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Brief information on the Caesium mineral, found at Acardia Mine

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Brief information on the Caesium mineral, found at Acardia Mine

Prospect Resources recently discovered a much sought after chemical element or metal used mainly in high temperature or high-pressure oil and gas drilling, Caesium at Acardia Lithium. We did a bit a research to find out more about the mineral and here is brief info on the mineral.

Caesium is a chemical element with the symbol Cs and atomic number 55. It is a soft, silvery-golden alkali metal with a melting point of 28.5 °C (83.3 °F), which makes it one of only five elemental metals that are liquid at or near room temperature. Caesium has physical and chemical properties similar to those of rubidium and potassium. The most reactive of all metals, it is pyrophoric and reacts with water even at −116 °C (−177 °F). It is the least electronegative element, with a value of 0.79 on the Pauling scale. It has only one stable isotope, caesium-133.

Caesium is mined mostly from pollucite, while the radioisotopes, especially cesium-137, a fission product, are extracted from waste produced by nuclear reactors.

Physical properties

Caesium is the softest element (it has a hardness of 0.2 Mohs). It is a very ductile, pale metal, which darkens in the presence of trace amounts of oxygen. When in the presence of mineral oil (where it is best kept during transport), it loses its metallic lustre and takes on a duller, grey appearance. It has a melting point of 28.5 °C (83.3 °F), making it one of the few elemental metals that are liquid near room temperature. Mercury is the only elemental metal with a known melting point lower than Caesium. In addition, the metal has a rather low boiling point, 641 °C (1,186 °F), the lowest of all metals other than mercury. Its compounds burn with a blue or violet color.

Production

Mining and refining pollucite ore is a selective process and is conducted on a smaller scale than for most other metals. The ore is crushed, hand-sorted, but not usually concentrated, and then ground. Caesium is then extracted from pollucite primarily by three methods: acid digestion, alkaline decomposition, and direct reduction.

In the acid digestion, the silicate pollucite rock is dissolved with strong acids, such as hydrochloric (HCl), sulfuric (H2SO4), hydrobromic (HBr), or hydrofluoric (HF) acids. With hydrochloric acid, a mixture of soluble chlorides is produced, and the insoluble chloride double salts of Caesium are precipitated as Caesium antimony chloride (Cs4SbCl7), Caesium iodine chloride (Cs2ICl), or Caesium Hexachlorocerate (Cs2(CeCl
6)). After separation, the pure precipitated double salt is decomposed, and pure CsCl is precipitated by evaporating the water.

Applications

Petroleum exploration, Atomic clocks, SI Units, Electric power and electronics, Centrifugation fluids, Chemical and medical use, Nuclear and isotope applications.

About Prospect Resources

Prospect is an Australia listed firm involved in the exploration and mining of lithium, used to make electric vehicle batteries and in the ceramics industry.

 

Trafigura has a monopoly on the feruka fuel pipeline?

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Trafigura has a monopoly on the feruka fuel pipeline?

The agreement between the Zimbabwe Government through the National Oil Infrastructure Company and Trafigura does not permit the commodities firm to exceed 40% market share. This has resulted in capacity utilization of the pipeline averaging around 65% over the past six years.

It has also emerged that the Government owes Trafigura US$174 million for fuel not yet paid for under a US$224 million credit arrangement.

According to statistics obtained from the Ministry of Energy and Power Development according to an online news provider The Anchor, the country has over the past six years failed to fully utilise the Feruka pipeline which has an annual pump capacity of 2.16 billion litres. Yet Trafigura, the global commodities trader, has faced sustained accusations that it used Sakunda Holdings connections to ZANU PF to gain an unfair advantage in the supply of fuel to the country.

Figures indicate that in 2014, Trafigura used 39.44% of the pipeline after pumping 852 million litres of fuel while other players pumped 540 million litres leaving an unutilised gap of 35.56%.  In 2015, the company channeled 924 million litres through the pipeline while other oil companies pumped 605 million litres. This left the pipeline unutilised by 29%.

The trend continued in 2016 and 2017 with Trafigura pumping 717 million and 639 million respectively. Other players pumped 591 million litres and 535 million litres for the two years. In 2018, Trafigura put through 768 million litres while other players pumped 842 million litres. That year the pipeline was not utilized by 25%.

In 2019 Trafigura pumped 889 million litres of fuel through the pipeline while other players pumped 575 million litres of fuel leaving underutilised capacity of 32.22%.

Information obtained shows that in 2017, Trafigura was requested by the government to bring fuel into the country under a credit arrangement where Zimbabwe would receive 12 months of fuel, which would be paid over 24 months. This was meant to ease pressure on foreign currency shortages and give Government ample time to rebuild its export receivables over 18 months to cover the loans. Other players in the fuel sector have similar arrangements though structured at small-scale.

The deal was fulfilled but by December last year Trafigura was owed US$224 million which was to be paid against future government receivables as there was an anticipation of an economic boom. However because the economy failed to take off as anticipated, government agreed to pay Trafigura US$22.5 million monthly while the parties renegotiated the deal to give government breathing space as there were other needs for foreign currency.

“Of the US$224 million,  US$50 million was paid in cash by Afreximbank while it was agreed that the balance would be paid in US$3 million installments over five years such that government would have latitude to use $19 million foreign currency for the importation of maize and paying for imported electricity,” said a  source privy to the arrangement.

Zimbabwe needs US$110 million dollars monthly for fuel. Source: The Anchor

ZDAMWU demands a national minimum wage, urges workers to reject anything lower

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ZDAMWU demands a national minimum wage, urges workers to reject anything lower

The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) through it’s General Council received a report back on the recent Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) outcomes and processes where the Union General Secretary was part too.

1. Noted that working people of Zimbabwe have suffered immensely as wages have failed to keep pace with the inflationary trends.
2. The situation has worsened rendering it practically impossible for workers across all sectors to earn the current salaries and sustain their families or be able to go to work.

3. Reaffirmed its position for Mining Industry to use retention ratio of 55:45% as the best salary structure that benefits not only the employer but workers as well. alternative,
4. Ratified labour’s negotiating team’s position of a minimum wage of ZWL$ 3 800.00 -ZWL$4500.00 as proposed by the government and agreed by labor as relief measure while the government stabilises the currency within six months.
5. The minimum wage has to be implemented through the promulgation of a Statutory Instrument under the country’s labor laws.
6. Failure of which workers of the Industry would not receive or accept any insulting wage from the employer but instead will pursue its earlier position of embarking on collective Job Action

ZDAMWU noted with disappointment that although the industry is receiving it’s share after selling Minerals in foreign currency US dollar and as well as interbank rate exchange rate, they continue to pay their workers slavery wages.

The Union noted with concern the high levels of accidents that have been happening across all mines big and small and urge the ministry of mines to act urgently on inspection and certifying mines.

7. Corruption in the country has reached unprecedented levels and the union resolved to join other progressive organisations in fighting this scourges bleeding the country by naming and shaming all forms of corruption happening at the workplace.

In the meantime, the union will be on the ground, as usual, educating its members and seek to have their views on the form of action to be taken if the demand is not met.

Justice Chinhema
GENERAL
SECRETARY

Cops among arrested MaShurugwi

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Cops among arrested MaShurugwi

Assistant Commissioner Paul Themba Nyathi confirmed that an undisclosed number of police officers are among 2 852 people who have been arrested for illegal gold mining or being part of the machete wielding gangs.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a media training on community reporting organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) Wednesday in Harare.

“We have had arrests in Jumbo, Mazowe and Shamva of illegal artisanal miners. I admit we have arrested (police) officers at Jumbo, the law will take its course,” said Nyathi.

“The Home Affairs Minister has said it before and I repeat – if there is a police officer who is involved in mining activities, they must stop because they will be arrested and eventually lose their jobs.”

A high number of cops, correctional services officers and soldiers have been implicated in cases of illegal gold mining across the country.

Nyathi referred queries on whether they had also arrested any members of the military or Prison Service to respective spokespersons.

“I cannot comment on behalf of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and Prisons, you will have to call them respectively.”

This week, 13 police officers, including a chaplain, were arrested after allegedly trying to extort cash from illegal miners they had been sent to arrest in Chakari, Mashonaland West.

Commonly referred to as Mashurugwi, the machete wielding gangs have been terrorising innocent citizens in mining communities and surrounding towns where they have robbed, maimed, raped and killed for gold claims, gold ore and money.

On Tuesday, police arrested 319 illegal miners in Odzi, Manicaland province in the ongoing clampdown.

Newzimbabwe

ZIDA Bill signed into law, GET DOCUMENT

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ZIDA Bill signed into law, GET DOCUMENT

ZIMBABWE now has a one-stop investment center after the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) Bill was last week signed into law, consolidating previous agencies and simplifying the process of registering a new business.

 

zida bill cover-merged

Chinese Miner Anjin back in Chiadzwa

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Chinese Miner Anjin back in Chiadzwa

Troubled Chinese miner Anjin Diamond Mining is undergoing an exploration of diamonds in the vast Marange diamonds fields.

The development was revealed during a tour of the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) by members of the media.

“I understand that Anjin is back in Marange and they are currently doing exploratory work,” said ZCDC acting chief executive officer Roberto De Pretto.

De Pretto hastened to point out that they are not in a joint venture with the Chinese miner.

“We used to operate in Portal A and B but we have since withdrawn from Portal B. Anjin is now operating there but we are not in a joint venture. They are on their own. They don’t report to us,” said De Pretto.

Concerns had been raised by natural resource watchdogs alleging that the Chinese miner had not conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment and was operating under a claim separate from which they were awarded an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate for.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) indicated that Anjin was awarded an EIA for its old claim under Portal Q.

“Anjin Diamond Mining renewed their EIA certificate for their old claims that they were mining before the government order. Portal Q claims is under ZCDC and they did the EIA for Portal Q and the license is still valid,” said EMA spokesperson Amkela Sidange.

However, it has emerged that Anjin is operating in Portal B which was formerly under ZCDC.

“The EIA certificates are site-specific meaning it’s confined to areas where the EIA certificate has been issued unless the Company issued with an EIA certificates subcontracts to the other, but the overall responsibility lies with the Company issued with an EIA certificate. Basically, the EIA certificate cannot be transferred to another site,” explained Sidange.

Anjin was a 50/50 percent partnership between the military and Chinese investors Anhui Foreign Economic Construction (AFECC) which also owned Jinan Mining.

It was part of the eight miners that were kicked out of Chiadzwa in 2015 after the then Mines Minister Walter Chidhakwa refused to renew their mining licenses to make way for ZCDC.

Through its shareholding company, AFECC, Anjin, and Jinan filed a High Court application seeking to regain their mining rights in Marange citing a breach of bilateral and contractual agreements.

AFECC lost the High Court case and took the matter to the Constitutional Court as they resisted calls by the former government to withdraw the case.

They were later readmitted back into Marange by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s new dispensation. Source: The Industry and Trade Expert

AngloGold Ashanti sells world deepest mine, set to exit South Africa

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AngloGold Ashanti sells world deepest mine, set to exit South Africa

Global gold mining company AngloGold Ashanti is to sell its Mponeng mine and Mine Waste Solutions (MWS) to Harmony Gold for $300m (R4.44bn), the company said in an announcement yesterday.

According to Mining MX, the R118bn gold producer said that in choosing Harmony Gold it had opted for a long-standing operator of ultra deeps mines.

“From the beginning of the process an objective has been to sell our South African assets to a strong, capable and responsible operator that will ensure their long-term sustainability,” said Kelvin Dushnisky, CEO of AngloGold Ashanti. He said the company’s management focus and capital allocation would be sharper as a result of the sale.

The transaction consists of $200m on deal closure – expected in June – with the balance payable by means of a royalty of $260 per ounce on underground gold mined in excess of 250,000 ounces a year for six years starting January 1, 2021.

In addition, $20 per oz is payable on underground production located at deeper levels of Mponeng but which requires billions of rands in additional development capital. If some 8.53 million oz in reserves located in the deeper areas were mined, it would yield $170m to AngloGold at the stated royalty.

Harmony Gold said absorbing Mponeng and Mine Waste Solutions into its portfolio would add 350,000 oz annually to production which has been guided to about 1.4 million oz in the current financial year.

The deal also increases Harmony’s South African reserves by 8.27 million oz excluding Mponeng’s reserves below existing infrastructure. “Harmony believes that the acquisition is a natural next step following the acquisition of Moab Khotsong in 2018,” it said.

Harmony bought Moab Khotsong for $300m incorporating some 250,000 oz into Harmony’s production for which CEO, Peter Steenkamp, had an aspirational target of 1.5 million oz/year. The group achieved that target last year but given the ageing nature of other mines in its portfolio, production has started slipping again.

Buying Mponeng and MWS, which also incorporates the reserves of other AngloGold ‘mines’ Savuka and Tau Tona, begs the question as to how it will allow Harmony Gold to adjust its portfolio as it has a collective life of mine of five years.

CAPITAL CONSIDERATIONS

For AngloGold, the sale means it won’t have any more operations in South Africa, although Dushnisky has been at pains to say the company’s head office and a listing would be kept in Johannesburg, the former owing to the low cost of operation.

For Harmony Gold, buying Mponeng and MWS makes it easily the standard-bearer for the South African gold industry with production of about 1.7 million oz assuming the company decides not to take the opportunity to close marginal operations. In any event, production from Unisel and Masimong will disappear in six to 18 months as they run out of gold.

Peter Steenkamp, CEO of Harmony Gold, said he considered the price paid for the asset was “fair”, but he declined to comment on whether the company would take up the option of developing the eight million plus oz of reserves below infrastructure.

This is gold that requires billions of rands in capital expenditure to exploit but which would extend the life of Mponeng by 20 years, according to previous AngloGold estimates. “We would extend declines to access that gold but we’ve made no decision on that,” Steenkamp said today in response to questions.

He thought, however, Harmony could make a better fist of the capital cost of extending Masimong. “Declines are something we’ve done alot of; we are quite good at it,” he said.

DEBT

Frank Abbott, financial director for Harmony Gold, expected a four-year payback term on Mponeng assuming the current (elevated) gold price. “It won’t really stretch out balance sheet and it will help us generate cash to develop Wafi-Golpu,” he said of the Papua New Guinea mine Harmony is hoping to develop in the medium- to long-term.

Harmony’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to net debt ratio would increase to about 1.5 times compared to its current ratio of 0.7x.

“The mine will give us the best bite of Wafi-Golpu,” said Steenkamp. “We have paid back about half of Moab Khotsong (bought from AngloGold for $300m in 2018) and so we can afford Mponeng,” he said, adding however the company was keen to lay its hands on an agreement with the PNG government for the development of Wafi-Golpu so it would know what funding it was required to raise.

REACTION

Analysts said the transaction, flagged in the early part of 2019, made sense for AngloGold, especially because it frees up management attention and lowers average costs, as well as releasing the company from regulatory, labour and power supply risks in South Africa.

James Bell, an analyst for RBC Capital Markets, said in a note that in AngloGold’s hands, Mponeng would probably not qualify for new capital allocation. The asset was also sensitive to gold price and currency assumptions owing to its marginality.

“We think the argument could be made that there is a window of opportunity in the current gold price environment to get a sale done and AngloGold is right to take advantage of this especially against a backdrop of continued structural issues in South Africa around power availability, inflation and labour,” he said.

“We view the announced South African asset sale as a strategic positive as it sets out a path for the company’s exit from South Africa,” said Goldman Sachs.

Prospect Resources unearth a much sought after mineral

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Prospect Resources unearth a much sought after mineral

ASX listed lithium and battery minerals company, Prospect Resources has discovered possible large deposits at its Arcadia Mine of caesium, a much sought after chemical element or metal used mainly in high temperature or high-pressure oil and gas drilling.

Prospect is an Australia listed firm involved in the exploration and mining of lithium, used to make electric vehicle batteries and in the ceramics industry. The company is currently developing the Arcadia Lithium project near Harare.

Demand for lithium is anticipated to grow exponentially as electric vehicles become more common and affordable, driving growth in global demand, as is the case at the moment with internal combustion engines (ICE).

While lithium is one of the major minerals expected to drive the Government’s vision of building a US$12 billion industry by 2023, caesium could be another significant export earner for Prospect and Zimbabwe.

The identified chemical element occurs within pollucite, a high value and rare caesium bearing mineral that forms in extremely differentiated Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (“LCT”) molten rock systems.

Zimbabwe’s lithium deposits are second to none in Africa, and proven deposits are located in Bikita, Goromonzi, and Kamativi.

Raw Materials Dominate Zim’s Export List

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Raw Materials Dominate Zim’s Export List

ZIMBABWE’s export list continues to be dominated by raw materials despite the existence of vibrant policies aimed at boosting industrial productivity.

The latest Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) monthly economic review shows that there was no transformation in the quality of goods leaving the country.

“The country’s export basket continued to be biased towards primary commodities, with gold, nickel and flue-cured tobacco contributing about 72.0% of the country’s export earnings, during the period under review,” the document said.

During the period under review, monthly merchandise exports increased by 9.5% to US$378.4 million in September 2019.

This followed increases in export earnings from flue-cured tobacco 41 %; nickel ores and concentrates 32%; and gold 8%.

The details indicate the ineffectiveness of the numerous policies employed by the government in a bid to improve productivity.

To date, blueprints like the Transitional Stabilisation Program, budget allocations, and tax incentives have been incepted to motivate the manufacturing sector.
Last year, the government launched a three year long  Zimbabwe National Industrial Policy (ZNIDP), with an objective to help transform the economy through value addition, increasing employment levels and promoting a culture of savings.

But nevertheless, value addition remains a pipe dream for the embattled Southern Africa nation.
In the report, the central bank further reveals the country’s total merchandise trade increased by 7.2%, from US$729.9 million in August 2019 to US$782.2 million in September 2019 driven by increases in both merchandise exports and imports.

The country’s exports were destined for South Africa, 41.1%; United Arab Emirates, 27.1%; Mozambique, 8.1%; Swaziland, 1.6%; and Zambia, 1.4%; Hong Kong, 0.7%; China, and Kenya, 0.6%, during the month under review.
During the same period, merchandise imports rose by 5 % to US$404 million in September 2019, from US$384 million in August 2019.

The increase was largely on account of higher imports of diesel, fertilizers, medicines, and electricity.
The merchandise trade developments resulted in the narrowing of the trade balance by 34.9%, from -US$38.9 million in August 2019 to -US$25.3 million in September 2019_NewZimbabwe.com

Hwange expansion project 40pc complete

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Hwange expansion project 40pc complete

THE US$1,5 billion Hwange Thermal Power Station Expansion project is now 40 percent complete with the contractor, Sino Hydro, optimistic that the project will meet the January 2022 deadline.

The project is expected to add 600MW to the national grid and is one of the key infrastructure development initiatives meant to stimulate economic growth in the country.

According to ZBC News, a delegation from the Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister’s office visited the site last Friday to assess progress. Site manager, Engineer Forbes Chanakira, told the delegation that despite foreign currency challenges, notable progress has been made in construction with the entire project now 40 percent complete.

“We are now in the 19th month and as I have already indicated that Unit 7 start-up is expected on the 25th of April that’s the initial commissioning, which will run for six months and then after the pre-commissioning will then have the commercial operation date around October 2021,” said Eng Chanakira.

Sino Hydro project site manager, Engineer Tang Zhaolai, said while the Coronavirus outbreak might result in delayed shipment of some essential materials, measures have been put in place to reduce the risk, adding that the project remains on schedule.

“For this project, we tried to reduce the risks to the project, for instance, we have cancelled all flight tickets for our staff from China coming to this side. 

“We have also stopped staff going to China for vacation,” he explained.

A deputy director in Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo’s office, Mr Tapera Mugoriya, stressed the significance of the project in stimulating economic activities and growth of the domestic economy.

“This project will be commissioned during the same time with another megaproject, the Gwayi-Shangani Dam. For Matabeleland  North province, though it’s a national project we are proud to be hosting this and are confident it will benefit the province,” he said Mr. Mugoriya.

It is hoped that for the next 10 months, the contractor will focus on construction of the main building and the boiler as well as commence mechanical works.

To date, a total of 2 506 people have been employed with the manpower level expected to go beyond 3 000 during the peak phase.

In June 2018, President Mnangagwa officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hwange Thermal Power Station Expansion project, which had failed to take off for over 10 years due to funding constraints.

This was after Zimbabwe was frozen out of the global economy over land reform at the turn of the millennium.

Progress on the project started moving after President Mnangagwa’s State visit in April 2018, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping authorised financing of the power project. — ZBC News/Business Chronicle

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