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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The Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Anthony Lynham has confirmed the competitive bid process to mine a bauxite lease in Aurukun will not be reopened. Dr. Lynham told at an open community meeting of about 30 people in the Cape York community on Saturday the Swiss company Glencore would proceed with the project. “The next stage for the project is for the department ... to consider Glencore’s application for a mineral development licence,” he said after the meeting. Glencore was named preferred proponent by the former LNP government over local company Aurukun Bauxite Development (ABD), which has signed an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with Aurukun’s Native Title Body Ngan Aak-Kunch (NAK). It was the first time Dr Lynham, as minister, visited Aurukun to discuss the lucrative bauxite...
Australian mining and metal major Alumina termed Malaysia’s sudden emergence as bauxite exporter in the global market as unsustainable. Alumina and Alcoa have long been jointly engaged in bauxite mining operations. Their prime objective was to convert the ore into aluminium products. However, with the recent turbulence in the bauxite market which has been persisting longer than it was expected, the JV partners have decided to export Australian bauxite in its raw form. Prices for the bulk commodity peaked at $US73.80 per tonne in May 2014, before coming down to $US50 per tonne range in recent weeks. The recent slump had been blamed largely on opportunistic, and in some cases amateur mining in Malaysia, where bauxite exports rose from zero to 20 million tonnes in one year. Alumina chief...
Australian companies are eager to make investment in Iran’s mining projects, according to Gerard Seeber, the senior trade commissioner for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade). The commissioner of Austrade, which is the Australian Government’s trade, investment, tourism, and education promotion agency, made the statement in a meeting with Mehdi Karbasian, the board of directors’ chairman of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), in Tehran on August 17, the IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Seeber said Australia is aware of potentialities and advantages that exist in Iran’s mining sector; adding that his country is seeking to bolster ties with Iran in this field. For his part,...
Orient Abrasives (OAL), the largest producer of calcined and fused products in India, has received clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, for enhancement of bauxite production capacity at their Kothariya bauxite mine and the Nandana I bauxite mine at Kalyanpur, Jamnagar, as well as the Avariyar II bauxite mine at Mevasa, Jamnagar. The development saw share price of the company rising significantly. OAL is currently trading at INR 27.40, up by 0.10 points or 0.37% from its previous closing of INR 27.30 on the BSE. The scrip opened at INR 27.50 and has touched a high and low of INR 27.50 and INR 27.40 respectively. So far 8250 shares were traded on the counter. The BSE group 'B ' stock of face value Rs. 1 has touched a 52 week high of INR 28.75 on...
Pro Fin Capital Services Ltd., the leading financial solutions and services provider has intimated the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that it has decided to acquire 80 per cent of the equity capital of Tera Natural Resources and Pellets Private Limited (TERA) in due course. TERA, the bauxite mining company is an existing subsidiary of PROFINC which presently holds 46.92 per cent of its equity capital. The move, on part of PORFINC, is aimed at expanding its decision making ability in TERA and to mobilize the vast reserves of bauxite for which the company has obtained necessary approvals for mining. TERA commenced commercial operations for bauxite mining in the Kolhapur District of Maharashtra, sometime in the first week of July 2015. The total reserves of bauxite in the mines are estimated to...
The chairman and managing director of National Aluminium Company (NALCO) P K Chand urged upon Odisha government to grant the lease of Pottangi bauxite mine on an immediate basis. He put emphasis on the fact that the mine was direly needed by the Navaratna PSU in order to expedite its expansion plans and continue operations in a profitable manner over the long term. “Pottangi bauxite mine has already been earmarked by centre and its lease sanction to Nalco is pending with the state government since long. Now we need it very urgently to set up a new alumina refinery and execute the expansion of Nalco,” said Chand in his recent visit to the state. He said Nalco, like other aluminium producers across the world, is going through a difficult phase due to sharp decline in the metal demand in...
Some 263 residents and Felda Bukit Goh settlers submitted their application letters to the state government to seek approval for bauxite mining on their land. Bukit Goh Bauxite Problems Coordinating Committee chairman, Datuk Dr Abd Wahid Abd Manap, representing the settlers, handed over the application letters to Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob after the state assembly sitting at Wisma Sri Pahang, here, Wednesday. Earlier, Abd Wahid said the applications were made to protect the interest of the Felda Bukit Goh settlers as some had been cheated by the contractors carrying out bauxite mining illegally on the settlers' land. "Through these applications, the land owners and 33 contractors involved have agreed to whatever conditions in the regulations set by the state government for...
Iran and Guinea have resurrected a deal to extract bauxite in the African country after a delay of 25 years and ship it to the Middle East for aluminum production. The project, worth $505 million, includes production for three years over 5,684 square kilometers with combined reserves of 600 million tonnes in central Guinea. Under the deal, Iran will hold a 51% stake in the Societe des Bauxites de Dabola-Tougue (SBDT) project and the Guinean government the rest of the enterprise. The agreement was first signed in 1992 to ship 4 million tonnes of bauxite per year from Guinea to Iran for aluminum production but operation never started. A new document to revive the deal was signed at the end of July by Guinean Minister of Mines Kerfalla Yansane and Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade...
Government of India has sought more clarification from the Odisha government on its recommendation to grant mining lease (ML) of Kutrumali and Sijimali bauxite mines to Larsen&Toubro (L&T). In June, the state government recommended the Centre to grant ML of the two mines after L&T committed to set up a three million tonne per annum (mtpa) aluminium plant in Odisha. The two bauxite mines, located across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, have combined reserve of around 300 million tonne of bauxite. "In a recent communication, the Centre mentioned the state's application for ML in favour of L&T as 'incomplete'. It has asked to submit fresh proposal by conducting the differential global positioning system (DGPS) survey of the mines. The survey is on and the state would submit the report in a...
Xinfa Aurum Explorations (Fiji) Limited is constructing a beneficiation plant at its Votua bauxite mining site in Lekutu, Bua. Beneficiation of bauxite involves screening of the ore followed by a wash to remove fine particles. The screened ore is then placed on stockpiles before being loaded onto the ships. Xinfa Aurum Explorations Mine Manager, Basilio Vanuaca says, the bauxite extracted at the Votua mining site has more soil content than that extracted at Nawailevu. It is estimated that a stock of three million tonnes of bauxite is ready to undergo beneficiation before the purified ore is shipped to China. Vanuaca said, 400,000 tonnes of bauxite is expected to be extracted and purified from this site which would rake in about $16 million in revenue.
The Union Mines Ministry has stressed on Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) survey of Kutrumali and Sijimali bauxite deposits before grant of mining lease (ML) to engineering & construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T). "Apart from the survey, there is no other roadblock for L&T to get the ML", said an official source. Since L&T already has a subsisting prospecting license (PL) over these twin deposits, it is hopeful to bag them. Both Kutrumali and Sijimali, spread across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, have combined reserve of 300 million tonne of bauxite. Despite being a PL holder over Kutrumali and Sijimali bauxite leases, L&T's bid to bag the deposits had come unstuck. The lack of any end use plant had aborted L&T's earlier attempts of winning the ML. L&T had won PL for...
Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) has reported results for first quarter ended June 30, 2015. The company has reported a fall of 43.66% in its net profit at Rs 73.54 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 as compared to Rs 130.54 crore for the same quarter in the previous year. The company’s total income has decreased by 21.67% to Rs 356.74 crore for the quarter under review, from Rs 455.41 crore for the corresponding quarter of the previous year. GMDC is engaged in business of mining and mineral processing. The company manufactures two grades of fluorspar namely acid and metallurgical. It owns two bauxite reserve located at Kutch and Jamnagar.
China Hongqiao Group began its first shipment of 180,000 tonnes of bauxite from the Port of Boke, Guinea on July 20. China Hongqiao Group, together with other companies, established Boke Mining Company and started port project at the Port of Boke to develop bauxite in Guinea. They have built two bauxite berths, one heavy cargo berth, as well as loading belts. The port's annual capacity is designed to handle 10 million tonnes, and is expected to rise to 30 million tonnes in coming three years. Annual bauxite shipment to China is scheduled to reach 20 million tonnes by 2016. Bauxite in Boke enjoys higher grade than ores from other countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and India. As such, costs for producing alumina with Guinean bauxite are comparatively lower, thus making up for...
Guinea has renewed a 25-year agreement with the government of Iran to allow it to start producing bauxite, according to official sources and documents seen by Reuters on Sunday. Iran will hold a 51 percent stake in the project, the Societe des Bauxites de Dabola-Tougue (SBDT), which permits production over 5,684 square kilometres once a fresh feasibility study has been conducted. Guinea holds the minority stake, according to the contract, first signed in 1992. The documents were signed at the end of July by Guinean Minister of Mines Kerfalla Yansané and Iranian Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh. The concession includes 13 bauxite plateaus at Dabola and 12 at Tougue, both in central Guinea, which have a combined reserve of 600 million tonnes. A study in 2010...
A decision on the $1.45 billion South of Embley bauxite project at Weipa is to be made by the end of the year 2015, confirmed officials at Rio Tinto. Despite Rio Tinto reporting a first half year net profit slumping 43 per cent to $3.98 billion as falling iron ore, coal, copper and aluminium prices took their toll, it still plans about $8 billion in capital expenditure next year and a return to $9.5 billion in 2017. Growth projects being factored in to this number include the South of Embley bauxite project and its 1200 jobs. The half yearly report said feasibility studies were “progressing as planned” for South of Embley, described as a 22.8 million tonne a year “tier one investment opportunity on Cape York” with mining costs expected to be in its first quarter of development. As per...
The government has rejected a plea of Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco), a Vedanta group firm, to accept its winning bid for an auctioned coal mine in Chhattisgarh. The government had in March rejected bid by Balco citing low prices and handed over the mine to Coal India. The company had moved Delhi High Court. The court had asked the government to consider Balco's plea afresh while appointing Coal India as a temporary custodian. The company had in its plea told the coal ministry that the coal in the Gare Palma IV/1 mine was of inferior quality than that mentioned in the bid documents. The company had also said that the block received less value as it did not have any coal evacuation system. It also cited that the winning company for the block would have to take host of regulatory...
The much-awaited auction of mineral-bearing mines, including with iron ore and bauxite, is expected to start from October-November with the Centre handing over a list of 58 explored blocks to 12 producing states. "Mines auction is expected to begin from October-November. MECL has handed over reports of 58 blocks, which can be auctioned immediately, to states," said Steel and Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Tomar said auction of minerals comes under the domain of states and the Centre has facilitated ground for auction by bringing in transparency and addressing problems in procedural delays. The state governments will have to do field work besides other formalities before auctions. The Centre has spent Rs 350 crore on detailed exploration of 155 blocks. The Mineral Exploration...
Global mining giant Rio Tinto plans to share their non-confidential laser mineral analysis technology free of cost with the upcoming exploration companies in Australia to facilitate the discovery of high quality mineral reserves in the country. The technology was developed by geoscientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Ore Deposit Science (CODES) over the last decade, under the guidance of Professors David Cooke and Bruce Gemmell at the University of Tasmania, and was supported by AMIRA International research projects. Rio Tinto was one of the companies that helped finance this research and it adapted the technology for its Bundoora Research laboratories in Melbourne, and has been testing it on its own mineral projects for the last two years. The technology uses the changes in the...
