News

The Gübelin Gem Lab, a leader in the analysis of precious gemstones, has launched its Emerald Paternity Test and Gemfields has become a test partner for a pioneering new nanotechnology that enables traceability of emeralds back to the exact place of mining. This new technology uses customised DNA-based nanoparticles enabling …

Australian mining company African Energy Resources (AFR) has been granted a coal mining license in Botswana. The company said the 25 years mining license covers an area of 51.47km2 and contains 650Mt of raw coal in measured and indicated resources. “Granting of the mining license is an important step towards finalising the permits for …

South Africa-based utility company Zest Energy, a subsidiary Zest WEG Group has constructed seven generators power plant at Balama graphite project. ASX-listed Syrah developers of Balama said the plant will start operating in the first quarter of 2017 producing an initial capacity of 12.5 MW with an installation of seven …

Vale Mozambique, a subsidiary of Brazilian group Vale, had an operating loss of US$105 million in 2016, a figure which compares with a loss of US$508 million in 2015, said the mining group as it published it accounts for the fourth quarter and 2016. The document said the improvement compared …

Ruby miner Mustang Resources has acquired a 65% interest in a new ruby licence that borders its existing Montepuez project, in Mozambique, for 30-million of its own shares and $100 000 in cash. Artisanal miners are reportedly recovering large, high-quality rubies from the licence area, which is located only 3 …

Continued low commodity prices have led countries such as Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Mozambique to place greater urgency on economic diversification, at a time when the industrialisation of Africa has the support of major international partners, especially China. A report prepared for the last G20 summit in Hangzhou (China) in …

Mineral sands developer Strandline Resources is rapidly pursuing development of its 100%-owned, zircon-rich Fungoni mineral sands project in Tanzania. This follows the release of the results from a drilling campaign in January, which significantly increased the contained heavy mineral (HM) of the mineral resource estimate, improved JORC classification and confirmed …

The mining ore export ban in Tanzania announced in March 2017 is unlikely to be implemented. This is the view of BMI Research. However, the company cautions that the proposal is another sign of growing governmental regulations that may limit future investment and growth in the mining sector. The Tanzanian …

Junior Black Mountain Resources has reported a maiden indicated mineral resource of 4.6-million tonnes, grading 19% vermiculite at its Namekara project, in Uganda. “We have infill drilled around 10% of the area currently covered by the inferred resource and have converted about 85% of this inferred resource into an indicated …

Barclays Africa Group is preparing to list its NewGold ETF on the Nairobi Securities Exchange after receiving regulatory approval to begin trading the securities. “We expect the listing to take place early this year,’’ Michael Mgwaba, head of exchange traded products at Johannesburg-based Barclays Africa’s Absa Capital unit, said in an …