Piedmont expands spodumene resources with investment in IronRidge

Gold output fell 21 percent from a year earlier compared with a revised 23 percent drop in January.

The Canadian gold producer churned out 45,098 ounces of gold in the first three months of 2019, flat quarter-on-quarter, but 34% lower than in the same period a year earlier.

The mine would be built on one of the largest platinum mining concessions in the country.

Oil prices jumped to five-month highs this week, pushed higher by a bullish cocktail of supply outages, geopolitical unrest and a sputtering shale sector.

Zimbabwe may withdraw mining rights from companies that take too long to dig for minerals.

The joint venture intended to explore for iron assets at the Simandou prospect, but the concession was revoked in 2014 by Guinea's government.

The company has entered its second binding offtake agreement in two weeks, contracting to sell 10,000 tonnes of large and jumbo flake graphite concentrate to a private company in China.

Prices for platinum, palladium and rhodium have all gained in recent months, boosting earnings for miners in top supplier South Africa.

The largest union in the platinum industry wants its members to share the benefits of higher prices.