Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe on Friday officiated at the opening of coal miner Canyon Coal’s new Khanye mine, in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng. Khanye has a 39-million-tonne coal reserve and is expected to produce 2.8-million tonnes a year of coal over a 16-year mine life.
Sibanye-Stillwater’s Blitz project development area, which is adjacent to its Stillwater mine, in Montana, in the US, is in the midst of a significant growth phase, says executive VP for the US region Chris Bateman. He told the media in a conference call this week that the expanded Stillwater mine is expected to ramp-up to its targeted production rate of 850 000 oz in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Canada-based Alamos Gold produced 124 000 oz of gold in the third quarter, which is in line with its guidance and 16% above the third quarter of 2017, reflecting the inclusion of the Island Gold mine, which it bought earlier this year. Year-to-date production hit a record of 379 400 oz – 23% increase from the same period in 2017 – and positions the company well to achieve its full-year guidance of 490 000 oz to 530 000 oz.
The September quarter has been a tough one for Mexico-focused Excellon Resources, which on Thursday reported significantly lower revenue and production, citing surveying and planning issues. Excellon, which operates the Platosa mine in Durango, produced 300 766 oz of silver-equivalent, down from 500 763 oz in the corresponding period of 2017. Sales amounted to 258 920 oz of silver equivalent, a 42% decrease on that of the previous-year period.
Foundry and engineering company Thos Begbie is working in the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe, close to the town of Shurungwi, where it is helping to construct the Unki platinum smelter, adjacent to a mining operation owned by platinum mining company Anglo American Platinum (Amplats). Thos Begbie was awarded the contract for the new smelter last year by Amplats, owing to a government regulation set out in 2015, which replaces the Mines and Minerals Act of 1963, restricting the exportation of raw minerals from Zimbabwe. Читать дальше...
Base metals miner Taseko increased its copper production by 28% quarter-on-quarter in the three months ended September 30, to 43-million pounds, but rail delays between the mine and the port terminal resulted in only 29-million pounds being shipped off. A total of 18.5-million pounds of copper in concentrated had been stranded by the “extremely poor rail service”, costing the firm C$40-million in lost revenue, president and CEO Russell Hallbauer said this week.
Coal miner Stanmore Coal has increased its production guidance for the 2019 financial year from 1.8-million tonnes to 2-million tonnes, after securing additional long-term port capacity. The company said that the additional long-term port capacity provided Stanmore with the ability to consider a number of options to fill the coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) to its nameplate capacity of 3.5-million tonnes run-of-mine coal a year.
Inspection, verification, testing and certification company SGS has announce that its South African mineral project management division SGS Bateman Engineering Services achieved a Level 4 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) status in September. B-BBEE is a legislative initiative to increase ownership, management and employment of black people in the South African economy. In addition to B-BBEE Level 4 status SGS Bateman received notification confirming recommendation for recertification... Читать дальше...
With the death toll in South African mines this year having reached 54, dynamic company Advanced Communications has sourced advanced radios, which use the mine’s existing metallic and conductive infrastructure, to create reliable communication paths underground that extend for kilometres. Mine safety is of grave concern in South Africa, with Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe calling on mines to dramatically improve safety for miners.
The CXT Explorer is a mobile field workshop that can be used when prospecting in the mining industry, says crane manufacturer Konecranes South Africa service, sales and marketing director John MacDonald. The Finland-developed CXT Explorer – a combination of a 6.3 t mobile overhead crane, travelling on a gantry, supported by two sturdy containers – makes for a fully equipped workshop that can literally be set up anywhere.
Last month, digital mining implementation of information technologies developer Vist Group presented its digital solution for the global market at the eleventh Mining Show, which is the largest mining & quarrying conference and expo for the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and South Asia. “The industry as a whole saw a slump in 2015 but since then, the sector has recovered owing to rising commodity prices. The current advancement of intellectual solutions into mining is on average less than 50% globally... Читать дальше...
X-ray transmission (XRT) technology has ushered in a new era for diamond recovery, with an increasing number of mining companies embracing the technology and scaling back on the use of conventional technologies, such as dense-media separation, for the treatment of middle- and coarse-sized material, according to engineering and project management consultancy Imilingo Mineral Processing. “The emergence and success of XRT technology has changed the diamond industry and continues to do so,” says Imilingo Mineral Processing MD Jaco Prinsloo.
Earthmoving equipment manufacturer Volvo Construction Equipment launched a new 95 t rigid hauler for the coal and bulk commodities industries in Southern Africa. Its local partner, construction equipment company Babcock Equipment, will provide the support and services for the machines, says Volvo Construction Equipment president of Europe, Middle East and Africa sales Carl Slotte.
Brazilian mining major Vale has reported that its coal business, which is composed almost entirely of its Moatize coal operation in the Tete province of Mozambique, increased its net operating revenues during the third quarter of this year (3Q18) by $69-million in comparison to the second quarter (2Q18). Whereas the revenues for 2Q18 amounted to $356-million, those for 3Q18 came to $425-million. The revenues for the third quarter of last year (3Q17) were $360-million.
Mining electrical equipment manufacturer Emis Sales 2002 has completed upgrade projects comprising the design and installation of communication, automation and protection systems at South African anthracite producer and exporter Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC), in KwaZulu-Natal, to improve productivity. The initial project at the MacNelly plant was the upgrade of the 11 kV plant substation, which involved replacing outdated equipment, old circuit breakers and a ring main unit during a planned shutdown, says Emis Sales 2002 MD Frikkie Quirk.
