ISouth32 ithenga isiteki semayini yaseChile yase-KGHM ngo-$1.55bn

I-Sumitomo Metal ithe intengo yesivumelwano izobandakanya ukudluliselwa kwemali elinganiselwa ku- $1.2 billion kanye nezinkokhelo ezixhumene nenani lethusi ezifinyelela ku-$350 million.

"Ukuthola impahla yethusi ekhiqizayo engaka ukuze idayiswe akulula, kodwa iSouth32 ikwenzile," kubhala umhlaziyi we-BMO Metals and Mining uDavid Gagliano ngoLwesine.

Lesi sivumelwano siphawula ukungena komvukuzi wasePerth ezweni elikhiqiza ithusi elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni ngaphambi kwenani elilindelekile lesidingo sensimbi.

I-Sierra Gorda itholakala esifundeni sezimayini esichumayo sase-Antofagasta eChile, kuphawula uGagliano, futhi inamandla okukhiqiza cishe amathani ayi-150,000 ekhopha egxilile kanye namathani ayi-7,000 e-molybdenum.

"Kuyimpahla yesikhathi eside, ene-sulphide reserves ye-1.5Bt ku-0.4% yethusi (equkethwe ~ 5.9Mt yethusi) kanye namandla okunwetshwa kwesikhathi esizayo," kusho umhlaziyi.

I-KGHM esekelwa uhulumeni i-Polska Miedz SA, enamasheya angama-55% eSierra Gorda,kugxekwe ukutshalwa kwezimali okuwumqansa okwabiweukuthuthukisa imayini yaseChile (amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-5.2 nokubalwa).

Sierra Gorda, okuyintowaqala ukukhiqiza ngo-2014, ihlale yehluleka ukufeza okulindelekile ngenxa yensimbi eyinselele nobunzima bokusebenzisa amanzi olwandle ukuze acutshungulwe.

Umvukuzi wasePoland, okungukuthingifuna ukuthengisa izimayini zakwamanye amazwefuthi iphinde itshale imali emisebenzini yayo yasekhaya, ithe ayinazo izinhlelo zokubeka iSierra Gorda esicongweni.I-KGHM, nokho, inakhoyakhipha into engenzekalokuthatha ubunikazi obugcwele.

Imayini yomgodi ovulekile isendaweni ephakeme ngamamitha ayi-1,700 futhi ine-ore eyanele ukusekela okungenani iminyaka engama-20 yezimayini.I-South32 ilindele ukuthi ikhiqize amathani ayi-180,000 e-copper concentrate kanye namathani angu-5,000 e-molybdenum kulo nyaka.

Ukuthengwa kwalo mvukuzi wase-Australia iSierra Gorda kuyisivumelwano sesibili esikhulu kunazo zonke asenzile selokhu yafakwa ohlwini ngo-2015, ngemuva kwalokho.ukukhishwa ku-BHP.

I-South32 ikhokhele ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1.3 ngo-2018 ngama-83% e-Arizona Mining, okuyintoyayinephrojekthi ye-zinc, i-lead nesiliva e-US.

Indlela enzima

I-KGHM yathatha izintambo zokulawula iphrojekthi yethusi ne-molybdenum ngo-2012, ngemva kwalokhoukuqedela ukutholwa kwembangi yaseCanada i-Quadra FNX, kulokho okwakuyinto enkulu kunazo zonke ezake zatholwa yinkampani yasePoland.

Umvukuzi ubehlele ukukhulisa iSierra Gorda phambilini, kodwa ukwehla kwezinga lika-2015-2016 emananini ezimpahla kuphoqe inkampani ukuthibeka iphrojekthi ku-backburner.

Eminyakeni emibili kamuva, i-KGHMukugunyazwa okuvikelekile kwezemveloOkwe$2 billion ukunwetshwa nokuthuthukiswalemayini ukuze yelule impilo yayo yokukhiqiza ngeminyaka engama-21.

Izinketho zokwandisa ukukhiqizwa zihlanganisa ukwakha umjikelezo we-oxide kanye nokuphinda kabili ukuphuma kwesitshalo se-sulphide.Umphumela ohleliwe e-Sierra Gorda wawucishe ube ngamathani ayi-140,000 ensimbi ngosuku, kodwa impahla isilethe amathani ayi-112,000 kuphela onyakeni wayo ongcono kakhulu wokusebenza kuze kube manje.

Ukwandiswa kwe-oxide kuzokwengeza amathani angu-40,000 ensimbi ngosuku iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili, futhi ukwanda kwe-sulfide okunye okungu-116,000, izilinganiso ze-BMO Metals.

Nakuba i-Sierra Gorda iyidiphozithi yezinga eliphansi, enye yezinto ezihehayo kakhulu “iphrofayili yebanga eliyisicaba,” okulindeleke ukuthi ihlale icishe ibe ngu-0.34% esikhathini esizayo esibonakalayo.Lokhu, abahlaziyi be-BMO bathe esikhathini esidlule, kungase kususe imayini esigabeni sesine iye esigabeni sesibili ngesikhathi.

Uma isivumelwano sesiqediwe, i-Sierra Gorda ingase yengeze amathani ethusi aphakathi kuka-70,000 no-80,000 kuphothifoliyo yaseNingizimu 32.