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Why Canada needs an EV battery strategy – now – by Nelson Bennett (Business In Vancouver – September 27, 2022)

https://biv.com/

For half a century, oil production has been a major economic engine for Canada.

But just as the internal combustion engine is starting to give way to the battery-powered electric vehicle (EV), so too does Canada need to develop a new industrial engine, says a new report by Clean Energy Canada and Trillum Network for Advanced Manufacturing.

Minerals like copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, manganese, graphite and rare earths promise to become the new oil. Canada’s New Economic Engine argues the case for Canada to act quickly to leverage the country’s vast mineral resources, clean electricity and Eastern Canadian manufacturing capacity to become an EV battery-producing powerhouse.

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Canadian-based International Battery Metals claims to have better way of extracting lithium – by Jeffrey Jones (Globe and Mail – September 27, 2022)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

The head of a Canadian-listed company that’s developed a new system for extracting lithium, a critical mineral for electrification of the global economy, says it has proven it can tap smaller concentrations of the substance with minimal environmental disturbance.

International Battery Metals Ltd. said on Tuesday an independent engineering review has concluded the company’s modular, mobile lithium extraction plant obtains more than 65 per cent of the lithium from brine, which is saline groundwater enriched with dissolved lithium. It also recycles and reuses 94 per cent of the water in the process, according to a report by SLR Consulting Ltd.

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Feds slammed at Nunavut land use hearing, critics say it favours development over caribou protection – by Jane George (CBC News North – September 28, 2022)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/

‘These grounds are sacred and need to be respected and protected,’ says Katie Rasmussen

The federal government received pointed criticism for its position on caribou protection under the draft Nunavut Land Use Plan during its presentation Tuesday in Thompson, Man.

Questions from those at the Nunavut Planning Commission hearing saw Spencer Dewar, director of resource management for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, defending the federal government’s position on mineral development, existing rights and conservation under the land use plan.

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Metals for cleaner future being turned to account in minerals-endowed Northern Cape – by Martin Creamer (Mining Weekly – September 28, 2022)

https://www.miningweekly.com/

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s critical minerals potential is being highlighted in an increasingly promising manner by Orion Minerals, the Sydney- and Johannesburg-listed company that is showing the way in the minerals-endowed Northern Cape.

Orion, headed by its Boksburg-born CEO Errol Smart, is poised to bestow on South Africa an integrated and far-reaching value chain of future facing metals production in a province which is crying out for more exploration in the new era of enhanced prospecting technology.

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Can lithium be produced with a lower environmental impact? – by Javier Lewkowicz (Dialogo Chino – September 28, 2022)

Dialogo Chino

Lithium production is facing a transformation. Mining, automotive and chemical companies around the world are in a race to improve the efficiency of production processes and reduce the environmental impact of the dominant methods of lithium extraction, in order to meet the exponential growth in demand associated with the scale-up of electric vehicles.

“Traditional brine processes have a high environmental impact, due to high levels of water evaporation,” says researcher Michelle Lee Yin of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. “There are different alternative technologies with the potential to replace and/or support the current production method, with the aim of achieving a more sustainable industry over time.”

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Canada’s West Coast can export LNG globally, but East Coast faces pipeline constraints, TC Energy CEO says – by Brent Jang (Globe and Mail – September 27, 2022)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Canada’s West Coast is positioned to become a reliable supplier of liquefied natural gas, but the East Coast faces pipeline constraints, says TC Energy Corp.’s chief executive officer.

With Europe experiencing an energy crisis after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, François Poirier said he is optimistic West Coast exports to Asia will play an important role by injecting much-needed LNG supply into the global market. “Even before the invasion in Ukraine, we were already seeing signs of tightening supply,” Mr. Poirier said in a phone interview from Calgary. “I see a great opportunity for Canada.”

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Indigenous Leaders: First Nation partnerships will lead the way north – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – September 28, 2022)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Marten Falls and Webequie pursue their socio-economic development goals in shepherding Northern Road Link environmental impact process

If your First Nation community harbours great ambitions to become a major project proponent, Gordon Wabasse offers some sage and simple advice. “Be prepared.” Wabasse, the lands and resources director of Webequie First Nation, participated in a panel discussion on the Ring of Fire at the inaugural Indigenous-led Projects Forum in Toronto, Sept. 27.

Wabasse and other James Bay regional leadership spoke of his community’s groundbreaking journey as one of the two Indigenous proponents overseeing the design and environmental impacts of a proposed all-season road into Far North, an Ontario first.

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Pollution From Florida Mining a Concern With Hurricane Ian – by Curt Anderson (Associated Press – September 28, 2022)

https://www.usnews.com/

Environmental groups say the polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry are at risk for leaks or other contamination triggered by Hurricane Ian.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons in “stacks” that resemble enormous ponds, are at risk for leaks or other contamination when Hurricane Ian comes ashore in the state, environmental groups say.

Florida has 24 such phosphogypsum stacks, most of them concentrated in mining areas in the central part of the state. About 30 million tons of this slightly radioactive waste is generated every year, according to the Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute.

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Opinion: Unleash the Montney: Canada’s world-class gas field is waiting to be tapped – by Heather Exner-Pirot (Financial Post -September 29, 2022)

https://financialpost.com/

The Montney Formation is a gift from the gods. But in Canada, it may well remain a geological marvel instead of an economic one

Straddling the B.C.-Alberta border lies the most valuable Canadian resource you’ve never heard of: the trillion-dollar Montney Formation, a giant gas field the size of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia combined. Its potential is huge but its future is uncertain. With the federal government’s proposed emissions cap, it may remain a sleeping giant.

The Montney Formation is a colossus, bigger even than the U.S.A.’s renowned Marcellus field, which helped set off the shale revolution. Largely overlooked before the innovation of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling made it economically viable to exploit, it is now tapped to supply the nascent west coast LNG industry.

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A promising future in la belle province – by Dinah Zeldin (CIM Magazine – September 26, 2022)

https://magazine.cim.org/en/

While gold continues to shine, explorers are drawn to new frontiers and the potential for battery metals

Quebec has a rich history of gold mining: the first gold nuggets were discovered in the Beauce region in 1835. Since 1901 explorers have flocked to the Abitibi region in search of the precious metal.

Today the gold camps in the Abitibi remain the main hub of exploration activity, but some explorers are venturing farther afield into northern Quebec. Simultaneously, changing market demands and strong government support have increased interest in looking for other commodities.

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Gold is in bear territory, but prices to rally back to $1,900 next year: ING – by Anna Golubova (Kitco News – September 27, 2022)

https://www.kitco.com/

(Kitco News) The gold market faces more losses as the Federal Reserve is still in the midst of its historic rate hikes. But once signs of a potential Fed easing emerge, the gold price will return to its rally mode. And that is expected as soon as next year, according to ING’s latest outlook.

Gold is now down more than 10% year-to-date — a disappointing return for those using gold as an inflation hedge. December Comex gold futures were last at $1,637.40 an ounce, up 0.24% on the day.

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The scramble for rare earths carries big geopolitical risks – by Misha Glenny (Financial Times – September 26, 2022)

https://www.ft.com/

But without these metals there are limited solutions to our planetary problems

The war in Ukraine has demonstrated just how inadvisable over-dependence on a single supplier can be. Russia’s dominance in the European gas market turned into a geopolitical nightmare in the space of a few weeks.

Just imagine if a single country provided you with 90 per cent of your needs for essential commodities. Now imagine how you’d feel if that country was China. Actually, we don’t need to use our imagination because that is exactly the reality for Europe’s galloping consumption of rare earth metals.

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Manitoba juniors look to capitalize on lithium fever – by James Snell (Northern Miner – September 27, 2022)

Global mining news

With lithium prices at a record high – around US$71,000 a tonne for lithium carbonate – and demand for green technology surging, a cadre of exploration and development companies is looking to Manitoba as a source for the essential battery metal – and governments are signalling their approval.

Snow Lake Lithium (NASDAQ: LITM), which is drilling and expanding historical spodumene pegmatite deposits on its 223.8-sq.-km Thompson Brothers project in northwest Manitoba, is leading the charge. It plans to enter production by 2026 using the province’s 99% renewable hydroelectric power grid.

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Six of the Latest Trends in Bridal Jewelry – by Francesca Fearon (Diamonds.net – September 2022)

https://www.diamonds.net/

1. Vintage cut revival

Some may herald emerald-cut diamonds as this year’s most popular style for engagement rings, outranking other favorites like cushions and rounds, but it is interesting to see just how much designers are experimenting with older cuts. They are reviving vintage shapes like the marquise — a cut that dates back to the 18th century and is a favorite of Chicago jeweler Catherine Sarr at Almasika, who takes inspiration from its elliptical silhouette.

“It is a beautiful shape that I can follow naturally to create new settings, such as the east-west design I’m currently experimenting with,” she says.

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We’ll ‘set the bar high’ on Ring of Fire environment assessment, First Nation chief says – by Naimul Karim (Financial Post – September 27, 2022)

https://financialpost.com/

Ontario government has described the Ring of Fire as one of the ‘most promising’ regions for developing critical minerals

Indigenous groups who support building an all-season pathway into Ontario’s mineral-rich Ring of Fire region say they hope to allay concerns of neighbouring First Nations by conducting strong environmental assessments (EA).

The First Nations of Marten Falls and Webequie are currently conducting EAs for three proposed roads that would provide access to the region situated in northern Ontario’s James Bay Lowlands, about 500 kilometres from Thunder Bay.

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