A fire at the ArcelorMittal Kostenko coal mine on 28 October claimed the lives of 45 workers, according to media reports. Methane gas is to blame for the incident in the Karaganda region, according to Reuters and WION, which both called the event the worst in the region’s post-Soviet history. Rescuers were warned early in their effort that chances of…
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Saudi mine regulators inspect 2,000 sites
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM) conducted inspection tours of more than 2,000 mining sites during the month of July. According to a report in the Saudi Gazette, the agency visited 2,013 locations across different regions of Saudi Arabia, issuing a total of 101 penalties on establishments found to be violating the provisions of the Mining Investment Law.…
Read MoreSaudi Arabia to invest in mining assets
State-owned Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Ma’aden) has agreed to form a joint venture with the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund to invest in mining assets globally, reported Reuters. Ma’aden will own 51% in the venture while the Public Investment Fund will own 49%, the company said in a regulatory filing. The miner said the new venture’s strategy “will initially be to…
Read MorePakistan mine explosion kills 9
Crews at an unidentified coal mine in northwestern Pakistan recovered nine bodies and four injured individuals after a methane gas explosion on 30 November, according to reports citing government officials. An Associated Press report said the blast occurred at an operation in the Orakzai district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which is near Afghanistan. Deputy commissioner Adnan Khan told regional outlet MEHR…
Read MoreImmersive takes trainer to EPSA
Immersive Technologies has implemented a Komatsu HD785-7 Simulator training program with earthmoving company EPSA in Saudi Arabia, which the two said will focus to enhance operational readiness and support EPSA’s strategy to train a growing Saudi Arabian workforce. The simulator, not the first partnership for the companies, was placed at a phosphate project in the country. The two said one…
Read MoreSaudi Arabia eyes new mining index
Saudi Arabia may create a new metals and mining stock exchange index as it looks to shift focus from oil toward the country’s untapped minerals, reported Reuters. Mining Minister Bandar bin Ibrahim al-Khorayef told the news agency that his team met with Australian counterparts to learn more about a mining index. Australia’s ASX 300 Metals & Mining sub-index (.AXMM) lists…
Read MoreSaudi Arabia bolstering mining law penalties: report
An Arabic news outlet is reporting that Saudi Arabian regulators have enacted strong guidelines for mining in the country, including imprisonment of up to two years for those who break the laws. A Zawya report said on 17 October, citing daily outlet Aleqtisadia that quoted the Arabic Industry and Mineral Resources Ministry, that teams will be sent regularly to mine…
Read MoreDozens killed in Turkish mine explosion
A coal mine explosion on Friday, 14 October in Turkey’s northern Bartin province is under investigation by regulators as the most recent death toll from the blast has reached 41. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters that, of the 110 working at the operation at the time of the blast, 58 were rescued or were able to escape on their…
Read MoreSaudi mining sector grows with new licenses
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industries and Mineral Resources said it issued 84 new mining licenses in the month of June, reported The Saudi Gazette. The licenses issued during the month included 51 exploration licenses, 26 building materials quarry licenses, three surplus mineral ores licenses, and two exploitation licenses. Two licenses were also for reconnaissance purposes. For the first six months…
Read MoreMetso Outotec wins contracts in Uzbekistan, Oman
Metso Outotec has signed a contract to deliver key process technology to Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical’s MOF3 Copper-Gold-Molybdenum concentrator complex in Almalyk, Uzbekistan. The planned capacity of the plant, which is situated next to the Yoshlik-1 deposit, is 60 million tonnes per annum. The scope of delivery consists of the basic engineering, manufacturing, and supply of equipment, including HIGMill regrinding…
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