From black shale to smelter feed: CEM advances North American alumina supply chain
Canadian Energy Metals has demonstrated a process for producing smelter-grade alumina from Saskatchewan black shale and has started a prefeasibility study for its Thor Project. Canadian Energy Metals Corp. (CEM) has taken a step towards developing an alternative North American source of alumina...
LME aluminium price chart rises further to $3,325/t; stocks remain stable
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price chart continues to record an upward trend across the pricing and contract segments on the September 8 trading session, reporting gains over the September 7 close . Opening stocks remained stable, not reporting any further decline. The LME aluminium...
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Rail freight rate hike pushes up West China’s Aluminum production costs
The recent rail freight rate hike in West China is set to drive up the production costs at aluminum smelters, according to Shanghai Metals Market. The National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) of the country raised the rates of rail freight by an average 0.015 yuan ($ 0.00245) per tonne per...
Alumina prices expected to retreat in China amid weak demand
Chinese alumina importers are expecting lower prices this week, with local demand weak and aluminium prices still depressed. No deals were heard this week and offers were in the range of $340-350 per tonne cif China, according to market participants. Last week offers were around $357-358 per tonne....
Alumina prices persist near $335 as China deals through holiday
Metal Bulletin’s fob Australia alumina index settled at $334.57 per tonne on Friday February 7, from $335.35 previously, as China took all the spot business reported to MB even during the Lunar New Year holiday. The index has stayed at about $335 per tonne since the beginning of the year as spot...
China alumina prices flat as market returns, awaits direction
China's ex-works Henan alumina price remained flat at Yuan 2,520/mt ($412.50/mt) at 30% credit payment terms Friday, as the Chinese market returned from an extended holiday to celebrate the Lunar New Year. China was closed January 31-February 6. Spot activity was lacking Friday as market...
High smelting cost may have rebound effect on Indonesia's mineral export ban
Indonesia’s ban on key mineral ores export (except the ones processed in Indonesia) risks backfiring as less commodity means it will not be cost-effective for aluminum producers to invest in expensive refineries and smelters. The ban came into effect on the 12th of January, was unveiled in 2009 as...
Alumina Limited gets a 'Buy' Rating
Investment house Deutsche Bank has rated Bauxite and aluminium investor Alumina Limited as a ‘Buy’, following the release of more than expected fourth quarter results, a report in Australian Financial Review says. Alumina Limited owns a 40% share of Alcoa World Alumina & Chemicals (AWAC), the...
Meller Microlux alumina polishing powders available in seven Ready-to-Mix particle sizes
Meller Optics, Inc. supplies a whole line of calcined alumina polishing powders (high purity) easy to mix with de-ionized water for lapping, grinding and finishing a wide range of optics. Meller Microlux Alumina Powders are available in two grades and also seven particle sizes from 0.05 - 3.0...
Alumina Ltd stock gets mixed ratings
Alumina Ltd (AWC) is an Australian listed company which produces alumina, which is a commodity. Bauxite ore is refined to produce alumina, which is then smelted to produce aluminium. AWC is the lesser partner in a 60:40 joint venture with US alumina/aluminium giant Alcoa, called AWAC, for which AWC...
China's alumina capacity may reach 60 million tonnes
Analysts predict that China's alumina output may reach 44.5 million tonnes in 2013, 18 percent higher than the last year; the capacity may reach 60 million tonnes, increased by 10%. According to the current situation, with the increase of domestic output, the import of alumina will decline. In the...
National Aluminium Company stock price down since last Dec
Global aluminium prices have been on a downtrend in the last few years. This has weighed on National Aluminium Company (Nalco) with its stock price falling around 30 per cent since last December to Rs 37 currently. The company’s margins are stabilising due to higher sale of alumina and lower input...
Trafigura predicts overcapacity for alumina market in near future
The alumina market which has been in structural overcapacity since 2007 will stay this way for the foreseeable future, Trafigura’s head of non-ferrous and bulk commodities Simon Collins said in the trading company’s first publically available report. A general lack of volatility restricted trading...
China’s alumina imports hit 11-month high in November on lower overseas prices, stocking demand
China’s alumina imports hit a yearly high in November on lower overseas prices and stocking demand from northwest China, Shanghai Metals Market has learned. Inbound shipments of the raw material climbed by 1.25% from a year ago to 550,000 tonnes last month, data from Chinese customs office showed....
China aluminium smelters may turn to spot shipments of alumina in 2014
Some aluminium smelters in China, the world's top producer and consumer of the metal, could in 2014 turn to spot shipments or short-term contracts for raw material alumina as the ratios used to calculate annual term contracts climb, trading sources said. Smelters are effectively betting on low spot...
Trafigura outbids Glencore for Ormet’s alumina
Trafigura has outbid Glencore Xstrata in an auction for 32,000 tonnes of alumina offered for sale by bankrupt aluminium producer Ormet. Switzerland-based Trafigura and Ohio-based Ormet agreed to a purchase price of nearly $9 million, or $281 per tonne, according to a sales contract signed by...
China’s alumina imports rise in October on growing demand from aluminum smelters
China’s alumina imports rose in October due to aluminum smelters stockpiling raw materials for winter production and falling imported alumina prices, Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) has learned. Inbound shipments of alumina grew 25% from a year ago to 460,000 tonnes in October. This is because...
Chinese demand sees alumina spot sales rise
Metal Bulletin’s fob Australia alumina index settled at $320.92 per tonne on Friday October 25, from $321.22 previously, as spot activity ramped up with deals mainly into China. The majority of volume went at $322 per tonne, with one producer selling two large shipments into China at that level....
AWC’s profit improved marginally during the third quarter
The USD 67 million alumina segment result for Alcoa, a proxy for Alumina Ltd, or AWC’s, profit, improved marginally on the second quarter’s USD 64 million profit, and was meaningfully better than the previous corresponding period’s loss. Compared with second-quarter 2013, the Australian dollar fell...
China’s Alumina imports climb in September
China’s alumina imports climbed sharply in September on lower overseas prices, as foreseen by Shanghai Metals Market earlier. Inbound shipments of the raw material rose by 211.7% from a month ago to 450,000 tonnes in last month, data from Chinese customs office showed over the weekend. They were...
