IGO to record impairment against nickel assets in strategy shift
IGO has been undertaking a strategic review in an attempt to revaluate its resources.
A massive blackout in South Australia forced the world’s largest miner BHP Billiton to suspend production at its Olympic Dam copper mine.
The power outage was the product of strong winds and heavy rain caused by what has been called “the most extreme weather system” that has hit the area in decades.
Given this situation, BHP decided it was best to stop activities at the country’s biggest underground mine. The main goal at the moment is to divert power back-up and maintain essential operations at the site.
The Melbourne-based multinational didn’t give any information as to when operations will be resumed, or if the company is going to seek legal protection from supply obligations under a declaration of force majeure.
Olympic Dam produced 203,000 metric tons of copper in FY 2016, or ~13% of company-wide output. Forecasts see an increase to around 230,000 tonnes in five years, with potential for up to 450,000 tonnes per year by around 2025.
According to Reuters, the power outage also halted operations at Oz Minerals’ Prominent Hill mine, which plans to produce up to 125,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate in 2016.
For the next couple of weeks, Nyrstar NV’s 185,000-tonnes-per-year Port Pirie lead smelter will also be out of action, the Zurich-based firm told the press.
Comments
Brian Johns
This South Australian statewide power outage of two days ago does not have anything to do with the storm. Natural events shuch as this should not be able to take out the electricity supply system in an entire state. It has everything to do with the incredible incompetence and stupidity of the SA Labor / Greens government and their decision to close the SA base load power stations, then claim that the very expensive solar and wind electricity is enough, and in fact rely fully on coal based electricity produced in Victoria. When this connection failed an entire state was returned to the stone age . Labor/greens governments in general are incredibly incompetent , and with their ideology will certainly destroy Australia sooner, rather than later. We have lived in Adelaide for the last 10 months only , and paid the highest ever electricity bills in our lives (approx AUD350/month!), without children in the house! Even so , there have been at least two major power failures so far. Now the Internet does not work! Cannot wait to finish this project and move as far away as possible from the most stupid city in all Australia – Adelaide.