Tanzania’s decision to establish a National Gold Reserve to strengthen its local currency comes at a time when global central banks are turning to gold as a safe-haven asset. As Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer, Tanzania’s focus on retaining its gold output within the country raises questions about the significance of such a move for its economy. This Article explores the dynamics of the Tanzania gold market, the benefits and disadvantages of gold exports, and the
Newfield Resources’ Tongo diamond project in Sierra Leone produced 7 800 carats in 2022 and this figure will virtually double in 2023. While these figures are modest, they are just the prelude to an expected sharp ramp up in production – starting in 2024 – which will see the mine producing at a rate of almost 200 000 carats a year by 2026 and over 300 000 carats a year by 2028, Newfield’s CEO KARL
The consultancy firm Business Monitor International (BMI) believes that the outlook for natural gas projects in Mozambique is improving, despite the delay in the resumption of work by the French oil and gas company, TotalEnergies, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. “The outlook for mega-projects in Mozambique is improving, with progress being made on the resumption of projects. TotalEnergies has taken several steps to restart the project, following the violence in 2021, which forced
A southern African bloc of nations backed a $17 billion natural gas infrastructure plan to bolster energy supplies on a continent where almost half of the population lacks access to power. The 16-member Southern African Development Community approved the blueprint to invest in infrastructure such as pipelines and terminals for local and imported supplies. While not yet a major source of gas, the bloc is home to some significant discoveries with projects in various stages
Nigeria’s new oil minister stated last week that the country expects all four oil refineries to be ready by the end of the year, with the southern Port Harcourt facility possibly beginning operations as early as December. The Port Harcourt refinery will begin processing oil by the end of 2022, the government announced last year. However, NNPC Ltd executives and succeeding oil ministers have launched a number of fruitless plans to restart, remodel, or enlarge
Petra Diamonds’ rough prices decreased at its first tender of the fiscal year as the anticipated pickup in demand proved disappointing. The August trading session brought in $79.3 million from the sale of 696,194 carats, with like-for-like prices — those for similar categories of diamonds — falling 4.3% compared with May, the miner reported Friday. The slowdown was primarily due to flagging prices for rough between 2 and 10.8 carats, which dropped 14% on a like-for-like basis.
A US advertising watchdog has called on e-tailer Agape Diamonds to make the origins of its synthetic and simulated stones clearer. The recommendation came from the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs — a nonprofit that helps businesses self-regulate — after the National Diamond Council (NDC) challenged Agape’s claims, the NAD reported last week. Agape’s promotional material, including how it was presenting products for sale on its website, did not clearly and conspicuously disclose the
Vancouver-headquartered Lucara Diamond has secured a short-term extension of the maturity of its $50-million senior secured working capital facility (WCF). The company says it will defer the placement of $52.9-million in a cost overrun reserve account (CORA) by September 2. The CORA balance is currently $18.3-million. Lucara’s debt package consists of two facilities: a project finance facility of $170-million to fund the development of an underground expansion at the Karowe mine, in Botswana, and the WCF that is used to support ongoing operations.
Bullion miner AngloGold Ashanti has placed the Córrego do Sítio (CDS) mine, in Brazil, on care and maintenance, following a sustained period of poor production and costs that are well above the gold price. CDS is AngloGold’s smallest operation and produced 30 000 oz in the first six months of the year at a total cash cost of $2 278/oz and an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $3 031/oz. The mine produced 69 000 oz last year, accounting for only 2.5% of
De Beers will allow sightholders to defer up to half of rough purchases to early next year amid sluggish consumer demand and high midstream stockpiles, market insiders told Rapaport News. The miner wrote to customers last week, informing them that they could avoid buying parts of their allocations of 1-carat goods and larger for the rest of 2023, the sources said on condition of anonymity. The allowance is 25% by value for some boxes and 50% for others,
