This base metal is crucial to the world. Its primary use is for galvanising steel, to provide a rust proof coating. This is about 50% of usage. About 25% goes into brass and the rest is used in die casting, coins, tires and of course throat lozenges.
On 28th January 1999, the price at the LME was $957.50 a tonne. The metal inventory in the LME warehouses was 314,650 tonnes. A year earlier there were 485,000 tonnes in the warehouses and the price was about $1,100 a tonne. This is a 35% decline in available metal, the price of Zn must rise soon.
As of today, 31st March 2005, the spot price of zinc is $1352 per tonne or 61.35c per lb. The inventory is 575,050 tonnes down from a peak of 787,411 tonnes almost a year ago on 13 April 2004. It is now generally assumed that any available zinc outside of the LME has been used or moved into the LME inventories. As of 27th Dec 2005, spot price is $1862 per tonne or 84.5c per lb. The inventory is 401,825 tonnes.
As of June 29th 2006, 6 months later, zinc is at $3,110 per tonne or $1.41/lb. LME inventory is 220,000 tonnes. Zinc has been the place to be, especially the producers.
Let us use this forum to post interesting tidbits and statistics on Zinc and to point out those companies that will benefit from the forthcoming increase in the price of Zinc. Add to my list please.
Producers:
Breakwater Resources (BWR.TO, BWLRF)
Falconbridge (FAL.TO, FAL)
HudBay Minerals (HBM.TO, HBMFF)
Inmet (IMN.TO, IEMMF)
Teck Cominco (TEK.B, TCKBF)
Potential Producers & Explorers:
Abcourt Mines Inc (ABI.V)
Aur Resources (AUR.TO) Already big copper miner
Canadian Zinc Co (CZN.TO, CZICF)
Ecstall Mining (EAM.V, ESMGF)
Eurozinc (EZM.TO, EZM) Already big copper miner
Firestone Ventures (FV.V)
Messina Minerals (MMI.V)
Pacifica Resources (PAX.V)
Redhawk (RDK.V, RHWKF)
Selkirk (SLK.V)
Wolfden (WLF.TO, WFDNF)
Yukon Zinc (YZC.V, YZCCF)
The largest Australian producer is Zinifex. |
