Horizonte Minerals, owner of the Araguaia nickel project in Brazil, has entered administration after it confirmed in April it was unable to secure additional financial backing for the Para State project and is eyeing liquidation. In a 16 May announcement, company officials said its administration of the company and Araguaia was effective that day and that representatives from FRP Advisory…
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Chile provides Albemarle option to increase quota
Chile’s economic development agency said it reached an agreement with U.S.-based Albemarle to establish an option to increase its production quota by 240,000 metric tons of lithium metal equivalent (LME), reported Reuters. The increase would raise Albemarle’s production quota by close to 50%, from about 460,000 metric tons of LME currently. CORFO said that Albemarle would need to prove its…
Read MoreHochschild achieves commercial production at Mara Rosa
Precious metal miner Hochschild Mining has reached commercial production at its Mara Rosa gold operation in Goias, Brazil. The milestone was met 13 May. During this month, the Mara Rosa processing plant operated at an average throughput of approximately 90% of its nameplate capacity of 7,000 tonnes per day and exceeded 80% average recoveries. The ramp-up is on schedule to…
Read MoreNew Panamanian leader puts First Quantum talks on ice
Panama President-elect Raul Mulino has ruled out talks with First Quantum Minerals until the Canadian miner drops multiple arbitration proceedings it has launched against the government for shutting down its Cobre Panama mine, reported Reuters. “To consider talking about mining, those arbitrations need to be suspended,” Mulino said, noting the government’s preeminent role in any mining project in Panama. Mulino…
Read MoreBrazil rejects Vale, BHP settlement offer for dam disaster
Brazil and the state of Espirito Santo have rejected a proposal by Vale, BHP and their iron ore joint venture Samarco regarding reparations for the deadly 2015 Mariana tailings dam collapse, reported Reuters. The failure of the Fundão Dam caused a giant mudslide in the Minas Gerais state, killing 19 people, leaving hundreds homeless and polluting the Doce River, a…
Read MorePan American Silver exits La Arena
Pan American Silver has agreed to sell its 100% stake in La Arena, which owns the La Arena gold mine as well as the La Arena II project in Peru, to Jinteng (Singapore) Mining, a subsidiary of Zijin Mining. Under the terms of the deal, at closing Zijin will pay US$245 million in cash and will grant Pan American a…
Read MoreMarcobre’s Ina Justa earns Copper Mark
Miner Marcobre, owner of the Mine Justa copper operation in the Ica region of Peru, has received certification from The Copper Mark. The company said in a social media posting that the certification is good for three years. It is just the third mine, aside from Cerro Verde and Condestable, in Peru to earn recognition for its environmental, social and…
Read MoreRio Tinto, Eramet submit lithium extraction tech proposals for Chile
Miners Rio Tinto and Eramet are among 30 companies that have submitted proposals to develop lithium extraction technology for a Chilean salt flat in the early stages of exploration, reported Reuters. Chile is seeking to develop the salt flat known as Salares Altoandinos for lithium mining. State-run mining body ENAMI has asked bidding companies to detail step-by-step plans to test…
Read MoreDoran, DCT team up for tire monitoring in Chile
Doran Manufacturing has confirmed its integration with Digital Communications Technologies (DCT) to supply tire monitoring technology to be used in Chilean copper mines via DCT’s integrators in the region, Geoaustral and Cosmos Energy. The project is part of a safety initiative and will initially involve 36 trucks and off-road vehicles/equipment including loaders, articulated trucks, haul trucks and more at the…
Read MoreFLSmidth extends trio of Chilean service contracts
A top iron ore miner in Chile has extended a multi-year contract deal with FLSmidth to service its five high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs) across three of its mines in Chile with the goal of both enhancing productivity and extending the lifetime of the units. The service contract will be managed and executed by FLSmidth’s Chilean service center, which is in…
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