Ghana Bauxite Company Limited (GBC) has appointed Ecobank Ghana PLC to arrange up to USD 250 million in financing for its expansion programme, which aims to increase bauxite production and improve mining and logistics infrastructure. The parties signed the agreement in Accra on October 28, 2026. Ecobank will structure the proposed financing and coordinate participation from other banks and financial institutions. The package includes a term loan and a revolving credit facility to cover capital investment and working capital. The funds are expected to support investments in mining equipment, haulage capacity, materials-handling systems and other infrastructure at GBC’s Awaso operations in the Western North Region. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and...
China recorded the highest reported bauxite price among five major markets in the third quarter of 2026, at USD 90 per tonne, while the USA had the lowest assessment at USD 77 per tonne. India, Australia and Germany recorded prices of USD 82, USD 80 and USD 79 per tonne, respectively, highlighting regional differences in bauxite procurement costs. The USD 13-per-tonne gap between China and the USA reflects differing regional price assessments. However, the available data does not establish the precise contribution of individual factors or indicate whether prices rose or fell compared with the previous quarter. China tops regional bauxite price rankings China's bauxite price of USD 90 per tonne placed it at the top of the five-market comparison. Its substantial alumina refining industry...
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Noel Brown, academic and president of the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE), said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia is just one of several countries currently recruiting Jamaican engineers and other workers from the bauxite sector for jobs abroad. Ma'aden Aluminium in Saudi Arabia - a joint venture with Alcoa - is the latest company seeking Jamaicans to work in the Middle Eastern country. "The world is aware that the bauxite alumina sector in Jamaica took a hard blow during the economic recession. This has resulted in the displacement of a number of workers, including engineers," said Brown on Monday in response to a Wednesday Business query. "It is a wise move by Saudi Arabia to recruit these professionals from Jamaica; Australia is doing the same. Some of these individuals have years of...
The BJP has opposed the state government's attempt to consider bauxite supply from two mines in Rayagada's Kashipur block to refinery of Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) at Kalahandi's Lanjigarh. The two mines have been allotted to Larsen and Toubro (L&T). In a memorandum, submitted to the district administration, the saffron party has urged the state government not to recommend the Centre to give mining lease (ML) to L&T. The party claimed that the company has failed to establish its end-use plant in Rayagada district. The party alleged that in 1991, L&T had obtained prospecting licence for Sijimali and Kutrumali mines to establish its refinery and smelter plant in the district. But after keeping the two mines for over two decades, the company is now trying to export minerals to VAL's...
Bauxite Resources Limited is pleased to announce that the area of private farmland that was used for the trial mining in 2009/10 has now been formally handed back to the owner following successful rehabilitation of the pastoral land. Following the trial shipment in March 2010 the eight hectares of cleared pastoral land was returned to original land form by replacing the stockpiled overburden and topsoil. In consultation with the owner during the four successive growing seasons, BRL has monitored and gathered data from the rehabilitation process gaining valuable information for future mining programs. Immediately following trial mining the area had a grass and clover pasture sown which was maintained for two years. In the third season a mixed pasture and hay crop was ploughed back into the...
Resource company Cape Alumina, which stopped work on a major bauxite mine on far north Queensland's Cape York, will meet Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney about the impact of new environmental restrictions proposed for the region. Cape Alumina has spent more than $20 million on its Pisolite Hills venture on western Cape York, which the State Government previously declared a "significant project". The company suspended work on the $1.2 billion project after the Government declared the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York as Queensland's first strategic environmental area. Submissions on the plan close in March and it is expected to be finalised mid next year. Cape Alumina says it is still considering legal action over the State Government decision. The company says it is hoping a meeting...
Volclay International has offloaded 4.94% stake in Ashapura Minechem to Albula Investment Fund through bulk deal on BSE and NSE. Volclay International Corporation holds 9.47% stake in Ashapura. It sold shares via two block deals - one block deal was of 37,50,285 equity shares at R45.75 apiece on the BSE and other one was of 41,07,060 lac shares at R48.70 on the NSE. Volclay International, a wholly owned subsidiary of NYSE-listed AMCOL International Corporation, had acquired a 20% minority interest in Ashapura Minechem in May 2011. Volclay International Corporation processes natural minerals into raw materials for industrial processes and household products. Established in 1960 the Ashapura group is the multi-mineral solution provider. It is the exporters of traded bauxite in the world and...
The cooperation agreement with the University of Oslo and the three Brazilian research institutions Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Federal Rural University of the Amazon (UFRA) and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG) was signed in Belém, Brazil, on Friday. The collaboration will include research over a wide range of topics. Research institutions have been gathered with representatives of Hydro at bauxite mines in Paragominas to identify the key issues. The extraction of bauxite takes place in large open pits. The vegetation and soil layers covering the bauxite are removed, then replaced after mining before the area is planted with vegetation to be as close as possible to the original. The goal is that this can happen quickly and with as high quality as possible so that the natural...
On the second day of IBAAS-CHALIECO International Symposium on Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium in China; Russell Williams of Navasota Resources Inc. informed that they are in possession of about 700 Million to 1.5 Billion tons of high grade bauxite resources in Guinea and also discussed the ready infrastructure plan. Mr. Vyas of GMDC has taken the International audience to Gujarat showing high grade bauxite potential of the state and ready feasibility to set up Greenfield alumina refinery. Dr. Yves Occello of Amber Development, France has shown the possibility of upgrading the low grade bauxite of China by adopting partial calcination and leaching of ore (removal of silica). The white calcium silicate residue, in place of usual red mud, is environment friendly, have potential use in...
A senior official in the Odisha government said there is no timeline for granting mining leases to two crucial mines of Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), in what suggests Sesa Sterlite Ltd may have to wait longer before it gets bauxite from the construction company under a memorandum of understanding. “Their prospecting licence is over. Their report is furnished. Mining lease is not yet granted to them,” D.K. Mohanty, director of mines in the Odisha government, said when asked where L&T’s clearances stand. Asked about the timeline for grant of the mining leases, Mohanty said he had “no idea”. Prospecting licences are given to miners for carrying out exploration so that the reserves and the ore body are identified. After this, fresh applications have to be made for a mining lease. Sesa...
IBAAS-CHALIECO symposium on ’Present Status and Future Prospects of Bauxite- Alumina-Aluminium Industry of the World, with Special Reference to China’ is inaugurated by Mr. He Zhihni, President CHALIECO on 28th November in Nanning. He talked about the spectacular growth of aluminium industry in China and large potential of technological cooperation. In the opening ceremony Mr. Ron Knapp of International Aluminium Institute talked about the excellent growth of aluminium industry in China and emphasised the need for innovation and R&D to further bring down the consumption and environmental imprints. He also insisted on the “Sustainable Development”of the Industry with more technological innovations. Mr. Vinod Sood – President, IBAAS in his key note address informed about the increasing role...
Vedanta Aluminium Ltd's (VAL) $1-billion alumina refinery project at Lanjigarh will now have access to bauxite with the Orissa government getting favourable legal opinion on VAL’s sale-purchase agreement with Larsen and Toubro (L&T). The refinery currently has a capacity of 1 million tonnes (mt). Sources said apart from the state’s advocate general, eminent lawyers like Soli Sorabjee and UU Lalit have backed the legal opinion. L&T has a prospective licence to mine bauxite in Sijumali and Kutrumali districts. Two years ago, it had formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in which it holds 76%, with Vedanta holding 24%. In order to enable the SPV to apply for a mining licence and obtain other regulatory approvals, the sale-purchase agreement between the two companies required an approval from...
Vedanta Resources Plc Chairman, Anil Agarwal, accompanied with L&T chief A M Naik, today met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to press for early disposal of L&T’s application for grant of mining lease for Sijumali and Kutrumali bauxite mines as both the companies have entered into a pact to operate the mines. Vedanta intends to source bauxite from these mines for its Lanjigarh refinery, which is in dire straits following denial of raw material from the linked Niyamgiri deposits. “As per an agreement, we can source bauxite from L&T mines. The Chief Minister said such a proposal is under consideration and a decision will be taken soon in this matter,” said Agarwal, after his meet with Naveen Patnaik. L&T had won prospecting license (PL) for Sijimali and Kutrumali bauxite mines in 1992. But two...
First Bauxite Corporation announces that the Company is proceeding with a non-brokered private placement to Resource Capital Fund V LP for 40,000,000 common shares at a price of $0.125 per common share to raise total proceeds of $5,000,000. The Company anticipates that the Private Placement will close on or about December 5, 2013. The proceeds of the Private Placement are designed to allow the Company to improve its financial position and to proceed with its work programs including: (i) completing the Preliminary Feasibility Study, first announced on February 14, 2013 and June 25, 2013, on the viability of manufacturing ceramic proppants from the bauxites and kaolin hosted by the deposits in our Bonasika Mining License; (ii) proceeding with limited Phase I pre-production work over the...
In a move that marks a fresh setback for Queensland's mining sector, Rio Tinto has told contractors in the state that it has put its $1.4 billion South of Embley bauxite mine on hold for as long as 18 months, according to The Australian Financial Review. The mine and port project had been approved by the federal government in May. Rio's decision comes in the wake of the state government's decision this past week to ban Cape Alumina's bauxite project in Cape York. The prospect of delays to Rio's project could have a further ripple effect, as the project's port was expected to provide access to bauxite leases held by the Queensland government, which are likely to be sold within weeks. “The project team is still working on getting all regulatory approvals, including the Queensland Land...
Cape Alumina says it is trying to shore up its other mining interests in Queensland after the State Government scuttled its billion-dollar bauxite project on Cape York in the far north. A mining ban over the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve has forced the company to suspend all operations at Pisolite Hills and abandon a planned merger with MetroCoal Limited. Managing director Graeme Sherlock says the company's other investments and tenements on Cape York could potentially be affected by a new regional plan. "We have requested meetings with the Deputy Premier and Premier and if we can sit down and try to find a path forward for the company and find a way that we can at least bring online our other bauxite projects up in Queensland," he said. "In respect to the Pisolite Hills mine and port...
An executive of one of Jamaica’s major bauxite and alumina companies, Jamalco, says the industry is undergoing its longest crisis in recent memory with not much signs of an immediate reverse. Acting manager of Jamalco Leo Lambert says the crisis is now entering its sixth year. He says the situation has been made worse because metal prices are today half of what it fetched six years ago and raw material such as fuel oil and other costs are going up. Lambert says energy accounts for 50 per cent of the cost a tonne of alumina. As a consequence, Lambert says other Alcoa plants have to be subsidising Jamalco. According to Lambert, the price of metal on the London Metal Exchange has fallen to its lowest ever, losing fifteen per cent of its value this year alone. Lambert has told Clarendon...
China imported 6.97 million tonnes of bauxite in October, retreating from a record high in the previous month, according to the customs data. The October imports were down 8.1% from September, when it hit 7.59 million tonnes and more than three times the volumes for the same month last year. “While alumina sales have been very good in China recently, raw material inventory has been high with alumina producers and many are sitting on 4-6 months’ inventory, much longer than the usual two months,” Xiao Lanlan, an analyst at Huatai Great Wall Futures in Shanghai, said. As a result, alumina producers may have less enthusiasm this year for the year-end raw material stocking in the coming months, according to Wang. “It seems less likely for Indonesia to completely ban bauxite exports next year,...
Federal Coalition MP Warren Entsch has hit out at the Queensland Government for jeopardising a major mining project on Cape York in the state's far north. Mr Entsch, the Member for Leichhardt, says the Queensland Government has made an "appalling decision" by banning mining on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. The move sent miner Cape Alumina into a trading halt. The ban affects the company's $1.2 billion Pisolite Hills bauxite project, which was slated to create around 1,300 jobs and was given 'significant project' status by the State Government last year. Mr Entsch has issued a statement describing the ban as "Wild Rivers on steroids" and an "absolute disgrace". He has accused the Government of not following due process and says the move sends a bad message about development prospects...
Vedanta’s bid to secure alternate bauxite supply for its Lanjigarh refinery through a joint venture with L & T has received shot in the arm with several legal luminaries ruling out any legal hurdle in realisation of the proposal. Vedanta had entered into JV with L&T, which held prospecting licence for Sijimali and Kutrumali mines in south Odisha's Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. The state government, however, is dilly dallying over the grant of mining lease (ML) to global engineering giant L&T that had won prospecting license (PL) over the twin bauxite deposits with reserves of close to 300 million tonne. This is despite legal opinions in favour of L&T by the government's Supreme Court counsel Uday U Lalit, state’s advocate general, Ashok Mohanty and noted legal expert and former...
