Inside the Gertler’s Empire in the DR Congo

By Franz Wild, Michael J. Kavanagh & Jonathan Ferziger – Dec 6, 2012 (Bloomberg Markets Magazine) Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler visits Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) mines at Kolwezi in Katanga, DR Congo, in August 1, 2012. Dan Gertler’s bearded face lights up as he looks out the helicopter window. Below, an installation twice the size of Monaco rises from a clearing in the central African forest, where it transforms ore mined from the ochre earth into sheets of copper.

TOP 10 MINERS: A tough year, for CEOs and for stock prices

JOHANNESBURG (Mineweb) – For listed mining companies everywhere, this year has been all about stock prices facing headwinds, along with relentless pressure on CEOs. The benchmark stock, BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest diversified resources group, saw its stock price in US dollar terms peak out in the latter stages of 2010. Given the wobbles in the global economy, the fall from there has been relatively modest, from around US$26.00 a share to recent trades around US$19.00. Vale, the world’s No 2 miner by market value, has seen its stock price…

World economy in deep trouble

Washington – (Reuters, Pedro Nicolaci da Costa) The global economy is on edge – and that’s without the US « fiscal cliff. » Among rich nations, the US outlook remains the least troublesome. But given a recession in the eurozone and a recent contraction in Japan, that’s not saying a lot.

Rio Tinto to axe $7bn in costs; sell more assets

Like its peers, Rio Tinto has been cutting costs, reviewing other projects and closing coal mines in Australia due to depressed commodity prices, high costs and the strong Australian dollar. MELBOURNE/SYDNEY, 29 Nov 2012 (Reuters) – Rio Tinto aims to axe $7 billion in costs over the next two years and sell more assets to cushion against weaker commodity prices, while at the same time beefing up output in its lucrative iron ore business.