Basic Materials Highlights: Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) Falls as it Cancels Five Wells Order, ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) PFO Taking Retirement

Richmont Mines Inc. (RIC) reported that it has shut down its Francoeur Mine and delayed exploration operations on the Wasamac gold property, due to economic issues.

Production of commercial gold at Francoeur, situated close to Rouyn-Noranda in northwestern Quebec, Canada, stopped on Friday, and the mine would take almost four months to finally close.

Richmont Mines Inc. (USA) (NYSEAMEX:RIC) fell -25.13% and closed at $2.86 with the total traded volume of 1.17 million shares. It has market capitalization of $113.15 million while its total outstanding shares are 39.56 million and its beta value stands at 0.63 times.

Opposing the broader sector trend, US-registered shares of Brazil’s state-owned PetroleoBrasileiro (PBR), or Petrobras, plunged after the oil firm declared that it has annulled an order for five new drill ships.

Petrobras stated that it would want to drill lesser wells in the Santos Basin than estimated because of a greater well productivity from wells previously drilled and other productivities.

Petroleo Brasileiro Petrobras SA (ADR) (NYSE:PBR) declined -2.76% and closed at $17.97 with the total traded volume of 21.18 million shares. PBR has earnings per share of $1.53 with the net profit margin of 6.95% and operating margin of 12.87%.

PBR has current ratio of 1.96 and its debt-to-equity ratio was 0.54.

Late on Thursday, ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) declared that its senior vice president and principal financial officer Donald D. Humphreys, 64, would leave his post, effective February 1, 2013.

Presently, along with his responsibility as PFO, Humphreys also manages Exxon’s fuels, lubricants and specialties marketing, and global services activities.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) edged up +0.02% to close at $88.14 and its overall volume during last trading session was 15.52 million shares. XOM has earnings per share of $9.47. Its total market capitalization is $401.86 billion.

XOM is ahead of its 52 week low with 15.74% and its last month’s price volatility remained 1.45%. In its share capital XOM has 4.56 billion outstanding shares while 4.55 billion shares have been floated in market.

Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE:ANR)’s shares touched a high of $7.59 before closing at $7.48, an increase of $0.30. The trading volume was 18.27 million shares. Since hitting a 52-week low of $5.28 on Sep 05, 2012, the stock has managed to stay 41.67% higher from that level. The latest gain caused shares to trim their 2012 loss to -63.39%.

Shares of Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) traded in a range of $16.94 to $17.63, completing the day down $0.50, or -2.85% to $17.03. The total volume of shares exchanged was 15.99 million. The stock was at -22.27% as on Nov 30, 2012 for this year as compared to -27.13% in the last 12 months. The company established a 52-week high of $26.09 on Mar 20, 2012 and is now -33.85% down than that level.