Congo state miner in production-sharing deal with Chinese firm

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.

Helia Resource Corp (TSX-V:HRC) has unearthed a one-kilometre strike zone at its SMP gold project in Tanzania. While artisinal mining has focused on narrow vein surface outcroppings, some containing assays up to 150 g/t gold, the new Chura zone appears to contain one kilometre of mineralization with a 2K-long magnetic anomaly, Helio stated in a news release.

Rio Tinto has shortlisted nine parties in bidding for a South African coal mine that it acquired through its near-$US4billion takeover of Riversdale Mining, and hopes to conclude a sale by the year-end, said Steve Mallyon, a special advisor to the Anglo-Australian miner. Any deal for the Riversdale Anthracite Colliery in KwaZulu Natal province, which is producing about 750,000 tonnes of coal a year, could value the asset at around $US150 million ($149m), he said.

Botswana aims to transform itself into an international hub of the world diamond industry, boosted by a deal in which the De Beers mining and sales empire will transfer the sorting, valuing and selling of rough diamonds from London to Gaborone by the end of 2013. The agreement also provides for Botswana to sell 10 percent of its diamonds independently of De Beers, rising to 15 percent in five years' time. Gaborone's Mmegi newspaper reported Tuesday that all 66 of De Beers' sightholders from around the world are expected to travel to Gaborone at least ten times a year. Africa's failure to add value to resources within their countries of production has long been identified as a major hindrance to the continent's growth.

A strike appears imminent at Rio Tinto's Rssing Uranium Mine in the Namibian-Naukluft Park (pictured) after workers unhappy over production bonuses on Wednesday voted unanimously in favour of industrial action that could cripple operations at the mine responsible for some 5% of world production. Management said the demands were unreasonable and defeat logic. The industrial action takes place at a difficult time for the uranium industry with the spot price recently falling below $50 – levels last seen immediately after the nuclear accident at Fukushima. The sector has lost some 40% of its value since the Japan disaster and the first deal of what is expected to be widespread consolidation in the industry is already shaping up to be a classic David and Goliath fight.

Mbada Mines (Pvt) Ltd, which operates in Zimbabwe's Marange diamond area, is producing more than 150,000 carats a month, surpassing Rio Tinto's Murowa mine as the country's largest diamond producer, according to the firm's chairman, Robert Mhlanga. Rio Tinto's Murowa diamond mine produced 178,000 carats in 2010 and 125,000 in the first half of 2011.

IMX Resources Limited (ASX:IXR) is pleased to announce that initial metallurgical testwork has confirmed that high grade nickel concentrates with high recoveries can be produced from the multiple Ntaka Hill ore zones at the Nachingwea Ni-Cu joint venture in Tanzania. The Project is a joint venture between IMX Resources Limited (25%) and Continental Nickel Limited (75%).

Nine months overdue, the diamond marketing contract between the Government of Botswana and De Beers will finally be signed tomorrow in Gaborone, Mmegi reported on Thursday.

A Zimbabwe government official says a law forcing foreign companies to surrender 51 percent stakes to local people was "an aspiration," not a hard target, Reuters is reporting: "This is a negotiated process, it is not an issue that is dictated to companies. It is more to deal with evaluating and negotiating with each company," Prince Mupazviriho, the permanent secretary in the mines ministry, said during a mining conference on Thursday. The new position by the government is a change from the previous hard-line edict suggesting the 51% requirement was set in stone.