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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According to a new market research publication on global bauxite mining trends and outlook to 2020, the world bauxite reserves stood at 27.5 billion tonnes (Bnt) as of January 2016. Guinea had the world’s largest reserves, with 7.4Bnt, accounting for 26.9 per cent of the global total, with most bauxite deposits located in the western and central part of the country. Australia held the second largest reserves at 6.2Bnt. The highest grade bauxite reserves are located in Queensland and the Northern Territory, with the Weipa and Gove mines having grades of 49–53 per cent Aluminium oxide. Brazil ranked third with 2.6Bnt of bauxite reserves, of which around 80 per cent are located in the Trombetas region, the publication noted. As per the data published in the report, global bauxite ore...
A gamut of measures have been taken to systematize bauxite mining and transport in Pahang Malaysia, ever since the moratorium ended last month. As per the new rules, safer pakamatic lorries will be transporting bauxite on newly designed routes to new safer storage sites for stockpiles. The routes will avoid heavily populated residential areas and lorry drivers will be required to abide by load limits to avoid spillage en route. The authorities in Pahang have been talking up these new safety measures in Pahang for months now. The aim is to preempt a repeat of the environmental calamity that befell the state last year as a result of helter-skelter bauxite mining. Work is also underway, they have announced, on improvements to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that operators will be...
ASX-listed Australian Bauxite (ABx) has shipped its first 5,557 tons of cement-grade bauxite from the Bald Hill mine, in Tasmania. The company told shareholders on Thursday that the customer sought a second, larger shipment of between 30 000 t and 40 000 t once the large stockpile warehouse at the receiving port was approved and ready to receive bauxite. The next shipment would occur within the next two months, said ABx, adding that the sales price of the cement-grade bauxite was profitable, but remained commercial-in-confidence. ABx CEO Leon Hawker pointed out that, during 2014, the company had developed three marketing plans for the bauxite produced at the Bald Hill mine, with the first two plans focused on selling metallurgical bauxite to alumina refineries in China and India. However,...
UC RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, and the Republic of Guinea have signed an annex to the Dian-Dian concession agreement and also reached an agreement on resuming operations at the Friguia bauxite and alumina complex. The newly signed annex to the Dian-Dian concession agreement splits the development of the Dian-Dian bauxite mine into 3 stages. The first stage shall be completed by the end of 2017 and foresees the construction of a mine with the annual bauxite capacity of 3 mln tonnes. The second stage is expected to be completed by late 2021 and foresees an increase in mining capacity by up to 6 mln tonnes per year as well as the development of a project to increase the mine’s annual capacity to 9 mln tonnes with a further possibility to make this amount reach 12 mln tonnes....
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry of Pahang, Malaysia, is hoping that improvements to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for bauxite mining can be finalised before the expiry of the moratorium on the activity. Its Deputy Minister Hamim Samuri said, however, the new SOPs would only be enforced after the expiry of the moratorium, and that it was currently being discussed with the related agencies and parties. "The SOPs include the gazetting of special routes for lorries carrying bauxite from all mining sites to the port, so that they do not pass through residential areas, public places, crowded routes, and comply with the load limit. "In addition, (it includes) the specification of a centralised stockpile location by the Pahang state government, to improve the stockpile...
Bauxite Resources Limited has published its production report for the quarter ended on March 2016. During the review period, Bauxite Resources completed sale of the company’s interest in the BAJV. Key changes made as a consequence of this were as follows: • BRL received net cash funds of $6m from the sale of its interest in the BAJV for $7.15m and the buy-back by BRL of Yankuang’s shares for $1.15m; • BRL will receive a royalty from the sale of all bauxite mined from the BAJV tenements and the Fortuna tenement (equivalent to 50c/tonne up to 100 million tonnes); • BRL completed the buy-back and cancelled 19.7m shares held by Yankuang; and • Yankuang’s representative Mr Cunliang Lai resigned from the BRL Board. Exploration activities were minimal for the quarter in its remaining joint...
Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), a state-run entity engaged in iron ore supplies to steel plants both within and outside the state, is on course to be a long-term bauxite supplier to aluminium producers operating without captive leases. The central mines ministry has approved the reservation of the Sasubohumali bauxite mines with deposits of 81 million tonne (mt) in favour of OMC. Also, the Centre had earlier reserved Karlapat mines with 207 mt of bauxite reserve. With two bauxite mines in its kitty, OMC is well positioned to cater to the bauxite requirement of the aluminium units. "The Centre has approved our request to reserve Sasubohumali bauxite mines for OMC. We would take steps to issue composite license (prospecting license cum mining lease) to OMC. The Karlapat mines have also...
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation has given its creditors until June 3 to file a claim if they want to be paid as the company goes through bankruptcy proceedings. The Jamaican Government is among Noranda’s creditors. It is owed billions of dollars under the bauxite levy and has been trying to recover the money from the company. Noranda’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February was regarded as a move which could frustrate the Jamaican Government’s efforts to recover the sums an arbitration panel had ruled that Noranda was obligated to pay. It is learnt from an advertisement pertaining to this matter that any person or entity who might have a claim which arose before the February 8 petition date must file a proof of claim on or before June 3. According to the...
The Tax Authority of Mozambique has confirmed that it is holding negotiations with Vale Mozambique, the local subsidiary of major Brazilian mining group Vale, on the payment of capital gains tax. Vale Mozambique is one of a number of major companies with which the tax authority is currently having such talks. Vale Mozambique owns 95 per cent of the Moatize coal mine and 70 per cent of the Nacala Logistics Corridor. Tax Authority chairperson Amélia Nakhare told the O País newspaper that her agency did not regard these deals as completed yet, although the intention to sell was public knowledge, and therefore she could not specify the amount of tax to be levied. She did say, however, that “it would be significant”. Meanwhile, the provincial government has voiced its concern about the lack of...
Global Bauxite Conference 2015 took place in Kuala Lumpur at the end of June last year. Thanks to the participation of leading companies like Alcoa, Gunvor, Hydro, Itochu, Mitsui, Rio Tinto, Sojitz, South32, UC RusAl, etc. and also the great support from organizations like AZ China, Guinea Development Bank, International Aluminium Institute, Kuantan Port, Malaysian Mining Club, Minerals & Geoscience Department Malaysia, Spring Energy Sdn Bhd, Waja Securities Sdn Bhd, etc. and their overwhelming response the event is back again this year amid greater expectations. The 2nd Global Bauxite Conference 2016 will be held on 29-30 June in Bali, Indonesia. Event Background Two years ago, Indonesia banned bauxite export and encourages investment in alumina plants. But local alumina plants...
Mining giant Rio Tinto is finally laying off more than 40 staff at its Weipa bauxite operations. The staff are spread across the East Weipa and Andoom ventures. Two weeks ago, Rio Tinto flagged job cuts at Weipa. It wrote to all personnel, warning them of job losses as part of a review to cut costs because of falling aluminium prices and competition. It is understood that no voluntary redundancies were called for, instead the company restructured operations to identify the roles it could do without. The staff who have lost their jobs include long-term as well as newer employees. A Rio Tinto spokesman said: “We are working to reduce costs across Rio Tinto in a challenging environment and to ensure our Weipa bauxite operations remain globally competitive. Our focus is on providing all...
Bauxite Resources Limited announced that it has now received from Mercator Metals Pty Ltd a duly executed Deed of Variation & Assumption which was required to complete the assignment of the bauxite rights held for the Fortuna deposit to Yankuang Resources under the Sale & Purchase Agreement dated 30 November 2015. As a consequence, the royalty payable by Yankuang to BRL will be on the first 100 million tonnes of bauxite at a rate of 0.9 per cent of the FOB price (or FOB price equivalent) (presently estimated to be worth approx. 50 cents per tonne) from the sale of bauxite mined from the Royalty Area comprised by the Felicitas and Fortuna tenements.
The National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) targets to produce 68.25 lakh tonnes of bauxite and 21.50 lakh tonnes of alumina from its mines and refinery unit at Damanjodi in Koraput district during the current fiscal year. "In 2015-16, we broke all our records by producing 63.4 lakh tonnes of bauxite and 19.53 lakh tonnes of alumina at our Damanjodi unit," said chairman-cum-managing director Tapan Kumar Chand. In the coming years, Nalco will emerge as a global player in mining, metal and energy sectors. There would be a major turnaround in the business plan of the company to meet the turbulent business environment, he added. Chand felicitated 30 outstanding achievers, including operators to assistant general managers, of mines and refinery unit with CMD Excellence Awards, which carries...
Rio Tinto released robust first quarter production results for FY2016. Despite weakness in global commodity prices, the mining and metals giant reported year-over-year increase in production of bauxite, the prime ore for aluminium production. Bauxite production of 11.1 million tonnes during the first quarter of 2016 was a six per cent increase on the first quarter of 2015 and was in line with the previous quarter. Strong performance in ramping up the Gove mine increased production by 30 per cent to 2.2 million tonnes and record production at Sangaredi(CBG), at 1.9 million tonnes, was 16 per cent higher compared with the first quarter of 2015. Third party shipments of 6.8 million tonnes were six per cent higher than the first quarter of 2015.
An American bankruptcy court judge has given the go-ahead for Noranda Bauxite Limited (NBL) to pull out of its lossmaking, long-term contract to supply Jamaican-mined ore to Sherwin Alumina Company for its refinery at Gramercy on the US Gulf Coast, saying that maintaining the deal would make it difficult for Noranda to reorganise its business and emerge from bankruptcy. "NBL has met its burden of proving that the rejection of the Sherwin contract is an exercise of sound business judgement, showing that it is in the best interest of the estate," Judge Barry S. Shermer of the US Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern Distinct of Missouri, said in his ruling issued a week ago. "Overall, the evidence shows that rejection of the Sherwin agreement is necessary if NBL is to effectuate a restructuring....
A new $40 million bauxite mine is on track to start production next year with jobs for up to 250 people over the life of the project. Bauxite Hills, north of Weipa on Western Cape York, has a Direct Shipping Ore resource of 65.3 million tonnes, worth about $3 billion at today’s prices, and a mine life in excess of 13 years. Metro Mining chief executive Simon Finnis said the Environment Impact Statement had been submitted to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, another key milestone. He said it appeared the company was on track to begin mining by September 2017. “Metro believes final determination of the EIS may be achieved later this year, enabling site construction to start straight after the wet season, and mining operations to commence in September next year,” Mr...
The Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) has developed a unique product; very high strength ceramic balls or granules made from one of the waste components (partially lateritized khondalite or PLK) of bauxite ore and flyash. The centre is in the process of developing these balls using another waste found in the ore saprolite. These small balls (measuring just 0.5mm to 1.5mm) are technically called proppants and used by oil and gas industry in exploration for oil. The balls developed by JNNARDC cost just INR 2,000 per tonne, as compared to the as yet imported variety costing INR 20,000 per tonne. JNARDDC has already patented the technology. The imported ceramic balls have an unusual strength of 10-12,000 pounds square inch (psi) and are used by the...
By December this year, nine mines, including iron ore, limestone and bauxite mines will be auctioned in Odisha, the state steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallik has said. For this necessary steps are being undertaken for the mines to be moved from G-3 to G-2, while GPS survey is also on he said on Tuesday in the secretariat. The minister has said that out of the 14 mines in Odisha most of them are in G-3 status, i.e at general exploration stage. The work is being done by the geology department, Geological Survey of India and mineral exploration corporation limited (MECL). Only the Kottameta limestone in Malkangiri district is in the G2 stage with its Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) survey will be over by May. The other mines in the Sundargarh, Koraput, Keojhar, Bargarh...
