Sabodala Gold Mine in Senegal has completed production of its first ton, after starting operations back in April.The $220m project is set to process material above the nominal mill capacity of two million tons per annum. The project is expected to produce 160,000oz of gold in 2009 at a cash operating cost between $420 and $440 an ounce.
The Senegal Government has a 10% stake in Sabodala Gold Operations, which operates the mine.
Global miner Rio Tinto agreed on a 33% cut in contract for fine iron ore prices with Japan's Nippon Steel Corp, which sets a benchmark for the costs of steelmaking after prolonged negotiations.Assuming rival BHP Billiton concludes a similar deal with Japanese and South Korean mills, as is the usual practice, the pressure will shift to Chinese steelmakers such as Baosteel that have fiercely resisted anything less than a 40% to 50% reduction in prices to 2007 levels.
The long overdue settlement for contracts beginning from April will bring some certainty to both miners and mills, which have been in deadlocked talks as demand for both steel and its main raw material collapses in the wake of a global recession.
This is an innovative design by Oklahoma architect Rand Elliott for an oddly-shaped tower incorporating wind turbines.
For mining equipment for sale for Africa's mining and corporate social responsibility development, contact MSloane Consulting.One of the key services offered by corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives is health programmes, which are becoming more commonplace across Africa. In particular, large mining companies are offering programmes to help those suffering from HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB; diseases which pose the biggest threat to mine workers and their families.
As the global spread of swine flu demonstrates, ensuring disease control methods are in place is crucial for maintaining healthy communities. Mining companies have long since recognised that protecting the health of their workers not only increases productivity but also ensures the longevity of mining projects, particularly at operations with long lifecycles, such as diamond mines. Diamond specialist De Beers is a case in point. In recent years the company has invested in a HIV and AIDS management programme to raise awareness and provide treatment for its workers. It has also pioneered free antiretroviral treatments.
By the end of 2008, around 70% - 2% more than the previous year - of De Beers employees had participated in HIV testing at the company’s South African operations, while around 80% of permanent employees at the Voorspoed mine had participated in screening within the first six months of the mine opening, according to statistics published in its 2008 Report to Society.
