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Displaying items by tag: Limestone
Uzbekistan: OJSC Akhangarancement, a subsidiary of Russia's CJSC Eurocement Group, has received a limestone and marl production license for the Shavazsay field in the Almalyk region of Uzbekistan. A special commission of the Uzbekistan government issued the license, which covers the extraction of non-ore mineral resources.
The Shavazsay field, which was opened in 1974, has resources of 36.4Mt of limestone. Preliminary data shows that these resources will last for 25 years given Akhangarancement's current capacity.
Akhangarancement is one of the largest cement producers in Uzbekistan, with a 30% share of the market. It exports mainly to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. The company is projected to produce 1.99Mt of cement in 2014. Cement production increased by 6% in 2013, while clinker production increased by 13% in the same period. The company's mountain division produced 1.64Mt of limestone in 2013, up by 19% on 2012.
Workers exposed to cement powder in Tucson plant accident
29 October 2013US: Two workers at the Staker Parson cement plant, Tucson, Arizona, were exposed to cement powder when a silo malfunctioned and dumped the material onto them on 28 October 2013. When crews from the fire department arrived, their first priority was to decontaminate the employees by washing the cement powder off them using hoses.
Both men had respiratory complaints and one man had eye irritation. Both were taken to hospital for further treatment. Two other employees worked for one hour to plug the silo to keep the cement powder from continuing to leak out. They wore protective clothing, but also had to be decontaminated and were also taken to hospital for further evaluation.
All of the men were released from the hospital shortly after the incident.
Hima appeals limestone rights
17 April 2013Uganda: Hima Cement says it has successfully challenged the loss of its limestone mining rights in Kasese, western Uganda.
David Njoroge, the General Manager of the Lafarge subsidiary, stated that the company had challenged the move during an Administrative Review process that was conducted in accordance with the Mining Act. It cited various instances of breach of the requirements of the law in the handover of its mining rights to the third party. Njoroge said the matter went to the High Court and has now progressed to the Court of Appeal.
"A stay of the orders of the High Court has been applied for and the appeal process has been commenced seeking to overturn the ruling of the High Court," said Njoroge. Hima lost the rights in early April 2013 to the East African Gold Sniffing Company following a Ugandan High Court ruling.
Hima loses limestone rights in Uganda
03 April 2013Uganda: Hima Cement has lost its mining rights to limestone deposits in Uganda following a High Court decision. The court transferred the rights to limestone deposits in Kasese, western Uganda, from the subsidiary of Lafarge to the East African Gold Sniffing Company.
The court ruled that Hima's lease was for 21 years, ending on 31 December 2011, and it had already lapsed without any renewal in accordance with Section 47 of the Mining Act. East Africa Gold Sniffing contested a decision by the Ministry of Energy that restored Hima's mining rights after Hima managed to secure an exploration licence over the same area. The ruling means that mining of limestone and processing of cement must cease until and if an appellate court overturns the decision.
Ultratech interested in limestone mine in Mozambique
25 April 2012Mozambique: Indian firm Ultratech Cement is negotiating the purchase of a limestone mine in southern Mozambique for about US$286m. According to media reports, negotiations between the Mumbai conglomerate and the mine's owner began in February 2012 and the deal may result in the construction of a cement factory in Mozambique, a country where the demand for construction materials has been growing at an annual rate of 8 - 9%/yr.
The mine is located in the Magude region of southern Mozambique near the capital Maputo and has estimated reserves of 700 – 800Mt of high quality limestone.
In April 2010, UltraTech Cement acquired the ETA Star Cement company, a Dubai producer with capacity of 2.3Mt/yr US$324m, opening access to markets in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Bangladesh.
NGO demands suspension of forest officials over mining
14 November 2011India: Jaintia Youth Federation, a social organisation, has demanded the immediate suspension of forest officials who have declared forest areas as 'non-forest' land in the Jaintia Hills area of Meghalaya. The organisation expressed its fury that a large number of cement plants have been effectively allowed to mine limestone in forested areas. It also said that the state government should ask the eight cement companies in Jaintia Hills to contribute to compensatory afforestation.
"Officials who have declared such forests as non-forests need to be suspended and severe action needs to be taken against them as they have cheated and hoodwinked the government and helped the cement companies to function all these years," said the president of Jaintia Youth Federation, refering to a 1996 technical ruling.
Majaw added that similar action to that seen recently against Lafarge needed to be brought against all of the cement companies mining in the same area.