Mozambique plans to invest around USD 126 million in a solar power plant to supply electricity to mining companies in Gaza Province, southern Mozambique, according to state news agency AIM. Provincial governor Alfeu Cuna announced the plan at the Conference on Adding Value to Mineral Resources (CAVAME-d 2026) in Nacala. The project aims to strengthen electricity supply for mining operations and industries linked to mineral processing. Gaza Province has heavy mineral sands deposits at Chibuto and limestone at Mabalane. The government is also planning mineral processing facilities in Mabalane and Mapai, where limestone deposits have been identified. Other mineral resources in the province could support cement production and related industries. Explore the production, demand and consumption...
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...
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The Solomon Islands Government has ordered a stop to mining on Rennell Island, after a company disregarded the cancellation of its licence. PT Mega Bintang Borneo Ltd was told to halt mining and remove all its equipment on December the 23rd, but according to the Solomon Star, is still operating. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, Jeffrey Kauha, says it is a criminal offence and legal action will ensue if the company does not comply with the orders. The newspaper reports the Solomons government has granted Asia Pacific Investment Development a lease to mine the bauxite deposit on Rennell. PT Mega Bintang Borneo Ltd had its licence granted by the previous government, voted out in November.
Queensland Bauxite has reported $4.34 million in cash reserves as it embarks on the next stage of positioning its South Johnstone bauxite project for development. During the September quarter, QBL defined at initial JORC Indicated Mineral Resource and a Scoping Study that detailed financial outcomes and profit metrics for a direct shipping ore (DSO) bauxite mining and export operation. The company noted it is continuing discussions with refineries and commodity trading groups toward best development option. Applications for environmental approval and a Mining License are underway to enable production to commence in 2015. Capital expenditure reported in the Scoping Study was relatively low befitting a mining and quarrying operation to produce a DSO product with a favorable location to the...
China’s bauxite imports from Australia peaked at 1.87 million tonnes in December 2014, underscoring the country’s role as top supplier after Indonesia banned exports. Rising alumina production in China and growing alumina consumption from aluminum smelters boosted demand for bauxite, SMM understands. Inbound shipments of the raw material for aluminum from Australia ballooned 86.78% from a year ago and 74.60% from a month ago in December, customs data showed. The closure of Rio Tinto’s GOVE Alumina Refinery in Australia, whose output was 2.3 million tonnes in 2013, could allow an additional 8 million tonnes of bauxite to be exported, Liu Xiaolei, aluminum analyst with SMM said.
Metro Mining, the new company that has emerged after MetroCoal Ltd acquired Cape Alumina, is all fired up for development in 2015 with the appointment of a new CEO, a new Director and the doubling of the direct shipping ore inferred resource at its Bauxite Hills project. The combination of the two companies has resulted in the advent of a company that has major bauxite resources, one of Australia’s largest thermal coal resources and the ability to cater to diversified bulk commodities. The new appointed CEO is expected to fast-track the progress of the company, especially in regard to the Bauxite Hill Project in Western Cape York within the shortest amount of time with the lowest capital costs. Simon Finnis has the capability to carry out the task having considerable experience in...
Village farmers, fishermen and village shop owners of West Rennell and surrounding communities are experiencing the influx of cash-flow and increase of revenue in their shops and communities as a direct result of the current bauxite mining operation in the area. A landowner Malcolm Sau who has just returned from his village in West Rennell, said he have witness and seen the benefits and spin off the people in his communities are getting as more local and foreign workers are being employed and engaged in the mining operations in West Rennell. “Unlike in the past where there is hardly any development in our Island, most shop owners, market vendors, fishermen have not had the opportunities to sell their goods or products, no one has ever come to our shops to buy anything, as a result we...
The last of the former bauxite refinery workers on the Northern Territory's Gove Peninsula are leaving the remote town of Nhulunbuy this week. Mining giant Rio Tinto, which owns the now disused refinery, has confirmed a rent-free transition period for employees who lost their jobs at the refinery ends on Friday. The owner of the Walkabout Tavern, John Tourish, said it was a closing chapter for refinery workers but not for the town. "This will be really the last of the people moving out of the town that were directly related to the refinery work," he said. "There's been a transition of people moving out who didn't gain a job in the mining sector, or who have decided to move to another location. "Many of them stayed on to the end of the school year because they had children at school, some...
The Indian provincial government of Orissa’s bid to renew mining leases through the auction route has hit a roadblock with courts preventing the government from taking any final decision before the legal challenge is heard. After a preliminary hearing, the Orissa High Court passed an interim order that the auctions process for the renewal of mining leases should be kept in abeyance and sought replies from the Orissa government on the legal challenge. The Orissa government on January 5 passed an executive order proposing to resort to auctioning for all new mining leases and those pending for second or subsequent renewals, barring the case of coal blocks. As reported by Mining Weekly, the provincial government had sought to reopen 18 iron-ore and manganese mines which had been shut down...
Rising demand for Australian bauxite has not tempted Alcoa of Australia to join the export rush, with the aluminium giant saying it would prefer to create local jobs by turning Australian bauxite into finished products. Bauxite prices rose strongly in 2014 and are expected to rise again in coming years as a shortage of high quality bauxite in China starts to take effect. Several Australian companies are planning to meet the increased demand, with Rio Tinto mulling a multi-billion dollar expansion of its bauxite operations at Weipa later this year. Former BHP Billiton executive Alberto Calderon is involved with another local bauxite aspirant, Gulf Alumina, while ASX-listed junior Australian Bauxite Limited has beaten them all to the punch by beginning trial production of a new bauxite mine...
China’s bauxite imports from Australia rose 75 percent to a record in December, underlining the country’s role as top supplier after Indonesia banned exports in January. Purchases jumped to 1.87 million metric tons from 1.07 million tons in November and 1 million tons a year earlier, customs data showed on Jan. 23. Imports from Australia rose 9.5 percent to 15.7 million tons in 2014 from a year earlier. Indonesia was the top supplier in 2013, with 48.7 million tons. China, the biggest user of industrial metals, has sought supplies from other countries after Indonesia halted shipments of raw ore including, bauxite, nickel and copper to spur investment in domestic processing. Bauxite is the raw material used for aluminum and an additional 20 million tons will be needed annually in the next...
China’s demand for Malaysian bauxite is poised to grow further in the near term on increasing alumina production, Shanghai Metals Market predicts. Lubei Enterprise Group is scheduled to reopen its 500,000-tpy alumina project next month, and Weiqiao Pioneering Group may ramp up alumina production, which will boost bauxite demand. Many traders contracted by SMM are painting a rosy picture of Chinese alumina refineries’ demand for Malaysian bauxite. One trader told SMM that bauxite (Al2O3 43%, SiO2 4%) was offered at $34 per tonne (FOB) for shipments from Malaysia to China.
Highlights • Existing Mineral Resource and rail logistic chain can support a Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) production target rate of 3Mtpa for a 12 year mine life • FOB operating cash costs estimated at A$30 (US$26) per tonne excluding royalties and landowner compensation* • A$26M capital expenditure (excluding port capital expenditure) • Level 2 environmental baseline studies underway • Contractor selection underway for desk top hydrogeology, hydrology and aquatic ecology studies • Conventional, shallow open cut mining method with no requirement for beneficiation • BRL retains 100% of project • Company well funded to advance project Scoping Study Outcomes Bauxite Resources Limited is pleased to advise that the pit-to-port scoping study on the Company’s 100% owned Fortuna bauxite resource has...
Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh said “We have had a successful year of production, capped off with a robust fourth quarter. Output is in line with our targets across all of our major products. In a challenging market Rio Tinto remains focused on operating and commercial excellence to leverage our low-cost position and maximise value for shareholders.” Below are the highlights for its Bauxite, Aluminium and Coal business: Q4’14 vs Q4’13 vs Q3’14 2014 vs 2013 Bauxite kt 10,794 -6% -1% 41,871 -3% Aluminium kt 842 -1% -1% 3,361 -1% Hard coking coal kt 1,656 -31% -14% 7,471 -9% Semi-soft and thermal coal kt 5,502 -16% -10% 25,099 -6% Global bauxite production was temporarily reduced by three per cent in 2014 as Gove transitions to bauxite exports following the curtailment of the refinery...
The new mining Ordinance established by the Union government allows them to set any parameters for bidding of mineral concessions which could be a share in production, payment linked to royalty or any other parameter the Centre sees fit. According to the new Ordinance, the only way for the state to grant mineral concessions would be through auctions but the terms of the auction including conditions, procedures and the bidding parameters for different categories will be prescribed by the Union government. The mining industry also seems fine with the terms as a company has the right to say no to bidding if it is not comfortable with the set parameters, informed Dinesh Kumar Singhi, the MD of a leading mining company in Karnataka. Miners suggest that in order to get the best price in the...
International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Society (IBAAS) has signed an agreement with Suzhou Research Institute for Non-ferrous Metals Co. Ltd (SINR), China to hold the 4th International Symposium in Suzhou (near Shanghai, China) during November 4-6, 2015. The theme of this conference would be 'Aluminium Industry - The Success Story of China: Learning for the World'. The main focus of this conference will be on the outstanding developments of aluminium downstream industry in China; the latest Innovation / R&D work on bauxite processing, alumina & aluminium production of the world will also be highlighted. The IBAAS-SINR conference will be followed by plant visits to modern Chinese aluminium downstream and special aluminium alloy production units. The first circular and details of the...
The Company of Guinea Bauxite exhibited an exemplary production performance as a result of the ambitious drive of the senior managers, setting a record of 15,239,218 metric tons of bauxite of 3% moisture in the year 2014 and bringing big smiles on the shareholders’ faces. To celebrate this grand success in style, the company celebrated at the end of the year by organizing events for all the employees and their families as well as in Kamsar Sangarédi. The company seniors in their speeches have urged all the workers to continue developing the strong and prosperous values of the company at the same time take special care of hygiene measures as instructed by the specialists to banish the Ebola virus beyond Guinea borders.
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, has passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Ordinance 2015, on Monday evening which now allows the auctioning of the mineral mines, including bauxite and iron ore, similar to the recent coal mine auction that will enable a fair distribution of mines among the producers. The Ordinance will grant a competitive bidding option including e-auction so that there is transparency in the mineral allocation and at the same time boost the supplies for the steel and aluminium industries that are struggling to find raw materials. The tenure for the mineral allocation will also be extended from 30 to 50 years but there would be no system of renewal of the mining lease as the mine would be put back on auction after the end of tenure....
Metro Mining has more than doubled direct shipping ore Inferred Resources at its Bauxite Hills Project in Queensland to 47 million tonnes at 51.5% alumina. This follows the company estimating an Inferred Resource of 24.9Mt at 51.7% alumina for the BH1 deposit. Bauxite quality work has also confirmed the DSO product is suited for export. Work has commenced on the pre-feasibility study planned to be completed in February together with a resource upgrade from Inferred to Indicated. Project approvals are expected in the first half of 2016 with first production targeted for the third quarter of 2016. The project is being planned as a 2 million tonne per annum mine with low operating costs and low capital requirements.
The metal industry is beginning to receive positive signals as the Federal Government intensifies plans to reduce annual import of basic metal (including aluminium), iron and steel, which is valued at $3.3 billion. The Federal Government is spearheading a move to bring in investors that will develop bauxite, iron ore and other essential minerals that serve as raw materials in the industry. The move is aimed at increasing access to raw materials for the local industry and reducing overdependence on imported materials in the sub-sector. It is also targeted at increasing capacity utilisation in the industry, which currently stands at 52.3 percent, Real Sector Watch has gathered. Industry players see this as a step in the right direction, as they say the sub-sector, if given more than a...
