The finance minister for Chile, Mario Marcel, has reportedly outlined a tax reform plan that will not only raise taxes across the country, but will also increase mining royalties for copper companies producing over 50,000 tonnes annually. The plan, according to a Reuters report, would impact some of the industry’s largest producers including BHP, Antofagasta, Codelco and others. It has…
Read MoreCategory: Latin America
Production begins at Piauí Nickel Project
After an 18 month construction and commissioning period, UK-based Brazilian Nickel has begun continuous nickel production from its Piauí Nickel Project in northeast Brazil. The junior miner said the first nickel hydroxide product was produced at the project’s PNP1000 – the world’s first stand-alone nickel laterite heap leaching operation. Annual production for this year is anticipated to be 300 tonnes…
Read MoreCodelco workers call off strike
After weeks of tension from an open-ended strike, workers at Codelco in Chile – considered the largest copper producer globally – have ended their action after reaching a deal with the government. According to a Barron’s report citing the Agence France Presse, the strike by FTC Labor Federation involved about 40,000 mine workers, all protesting the closure of the Ventanas…
Read MoreQuant inks significant Brazilian maintenance deal
Industrial maintenance provider Quant Brazil, part of global group Quant AB, has signed a two-year maintenance contract with revenue estimated at BRL 72 million (EUR 13 million, US$13.75 million) annually over the life of the deal. The client, which Quant would only identify as an international iron ore mining company, has retained the company for electromechanical maintenance and scaffolding assembly.…
Read MoreDigitalisation, AI at core of new Hudbay, Strayos pairing
Canadian miner Hudbay and visual intelligence group Strayos have joined forces to improve safety, efficiency and productivity at the former’s Constancia mine in Peru to implement Mining 4.0. Strayos, developer of several AI-based technology platforms, has created several suites of AI-powered tools to improve mining operations from prospect to profit. Over scheduled phases, Hudbay will add the Strayos Mine Site…
Read MoreSouthern Cross Britannia completes exploration program
Mineral exploration company Southern Cross Britannia said it has completed the first stage of its exploration program in northwest Argentina. For the past year, the London-based company has explored and matured a highly prospective exploration portfolio consisting of around 50 licenses spread over five different prospect areas covering 100,000 hectares in the Salta province. For its flagship project, Copper One,…
Read MoreChile, Ecuador restart Llurimagua discussions
Chile and Ecuador have resumed negotiations over a partnership to develop a major copper deposit in the northern Imbabura province of Ecuador after a yearlong impasse, reported Bloomberg. Ecuador Energy and Mines Minister Xavier Vera said that Chile’s state copper producer Codelco has agreed to a request by its Ecuadorian counterpart Enami to suspend two arbitration processes over the jointly…
Read MoreLas Bambas mine temporarily restarts after weeks-long shutdown
Fifty-one days after a group of indigenous communities in Peru commenced a protest on MMG’s Las Bambas copper mine because of the groups’ accusation of failed “social commitments,” the protestors have temporarily lifted the action.
Read MorePipeline leak reported at Antofagasta’s Los Pelambres
Antofagasta said on 7 June that its operations have been disrupted at the Los Pelambres project in Chile’s Coquimbo region after a leak was detected in the underground pipeline that carries its concentrate. The miner said the leak was detected on 31 May in the line between its concentrator plant and the Los Vilos port and was immediately shut down;…
Read MoreNine dead in Colombian coal mine blast
Mining officials in Colombia have now confirmed the deaths of nine miners while another six remain trapped underground at the La Mestiza coal operation in El Zulia, northeastern Colombia, following a gas explosion, fire and tunnel collapse. The National Mining Agency (ANM) said the explosion on 30 May resulted from high concentrations of methane. Search and rescue efforts have been…
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