Nonferrous

• SRA expects to ship first zinc concs in January Dec 19, 2007

  Strategic Resource Acquisition Corp. (SRA), Toronto, expects to deliver the first zinc concentrate from its Middle Tennessee Mines complex by late January.

• Brass mill product imports, exports fall in Oct. Dec 19, 2007

  U.S. imports of brass mill products tumbled 8.4 percent in October to 51,392,813 pounds from 56,107,152 pounds in the same month last year, according to the latest data from the Copper and Brass Fabricators Council, Washington.

• UC Rusal adds finance chief to board Dec 19, 2007

  United Co. Rusal has appointed Vladislav Soloviev, chief financial officer, to its board of directors.

• Imports, exports of brass mill products fall in October Dec 19, 2007

  U.S. imports of brass mill products tumbled 8.4 percent in October to 51,392,813 pounds from 56,107,152 pounds in the same period last year, according to the latest data from the Copper and Brass Fabricators Council, Washington.

• Posco to invest $170M for stake in moly project Dec 18, 2007

  South Korean steelmaker Posco Ltd. has agreed to invest $170 million to help bring General Moly Inc.’s $852-million Mount Hope molybdenum mining project in central Nevada into production.

• Bolivia, South Korea ink deal for Corocoro copper project Dec 18, 2007

  Bolivia and South Korea have agreed to joint exploitation of the Corocoro copper deposit, located 50 kilometers (31.1 miles) from Bolivian capital La Paz.

• Indonesia court clears Newmont of wrongdoing Dec 18, 2007

  A district court in Indonesia Tuesday cleared the local unit of Newmont Mining Corp., Denver, of wrongdoing in an environmental group’s lawsuit accusing it of polluting a bay near a former gold mine, according to media reports.

• Katanga begins output at Congo copper mine Dec 18, 2007

  Copper cathode production has begun at Katanga Mining Ltd.’s Kamoto joint venture in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Toronto-based company said Tuesday.

• Vale Inco to run Sudbury facilities nonstop in ’08 Dec 18, 2007

  Vale Inco Ltd., Toronto, expects to see record nickel production from its Sudbury, Ontario, operations in 2008 following a decision not to conduct an annual maintenance shutdown next year.

• Alcoa may abandon plan to build power plant for Eastalco smelter Dec 18, 2007

  Alcoa Inc., Pittsburgh, is poised to abandon a plan to build a coal-fired power plant on vacant U.S. Navy property to power a restart of the company’s idled 195,000-tonne-per-year Eastalco smelter in Frederick, Md.

• Ban on new, small copper smelters proposed Dec 18, 2007

  The Chinese government has proposed a ban on building new copper smelters with an annual capacity of less than 100,000 tonnes, although existing smelters below that threshold would be allowed to continue operating.

• Indalex planning to close plant in early 2008 Dec 18, 2007

  Indalex Inc. is planning to close its aluminum extrusion facility in Girard, Ohio, during the first quarter as a result of weak market conditions.

• Chinalco secures government OK for copper, rare metals expansion Dec 18, 2007

  The Chinese government has approved plans by Aluminum Corp. of China (Chinalco) to diversify and expand its aluminum, copper and rare metals operations, the Beijing-based company said.

• Alcoa plan to build power plant for Eastalco fades Dec 18, 2007

  Alcoa Inc., Pittsburgh, is poised to abandon plans to build a coal-fired power plant on vacant Navy property to power a restart of the company’s idled 195,000-tonne-per-year Eastalco smelter in Frederick, Md.

• Vale Inco to run Sudbury operations nonstop in ‘08 Dec 18, 2007

  Vale Inco Ltd., Toronto, expects to see record nickel production from its Sudbury, Ontario, operations in 2008 on the heels of a decision not to conduct an annual maintenance shutdown next year.

• Katanga begins production at DRC copper venture Dec 18, 2007

  Copper cathode production has begun at Katanga Mining Ltd.’s Kamoto joint venture in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Toronto-based company said Tuesday.

• Posco to invest $170M in Mount Hope moly project [UPDATE] Dec 18, 2007

  Steelmaker Posco Ltd., Seoul, South Korea, has agreed to invest $170 million to help bring General Moly Inc.’s $852-million Mount Hope molybdenum mining project in central Nevada into production, General Moly said Tuesday.

• Indalex may close Girard plant in early 2008 Dec 18, 2007

  Indalex Inc., part of Indalex Holding Finance Co., Lincolnshire, Ill., is planning to close its aluminum extrusion facility in Girard, Ohio, during the first quarter as a result of weak market conditions.

• Indonesian court clears Newmont in environmental suit Dec 18, 2007

  A district court in Indonesia Tuesday cleared the local unit of Newmont Mining Corp., Denver, of wrongdoing in an environmental group’s lawsuit accusing it of polluting a bay near a former gold mine, according to media reports.

• Reliance’s Valex unit opens facility in Shanghai Dec 18, 2007

  Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., Los Angeles, said Tuesday its Valex Corp. subsidiary opened a new facility in Shanghai, China, to produce equipment for the semiconductor, liquid-crystal display and solar industries.

• Escondida restores full output following quake Dec 17, 2007

  Full production at Minera Escondida Ltd., the world's largest copper mine, was restored Monday following a moderate earthquake near Mejillones, Chile, early Sunday.

• Court says strike at Cananea Mine can continue Dec 17, 2007

  A federal court in Mexico has ruled that a four-month strike at Grupo Mexico SA de CV’s Cananea copper mine in Sonora state can continue, according to a Reuters report.

• Rexam warns of currency effects on ’08 results Dec 17, 2007

  Rexam Plc, London, said its results for the second half of the year will be blunted by unfavorable currency exchange rates.

• Zinifex launches unsolicited offer for Allegiance Dec 17, 2007

  Zinifex Ltd., Melbourne, Australia, the world’s third-largest zinc miner, has made a conditional off-market offer valued at about Australian $775 million ($669 million) for Allegiance Mining NL.