Barrick’s Randgold acquisition may spur more gold M&A

The Zimbabwe Guardian reports that at least 137 mining companies are risking losing their mining licences for refusing to comply with the country's new indigenization regulations. Affected companies include Anglo-American, Murowa Diamonds and Metallon Gold, according to the newspaper, which notes that 38 companies have complied. The government of Zimbabwe, the country with the largest platinum reserves outside number one producer South Africa, is demanding 51% of all foreign-owned mines operating in the country under its so-called indigenization laws.

In yet another buying spree, China is going after another African copper producing firm to acquire its abundant copper production. Minmetals Resources Ltd. of China is poised to buy Anvil Mining of Congo for $1.31 billion to secure copper mine production output in Africa amid the recent fall of the commodity's prices in the world market.

Central Rand Gold (JNB:CRD) is seeking help from the Pretoria High Court to keep operating after its mining license was set aside by the South African Department of Mineral Resources. On Monday Central Rand Gold, a company focused on gold prospecting and mining in the Central Rand Goldfield of South Africa, learned its mining license would be cancelled because it failed to carry through with various environmental and labour guidelines.

Johannesburg. Tuesday, 27 September 2011. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony) regrets to advise that following an ore pass accident and subsequent rescue efforts, an employee and two members of an external rescue team were fatally injured yesterday at its Evander mine in Mpumalanga. Investigations are currently underway to establish the causes of the accidents. Operations at the mine have been stopped until investigations have been completed

Deep Yellow, a uranium exploration company with operations in Namibia and in Australia, announced on Tuesday additional high grade uranium intercepts from RC drilling at the Ongolo Alaskite Deposit and the MS7 Prospect.

Fin24 is reporting that a huge tailings dam being built in Kuma township could get kyboshed due to opposition from environmental groups, pressure groups and demands from landowners. The Kareerand tailings dam being built by First Uranium TSX:FIU, JSE:FUM 15km outside Stilfontein is a R400 million project motivated by a need to solve the ubiquitous dust cloud that currently envelops Kuma residents from 15 old tailings dams — relics from the Buffelsfontein and Hartbeesfontein gold mines — says Fin24, which describes the dam in some detail:

For a few years up to 2009, demand for mining equipment finance was strong, but it then declined as companies cut back because of the international financial meltdown. Since the beginning of last year there has been an upswing in the financing of yellow metal assets. Data from WesBank shows that the financing of yellow metals is up 80% year on year, driven mainly by the South African mining sector.

The election of Michael Sata to president of Zambia is not sitting well with copper miners who fear the 73-year-old, known as "King Cobra" for his aggressive style, will pick the pockets of mining companies, Bloomberg reports. Sata swept to power this week on a promise to create jobs and to extract more money from the mining industry in Zambia, Africa's largest copper producer. His win on Sept. 20 ends two decades of rule by the Movement for Multiparty Democracy.

Namakwa Diamonds sold its mining and exploration operations for US$6.25 million to Hall Farm Avenue Limited, the corporate vehicle of a management team lead by the Company’s DRC Country Manager, James Tregenza. Payment will be settled over a 5-year period, with a minimum payment of US$1.25m required in each year during this period.