Multinational mining and metals processing group Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman remains confident that the platinum group metals (PGM) price outlook is fundamentally positive and that the price gouging of late was merely a temporary phenomenon. “Our view that the fundamental outlook for PGMs is positive is unchanged, with little evidence of a systemic change in the market fundamentals to justify the price collapse observed during 2023.
DRDGOLD posts lower third-quarter output, but higher earnings
JSE-listed gold recovery company DRDGOLD has generated higher adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) for the quarter ended March 31, compared with the same quarter of last year, despite having produced slightly fewer ounces.
Adjusted Ebitda in the reporting quarter of R494-million, or $26.2-million, compares with adjusted Ebitda of R441-million, or $23.5-million, in the prior comparable quarter.
Kenmare paid Moz govt $30 561 in taxes, royalties and fees for 2023
London-listed Kenmare Resources paid the Mozambique government $30 561 – made up of $19 798 in taxes, $10 259 in royalties and $504 in fees – in 2023, the company reports in its ‘Payments to Governments 2023’ report. Kenmare operates the Moma titanium minerals mine in northern Mozambique.
Iamgold guidance on track as Essakane and Westwood shine
Canadian gold miner Iamgold has announced a promising start to the year, reporting robust results across its operations and projects in the first quarter, positioning the company well to meet its guidance targets.
CEO Renaud Adams attributed the first-quarter success to the combination of stable operations and favourable grade reconciliation at the Essakane mine, in Burkina Faso, coupled with Westwood, in Canada, achieving its highest quarter of production since mining restarted in 2021.
Lucara achieves solid quarter at Karowe, underground expansion progressing
Diamond miner Lucara Diamond Corp’s Karowe diamond mine, in Botswana, delivered another solid operational quarter ended March 31, and the company’s high-value diamond production forecast remains robust, underpinned by its focus on operating practices, CEO and president William Lamb says. Work on the underground expansion project at Karowe also progressed well during the quarter, the company points out.
Sibanye reports lowest serious injury rate in its history for the first quarter
JSE- and NYSE-listed Sibanye-Stillwater has reported its lowest group serious injury frequency rate (SIFR) in its history for the first quarter, ended March 31. The SIFR of 2.19 was 15% lower than the first quarter of last year and marked the third consecutive yearly improvement for the group’s SIFR since the first quarter of 2021, when it stood at 4. “The continued improvement in the group safety performance year-on-year is pleasing, confirming that our safety strategy continues to gain traction and that we remain on track for a further reduction of risk for all safety incidents,” Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman said in the group’s first-quarter operating update on May 10.
Anglo American’s South Africa investors open to improved BHP bid, FT reports
Anglo American’s key South African shareholders are open to a takeover offer from BHP, with some advocating for an additional cash component to the bid, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The investors who collectively hold more than 15% of Anglo American, told FT that BHP, the world’s biggest listed mining group, would need to sweeten its offer and they were not opposed in principle to an acquisition by the Australian group.
Unlocking social and environmental benefits through tailings retreatment
The retreatment, or remining, of mine tailings can provide usable land, provide profits for companies and clean the environment by moving the reprocessed tailings to more advanced and well-managed facilities. Owing to changes in legislation, tailings need to be stored in facilities that are better managed and controlled than historical facilities. This means that the tailings from remined sites are sent to new tailing storage facilities (TSFs), said specialist consulting engineering firm Jones & Wagener environmental engineering closure and rehabilitation associate civil engineer Alice Harvey.
Hydrogen’s ‘irreplaceable’ role highlighted by platinum-linked venture capital provider
The role of hydrogen in the decarbonisation of the hardest-to-abate sectors of the global economy continues to be highlighted as “irreplaceable” by AP Ventures, the independent venture capital fund focused on investing in early-stage companies that use or enable the use of platinum group metals (PGMs). “We remain very excited about the hydrogen sector,” was the comment of AP Ventures co-founding partner Kevin Eggers in a Zoom interview with Mining Weekly. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)
Botswana vows to protect interests in potential BHP-Anglo deal
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi vowed to protect the country’s interests, including its 15% stake in diamond giant De Beers, should BHP Group acquire Anglo American. Anglo, which rejected a BHP proposal valuing the mining company at about $39 billion, owns the other 85% of De Beers. Under the proposed deal, BHP — once a major diamond producer itself — said that De Beers would be put on a strategic review. Anglo, the only major miner with a big diamond business, has already been reviewing the future of units including De Beers.