Ilan Solomons

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Ilan Solomons

Ilan Solomons is a Creamer Media Contributing Editor for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Tel: +2711 622 3744

Email: newsdesk@engineeringnews.co.za

Operation Phakisa pushes for improved capability in subsurface research

2nd June 2017 Operation Phakisa’s oil and gas group has identified the need to develop localised capability in this sphere and consequently tasked the D2 working group with initiatives aimed at developing South African capability in subsurface research and data gathering, says national exploration regulator... →

Africa’s overreliance on extractive industries hampering sustainable development

2nd June 2017 Economic history has shown that without diversification into manufacturing and services and away from simple resource extraction, the long term development prospects of countries are always bleak. The need for economic diversification in the Africa is high, more so given that the growth cycle is... →

LOST OPPORTUNITY For the most part, African governments have not taken advantage of the last decade’s growth spurt to move toward diversification

Research firm sees Montepuez ruby field becoming consistent, stable source of rubies

2nd June 2017 Australian and US investment research firm Independent Investment Research (IIR) has completed a valuation for ASX-listed junior miner Mustang Resources resulting in a base case 12-month price target of $89-million, or $0.169 a share. IRR says that 80% of this is based on a risk discounted cash... →

Photo by Mustang Resources
GOOD VIBRATIONS Encouraging results from Montepuez include the early stage work by Mustang to date which has resulted in the recovery of about 73 000 ct of reportedly high-quality rubies

Pembridge sells Botswana copper assets for £150 000

2nd June 2017 Aim-listed natural resource exploration and development company Pembridge Resources – which was known as China Africa Resources up to April 10 – has announced that a share purchase agreement has been signed between the company and copper exploration company Global Exploration Technologies (GET)... →

DAVID LINSLEY The proceeds of the sale of the Botswana assets to Global Exploration Technologies will be used to fund normal working capital

Junior miners seek to regain investor confidence in efforts to relive glory days

2nd June 2017 Junior mining companies have certainly been through a tough time of late. Some of the pain has been self-inflicted, some has been a long time coming and some of it has been pure bad luck, says Junior Indaba chairperson Bernard Swanepoel. “That is the way cycles go and the world will hopefully... →

Photo by Duane Daws
STEADY IMPROVEMENTS 2017 has already seen some welcome recovery in commodity prices, but the sustainability of recovery is uncertain

Scopa welcomes SIU investigation into Eskom coal deals

30th May 2017 The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has welcomed the decision by Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown to refer Eskom’s procurement contracts, including those signed with the Gupta family-linked Tegeta Resources, to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for investigation. The SIU... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown

Ghana, Mauritania and Sao Tome make ‘meaningful progress’, Malawi publishes first EITI report

26th May 2017 At a recent meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) board agreed to assess the performance of its 51 implementing countries against the EITI standard and found Ghana, Mauritania and Sao Tome and Principe to have made “meaningful progress”. The EITI is... →

Photo by Duane Daws
FREDRIK REINFELDT The EITI is pleased that another three countries have made meaningful progress and committed its continued support to others in their efforts to meet the standard

Digital fixed gas monitoring system launched

26th May 2017 Australian mining-refuge chamber manufacturer MineArc Systems has released its new Aura-FX digital fixed gas monitoring system, which it says provides a “more convenient” solution to internal refuge chamber gas monitoring. The company believes that it is a “vast improvement” on current digital... →

Silver prices seen improving steadily in coming years amid renewed investor demand

26th May 2017 Silver prices are likely to continue to rise in 2017 and to do so over the next several years. This is according to New York-based research and consulting firm CPM Group’s recently released ‘2017 Silver Yearbook’ report. The report notes that in 2016 the downward cyclical move of silver appeared... →

Photo by KMG
MODERATE IMPROVEMENT PREDICTED Silver prices are not anticipated to increase to ‘phenomenal levels’ once more, but it is predicted that there will be some price improvements

Council for Geoscience launches near-shore mapping programme

26th May 2017 Mineral resources are important to the economy and capacity building of South Africa and are being extensively exploited on land and there will likely be a shift towards the offshore environment, where exploration is currently focussed on diamonds and titanium sand, says Council for Geoscience... →

Photo by USGS
TREASURES OF THE DEEP Future possibilities in offshore mining include polymetallic manganese nodules and crusts, glauconite, phosphates and building aggregates

Platinum market expected to be ‘broadly balanced’ this year

26th May 2017 The platinum market is expected to be broadly balanced over the year with a deficit of 65 000 oz forecast for this year. Above ground stocks are expected to end the year at 1.89-million ounces, which is a 3% decline on 2016 and in excess of 54% down from 2012 levels. →

Photo by Amplats
COMPONENT FACTOR Automotive demand for 2016 and 2017 was revised upward by 45 000 oz, reflecting the revisions owing higher-than-expected global vehicle sales

KZN coal mine supplying communities’ water needs and more, mulls output expansion

19th May 2017 The Zululand region of KwaZulu-Natal was afflicted by what the Department of Water and Sanitation described as the “worst drought in a century” in 2016 and is still one of the water-scarce areas of the country. Helping neighbouring communities survive this disaster, investment company Menar... →

Molybdenum demand to be subdued until at least 2025?

19th May 2017 In the forecast period between 2016 and 2025 molybdenum demand growth is projected to be slower than the compound annual demand growth recorded from 2009 through 2015. This is according to New York-based research and consulting firm CPM Group’s recently released ‘Molybdenum Long-Term Outlook’... →

Photo by Shutterstock
UNCERTAIN FUTURE Molybdenum mine production and industrial demand are likely to change directions over the course of the next ten years that could impact its price in years to come

AMCU to continue pressuring mining houses to pay ‘living wages’

19th May 2017 Workers Day is a time when South African workers come together in solidarity with workers worldwide to celebrate the gains made, while also calling for more improvements to the livelihoods and working conditions of labourers around the world, said Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union... →

RAISING THEIR VOICES AMCU will “intensifying the struggle” for the betterment of the working conditions of mineworkers in South Africa

Bushveld completes Vametco acquisition, progresses towards integrated vanadium platform

19th May 2017 Diversified mineral development company Bushveld Minerals has completed the acquisition of a 78.8% shareholding in Strategic Minerals Corporation (SMC), the ultimate holding company of Vametco Alloys, from the Evraz Group. Bushveld CEO Fortune Mojapelo notes that one of the acquisition highlights... →

VAMETCO MINE, NORTH WEST Vametco is a high-quality, low-cost mine that has a plant with a patented vanadium product and a global vanadium customer base

Online platform developed to provide easy access to African countries’ mining laws

19th May 2017 The African Mining Legislation Atlas (AMLA) – a free, online platform and project developed by the World Bank – will be handed over to the African Development Bank’s (AfDB’s) African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) on July 1, and the ALSF will then be officially responsible for the day-to-day... →

Photo by World Bank
INFORMATION AT FINGER-TIPS The Atlas provides a living database of research and policy debates on legal and regulatory issues, while promoting the development of African legal expertise on mining laws

New toolkit to help govts manage small-scale mining sector

19th May 2017 Governments struggling to manage the complex and sometimes chaotic artisanal and small-scale mining sector have a new toolkit, which was developed by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF). IGF is a Canada-based, international member-driven... →

Photo by BGR
GIVING GUIDANCE The guidance report provides direction on how to ensure effective, inclusive strategy development and implementation, as well as effective governance of ASM

KZN coal mine supplying communities’ water needs and more, mulls output expansion

19th May 2017 The Zululand region of KwaZulu-Natal was afflicted by what the Department of Water and Sanitation described as the “worst drought in a century” in 2016 and is still a water scarce area of the country. Helping neighbouring communities survive this disaster, investment company Menar Holding’s... →

Photo by Duane Daws
WATER WIZARD The Zululand anthracite colliery is supplying more than 42-million litres of clean, potable water a year to the neighbouring communities from its water purification plant

Evenly balanced year for platinum in 2017, supply deficits to continue

15th May 2017 The platinum market is expected to be broadly balanced over the year with a deficit of 65 000 oz forecast for this year. Above ground stocks are expected to end the year at 1.89-million ounces, which is a 3% decline on 2016 and in excess of 54% down from 2012 levels. →

South Africa’s newest iron-ore mine comes on stream

12th May 2017 Junior iron-ore miner Manngwe Mining plans to expand its asset base and increase production at its existing operation over the next five years to provide integrated steel and mining company ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) with between four-million and five-million tons of iron-ore a year.... →

EMERGING MINER Assen iron-ore mine will initially target production of 60 000 t/m of saleable ore for delivery exclusively to ArcelorMittal South Africa

AMCU calls for greater local mineral beneficiation, nationalisation of mines

12th May 2017 The African National Congress- (ANC-) led government has failed to deliver meaningful economic empowerment for the oppressed working class majority and has instead given away South Africa’s strategic interests and resources to exploitative international monopoly capitalists, Association of... →

DRAWING THE CROWDS A crowd of around 8 000 supporters gathered during at the Griffons Rugby Stadium, in Welkom, in the Free State for AMCU’S May Day celebration rally

Former petrol attendant to probe perceptions of Mining Charter in PhD thesis

12th May 2017 Gold mining company Pan African Resources Evander Gold Mines human resources manager Mzwandile Anthony Maki outlined the early stage development of his PhD thesis entitled ‘Testing the Perceptions of the Effect of the Mining Charter in the Gold Mining Industry’ at an event in Johannesburg, last... →

MZWANDILE ANTHONY MAKI Mzwandile, who started working life as a petrol attendant, in 1987, has subsequently achieved his MBA at North-West University

DTI determined to support manufacturing sector

9th May 2017 To enhance industrial capabilities and ensure job creation in South Africa, government aims to adopt a strategy to leverage the scrap metals produced by and belonging to the State and State-owned companies to enhance the competitiveness of the local steel industry. This is according to Department... →

Productivity South Africa value chain competitiveness executive manager Sello Mosai

Manufacturing sector success key to achieving NDP goals, says Radebe

9th May 2017 There is an "urgent" need for government, labour and industry to revive South Africa's flagging economy and the manufacturing sector can play a key role in achieving that goal, said Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration Jeff Radebe. He was... →

Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration Jeff Radebe

Ten-times-stronger-than-steel lightweight graphene material developed

5th May 2017 A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the US, says it has designed one of the “strongest lightweight materials” ever known, by compressing and fusing flakes of graphene into a two-dimensional (2D) form of carbon. The researchers describe the new material, as... →

Photo by MIT
GRAPHENE INGENUITY Three-dimensional printed gyroid models were used to test the strength and mechanical properties of the new lightweight graphene material

Suricate Minerals seeks to unlock Mauritania’s untapped minerals potential

5th May 2017 Privately owned Mauritanian mining exploration company Suricate Minerals is making good progress on the exploration development of its quartz, barite, iron-ore and gold projects, in Mauritania, company executive director Ahmed Hertani tells Mining Weekly. Suricate will soon undertake a... →

HIGH-END ROCK CRYSTAL Suricate will soon undertake a feasibility study for the commissioning of high-purity quartz deposits containing up to 99.99% in silicon

Caledonia declares dividend, increases gold output 18% year-on-year

5th May 2017 Caledonia Mining Corporation, in line with its dividend policy, has declared a dividend of $0.01375 on each of the company’s common shares. Caledonia CEO Steve Curtis points out that notwithstanding a record level of capital investment in 2016 and the continued volatility in the gold price, the... →

STEVE CURTIS Caledonia remains committed to distributing cash to shareholders, while simultaneously retaining a robust balance sheet

Ex-prof says new rock mechanics book will deal with ‘incompleteness’ of existing texts

5th May 2017 The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) has published a new rock mechanics textbook, which is entitled ‘Theoretical Rock Mechanics for Professional Practice’. Speaking at an event hosted by the SAIMM’s Johannesburg branch last month, author Matthew Handley elaborated that... →

Photo by Duane Daws
NEW VIEWS REQUIRED The practice of rock mechanics has stagnated for the past 30 to 40 years within a reduced 2D view of what is very much ‘at the least’ a 3D problem

Mission urges ‘imminent action’ to curb contamination from old Kyrgyzstan mine

5th May 2017 An environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on a former lead and zinc mine in the Sumsar industrial area, in Kyrgyzstan, which was undertaken jointly by international nongovernmental mine action organisation the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) and the Agency for Tailings Management of... →

SUMSAR INDUSTRIAL AREA, KYRGYZSTAN The former Sumsar mining and ore processing area is located in an ecologically sensitive environment and is exposing residents to chemical contaminants

Master Blaster CEO takes issue with Frost & Sullivan findings on explosives

5th May 2017 The findings of a recent report by market research company Frost & Sullivan entitled ‘The Mining Explosives Market in South Africa for Coal, Iron Ore, Gold and PGMs, Forecast to 2020’ are technically and factually incorrect, contends blasting solutions provider Master Blaster CEO Mark Davis. In... →

ARGUMENT FOR EXPLOSIVES Steady technological advances in the mining industry were reducing mining costs, improving blasting efficiencies and driving explosives sales

AMCU celebrates Workers Day, sends signal to rivals saying politics not unions’ business

2nd May 2017 Workers Day is a time when South African workers come together in solidarity with workers worldwide to celebrate the gains made, while also calling for more improvements to the livelihoods and working conditions of labourers around the world, said Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union... →

AMCU May Day celebration rally at the Griffons Rugby Stadium, in Welkom, Free State

AMCU decries government’s ‘failures’, calls for South Africa First approach

2nd May 2017 The African National Congress- (ANC-) led government has failed to deliver meaningful economic empowerment for the oppressed working class majority and has instead given away South Africa’s strategic interests and resources to exploitative international monopoly capitalists, Association of... →

AMCU May Day celebration rally

Analysts paint sparkling picture of coloured gemstone market

28th April 2017 The shift from small-scale artisanal mining to larger mechanised mining, owing to the increasing involvement of larger mining companies and greater formalisation of the sector, is expected to increase the distribution channel of the coloured gemstone industry, which will continue to consolidate... →

Consultancy offering miners ‘optimisation tools’

28th April 2017 In the current climate of constrained capital, clients in the mining sector are seeking ways to maximise returns while minimising exposure to risk, particularly those companies which need to make strategic decisions on potential investments, says engineering company WorleyParsons CEO Denver... →

PROVIDING EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS Advisian draws on WorleyParsons’ ‘deep domain expertise’ and experience in the mining sector to advise clients and then can partner with them to implement that advice

Metso’s new crusher reduces costs, improves uptime by 10%

28th April 2017 Diversified engineering group Metso launched its new rock crushing technology at the Conexpo-Con/Agg 2017 industry event in Las Vegas, in the US last month. The Metso MX cone crusher is based on the company’s patented Multi-Action crushing technology, which combines the piston and rotating bowl... →

MX CRUSHER The Metso MX cone crusher is based on the company’s patented Multi-Action crushing technology, combining the piston and rotating bowl into a single crusher

Heavy rainfall hits production at Namibia’s Tschudi copper mine

28th April 2017 Copper mining company Weatherly International (WTI) CEO Craig Thomas has provided an update for copper cathode production in the March quarter for the company’s Tschudi openpit copper mine, in Namibia. He says that as the mine’s openpits have progressed deeper, the proportion of mixed oxide and... →

TSCHUDI MINE, NAMIBIA The mine’s openpits have progressed deeper with the proportion of mixed oxide and sulphide ore mined having increased as expected

SRK rated among SA’s top five consulting engineering firms

28th April 2017 Independent engineering and scientific consultancy SRK Consulting South Africa has been rated a top five company in South Africa’s consulting engineering, mining and infrastructure segment in the recent Top 500 Companies Awards. The awards survey over 3 000 businesses and honour those that excel... →

VIS REDDY SRK Consulting South Africa is owned and managed by its staff and invests significantly in ‘fostering talent in a culture of excellence’

Analysts paint sparkling picture of coloured gemstone market

28th April 2017 The shift from small-scale artisanal mining to larger mechanised mining owing to the increasing involvement of larger mining companies and greater formalisation of the sector is expected to increase the distribution channel of the coloured gemstone industry, which will continue to consolidate, as... →

Photo by Gemological Institute of America
RUSSELL SHOR The gem market is bifurcating in that it is growing at the lowest and highest ends, while generally remaining stable in the middle

Junior iron-ore miner outlines ambitious aims, supports local steel production

26th April 2017 Junior iron-ore miner Manngwe Mining plans to expand its asset base and increase production at its existing operation over the next five years to provide integrated steel and mining company ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) with between four-million and five-million tons of iron-ore a year.... →

Wim de Klerk, Mathatha Tsedu and Matodzi Nesongozwi at official opening of Manngwe plant

Peru uranium/lithium mine to come on stream in 2020 – developer

21st April 2017 Project developer Plateau Uranium aimed to have its Macusani Plateau uranium and lithium project, in Peru, in production by 2020 to be prepared to take advantage of analysts’ forecasts of a uranium supply deficit by then, said president and COO Dr Laurence Stefan at a seminar hosted by the... →

Photo by Plateau Uranium
MACUSANI PLATEAU EXPLORATIONS About C$50-million has been spent on historical exploration workings on the project to date

Report highlights jobs and revenue impact of automation in mining

21st April 2017 Local communities and governments will lose jobs and tax revenues as mines become increasingly automated through the adoption of emerging technologies, such as self-driving trucks. This is according to the recently released ‘Mining a Mirage?: Reassessing the shared-value paradigm in light of the... →

AUTOMATION PITFALLS The automation of mines will result in less local employment and personal income tax revenue for States and the reduction in employment-related local procurement

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