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The Bikitaite mineral

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The Bikitaite mineral

Bikitaite was named for the type locality in Bikita in the Masvingo District of Zimbabwe.

The only other locality for Bikitaite is in the United States at the Foote Lithium Co. Mine in North Carolina, USA. Bikitaite occurs as a late-forming mineral within fractures in lithium-rich pegmatites. Associated minerals include eucryptite, quartz, Petalite, feldspar, calcite, stilbite, allophone, albite, and fairfieldite.

FormulaLiAlSi2O6·H2O
Crystal SystemTriclinic
Crystal HabitAggregates
CleavagePerfect, Good, None
LusterVitreous (Glassy)
Colorcolorless, white
Streakwhite
ClassTriclinic - Pedial
FractureConchoidal
Hardness6

The mining industry in Zimbabwe is hamstrung by lack of exploration

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The mining industry in Zimbabwe is hamstrung by lack of exploration

This month amidst reports that Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) reportedly sent a letter to the Ministry of Mines in order to move a petition that EPOs should be strapped, The Stotle with Rudairo Dickson (RD) met geological mining expert (Kennedy Mtetwa) and discussed on EPOs and certain factors affecting the Mining sector in Zimbabwe.

RD Hello Kennedy, welcome to The Stotle: Inside Mining Zimbabwe can you please share an insight about yourself and your experience mining Geology and how you see the mining industry heading?

KM I am a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe with a BSc Geology Honours degree. I have 28 years working experience in the mineral resources sector mostly in mineral exploration to mines development in Zimbabwe and globally.

RD The mining industry particularly gold mining and chrome mining seem to be on decline, no new deposits are being found that we can brag about, what could be the reasons?

KM  Zimbabwe mining industry is hamstrung by lack of exploration which is supposed to lead to new mine developments. So with basically no real exploration in Zimbabwe, means the mining industry is at a standstill at most and in decline at the worst scenario. So yes gold is declining look at the Metallon closure of its gold mines amongst closed Falcon mines. The main reason is the RBZ policy of sole buyer of gold through Fidelity who pay some of the gold funds in RTGS which have a value less than the real USD that gold is sold in internationally.

RD Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) were complaining that Exploration Prospective Orders (EPOs) should be stripped, is that a good idea and why do you think so?

 KM That is an uneducated argument I will call it. It’s people who think mining is about small quartz veins. It’s for people who can’t see themselves looking at the big potential. It’s people who think only big white companies can open big mines. ZMF are free to peg claims right now before EPOs are granted. Why are they not doing so if they know where the new mineral deposits are located? That thinking by ZMF should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves. Zimbabwe requires black entrepreneurs to joint venture with international companies to find new medium to large mineral deposits through exploration in EPOS.

RD you have an experience of visiting others countries having an exposure of why their mining industry are performing very well. Can Zimbabwe adopt one or two methods being used in those countries?

 KM Yes I have worked in many countries across the globe for the past 18 years. Plenty things Zimbabwe can copy from exploration and mining heavy weight countries like Canada, Australia, USA, Zambia , DRC. Regards EPOs the Australian system where you can apply for and pay for an EPO online. Australian EPOs require that you shed half the ground you own every so often so that there is continuously new ground for others to apply for new EPOs or small workers to peg claims. That is one thing the Ministry of mines should seriously look at. If implemented then ZMF concerns will be history.

RD Zimbabwe Agenda Sustainable for Socio-economic Transformation (Zimasset) was criticized for scaring away investors, do you think it would have helped in anyway when it comes to mining exploration?

KM Well the 51% local ownership demand is a big draw back. It can only work where the local partner earns the 51% not getting it for free. Look Zimbabweans who have worked and grown in the mining industry some own 100% of their ventures as it is. What scared investors from Zimbabwe is the issue of rule of law and protection of property rights which investors say are not strong enough in Zimbabwe. They cannot risk bringing millions of USD in investments only for some unruly mob to take over their investments. So Zimbabwe must sort out our rule of law deficiencies and our respect of property rights.

RD What do you think apart from EPOs need to be done to improve exploration in Zimbabwe?

 KM For gold, Fidelity must pay 100% USD to gold producers. That will attract new investors into the gold mining sector. For diamonds government must open up exploration to whoever is interested and has the funding to explore. For platinum we are seeing no new mines being developed because of the 51% local ownership still being applied to that industry. Government should reduce that requirement to say 35% local ownership.

RD Can we safely say that the Mining industry in Zimbabwe is going to transform the economy of Zimbabwe as experts have been saying?

KM Government must listen to professional bodies for what is required. Lots have written by the Chamber of Mines and the Geological Society of Zimbabwe of what is required to get exploration off the ground again. Yes indeed the mining industry can transform the fortunes of Zimbabwe in a short space of time if the right policies are implemented.

RD Indeed mineral exploration is the key to the growth of the mining sector, what advice can you give to miners when it comes to boosting their output?

KM For miners to boost their output they must get advice from seasoned geologists. The miners must have their properties geologically mapped so that potential new deposits or extensions of existing mineralisation are detected so that they can produce more. Many small scale mines don’t have a geological map at all. They literally mine blindly for lack of a better word. Or they mine visually. Small scale miners should engage the Geological Survey Department for help with mapping their properties. This biggest draw back in Zimbabwe is lack of banks support to small and medium scale mining. They simply don’t give loans to these enterprises. I know that they have tom protect depositor’s funds. Government must through NSSA help fund promising mines and projects. All NSSA does is assist people doing housing developments. NSSA and government forgets that mining earns Zimbabwe forex which is currently in short supply, and requires increasing so that the country has adequate wheat, fuel, medication et cetera that is imported.

This article first appeared in Mining Zimbabwe march 2019 issue

Minicaland small scale miners welcomes one stop processing centre

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Minicaland small scale miners welcomes one stop processing centre

Small scale miners in Manicaland have welcomed Government’s initiative to establish the first one stop gold processing centre in Odzi, saying it would comprehensively bring back sanity in the sector. The Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) and Manicaland Miners Association (MMA) announced that the second processing centre by Government was to be set up in Manicaland following the Bubi Gold Service Centre in Matabeleland North.

A local miner in Manicaland Mr Latt Makahwi told Post Business that the development was going to improve the sector and cushion miners from outrageous prices from private gold processing companies.

“I believe that the Government initiative is a noble idea towards enhancing gold production in the country and developing the livelihood of small scale miners like us,” said Mr Makahwi

He added: “Government has acknowledged the role being played by the small mining sector in the country and has set up mechanisms to develop the economy by boosting gold production from this sector. This can only be achieved by targeting most of the artisanal miners in the province. This also will help miners to make informed decisions towards the development of the country,” he said.

Another local miner Ms Memory Chirara said: “We want Government to fast track this project following the observation that a lot of gold is being lost through the black market, a situation that has been very hard for the authorities to control because of the sophisticated illegal ways of smuggling.

“Gold production has declined recently as a result of smuggling and this has an effect on the national foreign currency income, hence if we have the processing plant now it would help solve some of the problems the nation has been facing.

“This is a win-win situation considering the services that miners will benefits, which will be ranging from technical support, reduced transport costs and reasonable charges that cannot be compared with the steep charges private millers have been charging us,” she said.

She also said they would be offered the opportunity to get paid from their residue which private players have been keeping for their benefit.

MMA chairman Mr Godfrey Kombo said the development was a positive move towards easing miners’ operational costs hence the call to have them register.

“The first to enjoy the benefits would be those formally registered. We also want to look at the long term benefits from the technical support miners will receive. Miners will receive education that will help curb the accidents that have taken a lot of lives. It will also help us preserve our environment from the oversight role the centre will provide.

“President Mnangagwa has said the goal is to target at least 100 tonnes of gold by 2023 but I believe with this centre in place and artisanal miners playing their part, we are very much capable of surpassing that target even before 2023,” he said._Manica Post

Two killed in accident at Glencore’s Zambian mine

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Two killed in accident at Glencore’s Zambian mine

Two workers died in an accident at Glencore’s Zambian operation Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) on Tuesday, prompting it to suspend production pending investigations, the company said.

“All operations at the South Ore Body (shaft) have been suspended until further notice,” the company said in a statement without providing details of the accident.

Mopani is one the biggest mining companies in Zambia — Africa’s No. 2 copper producer — with output of about 100,000 tonnes a year. It was not immediately clear how much production would be lost during the suspension to production._Reuters

South Africa faces sixth day of blackouts as Eskom stumbles

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South Africa faces sixth day of blackouts as Eskom stumbles

South Africa’s state-owned power utility will implement controlled blackouts for a sixth straight day to prevent a total collapse of the electricity grid amid a shortage of capacity.

Eskom, which supplies almost all the power in South Africa, will cut 4,000 megawatts of supply from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Tuesday after doing the same on Monday

Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. is racing to bring generating units back online after suffering outages last week that were compounded by a loss of power imports from neighboring Mozambique as a result of a cyclone. The staggered power cuts, aimed at reducing demand pressure on the grid, are crippling businesses and leave roads gridlocked in cities throughout Africa’s most-industrialized economy.

Eskom, which supplies almost all the power in South Africa, will cut 4,000 megawatts of supply from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Tuesday after doing the same on Monday. It will shift to so-called stage 2 — cutting 2,000 megawatts — overnight Monday.

The utility is seen as one of the biggest risks to the country’s economy, burdened by operational and financial woes stemming from years of mismanagement and massive cost overruns on two new coal-fired power stations that should have been completed in 2015.

Round the clock

South Africa’s mining industry faces risks sending workers underground when the electricity supply is unstable, said Shaun Nel, a spokesman for the Energy Intensive Users Group of South Africa. The group’s members consume more than 40 percent of the nation’s power and include Anglo American Plc. Smelters also “can’t come on and off so quickly, so companies are switching them off completely,” he said.

The utility had planned to replenish water and diesel supplies typically used for peak generation over the weekend, however power cuts were increased after the cyclone that struck Mozambique ended its electricity imports. It’s not likely they’ll resume over the next few days, according to Eskom.

Maintenance teams “are working round the clock to return generation units to the electricity system,” the Johannesburg-based producer said in an emailed statement. The cuts are “no cause for alarm as the system is being effectively controlled,” it said, adding that during stage 4 load-shedding, about 80 percent of the nation’s demand is being met._Bloomberg News

Alrosa wants controlling stake to mine in Zimbabwe

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Alrosa wants controlling stake to mine in Zimbabwe

Russian state-controlled miner Alrosa will assess the quality of Zimbabwe’s diamond reserves over the next six months but would only start mining if it can take a majority stake in such a project, the company’s chief executive said on Monday.

Zimbabwe is seeking to attract investment and has scrapped legislation that restricts foreign participation for some commodities. It has yet to do so for diamonds and platinum but has said that it will.

Zimbabwe is seeking to attract investment and has scrapped legislation that restricts foreign participation for some commodities

“Of course we’ll only be ready to participate in projects in cases where we can have management control and operational control of the assets,” Alrosa CEO Sergey Ivanov told Reuters.

That would mean a stake of at least 51 percent, he said, adding that he would be confident of achieving that if it gets to the stage of detailed discussions on how to advance a project.

Russia, along with China, has been a political ally of Zimbabwe since the days of its independence war against British rule, and this year Zimbabwe selected Alrosa and China’s Anjin Investments to partner its state diamond company.

Alrosa, the biggest diamond producer by volume, as well as Anglo American’s De Beers, the biggest in value terms, both say supply will shrink in the coming years as mines, such as Rio Tinto’s Argyle project, become depleted.

Laboratory-grown diamonds will add some supply. But Alrosa, like De Beers, says man-made stones are a separate market and have no re-sale value, in contrast to natural gems.

De Beers last year began marketing laboratory diamonds as jewellery for the first time, but Ivanov said that Alrosa has no interest in following suit.

The company is, however, expanding in Africa, where Zimbabwe and Angola remain under-explored.

Last year Alrosa said it was increasing its stake in Angola and Ivanov expects a deal to increase Alrosa’s stake in Angola, first flagged last year, will close “in the near future”. Alrosa and the Angolan government would each have a 41 percent stake, with the rest held by Chinese investors.

Ivanov said stake size is not the only consideration and in Angola the company has reached agreement on corporate governance, transparency and has established an advisory board.

Alrosa is also protecting itself against the impact of U.S. sanctions by building trading infrastructure to allow transactions in currencies other than dollars, amounting to “a couple of percent” of its business.

He said it would not be rational to switch totally from dollars because that could disort the market.

“But in case there’s some geopolitical escalation, we should be able to switch to other currencies,” he said, citing Indian rupees, Chinese RMB and euros._Reuters

Tanzania sets measures to curb illegal gold exports

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Tanzania sets measures to curb illegal gold exports

Tanzania has ordered all mineral-producing regions in the East African nation to set up government-controlled trading centres by the end of June, accelerating efforts to curb illegal exports of gold and other precious minerals.

The trading centres will give small-scale miners direct access to a formal, regulated market where they can go and directly trade their gold. They currently struggle to access formal gold dealers who mostly based in the capital Dar es Salam and major towns.

A statement from the prime minister’s office said the first mineral trading centre was inaugurated in the northwestern town of Geita on Sunday, close to the country’s biggest gold mine owned by South Africa’s AngloGold Ashanti.

Small-scale miners produce around 20 tonnes of gold per year in Tanzania, but an estimated 90 percent of the output is illegally exported

“All mineral-producing regions should set up these trading centres as soon as possible to serve small miners,” the statement quoted Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa as saying while commissioning the centre in Geita.

The Geita centre would serve as a model for others, the statement said, adding the centres were aimed at controlling smuggling of gold and other minerals.

Small-scale miners produce around 20 tonnes of gold per year in Tanzania, but an estimated 90 percent of the output is illegally exported, according to a report by a parliamentary committee.

Tanzania is Africa’s fourth-biggest gold producer after South Africa, Ghana and Mali and gold exports are a key source of foreign exchange.

It exported gold worth $1.549 billion last year, up slightly from $1.541 billion in 2017, central bank data shows.

President John Magufuli, who took office in late 2015, is pushing for more revenues from the mining sector, which is a relatively small contributor to national output.

In 2017, the government passed laws that the industry complained would be costly and onerous. Among other things, the laws hike taxes on mineral exports, mandate a higher government stake in some mining operations and force the construction of local smelters, a move some companies said was uneconomic.

Magufuli also ordered the central bank in January to start buying the country’s gold to curb smuggling and build reserves to stabilise the local currency.

Tanzania has also been locked in a prolonged conflict with London-listed Acacia Mining after authorities banned exports of gold and copper concentrates and accused the miner of tax evasion, which it denies.

Majaliwa said the trading centres will be jointly supervised by officials from a state-run mining commission and the state revenue service. They will also have banks to provide financial services to the dealers and miners._Reuters

Bristow taking Barrick helm aids talks, Tanzania AG Says

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Bristow taking Barrick helm aids talks, Tanzania AG Says

Mark Bristow taking over the leadership of Barrick Gold Corp. facilitated negotiations with Tanzania about a multibillion-dollar tax dispute that could be resolved by May, the country’s attorney general said.

Barrick unit Acacia Mining Plc has been at odds with Tanzania’s government since July 2017, when the state handed it a $190-billion tax bill, saying the gold producer falsely declared bullion exports. Bristow was named Barrick chief executive officer in January, and the following month the company said it’s reached a settlement proposal with the government.

Ideally, Tanzania would want a 50 percent stake in the new company that will run Acacia’s mines

“It has rationalized things a little bit,” Adelardus Kilangi said of Bristow’s appointment. “I think within one, two months a deal will be struck.”

Shares in Acacia rose as much as 4.9 percent in London, the most since Feb. 20, the day Barrick announced the initial settlement proposal.

Barrick, which owns 63.9 percent of Acacia, said at the time the plan includes the gold producer paying $300 million to resolve outstanding tax claims, and the two parties sharing the “economic benefits” of Acacia’s operations on a 50-50 basis with the state. The government may end up with a larger share than that in the final deal, Kilangi said on the sidelines of a conference in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital.

“At the end of the day, the country will actually get more,” he said. “If you add up to that the taxes and other revenues, remittances, it will probably go to 65 percent to 70 percent.”

Ideally, Tanzania would want a 50 percent stake in the new company that will run Acacia’s mines, said Kilangi. The government has been negotiating with Barrick not Acacia, as Barrick holds the mineral development agreement, he said.

The timing of any deal would depend on Barrick “solving their internal issues” with Acacia, said Kilangi, without elaborating._Bloomberg News

De Beers, Botswana to expand world’s richest diamond mine

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De Beers, Botswana to expand world’s richest diamond mine

Botswana’s Debswana Diamond Mining, a joint venture between De Beers and the southern Africa country’s government, have awarded Thiess’ subsidiary CIMIC a $1.2-billion contract to extend the lifespan of their Jwaneng mine.

Jwaneng, which began operations in 1982, is currently 650 metres deep, but its owners want to deepen the pit to 830 meters (2,700 feet), which will allow continuing operations for another 11 years, to 2035, and extracting a further 53 million carats.

Debswana will invest approximately $2 billion over the life of the project, dubbed Cut 9, which involves removing waste from the bottom of the mine to both widen and deepen the pit.

Jwaneng, which began operations in 1982, will continue in operations unit 2035.At its peak, Cut-9 is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, the majority of which will be held by locals.

“With global consumer demand for diamonds reaching record levels in 2018, the extension will enable us to continue to meet the needs of our consumers all over the world,” Debswana’s chairman Bruce Cleaver said in the statement.

This is not the first time Debswana decides to invest in expanding Jwaneng, the world’s No.1 diamond producing mine by value, which contributes almost 70% of the partnership’s total revenue.

The company completed in November a $3-billion, 10-year-long expansion plan, Cut 8, which extended the lifespan of the mine to 2024.

Debswana was formed in 1969 as a 50/50 partnership between the Botswana’s government and De Beers Group. The unit is a significant contributor to the country’s economy with more than 80% of its profits going back to Botswana’s citizens.

Diamonds from Debswana bring in about 50% of public revenue, representing 33% of GDP and over 80% of foreign earnings to Botswana.

Platinum and Palladium: A New Age of Bullion

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Platinum and Palladium: A New Age of Bullion

When you think of investing in precious metals, you probably think about gold and silver. It makes sense. These metals have been widely accepted as currency and stores of value for centuries. But newer types of metals have recently broke into the mainstream precious metals industry, providing investors with more ways to diversify their portfolios.

Platinum and palladium are growing in popularity as investment metals, largely due to their scarcity and industrial uses. Though gold and silver remain the most popular investment metals, you can now find a small assortment of platinum and palladium coins and bars on the market. Let’s take a closer look at what makes these metals an attractive investment option.

Limited Supply

Platinum was discovered in the 1700s when traces of the metal were found lining gold mines in South America. Spanish conquistadors considered the metal to be a nuisance that blocked what they truly sought. However, it is now known that platinum is far more rare than gold and extremely valuable. In fact, platinum is so rare that the entire amount of mined platinum is believed to fit into an average living room.

Nearly 100 years later, palladium was discovered by William Hyde Wollaston while he was working on a process to purify platinum. Today, palladium is still often found as a byproduct of platinum extractions. And palladium is believed to be even more rare than platinum—possibly up to 15 times as rare. Palladium is largely sourced in South Africa, as well as the US, Canada, and Russia.

Growing Industrial Demand

Though you may see jewelry and designer watches made of platinum, the metal’s main use is in the making of catalytic converters for cars. In fact, nearly half of the platinum supply is used in the auto industry. Additionally, platinum is used in dentistry and in the making of medical machinery electrodes.

Palladium, a metal very similar to platinum, has several of the same industrial applications. It too is used in the automotive and medical industries, as well as being alloyed with gold to make white gold jewelry pieces.

Raw Platinum

Since these metals are crucial in the manufacture of vehicles, we can expect demand to rise in countries that produce cars. In recent years, China has surpassed the US as the world’s largest automobile producer. It’s likely that we’ll see an increasing demand for platinum and palladium in China because of the automobile industry, as well as emerging technological markets that may also make use of the metals.

Though it’s believed that palladium is more rare than platinum, palladium is actually a cheaper metal. Why? Platinum and palladium are very similar metals. The main difference is that platinum is much denser than palladium. That means that platinum can be manipulated more without breakingl. This makes it the more valuable of the two in terms of industrial uses. However, the similarities between the metals means that many businesses are turning to palladium when possible because of the lower price.

Investing in Platinum and Palladium

Stackers have taken a greater interest in platinum and palladium in recent years. The growing uses for the metals make them attractive as a potential investment option. Platinum and palladium have yet to reach the popularity of gold and silver, largely due to a constricted supply. On top of supply, the prices of platinum and palladium tend to be more volatile than the prices of gold and silver.

With these factors in mind, platinum and palladium tend to attract serious investors more than casual investors. And the investors who are drawn to platinum and palladium may find that options are far fewer than those for gold and silver. You can find platinum and palladium coins and bars from reputable sovereign and private mints, but there are fewer designs and smaller mintages available. After all, the platinum and palladium bullion industries are much newer than the gold and silver bullion industries.

However, serious investors might want to take note of the metals’ recent success. Demand and spot price for both platinum and palladium have been steadily climbing for some time now. These metals might provide a good option for you if you’re looking to expand your investment portfolio.

_Provident metals

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