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Allegations fly in New Caledonia over nickel deal | Pacific Beat | ABC Radio Australia.

SYDNEY, Aug 11 (Reuters) – BC Iron Ltd has launched a friendly cash and share offer worth around A$256 million ($237 million) for smaller rival Iron Ore Holdings Ltd, the second takeover in a month aimed at beefing up production in Australia’s main iron ore region.

Australian miners continue to rack up strong profits from iron ore despite falling prices this year, although many have been under pressure to improve efficiency in the face of uncertain demand from key buyer China.

Read more at:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/11/ioh-bc-iron-mergers-idUSL4N0QG0TG20140811

JAKARTA, Aug 11 (Reuters) – Indonesia has no plans to wind back a seven-month old ban on exports of unprocessed nickel ore and bauxite that has led to billions of dollars in planned investments in smelters, top government officials said.
Indonesia – previously the world’s top exporter of nickel ore and a major bauxite producer – effectively halted all but processed metal shipments in January in an effort to force miners to build smelters, winning the country bigger returns from exports of its mineral resources.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/11/indonesia-metals-exports-idUSL4N0QE47120140811

DARPA’s  new Open Manufacturing program seeks to speed up adoption of metal additive manufacturing for end use components and it does so with the approval of a panel composed of experts from the technology communities certification authorities: the US Army Manufacturing Technology Program, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the US Army Evaluation Center.

Read more at:  http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/08/11/3d-printing-open-manufacturing-research-program/

Huntington Alloy Products (a.k.a. International Nickel) and its workers have received praise from the Department of the Navy , nuclear power plants and the AEC/NRC regarding nuclear weaponry.

Read more at:  http://www.huntingtonnews.net/92781

When it comes to emerging economies, China and India have received much of the spotlight. But this past week, African leaders gathered in the nation’s capitol to tell their story — one that suggests that, collectively, their countries can surpass the growth potential of much of the rest of the world.

Read more at:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2014/08/10/is-africa-the-next-frontier-for-global-capitalism-2/

The new president of New Caledonia’s southern province has cancelled a deal with two major nickel companies to explore a huge ore deposit.

Philippe Michel says last April’s memorandum of understanding with Eramet of France and Vale of Brazil is illegal on five counts, breaching processes and conventions.

Mr Michel also says it involved a secret deal between the two companies and his predecessor, Cynthia Ligeard, who this year has become the president of the territorial government.

Read more at:  http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/251677/new-caledonia-nickel-deal-cancelled

MELBOURNE, Aug 7 (Reuters) – The Ramu nickel and cobalt mine in Papua New Guinea was shut this week by its Chinese owners after it was attacked by villagers on Monday, according to media reports.

The mine, forecast to produce 22,000 tonnes of nickel in 2014, is operated by Ramu NiCo, which is majority owned and run by Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd

Read more at: http://www.metal.com/newscontent/63483_chinas-mcc-shuts-ramu-nickel-mine-in-png-after-attacks

US and African companies and the World Bank yesterday pledged more than $17bn in investments in construction, energy and information technology projects in Africa to showcase US economic interest in the fast-growing region.

Business leaders told the US-Africa Business Forum they wanted to seize opportunities in Africa, home to six of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies, although some said they may be late to the party.

“We gave it to the Europeans first and to the Chinese later, but today it’s wide open for us,” said General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt, who on Monday announced $2bn to boost infrastructure, worker skills and access to energy.

Read more at: http://www.gulf-times.com/us-latin%20america/182/details/403196/africa-gets-$17bn-in-investment-pledges

Australia’s Western Areas expects higher prices for the nickel concentrate it is offering after its current offtake deal expires in December, given tight global supply and strong interest from China despite that country’s credit crisis.

The miner is seeking new customers ahead of the expiration of its 26,000-mt offtake deal with China’s Jinchuan Group. Under that agreement, Western Acres shipped about 13,000 mt/year of concentrate in half-height containers from Esperance port to Xinjiang port.

Read more at:  http://www.platts.com/latest-news/metals/melbourne/western-areas-expects-higher-nickel-concentrate-27497202