Frik Els, Author at MINING.COM

Ruling party aligned union losing grip on South Africa mining

NUM's diminishing influence – blamed in part on its political affiliations and its perceived closeness to big business – is most striking at Impala Platinum's Rustenberg mine where its enrollment has dropped to 13% from 70% before.

Frik Els | October 8, 2012 | 8:18 pm

Welcome to Canada, land of the $63 barrel of oil

Want cheap oil? Look no further than Canada

The price oil sands producers receive fell to $38 a barrel below the international benchmark oil price on Monday, leaving more than one fifth of all Alberta projects unviable.

Frik Els | October 8, 2012 | 6:25 pm

Idaho gold junior surges after royalty windfall

US Labor Dept drops bomb on gold traders, dents QE3

The jobs report may mean that the Federal Reserve will end its QE program to flood markets with cheap money sooner rather than later.

Frik Els | October 5, 2012 | 8:33 pm

Vale back to work at Carajás after blockade lifted

Vale was granted a preliminary environmental license for the new mine in June, but the $100 billion company has run into problems with the project before.

Frik Els | October 5, 2012 | 7:05 pm

Kloppers offloads $5 million BHP stock. Don’t worry it’s just a tax thing

At the same time the 50-year-old boss of the world's number one miner also pocketed 300,000 BHP shares worth more than $10 million thanks to the company's employee share incentive scheme.

Frik Els | October 5, 2012 | 6:25 pm

China factory data roils copper stocks – Freeport down 9%

Not one Chinese iron mine makes money at $80. There’s your new price floor

The outlook for iron ore has certainly become more clouded since July, but some of the more bearish analysts may be overshooting on the downside.

Frik Els | October 4, 2012 | 11:55 pm

Gold price bounces around on jobs, inflation data

Gold stops just short of $1,800, US jobs could push it over

Disappointing non-farm payrolls could push gold to new 2012 high.

Frik Els | October 4, 2012 | 11:55 pm

The biggest bear of all? Iron ore price heading for $50-something

Iron ore: Who let the bears out?

It's worth remembering that the price of 62% iron ore never strayed from $10 – 14 a tonne for more than 20 years.

Frik Els | October 3, 2012 | 7:49 pm

South African strikes spread to iron ore

75,000 miners, or 15% of the sector's workers in South Africa, are now on wildcat strikes.

Frik Els | October 3, 2012 | 2:20 pm

Frontier Rare Earths jumps 10% on Korea talks

Frontier is advancing the Zandkopsdrift rare earth project in South Africa and in December sold 10% of the venture to Kores for $23.8 million. The South Korean state-owned company now wants to ink a more comprehensive deal.

Frik Els | October 2, 2012 | 2:46 pm