ndian mining group Vedanta reported a 27% drop in fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, reflecting weaker prices of major metals like aluminium and zinc amid ballooning finance costs. The oils-to-metals conglomerate, led by billionaire Anil Agarwal, posted a consolidated net profit of 13.69-billion rupees (about $164-million), falling behind analysts' estimates of 21.10-billion rupees, as per LSEG data.

Canadian mining group Teck Resources has increased its copper production by 74% to 99 000 t in the first quarter, as output increased at the newly-built QB mine, in Chile. The Antamina mine, in Peru, and Highland Valley Copper mine, in Canada, also had a strong performance, Teck reported on Thursday.

Kazakh miner Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) has denied accusations it tried to bypass Democratic Republic of Congo's subcontracting laws designed to boost local ownership in the mining sector, job creation, and benefits to the country's economy. In a statement published last week, Congo's government accused ERG of passing off nine subcontracting companies as majority partners with "fictitious" shares in order to circumvent legislation requiring that Congolese shareholders own 50% of subcontracting shares.

Diversified mining major BHP on Thursday announced a proposed all-share offer that values Anglo American at £31.1-billion. The deal has the potential to transform the mining industry landscape. BHP offered Anglo shareholders £25.08 a share, including £4.86 a share for Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) shares and £3.40 a share for Kumba Iron Ore shares.

Copper needs to reach $12 000/t — a 20% jump from this week’s high — to incentivize large-scale investments in new mines, said Olivia Markham, who co-manages the BlackRock World Mining Fund. The metal’s price hit a two-year high near $10 000, but Markham said further gains are necessary to encourage miners to sign off on projects required to avoid major deficits during the energy transition.

Brazilian miner Vale on Wednesday said lower prices for iron-ore, nickel and copper in the first quarter dragged down earnings compared to the year before, as it posted net profit slightly below analyst estimates. Vale, the world's no.2 producer of iron-ore, posted a $1.7-billion net profit for the quarter ended in March, 9% lower than the year-earlier period, while analysts polled by LSEG were expecting $1.9-billion.

Zimbabwe is undergoing change and aims to attract more companies to do business in the country, but risks and challenges remain for businesses aiming to capitalise on the opportunities in the country. These were some of the views raised by Zimbabwean and international representatives during an information session on 'Doing business in Zimbabwe' hosted by the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry this week.

Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals said on Wednesday the likelihood of taking out the 121 000 t of copper from its disputed Cobre Panama mine can only happen after the Panama national election. First Quantum's Cobre Panama is under preservation and safe maintenance after the current Panama government ordered the closure of the copper mine last year.

In response to Zambia's recent declaration of a national emergency owing to a severe drought affecting power generation, copper miner First Quantum Minerals is taking measures to ensure the continuity of its operations. Power utility Zesco has introduced daily eight-hour loadshedding for its retail customers and initiated consultations with mining companies to reduce power supply to the sector by 150 MW from May 1 to December 31. First Quantum’s operations are expected to have power curtailed by about 80 MW over this period.

A key measure of Chinese copper demand just sank to zero, another sign that global prices are not balanced with what buyers in the biggest market are prepared to pay. Premiums paid on imported refined copper extended a months-long decline to reach zero for the first time in Shanghai Metals Market data going back to 2017. The unusually low levels come just days after copper on the London Metal Exchange rallied to a two-year high near $10 000 a ton.