International Corporate News Gold

Barrick Continues to Unlock Value Embedded in Its Asset Base

January 3, 2025January 3, 2025 Constance0 comment

Barrick is projecting a 30% growth in the production of gold-equivalent ounces from its existing assets by the end of this decade while it continues to unlock the value embedded in its portfolio. Mark Bristow says while Barrick was alert to potentially value-accretive opportunities generated by the consolidation of the industry, it had the rare luxury of doing so from an asset base that would support organic growth well into the future. “Five years ago, we set out to build a sustainably profitable gold and copper business focused on world-class… Read More Here

Mining Equipment International Mining technology

Caterpillar expands its tech capacity in Bangalore

December 28, 2024December 28, 2024 Constance

Caterpillar Inc. has inaugurated a new office in the suburb of Whitefield, Bangalore (Bengaluru) in Karnataka state to expand its digital capabilities. Over the last 53 years, Caterpillar has invested significantly in India, establishing five state-of the art manufacturing facilities as well as two high-tech research and development (R&D) centres which today support 7,000+ employees. The new office is designed to support the growing Cat Digital team, the tech arm of Caterpillar which helps it to drive forward its innovation goals. The statement said: “The young team of software and… Read More Here

International Copper

China smelter group agrees to lower Q1 copper charges

December 28, 2024December 28, 2024 Constance

China’s top copper smelters agreed to price guidance for processing charges in the first quarter of 2025 that was lower than this quarter’s guidance, industry sources said on Thursday, reflecting a lingering shortage of copper concentrates. Smelter representatives at a meeting of the China Smelters Purchase Team in the commercial hub of Shanghai reached agreement on new guidance for copper concentrate processing treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) at $25 per metric ton and 2.5 cents per pound, said four sources with knowledge of the matter. That was down 28.6% from… Read More Here

International Copper Corporate News

Panama president sees no immediate risk from First Quantum mine

December 28, 2024December 28, 2024 Constance

Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino said a government report shows there are no immediate environmental or safety risks from Cobre Panama, the First Quantum Minerals Ltd. copper mine that was shut in 2023. Mulino cited a recent report conducted by the environment ministry, which examined minerals and other materials stored at the site. Mulino said the government will start to study a “conservation plan” for the mine in January. “Right now, there is no irreversible contamination,” Mulino said Thursday. “Even though it doesn’t represent an imminent risk for the country… Read More Here