Nickel Sector Faces Dynamic Changes Amid Indonesian Acquisitions and Global Market Shifts

Japanese trading house Sumitomo announced on Thursday that it had resumed production at the Ambatovy nickel and cobalt project in Madagascar at the end of October, following a pipeline issue in September. While production has restarted, the company is currently reviewing future output volumes. Sumitomo has faced challenges stabilizing production and improving profitability at Ambatovy,…

Stillwater Critical Minerals has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Granite Creek Copper, allowing Granite Creek to acquire a 90% interest in the Duke Island copper-nickel-platinum-palladium (Cu-Ni-PGE) project. The all-share transaction aligns with Stillwater’s strategic focus on its flagship Stillwater West project in Montana. The Duke Island project, located in the Alexander Platinum Belt…

According to an October 23 report, despite the ongoing closure of nickel mines in Australia, raw nickel production in the Asian market has continued to rise into the fourth quarter of 2024, leading to weak pricing. Declining sales of power batteries in China and subdued demand for stainless steel have further contributed to a bearish…

Platinum-group metals (PGMs) include platinum, palladium, rhodium, and other metals prized for their durability, resistance to corrosion, and excellent catalytic properties. The automotive industry is the largest consumer of these metals, using them primarily in catalytic converters for vehicle exhaust systems. With a rebound and continued growth in auto production projected, particularly in developing markets,…

Asset management firm Coronation has reversed its stance on the platinum group metals (PGMs) sector, deciding to reinvest after initially pulling out a year ago due to concerns that the industry was facing a decline. The firm’s change of heart is largely attributed to the recent slowdown in the adoption of battery electric vehicles (EVs),…

Anglo American Platinum reported a 22% increase in its refined production of platinum group metals (PGMs) in the third quarter of 2024, reaching 1.1 million ounces. This growth in refined output comes despite a drop in metal-in-concentrate production, which was down 10% to 922,300 ounces for the same period. The company has confirmed its 2024…

The price of palladium on the world market has surged to $1,170 per troy ounce for the first time in ten months, driven by concerns over potential new sanctions on Russian exports. On October 24, the price jumped by more than 10% in a single day, outpacing other precious metals and reflecting market fears about…

The United States has reportedly urged Group of Seven (G-7) allies to consider imposing sanctions on Russian palladium and titanium as the Biden administration explores new strategies to pressure President Vladimir Putin’s war effort in Ukraine. A person familiar with the matter revealed that Biden administration officials floated the possibility during a meeting of G-7…

The Moscow Exchange will begin trading in platinum (PLT/RUB) and palladium (PLD/RUB) with payment in rubles starting October 21, 2024. These new trading instruments will be available to both professional market participants and private investors, according to a statement released by the exchange. These instruments were initially added to the system in a state of…