First Quantum Temporarily Halts Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine Operations, Suspends Dividend
First Quantum Temporarily Halts Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine Operations, Suspends Dividend
Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM) has temporarily halted mining operations at its Ravensthorpe nickel mine in Western Australia.
加拿大矿业公司First Quantum Minerals（多伦多证券交易所股票代码：FM）已暂时停止其位于西澳大利亚州的拉文斯索普镍矿的采矿业务。
The decision follows the forced closure of one of the company's key assets, a copper mine in Panama.
该决定是在强制关闭该公司的关键资产之一，即巴拿马的一座铜矿之后作出的。
The Ravensthorpe nickel operation will witness a 30% reduction in its workforce — approximately 125 people. First Quantum stated that nickel sales would continue from existing stockpiles.
拉文斯索普镍矿业务的员工人数将减少30％，约125人。First Quantum表示，将继续从现有库存中销售镍。
Mining will resume at the Hale Bopp and Halleys ore bodies at Ravensthorpe once the stockpiles are depleted. That could take 18 to 24 months.
库存耗尽后，位于拉文斯索普的Hale Bopp和Halleys矿体将恢复采矿。这可能需要 18 到 24 个月的时间。
The mine's recent financial performance has been under strain, with losses amounting to $66 million in the nine months leading up to September 30. Coupled with the ongoing decline in nickel prices, First Quantum opted for this temporary suspension, considering the Ravensthorpe mine's relatively high operational costs.
该矿最近的财务业绩一直处于紧张状态，在截至9月30日的九个月中，亏损总额为6600万美元。加上镍价持续下跌，考虑到拉文斯索普矿的运营成本相对较高，First Quantum选择了暂时停产。
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Ravensthorpe had previously faced a suspension in operations from 2017 to 2019. Known for its difficult laterite geology, Ravensthorpe involves a more costly processing method called high-pressure acid leach (HPAL).
拉文斯索普此前曾在2017年至2019年期间面临运营暂停。Ravensthorpe以其困难的红土地质而闻名，它涉及一种更昂贵的加工方法，称为高压酸浸法（HPAL）。
In 2021, First Quantum sold a 30% stake in the Ravensthorpe mine for $240 million to South Korea's POSCO (KRX: 005490), retaining a 70% stake and continuing as the operator.
2021年，First Quantum以2.4亿美元的价格向韩国浦项制铁（KRX：005490）出售了拉文斯索普矿30％的股份，保留了70％的股份并继续担任运营商。
Last year, the mine produced approximately 30,000 tons of nickel in mixed hydroxide precipitate and nearly 1,000 tons of cobalt.
去年，该矿在混合氢氧化物沉淀物中生产了约3万吨镍和近1,000吨钴。
However, neither of these metals fared well, with oversupply causing the post-2020 bubble to deflate and prices to return to levels not seen since early 2021.
但是，这两种金属都表现不佳，供过于求导致2020年后的泡沫萎缩，价格恢复到2021年初以来从未见过的水平。
\South East Asia Iron and Steel Institute reported that BMI research expects oversupply to continue, owing to a growing production in Indonesia.
\ 东南亚钢铁协会报告称，由于印度尼西亚产量增长，BMI的研究预计，供应过剩将持续下去。
In 2023, nickel was the worst-performing metal on the London Metals Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange, losing over 40% of its value.
2023年，镍是伦敦金属交易所和上海期货交易所表现最差的金属，其价值下跌了40％以上。
First Quantum's move to halt operations at Ravensthorpe aligns with its broader strategy to navigate challenges in the mining industry, including the suspension of its dividend, reduction or rephasing of capital expenditure, and exploring the sale of smaller mines and interests in larger mining assets. The company aims to strengthen its financial position while maintaining its commitment to operations in Zambia.
First Quantum停止在Ravensthorpe运营的举动符合其应对采矿业挑战的更广泛战略，包括暂停分红、减少或调整资本支出，以及探索出售小型矿山和大型矿业资产的权益。该公司的目标是巩固其财务状况，同时维持其对赞比亚业务的承诺。
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Image: Shutterstock
图片：Shutterstock