A Blog for Browsing Mining, Mineral Processing, and Metals Info

Jakarta-listed nickel miner PT Vale Indonesia and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on proposed changes to the mining company’s contract of work (CoW), a senior ministry official has said.

In the MoU both the ministry and Vale agreed to further discuss the details of the amendments to the company’s CoW, the ministry’s minerals and coal director general, R. Sukhyar, said on Friday.

Read more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/08/23/govt-vale-sign-mou-mining-contract-amendment.html

Aerojet Rocketdyne, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, said it was recently awarded a contract by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base through the Defense Production Act Title III Office for large-scale additive manufacturing development and demonstration.

Under the contract, Aerojet Rocketdyne will demonstrate three different alloys with these larger additive manufacturing machines to include nickel, copper and aluminum alloys. Parts ranging from simple, large ducts to complex heat exchangers are planned to be demonstrated in full scale. The program scope is expected to replace the need for castings, forgings, plating, machining, brazing and welding.

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TOKYO, Aug 19 (Reuters) – JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp is looking at building refineries and petrol stations in Indonesia and Vietnam as fuel consumption slumps at home, in what would be its first major downstream oil investment in Asia outside Japan.

Read more at:  http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/08/18/japan-jx-holdings-idINL4N0QE0YL20140818

China wants to develop floating nuclear power plants — and it’s joining forces with Russia to make it happen. The latter has already laid out ambitious plans for the unproven concept, but has been smacked with setbacks and cost overruns. While China may hold a big enough checkbook to see development through, some may wonder if offshore nuclear holds a place in the future of atomic energy, especially with novel and seemingly more feasible designs being pursued by General Electric Company, Babcock & Wilcox, and even Bill Gates.

Read more at: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/08/16/russia-and-china-are-planning-something-big-and-it.aspx

Based on UNCTAD survey, Indonesia is the top 4 prospective host economies for 2013-2015 after China, United Stated and India. According to the APEC CEOs, Indonesia has capacity to surprise with greater business opportunities than expected because it has skilled workforce, growing resources, based on economic activity consolidation of democracy. And 68% of APEC CEOs plan to increase business investment in 2014.

Read more at:  http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140817214988

Base metals exploration company IMX Resources is aiming to increase the current nickel sulphide deposit and establish a world-class nickel project at its Ntaka Hill nickel sulphide project, in south-east Tanzania, through the ongoing Nachingwea exploration project, says IMX Resources MD Gary Sutherland.

The Nachingwea property, which is highly prospective for nickel, copper, gold and other minerals, including graphite, is the subject of a joint venture agreement between IMX Resources and global resources company MMG Exploration. Under the agreement, MMG can earn up to a 60% interest in the Nachingwea property by spending up to $60-million over a five-year period. However, the company is required to spend $10-million during Stage 1 of the project to earn an initial 15% interest.

Read more at: http://www.miningweekly.com/article/base-metals-explorer-to-increase-tanzania-based-nickel-deposit-2014-08-15

Plans are under way to restart a nickel smelter at the Zimbabwe-based Trojan nickel mine, owned by mining company Bindura Nickel Corporation (BNC), a subsidiary of Pan-African multicommodity resources company Mwana Africa.

The company announced in June that an independent study of an accelerated restart plan for the nickel smelter, of which Mwana owns 76.3%, had been completed.

Mwana Africa CEO Kalaa Mpinga says the overall capital cost to execute the restart of the nickel smelter, which is based in Bindura, Mashonaland Central province, is estimated to be $26.5-million.

Read more at: http://www.miningweekly.com/article/265m-restart-of-zim-nickel-smelter-under-way-2014-08-15

STOCKHOLM/NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) – World number two home appliances maker Electrolux said it was in talks to buy General Electric’s household appliances business, seeking to increase its foothold in North America which is growing faster than its other main markets in Europe.

Read more at: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/08/14/general-electric-unit-electrolux-idINL2N0QK1M820140814

Indonesia’s ban on ore exports will remain in place under the next government as the curbs spur as much as $18 billion in investment in processing plants by 2017, said the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

Mostly Chinese investors are planning at least 64 facilities to process nickel, bauxite and other metals, R. Sukhyar, director general of mineral and coal, said in an interview. Investments reached $4.9 billion so far this year, said Sukhyar, who’ll keep his post in the new administration.

Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-12/indonesia-to-retain-ore-export-ban-amid-18-billion-investment.html

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met with president-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during a brief visit to Jakarta on Tuesday to call for a review of the country’s mineral export ban, which has hit the Japanese smelting industry hard.

Kishida refused to talk to reporters after the meeting, but Jokowi acknowledged that issues related to the Mining Law — which stipulates the mineral export ban — were raised during his discussion with the Japanese minister.Japan’s Kishida approaches
Jokowi on ore export ban

Read more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/08/13/japan-s-kishida-approaches-jokowi-ore-export-ban.html