The Canadian company Sherritt announced on Tuesday that it is “suspending mining operations in Cuba” due to “restrictions on fuel supply affecting the country.”
Sherritt mines nickel and cobalt at the Moa mine, located in Holguín Province in eastern Cuba, and has participated since 1991 in the Moa Nickel S.A. joint venture with the Cuban state.
Nickel is one of Cuba’s key export products, and the country is facing a serious energy crisis following the end of oil shipments from Venezuela, in the aftermath of Nicolás Maduro’s fall, and amid Washington’s threats to impose tariffs on countries selling oil to the island.
Sherritt explained that it “was informed that the fuel deliveries scheduled for the Moa mine will not be honored” and that “the timeline for resuming deliveries is currently unknown.”
The company emphasizes that “at present, there is no immediate impact on operations at Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta,” and that “the refinery continues to produce nickel and cobalt for sale.”
The available feedstock inventory for this production is expected to last until approximately mid-April, the announcement notes.
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