Can De Beers make diamonds forever again?
So … diamonds are forever, you say. Are we sure about that? The diamond market has, over the past few years, seen a cataclysmic shift that threatens its foundations to the core…
Iron ore heads for first monthly loss since February
IRON ore is on course for its first monthly decline since February as a brief rally sparked by a fatal coking coal mine explosion in China’s Shanxi province lost momentum,…
Glencore, BHP may benefit as China turns to Western coal
THE fatal gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in China’s Shanxi province last week could see improved demand for Australian and Canadian metallurgical coal, potentially…
Kazzinc blast may complicate Glencore sale
AN EXPLOSION at Glencore’s Kazzinc zinc smelter in Kazakhstan has killed two workers and injured five others, and has cast doubt over the Swiss miner’s efforts to divest its 70%…
Two killed in Glencore Kazakhstan zinc blast
TWO people have been killed and five injured after an explosion and fire at a large zinc plant in eastern Kazakhstan majority-owned by Glencore, said Bloomberg News on Tuesday. A…
The copper core
ON December 3 diversified miner Glencore rolled out plans for new copper projects totalling $14bn in expenditure. That increases to $24bn should it develop El Pachón, a project…
Gold on G20 agenda is key in fight against illegal trade
GOLD’S record-breaking gains have generated joy among its miners — but also worry. Looking beyond the outsized financial gains for investors, the explosion in demand for a…
Brazil probes Anglo American nickel disposal
BRAZIL’S competition regulator has opened an investigation into Anglo American’s proposed disposal of its nickel assets in the country, creating fresh obstacles for the mining…
Anglo completes Aussie coal sales with $3.8bn Peabody deal
ANGLO American is to sell the remainder of its 15 to 17 million tons a year Australian metallurgical coal mine production in a $3.8bn cash deal with US group, Peabody Energy,…
Will BHP return for Anglo? Definitely, maybe
WILL BHP take a second shot at Anglo American when the UK’s six-month “put up or shut up” takeover rule lapses? ‘Definitely, maybe’, to quote Oasis, the UK rock band that is…
Grosvenor suspension could delay sale of Anglo’s met coal mines
ANGLO American’s plans to sell its metallurgical coal mines in Australia could be delayed by the suspension of mining at Grosvenor, one of the division’s operations. The…
Harmony Gold says it has the blue print for combating illegal mining
HARMONY Gold said last month it had eradicated most of the illegal gold mining in the Free State province after closing up more than 50 access points to disused mining shafts.…
Does new Amplats CEO Craig Miller have what it takes?
INCOMING Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) CEO Craig Miller ought to have an easier ride than his predecessor. In her three years as boss of the platinum group metals (PGM)…
How Eskom crisis is taking South African society to the brink
SOUTH African industries, businesses and households are scrambling to generate their own electricity in the face of a widening power shortfall, which is set to persist and…
Explosion at Eskom’s Medupi power station to cost billions and many years to repair
THE explosion of a unit at power utility Eskom’s Medupi power station would cost “billions to fix” and remove 797MW from the South African national grid at a time when there was…
Eskom reports explosion of unit 4 at Medupi on Sunday, no injuries sustained
ESKOM said today a unit at its 4,800MW Medupi power station had exploded – a development that swiftly ends the company’s joy at reaching full commercial production of the R234bn…