Market analyst predicts financial market slump that will wreak havoc on commodities

Global market analyst Natixis Commodities Markets (NCM) warns of a ‘rocky road’ ahead for the global financial markets, which could wreak havoc on commodities as demand will slow.  

Gold miner forks out R387-million on wages each year

South African gold-mining major Harmony Gold says wages cost the company as much as R387-million a year.  

Exxaro’s Grootegeluk Medupi expansion project to start production in latter half of 2012

South African diversified miner Exxaro Resources is eyeing its next major coal project as the company forges ahead with bringing home the Grootegeluk Medupi expansion project (GMEP), in Limpopo.  

Aberrant production practice rearing its head in mining, says security executive

A new aberrant production practice is rearing its head in mining, says the executive of a security company. 

Decision not to cut training during crisis bearing fruit

The decision by BHP Billion Energy Coal South Africa's (Becsa's) leadership to refrain from cutting the company's education and training expenditure during the 2008/9 global financial crisis has... 

Aberrant production practice rearing its head in mining, says security executive

A new aberrant production practice is rearing its head in mining, says the executive of a security company. The new mining malaise allegedly comes in the form of the irregular creation of... 

Junior reports better than expected results at Zim and DRC projects

UK mining junior with a strong African focus reports the company has achieved better than expected results at its Freda Rebecca gold project, in Zimbabwe, and its Zani Kodo gold project, in the... 

Explorer reports ‘promising’ Burkina Faso sample returns

ASX-listed Golden Rim Resources has received anomalous soil sample gold assays from its newly acquired Komondi permit at the Sebba project, in Burkina Faso. A gold-in-soil anomaly has been... 

Containing costs key as double-dip worries rise

Gold-mining major Gold Fields reports that containing costs will be a major priority of the company moving forward as fears of a double-dip recession gain momentum.  

Kumba executive sees a project’s carbon footprint assuming greater importance than size, grade

South African iron-ore giant, and the worlds fourth largest iron-ore producing company Kumba Iron Ore (Kumba) reports a company’s carbon footprint will play a major role in the industry in 20... 

Exxaro closes zinc refinery as it starts divestment from base metals

Hours after announcing the closure of its Gauteng Zincor refinery – a first step in its overall divestment away from base metals, diversified miner Exxaro reports the capital outlay that was... 

Govt should play greater ‘enabler’ role for South Africa to benefit fully from its mineral endowment

Commodity analyst firm Sanlam Investment Management (SIM) has reported that for South Africa to start taking advantage of the upswing in the global commodity space, government needs to increase its... 

Pilot Crushtec reaping fruits of maintaining ‘cool heads’ during 2008/9 financial crisis

South African comminution engineer Pilot Crushtec reports that ‘cool heads’ during the 2008/9 global financial crisis are paying dividends now as the demand in Africa for Pilot Modular plants and... 

Multistep process to social commitments needed – Xstrata executive

South African diversified mining giant Xstrata reports that a multi-step process to address social commitments is key to drive the industry forward.  

Former bureaucrat says criticism of mining companies often uninformed

South African mining law expert Jacinto Rocha believes South Africa needs to stop generalising about the social and environmental aspects of mining development to drive the industry forward.  

Union calls for 'more compassion from the mining industry' to reduce mining deaths

The mining industry’s largest trade union, the National Union of Mine Workers (NUM), has called for more compassion from the mining industry when it comes to mining-related deaths as it fears that... 

R50bn injection into CSI initiatives fails to enhance community wellbeing

Corporate social investment (CSI) consultancy Next Generation reports that, despite the private sector’s R50-billion injection in 2010 into CSI initiatives, no dramatic shift in community wellbeing... 

Exxaro announces planned closure of Zincor, warns of job losses

Diversified mining group Exxaro warned of job losses on Friday, as it announced that the Zincor refinery in Gauteng would close by the end of September. Exxaro would permanently cease production... 

Govt departments need to sing from same mining hymn sheet

After recent raids by environmental and water affairs officers on mines, there are claims that several mines have compliance issues, and not only those operations that came under the official... 

DRA Minerals pledges R3.8m for SMME incubator

Minerals company DRA Minerals has offered its support by pledging R3.8-million over two years for the recently launched Shanduka Black Umbrellas (SBU) Pretoria.  

MDM awarded Evander 6 Shaft contract

South African metallurgical engineering firm MDM Engineering Group has been awarded the process and engineering design to bankable feasibility study level for a modular gold recovery plant for... 

Emerging miner aiming to triple production by end of 2012

Emerging coal miner Forbes Coal, which plans to list on the JSE within the next few months, reports that the company is aiming to triple its production within three years from 2010 levels.  

SA faces challenges in entrenching safety culture – DuPont

US–based training solutions company DuPont, which has a specific focus on industry safety both in the engineering and the mining sectors, reports that South Africa faces challenges when it comes to... 

Petmin raises stake in Liberia iron-ore prospect to 50%, vows to intensify exploration

South African diversified miner, Petmin, which has a listed strategy of targeting commodities that are infrastructure related, has reported that the company is ready to intensify its exploration... 

Goldplat reports steady production at SA, Ghana operations

AIM-listed Africa-focused gold miner Goldplat has reported that production is steady at its operations in South Africa and Ghana, and are providing the company with much-needed cash flow to expand... 

Pan African makes early payment for Phoenix project

Africa-focused precious metals producer Pan African Resources has made an early settlement payment of R27.29-million to International Ferro Metals (IFM) South Africa in terms of the agreement to... 

Wits school of mining engineering making headway in improving ‘already high’ standards of education

The Witwatersrand University (Wits) School of Mining Engineering reports that it is progressing well in achieving the ten strategic goals that it set for itself at the beginning of the year.  

New Zambia mines chamber head concurs with State VP’s concerns about state of key sectors

Newly elected President of the Chamber of Mines Zambia (CMZ) Emmanuel Mutati reports that the concerns voiced by Zambian VP George Kunda regarding the state of some of Zambia’s key industries are... 

SRK completes review of old tailings dams in Zambia

South Africa-founded group of consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting has recently completed a review of 15 old tailings dams in Zambia and evaluate the work required to close them.  

Scores of mining engineering students failing to graduate owing to lack of vacation training

The University of Pretoria, one of South Africa’s three tertiary education institutions to offer a course in mining engineering, reports that there are a startling number of students across South... 

Sierra Leone diamond miner secures funding for $150m expansion

Sierra Leone’s largest diamond-mining company, Koidu Holdings, has confirmed that funding for the $150-million expansion at the Koidu kimberlite project has been secured and implementation is... 

Pan African grows resource at Moz gold mine as it moves to double profits in next two years

Africa-focused precious metals producer Pan African Resources has taken its second step towards its ambition to double profits within the next two years by significantly increasing its mineral... 

Bateman clinches big US comminution order

South African project house Bateman Engineered Technologies (BET), the equipment supply division for the Bateman group, has been awarded an order for a semiautogeneous grinding (SAG) mill to be... 

Shabangu to address responsible mining leadership forum

The Community Responsible Mining Initative (CRMI) which is responsible for organising the Community Responsible Mining Leadership Forum, to be held at the Sandton Sun on July 25 and 26, reports... 

Mumbwa copper project may be developed faster than initially planned – Blackthorn

Africa-focused Australian mining junior Blackthorn Resources reports the future of the Mumbwa copper exploration project, near Lusaka, Zambia, is bright and that the company expects big things from... 

Tenova may buy majority stake in Bateman Engineering

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) - Italian engineering network Tenova, an international supplier of advanced technologies for the metal and mining industries, has approached and expressed an... 

SRK overcomes challenges in tailings dam designs

South Africa-founded group of consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting is continuing its involvement in the design of ring-dyke tailings dams to accommodate a fairly large deposition rate. 

Best time to invest in Zambia is now – conference delegates told

Zambian Development Agency DG Andrew Chipwende reports that the best time to invest in Zambia is now and warns that there might not be space for latecomers.  

Engineering group backs Wits science stadium projects

Bateman Africa, part of the Bateman Engineering group, has made a donation of R600 000 to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), in Johannesburg, to assist in funding the new Wits Science... 

South African mining companies embracing social upliftment

The development of the South African mining industry from the re-entry of the country into the international business sphere has been primarily focused on the role that it can play in boosting the...