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Mining and a healthy environment — we can have both in Minnesota – by Julie C. Lucas (MinnPost.com – May 18, 2025)

MinnPost – Nonprofit, independent journalism. Supported by readers.MinnPost –

Julie C. Lucas is the executive director of MiningMinnesota.

It’s understandable why there’s concern about copper-nickel mining upstream from the BWCA, but let’s have a fact-based conversation.

The postcard illustrating this commentary is from the 1940s and sums up the Iron Range, the Minnesota region I call home. At one time, the Hull Rust Mahoning Mine in Hibbing was the world’s largest iron ore producing mine.

Now, it’s one portion of a substantially larger mining operation that produces needed iron ore for our domestic steel industry, as it has since the first hematite mine opened at that site in 1895. Along the Mesabi Iron Range, we have several operating taconite mines and, just outside their gates, we have “shimmering waters” just as we did in the 1940s.

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Greater Sudbury mayor focused on critical minerals – by Jenny Lamothe (Sudbury.com – May 8, 2025)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Mineral processing, a home permitting boom and push to grow the city’s population emphasized in State of the City address

It was the city’s Latin motto, Aedificemus, that gave rise to the theme of Mayor Paul Lefebvre’s annual State of the City address, which he translated as “Come, let us build together.” Hosted by the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the May 1 speech was the mayor’s third address since he was elected in 2022.

A packed house heard the mayor speak to the economic progress and vision for the city, and saw the first ever showing of the artist rendition of the new downtown events centre facade.

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Amid low prices, Vale could sell off some of its nickel operations – by Staff (Sudbury Star – May 7, 2025)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Options could also include forging partnerships or putting some assets in care and maintenance, company says

Vale is eyeing options amid current market challenges that could include full or partial divestment of some nickel operations. Last week, the Brazilian company’s chief executive told reporters that an oversupply of the metal from Indonesia is causing short-term issues that necessitate a serious look at how to keep this side of its business profitable.

“We are evaluating if some assets in the portfolio could have a strategic alternative,” said Gustavo Pimenta, according to a Reuters story. Options could include selling off nickel holdings, forging partnerships or putting some assets in care and maintenance, the Vale head indicated.

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‘Greater Sudbury has the winning hand,’ mayor says – Take our poll – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury Star – May 3, 2025)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

The world needs Sudbury’s critical minerals and the city must take full advantage of its opportunity, Paul Lefebvre says

The horizon looks very promising for Greater Sudbury, Mayor Paul Lefebvre told a packed house on Thursday. As the aromas of chicken parmesan and pasta sauce wafted through the upper hall at the Caruso Club, the audience — mostly members of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and the regional business community — turned towards the podium, where Lefebvre stood for the annual State of the City address.

The mayor’s speech was uplifting and optimistic. He said Greater Sudbury is poised for great outcomes. After decades, we are finally starting to realize our potential, he said.

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Mining In Canada: Critical Minerals Exploration – Revival of Thompson nickel belt: Drilling into Manitoba’s untapped potential – by Misty Urbatsch (Canadian Mining Journal – May 1, 2025)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

Misty Urbatsch is the CEO, president, and director of Core Nickel Corp.

Core Nickel Corp. (CSE: CNCO) is quickly gaining traction as an emerging exploration company targeting high-grade nickel sulfide systems in northern Manitoba. Since listing in late 2023, the company has raised $3.9 million in capital, secured nearly $0.5 million in non-dilutive government funding, launched multiple drill programs, and initiated airborne surveys across key assets — all while firmly establishing itself in the globally significant Thompson Nickel Belt.

The company’s exploration efforts are centered on the Thompson Nickel Belt, the world’s fifth-largest nickel belt and a globally significant source of high-grade nickel sulfide. Though more than five billion lbs. of nickel have been mined from the region, large portions of the belt remain underexplored using modern geological and geophysical techniques.

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Vale’s Strategic Alternatives for Nickel Assets in 2025 – by John Zadeh (Discovery Alert – April 30, 2025)

Home

Market Challenges and Future Outlook

Brazilian mining giant Vale S.A. faces critical decisions regarding its nickel operations amid a complex global market landscape dominated by oversupply pressures and shifting demand dynamics. The company’s strategic review of its nickel portfolio, initiated in early 2025, reflects both short-term operational challenges and long-term optimism about nickel’s role in the energy transition.

This report synthesizes Vale’s current challenges, strategic options, and the broader market forces shaping its decisions, with a focus on Indonesia’s disruptive production growth and the evolving electric vehicle (EV) sector.

What Challenges Is Vale Facing in the Nickel Market?

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Power Metallic CEO sees ‘monster-size’ deposit at Nisk – by Frederic Tomesco (Northern Miner – April 10, 2025)

https://northernminer.com/

Power Metallic Mines’ Nisk polymetallic property is probably at least as large as Anglo American’s 44-million-tonne Sakatti copper-nickel-platinum project in Finland, CEO Terry Lynch said.

Nisk – which is located in Quebec’s James Bay region and includes deposits of copper, nickel, platinum-group metals, silver and gold – could even one day rival Vale’s (NYSE: VALE) Voisey’s Bay mine for size, Lynch said Wednesday. Voisey’s Bay, which has been estimated to contain about 140 million tonnes, is Canada’s biggest nickel mine and one of the world’s largest.

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FPX Nickel extends exploration partnership with JOGMEC (Mining Technology – April 8, 2025)

https://www.mining-technology.com/

FPX Nickel has secured 60% ownership in new JV projects.

Canada-based nickel mining company FPX Nickel has extended its Global Generative Exploration Alliance with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), turning it into an open-ended joint venture (JV).

After two years of collaboration, the partnership will continue to focus on identifying and acquiring high-quality awaruite nickel properties globally, particularly those geologically similar to FPX’s flagship Baptiste Nickel Project in British Columbia. The Generative Alliance has established a budget of C$1.5bn for its third year, running from April 2025 to March 2026.

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Pivotal year for Timmins nickel project, says CEO – by Maija Hoggett (Timmins Today – April 3, 2025)

https://www.timminstoday.com/

With ongoing uncertainty around tariffs, Mark Selby says the company’s net-zero focus means they could sell to Europe with no issues

TIMMINS – It’s a pivotal year for Canada Nickel’s local project, says CEO Mark Selby.

In 2025, Canada Nickel is finalizing permits, pushing for funding, and working on securing a site for its processing plants. With ongoing uncertainty around tariffs from the United States, Selby says it’s in a good position as a net-zero project.

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Lots of mining left in Sudbury but there are challenges: Gord Gilpin – by Hugh Kruzel (Sudbury Star – March 21, 2025)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Vale’s director of Ontario Operations speaks to a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon

Sudbury has another hundred years of good mining left in its ore bodies but it will have to work to remain competitive in a difficult market for nickel, Vale’s director of Ontario Operations says. Gord Gilpin told the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce this week that Indonesia has flooded the world market with nickel, depressing the price of the mineral.

Gilpin made a parallel to the turbulent 1970s and 80s. “They (Indonesia) are the OPEC of nickel. They will set prices. We do expect it to balance out but in the short term, there is a surplus that is why pricing is under pressure.”

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Sudbury, Ont., mayor not fazed over what tariffs could mean for nickel mining – by Jonathan Migneault (CBC News Sudbury – March 21, 2025)

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

The U.S. only has one nickel mine and it would take years to start new ones

Sudbury’s mayor says he’s not worried that an ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States will hurt the city’s nickel exports to the south.

“I believe critical minerals, which obviously we are endowed with here in Greater Sudbury, play a role to maybe bridge that divide that we are currently living with the U.S. administration,” said Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre. “For them to realize the importance that they can’t source this in the U.S.”

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Nickel in 2040: A supply crisis in the making – by Nilanjan Banik (Time of India – March 21, 2025)

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Hazarding a guess on the future demand-supply situation, especially for the metal and mining sector, is an exercise fraught with dangers. A fast- changing world order, disruption in global supply chains, the crippling effect of climate change, untimely closure of mines, changed government regulations, wars, changing demand-supply equations can suddenly change the contours of the industry, and with it, the most detailed projections. Not to forget the serious impact of technology costs and innovations.

However, given its growing significance and importance of nickel in different applications like construction, petrochemicals, automobiles, fabrication and welding, transportation, electronics, water sector as well as in low- carbon technologies, it is important to assess its availability and affordability in the near and long-terms as the demand for the critical metal mounts.

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UK watchdog fines London Metal Exchange over handling of 2022 nickel crisis – by Polina Devitt, Eric Onstad (Reuters/MSM.com – March 20, 2025)

https://www.msn.com/

Britain’s financial regulator fined the London Metal Exchange on Thursday for allowing nickel prices to surge out of control three years ago in the first ever enforcement action against a UK exchange.

The Financial Conduct Authority imposed a penalty of 9.2 million pounds ($11.9 million) on the world’s oldest and largest market for industrial metals after an investigation found multiple failures to deal with severe market stress.

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Conservative leader vows action on Ring of Fire within six months – by Darren MacDonald (CTV News Northern Ontario – March 19, 2025)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/northern-ontario/

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced Wednesday that within six months of taking power, he would green-light all federal permits for the Ring of Fire and commit $1 billion to build new roads.

Poilievre, who is holding a rally in Greater Sudbury on Wednesday evening, said progress on the Ring of Fire is key to “unlocking billions of dollars in resources and taking back control of our economy from the Americans.” The long-delayed mineral project 500 kilometres east of Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario includes large deposits of high-grade chromite, cobalt, nickel, copper and platinum.

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Federal Conservative leader stops in Sudbury with promises of ‘unlocking’ Ring of Fire – by Faith Greco and Kate Rutherford (CBC News Sudbury – March 19, 2025)

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

Pierre Poilievre vowed to approve all federal permits in Ring of Fire within 6 months

The federal Conservative leader is in Sudbury today making promises, if elected, to unlock access to critical minerals in the Ring of Fire and build a new road into the remote mining camp in northwestern Ontario.

“[The Ring of Fire] could make Canada very rich. It would be life changing for northern Ontario towns, galvanizing thousands of paycheques and modern infrastructure,” Pierre Poilievre said at a news conference Wednesday.

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