Coal carrying ‘death ship’ under scrutiny

While peace in Afghanistan still looks to be a utopian dream, AFP reports that developing nations like China and India are eager to make resource deals in the troubled country even before the guns fall silent: While an end to the fighting seems remote for now, mining lots are being quickly parcelled out among Afghanistan's resource-hungry neighbours, potentially sparking a new "Great Game" for control of its battle-worn ground. According to mining ministry documents seen by AFP, Afghanistan is planning to sell extraction rights for up to five mines every year until the departure of the last foreign combat troops in 2014 -- a rattling pace, say experts.

Global commodities trader Glencore (LON:GLEN) is making inroads into South African coal. Reuters reports that Glencore has signed a deal to buy energy trader Mercuria's 15 percent stake in South Africa's Optimum Coal Holdings (OCH) in its drive to acquire the whole company worth around $1 billion, sources close to the agreement said. Completing the Optimum acquisition would make Glencore South Africa's fourth-largest coal exporter, without including Xstrata's tonnage, for which it provides advisory services.

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Treasury Metals (TSE:TML) failed to generate excitement this week from news that it has doubled the resource estimate at its Goliath gold project near Dryden, Ontario. The stock barely moved on Wednesday, opening and closing at $1.05. It was down around 5 cents in mid-day trading on Thursday.

The Alberta oilsands has a new kid in town. Calgary Herald reports that Grizzly Oil Sands, a privately-owned company, has been approved for an 11,300 barrel-per-day, in-situ oilsands project southwest of Fort McMurrray: Cabinet approval for the project was given this week after approval was sought last year but chief executive John Pearce said the process of engineering and ordering equipment is already well underway. The company expects first production by early 2013, and to grow production at its other property to 60,000 bopd by 2020 reports The Herald.

Mining Review reports the decision last week to allow Zimbabwe to resume diamond exports from the controversial Chiadzwa and Marange alluvial fields is being questioned, after the country's mines minister admitted on Thursday that smuggling was still rife. The comments are in stark contrast to his previous insistence that the country's diamond industry was meeting international trade standards. Zimbabwe is set to earn over $2 billion per year from exports with current diamond output estimated to be in excess of 25% of world production. Rough diamond prices have dropped by more than 10% over the last two months and is set to fall further as the first Marange diamonds come onto the market by the end of this month.

Reuters reports the Chairman of Chile's Codelco vowed on Thursday to go ahead with buying a 49% stake in Anglo American's southern Chilean properties. The state copper giant said that it would take all steps to ensure its option is respected and that it did not mind if Anglo cedes a part of its own stake to others. Anglo American on Wednesday sold a 24.5% stake in the properties that includes the newly expanded $2.8 billion Los Bronces mine to Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. for $5.39 billion, undermining plans by Chile’s state-owned Codelco to exercise an option to buy half of it. Chile decided at the end of October to exercise the 33-year old option that has lapsed before, blindsiding Anglo. Anglo said the transaction values its Chile properties at $22 billion. Codelco was offering $6 billion for 50%.

Caledonia Mining, an African focused mining and exploration company with a mine in Zimbabwe, shot up 20% to 11 cents a share after announcing a six-fold increase in profits in Q3. The company said that gross profit was $9.36 million compared to $1.607 million in the comparative quarter. "This is almost a six-fold increase on the comparative quarter and is the seventh consecutive quarterly increase in gross profit," said the company in a statement.

Minera Andes, an exploration company looking for gold, silver and copper in Argentina, announced net income of $6.8 million in Q3 compared to a $5.6 million loss during the same period a year ago. The company also reported that it has US$45 million in cash as at September 30, 2011 with no debt. The company, which has a 49% ownership interest of the San José Mine, attributed the gain to high gold and silver prices.