The Best One can do Now !

  The best one can do now is hold onto sections of stocks one knows are going to be needed in future to supply the needs of the world popula...

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Retired but always looking for new challenges.
Showing posts with label Gold mines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gold mines. Show all posts

Thursday, December 1, 2016

The year that was !

This has been a year  in which there have been more financial  and political shocks worldwide than normal.Growing  populations have become more restive and even rebellious as the recession lingered on. At year end America is well on the way to recovery and the first sprigs of recovery are seen in Europe and Asia. As always Africa is lagging. 
How ever a pleasing change has been seen on the African Continent as populations strive for more accountability and less graft  top of government officials. This is playing itself out especially here in  South Africa as we strive to avoid  downgrades in our borrowing to junk status. As many other major countries have failed this test of morality we have for a second time avoided this fate.
It must be remembered that we produce 80% of the world platinum group metals and also a full range of base metals and minerals.
How ever at the present price of platinum, around $900 per ounce it is being produced at a loss. There is already a shortage of 20% in  ounces, per annum, built up and as fuel cells and other catalytic converters are needed for cleaner air become the vogue. In the last ten years the price has suddenly spurted by a couple of hundred USA dollars per ounce! this exciting event can happen again. Do remember it takes five years to ramp up and open mothballed areas in existing mines and a great deal longer in new developments!
I wish all our readers,Google and our advertisers all the best for 2017.




Tuesday, November 1, 2016

THE NEXT PHASE IN METALS AND MINERALS USE Part 2 MINING MODERISATION

  All systems are go to arrest the present decline in mining activity, and overcome the obstacles out there. The easy mining ore bodies are fast becoming the thing of the past.
 Public and private companies, with workers are beginning to work together to preserve jobs, income and tax revenue.
  Modernising and research into methods of refining especially in South Africa which has always been a world leader in this regard as during the last hundred years we were the world leaders in production of platinum group metals ,gold and diamonds. An added source of income is the production of equipment to further these activities now been developed.
  These activities will lead to sustainability of the mining environment over the next half century.
  Of great importance now is safety of workers at extreme depths in tunnels and difficult mining circumstances.
  Remote control of machines will keep workers out of harms way for the most part in dangerous areas. Narrower machines are already working and more innovative ones are being built.
Backfill of pulverised rock now has many advantages as it stabilises the ground in worked out areas avoids unsightly heaps of  ground and in generally more environmentally friendly.
The greatest advances are continually been made in refining of complicated metals such as precious metals as well as more basic metals in seperation by using enzymes instead of the old methods such as sieves to seperate the various elements from the waste rocks. This also results in greater recoveries and more profits.
IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO ALSO READ PART 1  PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER ALSO THE STRIPPING OF RESOURCE ASSETS mentioned in the posts in the side-bar to get a continuity picture of the whole subject in South Africa.

For the latest on Stocks go to... Abacus Top stock tips.... and bookmark the post.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

NEW MINING METHODS, INNOVATION A GAME CHANGE.

  For over a centuary starting  in the eighteen eighties South Africa was the largest Gold producer in the world.Since platinum has been taken into general use we are still the largest  producers of this metal.We are amongst the leading produces of a whole raft of metals and minerals currently.How ever now costs and increasing difficulty of extracting these metals and minerals is beginning to weigh on our returns.
See rest of this article beneath Alerts and Notes.

20/9ALERT

DE BEERS which is owned  by Anglo American is doing very well this year.This is now mainly been driven by China which is expected to drive the market for the next five years as Chinese brides now prefer diamonds to gold.All other diamond mines should also benefit from this trend.

   11/9 ALERT  

   The world now seems a safer place ,if the Russian plan  to hand the Syrian weapons to the United Nations goes ahead.Anyway the pedal has been removed from the war stance and markets are recovering again.Chinese trade figures have also turned positive this week.Our local strikes all now seem to be going to be resolved in a more amicable manner with increases below 10%.Workers now understand the gravity of our local situation.Our weaker Rand will lead to an increase in the price received for our local products and minerals.

   3/9 ALERT  
OFFICIAL  STRIKE ACTION has started in earnest this morning at mostly gold related mines.As the mines are on a tight -rope alread running at near losses they can ill afford these actions.There can be no increases in wages with out increases in productivity levels.These levels have been declining for several years now.
Note 4 We have changed the format of the TOP 40 index to reflect more contemporary movements see above.
Note  3  The newest updates are always put at the bottom of the index list above.
Note 2 Use labels below articles  and in the side-bar to group articles on similar subjects.
Note 1.Do read in the side-bar  interestng items and ads., especially chosen to enhance your knowledge.

  Mechanisation was tried about ten years ago by LONMIN in it platinum mines.It was the first company to do so.It turned out to be a complete failure.Our Gold mines are very deep and by conventional methods the gold is nearly worked out.It has been partly political pressure that has kept the mines on a large manual footing,employing hundreds of thousands of workers.
All that is about to change and the realisation by all the parties that things have to change is slowly dawning on all.
  A completely new method of mining GOLD
is coming to the fore.Instead of bringing rock carrying the gold to the surface to crush etc.It has been found that with a new method just the GOLD REEF can be removed with chemical and other methods and the rest of the granite left in place.In the past sections of the mines had to be left in place ,if I remember correctly every 27 yards of a square of 27 yards were left to keep the roof up and in between pillars of wood would be put in place for further reinforcement.NOW A METHOD OF BACK FILL is to be used and all the Gold areas not yet mined can be utilised.
  GRAHAM ,Ceo of Harmony has pointed that as much gold as has been removed from the mines in the last hundred years remains to be removed.Most of it at reasonable shallower levels.
  THE MAIN GAME CHANGER WILL BE ROBOTICS NOT JUST MECHANISATION.THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS WILL BE LESS DANGEROUS WORKING CONDITIONS AVOIDING PRESSURE BURSTS THAT ARE LIFE THREATENING AS THE MINES BECOME DEEPER.ALL THIS WILL OF COURSE TAKE TIME,BUT WILL BE LESS LABOUR INTENSIVE AND ALLOW THE MINES TO SURVIVE,SO ATTRACTING CAPITAL TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF MINES.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

CHANGING STRATERGIES

The South African Economy has hit a speed bump. For  about six months our balance of payments have been in deficit A main contributor is that our main trading zone namely Europe is also in recession.There for all the resource products we supply prices have been softer than usual.
See rest of article below notes and alerts
28/6 ALERT
With the price of gold falling ,some investors are confused,about the safe haven aspect of the metal.Well,lets see whats happening now.First of all,many mines are on the ropes and are closing or coming very near to close as they are already working at a loss,due to high wages ,fuel and electricity costs.In the case of an increase in price these mines mostly are unable to take up where they left off as water drainage,unsafe working areas and dwindling gold ores will make it almost impossible to contemplate mining with out a sustained doubling of the gold price.Gold is a last resort source of money in a crises.Every one was relying on China to provide never ending demand for all types of products.This is now proving to be a false asset.Shares to a certain extent are also a store of wealth if chosen in a sector that that can be traded for other goods.As less is being mined it is likely to rise in price due to shortages in due course.

21/6 ALERT
SHALE GAS IS THE THE NEXT BIG THING THAT CAN DRIVE OUR ECONOMY.WE HAVE TRILLIONS OF RANDS WORTH IN THE KAROO REGIONS,WE MUST JUST GET ON WITH IT.MOZANBIQUE AND OTHER AFRICAN REGIONS ARE GOING TO BY PASS US AS WE ARE PLACING TOO MUCH EMPASIS ON RULES AND REGULATIONS AND ON DOWN LINE BENEFICATION! LETS FIRST GET STARTED THEN DECIDE ON LEGISLATION! 

6/6  ALERT PRESIDENT ZUMA has declared zero tolerance against wildcat strikes  as these harm the economy as there are legal means that can be followed if the workeASrs feel they must strike after negotiations have broken down with employees. Further he stated turf wars between different trade unions won't be tolerated again as this has led to loss of life in the past year.

NOTES.
NO 5. Definitely NOT worth a visit is http://bnlifestyle10.blogspot.com    
 so avoid at all costs!

NO4. Naomi has re-set and updated her resource page .See her Tech and Resource blog on 11June above.

No  3 Do read  Part A and Part B of  the real estate round up on the pages index above.

No 2 The newest updates above are always at the bottom of the above index.

N0 1  The two most popular pages above are the Autumn and Spring Share and Derivative Comments .In third place is My specialist Watchlist .In fourth place is the Real Estate pages and fifth place the 
Top 40 watchlist 

Article Continued:

The  USA economy is showing signs of picking up,meanwhile their stock exchange has run ahead of the real economic growth and is reaching all time highs.This state of affairs is also being fed by their reserve bank printing money with out fiscal backing,also known as quantitive easing.Europe is following a more conservative monetary policy so their Euro is weakening against the Dollar.Most of our resources are quoted and sold in USA Dollars.
To add to this mix there is a genuine fear  of third world politics interfering with profits.Our inarticulate top politicans unfortunately do not help matters by making wild statements with out much thought.
The South African Rand has stayed very strong till last week.It has suddenly lost 12% of its value,but shows signs of not going to fall much further and might stage a recovery later in the year.
Our Stocks and Shares all came off this week rather sharply.
Most are now oversold,but knowing how the market reacts its likely to retreat further.Probably it will pick up again from July onwards.Resources and shares with foreign content are now coming into vogue.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

AUGUST Updates Economics, see newest Posts above

 (8.30 PM SOUTH AFRICAN TIME 1/8/2012)
Bernanke will continue operation twist,but will take no further new steps and if labour continues to decline will consider additional steps at the Sept 12/13 meeting.Very predictable ,I would say.
See latest page updates above and commetary below.
For the latest on Gold and Platinum go to New Alert above
THANKS TO ALL BLOGGERS THAT VISITED THE SIDE-BAR items.

1.Over the next couple of days both Europe and American reserve banks will decide what they might do to prevent their economies from sliding into another recession.They are likely to disappoint the market as what ever they do it will be deemed too little too late! How ever I feel the recovery continues slowly world wide.Rash actions by reserve banks to bolster economies,usually makes the private sector lazy and then they demand more and more as they do less themselves.Printing money with out backing is an eventual road to disaster.