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Venetia Underground on track to start production in 2021 . The $2-billion Venetia Diamond Mine Underground project remains on track and within budget to achieve first production in 2021. At steady-state production, 5.9-million tonnes of ore will be treated in the existing process plant to produce some 4.5-million carats a year. Anglo American subsidiary De Beers Group hosted a Young Diamantaires Visit at the mine last month, providing media and visitors with a tour of both the openpit operation and underground development.

Uncertainty, capital constraints holding South Africa’s junior miners back . A research report, commissioned by the Junior and Emerging Miners’ Desk of the Minerals Council South Africa, has found that junior miners, including small-scale and micro miners, hold up to 80% of the...

Lower PGMs output drags overall mining production down in August . South Africa's mining production decreased by 3.2% year-on-year in August. "Due to its large weight in the mineral group basket of about 24%, the 12.5% year-on-year decline in the platinum group metals (PGM) output subtracted three percentage points from the overall sector’s production decline.

World’s largest hydrogen haul truck on way – Anglo . Diversified mining company Anglo American on Thursday announced its agreement with global energy and energy services company ENGIE to develop and fuel the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck. The agreement was signed onboard the Energy Observer, the world’s first fully electric vessel powered exclusively by hydrogen and renewable energies.

AMCU calls for more whistle-blowers to come forward in Samancor Chrome case . The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) on Wednesday called on more whistle-blowers to come forward and provide it with reliable information to further strengthen its legal case against miner Samancor Chrome. The union, together with its partners, law firm Richard Spoor Inc and the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), have lodged a case of alleged fraud and profit shifting against the miner at the Gauteng High Court.

Minerals Council calls for rational debates on a just transition . The Minerals Council South Africa has called for "rational and sombre" debates about a just transition from coal-fired power to more wind and solar energy and has outlined the difficult situation mining companies are facing, amid higher electricity prices and other input costs. The council's chief economist, Henk Langenhoven, has called for more clarity about statistics in areas such as Mpumalanga, where the coal industry will be severely affected by the decommissioning of several Eskom coal-fired power stations.

Biodiversity, climate everyone’s issues – Environment Minister . South Africa is one of the world’s top three mega biodiverse nations along with Brazil and Indonesia, said Environment Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy in her address to the Oppenheimer Research Conference (ORC). “We are thus one of the richest countries in terms of the diversity of plants and animals both marine and terrestrial and levels of endemism,” said Creecy . (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Don’t 'declare war among technologies', says Mantashe amid imminent tabling of the IRP . Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday said the latest version of government’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) would be tabled before Cabinet next week and would make space for all technologies, ranging from renewables to nuclear. “The promulgation of the updated IRP is imminent. We are taking it to Cabinet next week,” Mantashe told the annual Windaba summit on wind energy in Cape Town. If it is gazetted "there will be certainty", he added.

Global gold-backed ETFs hit record highs in September . Global gold-back exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and similar products recorded $3.9-billion of net inflows across all regions in September, increasing their collective gold holdings by 75.2 t to 2 808 t, the highest levels of all time, the World Gold Council (WGC) said on Tuesday. Holdings surpassed late 2012 levels, at which time the gold price was near $1 700/oz, about 18% higher than current levels, the council said.

Ivanhoe appoints CEO for Kamoa-Kakula JV; Zijin increases Ivanhoe stake . Copper and platinum-group metals project developer Ivanhoe Mines has appointed Mark Farren CEO of its Kamoa-Kakula copper joint venture, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Farren was previously Ivanhoe executive VP of operations.