Doubts over Koba contract extension
A senior government official told the Jakarta Post that the contract of work under which PT Koba Tin operates is unlikely to be extended beyond the current expiry date of 31 March 2013. Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's minerals and coal director general,...
South Korean agency to boost tin purchases
South Korea, the world's fourth biggest buyer of industrial metals, will lift purchases by its state-run procurement agency in the second half from a planned 297 billion won (US$260 million) if metal prices drop further, a senior agency official told Reuters. The...
Indonesian exports up and down
Preliminary data indicates that Indonesian tin metal exports in June were up 23% compared to the previous month but down 11% compared to June last year. Trade ministry statistics released today show that 9,647 tonnes of tin was inspected prior to shipment by surveying...
Exploration and development updates
Three ASX-listed companies have recently announced progress in bringing new projects into production, with one, Gippsland Limited, reporting a first shipment of concentrate from a small project in Egypt. Meanwhile Stellar Resources and Consolidated Tin Mines, both...
MSC plans further reduction in Koba stake
Malaysia Smelting Corporation has announced changes to a strategic alliance with an Indonesian group which could result in its shareholding in PT Koba Tin falling from 75% to 30%. The proposed deal with Optima Synergy Resources Limited was originally announced in...
Metals X boosts Renison tin resources and reserves
Metals X, which operates and has a 50% stake in the Renison mine in Australia, announced that it had completed a highly successful year of exploration, giving it a total resource of 260,900 tonnes of contained tin as at 31 March. The bulk of the resource is accounted...
China imports of refined tin high again in May
China imported 1,562 tonnes of refined tin in May, up by 95% year-on-year, according to the latest official customs data. 90% of the total imports was from Indonesia. Cumulative imports in January - May were 11,196 tonnes, up by 225% from 3,444 tonnes in the first...
Glencore protests at Colquiri nationalisation
Glencore International released a strongly worded statement in response to the decree by the government of Bolivia nationalising the Colquiri tin-zinc mine in La Paz province, noting that the action "will pose a number of serious questions relating to the government's...
First shipment of Egyptian concentrate this month
Following the delayed completion of ore treatment facilities at its small Abu Dabbab alluvial tin mine in Egypt, Gippsland Ltd said that commissioning "is now expected to be complete in June 2012 with first shipment of tin concentrate to Malaysian Smelting Corporation...