Death, diamonds and Russia’s Africa Project: Leonid Bershidsky

The price of importing South African coal has fallen to be nearly on par with Chinese domestic rates, but Chinese buyers are not biting and are asking for discounts of another $4 per tonne at least, trade sources said.

Diamond producer Petra Diamonds on Tuesday reported a 24% increase in gross mine revenue to US$220.6 million for the year ended June 2011, mainly due to the steady increase in rough diamond prices from October 2010. Revenue of US$90.0 million in the

China's Sichuan Hanlong Group made a bid to buy out the shares it doesn't already own in West African iron ore exploration company Sundance Resources, valuing the private conglomerate at A$1.4 billion ($1.5 billion). Last week, Hanlong, which is seeking to expand its reach in global resources, launched a A$144 million takeover bid for Bannerman Resources, which is looking for uranium in Namibia.

Mines Minister Obert Mpofu has rejected the monitor nominated by civil society to oversee operations at the Chiadzwa diamond fields, saying the appointment is null and void. The proposed watchdog is part of ongoing efforts to legitimise Zimbabwe's diamond trade, which was suspended in 2009 over human rights concerns at the Chiadzwa diamond fields. These concerns are still high with ongoing reports of rights abuses and rampant smuggling, all at the hands of the military, which maintains tight controls of the entire area.

Aura Energy Limited’s (ASX Code AEE, “Aura”) confidence in the greenfields Reguibat Project in Mauritania has been confirmed by the announcement of the first JORC-code compliant resource. The Inferred Resource of 50.2 million pounds at 330ppm U3O8 on the Reguibat Project was based on a cut-off grade of 100ppm U3O8 (Table 1). 48.9 million pounds of this resource are contained in permits 100% held by Aura.

Canada's Lucara Diamond Corp, building the AK6 mine in Botswana, said on Friday strike action in South Africa’s steel sector was delaying deliveries to the project, though it did not yet know the full impact on the mine's schedule. AK6 was on track so far, being 60% complete. The company’s other projects include Mothae Diamond Project, located in Lesotho, and Kavango Project, located in northeast Namibia.

Harmony Gold said on Friday that its Tshepong mine in South Africa remained shut and that lost production was expected to be 20 to 25 kgs of gold per day. South Africa's third largest gold miner said on Tuesday operations at Tshepong had shut after a worker died there following a rock fall.

Shareholders are advised that DRDGOLD expects its group gold production for the year ended 30 June 2011 (FY2011) to be about 10% higher than in the previous year, at around 265 200oz. Cash operating unit costs for FY2011 are expected to be about 8% higher. It is estimated that capital expenditure for FY2011 will be about 70% higher than the previous year, reflecting the continued development of the Crown/Ergo pipeline.

Neighbour South Africa's influential Business Day reports as Zimbabwe’s shaky unity government inches ahead with extensive electoral reforms ahead of fresh elections now expected next year, the prospect of the country’s army seizing power looms large. In recent weeks, the military’s top brass has taken on a visible role in the country’s political affairs and has been brazenly opposed to security sector reforms. The military seized control of Zimbabwe's rich diamond fields in Chiadzwa in 2006 and most observers believe an international ban on these gems are being widely flouted.