Mining News

China's Commodity Imports Tepid, but Improving

If you were looking for evidence that China's economy has lost momentum, you may be tempted to think that you've found it in the unimpressive growth, or lack thereof, in imports of major commodities in the first quarter.Customs data for the first quarter show only crude oil has recorded significant growth in import volumes in the first quarter, with copper data mixed and iron ore and coal dropping.This would seem to confirm the narrative of slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy amid the ongoing trade and tariff dispute with the United States.But as usual the devil is in the deta

Liebherr Turnover Tops $11 Billion

The Liebherr Group notched up a company record turnover of $11.8 million in 2018, representing an increase of $828 million, or 7.5 %, compared with the previous year.Despite a slight decline in overall economic growth, revenues from construction machinery and mining equipment rose by 10.8 % to $7,761 million, with especially strong contributions from the Earthmoving, Mobile Cranes and Mining divisions. In the other product areas, which include Maritime Cranes, Aerospace and Transportation Systems…

Lankhorst Appoints Commercial Director

Maritime and heavy lift ropes company, Lankhorst Ropes, has appointed Mark Pieter Frölich as commercial director for Lankhorst Ropes USA. Based in Philadelphia, Frölich will head the development of Lankhorst Ropes’ sales in the maritime and offshore markets in the United States and Canada.Lankhorst Ropes is part of Kansas based WireCo WorldGroup, a steel wire and synthetic ropes maker. Previously regional manager for Lankhorst Ropes in the Middle East, Frölich has spent the past seven years successfully founding and growing the WireCo WorldGroup branch office in Dubai.

Dry Bulk Market Outlook Darkens After Vale Casualty

The prospects of dry bulk shippers carrying iron ore from mines to smelters have worsened due to the accident at Vale's Brumadinho dam in Brazil, Golden Ocean said on Tuesday as it presented forecast-beating quarterly earnings.The dam in the town of Brumadinho, which contained tailings, the mud-like byproducts of iron ore mining, burst on Jan. 25, killing at least 166 people and with almost 200 more still missing.Brazil's Vale, the world's largest iron ore mining company, has…

Inmarsat: In Support of Maritime Start-ups

Inmarsat  has joined forces with tRainmaking’s Trade and Transport Impact (T&TI) and Bluetech Accelerator to create initiatives that directly support start-ups focused on IoT and big data innovation in the maritime, ports and logistics supply chain.The programs will fund, support and mentor start-ups developing applications that aim to harness the power of IoT and big data to enhance safety, efficiency and sustainability. Inmarsat will collaborate with those start-ups to find a route to market via its global…

Cosco Shipping Buys 60% Stake Peru's Chancay Terminal

Global ports operator Cosco Shipping Ports acquiring 60% stake in Terminales Portuarios Chancay (Chancay Terminal) from Volcan Compañía Minera for a total consideration of US$225million.Zhang Wei, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Cosco Shipping Ports and  José Picasso, Chairman of Volcan signed the agreement on behalf of the two parties.The ceremony was witnessed by Mercedes Aráoz, Vice President of Peru,  Xiao Yaqing, Chairman of State-owned Asset Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council…

Rising Ship Supply Eases LNG Charter Rates

Limited availability drove LNG shipping rates to highs; but prices now falling as more ship supply becomes available.Inflated spot charter rates for liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are easing as more ships becoming available, which could help increase LNG trade if Asian demand rises in coming months.LNG charter rates are a key component of spot LNG trade, dictating the way the super-cooled gas is transported. Charter rates usually follow the price of LNG, which has fallen since September due to sluggish demand from Asian buyers.Rates have remained high for most of this year…

DSC Dredge CEO Wetta Delivers Ghana Fact-Finding Trip Report

As a member of the President’s Advisory Council – Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA), Bob Wetta attended the September 26, 2018 Fact-Finding Trip Report meeting in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and 13 other U.S. Government officials. Their purpose was to deliberate and adopt the final report of the 2016-2018 term of the PAC-DBIA. Prepared by IBM’s Takreem El-Tohamy, but unfortunately unable to attend the meeting, Bob Wetta presented the Ghana information…

Seanergy Maritime to Install Scrubbers on its Capesize Fleet

Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. announced that it has entered into commercial agreements for the installation of exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) on five of its capesize bulk carriers before the January 1, 2020 implementation date of the IMO sulfur emission cap regulations.Upon completion of the installations scheduled for Q2 and Q3 2019, the vessels will commence index linked period employment with three leading dry-bulk charterers ranging in durations between three and five years.Stamatis Tsantanis…

Rio Tinto: Autonomous Ships "Not Far Off"

Mining companies must forge new ties with partners from customers to governments as they pursue innovation and compete for talent with technology giants, Rio Tinto's chief executive said in a speech to be delivered on Tuesday.The mining industry has recovered from the deep commodity crash of 2015-16, but faces headwinds from U.S.-China trade tensions, which have dented the copper price, and is struggling to win investor trust.In a copy of a speech to be delivered at a conference in Melbourne on Tuesday…

A New Age for Norwegian Shipping

It’s about more than maritime. Harald Solberg, CEO of the Norwegian Shipping Association, sees a world of opportunity from his office overlooking Oslo. Here he talks markets, innovation, ocean developments, and even rubbish. Norway, he believes, has a leading role to play.Harald Solberg is 42, but looks younger. Hearing him outline a career that has so far taken in politics, media, the Norwegian Royal Palace, and, of course, shipping, is a little surreal. For a moment one wonders who he’s talking about – his boss…

Jacobs Sells ECR Division to WorleyParsons

Australia's WorleyParsons has entered into a binding agreement to acquire US contractor Jacobs Engineering's  Energy, Chemicals & Resources (ECR) division, a leading global technical services provider across Hydrocarbons, Chemicals and Mining & Minerals.ECR has a global footprint with long-term, blue-chip relationships in key strategic markets, most notably the US, Canada, the Middle East and India. The business has more than 30,900 employees in 27 countries.Jacobs ECR is ranked number one globally for its delivery of complex petrochemical and chemical projects…

Singapore Exchange to Launch High-grade Iron Ore Derivatives

The Singapore Exchange said on Thursday that it will launch new high-grade iron ore derivatives in December, aiming to tap into a growing appetite for higher quality supplies of the steelmaking raw material.China's anti-pollution campaign has forced steelmakers in the world's top producer to shift to higher grade iron ore to curb emissions, in a boon for top supplier, Brazilian mining giant Vale.SGX said that the futures and swaps contracts will reference the Brazilian ore fines…

Chinese Steel Mills Chase Iron Ore Contracts with Brazil's Vale

Chinese steel mills and traders are rushing to secure long-term contracts for high-quality iron ore ahead of winter steel output cuts, a boon for the main supplier of such grades of the commodity, Brazilian mining giant Vale.China, the world's biggest consumer of the steelmaking ingredient, needs higher-quality, less polluting grades of iron ore as it battles to clear its notoriously smoggy skies.That demand highlights how China's prolonged war on pollution is shaking global markets for iron ore…

ATCO Buys 40% Stake in South American Port

Calgary-based natural gas, electrical and real estate giant ATCO is getting into the transportation business after buying a 40-per-cent stake in a South American port operator Neltume Ports for about CAD$450 million (USD$340 million).Neltume Ports, a subsidiary of Ultramar, operates in 16 port facilities and three stevedoring businesses primarily located in Chile and Uruguay. “This acquisition represents an important milestone in the execution of ATCO’s long-term strategy to diversify…

Transnet Due to Commence DCT Berth Deepening Project

Transnet’s forthcoming project to create deeper berths at Durban Container Terminal (DCT): Pier 2’s North Quay will enable the Port of Durban to accommodate newer generation container vessels by 2023.Addressing stakeholders at a business breakfast in Durban on Tuesday, representatives of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) and Transnet Group Capital (TGC) provided a project update to stakeholders ahead of anticipated site establishment by end…

APM Terminals Uses Drones

At APM Terminals' inland services facilities in San Antonio and Santiago, Chile, safety supervisors previously monitored activities on the ground. Now the latest technology is enabling their work to be done more effectively and safely.APM Terminals is amongst the first to use drones for security and to drive operational efficiency.The drones are clearly visible in the air above the facilities, moving about their various tasks. “Our safety supervisors are the ones tasked with keeping the people and activities at our facilities safe…

Egina FPSO Sails to Offshore Field

The $3.3 billion Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) unit built by Samsung Heavy Industries of Korea (SHI) for the 200,000 barrels per day capacity Egina oilfield began to sail to the oilfield Sunday, reports local media.Following fabrication and integration works in Lagos, the FPSO will arrive in three days’ time at the Egina oilfield located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 130, which is being developed at the cost of $16 billion by the French oil major, TotalT.Nicholas Terraz…

AAL Ramps Up Asia-Australia Liner Service

Breakbulk and heavy lift project cargo operator AAL said it will boost its scheduled North and South East Asia to Australia West Coast Liner Service (AUWC) to a monthly service with the addition of a second MPV vessel. The expansion comes on the back of very strong growth (16 percent in 2017/1018) for Western Australia’s $109 billion mineral and petroleum industry, due mainly to rising commodity prices, stronger than expected export demand and growing local production.AAL’s AUWC…

Scott Phillips Appointed Hiab President

Scott Phillips has been appointed President of Hiab crane manufacturing division of Cargotec group as of 1 October 2018. He will be a member of the Cargotec Executive Board and report to CEO Mika Vehviläinen. Scott Phillips joins Cargotec from General Electric where he holds the position of Vice President and CEO Mining. Prior to that, he has during his 28 years' career held various global leadership positions in the construction and mining industries, working for Sandvik and Caterpillar Inc., among others. "I warmly welcome Scott to Cargotec and Hiab.

PSA International Acquires Majority Stakes in Canada Port

PSA International through its subsidiary has acquired 60 per cent of Ashcroft Terminal (AT) , an inland port facility about 300km east of the Port of Vancouver in western Canada, making its first foray into Canada.AT is an inland port facility located approximately 300 kilometres east of the Port of Vancouver (POV).Comprising 320 acres of free-hold industrial land, it is the only major privately-owned industrial property in Canada where both Class 1 railroad lines – including Canadian National (CN) Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway – run through…

Eurotainer Appoints APM Terminals as Agent for Argentina

Eurotainer US, Inc. has selected APM Terminals Inland Services Argentina as the exclusive agent for the sales and marketing of its tank container leasing services in Argentina.APM Terminals serves the Argentinian market through five strategically located Inland Service Depots located in key markets along the full length of the country. The company offers equipment lifecycle management, transportation services and cargo support.The company's Puerto Deseaso Depot has an established…

IoT to Boost Revenues by USD 154 million: Inmarsat

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is set to make a sizeable contribution to the global economy by 2023. This is according to a new global study launched today by Inmarsat , the world’s leading mobile satellite communications company, which found that organisations, across the global supply chain, expect IIoT to be increasing their annual revenues by 10 per cent within 5 years.The Industrial Internet of Things is set to revolutionise how businesses function in the next few years.

Jamaica Passes Bill to Manage Ballast Water Carried By Ships

The House of Representatives passed the Ballast Water Management Bill, which is aimed at protecting Jamaica’s marine environment, said Jamaica Information Service, a government agency. The legislation seeks to implement measures to prevent ships entering Jamaica’s waters from introducing foreign aquatic species and diseases into the country. The Minister of Transport and Mining, Robert Montague, said the Bill is in keeping with commitments under the Ballast Water Management Convention, of which Jamaica is a signatory.

Damen Delivers Tug Pair to Smit Lamnalco

Netherlands based shipbuilder Damen said it has delivered two of four ASD 3212 tugs to towage and related marine services’ company Smit Lamnalco.Arriving in Oman on July 10, the two new tugs, each with a bollard pull of 80 metric tons, will be directly deployed at a Oman India Fertilizer Company S.A.O.C (OMIFCO) dedicated terminal in the Port of Sur and will be owned and operated by the joint venture Bahwan Lamnalco Company (BLC).In November 2017, Smit Lamnalco announced that it had decided to order four Damen ASD 3212 tugs following an award of two major contracts…

TNPA Focuses on Ship Repair

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) appointed Preston Khomo, previously Richards Bay Port Manager, as Executive Manager: Ship Repair, to manage and administer the organization’s ship repair resources nationally.Thamsanqa (Thami) Sithole has been appointed as the new Port Manager for Richards Bay. Both appointments are effective July 1.Khomo joined TNPA in 2004 as Head of Infrastructure Development: Port Operations and Consulting at Portcon (the then international arm of Transnet)…