Tag: D.R. Congo

Robert Friedland’s Inscrutable African Assets

The mystery continues.

America Expects Someone Else to Solve its Rare Earth Element Vulnerability

Early next month thousands of delegates will converge on Cape Town to participate in one of the world’s most important mining capital formation and distribution processes - Investing in African Mining Indaba. The event is ground-zero for the money flowing to and from the world’s last great frontier in mineral exploration and development, Africa. Yet the United States will, as usual, have no formal representation even as officials from China, Australia, India, Japan and Canada jockey to land mining assets for their national companies and national interest.

How the Enough Project Lobby Astroturfs Conflict Minerals Rankings

Enough’s ranking is a classic self-serving scheme. When you dig into how the rankings were created, it quickly becomes clear that it’s a none-too subtle pressure mechanism to swell Enough’s coffers and to award it a leadership role it doesn’t deserve. Most of the brownie points come from stroking Enough and its world view.

Not So Much Curse As Blessing - Minerals to Provide 50% of DRC Wealth by 2015

There must have been a collective groan when Kabwelulu announced that the country is establishing a “Basket Fund” to which mining companies must contribute.

D.R. Congo Reaps Bonanza From Tenke Arm Wrestling

D.R. Congo’s state mining buccaneer, Gecamines, has won a sweet deal for Freeport McMoran [US:FCX] and Lundin Mining [CA:LUN] to hold on to the Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt project.

Tenke was commissioned in March 2009. At full capacity annual production is expected to reach nearly 300 million pounds of copper and 18 million pounds of cobalt. At current prices that output is worth $3.3 billion gross. This year’s production is estimated at 250 million pounds.

Finally, The Correct View of the Sordid Kimberley Process

…the parallel occurrences of diamonds and internecine mayhem in Africa are in no way related.