Citigroup cuts copper forecast on tariffs risk, China outlook
The bank has cut its short-term outlook for copper prices by 11% to $8,500 a ton over the next three months.
Canadian miner Barrick Gold’s second-quarter gold output edged up by almost 0.9% from the previous three months, helped by higher production at Turquoise Ridge in Nevada and expansion at its Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea, it said on Tuesday.
The Porgera mine was placed on care and maintenance in April 2020 after a dispute over benefit-sharing terms between the government, local people and Barrick during negotiations for renewal of the mining lease.
The company’s total preliminary output was 948,000 ounces of gold for the quarter to June 30, up from 940,000 ounces in the first quarter.
Barrick expects all-in sustaining costs (AISC) per ounce of gold, an industry metric that reflects total expenses, to rise about 1% to 3% from the previous quarter’s $1,474 per ounce, but expects a drop in the second half as production ramps up.
The Toronto-based miner said its quarterly copper production also rose, increasing to 43,000 metric tons from 40,000 tons in the first quarter, helped by higher grades and recoveries at Lumwana in Zambia after a planned maintenance shutdown in the previous quarter.
Barrick is expected to release second-quarter results on Aug. 12, with markets expecting guidance on developments on its contract negotiations in Mali.
Chief executive Mark Bristow said this month that the current economic and political climate in Mali has caused exploration companies to curtail or suspend operations in the country.
(By Tanay Dhumal and Divya Rajagopal; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and David Goodman)
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