Company type | Privately held company (1994–2007) [1] Public limited company (2007–2013) Subsidiary (2013–present) |
---|---|
Industry | Metals and Mining |
Founded | 1994 (in its current form from 2006) |
Fate | Taken private as Eurasian Resources Group in 2013 |
Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Products | Ferrochrome Ferroalloys Iron Ore Alumina Aluminium Coal Power Generation Copper Cobalt |
Revenue | US$6,320 million (2012) [ENRC 1] |
US$ (374) million (2012) [ENRC 1] | |
US$ (852) million (2012) [ENRC 1] | |
Number of employees | Over 72,000 (2011) [ENRC 2] |
Website | www.enrc.com |
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation PLC (ENRC) was a public, Kazakhstan/Central African-focused, [2] multinational leading diversified natural resources company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It had activities in integrated mining, processing, energy, logistics and marketing.
ENRC was formed in 1994, [ENRC 3] listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2006, and delisted after a near six-year spell in November 2013. A secondary listing and subsequent de-listing also took place on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange.
ENRC is now a fully owned subsidiary of the Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a private natural resources company headquartered in Luxembourg. This private company incorporates the assets of former FTSE-100 group, ENRC PLC, which it acquired in November 2013.
The company was founded by circle of oligarchs in Kazakhstan known as the "Trio" in 1994. [3] The Trio consisted of Alijan Ibragimov, Alexander Mashkevitch and Patokh Chodiev, all active in the mining, oil and gas, and banking sectors in Kazakhstan. The assets of the company were acquired as part of the privatization process in Kazakhstan. [4]
The company in its present form was established in 2006 as part of a re-organisation to consolidate a series of businesses into one group. [ENRC 4]
The company floated around 18% of its equity on the London Stock Exchange in December 2007. [5]
In December 2009 the Company completed acquisition of the Central African Mining Exploration Company (CAMEC). [6] CAMEC's operations incorporate the assets of copper and cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the development projects of coal in Mozambique, bauxite in Mali, platinum in Zimbabwe, and fluorspar in South Africa, as well as trucking and logistics business across the African continent. [ENRC 5] CAMEC's Mukondo Mine may be the richest cobalt reserve in the world. Copper from Mukondo is refined at the Luita plant, with planned capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year of copper cathode. [7] In July 2009 CAMEC announced a long term agreement under which CAMEC would deliver its entire annual production of cobalt in concentrate from Mukondo Mountain to Zhejiang Galico Cobalt & Nickel Materials of China. [8]
In February 2010 ENRC acquired a 90% interest in Chambishi Metals PLC, [9] a smelting facility in Zambia, together with a 100% interest in Comit Resources FZE, [10] a Dubai-based marketing and sales company that historically has handled Chambishi's copper and cobalt sales. In August 2010 company acquired 50.5% of Camrose Resources Limited ('Camrose'). Camrose held five high quality copper and cobalt mining permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). [ENRC 5] They include the Kolwezi tailings project, which the DRC government had confiscated from First Quantum Minerals (FQM). FQM had spent C$750 million developing the Kolwezi assets. ENRC paid $175 million for its majority stake in Camrose. [11]
In September 2010 ENRC acquired the outstanding 50% interest in Bahia Minerals BV and in October 2010 – 100% of Mineração Minas Bahia SA (MIBA) and 51% of Mineração Peixe Bravo SA (MPB). [12]
In March 2013 ENRC was forced to write down a US$1.5bn (£1bn) loss due largely to an "onerous" locked in contract with the Russian aluminium company, Rusal with whom they must provide aluminium at what is now below market price (Telegraph 2013). [13]
On 21 April 2013, The Sunday Times revealed that three founders, Alexander Mashkevitch, Patokh Chodiev and Alijan Ibragimov, were behind a possible takeover bid for ENRC. [14] Following this news, three senior executives resigned, and a fourth announced a leave of absence. These included the Head of Human Resources and the Company Secretary. [15] On 23 April Mehmet Dalman, the chairman of ENRC, also resigned and next day the group confirmed that Gerhard Ammann, a non-executive director of ENRC and president of Bank Von Roll, a Swiss private bank, would replace Mr Dalman. [16]
The Serious Fraud Office launched a criminal investigation into ENRC's business practices in April 2013. [17]
ENRC annual report released on 30 April said that UK authorities are investigating whether ENRC breached Britain's rules for listed companies, specifically with acquisitions made in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a 2012 sale of railway line repair company Zhol Zhondeushi to a company connected to the family of one of the miner's co-founders. [18]
In November 2013 ENRC de-listed from the LSE after the group's founders gained acceptances from 96.7 percent of shareholders for their offer - of $2.65 in cash and 0.23 of a Kazakhmys share for each one in ENRC - to acquire the company along with the Kazakh government. [19]
In February 2014, it was reported that the firm would have to sell its international assets, including its lucrative copper mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after the company's founders came under increased pressure to repay the large loan they had taken out to privatise ENRC. [20]
ENRC operates in Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Brazil and Africa (the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa). [ENRC 2] The group incorporates six Divisions (ENRC 2013): Ferroalloys, Iron Ore, Alumina and Aluminium, Energy, Other Non-ferrous, Logistics [ENRC 6]
ENRC's largest division is its Ferroalloys Division (ENRC 2013). [ENRC 7] ENRC is one of the world's largest ferrochrome producers (ENRC 2013). [ENRC 7] ENRC's Kazchrome in the Republic of Kazakhstan, integrates four operating companies: Donskoy Ore Mining & Processing Plant, Aktobe Ferroalloys Plant, Aksu Ferroalloys Plant and Kazmarganets Mining Enterprise. [ENRC 7] ENRC's Zhairem GOK, one of the "largest manganese ore mining and processing plants" in Kazakhstan, is a "major supplier of manganese and ferromanganese concentrates to customers throughout Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia and China (ENRC 2013)." [ENRC 7]
The ENRC is one of the largest electricity providers in Kazakhstan, accounting for approximately 16.3% of the country's recorded electricity production in 2011. [21]
The ENRC's assets in the Republic of Kazakhstan comprise Kazchrome, Zhairem GOK, SSGPO, Aluminium of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter (KAS) [ENRC 6] [ENRC 7]
ENRC is one of the world's largest ferrochrome producers (ENRC 2013). [ENRC 7] ENRC's Kazchrome in the Republic of Kazakhstan, integrates four operating companies: Donskoy Ore Mining & Processing Plant, Aktobe Ferroalloys Plant, Aksu Ferroalloys Plant and Kazmarganets Mining Enterprise. [ENRC 7]
Contributing significantly to Kazakhstan's GDP, one of the world's significant exporters of iron ore; the world's ninth largest producer of traded alumina; and one of the largest electricity providers in Kazakhstan. [ENRC 8]
ENRC is one of Kazakhstan's largest companies, accounting for approximately 3% of Kazakhstan's GDP in 2009. ENRC currently employs over 70,000 people, of which 65,000 are located in Kazakhstan. [ENRC 2]
In December 2009 ENRC acquired 95.40% of the shares of Central African Mining Exploration Company (CAMEC) [6] CAMEC's operations incorporate the assets of copper and cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the development projects of coal in Mozambique, bauxite in Mali, platinum in Zimbabwe, and fluorspar in South Africa, as well as trucking and logistics business across the African continent. [ENRC 5] ENRC had made a £584-million cash offer in September 2008 (Webb 18 September 2009). [22] The chairperson Phillippe Edmonds and CEO Andrew Groves both resigned when the deal was closed in November 2009. [23]
CAMEC's Mukondo Mine may be the richest cobalt reserve in the world. Copper from Mukondo is refined at the Luita plant, with planned capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year of copper cathode. [7] In July 2009 CAMEC announced a long term agreement under which CAMEC would deliver its entire annual production of cobalt in concentrate from Mukondo Mountain to Zhejiang Galico Cobalt & Nickel Materials of China. [8]
ENRC's acquisition 50.5% of Kolwezi Mine Tailings (KWT) a "multi-billion dollar copper and cobalt tailings reprocessing facility" [24] that had been expropriated in 2009 by the DRC from Vancouver, Canada-based First Quantum Minerals through Dan Gertler's newly formed British Virgin Island-based company, Highwinds, was the last of a series of ENRC of Congolese mining asset acquisitions in roughly an 11-month period. [25] [ self-published source ] First Quantum Minerals had completed 75 per cent of the construction and the lucrative facility was almost ready to be operational when it was seized by the government and handed to [24] This led to First Quantum Minerals v Highwinds and others, a case concerning the expropriation of mining licences in the Democratic Republic of Congo. DRC passed the concession to a new joint venture Metalkol Sarl, encompassing state-owned Gecamines (30%) and Dan Gertler's newly formed British Virgin Island-based company, Highwinds (70%). [24] [26]
Camrose Resources Limited ('Camrose') "owned British Virgin Island-based new company, Highwind Group which had a 70% interest in the Metalkol Sarl, which in turn owned the exploitation licence for the Kolwezi tailings site (Law Expert 2 March 2012)." [24] Camrose's other assets included a "64% stake in Canada listed Africo Resources which held a 75% interest in Kalukundi exploitation licence as well as 56% indirect interest in Comide Sprl, which held the exploitation licence for Mashitu, Pangalume and Kii tenements." [24]
The Kolwezi tailings project, is a lucrative copper- and cobalt-extractions projects mining older mines' tailings ponds, partly owned and operated by First Quantum Minerals, a Vancouver, British Columbia based mining and metals company, until its forced closure in September 2009 when the DRC government revoked its license and confiscated the holdings. [11] [27] [28] [29] First Quantum spent $750 million on acquiring and developing the property. First Quantum took out an action against the DRC government in the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration. [30]
Fasken Martineau, a leading international business law and litigation firm recovered an almost unprecedented US$1.25B in the dispute between First Quantum Minerals and the DRC. As part of the settlement Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) purchased First Quantum's residual claims and assets in the DRC. [24]
In August 2010 ENRC acquired 50.5% of Camrose Resources Limited ('Camrose'), which at that time held a 70% indirect interest in Metalkol Sarl, owner of the Kolwezi copper tailings project. [ENRC 5] In 2010 ENRC paid $175 million for its majority stake in Camrose. [11] On 28 December 2012, 99 percent of Eurasian Natural Resources Corp shareholders approved the US$550 million purchase of the remaining 49.5% per cent of Camrose Resources Limited still held by Dan Gertler's Gibraltar-registered (Wild et al. 2013 page 68) [31] Fleurette Properties Ltd. [32]
In February 2010 ENRC purchased a 90% interest in Chambishi Metals PLC, a copper and cobalt producer and smelter located in Zambia. [9] [10] [ENRC 2]
On 4 April 2008 Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation PLC finalized the purchase, first signed on 4 December 2007, of the controlling interest in Serov Ferrochrome Producer (Serov SPA) in Sverdlovsk region, eastern Russia for US$210 million from various entities affiliated with Mr. P Chodiev, Mr. An Ibragimov and Mr. A Machkevitch, founding shareholders in ENRC. Sir David Cooksey, the Non-Executive Chairman of ENRC noted this was ENRC's first transaction outside of Kazakhstan. The purchase agreement (4 December 2007) gives ENRC the economic benefit from all dividends and distributions made after 4 December 2007. The acquisition will provide a strong platform for ENRC in Russia. The purchase provided vertical integration with companies that ENRC operates: Serov Ferrochrome Factory, Saranovskaya Mine Rudnaya and Serov Metalconcentrate Works. Dr. Johannes Sittard, Chief Executive Officer of ENRC, described how the purchase of Serov gave ENRC an asset base and strong platform in Russia. [ENRC 9]
In April 2008 the Founder Shareholders of Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Group "ultimately indirectly owned equally" Industrial Metals Technology Limited, Chesswood Holdings Limited, Blackmore Holdings Limited, Prentice Holdings Limited, Cretown Corporate Advisory BV, International Mineral Resources BV ('IMR') Serov Ferrochrome Producer (Serov SPA). [ENRC 9] Mr. P Chodiev, Mr. An Ibragimov and Mr. A Machkevitch were Founder Shareholders of Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Group. Johannes Sittard, was the Chief Executive Officer of ENRC and Sir David Cooksey was the Non-Executive Chairman of ENRC. [ENRC 9]
ENRC's senior management team consisted of: [ENRC 10]
Mr Mehmet Dalman | Chairman and non-executive director |
Mr Felix Vulis | Chief Executive Officer |
Ms Zaure Zaurbekova | Chief Financial Officer |
Mr Jim Cochrane | Chief Commercial Officer, Head of Sales & Marketing and Logistics |
Mr Beat Ehrensberger | General Counsel |
Mrs Victoria Penrice | Company Secretary |
Ms Mounissa Chodieva | Head of Investor & Public Relations |
Upon the acquisition by ERG, many of the previous senior management did not transfer to the new group, left their positions or were replaced in a new structure.
ENRC is now owned fully by ERG (Eurasian Resources Group), a private company headquartered in Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Alexander Machkevitch is Chairman of the Board of Directors and Mr Benedikt Sobotka is Chief Executive Officer. The ERG is 40% owned by the Kazakhstan government. [33]
First Quantum Minerals is a Canadian-based mining and metals company whose principal activities include mineral exploration, development and mining. Its main product is copper, which accounts for 80% of revenues as of 2016.
La Générale des Carrières et des Mines (Gécamines) is a Congolese commodity trading and mining company headquartered in Lubumbashi, in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a state-controlled corporation founded in 1966 and a successor to the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga. Gecamines is engaged in the exploration, research, exploitation and production of mineral deposits including copper and cobalt.
Adastra Minerals Inc, was a London-based mining company with notable operations in central Africa, particularly in copper, cobalt and zinc exploration. Adastra's properties and concessions were acquired in 2006 by First Quantum Minerals for $245m in cash and stock, outpacing a counter-offer by Mwana Africa plc. Founder Jean-Raymond Boulle and top UK insurer Prudential plc had owned 10% and 14% stakes in Adastra, respectively. In the mid-1990s, the company became known for developing highly prospective copper and cobalt mines in Zaire during a civil war.
The mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo produces copper, diamonds, tantalum, tin, gold, and more than 70% of global cobalt production. Minerals and petroleum are central to the DRC's economy, making up more than 95% of the value of its exports.
Frontier Mine is a copper mine in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) owned and operated by ERG. The resource was first mined by First Quantum Minerals. The mine has an annual capacity of 370,000 tonnes of sulfide concentrate containing 27% copper.
Copper mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo mainly takes place in the Copper Belt of the southern Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Musonoi mine is a set of open-cut pits near Kolwezi from which copper and other metals have been extracted since the 1940s. The mining complex is located in the Lualaba Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kolwezi is about 320 kilometres (200 mi) northwest from Lubumbashi, the provincial capital.
The Kolwezi tailings project also known as the Roan Tailings Reclamation is a project in the Kolwezi mining area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to recover copper from the tailings, or processed ore, from mining in the region since the 1950s. The project was developed by the Canadian mining companies Adastra Minerals and then First Quantum Minerals between 2004 and 2009, when the DRC government revoked First Quantum's license. The project is currently majority owned by the Eurasian Resources Group.
Mutoshi Mine is a copper mine in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2011 it was 70% owned by Anvil Mining and 30% by the state-owned Gécamines. The mine was placed on care and maintenance in late 2008.
Lonshi Mine is a copper mine in Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the southeast of Ndola, Zambia.
Mashamba East is an open pit copper mine near to Kolwezi in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2014, the mine was not currently not being actively worked.
Kalukundi Mine is a copper and cobalt mine being developed in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by Africo Resources, a Canadian company. In September 2008 the company estimated the value of the resource as $1.47 billion.
Tremalt Limited was a mining company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands which owned assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It was the vehicle for a highly criticized deal in 2001 in which it bought copper assets at far below their estimated value in return for a private agreement to pay a share of profits to the DRC and Zimbabwe governments. Allegedly some of the payments were made in the form of military equipment. The company made few investments in its assets, several of which the DRC government took back. In 2006 it was sold for about $60m.
The Central African Mining and Exploration Company plc (CAMEC) was a mining company active in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in other parts of Africa. It was acquired by Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation in 2009.
Dan Gertler is an Israeli billionaire businessman in natural resources and the founder and president of the DGI group of companies. Until 2022, He had diamond and copper mining interests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and has invested in iron ore, gold, cobalt, oil, agriculture, and banking. As of 2024 his fortune was estimated at $1.5 billion by Forbes.
Sodimico is a state-owned mining company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Mukondo Mine is a copper and cobalt mine in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2011 it was operated by the Central African Mining and Exploration Company. It may be the richest cobalt reserve in the world.
The Luita plant will be the largest copper and cobalt processing plant in Africa, and the largest cobalt facility in the world. It is being built in modules by the Central African Mining and Exploration Company (CAMEC) in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Camrose Resources Limited (Camrose) was a company owned by Dan Gertler, an Israeli businessman, the founder and President of the DGI Group of Companies. Camrose's other assets included a "64% stake in Canada listed Africo Resources which held a 75% interest in the Kalukundi Mine's exploitation licence as well as a 56% indirect interest in Comide Sprl, which held the exploitation licence for Mashitu, Pangalume and Kii tenements."
Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) S.à r.l. is a large mining and raw materials supplier with operations in Kazakhstan, Brazil and Central Africa. In its current form, the company began in December 2013 after it acquired the Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation, which was delisted from the London Stock Exchange and Kazakhstan Stock Exchange. Major shareholders of the company include the Republic of Kazakhstan (40%), Alexander Mashkevitch, Patokh Chodiev and the heirs of Alijan Ibragimov.