Nonferrous

• Blackthorn extracts first Perkoa zinc Dec 13, 2011

  Australian junior miner Blackthorn Resources has hoisted the first ore from the Perkoa zinc mine in Burkina Faso, a joint-venture project in which London-listed commodities trader Glencore International owns a controlling 50.1% stake.

• LME to launch non-ferrous swaps in January Dec 13, 2011

  The London Metal Exchange will launch financially settled swaps for all non-ferrous metals on January 23, it announced on December 13.

• Arbitration court finds in favour of Rio Tinto in Ivanhoe dispute Dec 13, 2011

  An Australian arbitrator has backed Rio Tinto's challenge to the shareholder rights plan adopted by Ivanhoe Mines, the owner of the Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine in Mongolia.

• Rio extends offer for Hathor acquisition Dec 13, 2011

  Rio Tinto has extended its cash offer to buy all the common shares of Canadian junior uranium company Hathor Exploration for C$4.70 ($4.59) per common share until 17:00 Toronto time on December 22.

• Base metals prices sag in LME pre-market Dec 13, 2011

  Base metals prices softened during pre-market trading on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday, as traders become increasingly unwilling to take new positions ahead of the year-end.

• Yunan Tianhao to tap into germanium civilian market Dec 13, 2011

  Yunan Tianhao Rare Precious Metals is planning to develop copper-germanium products for the consumer goods market.

• China manganese flake prices down as demand falters Dec 13, 2011

  Manganese flake prices in China fell this week as trading activity slowed and mills reduced their bid prices.

• Nickel ore price at 17-month low after demand shrinks Dec 13, 2011

  High-grade nickel ore prices at Chinese ports have fallen to the lowest level since July 2010, and stocks are at an all-time high.

• Futura looks to expand extruding operation Dec 12, 2011

  Futura Industries Corp. is expanding its operation in Clearfield, Utah, and will either buy an existing property at its site or relocate to a greenfield site nearby.

• Metal execs see real growth softening Dec 12, 2011

  A survey of more than 50 chief financial officers across a broad range of metal, mining and metal fabrication companies found that optimism about the state of their industries has cooled, with expectations for industry expansion falling significantly.

• Aluminum billet spot deals slow as holidays near Dec 12, 2011

  Spot deals for aluminum billet have slowed due to normal seasonality, market participants said, although at least one producer has seen a slight pickup in volumes ordered in December from customers who under-ordered in October.

• CLOSE TO CLOSE: Base metals prices fall again on euro-watching Dec 12, 2011

  Base metals prices took another tumble during kerb trading on the London Metal Exchange on December 12, as the slowdown ahead of the year-end continues and market participants wait for news out of Europe.

• MEIR ON METALS: Markets exhibit growing doubts about European accords Dec 12, 2011

  Analyst Ed Meir looks at what is moving the metal markets on Monday.

• Base metal prices dip in LME officials as traders fret about growth Dec 12, 2011

  Base metal prices were all hovering around the morning’s lows during Monday’s official session on the London Metal Exchange, as a lack of headlines out of Europe left trading subdued.

• Aleris to add aluminium-lithium alloys to Koblenz output Dec 12, 2011

  A casting facility producing aluminium-lithium plate and sheet products for the aerospace industry will be built at the Aleris plant in Koblenz, Germany, the company announced on Monday December 12.

• Gold Fields negotiates with Ghana for tax stability agreement Dec 12, 2011

  South African precious metals producer Gold Fields is negotiating with the government of Ghana to address an increase in taxation that is set to come into effect in 2012, which the company claims could stifle plans to expand its Damang mine.

• Miners in Eritrea unsure about effects of new UN sanctions Dec 12, 2011

  Companies operating in Eritrea are, for now, unaffected by the tougher sanctions imposed on the African country by the UN on December 5, but were uncertain of the extent of any indirect consequences, they said.

• South African ores exchange plan to progress in late January Dec 12, 2011

  Oremetex, the company founded by Clinton Wood as part of plans to launch an ores exchange in South Africa, hopes to have gathered all the industry feedback it needs on the proposition by the second half of January 2012, preparing the ground for a push towards a launch date.

• The power of a metal pricing syndicate: a lesson from history Dec 12, 2011

  Hotline was discussing the Indonesian tin producers’ pricing circle, which broke down late last month, with one third-generation metal man last week.

• COMMENT: Where will the next story or contact come from? Dec 12, 2011

  New platforms and new types of content will enable Metal Bulletin to provide its subscribers with information in ways that are fresh and revealing.

• Central Asia Metals opens Kounrad copper project Dec 12, 2011

  Central Asia Metals has opened its Kounrad copper project in south-central Kazakhstan, the company said on Monday.

• Trading quiet in LME pre-market on EU fears, year-end Dec 12, 2011

  Base metals activity was minimal during pre-market trading on the London Metal Exchange as the market continued to digest UK prime minister David Cameron’s veto of a treaty aimed at resolving the EU's financial crisis.

• Chinese producers raise ferro-chrome offers ahead of Taigang bid Dec 12, 2011

  Chinese producers coincidentally raised their offers for high-carbon ferro-chrome on Monday for the sake of expand profit and before the next round of bids from stainless steel mills, said sources.

• Shanghai copper drops after Europe deal Dec 12, 2011

  Shanghai Futures Exchange copper settled 0.6% lower on Monday on concerns about demand in China and a continuing debt crisis in Europe.