The mining industry briefing
The latest news, trends, and data from the mining industry
News in Numbers
$3.97bn
The Brazilian state of Minas Gerais has rejected Vale’s settlement offer of approximately R$21bn ($3.97bn) after a deadly dam disaster in January last year.
82
Egypt has reportedly awarded 82 exploration blocks to companies in an international bid round to explore gold in the country’s Eastern Desert.
$1.46bn
The Indonesian Coal Mining Association has inked a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the export of coal from Indonesia to China. Under the agreement, China will buy thermal coal worth IDR20.6tn ($1.46bn) from Indonesia next year.
3
The Minerals Council of Australia has announced plans to set up three new mining skills project hubs to support the development of Australia’s future minerals workforce.
A$10bn
An Australian parliamentary inquiry has recommended halting mining construction that may threaten indigenous heritage sites. Analysts point out this could cause delays to expansions in Western Australia, where A$10bn is invested in iron ore alone.
Project updates
Vancouver-headquartered Equinox Gold has announced that it has removed the community blockade at its Los Filos gold mine in Mexico. Access to the gold mine is now restored, said Equinox.
Canadian miner Great Panther Mining has suspended operations at its Topia precious metals mine in Mexico due to the detection of Covid-19 among its working staff. The Topia mine is located near the town of Topia in the Durango State of Mexico. It is approximately 235km north-west of Durango city.
Canadian base metals miner Lundin Mining has announced that its ‘Candelaria Mine Workers Union’ endorsed a new 35-month collective agreement from the company. The Candelaria Mine Workers Union represents about 350 workers at the company’s Candelaria operation in Chile.
Vedanta’s unit Vedanta Zinc International has reportedly suspended all mining activities at its Gamsberg zinc mine in South Africa. The suspension comes after a geotechnical failure trapped ten employees, Reuters reported.
FURTHER READING
Juukan Gorge inquiry: Rio Tinto's decision to blow up Indigenous rock shelters 'inexcusable'
An Australian parliamentary inquiry into Rio Tinto's destruciton of 46,000 year old caves in the Juukan Gorge has condemned the miner's decision as "inexcusable". The majority bipartisan interim report further highlighted that, “Rio knew the value of what they were destroying but blew it up anyway”.
With a variety of recommendations made to prevent further damage to traditional heritage sites by mining companies and reduce the power disparity between miners and traditional owners, Australian mining may be in for somewhat of a reckoning.
Source: The Guardian
