By John Helmer in Moscow LUKoil ends raid against Archangel Diamond’s Russian project, opening up new mine possibility. Grib is Russian for mushroom, and this isn’t the season for harvesting them. Grib is also the name of a diamond pipe, first discovered in northwestern Russia in 1996 — and the target of a Russian raid […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Potash prices are soaring and the major beneficiary is LSE quoted Uralkali, Russia’s largest producer. A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains. That is what the Dutch used to say, while watching their tulips grow. But for the world’s potash miners, meeting this month in […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Russia’s big copper contest goes on the boil Russia’s biggest copper contest is going to be a very private affair. Even if there are just two, possibly three contenders, all Russian household names, predicting who will win over the next 90 days of the contest may prove to be more […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, April 10th, 2008
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Norilsk Nickel shareholders ask where the cash for the new deal will come from Oleg Deripaska and his United Company Rusal were trounced in their bid to elect three directors on the Norilsk Nickel board today. The vote saw Vladimir Potanin’s Interros holding, plus most of the free float of 40%, put a full-stop to […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Russian miners’ union confident of gaining strike demands as Rusal postpones legal action. Striking bauxite miners at the Rusal-owned Severuralsk mine, in central Russia, have called off their occupation of one of the mine shafts, on signs that Rusal is ready to make wage, welfare, and other labour contract concessions. […]

by John Helmer - Monday, April 7th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Polyus shareholders give Potanin big win over rival plan to transfer assets. In Harold Pinter’s play, The Birthday Party, a group of seedy characters in a rundown boarding house, at a miserable English seaside town, arrange a birthday celebration for one of their number. But he denies it’s his birthday, […]

by John Helmer - Monday, April 7th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Underground mine costs are pushing Alrosa towards diamond prospects in southwestern Africa Back in the good old friendly days,one thing was always understood by the senior executives and mine engineers of De Beers and Alrosa, the world’s diamond mining leaders. Alrosa faced serious risks and incalculable costs in trying to […]

by John Helmer - Saturday, April 5th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow An unprecedented strike by Russian bauxite miners halts Rusal production in Urals Richard the Lionheart (1157-99) was the greatest of English soldiers; the greatest artilleryman of all time. In laying siege to an enemy’s position, Richard applied the principle of concentrating force at the point of least resistance – bombarding […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
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