Sida : 10 infos méconnues et importantes

La Journée mondiale de lutte contre le Sida du 1er décembre est l'occasion de rappeler l'importance de cette infection en France et dans le monde. Malgré les progrès des traitements, le Sida touche encore des millions de personnes, adultes et enfants, notamment en Afrique subsaharienne.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fHn2fE

CHART: Trump slump for gold mining stocks

Gold was coming under renewed pressure on Thursday with the most active futures contract on the Comex market in New York, hitting a low of $1,163.80 an ounce, levels not seen since the beginning of February this year.

With an 8% fall, November was the worst month for the metal since June 2013. Measured from the short-lived surge on election night November 8 when early results suggested  a Trump victory, gold is down more than $170 an ounce.

Gold bears are making big bets that Trump's plans for fiscal stimulus will lead to strong US economic expansion, higher interest rates and a stronger dollar prompting a move out of gold and gold mining stocks.

Higher interest rates boost the value of the dollar and makes gold less attractive as an investment because the metal is not yield-producing.

The dollar measured against a basket of the currencies of  major US trading partners has surged since Trump's victory hitting 14-year highs this week.

The devastation among the globe's largest gold companies has been even more severe, with the likes of GoldFields and Sibanye Gold losing more than a fifth of their value in the three weeks since the election.

Losses were more moderate among some of the biggest caps, but no counter was spared with gold mining counters all suffering double digit losses with the exception of Russia's Polyus Gold.

In total more than $15 billion in market value was wiped from the world's 13 largest gold miners measured by output.

 

 

The post CHART: Trump slump for gold mining stocks appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gIvzif

Gold price hit by fresh weakness

Gold was coming under renewed pressure in Asian trading on Thursday with the strong dollar and an imminent interest rate rise in the US taking most of the blame.

Gold for delivery in February, the most active contract on the Comex market in New York, hit a low of $1,163.80 an ounce, levels not seen since the beginning of February this year.

With an 8% fall, November was the worst month for the metal since June 2013, gold has now trimmed its its year to date gains to 9.8%.

The greenback's all-time peak of 164 was reached in February 1985. That coincided with a bottom in the price of gold of $284 an ounce

Higher interest rates boost the value of the dollar and makes gold less attractive as an investment because the metal is not yield-producing. Fed funds futures, a measure of expectations for Federal Reserve rate movements, are now pricing in a 100% chance of a hike when the central bank meets in two weeks' time.

The dollar measured against a basket of the currencies of  major US trading partners has surged since Donal Trump's victory in the US presidential elections hitting 14-year highs above 100 this week.

The greenback's all-time peak of 164.7 was reached in February 1985. That coincided with a bottom in the price of gold of $284.25 an ounce.

“From an investor point of view there is little reason to hold gold,” Georgette Boele, a currency and commodity strategist at ABN Amro told Bloomberg yesterday:

“Rising inflation expectations are more than countered by the rise in U.S. Treasury yields and expectations about upcoming rate hikes by the Fed. As long as real yields rise and there are no major inflation fears, prices will go lower.”

The Dutch bank now predicts gold to slide to $1,100 an ounce by the end of next year.

 

The post Gold price hit by fresh weakness appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fGHz4j

Study: Private capital investment in US coal is over

The surge in thermal coal has been one of the surprises of 2016 with the seaborne price scaling $100 a tonne for the first time since 2012. But domestic prices in the US continued to fall this year and with few export opportunities the rally has bypassed miners inside the country.

According to a new study of private capital in the North American energy sector from industry tracker Preqin, investment in coal has now completely dried up.

Since 2006 investment targeting the energy sector – oil, natural gas, coal and renewables – in North American account for over half the global total.

According to the report 2016 is set to be a record year for oil & gas fundraising in the region, with $33.9bn secured from just 19 funds closed as at October this year, constituting nearly 56% of the global total of funds raised for investment in the sector. That compares to $43.5bn raised by 35 funds last year; also a record year.

Of those unlisted funds currently in the market looking to raise money, the focus on North America is even more significant. Fifty-one North America-focused oil & gas funds are in market, collectively targeting $28.6bn in institutional capital commitments, nearly 3.5x the combined total of funds seeking investments in other regions around the world (17 funds targeting $8.2bn), says Preqin.

While the resilience of oil & gas investment is remarkable given the slide in the price of the commodities over the past three years, private capital and the institutions (foundations, endowment plans, public pension funds and the like) that back them are shunning the coal sector almost entirely.

Of the funds currently in the market raising funds to invest in energy, zero have coal as an investment preference. Things haven't been great during the last decade either: only 4% of the number of funds closed targeted coal, representing a meagre 2% of capital raised since 2006.

The shift of focus from coal to solar, wind and other renewable projects is clear. According to Preqin data 21% of investment vehicles currently in the market include renewable energy investments alongside their oil & gas acquisitions.

Among the institutions in North America committing money to invest in energy, none have plans to direct funds to coal within the next 12 months, even though 9% have a general preference for coal (versus 50% for renewables).

The post Study: Private capital investment in US coal is over appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fSZR0k

Avant la Crise de l'oxygène, des bactéries vivaient très bien grâce au soufre

Certaines bactéries se nourrissent de soufre et il s'agit peut-être d'un vestige de l'apparition de la vie au niveau de sources hydrothermales. Les plus anciennes formes fossiles de ces bactéries ont été découvertes en Afrique du Sud. Elles existeraient depuis au moins 2,5 milliards d'années...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fEb8DD

Gold set to record its worst month in three years

Gold prices fell Wednesday and were on track to make of November the metal’s worst month in over three years as strong US economic data boosted the dollar, rising expectations of an interest-rate increase by the Federal Reserve next month.

Gold for February delivery, the most active contract, was recently down 1.48% at $1,173.20 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Exchange.

Sharp gains in the crude oil market after the POEC agreed to cut production by about 1.2 million barrels per day, or about 4.5% of current output, did little to help the gold bulls today.

Source: Kitco Charts.

A Federal Reserve interest-rate increase next month is now as certain as death and taxes as the likelihood of that happening is now at 94%, according to Fed fund futures tracked by CME. Higher interest rates are typically negative for gold and other precious metals as they don’t pay interest.

Gold has shed nearly 8% this month, the deepest monthly drop since June 2013, hurt by a rally in the US dollar on surging Treasury yields as investors believed President-elect Donald Trump's policies would invoke faster inflation.

Assets in bullion-backed exchange-traded funds have, in fact, decreased 5.3% this month, the biggest monthly fall since June 2013.

The post Gold set to record its worst month in three years appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gGxweX

Dominion Diamond axes 51 jobs at Diavik mine

Dominion Diamond (TSX, NYSE:DDC) has cut 51 jobs at its iconic Diavik diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, due to what the company called “challenging” market conditions.

The diamond producer, which early this month announced it was moving its headquarters from Yellownife to Calgary as part of a cost-cutting move, told CBC News the layoffs impacted employees across the business.

Like most diamond producers Dominion, which owns 40% of Diavik with Rio Tinto holding the remaining 60%, has been hit by weak global diamond prices. Sudden challenges, including the death of the company’s founder, Robert Gannicott, and a fire its Ekati Mine that suspended processing and cost the miner around $20 million in repairs, have also have an impact.

Diavik is located in the Northwest Territories, 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, close to Ekati, which Dominion bought from BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) in 2013.

The mine is expected to run out of diamonds in 2024, even with the development of a fourth pipe, known as A21, which is expected to begin production in 2018.

The post Dominion Diamond axes 51 jobs at Diavik mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fRiiCL

Explosion du lanceur Falcon 9 : SpaceX de retour en vol

SpaceX va-t-il une nouvelle fois faire taire ses concurrents ? Alors que bon nombre d'entre eux s'étonnaient de la décision d'Elon Musk de reprendre ses activités de lancement seulement quelques mois après l'explosion de son lanceur, les faits semblent lui donner raison. Il vient...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gKfMf7

Solar Impulse : revivez le tour du monde de l'avion solaire ce soir sur France 5

Quatre continents, 43.000 km et 5.000 heures d’images pour 1 h 30 de film : l’épopée Solar Impulse est retracée dans un documentaire diffusé sur France 5 ce soir à 20 h 45.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gxEgZS

Avec Google Earth Engine, voyagez dans le passé

Si vous vous rendez sur le site Google Earth Engine, vous pourrez y créer des animations en accéléré (ou « timelapse ») montrant une même région vue du ciel entre 1984 et 2016. Après l'ajout de nouvelles données sur les quatre dernières années, cette nouvelle fonction de Google Earth permet même...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fQYL5u

Mining accidents in China to spike as country digs more coal

Coal mining accidents in China are likely to spike in the coming months as the nation, the world’s top producer and consumer, scrambles to mine and burn more of the fossil fuel, authorities have warned.

According to the country’s Work Safety Committee of the State Council, a government agency, the recent and sharp rally in coal prices has prompted an increase in potentially dangerous mining activity, which unfortunately it’s already taking its toll.

In the last week alone, seven miners have been killed and 22 others remain trapped, following two accidents in local coal operations, authorities said.

In the last week alone, seven people have been killed and 22 others remain trapped, following two accidents in local coal mines.

The first tragedy took place in a small mine located in a rural area of Jiangxi province, in southeast China, which was completely flooded on November 23.

While 14 workers were rescued, seven others remain missing, AAP reports. After a week of rescue attempts, the operation was cancelled on growing fears of a chance the work would trigger geological problems in the area.

In the other, most recent accident, which took place Tuesday night, 22 miners were trapped underground following a landslide at a mine in the city of Qitaihe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, a coal-mining region bordering Siberia. Rescuers were still working Wednesday evening trying to locate and save those trapped.

While China announced plans earlier this year to shut down more than 1,000 underperforming coal mines, soaring prices, tightening supply and the upcoming winter season have prompted Beijing to relax the measures. At the same time, hundreds of new coal plants are under construction.

“As coal prices go up, mines tend to go beyond the usual safety limits to get at the more ‘dangerous’ coal, and accidents increase,” Keegan Elmer, a researcher for the Hong Kong-based watchdog China Labour Bulletin, told WSJ.com.

Official figures indicate that 171 people died last year in mining-related accidents in 45 operations across the country, significantly down from the 931 deaths reported in 2014, though government figures are often questioned for their accuracy.

Despite concerns about pollution, coal use in China remains strong, generating about three-quarters of the country’s electricity. Ambitious hydroelectric dam projects and the world’s largest program to install solar panels and build wind turbines haven’t been able to make a significant dent in China’s coal consumption. As a result, the sector generates more emissions than all the oil, coal and gas consumed in the US.

The post Mining accidents in China to spike as country digs more coal appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gIz4mf

Le visage de Coatlicue, l'étoile mère du Soleil, se précise

Une supernova est la cause de la formation du Système solaire. Mais à quoi ressemblait l'étoile qui a explosé il y a plus de 4,5 milliards d'années ? Les astronomes pensaient qu'elle devait être environ 30 fois plus massive que le Soleil. On s'est probablement trompé.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gx1u2a

Deseat.me, le site qui vous fait disparaître d'Internet

Créé par deux Suédois, Deseat.me est un site web qui propose de recenser tous les services et inscriptions en ligne associés à une adresse Gmail et de pointer vers les liens pour pouvoir se désinscrire. Pratique pour faire le ménage auprès de sites que l’on ne consulte plus et qui conservent...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gwVqGX

ExoMars : TGO livre ses premières images

L’Agence spatiale européenne (ESA) vient de diffuser les premières images acquises par la caméra Cassis, de l’orbiteur TGO, de la mission ExoMars 2016. Les premières lumières de cet instrument étaient attendues avec impatience car elles permettent de s’assurer que l’appareil fonctionne bien...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2g5Dti5

Eruptions volcaniques : les scientifiques font parler la fumée

Les progrès dans la surveillance en continu de la composition des gaz volcaniques seraient en train de payer. Il semble que des modifications dans le rapport des quantités de gaz carbonique et soufrés soient un indicateur de la survenue d'une éruption d'après des études menées notamment dans la...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gjbL4s

Des piles en diamant faites de déchets radioactifs...

Des chercheurs britanniques proposent de fabriquer des piles faites de diamants renfermant un cœur de carbone-14 radioactif, un matériau provenant du graphite de centrales nucléaires démantelées. Aucune substance chimique, aucune pièce mobile : juste un cristal de carbone qui génère de...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gUfCpH

Iron ore price plunges on Chinese steel meltdown

The import price of 62% Fe content ore at the port of Tianjin slumped 6.4% to $75.10 per dry metric tonne on Tuesday and is set to fall further today as Chinese steel prices continue to slide.

Steel futures trading in Shanghai declined sharply for a second day on Wednesday with May delivery contracts losing 7.5% to 3,000 yuan or $436 a tonne, on track for the biggest one-day fall on record.

Tuesday saw the price fall 6.7% as the exchange introduce new trading rules in an attempt attempt to quell speculation and the Chinese currency drops to a eight-and-half-year low against the US dollar.

A new 5-year planning document released by Beijing called for the closure of 100 – 150 million tonnes of steel capacity 

China forges almost as much steel as the rest of the world combined with more than 800 million tonnes of production expected this year, but the industry is beset with overcapacity and low profitability.

A new 5-year planning document released by Beijing called for the closure of 100 – 150 million tonnes of steel capacity through the end of the decade to increase profitability of remaining producers and tackle pollution.

Shutdowns of older and smaller plants have already reduced steelmaking capacity  by some 70 million tonnes this year, far ahead of Beijing's target for the year.

Authorities are also pushing for consolidation of steel production with a target of 60% market share for the top 10 steelmakers.

On Monday iron ore hit breached the  $80 a tonne level for the first time since mid-September 2014. Year to date the price of the steelmaking raw material is up 75% following near-decade lows in December last year according to data supplied by The Steel Index.

The post Iron ore price plunges on Chinese steel meltdown appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gU0JUn

Hedge funds have never been this bullish about copper price

After hitting an 18-month high on an intraday basis on Monday, the copper price has come under pressure as the bullishness about the impact of Trump's $500 billion infrastructure plans on demand for the bellwether metal begins to cool.

In Asian trade on Wednesday copper for delivery in March, the most active contract, exchanged hands for $2.5570 per pound ($5,637 a tonne) on the Comex market in New York. Copper is now down 7% from this week's peak.

After vastly underperforming other metals and steelmaking raw materials in 2016, copper is still looking much healthier than pre-Trump with a 20% rise year-to-date.

The change in sentiment is striking considering the radical shift in the positioning of large-scale derivatives speculators such as hedge funds.

While continuing to reduce bullish silver, platinum and gold bets, on the copper market hedge funds have added to long positions – bets on higher prices in future – for three weeks in a row.

According to the CFTC's weekly Commitment of Traders data up to November 22 (released yesterday due to the US long weekend) so-called managed money investors have taken the net long to an all-time high of 76,346 lots or the equivalent of just over 1.9 billion pounds.

Saxo Bank points out that this is a whopping 55% above the previous record from July 2014:

Source: www.TradingFloor.com

The post Hedge funds have never been this bullish about copper price appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fK5UBe

Vale reconsiders selling $10 billion in core assets

Brazil’s mining giant Vale (NYSE:VALE), the world’s biggest iron ore producer, may not sell $10 billion of its best assets by the end of next year after all, thanks to higher prices for its main commodities and cost-cutting measures.

The company swung to a net profit in the third quarter of the year helped in part by better prices for iron ore and nickel. And if the situation remains the same or improves, Chief Executive Officer Murilo Ferreira told the company's investors in New York Tuesday that the board will reconsider selling some of its key assets, as announced in February.

Vale is expected to announce soon several, unnamed asset divestitures that could help it cut net debt to between $15bn and $17bn next year.

Higher iron ore prices, said Murilo according to Reuters, are likely to help Vale generate $2.2 billion during 2017 in free cash flow — the money left for bond and shareholders after all expenses are paid — speeding up the firm’s debt reduction plans.

The company is also expected to announce soon several, unnamed asset divestitures that could help it cut net debt to between $15 billion and $17 billion next year.

Vale’s streamlining efforts have been centred on offloading non-core assets, such as its fertilizer business and its Australian coal mines. It also recently reduced the budget for planned investments to $4.5 billion in 2017 and $2.9 billion in 2021 from an expected $5.6 billion this year.

The Rio de Janeiro-based miner’s debt-cutting goal — it’s sitting on a $26 billion net debt at the moment — has been complicated by its efforts to start production at its $14 billion S11D iron ore mine before the end of the year.

The Samarco dam collapse in Nov. 2015, which killed at least 17 people and became Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, also dented Vale’s balance sheets, forcing the miner to book a write-down of $132 million in unpaid dividends and royalties earlier this year.

Even with the challenges, Vale has managed to remain competitive. Its shares, despite falling more than its major rivals since the commodities downturn began, have outperformed this year. The miner, which is also the world’s largest nickel producer, has doubled in value in 2016, while BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) have gained 28% and 45%, respectively.

The post Vale reconsiders selling $10 billion in core assets appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gD5L7n

Gensource Potash, Essel Group to jointly develop small potash mine in Saskatchewan

Canada’s Gensource Potash (CVE:GSP) plans to expand operations in Saskatchewan after partnering with Dubai-based Essel Group Middle East, in a venture aimed at bringing one of the junior miner’s small-scale projects through to production.

The deal, said Gensource, defines a clear path to creating a joint operation, which brings together technical innovation, management expertise, international logistics and capital.

Gensource is also developing another small mine in the area, near Craik, called Vanguard.

Under the terms of the agreement, EGME will be the majority holder of the new venture, with a 70% stake, while Gensource will own the rest of the private corporation.

The agreement is EGME's second significant investment in the potash industry, it said in a separate statement. In August, 2015, the company acquired the exploration license for the Bada potash mine in Eritrea's Danakil Depression.

Gensource is also developing another small mine in the area, near Craik, called Vanguard. That project is expected to produce 250,000 tonnes of potash a year and employ 46 long-term staff.

A detailed feasibility study for that project is underway and expected to be complete by March or April 2017.

The Saskatoon-based firm’s business model revolves around pre-selling its product before it starts to develop a project. As part of that strategy, Gensource inked a deal in April with Yancoal Canada Resources to developed another small mine north-west of Regina.

The post Gensource Potash, Essel Group to jointly develop small potash mine in Saskatchewan appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gSwAVE

Supraconductivité à température ambiante : des signes dans le graphite ? (MAJ)

Des matériaux à base de graphite qui seraient supraconducteurs à température ambiante : voilà une perspective fascinante. Une équipe de chercheurs est sur la piste et pense avoir mesuré la température critique d'apparition de ce phénomène, qui reste à démontrer, dans du graphite naturel.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fyDHly

Massive 3,000-year-old Celtic gold belt found in British farmer’s field

A huge 3,000-year-old Celtic golden belt, so large that it’s believed to have been worn by a pregnant woman or a prized animal in the course of a sacrifice, has been unearthed in a Cambridgeshire field, in Eastern England.

According to the British Museum, the torc is one of the largest and most spectacular ever discovered in England, and it is one of thousands of archaeological finds made by members of the public last year.

It is made from 730 grams of high-grade gold. (Image: British Museum | Twitter)

The thick twisted band, found by an anonymous treasure hunter walking with his metal detector, is made from 730 grams of high-grade gold.

While torcs are usually described as collars, longer ones are believed to have been worn as belts. For the Iron Age Celts, the gold torc seems to have been a key object, identifying the wearer as a person of high rank, and many of the finest works of ancient Celtic art are, in fact, torcs.

The post Massive 3,000-year-old Celtic gold belt found in British farmer’s field appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gFBnGN

Syphilis : les IST bactériennes en hausse en France

Un article du bulletin épidémiologique hebdomadaire (BEH) fait le point sur les IST bactériennes en France. En 2015, le nombre de syphilis précoces, d’infections à gonocoque et de lymphogranulomatoses vénériennes a continué d’augmenter.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fMUAYc

Horizonte to raise $11.2M to fund Brazil's next major nickel mine

Shareholders in Brazil-focused Horizonte Minerals (TSX, LON:HZM) have approved plans to raise £9 million (US$11.2M) to fund the preparation of a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the company's wholly-owned Araguaia nickel project.

“Activity is currently underway on the next phase of the permitting to obtain the Installation Licence, as well as a number of the work streams that will link into the feasibility study,” chief executive officer Jeremy Martin said in a statement.

Analysts expect a long-term shortage of nickel to become evident from 2021, with an about 475,000 tonnes-deficit.

It is expected that the admission of 374,000,000 of the placing shares under the placing agreement will become effective at 8.00 a.m. Wednesday.

According to the company, the Araguaia project, located in north-central Brazil, is one of the world’s largest nickel projects.

Initial exploration work suggests the area may share similarities to Vale’s (NYSE:VALE) dos Sonhos, host to a high-grade nickel resource.

So far this year, Horizonte has been granted 20,000 hectares of new exploration around the deposit, which hosts a proven and probable mineral reserve of almost 25 million tonnes grading 1.77% nickel.

That is considered enough to support mining activities for 28 years, with projected free cash generation of $1.95bn, based on a pre-feasibility study that assumes mining cash cost of around $6,500 per tonne, an average selling price of $14,000 per tonne, and an initial capital spend of $354 million.

Porject overview. (Courtesy of Horizonte Minerals)

Analysts expect a long-term shortage of nickel to become evident from 2021, with an about 475,000 tonnes-deficit that will keep the metal’s market fairly balanced through to 2030. New production will be required to come on line during this period, they say.

Araguaia is expected to begin production by 2019.

The post Horizonte to raise $11.2M to fund Brazil's next major nickel mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gt3Wql

La Terre cache-t-elle l'équivalent d'un océan dans son manteau ?

Ramenés en surface à l'occasion d'éruptions volcaniques, les diamants se forment à grande profondeur dans le manteau de la Terre. Des minéraux retrouvés dans des diamants brésiliens laissent penser que le manteau contiendrait d'énormes quantités d'eau piégées dans les roches.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fI5Guy

ASX slams door on Moly Mines, leaves 4,000 shareholders in limbo

The Australian Stock Exchange has shut the door on one of its most controversy-plagued companies, Moly Mines, after ruling the firm was not allowed to resume trading due to concerns about Chinese majority shareholder Hanlong Group.

The rarely used move, which effectively blocks Hanlong and leaves roughly 4,000 Moly shareholders in limbo, comes despite Moly promising it would have the Chinese firm’s board representatives resign if allowed to re-list.

Decision comes despite Moly promising it would have Hanlong Group’s board representatives resign if allowed to re-list.

The company said it was “extremely frustrated” and “deeply disappointed” with the decision, which is also likely to thwart a $53 million takeover bid for Gulf Alumina, a small bauxite miner also being pursued by Metro Mining. This as Moly’s offer for Gulf was conditional to ASX reinstating the quotation of Moly shares on the exchange.

But the exchange’s concerns over activities of people previously involved with Hanlong and the direct or indirect influence that they could eventually have over Moly’s decisions prevailed.

For once, Hanlong founder Liu Han was executed in China last year after being found guilty of several crimes, including leading a mafia-style operation in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, being responsible for several murders, running illegal casinos and selling firearms.

Shortly after, two of Hanlong’s Australian executives were sentenced to more than eight years in prison on insider trading charges related to two Perth-based companies, Sundance Resources Ltd. and Bannerman Resources.

Currently, Moly’s cash is worth about 13.3¢ a share, excluding a $10 million debt to Hanlong. It last traded at 6.9¢ in April 2014.

The post ASX slams door on Moly Mines, leaves 4,000 shareholders in limbo appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fy0KwU

La Grande Barrière de corail va mal

C’est le troisième évènement de blanchissement de grande ampleur qui touche la Grande barrière de corail depuis la fin du XXe siècle. Celui de 2016, toujours provoqué par la hausse de la température des eaux, est le plus dévastateur de tous, causant la mort des deux tiers de la partie la plus...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fHSqpr

Le sarcophage de Tchernobyl inauguré aujourd'hui

En Ukraine, le dôme de confinement du réacteur n° 4 est enfin inauguré. Cette construction en béton de plus de cent mètres de hauteur, venant coiffer le premier sarcophage, très dégradé, est censée isoler les ruines radioactives de la centrale nucléaire de Tchernobyl pour un siècle.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gEi4ML

Grippe aviaire : un premier cas en France chez un canard sauvage

Le 26 novembre 2016, un premier cas de grippe aviaire hautement pathogène H5N8 a été confirmé à Marck, dans le Pas-de-Calais. L'animal infecté faisait partie d’un groupe de 20 canards utilisés comme appelants pour la chasse au gibier d’eau.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gRGzuc

Matière noire : le Cern part à la chasse aux photons noirs

La matière noire pourrait interagir avec la matière normale pas seulement avec la force gravitationnelle mais aussi avec des cousins des photons qui ne sont pas directement visibles. Le Cern est parti à la chasse de ces photons noirs (qui pourraient aussi faire partie de la matière noire) cette...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2g0opm1

La mémoire Flash du futur sera-t-elle miniaturisée grâce au graphène ?

Il y a quelques années déjà, une équipe américaine avait imaginé une mémoire Flash intégrant du graphène. Objectif : en réduire les dimensions bien au-delà de celles que nous connaissons. Aujourd’hui, une autre équipe annonce avoir mis au point un interrupteur moléculaire qui pourrait en...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gE9cbu

Rio CEO: We'll cut iron ore output to boost cash flow

The import price of 62% Fe content ore at the port of Tianjin scaled $80 per dry metric tonne on Monday – the highest since mid-September 2014 according to data supplied by The Steel Index. Year to date the price of the steelmaking raw material is up 87%.

A resurgent steel industry in China – responsible for more than three-quarters of the seaborne iron ore trade – has taken much of the credit for the rally from near-decade lows struck in December last year.

Rio Tinto, world number two producer, has long maintained that China is on its way to forging a billion tonnes of steel per year by 2030 compared to the current output just north of 800 million tonnes.

Reuters reports that at a recent investor conference Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jean Sebastien Jacques "quietly abandoned [Rio's] long held view":

Jacques said that uncertainty over the restructuring of China's huge state-owned enterprises (SOEs) made it difficult to predict how things would pan out.

"No one can work with only one scenario … we work with multiple scenarios and our central case is not 1 billion tonnes," Jacques told analysts at the briefing in Sydney last week.

And Jacques didn't stop there. He went further to say that Rio would consider cutting the amount of iron ore it mines if doing so would boost free cash flow.

"If it means reducing volume, we'll do it," he said.

China is on track to import 1 billion tonnes of ore in 2016, an all-time high, not just due to strong demand from the country's blast furnaces, but because hundreds of domestic miners struggling with low grade and high costs have been forced out of the market.

After more than halving since 2011 to less than 200m tonnes, Chinese iron ore output on a 62% Fe basis is forecast to fall by a another 12% in 2016 and by a further 20% in 2017 according to Australia's state forecaster.

But with iron ore back above $80 a tonne many Chinese iron ore mines may start to re-enter the market just as new exporters like the 55 million tonne per year Roy Hill mine in Australia and Brazil's S11D ramps up to full production.

The post Rio CEO: We'll cut iron ore output to boost cash flow appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fvT2mZ

SEC said to be probing Rio Mozambique coal deal

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating a massive writedown booked by world number two miner Rio Tinto on a coal deal in Mozambique according to news reports.

Rio Tinto acquired the Benga mine and other coal projects in the Southern African country’s Tete province in 2011, after buying Australia's Riversdale Mining for $3.7 billion.

But in 2013 the Anglo-Australian giant took an asset impairment charge of $3 billion on the coking coal venture citing challenges in building the necessary infrastructure to bring the project on stream.

Bloomberg reports the charge, part of a wider $14 billion in asset writedowns, led to the departure of then Chief Executive Officer Tom Albanese.

A year later Melbourne-based Rio sold the assets to an Indian company for just $50 million.

Mozambique's central Tete province is believed to hold one of the world's largest untapped coal reserves that has been compared with Australia's coal-rich Bowen Basin.

SEE ALSO: Met coal price surge could revive giant Mozambique project

The post SEC said to be probing Rio Mozambique coal deal appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fvl7em

Trump infrastructure bump forecast for global economy

During his campaign Donald Trump promised to push through a $500 billion spending program to build bridges, roads, railways, schools and hospitals early next year. The president elect also has aspirations of $1 trillion in infrastructure build-out in the US over the next decade.

"Well targeted public spending initiatives could catalyse private economic activity and help to get the global economy out of the low-growth trap"

The US will join other countries with a focus on fiscal policy as options for further monetary easing dwindles in developed markets. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $50 billion infrastructure program shortly after taking office last year, while the UK last week also announced modest plans to give its post-Brexit economy a boost. China is in the midst of a three-year $720 billion transport build-out program and the Asian country already spends more on infrastructure than Europe and the US combined.

Trump's surprise victory gave a further boost to industrial metals (none more so than copper) and steelmaking raw materials already on an upward curve this year. While skepticism and uncertainty about Trump's economic plans abound, the influential Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Monday gave its enthusiastic backing to fiscal stimulus for the world's largest economy.

“The global economy has the prospect of modestly higher growth, after five years of disappointingly weak outcomes,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said at the launch of the international organization's global economic outlook:

“In light of the current context of low interest rates, policymakers have a unique window of opportunity to make more active use of fiscal levers to boost growth and reduce inequality without compromising debt levels. We urge them to do so,” Mr Gurría said.

The OECD says "well targeted public spending initiatives could catalyse private economic activity and help to get the global economy out of the low-growth trap."

Source: OECD

According to the report the ongoing or projected shift in the fiscal stance in a number of major economies accounts for much of the modest increase in global growth to 3.3% in 2017 and 3.6% in 2018.

Among the major advanced economies, activity is expected to accelerate in the United States, due to an assumed easing of fiscal policy, with the economy projected to grow by 2.3% in 2017 and 3% in 2018.

SEE ALSO: Trump's $500 billion will do little for global mining

The post Trump infrastructure bump forecast for global economy appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gQfRlL

CHARTS: Gold miners to hike investment in 2017

Spending will increase in 2017 as companies begin to catch up after deferring spending, largely looking inward at existing operations and projects, says Moody's. (Image: gualtiero boffi | Shutterstock.com)

Encouraged by better gold prices, global producers are set to increase capital spending next year with the rate at which they develop new mines and how those projects are funded being the top priorities, Moody's Investors Service says.

In its latest report, Moody’s notes that in addition to stronger prices, gold miners have benefitted this year from lower operating costs after focusing on cost cutting during a three-year slump in gold prices. As the precious metal is priced in US dollars, a stronger dollar has benefited miners based outside of the US.

Source: Moody's Investors Service

The average spot gold price through end of October 2016 was $1,273 per ounce, 10% higher than the average price of $1,160 in 2015. As gold miners' profitability is strongly tied to the gold price, this has resulted in the industry generating significantly stronger cash flows and earnings, boosting their credit quality, Moody’s says.

While the industry is generating significantly stronger cash flow, a trend that Moody's expects to continue next year, higher gold prices alone will not result in ratings upgrades.

Source: Moody's Investors Service

"How companies use their funds will be a very important factor in the ratings assessment," said Jamie Koutsoukis a Vice President and Senior Analyst at Moody's. "Although near-term spending on large projects could result in negative cash flow, future production growth would likely have a positive effect on the rating."

Spending will likely focus on extending existing operations and phased development, rather than large-scale greenfield projects.

The post CHARTS: Gold miners to hike investment in 2017 appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gCGRlu

Alpha Natural execs. face fraud charges for failing to disclose $100M in liabilities

West Virginia has accused Alpha Natural Resources executives of potential fraud for not reporting $100 million in liabilities during bankruptcy proceedings.

West Virginia regulators argued that had the $100 million cash burden been known, it might have thwarted Alpha Natural Resources’ restructuring agreement approval.

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection said the coal miner, which filed for bankruptcy in August 2015, was allowed to dump some of its pension and mine-clean-up obligations, as well as to spin off its best remaining assets into a new company, called Contura Energy, based on the premise that Alpha would emerge from bankruptcy as a viable firm.

West Virgina’s DEP based such decision on evidence presented by the company that it had sufficient cash flow at the time to cover its remaining obligations. But only three months later, some of Alpha executives revealed that they had overlooked $100 million in outstanding debts and obligations in their filing, The Star Tribune reports.

The DEP claims the undisclosed liabilities "materially increase the probability that DEP will be left with claims under the surface-mining and other environmental laws against the individuals and entities in ownership and control positions with respect to the debtors' mining operations."

The company refutes such allegations, arguing that while the $100 million was not included in cash flow statements provided to the court, it was listed in other documents.

The post Alpha Natural execs. face fraud charges for failing to disclose $100M in liabilities appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gAqdC5

Espèce invasive : des fourmis d'Éthiopie vont-elles conquérir le monde ?

Les fourmis Lepisiota canescens font partie désormais du club très fermé des fourmis formant des supercolonies. C’est ce qu’ont découvert des scientifiques qui étudient les petites forêts résiduelles qui entourent des églises orthodoxes en Éthiopie. Selon eux, elles ont les qualités d’une espèce...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fEWEhI

Anglo's Los Bronces mine in Chile to remain shut until safe to resume work

Anglo American (LON:AAL) has decided to keep all activity at its Los Bronces copper mine in Chile halted following a fresh attack by hooded protesters who seized installations over the weekend.

The group "violently and illegally" entered the mine site early Saturday morning, the company said in a statement (in Spanish), just hours after unions representing staff of contractor firms employed at Los Bronces accepted a proposal from their employers.

Los Bronces is Anglo’s biggest operation in Chile, poised to become the world’s No. 5 copper mine at its peak.

Anglo American added the mine “will remain completely halted until the minimum necessary guarantees exist that it can operate safety and without risk to personnel."

This is the second illegal occupation of the copper operation this month and follows what Anglo called an agreement between companies it uses to provide services at the mine and the Federation of Contract Workers union.

Anglo American noted it was evaluating the impact of this month's events on production as copper is the firm’s second-largest contributor to profit after iron ore.

Its Chilean division alone — dubbed Anglo American Sur — is expected to produce between 600,000 and 630,000 tonnes of the red metal this year, and Los Bronces is the unit’s biggest mine.

Last year, it produced 437,800 tonnes of the red metal, out of top copper exporter Chile's total 5.76 million tonnes.

Anglo owns 50.1% of the operation. Chilean state miner Codelco and Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp. also have stakes in it.

Los Bronces, perched 3,500 meters high up in the Andes 65km north-east of capital Santiago, is also one of the few Anglo still has in Chile. Last year, the London-listed miner completed the $300 million sale of its 100%-owned Mantos Blancos and Mantoverde copper mines in northern Chile and announced intentions to also sell El Soldado mine and the Chagres smelter.

Image of equipment burnt this weekend. Hooded protesters also took control of Los Bronces on Nov 16, prompting Anglo to halt operations and evacuate 1,500 workers. (Image: Anglo American Chile | Twitter)

The post Anglo's Los Bronces mine in Chile to remain shut until safe to resume work appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gzz8n8

Sport et santé : un patch qui analyse votre sueur

Des chercheurs américains ont développé un patch, ou timbre épidermique, capable d’analyser votre transpiration pendant l'effort. Cet outil, qui intéresse l’armée américaine, pourrait par exemple vous dire quand vous avez besoin de vous hydrater.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gyhpQA

Lucapa granted new five-year exploration licence for iconic Angola mine

Shares in Australian Lucapa Diamond (ASX:LOM) closed higher Monday after the company announced Angola had approved a new 5-year kimberlite exploration licence for the Lulo project.

Lucapa's Lulo project has bored some massive gems, including the 404.2-carat white rock found early this year, considered the largest diamond ever found in Angola.

The Africa-focused miner said the decision applies to the entire 3,000 square kilometer Lulo site, enabling the firm and its partners in the venture — the country’s national diamond company Endiama, and Rosas & Petalas — to finalize a mineral investment contract. The latter will include a detailed plan of exploration activities for the five-year period, Lucapa said.

The company’s stock closed 2.1% higher at 0.48, which bring the annual gains to more than 71%.

The Lulo diamond project is located 150km from Alrosa's Catoca mine, the world's fourth largest diamond mine. It hosts type-2a diamonds, which account for less than 1% of global supply.

The project has so far bored massive gems, including the 404.2-carat white rock found early this year, which is considered the largest diamond ever recovered in Angola and the biggest ever found by an Australian company.

Angola is the world’s No.4 diamond producer by value and No.6 by volume. Its industry, which began a century ago under Portuguese colonial rule, is successfully emerging from a long period of difficulty as a result of a civil war that ended in 2002.

Earlier this year, the government reduced taxes and cut state ownership requirements to rekindle the industry after the global financial crisis forced mines to close.

The world’s biggest pink diamond found to date was unearthed at Rio Tinto's Argyle mine, weighing 13 carats.

The post Lucapa granted new five-year exploration licence for iconic Angola mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gaMqcN

La Finlande pourrait être le premier pays à fermer toutes ses centrales à charbon

La Finlande envisage de fermer sa dernière centrale à charbon d'ici à 2030. L'annonce n'est pas surprenante car la part de cette source fossile est déjà faible et le pays investit depuis longtemps dans les énergies renouvelables. Mais à l'échelle mondiale, la tendance est différente.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gnT1yn

ISS : Thomas Pesquet teste des surfaces antibactériennes « intelligentes »

Matiss est une des nombreuses expériences que réalisera Thomas Pesquet tout au long de son séjour à bord de la Station spatiale. Il s’agit de tester différents matériaux capables d’empêcher des bactéries de se poser dessus. Cette expérience résume à elle seule tout l’intérêt d’utiliser le...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gaucrY

Jetman : trois hommes volent avec la Patrouille de France

Jetman, l'homme qui vole avec des réacteurs, a encore frappé : avec deux acolytes, il a intégré, le temps d'un vol, la Patrouille de France en formation. Trente caméras ont filmé l'évènement, offrant des images surprenantes.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fWpjzI

Cassini révèle les mystères du champ gravitationnel de Saturne et ses lunes

En mesurant précisément les effets des forces de marée entre Saturne et ses lunes, agissant dans une interaction complexe, des chercheurs ont trouvé le moyen de mieux comprendre la structure de la géante gazeuse ainsi que l'histoire de ses anneaux et de ses satellites. Merci à la sonde Cassini.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2g9Rkqr

Vie extraterrestre : il pourrait exister des aliens en silicium

Une bactérie, au laboratoire, est parvenue à réaliser une fonction chimique inconnue dans la nature : l'incorporation de silicium dans une molécule organique. De quoi réaliser de nouvelles réactions pour la médecine, l'électronique ou l'industrie. Et de quoi donner raison à l'exobiologiste Carl...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gNFpzZ

CHART: Mining capex decline set to continue

While precious metals (with the exception of palladium) have suffered a deep sell-off since the surprise outcome of the US presidential elections, the rally in industrial metals seems only to be gaining momentum.

The copper price added 7.7% last week, while nickel rose more than 6% and tin continued its good run. Both zinc and lead enjoyed double digit gains with the former reaching a near nine-year high.

In a new report BMI Research, a unit of Fitch, says the gains in metal prices this year is set to continue in 2017 thanks to infrastructure spending in China and to some extent in the US and the UK, but at a much more modest pace.

The researcher also cautions about the outlook beyond 2017 as the withdrawal of Chinese stimulus could increase the risk of a fallback in some commodities particularly coal and iron ore.

Despite its relatively sanguine view on metals prices BMI expects the decline in capital expenditure in the sector to continue for the next three years as miners seek further cost cuts and improvement of operational margins:

Capex has been declining since 2012, with miners focusing on a strategy of retrenchment, project cancellations and divestment of high cost assets to balance to books and improve margins.

We expect this trend to continue as miners will continue to pursue a strategy of greater capital and supply discipline, which will result in further capex cuts, reigning in global supply.

However, cancellations and retrenchment strategy will offer limited further gains, thus miners will increasingly focus on maximising revenue at existing assets and increasing efficiency overall.

This will be done by focusing on streamlining mine processes (eliminating overlap and a cost-reduction focus) and targeting innovation to improve operational efficiency.

The post CHART: Mining capex decline set to continue appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fDiHFu

Iron ore price set to top $80

On the Dalian Commodities Exchange iron ore futures once again reached the daily price change upper limit ending the day at 653 yuan ($95 a tonne) on Friday.

Regulators recently upped trading fees and margin requirements to cool down the credit-fuelled speculation in iron ore, met coal and rebar, but volatility in the market show no signs of ending.

The latest leg up came after a new 5-year planning document released by Beijing called for the closure of 100 – 150 million tonnes of steel capacity through the end of the decade to increase profitability of remaining producers and tackle pollution.

Authorities are also pushing for consolidation of steel producers with a target of 60% market share for the top 10 steelmakers which should translate into higher prices for steel, iron ore and met coal.

The import price of 62% Fe content ore at the port of Tianjin jumped 3% to $79.20 per dry metric tonne on Friday. The index is likely to breach $80 a tonne on Monday – the highest since mid-September 2014 according to data supplied by The Steel Index.

Year to date the price of the steelmaking raw material is up 84% following near-decade lows in December last year.

 

The post Iron ore price set to top $80 appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fCUmjf

Gold price fights back towards $1,200

Gold was attempting a comeback of sorts in Asian trading on Monday despite relentless selling by physically-backed gold ETF investors since Donald Trump's victory in US presidential elections.

Gold for delivery in February reached a session high of $1,196.90 an ounce, up nearly $16 or more than 1% an ounce from Friday's closing price on the Comex market in New York. Gold is still down more 10% or $140 an ounce after an initial surge following Trump's win.

Source: SPDR Gold Shares

Gold bears are making big bets that Trump's plans for fiscal stimulus, including a $500 billion infrastructure spending program, will lead to strong US economic expansion, higher interest rates and a stronger dollar.

These are all negatives for the gold price and hedge funds, institutions and retail investors have been dumping gold as a result.

Since the election investors in top physical gold-backed exchange traded fund – SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA: GLD) – have redeemed a net 64.7 tonnes (buying on the Wednesday after the election, but offloading 70 tonnes since then).

GLD, which dwarfs other physically-backed gold ETFs with a more than 45% global share, now holds 885.6 tonnes or just over 28.5 million ounces; worth $33.7 billion on Friday. That's down $5.4 billion since the surprise victory of the billionaire property tycoon.

On August 22, 2011 when gold was hitting record highs above $1,900 an ounce GLD became the largest ETF in the world briefly surpassing the venerable SPDR S&P 500 trust at a net asset value of $77.5 billion. Gold holdings in the trust would peak more than a year later in December 2012 at 1,353 tonnes or 43.5 million ounces.

The post Gold price fights back towards $1,200 appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fUoNCe

China risks wasting $490 billion on unneeded coal plants — study

China risks flushing down the toilet half a trillion dollars on new coal plants, which according to a study released Monday, the country doesn’t even need.

The report, published by London-based the Carbon Tracker Initiative, argues that not only China doesn’t need new coal plants, but also that existing capacity may come under financial pressure by 2020 from power market reforms and carbon pricing, which continue to squeeze coal generation out of the country’s power mix.

As of July this year, China had 895 GW of operating coal capacity or 2,689 plants being utilized less than half the time, with another 205 GW of capacity under construction, which is inconsistent with the goals of Beijing’s 13th Five-Year plan, the document shows.

It is clear that China does not need any more coal capacity as existing plants are running not even half the time —Matthew Gray, senior analyst and the study’s author.

It also argues that slower power demand growth and low carbon capacity targets will likely strand coal capacity. Additional capacity beyond existing plants is only required by 2020 if power generation growth exceeds 4% year and coal plants are run at utilization rate of 45% or less, according to the report.

“It is clear that China is coming to terms with the fact it does not need any more coal capacity in a market where existing plants are not even running half the time,” said Matthew Gray, senior analyst and the study’s author. “The dynamic policy environment suggests China is trying to work out how to avoid wasting half a trillion dollars on unneeded coal plants.”

Given the expected increases in non-coal energy generation — hydro, wind, solar, gas, nuclear and biomass — coal generation in China could fall by up to 8% from 2015 to 2020, Gray warned.

“There are clear signs that Chinese coal generation is peaking, as the growth in alternative energy sources can meet lower power demand growth during the 13 FYP. This can only spell bad news for exporters betting on China propping up the seaborne thermal coal market in the future,” said James Leaton, Carbon Tracker’s head of research.

A drop in coal-fired power, combined with the resumption of domestic production, may kill China’s imports from overseas. The country, instead, could become a net exporter of coal again before 2020, negatively affecting seaborne thermal coal prices, the report concluded.

Download (PDF, 1.4MB)

Above: Needed and unneeded coal capacity (GW) in 2020 based on existing plants as of 2016 and under construction under different coal plant capacity factors and power generation growth rates. (Source: Chasing the Dragon? China’s coal overcapacity crisis and what it means for investors)

The post China risks wasting $490 billion on unneeded coal plants — study appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gwGTKx

Billion-pound cash infusion clears path for UK potash mine

The chances of a potash mine taking shape on the Yorkshire moors just got a whole lot better, thanks to a major financing.

Sirius Minerals (LON:SXX), the company behind the North Yorkshire polyhalite project, said this past week it has secured GBP 1 billion in funding. The money to be put towards the first phase of construction was generated through new shares and convertible bonds. Getting the funds means that Sirius Minerals can start work on shaft sinking.

"This financing today fills out a lot of the front work and finances the shafts from beginning to end": Sirius Minerals Chief Executive Chris Fraser

The required approvals came in last year from the borough of Redcar & Cleveland, and the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA); the latter needed to be consulted because the mine would run underneath the North York Moors National Park. The project has attracted some controversy for that reason, but defenders of the mine say that construction will be underground and includes a 23-mile-long sub-surface conveyor belt that will carry the ore to port, in Teesside.

"This financing today fills out a lot of the front work and finances the shafts from beginning to end," chief executive Chris Fraser told the BBC, adding: "The actual first actions on the ground probably won't be until January with the highways work."

According to a project summary the company plans to sink two shafts – a production shaft and a service shaft – to access the polyhalite shelf seam. After pre-sinking, completing the 1,500-metre (4,921 feet) shafts is a five-step process that involves: drilling, blasting, mucking, a cleaning/blow-over process, and shaft lining.

Constructing the mine would take about five years and cost roughly GBP 2 billion.

The mine has moved forward quickly since Sirius Minerals in June lined up contractors for key components. The company is using Associated Mining Construction UK (AMC), known for its expertise in shaft sinking for potash projects, for the design and building of the mine, as well as for site development works.

AMC — a joint venture between Thyssen Group and Redpath Group — has worked with major potash producers such as Mosaic (NYSE:MOS) and Uralkali (LON:URALL).

The company also appointed Hochtief Murphy Joint Venture for the construction of the mineral transport system, specifically the tunnel that will link the mine with the materials handing facility.

In September Sirius announced JP Morgan (NYSEARCA:AMJ), Lloyds Bank (NYSE:LYG), Société Générale, RBS (NYSE:RBS), Export Development Canada and ING (NYSE:ING) will supply $2.6 billion in debt facilities to support the second stage of developing the mine such as tunnel boring.

Then in October, Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart said she would invest GBP 250 million in the project.

Sirius’ mine, poised to be one of the world’s largest in terms of the amount of resources extracted, is set to generate an initial 10 million tonnes per year of polyhalite – a form of potash that is used in plant fertilizers – before it enters a second phase that will double that production to 20 million tonnes a year.

The post Billion-pound cash infusion clears path for UK potash mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2g84ogj

Death toll rises on Turkish mine cave-in as BBC journalist detained

It appears the Turkish government is attempting to suppress criticism of a mine disaster last weekend that killed 10 miners and left six missing.

The Guardian reports that Turkish authorities detained a journalist working for the BBC's Turkish-language service in southeastern Turkey. The female reporter was apparently attempting to speak with relatives of the miners who died at the mine. No explanation has been given for detaining her.

Private company Park Elektrik A.Ş. blamed heavy rains for the landslide, which collapsed a hillside, burying the workers and their equipment.

The natural disaster happened November 17 at the Madenköy copper mine, located in the Şirvan district of Siirt province. In a statement, private company Park Elektrik A.Ş. blamed heavy rains for the landslide, which collapsed a hillside, burying the workers and their equipment.

Five bodies were found last weekend during a search that included rescue teams from the Turkish government, the Turkish Red Crescent, the army and the company. The bodies of another five were found days later; efforts are still ongoing for the six people still unaccounted for.

According to the country's state-run news agency last Sunday, six people were detained during an investigation into the mine collapse.

Turkey is not known as a country that respects press freedom. After the failed coup attempt in July, a state of emergency was called, resulting in the detention of dozens of reporters. The Guardian reports 145 journalists are currently in Turkish jails, quoting numbers from the Platform for Independent Journalism website.

The post Death toll rises on Turkish mine cave-in as BBC journalist detained appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fG8Iml

Le satellite Kepler étudie les battements de cœur des étoiles

Kepler, le satellite chasseur d'exoplanètes de la Nasa, a découvert une classe exotique d'étoiles doubles appelées étoiles à « battements de cœur ». Leur étude devrait faire progresser la théorie de la structure stellaire et des étoiles binaires.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fSEvhb

Un antidouleur caché dans le venin du serpent corail

Le venin de ce magnifique serpent, vivant en Asie du sud-est, contient une toxine qui pourrait aider à mettre au point de nouveaux antidouleurs. Ce joli serpent tue pourtant de manière atroce, provoquant des spasmes, une paralysie et une mort rapide.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fyngki

Australian rare earths company picks construction contractor

Potentially the first rare earths mine outside China to recover heavy rare earth elements passed another milestone this week.

Northern Minerals Limited (ASX:NTU) said on Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese company to build a pilot plant for its Brown Range mine located in northern Western Australia.

Sinosteel Equipment & Engineering Co., Ltd. (Sinosteel MECC) has been selected as the EPC contractor (engineering, procurement and construction) for the 60,000 tonnes per annum Browns Range Pilot Plant. The company plans to construct the plant modules in China then ship them to the site for installation. The pilot plant was approved in September.

Sinosteel MECC agreed to defer AUD$12 million of the $60 million cost of the plant for two years, allowing Northern Minerals to pay the $12 million from cash flow after the mine is operating, rather than having to come up with the payment up front.

"We are excited to be partnering with a strong party such as Sinosteel MECC," said Northern Minerals’ managing director George Bauk. "The final pieces in the business plan are coming together as we move towards a final investment decision."

The pilot plant will produce a mix of rare earth oxides, including dysprosium, a heavy rare earth element used to make industrial magnets that are employed in wind turbines and electric vehicles, for example. Production from the pilot plant will represent about 10 percent of the mine's proposed output. Northern Minerals plans to operate the plant for three years, at which point a decision will be made whether to build a full-scale processing facility. Mining to feed the pilot plant is expected to start next year.

Browns Range would be the first major mine outside China, and Australia's first mine to process heavy rare earths, which generally command a higher price than light rare earth oxides. Lynas Corp's (ASX:LYC) Mount Weld rare earths mine in Australia hosts the Central Lanthanide Deposit (CLD) which, while considered high-grade, contains mostly light rare earth elements, according to a project page. The undeveloped Duncan deposit at Mount Weld hosts heavy rare earth mineralization, says Lynas.

While the pilot plant has yet to receive financing, Northern Minerals got a AUD$30-million boost last from a Chinese investor. Huatai Mining, the Australian investment arm of Chinese coal producer Shandong Taizhong Energy, committed the funds in exchange for a 31 percent interest in Northern Minerals. The equity injection will be put towards mine construction.

Image and caption courtesy of Northern Minerals.

The post Australian rare earths company picks construction contractor appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2finAsi

Northern Canadian diamond miner ready for new exploration

Undeterred by transportation challenges at its northern Canadian diamond property, Peregrine Diamonds is about to open its wallet for the next phase of exploration.

Vancouver-based Peregrine (TSX:PGD) wants to be the next diamond mine in Canada to churn out high-value gems, following in the footsteps of two diamond mines in the Canadian north that have opened recently: Gahcho Kué in the Northwest Territories and the Renard mine in northern Quebec.

But earlier this year Peregrine president Tom Peregoodoff called attention to the need for building a $95 million, 160 km all-weather road to Iqaluit, the mine’s closest town.

Peregrine is basing its exploration program on the results of a technical report released in June that showed a significant increase in the size of the mineral resource. 

"The road in is a critical piece of infrastructure and we need that prior to commencement of construction to minimize our construction capital costs," Peregoodoff, said in July.

Other diamond mines in Canada’s north, such as Ekati and Diavik, are supported by ice roads which operate eight to 10 weeks out of the year. After that, it’s mostly game over for the season.

But Peregoodoff indicated that exploration could take place this winter by utilizing a winter trail that is currently accessible to hunters and recreational users.

Nunatsiaq News reports that Peregrine Diamonds has asked the City of Iqaluit to groom a road that would allow the company to access the Iqaluit-Chidliak trail. Currently the only access to the project, located on southern Baffin Island, is by fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter.

That would allow Peregrine to spend $15-$17 million to conduct bulk sampling, core drilling and prefeasibility studies, Peregoodoff told the city council on Nov. 22.

The company has so far spent about $23 million in Nunavut on the project, having prospected around Chidliak since 2003.

Earlier this year Peregrine produced a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) which outlined 74 kimberlite pipes, of which 45 are known to contain diamonds.

According to the PEA, two of those kimberlites – CH-6 and CH-7 – have been adequately sampled and explored to delineate an inferred resource estimate. Material from CH-6 and CH-7 would be open-pit mined, generating 7.1 million tonnes of processing plant feed and 51 million tonnes of waste. Over its 10-year life, the Chidliak mine is expected to yield about 11.6 million carats at an average grade of 1.67 carats per tonne, according to the report.  Capital costs are in the order of $486 million.

Peregrine is basing its winter exploration program on the results of a technical report released in June that showed a significant increase in the size of the mineral resource. 

Exploration will start in February and continue until spring, according to Nunatsiaq News.

The post Northern Canadian diamond miner ready for new exploration appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fNRb9e

Neurogastronomie : la nouvelle cuisine tendance pour votre cerveau ?

Un nouveau restaurant, Honeybrains, ouvre à New York et se donne pour objectif de proposer aux clients des aliments qui nourrissent leur matière grise. Ce concept s’inscrit dans la lignée des expérimentations récentes dans le domaine de la neurogastronomie.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gHJHsw

Alberta inks $1.36bn deal with three firms to shut down coal plants

The Canadian province of Alberta will pay three local coal power producers $1.36 billion over the next 14 years to compensate them for shutting down their plants early as part of the government’s climate change agenda.

The province will pay Capital Power Corp., TransAlta Corp. and ATCO Ltd. a total of $97 million per year, beginning next year and payable every year until 2030, to shut down six of their 18 power plants early, Alberta’s Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd said.

Alberta’s climate change policy seeks to close all coal-fired plants in the province by 2030.

The remaining 12 coal-fired electric generating stations in the province are all scheduled to close, or convert to natural gas, before 2030.

The province added it is also wrapping up negotiations over power contract disputes that led to a controversial lawsuit, having reached three agreements with companies, though two are tentative.

Alberta’s climate change policy seeks to close all coal-fired plants in the oil sands-rich province by 2030, but six newer facilities were previously allowed to operate until as late as 2061, leading their owners to call for compensation.

The newer units are likely to be converted to natural gas co-generation plants, CBC News reports.

Energy consultant Terry Boston, hired to help Alberta with its transition away from coal, recommended the announced payments. He is also the main supporter of converting the newest coal-fired power plants into other kinds of facilities.

"That will provide jobs, both construction jobs and operating jobs, locally. Ultimately those jobs would not be as large as you would have for a coal plant," he told CBC.

The payments are the latest announcement in a series of new initiatives unveiled this week detailing how the province is transforming its energy market.

The post Alberta inks $1.36bn deal with three firms to shut down coal plants appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fgI5Wn

L'IA de Google DeepMind lit sur les lèvres mieux qu'un humain

Nouvel exploit pour DeepMind, la filiale de Google, dont l'intelligence artificielle co-développée avec l’université d’Oxford surpasse de très loin l'Homme quand il s'agit de lire sur les lèvres. Une technologie qui pourrait aider les personnes malentendantes ou bien permettre de contrôler un...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fweqUv

LipNet : l'IA de Google lit sur les lèvres mieux qu'un humain

Nouvel exploit pour DeepMind, la filiale de Google, dont l'intelligence artificielle co-développée avec l’université d’Oxford surpasse de très loin l'Homme quand il s'agit de lire sur les lèvres. Une technologie qui pourrait aider les personnes malentendantes ou bien permettre de contrôler un...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fz4jl2

BHP, Vale throw cash lifeline to their halted Samarco iron ore mine

BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) has approved a $181 million loan for its disaster-struck Samarco iron ore joint venture in Brazil, which will help fund remediation and compensation programs while the mine works towards a restart.

New loans come as Samarco assesses whether it can reopen the Brazilian iron ore mine where a dam disaster killed 19 people last year.

The amount, to be offset against BHP’s previous provision of $1.2 billion, is separate from another $115 million of new loans BHP and its partner in the venture Vale (NYSE:VALE) each have offered to Samarco.

Those funds, BHP said in a statement, will be released to Samarco only as required and subject to the achievement of key milestones.

The moves comes in response to last year’s deadly mine disaster that killed 19 people and led to the filing by Brazilian authorities of charges against 21 officials and employees of BHP, Vale and Samarco.

“A restart of Samarco operations is important for Samarco, BHP Billiton Brazil, Vale, the local communities and for the Brazilian economy,” BHP said. “Restart will occur only if it is safe and economic to do so and the necessary approvals have been obtained from Brazilian authorities.”

The mining giants’ joint venture in Brazil debt has been pegged at $3.7bn and Samarco has had no cashflow since the accident. In September it even missed an interest payment on a $500 million bond.

Earlier this month, a Brazilian court ordered the two firms to pay an initial $350 million to help clean up what is considered the country's worst environmental disaster.

The post BHP, Vale throw cash lifeline to their halted Samarco iron ore mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fgiYmq

Ordinateur quantique : une nouvelle mémoire avec du diamant (MAJ)

Pour fonctionner, un ordinateur a besoin d'une mémoire où il peut lire et écrire des données. Les ordinateurs quantiques n'échappent pas à cette règle mais ils doivent pour cela se protéger contre la décohérence. Les physiciens explorent pour cela la voie du stockage des données avec des...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gcipak

South32 looking for more coking coal mines

South32 (ASX, LON, JSE:S32), the Australian miner spun off from BHP Billiton last year, it's interested in acquiring more coal mines producing the steelmaking kind, following its recent acquisition of Peabody Energy's Metropolitan coal mine.

The company, however, has decided to stay away from thermal coal assets due mainly to uncertainties over demand linked to climate concerns, the company said.

While South32 believes the rally in coal prices may stay until the end of the year, it expects the market to weaken in 2017 for both types, thermal and metallurgical.

Encouraged by an ongoing rally in coal prices, South32 announced earlier this month it would pay $200 million for Peabody's Metropolitan metallurgical coal mine in Australia. Such deal, the miner’s first acquisitive move since it separated from BHP, included a 17% interest in the Port Kembla Coal Terminal, south of Sydney.

Prices for coking coal has risen by more than 300% this year because of Chinese demand and output reductions. Thermal coal, used for energy generation, has also surged considerably — about 100%.

While chief executive Graham Kerr believes prices may stay high until the end of the year, he warned his company expects the market to weaken in 2017 for both coal types.

“Consistent with our strategy, we will continue to identify and evaluate new and exciting opportunities outside our current portfolio, where we see value. But we won’t compromise our balance sheet,” Kerr said in a statement.

He also highlighted the progress the company has made this year, including annual production records at Australia Manganese, Worsley Alumina, Brazil Alumina, Mozal Aluminum and Cannington.

South32 has been the sixth-best stock in the ASX 200 index this year as its shares surged from a low of 89 cents in January to A$2.85 Friday. The company reduced its net debt by US$714 million during the 2016 financial year, leaving the group with US$312m in cash at the end of June.

The post South32 looking for more coking coal mines appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fMuEJO

Bientôt des panneaux solaires au palais de Buckingham ?

Le fameux palais de Buckingham, qui n’a pas entrepris de rénovations de ses infrastructures depuis plus de 60 ans, devrait obtenir l’enveloppe budgétaire pour quelques menus travaux. Le plan prévoit que la résidence royale soit moins dépendante aux énergies fossiles et se dote de panneaux...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gGXqj8

Top 10 des aliments les plus dangereux du monde

Du fugu au poulpe vivant en passant par un fromage italien très spécial, ces spécialités culinaires ne sont pas sans danger... Voici dix des aliments les plus dangereux au monde. À consommer à vos risques et périls.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gtcsGv

Intelligence du chien : il se souvient de ce que vous venez de faire (MAJ)

La mémoire épisodique n’est pas l’apanage des humains, ni même des primates. Les chiens la connaissent aussi. C’est ce que viennent de découvrir des chercheurs hongrois. Voilà qui nous fait revoir à la hausse les capacités cognitives du meilleur ami de l’Homme et qui confirme que cette faculté...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2fxG6eL

Vendée Globe : Conrad Colman, sur 100 % Énergie Renouvelable, « réalise son rêve »

Sur son bateau 100 % Natural Energy, dont Futura est le partenaire média officiel, Conrad Colman se tient dans le peloton du Vendée Globe 2016, dans l'Atlantique sud. Sur son monocoque totalement autonome en énergie, le premier du genre, avec ses voiles solaires et son hydrogénérateur, il...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://ift.tt/2gmqecO

Aussie gold miner with Chinese parent company looking to buy half of Kalgoorlie

Barrick Gold's (NYSE,TSX:ABX) quest to find a buyer of the Kalgoorlie "Super Pit" has taken another intriguing turn.

Over the past couple of days rumours have been swirling that a Chinese company with deep pockets has put in an offer for Barrick's 50% stake in the Australian gold mining operation. The bid is reportedly $540 million above any other competing offer.

Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM) owns the other half and Barrick handed over operational control of the iconic mine to Newmont in May of last year. The Super Pit is expected to be depleted of ore by 2019 but underground mining could continue after that.

[I]f it goes through, the transaction would put an end to earlier dalliances between Barrick and Newmont, the natural buyer of the stake since it already owns half the mine.

Two sources told Reuters that "Barrick Gold Corp. is reviewing the financial backing behind an approximately $1.3-billion (U.S.) bid for its stake in Australia’s Kalgoorlie mine by Minjar Gold, a unit of Shanghai-listed Shandong Tyan Home," according to a story carried today in The Globe and Mail. 

Unsurprisingly, considering that major miners rarely offer press comments on mergers and acquisitions in whole or in part, Barrick was mum on the potential deal. But if it goes through, the transaction would put an end to earlier dalliances between Barrick and Newmont, the natural buyer of the stake since it already owns half the mine.

The Reuters source said Canadian, Australian and Chinese companies have also shown interest in the Kalgoorlie stake, which is Toronto-based Barrick's last gold holding in Australia. The mine is valued between US$600 million and $1 billion. Reserves top 7.5 million ounces and the mine is one of the biggest in Australia, producing about 800,000 ounces annually.

Barrick, the world's No. 1 gold company, has set a target of paying down $2 billion in debt this year, mostly by selling mines or stakes of mines, including its majority stake in its African subsidiary Acacia Mining (LON:ACA). Barrick sold four U.S. gold mines this time last year. Newmont has shown interest in purchasing Barrick's Kalgoorlie stake, but price has been an issue and a deal has so far eluded the Denver-based company. 

Minjar Gold has been on the hunt for Australian mines all year. The company in August purchased Evolution Mining's (ASX:CAH) Pajingo mine for US$40 million – a deal that looks like small change in comparison to the offer on the table for Kalgoorlie.

Perth-based Minjar Gold is incorporated in Australia but is owned by Shandong Tyan Home. That company is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and its primary business is Chinese property development. It has a current market value of $12.1 billion.

News of the whopping bid for Australia's Super Pit emerged around the same time that China’s Chinalco inked a preliminary deal with Peru's government to expand the Toromocho copper mine, the Asian nation’s largest overseas copper project.

The move is part of a series of agreements signed this week that will see China pouring close to $5.3 billion into Peru’s mining and energy sector. Chinalco is expected to inject $1.3 billion into Toromocho in the coming months.

The post Aussie gold miner with Chinese parent company looking to buy half of Kalgoorlie appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gm2uFG

Zinc shoots to 8-year high on expected metal deficit

The last time the benchmark zinc price was this high, Americans were in the throws on an election that saw Barack Obama defeat George W. Bush.

Worries about mine closures have sent the metal used for galvanizing steel on a wild ride; the benchmark zinc price rose 2.1% today to $2,725 a tonne, which is the highest it's been since March of 2008. The 30-day spot zinc price was at $1.20 a pound, 11.2% higher than it was a month ago.

 

Apart from steelmaking raw materials iron ore and coking coal, zinc is the best performing mined commodity in 2016; the benchmark price has nearly doubled (up 90%) since it fell to a 6.5-year low in January of 1,444.40 a tonne.

What's driving the surge? Mine closures. Last year two major mines closed – Australia's Century and the Lisheen mine in Ireland. The two mines had a combined output of more than 630,000 tonnes. The shuttering of top zinc producer Glencore’s (LON:GLEN) depleted Brunswick and Perseverance mines in Canada in 2012 brings total tonnes going offline since 2013 to more than a million tonnes.

At the end of October Glencore added another lead and zinc mine to the list, the Black Star open-pit mine at Mount Isa in Queensland, Australia.

A Reuters survey predicts the zinc market will be in deficit this year by 400,000 tonnes, which portends more good news for the price. Although, dark clouds could be swirling for zinc bulls in the form of zinc inventories built up in London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses. Reuters notes that Macquarie, an Australian investment bank, estimates 1.4 million tonnes of zinc could trickle into the market, thus offsetting the expected supply deficit.

Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), a Chinese market intelligence site, is sanguine on the zinc price for the medium term, predicting that zinc smelters may have to suspend production in the first quarter of 2017 due to falling material inventories.

"This may help LME zinc breach $3,000 per tonne, $3,500 per tonne, or even higher. Nonetheless, there are still some uncertainties from macroeconomic front, such as liquidity, investment, US dollar and Chinese yuan’s trend," according to SMM.

The post Zinc shoots to 8-year high on expected metal deficit appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gEZ198

Finland to ban coal use for energy by 2030

Finland has taken a page from Canada’s books by announcing Thursday it plans to phase out coal by 2030 as the country steps up efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Move is part of broader plans to make Finland's energy production carbon-neutral and based on renewable biofuels by 2050.

The move, part of the Finland government’s energy and climate strategy, aims to make the nation's energy production carbon-neutral and based on renewable biofuels by 2050, Good News Finland reports.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise as the fossil fuels use has been steadily falling in the European nation since 2011. Things got even more serious in 2012, when Finland hiked investments in renewable, leading to a near doubling of wind power capacity the following year, according to New Scientist. And as recent as this February, the government injected a further $85 million (€80 million) into its renewable power sector.

Currently, coal generates barely 8% of the country’s power needs.

The proposed phased out, which needs lawmakers' approval, comes barely days after Canada announced a similar measure and a week behind France’s prime minister announcement that his country would shut all its coal plants by 2023.

The post Finland to ban coal use for energy by 2030 appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2gEQ3sH

China to invest $1.3bn expanding Toromocho, its largest overseas copper project

China’s Chinalco, the country’s main mining company, has inked a preliminary deal with Peru's government to expand Toromocho copper mine, the Asian nation’s largest overseas copper project.

The move is part of a series of agreements signed this week that will see China pouring close to $5.3 billion into Peru’s mining and energy sector, Andina news agency reported.

Move is part of a series of agreements signed this week that will see China pouring close to $5.3 billion into Peru’s mining and energy sector.

Chinalco is expected to inject $1.3 billion into Toromocho in the upcoming months.

A similar agreement was reached with Zhongrong Xinda Group Co. to finance Hierro Pampa de Pongo mining project in Arequipa, with an investment close to $1.5 billion.

Peru also signed a third pact with Xiamen Zijin Tongguan Investment Development Corporation, for a $2.5 billion additional investment in the Rio Blanco copper project.

The massive investments are expected to consolidate Peru as the world’s second largest copper producer, behind Chile, Carlos Galvez, president of the National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy (SNMPE) said (in Spanish).

Figures from the association show that Peru’s copper production would reach 2.5 million tonnes by the end of 2016, displacing China from the second place as the Asian nation’s output is expected to hit only 1.6 million tonnes, while Chile will close the year at 5.8 million.

Toromocho began operations in 2013 and produced 31,407 tonnes of copper and 5,500 tonnes of zinc in the first quarter of this year.

The Junin province-based project has not been exempt of issues, mostly related to pollution concerns and strikes by workers demanding higher wages, the latest of which took place in May this year.

The post China to invest $1.3bn expanding Toromocho, its largest overseas copper project appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://ift.tt/2fvw0el