Minera Alamos attracts new coverage

Haywood Securities has initiated coverage of Minera Alamos (TSXV: MAI) with a buy rating and 12-month target price of C$0.40 per share—a 281% return from the junior’s current share price of C$0.11.

“Minera Alamos holds two development projects in its project portfolio that can be quickly ramped up to production, with the potential to produce ~ 100,000 ounces of gold over the next few years,” mining analyst Kerry Smith states in a research note. “The company’s strategy of finding, building and expanding low capex, near term projects in Mexico is something that the management team has successfully done before. With permits expected shortly, construction could begin in Q3/19 at Santana, and we suggest clients position themselves while the company is undervalued.”

“Minera Alamos holds two development projects in its project portfolio that can be quickly ramped up to production"

In addition to Santana, an open-pit heap leach development project in Sonora state, Minera Alamos is advancing La Fortuna, an open-pit project in Durango state, and has an option to acquire Guadalupe de Los Reyes in Sinaloa state.

The management team is headed up by CEO Darren Koningen, who was a founding member and vice president of mine development of Castle Gold Corp., and was involved in the development and commissioning of the El Castillo heap leach gold mine in Mexico. Castle Gold was acquired by Argonaut Gold (TSX: AR) in 2009 for C$130 million.

Minera Alamos’ vice president of project development, Federico Alvarez, and its vice president of exploration, Miguel Cardona, were also part of the Castle Gold success story. Alvarez served as vice president of operations at Castle Gold and Argonaut Gold and supervised production at El Castillo, while Cardona managed exploration for Castle Gold, overseeing resource expansion at El Castillo from 400,000 ounces of gold to 1.2 million ounces prior to its acquisition in 2009.

Smith estimates the company could bring Santana into production at initial capital costs of about $10 million. If it receives its final permits before the end of June, he reckons the project could be brought into production within nine months.

“We envision a potential 30,000 to 40,000 ounce per year heap leach operation in Phase 1 with all-in sustaining costs expected to average ~ $785 per oz. over a 10-year mine life," Smith forecasts. "Expansion opportunities, as additional resources are added, can be relatively quick and cheap given the modest capex for incremental leach pad space and use of a mining contractor.”

Smith notes that while a resource estimate has not yet been completed, test mining has started and estimates a 300,000 to 500,000 ounce deposit grading about 0.8 gram gold per tonne.

Meanwhile at La Fortuna, Minera Alamos completed a preliminary economic assessment last year, which outlined annual production of 43,000 ounces of gold over a five-year mine life. The open-pit operation is projected to run at 1,100 tonnes per day with average AISCs of $577 per oz. and initial capex of $27 million.

“With final EIA approval expected in Q2/19 and a six-month construction window,” Smith writes, “production could start up in 2020, although this project would be built after Santana.”

The junior acquired La Fortuna from Argonaut Gold in May 2016 for $2 million in cash and a 2.5% net smelter return royalty.

La Fortuna’s measured and indicated resources currently weigh in at 3.47 million tonnes grading 2.78 grams gold per tonne, 16.5 grams silver per tonne and 0.22% copper for 309,800 ounces of contained gold, 1.84 million ounces of silver and 7,600 tonnes of copper. In the inferred category, La Fortuna contains an estimated 156,300 tonnes grading 1.72 grams gold, 8.5 grams silver and 0.09% copper for 8,600 ounces of gold, 42,700 ounces of silver and 100 tonnes of copper.

Finally, Guadalupe de Los Reyes, where Minera Alamos is earning a 100% stake, has a indicated resource of 6.84 million tonnes grading 1.73 grams gold per tonne and 28.71 grams silver per tonne for 380,100 ounces of gold and 6.32 million ounces of silver. Inferred resources add 3.2 million tonnes grading 1.49 grams gold and 34.87 grams silver for 155,200 ounces of gold and 3.64 million ounces of silver.

Osisko Gold Royalties (TSX: OR) owns 13% of Minera Alamos’ common shares outstanding.

Over the last year the junior has traded in a range of C$0.085 and C$0.145 per share, and has roughly 320 million common shares outstanding for a market cap of C$33.6 million.

(This article first appeared in The Northern Miner)

The post Minera Alamos attracts new coverage appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2XZZAMx

Rockridge hits high grades at Knife Lake

Vancouver-based Rockridge Resources reports drilling high-grade, near-surface copper mineralization at the Knife Lake property 50 km northwest of Sandy Bay. Rockridge has an option with Eagle Plains Resources to acquire 100% interest in the historic property.

Drill hole KF19001 intersected net textured to fracture controlled sulphide mineralization between 7.5 to 40.6 metres, returning 33.1 metres of 1.28% copper, 0.12 g/t gold, 4.80 g/t silver, 0.13% zinc, and 0.01% cobalt for an estimated 1.49% copper equivalent.

Drill hole KF19002 intersected net textured to semi-massive sulphide mineralization between 9.7 to 53.5 metres, returning 43.8 metres of 0.78% copper, 0.07 g/t gold, 2.54 g/t silver, 0.07% zinc, and 0.01% cobalt for an estimated 0.93% copper equivalent.

Rockridge noted that anomalous gallium of up to 23.1 ppm and indium of up to 15.2 ppm were present in both drill holes, confirming the results of historical drilling.

The Knife Lake property was extensively explored from the late 1960s to the 1990s, with the last documented work program completed in 2001.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post Rockridge hits high grades at Knife Lake appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2GLh4VX

Anaconda Mining cuts 12.76 g/t over 6 metres at Argyle

Toronto-based Anaconda Mining is conducting an infill drilling program at its Argyle gold deposit located about 4.5 km from its Pine Cove mill and tailings facility at the Point Rousse project. Chief executive Kevin Bullock noted in a release that the grade and thickness continuity has been confirmed near the surface.

Highlights from the eastern part of the Argyle infill program:

• Hole AE-19-122: 76 g/t gold over 6.0 metres(46.0 to 52.0 metres), including 48.30 g/t gold over 1.0 metres;
• Hole AE-19-131: 2.69 g/t gold over 10.0 metres (50.0 to 60.0 metres);
• Hole AE-19-119: 4.83 g/t gold over 5.0 metres (48.0 to 53.0 metres); and
• Hole AE-19-121: 4.94 g/t gold over 8.0 metres(45.0 to 53.0 metres).

These and other drill results will be used to update the open pit mining plan and assist in planning.

The Argyle deposit has indicated resources of 543,000 tonnes grading 2.19 g/t gold for 38,300 oz. The inferred resources are 517,000 tonnes at 1.82 g/t gold for 30,300 oz. of contained gold. A 12-g/t capping factor was applied to these results.

Anaconda said the metallurgical tests for Argyle are complete and the project has been released from further environmental assessment. According to its website, the company was expecting to receive the mining, construction and milling permits in March 2019.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post Anaconda Mining cuts 12.76 g/t over 6 metres at Argyle appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2vuB3Dd

Sandvik acquires digital mining technology company Newtrax

Sandvik AB has acquired privately owned Newtrax, a supplier of technology in wireless connectivity to monitor and provide insights on underground operations, including people, machines and the environment.

“By including Newtrax into the Sandvik family we further strengthen our leading position in areas related to automation and digitalization,” said Henrik Ager, president of Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology.

Sandvik’s suite of digital tools for analyzing and optimizing mining production and processes, coupled with Newtrax’s leading technology in wireless IoT (internet of things) connectivity will create a powerful, streamlined digital solution to improve safety and efficiency in underground mining operations, the company said.

“By combining our current offering OptiMine with the Newtrax offering we can help customers achieve a more efficient use of their resources. The system is agnostic to network or brand of equipment, facilitating a flexible customer solution,” said Patrick Murphy, president of Sandvik Rock Drills and Technologies Division.

Newtrax is headquartered in Montreal and in 2018 the company generated revenues of about C$26 million with 120 employees. Newtrax will be run as an independent business unit within the division Rock Drills and Technologies in the business area of Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter 2019. Parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The deal is initially slightly accretive to earnings per share.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post Sandvik acquires digital mining technology company Newtrax appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2PH5Yp8

Cobre Panama makes initial 25 tonnes for First Quantum

First Quantum Minerals of Vancouver has offered an update on progress at the Cobre Panama copper mine as it made 25 tonnes of copper during the first quarter of this year. The project is on track to deliver between 140,000 and 175,000 tonnes in 2019. About 80% of total output will occur in the second half of the year, as the mill ramps up to its annual capacity of 72 million tonnes by the end of this year.

Also at the mine site, First Quantum has completed, and begun commissioning the power plant. In the mill the first train is finished and commissioned with ore. The No.1 and 2 semi-autonomous grinding (SAG) mills are underway as is similar work on three ball mills.

“We are now realizing the benefits of good design and quality assurance in construction. It is especially rewarding to see our plans for environmental management functioning as intended, and the meaningful partnerships we have built with local communities are already playing an integral role in the operation of Cobre Panama," First Quantum chairman and CEO Philip Pascall said.

First Quantum also has producing mines in Turkey, Mauritania, Zambia, Spain, and Finland. Together these operations produced 145,358 tonnes of copper and 45,929 oz. of gold in Q1 2019. The all-in sustaining cost was $1.72 per lb. of copper and the realized price per pound sold was $2.74.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post Cobre Panama makes initial 25 tonnes for First Quantum appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2ZL5MJQ

Alphamin begins commissioning Bisie tin mine in DRC

Africa-focused Alphamin Resources (TSX-V: AFM) has begun commissioning its Bisie tin mine in North Kivu, a remote province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Mauritius-based miner kicked off construction of Bisie, considered one of the world’s highest grade known tin deposits, in 2017. At the time, an updated feasibility study projected that the mine could produce 152,300 tonnes tin over its 12-year life for an initial $126.1 million. It also estimated that Bisie would achieve payback in 17 months.

Commercial production is expected in the second half of the year.

Construction of the mine, which is surrounded by dense forest, deeply weathered soils and experiences high rainfall, was completed in the first quarter of 2019.

Alphamin said it remains on track to achieve commercial production in the second half the year­­.

Consumption of the metal increased by 2.5% in 2018, compared to 2017. This year, the International Tin Association (ITA) estimates that global demand will contract by 1%, with a usage forecast of 357,000 tonnes for 2019. The industry group also expects a tin production surplus for the first time since 2013.

Over the longer term, tin demand is expected to continue rising as the metal becomes more integrated into various areas of higher-tech production methods related to high-capacity anode electrode materials. Due to increased demand from electric vehicles makers, global consumption could jump by an additional 60,000 tonnes a year by 2030.

The post Alphamin begins commissioning Bisie tin mine in DRC appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2INltek

Android : désinstallez au plus vite les applications infectées par PreAMO

Pour les smartphones Android, six applications populaires du Play Store intégraient un malware baptisé PreAMO, dont l’objectif consistait à générer des revenus issus de publicités pour ses auteurs.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2DH2JZM

Guyana Goldfields CEO to go as miner settles proxy fight with founder

A bitter battle for control of Canada’s Guyana Goldfields (TSX: GUY) between the miner and dissent shareholders led by founder and ousted chairman, Patrick Sheridan, has been finally settled this week, costing the company’s head his job.

As part of the agreement, the Toronto-based miner is appointing two new independent directors to the board — Alan Pangbourne and Allen Palmiere — with other two long-serving independent directors stepping down, it said in the statement.

Guyana Goldfields said it would implement a succession plan for the role of chief executive officer, currently held by Scott Caldwell, who has agreed to stay as President and CEO while the search is underway.

The mid-tier gold producer has been under pressure due to the performance of its flagship and only operating mine, following a sudden resources review.

In March, the company shocked the market by announcing that the amount of gold in proven and probable reserves at its Aurora mine, in Guyana, had declined by almost 1.7 million ounces, compared to estimates a year ago.

The company attributed the unexpected “evaporation” of gold reserves to the adoption of “a new and more appropriate mine model”, which eliminated a previous “ineffective dual reporting” structure.

During the proxy battle, Caldwell repeatedly blamed the flawed figures on “aggressive assumptions”, which he said were based on a 2012 model developed when Sheridan was chief executive.

Sheridan replied by saying the changes were a mere tactic to divert attention from the company’s poor operational performance.

Since that day in late March, Guyana Goldfields’ share price has declined almost 27%, last trading on Tuesday at 96 Canadian cents, down from C$1.32.

The miner’s current market capitalization is sitting at almost C$167 million.

The post Guyana Goldfields CEO to go as miner settles proxy fight with founder appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2ZNwyRR

Tower Resources starts exploration program at Nechako gold project in BC

Tower Resources (TSXV: TWR) announced this week that its team of geologists started an exploration program on the Nechako property, located in the western Canadian province of British Columbia.

In a press release, Tower said the campaign will begin with infill reverse circulation or RC drilling at the head of the Nechako dispersal train.

In the current RC drilling program, six to eight infill holes will be drilled along the first 500 m of the trend to pin down the axis of mineralization.

"The Nechako Au-Ag-Zn-Pb-As dispersal train is similar in size and strength to known trains from some of Canada's largest gold deposits including Blackwater, Casa Berardi, Rainy River, Meadowbank, Meliadine, Amaruk and Hope Bay," the company's media brief reads. "It is 1.5 kilometres wide x 3 kilometres long and originates from a 1.5 kilometres long segment of the April Trend adjacent to the historical April showing which contains the same metals."

The new RC drilling program follows two earlier, 38 and 13-hole programs that were completed in 2017 and 2018.

According to Tower, exploration on the Nechako property has historically targeted porphyry copper mineralization. However, the Vancouver-based firm said the RC drilling showed that the real potential is for Au-Ag-Zn-Pb deposits, with As occurring as a key pathfinder element.

Located 80 kilometres south of the town of Vanderhoof, Nechako sits approximately 30 kilometres northeast of New Gold's significant Blackwater development project. Blackwater contains a proven and probable total mineral reserve of 8.2 million ounces of gold with 60.8 million ounces of silver.

The post Tower Resources starts exploration program at Nechako gold project in BC appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2WeQYBh

American Battery Metals wants option to acquire Viken vanadium project in Sweden

American Battery Metals (CSE: ABC) announced this week that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to acquire a 90% interest in Ontario-based E.U. Energy Corp. and its 100%-owned Viken project in Sweden.

In a media statement, the North Vancouver-based company explained that the letter of intent stipulates that American Battery Metals has to issue 20 million shares in exchange for 90% of the issued and outstanding shares of E.U. Energy, in addition to the right for E.U. Energy to nominate one member to the board.

The proposed transaction is also subject to a non-brokered private placement for C$1.5 million, a bridge loan to E.U. Energy, due diligence, finalization by both parties to enter into a definitive agreement, in addition to regulatory approvals.

As a result of the financing condition in the LOI, ABM will pursue a non-brokered private placement for C$1.5 million.

"This transaction represents a significant milestone for ABM as the Viken is one of the largest, development-stage, vanadium projects globally with the potential for substantial by-product metal production," Michael Mulberry, President & CEO of American Battery Metals, said in the press release.

Viken is located in Jämtland County, some 570 kilometres north-northwest of Stockholm.

The project is host to a significant National Instrument 43-101 polymetallic Mineral Resource, representing an in-situ vanadium (V2O5) Mineral Resource of 163 million pounds in the Indicated category and 16.7 billion pounds in the Inferred category.

According to American Battery Metals, the project has seen a significant amount of work with a 2010 Preliminary Economic Assessment outlining an open pit mine for vanadium, molybdenum and nickel, followed by a 2014 Updated PEA to evaluate the use of bio-heap leaching.

"More recently, E.U. Energy has engaged P&E Mining Consultants Inc. to evaluate a more efficient footprint, lower CAPEX, vanadium-focused operation with the potential for significant by-product metal production," ABM said in the media brief.

The post American Battery Metals wants option to acquire Viken vanadium project in Sweden appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2DEp765

On connaît l’origine de Steve, le mystérieux faisceau violet des aurores boréales

Un ruban mauve et, à sa racine, une palissade verte. C’est ainsi que se manifeste Steve, un phénomène lumineux naturel qui rivalise de beauté avec les aurores boréales mais que les chercheurs peinaient à expliquer. Peut-être parce qu’il est en fait le résultat de la combinaison de deux...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2GOl5c4

L'océan d'Europe, lune de Jupiter, est-il aussi salé que sur Terre ?

Des études en laboratoire pour tenter de reproduire la glace de la banquise d'Europe peuvent nous donner indirectement des renseignements sur la composition de l'océan global de la lune de Jupiter et sur son habitabilité pour des formes de vie. Des missions futures, comme Europa Clipper,...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2V31H5b

Sirius Minerals gets JPMorgan backing for Britain’s biggest fertilizer mine

Sirius Minerals (LON:SXX), the British company building a huge fertilizer mine beneath a national park, has signed up Wall Street giant JPMorgan to provide financing in the form of bonds and credit up to about $3.8 billion.

The bank is underwriting a $400 million share placing, launched on Tuesday, at a price between 15p to 18p a share. It’s also using its balance sheet to provide a $2.5 billion revolving credit, or overdraft facility, which JPMorgan plans to syndicate to other lenders.

The backing, Sirius Minerals said, would be enough to build its Woodsmith polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire and have it in operations by 2021.

“Today’s announcement provides a clear pathway to a fully financed project in the months ahead, while enabling us to progress construction at full speed,” chief executive Chris Fraser said in a statement.

Besides the share placing, Sirius is also hoping to raise $400 million from the sale of convertible bonds, also underwritten, as well as $500 million of senior debt.

Woodsmith, poised to be one of the world’s largest in terms of the amount of resources extracted, will generate an initial 10 million tonnes per year of polyhalite, a form of potash that is used in plant fertilizers. That figure is expected to double once running at full tilt, by 2024.

The operation involves sinking two 1.5km shafts below a national park on the North York Moors and is expected to create about 1,800 jobs during construction, as well as 1,000 permanent positions once it opens.

The ore will be extracted via the two mine shafts and transported to Teesside on the world’s longest underground conveyor belt via a 37km-underground tunnel. It will then be granulated at a materials handling facility, with the majority being exported to overseas markets.

Sirius had originally said it would raise $1.5B of commercial debt and $1.5B of loans backed by the UK government.  That plan was revised in March, when it said it had received a conditional proposal from an unnamed financial institution for the $3B senior debt it needed to move forward with the project, in the works since 2016.

Shares in the company fell as much as 19% to 17.72p on the news — their lowest in more than a year. The drop, likely a market reaction to the higher funding costs and dilution from the share placing, shrunk Sirius’ market capitalization to about $854m from $1B a week ago.

The post Sirius Minerals gets JPMorgan backing for Britain’s biggest fertilizer mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2GVp9c4

Diabète : FreeStyle, l'appli la plus utilisée par les malades, en panne

De très nombreux diabétiques ont eu le malheur de découvrir ce weekend que leur application de glycémie ne fonctionnait plus. Une maintenance en fin de semaine qui aurait mal tourné les a mis en danger. Le laboratoire en cause n’a toujours pas fourni de communication officielle sur le sujet.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2XUkEDZ

Diabète : l'appli la plus utilisée par les malades en panne

De très nombreux diabétiques ont eu le malheur de découvrir ce weekend que leur application de glycémie ne fonctionnait plus. Une maintenance en fin de semaine qui aurait mal tourné les a mis en danger. Le laboratoire en cause n’a toujours pas fourni de communication officielle sur le sujet.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2PFDWKI

Alexa, Google : l'app IoT Inspector vous prévient quand les objets connectés vous espionnent

Pratiques ou futiles, les accessoires connectés pullulent. Si Alexa et Google sont réputés indiscrets, ils sont loin d’être les seuls comme le prouve une application qui espionne ces espions connectés.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2vw0Cno

Le moustique tigre a conquis Paris et plus de la moitié de la France

Le moustique tigre, une espèce capable de transmettre des maladies telles que la dengue, le Chikungunya et le Zika, poursuit sa progression en France : il est désormais implanté dans plus de la moitié des départements, dont Paris, avertissent les autorités sanitaires.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2V91Fsr

La formation de la Lune expliquée par un nouveau modèle de collision

Depuis plus d’un siècle, la question de la formation de la Lune taraude les chercheurs. Et bien que la théorie de l’impact géant semble séduisante, elle explique difficilement certaines observations. Mais des chercheurs pensent aujourd’hui avoir résolu l’énigme.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2XUYQbm

Le satellite Gaia découvre ses premiers astéroïdes

Les astéroïdes de notre Système solaire n'échappent pas aux yeux perçants du satellite d'astrométrie Gaia, qui, en pleine mission de cartographie 3D de la Voie lactée, braque son regard sur plus d'un milliard d'objets célestes, essentiellement des étoiles. L'écrasante majorité des plus de 14.000...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2ZD6uZE

Allergies : interdire ou limiter un millier de substances chimiques dans les vêtements

Plus d’un millier de substances allergisantes dans les textiles d’habillement seraient la cause d’allergies cutanées. L'agence de sécurité sanitaire française (Anses) et l'Agence suédoise des produits chimiques (KemI) suggèrent d’interdire ou de limiter leurs usages.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2UN3QNf

Des cellules photovoltaïques dopées à la caféine !

Les cellules à pérovskite, filière très prometteuse du photovoltaïque, ont l’inconvénient de se dégrader rapidement sous l’effet de la chaleur. Un effet contrecarré par l’ajout de caféine lors de la fabrication, comme viennent de le découvrir par hasard des chercheurs de l’université de Californie.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2UOWvNe

Biodiversité : la France, mauvaise élève et « toujours pas à la hauteur » !

Après avoir accueilli la conférence internationale sur le climat, la France reçoit les experts mondiaux de la biodiversité sous l’égide de l’ONU, se positionnant en « championne » de la protection de la nature. Pourtant, les ONG dénoncent son action qu'elles jugent est loin d’être exemplaire.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2UQ1k9d

Alexa, Google : cette app vous prévient quand les objets connectés vous espionnent

Pratiques ou futiles, les accessoires connectés pullulent. Si Alexa et Google sont réputés indiscrets, ils sont loin d’être les seuls comme le prouve une application qui espionne ces espions connectés.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2LcnJ0T

Nemaska receives independent audit report from BBA

Quebec City-based Nemaska Lithium has received the independent audit report it asked Canadian engineering firm BBA to conduct. The results, says the company, validate its own internal cost-to-complete construction assessment as of Feb. 13, 2019.

Looking at the estimated capex, BBA made an assessment slightly lower than did Nemaska, which estimated a further $375 million is needed to complete the project. BBA also confirmed that the company has made certain internal changes and assigned the appropriate supplementary resources to strengthen control over construction activities and costs.

Nemaska has hired new, seasoned experts to the construction team, and it has streamlined and improved its project control processes. The entire project contract and procurement management function has been brought in house to ensure that contracting strategies are adapted to the current reduced pace of construction.

The audit was undertaken at the insistence of Clarksons Platou Securities and National Bank Financial as part of their due diligence in considering financial support for the Whabouchi mine and concentrator as well as the Shawinigan refinery.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post Nemaska receives independent audit report from BBA appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2LbQXwY

Metso to deliver equipment for Codelco's El Teniente expansion

Metso has been awarded with an order to supply crushing and material handling equipment for the first stage of Codelco‘s El Teniente copper mine expansion project located in Cachapoal province. The order was booked in Metso’s first-quarter 2019 orders received.

El Teniente is the world’s largest underground copper mine as well as the largest operation of the Chilean state-owned copper mining company Codelco. The expansion project called El Teniente New Mine Level is expected to add 50 years to the life of the mine; the start-up of the first stage is in 2023. Once completed, the full expansion will allow El Teniente to maintain its current output of approximately 450,000 tonnes of refined copper per year.

“We are proud of being part of this landmark project in which we will utilize our process and product knowledge gathered over 150 years of experience. In a landscape where challenges are continuously evolving, we are fully committed to keep developing solutions that help our customers to secure sustainable productivity and long-term success,” says Victor Tapia, president, mining equipment business area at Metso.

Metso’s delivery will include primary gyratory crushing equipment with apron feeders and conveyer belts as well as related services. Most of the equipment deliveries to El Teniente are scheduled for 2021, while services will be carried out between 2022 and 2023.

“Metso in Chile and Codelco have a long history of cooperation. This order confirms once again our expertise and our position as a leading equipment supplier for underground mining and as a key equipment a supplier for Codelco. Going forward, we’ll focus on providing El Teniente with a high level of performance, reliability and best-in-class support service throughout the project life cycle,” Tapia concludes.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post Metso to deliver equipment for Codelco's El Teniente expansion appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2V4pz8w

NexGen begins Rook I environmental assessment

Vancouver-based NexGen Energy says the Rook I project description has been accepted by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. That clears the way for the company to begin the environmental assessment of the project.

The environmental assessment will be co-ordinated among NexGen and the two governmental bodies.

NexGen has also filed an initial licence application with the CNSC under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act in order to obtain a construction licence (The CNSC is the federal regulator of all uranium mine and mill projects in Canada).

Rook I includes a proposed underground mine and milling operation on the southwestern rim of the Athabasca Basin about 80 km south of the former Cluff Lake uranium mine. The first deposit to be developed will be the Arrow deposit. NexGen plans to create an underground tailings management facility (UGTMF) which will significantly reduce the surface footprint of the project.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post NexGen begins Rook I environmental assessment appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2DEiArY

North American Palladium expands Sunday Lake with best drill results

North American Palladium of Toronto has expanded the platinum group metals zone at the Sunday Lake property, 25 km northeast of Thunder Bay and 60 km south of NAP’s Lac des Iles mill. The current campaign is focused on a large PGM zone and copper-nickel sulphide mineralization in the deeper portions of the Sunday Lake mafic-ultramafic intrusion.

NAP is the operator and earning a 75% interest at Sunday Lake, and Transition Metals Corp. owns the remaining 25%.

The best assays to date have been returned from recent drilling. Here are some highlights:

• Hole SL-19-026: 41.2 metres with 3.22 g/t platinum, 2.08 g/t palladium and 0.23 g/t gold, 0.57% copper and 0.19% nickel, including 15.8 metres of 9.11 g/t PGMs with 0.88% copper and 0.24% nickel, including an 8.3-metre subinterval grading 13.06 g/t PGM, 1.23% copper and 0.32% nickel;
• Hole SL-19-29: 32.0 metres with 3.35 g/t PGM, including 8.2 metres of 5.44 g/t PGM and 0.52% copper;
• Hole SL-19-25: 14.8 metres with 2.33 g/t PGM and 0.29% copper, including 2.3 metres with 4.11 g/t PGM and 0.48% copper and 1.6 metres with 5.18 g/t PGM and 0.70% copper; and
• Hole SL-19-30: 20.61 metres with 1.87 g/t PGM, including 5.5 metres of 3.67 g/t PGM and 0.83% copper.
  Based on prior drill results, NAP believes the PGM and base metal mineralization is a near continuous blanket with a north-south extent of about 1.5 km and an east-west extent of 900 metres.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post North American Palladium expands Sunday Lake with best drill results appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2Wm207y

Premier Gold shares jump on high-grade discovery in Nevada

Shares of Premier Gold Mines (TSX: PG) went up 7% at Monday's market open on news of a high-grade discovery at the McCoy-Cove project in Nevada. The company's market capitalization sits at C$345 million.

In today's press release, the company announced the discovery of a 118.9 m thick mineralized zone grading 4.12 g/t, including a high-grade interval assaying 15.74 g/t gold across 6.1 m, in the first hole drilled at the Antenna target.

The Antenna target is situated between the historic Cove and McCoy open-pit mines that produced 3.3 Moz. gold and 110 Moz. silver between 1986 and 2006.

In Januray 2018, Premier entered into an agreement with Barrick Gold (TSX: ABX; NYSE: GOLD) whereby Barrick could earn a 60% stake in the McCoy-Cove project by spending $22.5 million in exploration prior to June 30, 2022, with Barrick assuming the operator role.

Last year, Premier and Barrick completed a $4.4 million program funded by the gold major that included 14 holes and 4,738 m of core drilling. Earlier this year, the partners then prioritized exploration targets, including Antenna and six other targets.

So far, the 2019 exploration program has completed four reverse circulation (RC) drill holes in 2,729 metres.

(A version of this article first appeared in The Northern Miner)

The post Premier Gold shares jump on high-grade discovery in Nevada appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2UMDw6a

Russia’s Nordgold injects another $70m into Guinea mine

Russian miner Nordgold (LON:NORD) invested $70 million last year in its Guinea-based gold mine, $22 million more than the total allocated in 2017, the company said on Monday.

Nordgold, which spun off of Russian steelmaker Severstal in 2012, said the funds allowed it to both, extend Lefa mine’s life and improve efficiencies at the operation.

The gold producer, which acquired the mine in 2010, said it since has invested almost $1 billion in the West Africa’s nation. Additionally, Nordgold has paid $180 million in corporate taxes and royalties from 2011 to 2018.

Nordgold acquired the Lefa mine in 2010 and has already invested roughly $1 billion in Guinea.

“We remain committed to Guinea and to driving performance at the Lefa mine,” the operation’s acting manager, Alejandro Rodriguez, said in the statement. “This intensive investment programme will put us in the best position to maximise the value of this major asset.”

This year, Nordgold estimates it would increase its investment in Lefa by 15% to about $80 million.

Lefa is one of the largest gold mines in Guinea, employing almost 1,200 people directly, as well providing over 800 indirect jobs.

The operation has invested significantly to improve the provision of local health and education services, including support in the fight against Ebola, as well as the creation of new medical facilities and some 40 schools.

Nordgold, which acquired many of its major assets during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, also operates in Russia, Kazakhstan and Burkina Faso.

The post Russia’s Nordgold injects another $70m into Guinea mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2GR8ia6

Pulsars : écoutez leur musique avec RadioAstron, Gérard Grisey et Jean-Pierre Luminet

Il y a presque 30 ans, le compositeur français Gérard Grisey faisait équipe avec l'astrophysicien Jean-Pierre Luminet pour créer une œuvre musicale utilisant les « battements de cœur » de pulsars, ces étoiles hyperdenses plus petites qu'une montagne mais aussi lourdes que le Soleil. Le Hubble...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2V3tWAB

Newmont Goldcorp to halt Mexico mine due to blockade

Newmont Goldcorp Corp (NYSE: NEM) (TSX: NGT) said Monday it will temporarily halt operations at its Peñasquito gold mine in Mexico due to illegal blockade by a trucking contractor and some members of the Cedros community.

The world’s largest gold producer by market value, output and reserves said it remained committed to “good-faith dialogue” with the roadblock’s leaders. It also noted  it was working with Mexican authorities to resolve the situation in “a safe, fair and timely manner.”

A comprehensive contingency plan is in place to resume operations once the illegal barrier is lifted.

The Peñasquito mine produced 272,000 ounces of gold in 2018, the company said.

More to come…

The post Newmont Goldcorp to halt Mexico mine due to blockade appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2Y0l2RJ

Last coal-fired power plant in Massachusetts gone in a few seconds

It took only 10 seconds to implode two 500-foot cooling towers that belonged to the Brayton Point Power Station in Somerset, Massachusetts.

The concrete structures demolished last Saturday were the last remains of the last coal-fired plant in the northeastern US state. Originally built in 1953, the facility provided electricity to millions in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island for five decades until it closed in 2017.

According to the Associated Press, the new owners of the property, Commercial Development Co., plan to turn the site into a facility dedicated to supporting off-shore wind farms.

The hundreds of people that gathered around Somerset's waterfront to witness last weekend's event, also flooded social media with videos of the demolition, like the one below.

The post Last coal-fired power plant in Massachusetts gone in a few seconds appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2DBE5tO

ePower Metals wants to acquire historic Mexican gold mine

ePower Metals (TSXV: EPWR) announced that it has entered into a binding letter of intent with Minera Alamos for the assignment of the option to earn a 100% interest in the Los Reyes gold project located in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, Mexico.

In a press release, the Vancouver-based miner explained that the LOI stipulates a 30 day period to enter into a definitive agreement.

At present, Minera Alamos (TSXV: MAI) has the right to acquire a 100% interest in Los Reyes, pursuant to an option agreement entered into with Vista Gold Corp.

If the transaction goes through, ePower says it will change its name to "Prime Mining Corp.", and will focus its resources on the immediate development of Los Reyes.

Previously known as Guadalupe de los Reyes, the underground mine opened in the late 1800s.

"Los Reyes is an exceptional opportunity for exploration and potential development, to be fast-tracked through a PEA and a construction decision with low capital expenditure and reduced technical risks," Andrew Bowering ePower's incoming CEO, said in the media brief. "The company will work to complete a PEA technical study on the project while continuing to drill to expand existing data as well as promising new targets."

To acquire Minera Alamos' interest in Los Reyes, ePower must make a cash payment of $1.5 million and assume Alamos' remaining option payments of $3 million; issue 9,450,000 post-consolidation common shares and 3,350,000 common share purchase warrants entitling Minera Alamos to acquire further post-consolidation common shares; enter into a governance agreement, among other conditions.

Located 43 kilometres southeast of the mining centre of Cosala, Los Reyes has a mining history that stretches back into the 1700s and has seen mining activity as recently as the 1980s.

According to ePower, recent development work has focused on conventional milling and carbon in leach extraction of gold and silver.

Previously known as Guadalupe de los Reyes, the underground mine opened in the late 1800s and to date is the most significant source of gold production in the district. It is estimated to have produced 500-600K oz of gold and 40M oz of silver at reported grades of +10 g/t Au and +500 g/t Ag.

The post ePower Metals wants to acquire historic Mexican gold mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2V3sTAL

Australia’s Alliance Mineral inks key lithium deal with Chinese EV firm

Australian lithium producer Alliance Mineral Assets (ASX: A40) said Monday it had inked a joint venture deal with a major Chinese maker of engines for electric vehicles (EVs), which would allow the miner to feed its output into the partner's manufacturing process without capital costs or construction risks.

As part of the deal, Alliance and Jiangxi Special Electric Motor have agreed to move into the downstream lithium products market within the next six to 12 months.

The West Australia-based miner will export spodumene from its Bald Hill operation to Jiangte, which will then process the material at the plant in China’s Jiangxi Province into lithium hydroxide, a more refined, higher value and higher margin product.

The partners will then sell the lithium hydroxide to third parties, with Alliance and Jiangte to equally share in the sales after recovering each party’s respective mining and conversion costs.

“The hydroxide joint venture provides for a rapid, low risk entry into downstream production and sales of battery-grade lithium products,” Alliance managing director Mark Calderwood said in the statement.

Alliance, previously known as Tawana Resources, will retain ownership of the Bald Hills mine, which began commercial production of spodumene in mid-2018. Output is expected to ramp up to 20,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate per month by 2020.

Shares in the lithium producer went ballistic after the news, climbing up more than 6% to A$0.18. Year-to-date, however, the stock is down about 26%, amid an ongoing sell-off of lithium stocks. Last week alone, the Global X Lithium ETF dropped by 4.3%.

The post Australia’s Alliance Mineral inks key lithium deal with Chinese EV firm appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2WbdZ80

Samsung Coin : le géant du high-tech va-t-il lancer sa propre cryptomonnaie ?

En plus de ses gammes de smartphones, Samsung développe actuellement sa propre technologie blockchain. Elle pourrait aboutir à la création de sa monnaie virtuelle.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2GGaW1c

La plus ancienne empreinte de pas humain des Amériques découverte au Chili

La plus ancienne empreinte de pas humain des Amériques a été identifiée à Pilauco, dans la ville d'Osorno dans le sud du Chili, ont annoncé des archéologues de l'université australe du Chili. Son âge a été estimé à 15.600 ans par datation au carbone 14 des restes végétaux (graines et bois)...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2Vwl1XN

Biodiversité : 130 pays réunis à Paris pour sauver la "cathédrale du vivant"

Scientifiques et diplomates de 130 pays se réunissent cette semaine à Paris pour adopter la première évaluation mondiale des écosystèmes depuis près de 15 ans, un sombre inventaire de la nature vitale pour l'humanité.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2ZENLNv

Des plantes OGM favorisent la propagation de virus mutés

L’édition génomique est aujourd’hui largement employée dans de nombreux domaines de la science. Grâce à elle, les chercheurs opèrent des modifications génétiques ciblées. Mais une équipe vient de découvrir que, dans certains cas, la technique pouvait avoir des conséquences fâcheuses.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2VysZQe

Bien-être connecté, territoires durables, travail 4.0, EDF Pulse 2019, le concours de l'innovation est ouvert

Comme chaque année, EDF se met en quête des pépites françaises et européennes qui répondent aux défis de demain. Pour cette 6e édition, trois catégories sont mises à l’honneur : bien-être connecté, territoires durables et travail 4.0. Des domaines où les startups ont largement de quoi faire...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2DGSqFk

Voici les premières chaises dessinées par intelligence artificielle

Grâce au design génératif, les créateurs optimisent la fabrication et l’usage de leurs sièges. Une approche entièrement nouvelle de la conception, même si certaines notions échappent encore aux algorithmes, comme le fait de pouvoir… s’assoir sur la chaise.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2DBp1wg

Les agences spatiales se préparent à l'impact d'un astéroïde

Afin de se préparer au mieux à l'impact d'un astéroïde contre la surface de la Terre, les agences spatiales américaines et européennes, la Fema et le Bureau de coordination de défense planétaire se préparent à cette éventualité. S'appuyant sur un plan d'action américain qui détaille les règles à...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2PAXhg3

M2i : la startup française qui nous débarrasse des insectes avec ses phéromones

Oubliez les pesticides chimiques et les produits polluants. Il existe un moyen bien plus écologique et très efficace pour lutter contre la pyrale du maïs et le charançon du palmier : les phéromones, des substances émises par les insectes et que l'on peut reproduire en laboratoire. Et ça tombe...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2ZEyTyt

L'avion amphibie l’Equator P2 Xcursion a réussi son premier vol

Avec sa motorisation électrique, l’hydravion P2 Xcursion a pu réaliser son premier véritable vol. L’occasion de vérifier la maniabilité de cet appareil original.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2vrnd4v

Science décalée : de la bière pour développer ses photos

Kodak et le brasseur américain Dogfish se sont associés pour mettre au point une bière vitaminée servant de révélateur de films argentiques. Côté goût, les puristes trouveront peut-être à redire...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2XUJjbt

China's iron and steel association warns on over-capacity, shrinking profits

China's Iron and Steel Association said on Sunday the industry faces ongoing risks from excess capacity, as well as sluggish demand and increased raw material costs that could squeeze profits.

The country's sprawling steel sector, which has cut 150 million tonnes of steel production over the past three years, was "far from achieving its tasks" amid Beijing's supply-side reforms, the association said in an online statement.

Some companies were looking to boost output, turn out low-grade steel and use cheaper but more polluting induction furnaces, it said, adding that fixed asset investment in the ferrous metal refinery and processing industry rose 30.6 percent in the first quarter.

The industry should work to avoid any illicit increase in new capacity, reduce leverage and push forward with the restructuring of "zombie firms", the association said.

"Keeping the balance between demand and supply is a key premise for maintaining the stabilization of the steel market," it said.

It forecast weaker demand for iron and steel due to structural changes in the world's second-largest economy, and said the industry would not be able to sustain high production growth, which saw crude steel output jump 9.9 percent in the first quarter.

A sharp rise in the price of raw materials in the first quarter, when imported iron ore rose from $60 a tonne to $90 a tonne, had also significantly squeezed industry profitability.

The sector is also at the centre of the government's efforts to curb pollution, although complying with stricter standards could raise production costs and hurt profitability, it said.

The association also urged banks to remove restrictions on lending to the industry to help companies obtain financing and lower their costs.

(Reporting By Shu Zhang and Jenny Su; editing by Richard Pullin)

The post China's iron and steel association warns on over-capacity, shrinking profits appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2IKq1Ct

Still a way to go to achieve gender balance in the mining industry

Following the gender session held this at this year's PDAC, where gender balance in the industry and the #MeTooMining initiative were discussed, the Responsible Mining Foundation issued a summary report related to the topic.

The summary is based on a chapter of RMF's 2018 Responsible Mining Index and it presents an assessment on the performance of 30 of the most important mining companies in the world when it comes to the properly integrating women into their workforce.

"The RMI 2018 results reveal that most of the 30 companies assessed show little or no evidence of efforts to strengthen the gender balance of their leadership and governance teams," the summary reads. "The companies scored an average of only 4.5% on the question of implementing interventions to bolster the diversity and inclusivity of their boards and senior management. These results tie in with other research that has shown very low levels of women's participation at these levels."

Chile's Codelco is a good performer when it comes to gender issues as it has established company-wide principles and guidelines on the provision of gender-appropriate bathrooms, changing rooms, work clothes, PPE, and rooms for women workers to express and store breastmilk. Photo by Codelco.

According to the Switzerland-based non-profit, there is also room for improvement beyond board and senior management levels as their estimates suggest that women occupy approximately 10% of jobs in the large-scale mining sector.

"Gender-based bias and discrimination in hiring practices play a role in this, as do work schedules that interfere with family responsibilities and cause social isolation, making mining work unattractive for many women," the RMF document states.

The organization based the previous statement on its experts' believe that there is persistence of old paradigms within the industry, such as the outdated idea that women are not strong enough to work in underground mines.

For instance, the report brings back the fact that South Africa repealed a ban on women underground miners just a decade ago while India did the same only this year.

In the RMF's view, companies stand to benefit from having more women in their workforces. "Higher female workforce participation can also raise attendance and retention rates and reduce organisational risks within businesses. Mine managers cited that greater gender diversity fostered innovation and improved team dynamics and communications."

The NGO refers to managers in companies such as BHP, where there is a plan of action to achieve gender parity in all divisions by 2025, and Newmont, where the plan is to achieve gender parity in senior management by 2030, with a near-term goal of women holding at least 30% of senior roles. Similar targets exist at AngloGold Ashanti and AngloGold American.

The gender chapter in the Responsible Mining Index concludes with a call to increase safety measures for women working in the mining industry, particularly after a Canadian study revealed that almost 40% of women working in mine sites reported having experienced harassment in the last five years.

"It is at the mine-site level where women are most vulnerable to unsafe and hostile working conditions," the dossier reads. "The RMI 2018 results show that the vast majority of the assessed companies are unable to demonstrate that they have systems in place to ensure the provision of gender-appropriate PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] for their women workers: over 75% of the companies assessed scored zero on this question. And while many have policies in place to prevent sexual harassment, 75% of the companies show no evidence of systematic measures to prevent harassment of women workers."

The post Still a way to go to achieve gender balance in the mining industry appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2IL9pu9

Scientists use graphene to create diode for cheaper and more durable fluorescent lamps

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology succeeded in creating light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, on a graphene surface.

According to a brief that explains their research, professors Helge Weman and Bjørn-Ove Fimland, and Ph.D. candidates Ida Marie Høiaas and Andreas Liudi Mulyo were able to create a new electronic component that has the potential to become a commercial product. The diode is non-toxic and could turn out to be cheaper, and more stable and durable than today’s fluorescent lamps.

“The problem today is that many UVC lamps contain mercury. The UN’s Minamata Convention, which went into effect in 2017, sets out measures to phase out mercury mining and reduce mercury use,” the scientists’ statement reads. “The convention was named for a Japanese fishing village where the population was poisoned by mercury emissions from a factory in the 1950s.”

The Norwegian group’s invention consists of a layer of graphene placed on a glass surface. This forms the substrate for the new diode that generates UV light.

An early prototype of the UV LED in which researcher Ida Marie Høiaas is working on at CrayoNano. Photo by Mona Sprenger, provided by Norwegian University of Science and Technology..

Graphene is a high-quality form of graphite that 'evolves' into a material made of a single layer of carbon atoms. It is super-strong, ultra-thin and crystalline.

Using nanowires of aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN) grown on graphene lattice and delivered to them from Japan, the researchers make metal contacts of gold and nickel on the graphene and nanowires. When power is sent from the graphene and through the nanowires, they emit UV light.

“Graphene is transparent to light of all wavelengths, and the light emitted from the nanowires shines through the graphene and glass,” Høiaas said. “It’s exciting to be able to combine nanomaterials this way and create functioning LEDs.”

According to the Ph.D. student, who is working with the same technology on an industrial platform for startup CrayoNano, UVC LEDs that can replace fluorescent bulbs are already on the market, but her goal is to create far more energy-efficient and cheaper diodes because one reason that today’s UV LEDs are expensive is that the substrate is made of aluminium nitride. Graphene, on the other hand, is cheaper to manufacture and requires less material for the LED diode.

The post Scientists use graphene to create diode for cheaper and more durable fluorescent lamps appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2XNLGgk

Iron ore miners should take advantage of high prices and improve their credit scores: Fitch

In a recent report, Fitch Ratings states that the rise in iron prices to over $90/dmt in April should provide cash flow windfalls for global iron ore producers through 2020, even though such prices are expected to eventually stabilize at the ~$75/dmt mark.

The credit ratings and research division of the Fitch Group does not foresee the price of iron ore going below $70/dmt any time soon due to the tighter supply following Brazil’s Vale dam collapse in Brumadinho in January and subsequent idling of mines across the state of Minas Gerais, as well as the heavy rains registered in the northern part of the South American country, which have affected some production in Vale's Northern System. “The idled Brazilian mines represent 93 million metric tons of annual production.”

Supply is also tight due to a series of cyclones affecting Australia, which damaged Rio Tinto’s port and disrupted exports from Fortescue Metals Group and BHP.

In Fitch’s view, Australian companies could lose up to a combined 25 million metric tons of production in 2019, particularly after Rio Tinto and BHP both confirmed that this year’s production would be lower due to the storms.

Fitch says that the absence of significant volumes from projects in 2019 and 2020 is one of the factors providing price support.

Meanwhile, demand is expected to remain constant, particularly that of China, which represents around 60% of global iron ore consumption. This is because the central government has decided to put forward stimulus measures such as reducing value-added taxes and promote further infrastructure development.

Lower supply, healthy demand and higher prices mean extra resources filling up miners’ coffers. According to the market research firm, this should benefit the credit profiles of iron ore producers, particularly that of Vale, which received a BBB-/Rating Watch Negative following the Brumadinho disaster. However, the additional cash flow could also benefit the credit ratings of BHP Group and Rio Tinto, graded with an A/Stable; CAP, which got a BBB-/Stable; Companhia Siderurgica Nacional, that earned a B-/Stable, and Fortescue Metals Group, which got a BB+/Stable.

For Fitch’s experts, miners should not wait to use additional funds to improve their credits because supply is expected to eventually go back to normal as, for example, Fortescue resumed shipments less than a week after port disruptions, while a state court in Minas Gerais partially suspended its injunction halting Vale's Brucutu mine production, which means that some of its annual production of 30Mmt will reach the markets.

“Our iron ore price deck for rating purposes currently stands at $75/dmt for 2019. We expect some of the supply tightness and market dislocation to be transitory, the gap of lost production to narrow, and the price of iron ore to soften in second-half 2019,” the report concludes.

The post Iron ore miners should take advantage of high prices and improve their credit scores: Fitch appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2GOaOhs

Argentina expects $29B in mining investments in 2019

The Argentinian Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs issued a report this week stating that it expects mining industry investments to reach $29 billion and employ about 80,000 people in 2019.

According to the group, the mining sector is experiencing continued growth and has become the sixth most important sector when it comes to exports.

"At the Chamber we work day in and day out to create synergies with the states, contribute to better public policies, professionalize the relationship between public and private entities, and create a political and social dialogue that generates a shared vision of a sustainable industry," Marcelo Álvarez, First Vice-president of the Chamber, said when presenting the report to the local press.

Álvarez's presentation was made at the launching of Arminera, an international mining expo taking place in Buenos Aires in May.

At the event, the executive also said that the Argentinian mining industry is working hard to comply with a program called "Towards sustainable mining," which provide companies with concrete tools on how to operate in a transparent fashion and following international environmental and sustainability standards.

The post Argentina expects $29B in mining investments in 2019 appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2voRe4D

Concours photo : découvrez le monde en infrarouge !

L’œil humain ne distingue pas le rayonnement infrarouge. Pourtant, des techniques photographiques permettent d’avoir accès à ce monde étrange aux couleurs psychédéliques. Découvrez ces images récompensées au premier concours photo du genre.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2PyLezK

Science décalée : ceux qui portent des lunettes seraient plus intelligents

Pour s’en rendre compte, il suffit de regarder autour de soi, d’ouvrir un magazine ou d’allumer la télé. Les personnes qui portent des lunettes semblent généralement plus intelligentes. Mais ne s’agit-il là que d’une idée reçue ou existe-t-il un fondement scientifique ?

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2UHG2KF

Une espèce éteinte d'arbre à fleurs refait surface à Hawaï

Un arbre à fleurs porté disparu a été redécouvert à Hawaï au cours d'une campagne d'observation par drone, d'après un communiqué du National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) une institution œuvrant pour la recherche et la protection des plantes rares et menacées à Hawaï et en Floride. L'espèce...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2vy9KId

Expédition Tara Oceans : 200.000 virus peuplent l’océan

L’océan Arctique est une véritable « pépinière » de virus marins, ont révélé des échantillons prélevés lors de l'expédition Tara Oceans, une découverte surprenante tant biodiversité foisonnante rime davantage avec tropiques qu'avec pôles, dans le monde animal et végétal.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2ZBJp9K

La Cité de l’Espace vous emmène sur la Lune : embarquement immédiat !

Voilà bientôt 50 ans que l’Homme a posé, pour la première fois, le pied sur la Lune. Et presque aussi longtemps qu’il n’y est pas retourné. Récemment, la Nasa a annoncé ses ambitions : elle enverra des astronautes sur la Lune dès 2024. Mais la Cité de l’espace a coiffé l’agence américaine sur le...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2L8mXlr

India’s 2019 elections bode well for mining sector — report

India is currently holding its Lower House general elections and Fitch’s Solutions’ Country Risk team expects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to win the most number of seats, but fall short of a simple majority in the Lower House.

Under this scenario, Fitch forecasts in its latest industry trend analysis, India's mining sector would see solid growth in the coming years, boosted by the Bharatiya Janata Party's friendly policies towards mining, vast mineral reserves and improving commodity prices.

Policy continuity of Modi's reforms in the mining industry would drive substantial positive changes despite slow implementation, the analysts say. Since coming to power in 2014, the Modi government has enacted a series of liberalising reforms in an attempt to increase foreign investment into the sector.

Modi's re-election would also safeguard the new National Minerals Policy (NMP) approved in March 2019, according to which the government aims to increase the production of major minerals by 200% in seven years.

The possibility of an opposition win by the Indian National Congress poses risks to Fitch’s forecast, as the party has promised to better enforce the Forest Rights Act in their manifesto.

The results of the election will be released May 23.

Read Fitch’s full report here.

 

The post India’s 2019 elections bode well for mining sector — report appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2ZBTBiC

Cobalt price collapse hits Sherritt’s earnings — shares drop

Investors dumped Nickel and cobalt miner Sherritt International’s (TSE: S) shares on Friday, after the company released  first quarter earnings.

Sherritt reported record first quarter nickel and cobalt production at its Cuban JV.  In Q1 2019 nickel production was 4,397 tonnes, up 54% from last year, while finished cobalt was 426 tonnes, up 27%. The combined nickel and cobalt total for Q1 2019 marks the Moa JV’s highest ever first quarter production results.

But Sherritt’s Q1 2019 adjusted EBITDA was negative $1.2 million, down from positive adjusted EBITDA of $35.5 million in Q1 2018.

The decrease, Sherritt said, was due to a number of factors, including a 70% year-over-year decline in realized cobalt prices and lower contributions from the oil and gas business as a result of decreased net working-interest production stemming from maturing oil fields and a lower profit share.

“Our record production results in Q1 2019 were negatively impacted by the dramatic 70% decline in realized cobalt prices, contributing to considerably lower by-product revenue and higher NDCC than we have experienced in recent quarters Our Q1 progress was also impeded by the disappointing collections on our Cuban overdue receivables,” David Pathe, Sherritt’s president and CEO said in a statement.

Sherritt ended Q1 2019 with cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $177.3 million, down from $207.0 million at the end of 2018. The decrease, Sherritt said, was due to the timing of capital expenditures, interest paid on outstanding debentures and changes to working capital, including lower than expected Cuban energy receipts.

By Friday afternoon, Sherritt’s stock was down 20.5%, priced at $0.29. More than $5.3 million shares were traded, nearly six times the average volume of 874,582.

The company has a C$115 million market capitalization.

 

The post Cobalt price collapse hits Sherritt’s earnings — shares drop appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2WanQee

Énergie noire : Hubble confirme une accélération de l'Univers qui défie la cosmologie

Le prix Nobel de physique Adam Riess, codécouvreur de l'accélération récente de l'expansion du cosmos observable, vient de confirmer un résultat qu'il clame depuis quelques années. Il y a un conflit entre la détermination de cette accélération déduite des observations de Hubble et celle déduite...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2IMgV8b

Explosion de la capsule Crew Dragon : ce que l’on sait

Un nuage de fumée de mauvais augure s'est élevé de Cap Canaveral, en Floride, le 20 avril dernier, témoignant de l'explosion de la capsule Crew Dragon, développée par SpaceX, lors d'un test au sol de ses moteurs-fusée. D'après les dernières déclarations du Comité consultatif sur la sécurité...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2J5H4OL

Le Tesla Roadster se dévoile un peu plus

Tesla a publié une courte vidéo montrant l'accélération de son futur Tesla Roadster ainsi que des images de son habitacle et de son étonnant système d'ouverture des portières sans poignées.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2GMRKjL

Les jeunes étoiles peuvent rapidement détruire l'atmosphère de leurs planètes

Dans leur jeunesse, les colères des étoiles sont fréquentes et redoutables au point qu’elles peuvent déchirer rapidement l’atmosphère des planètes qui leur gravitent autour. Mais celle de la Terre n’aurait pas duré longtemps si les violentes tempêtes du Soleil ne s’étaient pas calmées. Cela est...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2W8GEKO

ZEN runs environmental baseline studies for Ontario graphite project

ZEN Graphene Solutions (TSXV: ZEN) reported this week that it is collaborating with Constance Lake First Nation to incorporate traditional knowledge into the environmental baseline studies for its Albany graphite project near Thunder Bay, Ontario.

In a press release, ZEN said that the studies are already underway and, together with social baseline assessments, they will be an important input into future project development plans, which include a project design, a class environmental assessment and regulatory permitting.

Material recovered from Albany easily converts to graphene.

"As part of our baseline program design, staff and leadership of CLFN [Constance Lake First Nation] are actively involved to ensure meaningful engagement and economic development opportunities," Francis Dubé, ZEN's CEO, said in the media brief. "By integrating baseline data into the early project planning stage, ZEN will maximize the value to the benefit of both our shareholders and the local community."

Albany is a microcrystalline graphite deposit with a completed PEA. According to ZEN, material recovered from the site easily converts or exfoliates to graphene and therefore has the potential to be a precursor component of devices used by the aerospace, biomedical, water treatment, transportation and civil engineering sectors.

The post ZEN runs environmental baseline studies for Ontario graphite project appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2ZDPPoL

Delrey to start exploring three vanadium properties in BC

Delrey Metals (CSE: DLRY) announced that it has mobilized a team of exploration geologists and samplers to its wholly-owned Star, Porcher and Blackie properties located near Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

In a press release, Delrey said the crew will be ground-truthing several kilometre-scale, high amplitude magnetic anomalies highlighted by the recently completed high-resolution geophysical surveys on its projects.

Delrey says a low snowpack and milder conditions along BC's northern coast allowed its crew to begin exploring shortly after acquiring the properties.

"The magnetic anomalies are interpreted to be caused by accumulations of magnetite in the host gabbros, which may potentially host concentrations of iron, titanium and vanadium mineralization," the company's media statement reads. "The magnetic highs are coincident with anomalous vanadium up to 158 ppm in stream sediment samples collected by the BC Geological Survey. The majority of the anomalies are favourably located near tidewater or along active logging roads, allowing for good access for sampling crews. Bedrock exposures in these anomalous areas will be extensively sampled on all three properties."

According to Delrey, low snowpack and milder conditions along BC's northern coast allowed them to begin exploring the assets in a relatively short timeframe after acquiring them.

Describing the projects, the Vancouver-based miner said Blackie is a 1,213-hectare property located 96 kilometres south-southwest of Prince Rupert. The property is centered on a large gabbroic body hosting iron-titanium-vanadium mineralization within massive titaniferous magnetite with historic bedrock samples assaying as high as 2.14% V2O5.

Porcher, on the other hand, is a 3,525-hectare property located 38 kilometres south-southwest of Prince Rupert and centered on two north-south trending gabbroic dykes hosting iron-titanium-vanadium mineralization within titaniferous magnetite with historic concentrate grades assaying as high as 0.84% V2O5.

Star is a 4,618-hectare property located 27 kilometres south-southwest of Prince Rupert. It encompasses several strong magnetic anomalies which are drained by highly anomalous vanadium in streams, up to 158ppm, sampled in 2000 as part of the British Columbia Geological Survey's Regional Geochemical Survey (RGS) program.

The post Delrey to start exploring three vanadium properties in BC appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2ZDkpyL

Australian junior Aurelia goes after Glencore’s copper mine

Australian exploration and development Aurelia Metals (ASX:AMI) said on Friday it has begun discussions with miner and commodities trader Glencore (LON: GLEN), which it hoped would lead to the acquisition of the Swiss company’s CSA copper mine.

“The company’s high-level assessment is that CSA mine could potentially be a strategic fit for the company, consistent with our general view that further consolidation in the Cobar is potentially attractive,” Aurelia said in a statement.

The underground CSA mine, located in the state of New South Wales, produced 48,000 tonnes of copper concentrate last year. It has a productive life of five years and ore reserves to last around ten, according to Glencore’s reserves and resources report.

The underground CSA copper mine, located in the state of New South Wales, produced 48,000 tonnes of copper concentrate last year.

Aurelia, which is developing the nearby Hera-Nymagee project in western New South Wales, is not the only company that has expressed interest in CSA.

Last month, fellow copper junior Aeris Resources (ASX:AIS) offered Glencore $575 million for the operation, but the parties were unable to reach an agreement.

News of the talks between Aurelia and Glencore comes at a time when companies are scrambling to grab copper assets amid expectations that bigger power grids around the world and an electric-vehicle boom will boost demand, while supplies will remain constrained.

However, industry analysts at CRU say the coming online of major projects — Anglo’s Quellaveco (2022), Teck’s Quebrada Blanca expansion (2021) and First Quantum’s Cobre Panama (already in production) will momentarily eliminate the gap between supply and demand.

The research group, in fact, has cut its forecast deficit and now expects the market will be in a small surplus this year and next, but short again by 250,000 tonnes by 2023.

The post Australian junior Aurelia goes after Glencore’s copper mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2UG9xwH

Les images du cratère d'impact créé par Hayabusa-2 sur Ryugu sont enfin là !

La sonde Hayabusa-2 vient d'inspecter la surface de l'astéroïde Ryugu après lui avoir tiré dessus le 5 avril dernier et a eu la joie d'y découvrir un cratère, a annoncé la Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) dans un communiqué. La taille et la profondeur exactes du cratère ne sont pas...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2Zz7Rsh

Australia approves Cameco’s controversial uranium mine

Australia’s federal government has given the go ahead to Canada’s Cameco (TSX:CCO, NYSE:CCJ) vast Yeelirrie uranium project, located 500 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

The country’s Department of Environment and Energy environmental nod follows the state’s approval of the proposed mine in 2017. That decision, however, is still being fought in the WA's Supreme Court by members of the Tjiwarl traditional owners, particularly after the state Environment Protection Authority recommended to block the development due to the risks to groundwater species.

“We welcome this decision,” Simon Williamson, General Manager of Cameco Australia, said in a statement. “This has been a rigorous and extensive environmental assessment process, and we have worked with the Department over the two-year process to demonstrate how we will reduce and manage any environmental risks.”

Cameco, the world's largest uranium producer, is seeking to develop what is considered one of Australia’s biggest undeveloped uranium deposit in the Mid-West region of Western Australia.

The miner, however, is in no rush to develop it. It has said that a decision to advance any of its projects in Western Australia would depend on market conditions, which it currently considers “challenging and uncertain”.

Yeelirrie, which in the local native language means "place of death", would cover an area 9km long and 1.5km wide and would involve clearing up to 2,422 hectares of native vegetation.

It would also cause groundwater levels to drop by 50cm, and they would not completely recover for 200 years, according to the company's environmental reports.

The federal nod has ignited fresh controversy as it came the day before the federal election was called, on April 10, as first reported by ABC. However,  it was publicly announced only 14 days later in both the environment department and Cameco’s websites.

The Canadian uranium giant acquired the Yeelirrie project from BHP in 2012. More than 10,000 historical and recent drill holes have been completed by prior owners.

The post Australia approves Cameco’s controversial uranium mine appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2L7IzOM

Apple iPhone XI : une fuite révèle les premières images

On commence à en savoir plus sur le très attendu iPhone XI puisque des clichés révèlent la présence de trois modules photo à l'arrière de l'appareil, placés en triangle. Trois modèles devraient débarquer pour prendre la suite des iPhone XR, XS et XS Max avec des écrans compris entre 5,8 et 6,5...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2XJVdFd

Le monde a perdu 12 millions d'hectares de forêts tropicales en 2018

La forêt tropicale, c’est le plus divers des habitats naturels qui existent sur notre planète. Mais depuis quelques années, ses arbres sont abattus au profit de l’industrie du bois ou de la production d’huile de palme, de cannes à sucre ou de soja. Et selon le dernier rapport de Global Forest...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2V02EuY

Un masque d’hypnose connecté testé au CHU de Lille

Le CHU de Lille va tester un dispositif d'hypnose connecté afin de limiter les effets du stress lors d'interventions jugées délicates. Il s'agit de « faire voyager » le patient, masque sur les yeux et casque sur les oreilles, pendant qu'il est examiné.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2IKdW00

La deuxième plus grande colonie de manchots empereurs a presque disparu

Presque tous les poussins nés dans l'une des plus importantes colonies de manchots empereurs sont morts en raison de la fonte de leur habitat ces trois dernières années, selon une étude publiée dans Antarctic Science, qui qualifie ces épisodes de « catastrophiques ». La colonie de Halley, dans...

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2W85lXZ

Un très rare diamant bleu découvert au Botswana

Un énorme diamant ovale de couleur bleu profond de 20 carats vient d’être extrait de la mine d’Orapa. C’est le plus gros diamant bleu jamais découvert au Botswana.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2DA9eOh

Dans Avengers : Endgame, les voyages dans le temps sont-ils crédibles ?

La science-fiction repose parfois sur des données scientifiques crédibles, comme c'est le cas dans nombre de romans d'Arthur Clarke. Peut-on en dire autant avec la question des voyages dans le temps du dernier opus du MCU avec les Avengers ?

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2GInVkc

Le navigateur Brave vous paie pour surfer sur Internet

Avec des millions de téléchargements depuis un an, Brave est le petit navigateur qui monte. Sa spécificité ? Il reverse aux internautes 70 % de ses revenus lorsqu'une publicité s'affiche. Une somme qui doit permettre aussi de financer les sites gratuits.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2IVtRrz

Alzheimer : établir un diagnostic précoce grâce à un jeu vidéo

Pour détecter les symptômes précoces de la maladie d'Alzheimer, des scientifiques de l'université d'East Anglia, de l'université de Londres et du CNRS ont développé un jeu vidéo spécialement conçu à cette fin.

from Les dernières actualités de Futura-Sciences http://bit.ly/2GGvdn8

Granada successfully tests two stage gravity concentration

Granada Gold Mine is encouraged by the results of a new two stage gravity concentration from its Granada gold project near Rouyn-Noranda. Mineralized material that had only 1.01 g/t gold was successfully upgraded to 67.99 g/t.

The pre-concentration study was conducted at the pilot plant of Canada Cobalt Works in Gowanda, Ont.

The test was done on a 120-kg sample of low-grade material from the mine’s waste dump. After the first pass through the gravity circuit, the concentrate contained 12.04 g/t gold. The second pass created a concentrate with 67.99 g/t gold plus 62.80 g/t silver, 0.07% cobalt, 0.04% nickel, and 0.12% copper.

Granada is preparing a summer drill program to test targets near the pit constrained resource. Geological work will also be done to identify additional targets.

So far, a measured and indicated resource of 22.3 million tonnes averaging 1.06 g/t gold for 762,000 oz. and an inferred resource of 6.9 million tonnes grading 2.04 g/t gold for 455,000 oz. have been identified.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post Granada successfully tests two stage gravity concentration appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2UBfCdL

Wesdome continues to hit high grades at Kiena Deep A zone

Toronto-based Wesdome Gold Mines continues to intersect high grades as drilling goes on at the Kiena mine complex in Val d’Or. Drills are testing the Kiena Deep A zone, with excellent results not yet reflected in a resource estimate.

Ongoing drilling is expanding the Kiena Deep A zone both up and down plunge. Here are some highlights:

• Hole 6404: 18.2 g/t gold over 11.0 metres core length (18.2 g/t gold cut, 6.0 metres true width) A2 zone;
• Hole 6406: 66.4 g/t gold over 10.4 metres core length (23.4 g/t gold cut, 5.2 metres true width);
• Hole 6419: 16.8 g/t gold over 9.1 metres core length (16.8 g/t gold cut, 8.5 metres true width);
• Hole 6421: 51.3 g/t gold over 10.3 metres core length (25.0 g/t gold cut, 3.1 metres true width);
• Hole 6427: 18.3 g/t gold over 12.9 metres core length (18.3 g/t gold cut, 4.8 metres true width); and
• Hole 6446: 81.3 g/t gold over 3.1 metres core length (24.8 g/t gold cut, 3.0 metres true width).

Gold was first discovered at what became the Kiena gold mine and mill in 2011, and its history has been on-again/off-again since then. Wesdome restarted production in August 2006, and the mine yielded 1.8 million tonnes of ore averaging 3.4 g/t gold for 200,000 oz. recovered before it was again closed in 2013. The Kiena Deep discovery came in 2016.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The post Wesdome continues to hit high grades at Kiena Deep A zone appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2UHLYTW

Coal hurts Anglo American’s Q1 production, 2019 guidance unchanged

Anglo American (LON: AAL) released its first quarter production results on Thursday, reporting decreased production numbers, mostly because of planned disruptions at its metallurgical coal

division, where production dropped 25%.

“Production is 6% lower in the quarter, with two planned longwall moves at metallurgical coal accounting for 80% of the reduction,” chief executive Mark Cutifani said in a statement.

“Isolated production issues at Venetia (De Beers), Kumba Iron Ore and Platinum Group Metals made up the balance, mitigated by stronger operational performance from copper, with a 4% production increase, and the ramp-up at Minas-Rio, which is ahead of plan following the restart of operations in December 2018,” said Cutifani.

De Beers’ diamond production decreased by 8% to 7.9 million carats driven by lower production at the Venetia mine as it transitions from open pit to underground.

Platinum and palladium production decreased by 5% to 471,900 ounces and by 6% to 326,600 ounces, respectively, due to operational challenges as well as one-off benefits in Q1 2018.

Kumba’s iron ore production decreased by 12% to 9.5 million tonnes due to plant maintenance while Minas-Rio’s iron ore production increased by 61% as its ramp-up progresses well, facilitated by access to higher grade ore in the step 3 licence area.

Metallurgical coal production decreased by 25% to 4.2 million tonnes with two longwall moves in the period compared to only one in Q1 2018.

Thermal coal export production decreased by 2% to 6.6 million tonnes, with solid operational performance across the South African mines offset by lower production at Cerrejón due to dust management.

Cutifani added that by the end of the quarter Anglo had increased its production run-rate and are on track to deliver this year’s production targets.

“Our guidance is unchanged,” Cutifani said.

Late Thursday, Anglo American’s stock was down 2.24%, with shares priced at 2,034p on the London stock exchange. The company has a £28.6 billion ($37 billion) market capitalization.

The post Coal hurts Anglo American’s Q1 production, 2019 guidance unchanged appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2Vp8c1z

Mega deals help Canada's mining industry take centre stage again

Despite unfavourable market conditions, the mining industry is staging a comeback thanks to highly publicized  multi-billion mergers and acquisitions targeting mostly the gold sector.

The aggregate valuation of all miners listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) declined by 12.7% in 2018, to $253.9 billion, compared with a 10.8% decrease in the market capitalization of the entire TSX market, says PwC in its ​Canadian Mine​ report published Thursday.

Liquidity also fell for the second year in a row, with the volume and value of TSX mining shares trading down by 21% and 20%, respectively.

Taken from: Canadian Mine 2019: Shifting Ground.

Performance was hampered by a downward shift in most commodity prices, following a strong showing in 2017, the report reads:

Spot prices for base and precious metals decreased across the board. Zinc tumbled 25%, copper 17% and nickel 6%. Even cobalt and lithium prices, which have registered strong gains over the past five years, suffered double-digit declines in 2018.

However, Dean Braunsteiner, PwC Canada National Mining Leader, believes 2018 marked a turning point for the mining industry.

“While recent mergers were a sign of a wave of consolidation that will help companies better compete for capital, we can expect even more M&A activity in the near future,”  Braunsteiner says. “That creates a cascading effect of further deals as companies sell off non-core assets, which brings new opportunities for management teams to build the next big Canadian mining company.”

After years of speculation around how the sector could regain power, followed by a period of internal restructuring, companies are now focusing on opportunities, PwC ​Canadian Mine​ report states.

Growth was heavily powered by potash and gold. Nutrien overshadowed the top 25 during its first year of operation as the merged entity of Potash Corp. and Agrium. With a market capitalization of approximately $40 billion, it was almost twice as large as No. 2-ranked Barrick Gold. Yet, gold remained the most dominant commodity among the top 25, with 21 companies having exposure to the precious metal, up from 19 a year earlier, PwC notes.

Taken from: Canadian Mine 2019: Shifting Ground.

While joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions are one way the mining industry in Canada is responding to commodity and business pressures, some are also trying to improve the performance of their operations by refocusing their approach to digital transformation.

PwC cites as an example a recent agreement signed by Goldcorp, Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. and Kutcho Copper Corp. to jointly build a new mining supply chain solution based on IBM Corp.’s blockchain platform.

The post Mega deals help Canada's mining industry take centre stage again appeared first on MINING.com.

from MINING.com http://bit.ly/2GJnp5z