Nimba Mining Company SA has appointed Patrice L'Huillier as Director General and Djiba Diakité as Chairman of the Board of Directors, with both appointments confirmed through separate presidential decrees. The announcement was made on Friday, October 23, 2026, during a national television news broadcast. L'Huillier, a civil engineer specialising in bridges and roads, will serve as Director General for an initial three-year term, which is renewable. According to his appointment decree, he will work under a performance contract with the Ministry of Mines and Geology. The contract will establish his objectives, the methods for assessing his performance and his obligations regarding the transfer of skills to national staff. In a separate decree, Diakité, Minister Director of the Cabinet of...
Rio Tinto’s planned USD 1.9 billion investment in the Kangwinan bauxite project is expected to support more than 1,300 construction jobs in Queensland, while helping secure the long-term future of its Weipa mining operations as existing sources of production approach the end of their lives. Located on Western Cape York Peninsula, Kangwinan will add 20 million tonnes of annual bauxite production capacity, with first output targeted for 2029 and full production expected by 2032. The project will raise Weipa Operations’ annual capacity to around 44 million tonnes from current production of approximately 38 million tonnes. Construction is scheduled to ramp up in 2027. Beyond the immediate employment boost, the investment is expected to help sustain Rio Tinto’s residentially based workforce of...
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A landowning unit in Wainunu, Bua on Vanua Levu has given consent for bauxite mining in the district. Although the district meeting held at Daria Village this week did not identify the mataqali, Tui Wainunu Ratu Orisi Baleitavea confirmed that a landowning unit had given its approval. In an interview with this newspaper, Ratu Orisi said the district development board had worked closely with the company to ensure landowners were well informed about bauxite mining issues. "This is very important and we have had one landowning unit approve of mining in the district and the rest will follow suit," he said. "We have considered employment opportunities and a boost to income for our people so after awareness programs in villages and the visitation by chiefs, the landowners are coming forward....
Centre and states will create a platform to monitor the status of clearances and approvals of auctioned mines bearing minerals such as bauxite, gold, iron ore and limestone. At the first meeting of the inter-ministerial group (IMG) held earlier this month, it was decided that a software should be installed for such online monitoring to expedite post-auction clearances, a senior official said. "This platform (software) will monitor key activities involved in the clearance and approval process. Besides, the states and departments concerned will update the processing status on the online portal for monitoring and expediting post-auction mining," he added. According to the minutes of the meeting of Post-Auction Mining Clearances and Approvals Facilitator (PAMCAF), the preferred bidder will...
Bauxite prices were up 3.5 per cent (US$1.5/dmt), closing at US$44.9/dmt for the week, driven by higher ViU-priced cargos from Brazil. In Malaysia, AK and Spring Energy have resumed mining and are planning to export through Kemaman port, some 20-30km north of Kuantan port. We therefore expect to see exports from Malaysia hit the radar again in the near term, although capacity through Kemaman has some constraints, so it’s unlikely to be large tonnages over the next few months. Malaysian prices remain in the range US$25/dmt to US$27/dmt (unadjusted) for unwashed material. Bauxite originating from Guinea continues to increase its presence in the traded bauxite market (into China), as the SMB joint venture consolidates itself as a consistent export entity with increasing market influence....
The Fiji Government is monitoring the rehabilitation work at bauxite mining sites in the North as outlined by XINFA Mining in their rehabilitation plan. The programme is to be continued until the site is fully rehabilitated, Director Mineral Resources Raijeli Taga said in an official update. Ms Taga said the rehab work was being closely monitored to ensure the conditions set out by the department were being followed. She added, so far, the programme had been carried out well with 120,000 pine trees planted on the Nawailevu South post bauxite mining site. "This rehabilitation work is closely monitored by the department so that it is according to the conditions of rehabilitation given to the company. This monitoring will apply to all their mine sites," Ms Taga said. Mrs Taga said they had...
The lush vegetation grown by Surin Deris, a settler, has shown that land formerly mined for bauxite can be cultivated, with a little bit of extra effort. Surin, 68, a first generation settler in Tanah Rancangan Pemuda Bukit Goh, said the plants were grown about one month after bauxite mining activity was halted. Three acres of his plot of 5.5 acres had been leased to bauxite operators and mining works began in May 2015. “Bauxite mining was stopped in October, last year. They had removed the top soil and dug holes (for removing bauxite) and in December, I started planting bananas. “Since planting these plants. I only water the small palm trees while the banana trees and cassava still survive even in hot weather despite being rarely watered,” he told reporters at his farm on Saturday....
The environmental-impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Bauxite Hills project, in Cape York, has been opened for public comment after the Queensland government accepted the document. ASX-listed Metro Mining in April submitted the EIS to the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. The company said on Thursday that having the EIS open for public comment was a major milestone in the approvals process for the Bauxite Hills project, and followed the securing of native title and access agreements in January. The EIS considered the development of a direct shipping ore bauxite mine, producing up to five-million tonnes a year. The project would not require a tailings dam or dredging or bed levelling of the Skardon river, and would be operated during the dry season, which...
Iran expects to issue a tender by the end of 2016 to build a pipeline in Guinea for transporting bauxite mined in the West African nation to a port for shipment to the Persian Gulf country to provide raw material for a planned $10 billion aluminium production push. The tender would be issued after an economic feasibility study is received by German consultants DMT GmbH in the next two to three months, Mohammad Aghajanlou, director of the mineral industries department of state-owned Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization, said in an interview in Tehran on Thursday. Iran plans to boost aluminium production to 1.5 million metric tons a year by 2025. Iran has a joint partnership with Guinea’s government to develop a bauxite mine in Dabola, about 370...
ASX-listed Australian Bauxite (ABx) is hoping to ship its second batch of bauxite from the Bald Hill mine, in Tasmania, within the next two months. The miner said on Tuesday that full payment had now been received for the maiden cargo of 5 557 t of cement-grade bauxite that left Tasmania in April this year, concluding the first sale of bauxite from the mine. The second shipment of between 30 000 t and 40 000 t was progressing, with a large stockpile site in the receiving port being set up to receive the bauxite. ABx said that, while the sales price for the second shipment was "satisfactorily profitable", it remained confidential. The continuing sales of cement-grade bauxite would allow ABx to continue to fund its growth from revenues, including research and development to allow the...
Hydro and Brazilian mining company Vale has ended negotiations on the possible acquisition of Vale's 40 per cent interest in Brazilian bauxite producer Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN). The two companies entered into a letter of Intent (LoI) regarding the possible transaction in October 2015, but have not been able to agree on commercial terms. Hydro will continue to own 5 per cent of MRN, as well as to purchase bauxite from Vale under commercial agreements entered into in 2011. Hydro acquired Vales' other Brazilian aluminium assets in 2011, including the 57 per cent interest in the Alunorte alumina refinery, the Paragominas bauxite mine, a 51 per cent interest in the Albras smelter, and their 61 per cent interest in the CAP alumina refinery project, all located in the state of Para. The 2011...
The Centre has called a meeting of the Indian state governments this month to deliberate on making the next phase of mineral mines’ (iron ore, bauxite, limestone, gold) auction a success after the initial round failed to get a strong response from the industry. The high-level meeting, to be chaired by Steel and Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, is scheduled to be held in Goa by month-end and will also discuss issues like setting up of District Mineral Foundation (DMF), status of National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) and steps to check illegal mining. As per the letter issued by the Union Mines Ministry, a meeting with Ministers in-charge of Mining Department of all state governments has been called by Tomar on key issues pertaining to the mining sector on May 27, 2016 at Goa....
Bauxite prices remained flat over the week, down slightly (0.1 per cent or US$0.1/dmt) to close at US$43.4/dmt. This was despite higher ViU-adjusted material from Brazil impacting prices. Bauxite exports from Guinea by SMB (Weiqiao) are also influencing CBIX, although it remains unclear what grades the company can consistently export from its current tenements. The company is reportedly loading at least one cape vessel per week, so we expect to see Guinean prices having more influence on CBIX over the weeks and months ahead. We also expect to see Malaysian bauxite re-enter to the market over the months ahead, raising the prospect of Chinese merchant refiners looking to continue building their stockpiles, collectively estimated by CM at 35 million tonnes. Activity in Malaysia remains quiet...
The Supreme Court on Friday scrapped a petition filed by state owned mining company Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) to consider afresh the possibility of holding gram sabhas to decide bauxite mining on top of Niyamgiri hills. A bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi, refused to entertain the petition. The court, instead, directed OMC to approach appropriate forums against the decision of the gram sabhas held in July-August 2013. The state government through its PSU Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), had filed an interlocutory application in the apex court. After a failed bid to mine bauxite atop the Niyamgiri hills, OMC had sought re-convening of the gram sabhas to seek afresh the mandate of the affected Dongaria tribals. Allowing mining atop the Niyamgiri range could have...
Exports have experienced a setback in Bua. At least $4 million worth of bauxite remains in Fiji mining sites for a year now despite improvement in the global market. About 70,000 tonnes of bauxite valued at $2.8 million has remained at the Nawailevu stockpile area and 30,000 tonnes worth $1.2m has been kept at the mining site in Dreketi, Macuata. "We have not been able to export bauxite since the first quarter of last year and haven't been able to make changes or to export this year," Aurum Exploration (Fiji) Ltd's director Derek Chiu confirmed. "The global demand for bauxite is very bad and this has affected the situation. The quality of the bauxite from Bua has also delayed our export from Bua," he said. Director mineral Raijeli Taga also confirmed the tonnage of bauxite that has not...
The success of the first phase of mines auction held in February this year has encouraged Chhattisgarh government to go ahead with a second phase of auctioning. This time, the state government is planning to put 10 more mines carrying limestone and bauxite deposits for auction. Of the 10 mines, eight contain limestone deposits, and the remaining two are bauxite mines. The bauxite mines spread over Sarguja area are crucial for the state’s industrial growth. In February this year, the state government had auctioned four mines, including three limestone and one gold mine. The state exchequer had garnered INR 4000 crore through the auction. Under the amended Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015, that came into force last year, states have been powered to auction...
Chinese buyers have turned to Guinea for bauxite after Malaysia extended ban on bauxite mining by another three months. Imports from Guinea soared 189 per cent month-on-month to 937,000 tonnes in March, of which 93.7 per cent were imported by China Hongqiao Group alone, customs data showed. Some alumina producers in Shandong resumed production after alumina prices rebounded, boosting demand for imported bauxite. With more alumina producers restarting idled capacity, China’s bauxite imports will continue growing in the future, SMM expects. According to China Customs, China imported 5.11 million tonnes of bauxite in March, up 58.6 per cent from February and 16.08 per cent from a year ago. Average CIF price of China’s bauxite imports was $47.54 per tonne in March, down 14.3 per cent...
An agreement between AU Capital Mining and Iron Mountain Mining was done outside the government’s normal process, without the input from the Ministry of Mines. Both are Australian companies and are eying bauxite prospecting at Nende, Temotu. It has been known from a reliable source that the Mines ministry does not recognise the agreement because it was done without the ministry’s knowledge. Currently, it is AU Capital that holds the two tenements and the ministry knows nothing of any transfers of the tenements to Iron Mountain Mining as reported, the source said. Iron Mountain Mining claimed under the terms of the agreement, it would pay a nonrefundable option fee of AUD$100, 000, and if the company elected to proceed with the transaction, Iron Mountain would issue 20-million of its own...
CBIX fell 1.0 per cent (US$0.4/dmt) to finish the week at US$43.5/dmt on April 29. Prices for imported bauxite are keeping low, despite Chinese alumina prices rebounding some 25 per cent from the market lows in January, Bauxite Index reported. Malaysian bauxite prices were unchanged, quoted in the range US$25/dmt to US$27/dmt FOB (unadjusted) for unwashed material. In comparison, washed bauxite from Malaysia was fetching US$38/dmt FOB (unadjusted), broadly in line with our ViU-adjusted expectations. Rumblings about the temporary bauxite mining ban continue in Malaysia, with some camps suggesting it will be lifted for larger producers sooner rather than later, and others suggesting it will be extended beyond the current six months, citing a lack of progress to date.
First Bauxite Corporation announced that it has completed a bulk sample test pit programme at its Bonasika 7 bauxite deposit. The company provided a general update on the expected use of proceeds from the US$15 million private placement of secured convertible notes to Resource Capital Fund VI LP. This included using a portion of the proceeds to undertake a bulk sample pit programme to confirm mining and processing assumptions in the Bonasika Project Feasibility Study and to produce industrial scale volumes of ceramic proppants in a full scale ceramic proppant production facility. Bulk Test Pit Programme Pit preparation, mining and ore beneficiation in the Bonasika 7 deposit commenced in October 2015 and was completed in March 2016. Ceramic Proppant Production Trial During April 2016,...
