Germany and France: BASF Agrees to Sell Mining Solutions Business to SNF

What happened

BASF announced an agreement on November 12 to sell its global mining solutions business to France’s SNF. The transaction includes its production site in Cork, Ireland, and approximately 140 employees. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The business supplies chemicals used in flotation, leaching and solvent extraction. These processes help separate and recover metals from ore. Completion is expected in 2027, subject to merger control approvals and other closing conditions.

For SNF, the acquisition would broaden its capabilities in mineral processing. The agreement therefore concerns an important part of the mining supply chain: the specialist chemistry and technical knowledge that influence how mineral resources become saleable products.

What happened

Standard Lithium said on November 12 that financing remains the final major requirement before an investment decision on its South West Arkansas project. The company reported completion of the other three main requirements: execution contracts, federal environmental approval and customer offtake agreements.

It is working with export credit agencies EXIM in the United States, EDC in Canada and Eksfin in Norway. The target is now more than US$1.2 billion in senior secured project debt. However, binding financing agreements and credit approvals remain outstanding.

Management expects a final investment decision by the end of the first quarter of 2027, followed by construction. The update connects demand commitments and regulatory progress with the financing still needed to bring new lithium supply into development.

What happened

Cora Gold announced conditional agreements on November 12 to separate its Senegal exploration assets into Madina Minerals, a private company to be owned by Cora shareholders. The principal asset is the Madina Foulbé exploration permit in eastern Senegal.

Meanwhile, Cora would focus on developing its Sanankoro gold project in Mali. The proposed separation still requires approval from Senegal’s mining ministry for the permit transfer, alongside other conditions.

The structure would place exploration and mine development in separate companies, reflecting their different funding needs and timelines. It would also change how shareholders hold their exposure to the Senegal assets, which would move into a private vehicle.

What happened

Silver Mountain announced its first concentrate sale and shipment from the Reliquias mine in Peru on November 12. The bulk and zinc concentrates have an estimated provisional sales value of US$2.7 million.

Following the September restart, the shipment marks the beginning of revenue generation as the operation builds towards commercial production. Silver Mountain aims to reach throughput of 800 tonnes a day in the second half of 2027, while moving from stockpiled material towards newly mined ore.

The first sale provides an early commercial milestone, rather than evidence that the planned operating rate has been reached. The company also notes that the production decision was not based on a prefeasibility or feasibility study establishing mineral reserves, which increases technical and economic uncertainty.

What happened

Adani disclosed on November 12 a memorandum between its Kutch Copper subsidiary and Codelco covering a possible exploration partnership at Kaburkaala, in Chile’s Antofagasta region. Codelco had announced the agreement on November 11; the signing took place earlier, during LME Week in London.

The memorandum sets a basis for exploring cooperation rather than committing either party to mine construction or a copper supply contract. No investment amount, ownership split or production timetable was disclosed.

For Codelco, the proposed partnership offers a way to share exploration risk. For Adani, it connects an interest in upstream resources with its copper processing business in India. The commercial significance will depend on the partnership that develops from this initial agreement.

What happened

Silverco reported on November 12 that the first unit of its new Epiroc underground fleet had arrived at La Negra in Mexico and was undergoing commissioning. It also appointed M3 as construction manager for its tailings filtration project and awarded a civil works contract.

Detailed engineering for the filtration plant is approximately 90% complete. Civil works are expected to begin in late November, while construction and commissioning are targeted for completion by the end of the first half of 2027.

Together, the investments support a planned return to the mill’s nominal capacity of 2,500 tonnes a day. Filtered tailings are intended to ease the water management constraint on throughput. The update shows how equipment availability and tailings infrastructure can determine the use of existing processing capacity.