Banks offer up R12bn in Transnet deal as parastatal eyes R500bn spend over coming decade

Boosting the coffers earmarked for its ambitious locomotive fleet acquisition programme, State-owned logistics group Transnet has announced the successful conclusion of a R12-billion club loan with... 

Exxaro likely to move more coal in 2015 financial year, cuts expansion capex

Coal and heavy minerals miner Exxaro expects coal production and sales volumes for the 2015 financial year to top that of the prior 12 months, noting in a market update this week that the scheduled... 

100Mt-plus copper resource defined at Botswana copper, silver play

A recent drilling campaign on the Zone 5 deposit at Cupric Canyon Capital subsidiary Khoemacau Copper Mining, in Botswana, has defined a 100-million-ton high-grade copper and silver ore resource,... 

New Gold Resource claim doubles Gold Mesa prospect

Adding to the company's Nevada Mining Unit exploration potential, gold and silver miner Gold Resource Corporation has staked additional claims that more than double the Gold Mesa gold-bearing... 

Caledonia lifts Blanket mine resource, reserve

Based on the results of a six-month diamond core drilling programme, London-listed Caledonia Mining has added 222 000 t of new inventory to the indicated resource category at its 49%-owned Blanket... 

Payment of Kibo’s placing proceeds again delayed

Hume Capital Securities has informed Tanzania-focused mineral explorer Kibo Mining that the payment of the final proceeds from Kibo’s February placing will be further delayed by up to two months... 

Rambler lifts q/q copper concentrate output 33%

Copper and gold miner Rambler Metals and Mining has lifted copper concentrate production from its Ming copper and gold mine, in Newfoundland and Labrador, by 33% quarter-on-quarter, delivering 4... 

Enviro review of prospective Donlin gold project up for public scrutiny

Marking a significant permitting milestone in the progress of the Donlin gold project, in Alaska, towards production, the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has published the project’s draft... 

PEA shows strong economics at US graphite project

A preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of Alabama Graphite Corporation’s (AGC’s) flagship Coosa graphite project, in the US, has demonstrated strong economics and “excellent” potential for the... 

Existing building performance rating increasing in popularity – GBCSA

While initially targeting sustainability and energy efficiency in new constructs, the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) says it is now observing an accelerated uptake in the... 

SA technologies emerging in response to energy challenges

As South Africa continues to battle electricity shortages, the threat of load-shedding and imposed load curtailment on large industrial users, the country’s research and development fraternity is... 

Eskom aims to support small energy services firms

The Energy Services Companies (Esco) model funding programme remains integral to efforts by energy utility Eskom to promote the retrofitment and replacement of energy-intensive technologies with... 

Keaton swings to first-half loss as troubled Vaalkrantz asset weighs on profits

While consistent year-on-year output from thermal coal producer Keaton Energy’s stalwart Vanggatfontein operation bolstered the junior’s productive performance in the first six months of the... 

Obama signs revolutionary Asteroid exploration Bill into US law

US President Barack Obama has signed into law a pioneering new Act that recognises the right of US citizens to own asteroid resources they obtain and that encourages the commercial exploration and... 

Defiant McEwen fails to meet NYSE share price threshold

Growing gold and silver producer McEwen Mining’s plans to regain compliance with the NYSE’s minimum share price requirement have been scuppered, with the company failing to meet the bourse’s... 

100Mt-plus copper resource defined at Botswana copper, silver play

A recent drilling campaign on the Zone 5 deposit at Cupric Canyon Capital subsidiary Khoemacau Copper Mining, in Botswana, has defined a 100-million-ton high-grade copper and silver ore resource,... 

Banks offer up R12bn in Transnet deal as parastatal eyes R500bn spend over coming decade

Boosting the coffers earmarked for its ambitious locomotive fleet acquisition programme, State-owned logistics group Transnet has announced the successful conclusion of a R12-billion club loan with... 

DiamondCorp resumes development tunneling at Lace mine

Southern African diamond mining, development and exploration company DiamondCorp has, following completion of back-filling activities and almost two weeks ahead of schedule, resumed development... 

Exxaro likely to move more coal in FY2015; cuts expansion capex

Coal and heavy minerals miner Exxaro expects coal production and sales volumes for the 2015 financial year to top that of the prior 12 months, noting in a market update this week that the scheduled... 

R300m fund for SMMEs in renewable-energy sector launched

Specialist risk finance group Business Partners has launched a dedicated R300-million fund earmarked for the financing of new or existing small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) in the... 

DoE says fossil fuels to play prominent, but declining, energy mix role

As South Africa continues to await the tabling of the country’s Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) by Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Department of Energy (DoE) energy planning chief director... 

Technology agency lifts third party funding 168% in 2014/15

In its first yearly report launch on Friday, Innovation and technology funder the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) revealed that it had boosted third-party financing by 168.8% year-on-year,... 

Lobby group moves to oppose ‘unequal’ steel antidumping duties

Industry body, the National Employers Association of South Africa (Neasa) has launched a South African Steel Lobby that will advocate for the shelving of the antidumping application by primary... 

Harmony names former COO Steenkamp CEO

Following a four-month headhunt prompted by the retirement of company head Graham Briggs, Harmony Gold Mining has appointed its former COO and current Sasol Mining senior VP Peter Steenkamp as CEO,... 

Keaton swings to H1 loss as troubled Vaalkrantz asset weighs on profits

While consistent year-on-year output from thermal coal producer Keaton Energy’s stalwart Vanggatfontein operation bolstered the junior’s productive performance in the first six months of the... 

Silver supply to fall 3% in 2015 on flat FY production

Market analyst Thomson Reuters GFMS expects overall global silver supply to fall 3% to 1.02-billion ounces in 2015, driven largely by flat mine production, a 5% drop in scrap return and net... 

StratMin to receive first-tranche payment from Bass before year-end

ASX-listed Bass Metals has informed London-listed graphite production and exploration company StratMin that it will complete the remaining payments for the first tranche of the company’s £2-million... 

Metallon narrows FY guidance 30% on power, equipment troubles

Equipment breakdowns, increased power interruptions and grade challenges have scuppered gold miner Metallon Corporation’s hopes of increasing production in the third quarter ended September 30,... 

Kamoa PFS on track for early 2016 completion – Ivanhoe

TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines expects to finalise the prefeasibility study (PFS) for its Kamoa copper project, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in early 2016, aligning with the project’s first... 

Kibo appoints Tractebel to complete Mbeya DFS

Dual-listed Kibo Mining has appointed project engineering group Tractebel Engineering to conduct the definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the Mbeya coal-to-power project (MCPP), in Tanzania, and... 

Harmony names former COO Steenkamp CEO

Following a four-month headhunt prompted by the retirement of company head Graham Briggs, Harmony Gold Mining has appointed its former COO and current Sasol Mining senior VP Peter Steenkamp as CEO,... 

Northam, Heraeus extend platinum offtake agreement

Platinum producer Northam Platinum has agreed terms to extend a cooperation agreement with offtake partner Heraeus Deutschland and Heraeus South Africa (HSA), the terms of which will see Heraeus... 

600 MW KiPower coal project given environmental go-ahead

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has granted an integrated environmental authorisation (IEA) for the construction of the 600 MW KiPower coal-fired independent power plant near Delmas,... 

Govt announces paper, packaging recycling plan

South Africa is soon to introduce a Paper and Packaging Industry Plan that will require separation-at-source from a household level, bringing about a significant change in the current waste... 

Feasibility completed for underground OR Tambo tunnel

Black-owned engineering consulting firm Gibb Engineering has completed a feasibility study (FS), commissioned by the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA), that investigates the construction and... 

$400m injected into South African CSP plant

As part of US State secretary John Kerry's Climate and Clean Energy Investment Forum, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has signed an agreement with US-based energy developer... 

IPPs could have competition case for lack of grid access

Independent power producers (IPPs) active in South Africa could well have a legal case against energy utility Eskom, should the parastatal be found to have breached the ambits of the Competition... 

Aquarius’s first-quarter output increases, metals prices cut profits

Triple-listed Aquarius Platinum has lifted attributable production for the quarter ended September 30 by 8% year-on-year to 93 513 oz of platinum-group metals (PGMs). The group’s Kroondal mine... 

Fossil fuels to remain key component of energy mix, reiterates DoE

As South Africa continues to await the tabling of the country’s Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) by Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Department of Energy (DoE) energy planning chief director... 

S African coal exports unsustainable at long-term prices – Prevost

XMP Consulting coal analyst and Eskom consultant Xavier Prevost has again argued against the continued large-scale export of coal from South Africa, telling delegates at the Fossil Fuel...