Page 16 - Mining Industry

JSW Steel reports 11% rise in consolidated crude steel production in Nov

JSW's consolidated crude steel production was at 1.94 MT in the same month last year

Shree Cement plans to bid for lithium mining rights in Jammu-Kashmir

Shree Cement, India's second biggest cement company by market capitalisation, will also bid for blocks in the eastern state of Chhattisgarh, said a source

SC seeks Environment ministry's views on capping iron ore mining in Odisha

The Supreme Court Monday asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to give its view on whether iron ore mining in Odisha can be capped, keeping sustainable development and intergenerational equity in mind. The top court perused the affidavit of the Union Ministry of Mines filed in response to its earlier query whether any cap can be put on mining in Odisha keeping in mind the limited iron ore reserves there and said it does not have the view of the Environment Ministry. "We want the view of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). This ministry is the expert body and it can tell us about the impact of the iron ore mining on the environment and the concept of intergenerational equity," said the bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwla and Justice Manoj Misra. The order was passed after a counsel for the petitioner Common Cause, an NGO, said the iron ore is set to be exhausted in 25 years keeping in mind t

Coal output from captive, commercial mines rises 37% to 11.9 MT in November

The government on Saturday said coal production from captive, commercial coal mines registered a 37 per cent rise to 11.94 Million Tonnes (MT) in November. The coal output from captive, commercial coal mines was at 8.74 MT in November 2022-23. Coal dispatch from captive, commercial coal mines in November was at 12.92 MT, registering a growth of 55 per cent as against 8.36 MT in the year-ago period. "The average daily coal dispatch from such mines in November 2023 is the highest ever with 4.3 lakh tonnes per day," the coal ministry said in a statement. The total coal production from captive, commercial coal mines during the April-November period was around 83.90 MT, while the total coal dispatch was 89.67 MT, registering a year-on-year growth of 24 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively, from the same period in FY23. The government is committed to achieving the target coal production and dispatch, which is a crucial step towards ensuring the country's energy security and driving ..

Draft mineral auction rules: Single bidder allowed in second attempt

The proposed amendments would enable the awarding of contracts even if only one technical bidder participates in the second attempt of the auction process

Centre proposes amendment to boost state revenue from mining waste

The existing regulation permitted the leaseholder to dispose of these materials without specifying their intended use

68 out of 131 stone crushers in Beas Basin did not have permission: Report

Multi Sector Committee in its interim report has highlighted that 68 out of 131 stone crushers in Beas river in Himachal Pradesh were running without permission, officials said on Friday. Along with the climatic change, the unscientific and illegal mining along the river beds are responsible for the natural calamity in the state causing huge damage to life and property, the committee, in its interim report submitted to the government said. The committee was constituted after the disaster wreaked havoc in Himachal during monsoons triggering flash floods and massive landslides claiming 509 lives in rain-related incidents and road accidents, a spokesperson of the state government said. As per the report, out of 131 stone crushers set up in the Beas river basin, 68 did not have the necessary permission while seven were affected by the floods, few anomalies were found in six and only 50 operators were found to have the valid permits, the spokesperson said. Due to excessive muck dumping

Exxon Mobil drilling for lithium in Arkansas, to begin production by 2027

Exxon Mobil on Monday announced it's drilling for lithium in southern Arkansas, with the oil giant expected to begin production of the critical material for electric vehicles by 2027. Exxon in early 2023 acquired the rights to 120000 gross acres (48562 gross hectares) of the Smackover formation in southern Arkansas, considered one of the most prolific lithium resources of its type in North America. Exxon said that by 2030 it aims to produce enough lithium to supply the manufacturing needs more than 1 million electric vehicles. "Lithium is essential to the energy transition, and ExxonMobil has a leading role to play in paving the way for electrification," Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, said in a news release. Exxon didn't disclose how much it's spending on the project, which is expected to be a boost for a part of Arkansas that has a history as an oil and gas producer. "I'm not being dramatic when I say this has the potential to transform our state," Arkan

Coal blocks put on sale through transparent mechanism, says govt

The coal ministry on Wednesday clarified that post-cancellation of 204 blocks in the year 2014, the mines are being put on auction via a "transparent" mechanism. The clarification comes a day after Congress alleged that the Narendra Modi government reversed the long-standing policy of competitive auction for coal block allocation and gave away lucrative fields to the Adani Group. "Ministry of Coal has clarified that after cancellation of 204 coal mines in 2014, coal mines are being auctioned through a transparent mechanism and for various end uses power and non-regulated sectors," the ministry said in a release. The coal ministry further said that no correlation has been established between Cavill Mining Pvt Ltd and Adani Group. "Also, as per the provisions of the tender document, the affiliate shall mean, a person who, directly or indirectly controls such bidder; is Controlled by such Bidder; is Controlled by the same person, who directly or indirectly, controls such Bidder; or i

Vedanta Q2 results: Net loss at Rs 1,783 cr, income rises to Rs 39,585 cr

Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Ltd on Saturday reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 1,783 crore for the second quarter ended September 2023 on account of one-time exceptional item because of adoption of new tax rate. The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,808 crore in the year-ago period, Vedanta Ltd said in a filing to BSE. The consolidated income of the company in the July-September period increased to Rs 39,585 crore from Rs 37,351 crore in the year-ago period. Vedanta Ltd, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Ltd, is a diversified global natural resources company with significant operations in oil and gas, zinc, lead, silver, copper, iron ore, steel, aluminium and power across India, South Africa and Namibia.

Malaysia gives nod to Lynas to process rare earths until March 2026

Malaysia's government said on Tuesday it will allow Lynas Rare Earth to continue to import and process rare earths until March 2026, after the Australian miner proposed a new technology to extract radioactive elements from the waste it produces. The Lynas refinery in Malaysia, its first outside China producing minerals that are crucial to high-tech manufacturing, has been operating in central Pahang state since 2012. But the company has been embroiled in a dispute over radiation from waste accumulating at the plant. The government had ordered Lynas to move its leaching and cracking processes which produce the radioactive waste from Australian ore out of the country by the year's end. It also was not allowed to import raw materials with radioactive elements into the country. Science Minister Chang Lih Kang said the two conditions for renewing Lynas' license had been met after the company proposed a way to extract thorium, the radioactive element, from the raw rare earths it imports

Mineral output index increases by 12.3% to 111.9 in August: Centre

India's mineral output increased by 12.3 per cent in the month of August as compared to the same month a year ago, the Centre on Monday said. The index of mineral production of the mining and quarrying sector for the month of August 2023 at 111.9, is 12.3 per cent higher as compared to the level in the month of August 2022, according to provisional data from the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The cumulative growth for the April- August period over the corresponding period of the previous financial year is 8.3 per cent, the mines ministry said in a statement. In the month of August, the country's coal output was 684 lakh tonnes, lignite production was 28 lakh tonnes, bauxite was 14.28 lakh tonnes among others. Minerals like gold, phosphorite, manganese ore and iron ore showed positive growth. "Minerals showing negative growth include bauxite, zinc conc, lignite and lead.

50,000 sq ft of space freed under special campaign: Mines ministry

The mines ministry on Saturday said 50,000 square feet of space has been freed under a special campaign and a revenue of Rs 1.47 crore has been generated from scrap disposal. The ministry and its subordinate organisations have utilised the Special Campaign 3.0 for disposal of pending matters and emphasized on giving back to nature through creative and innovative ways, the ministry said in a release. "Within the first three weeks of the campaign, the ministry has been ranked amongst the top ten for reviewing old physical files/records. It has achieved 100 per cent in easing of rules, processes, disposal of public grievances, inter-ministerial references and references received from state governments. Besides, 75 per cent of the targeted cleanliness campaigns have already been completed," it said. The mines ministry has set targets for disposal of pending matters and stressed on giving back to nature through creative and innovative ways under the campaign. Bird feeders and water pots

Cabinet approves royalty rates for mining of Lithium, Niobium REE

To ensure consistency, the Ministry of Mines has devised a formula for calculating the ASP of these minerals, which will aid in setting bidding parameters

JSW Steel declared preferred bidder for Karnataka's iron ore mine

JSW Steel on Wednesday said it has emerged as the preferred bidder for the Jaisinghpura North Block iron ore mine in Karnataka. JSW Steel has received a communication from the Karnataka government in this regard, the company informed the exchanges. "The Company has been declared as a preferred bidder vide communication dated October 11, 2023, received from the Office of the Director, Department of Mines and Geology, Government of Karnataka, for Jaisinghpura North Block, in the Auction held on August 2, 2023," the filing said. The highest final offer price by the company to become a "Preferred Bidder" is 150.3 per cent of the value of the mineral dispatched. The projected iron ore resource is 17.66 in MMT (metric million tonnes). The company will take all requisite steps as per the tender document to obtain a letter of intent, and all statutory clearances to execute the Lease Deed with Mine Development and Production Agreement (MDPA), and start the mining operations. Part of JSW Gr

Vedanta incorporates wholly-owned subsidiary to implement demerger scheme

Mining major Vedanta on Wednesday said it has incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, Vedanta Base Metals Ltd, to implement the demerger of its five key businesses, including aluminium and oil and gas. "We wish to inform you that a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, in the name of 'Vedanta Base Metals Ltd' has been incorporated on October 09, 2023," the company said in a filing to BSE. The unit has been incorporated to implement the demerger scheme that was intimated to the bourses late last month. Mining conglomerate Vedanta Ltd had announced plans to demerge five of its key businesses, including aluminium, oil and gas, and steel, into separate listed entities with a view to creating shareholder value. According to the filing, 100 per cent shareholding of this unit is currently held by Vedanta Ltd. Vedanta Base Metals Limited is a public company incorporated on October 9 and its main object is to carry out the Metal business.

Iron ore supply resumes from NMDC Bailadila mine to RINL plant in Andhra

Iron ore supply from NMDC's Bailadila mine in Chhatisgarh resumed on Tuesday to its plant in Andhra Pradesh, steel maker RINL said. Iron ore is a key raw material required for the manufacturing of steel. "With the continuous and relentless efforts by Indian Railways, the KK line operations were restored on October 10, 2023, and supply iron ore/rake movement to RINL from NMDC mines resumed," the Visakhapatnam-based entity said in a statement. RINL further said that there was a major landslide in the KK line between Jaypore and Koraput during the early hours of September 24, 2023, and supplies from NMDC Bailadila sector, which is the main source of iron ore supplies for the company, had to be stopped. This created a massive challenge for sustaining the plant operations as the inflow of iron ore was already constrained and the stock level of iron ore had reached a critical level because of heavy monsoon rain in the mines area, it added. Meanwhile, RINL made alternate arrangements fro

NGT forms panel to look into 'illegal' soil mining in Uttar Pradesh village

The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel to look into the allegations of illegal soil mining by a private company at a village in Uttar Pradesh during the ongoing construction of the Bundelkhand Expressway project. The tribunal was hearing a petition alleging illegal mining of soil, of up to 15 metres, in agricultural land by a private company in collusion with the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) officials in Jalon district's Narcha village. According to the petition, the illegal mining resulted in damage to the environment. A bench of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said the allegations raised "substantial issues" regarding the environmental laws. "To ascertain the truthfulness of the allegation, we deem it proper to constitute a joint committee comprising of Member Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), representative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the concerned Executive Engineer of state's Pub

Rs 82,000 cr collected under District Mineral Foundation till August: Govt

The mines ministry on Monday said Rs 82,370.79 crore has been collected under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) till August this year. DMF is a non-profit body working for people and areas affected by mining-related activities in such manner as may be prescribed by the state government. "The total amount of funds collected under DMF comes to Rs 82,370.79 crore and the amount utilised stands at Rs 45,150.21 crore (August)," the Ministry of Mines said. As of August, DMFs have been set up in 644 districts in 23 states/Union Territories, while 17 states/UTs have DMFs in each district, the ministry said. States and UTs that have DMFs in all district include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Vedanta Resources open to changing terms of proposal to delay bond payment

Some bondholders said they wanted more cash up front than what was offered by the company, said some of the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are confidential