Nickel – Page 83 – Republic of Mining

Beneath the Surface: a look at early mining in Rankin Inlet – by Sarah Rogers (Nunatsiaq News – October 14, 2016)

October 14, 2016

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/

Frank Tester’s new documentary premieres at the Inuit Studies Conference

It was the mid-1950s. Elizabeth Alareak had only just married her husband Edward Alareak when he was “summoned” to come and work at the Rankin Inlet nickel mine, among the first mines to operate in the Canadian Arctic, from 1957 to 1962.

“We didn’t understand what a mine was,” she recalled, laughing. “We simply agreed.” The Arviat elder, whose husband has now passed away, is one of the many voices featured in a new film documenting life at the mine and its impact on the region, called Beneath the Surface: Inuit miners at Rankin Inlet 1957-1962.

The film premiered Oct. 9 at the Inuit Studies Conference in St. John’s, Nfld. In the 1950s, the fox pelt market upon which so many Inuit relied for material goods had dropped so low that those who had made their living trapping could no longer survive that way.

Stronger stainless steel output seen sustaining nickel prices – by Pratima Desai (Reuters U.S. – October 12, 2016)

October 12, 2016

http://www.reuters.com/

LONDON, Oct 12 Nickel’s rally is expected to be sustained by robust demand from China’s stainless steel mills, a significant factor behind recent price gains which many think are mainly due to worries about supplies from the Philippines.

Stainless steel contains nickel and chromium which slows the rate of corrosion significantly. Normal, or carbon, steel without nickel or chromium rusts easily. It is used in infrastructure such as bridges and structural beams, household items such as cutlery, drums for washing machines and kitchen sinks. Oil pipelines and medical equipment are also made out of stainless steel.

Demand has been growing due to Chinese infrastructure investment and higher living standards mean stronger consumer demand for domestic goods made out of stainless steel.

COLUMN-Stainless steel surge impacts nickel and ferro-chrome – by Andy Home (Reuters U.S. – October 11, 2016)

October 11, 2016

http://www.reuters.com/

LONDON, Oct 11 Global steel demand will rise by a meagre 0.2 percent this year, according to the World Steel Association (WSA). Next year won’t be much better with a forecast of just 0.5 percent growth. But it could have been worse. The WSA has upped its forecasts from April, when it was expecting demand to fall by 0.8 percent this year.

The improvement is all about China, where production and demand have been lifted by the government’s latest stimulus package, another push of the infrastructure and construction buttons. Within the steel universe, however, one sector is faring much better.

Stainless steel production rebounded strongly in the first half of this year, thanks again to China. And that has implications for two of the metallic inputs into the stainless production process, nickel and ferro-chrome.

Small Tasmanian nickel mine symbol of hope in uncertain market – by Clyde Russell (Reuters U.S. – October 4, 2016)

October 5, 2016

http://www.reuters.com/

LAUNCESTON, AUSTRALIA – It’s not often that jobs get exported from the developing world back to a developed country, but this is likely to be the case with nickel, the Philippines and Australia.

The new Philippine government of President Rodrigo Duterte has roiled global nickel markets by suspending 10 nickel mines and threatening the closure of at least 12 more, citing environmental violations.

The suspended mines and those at risk represent nearly 60 percent of output in the Philippines, the world’s largest producer of nickel ore and top supplier to top buyer China.

Norilsk Nickel expands mining along border to Norway – by Atle Staalesen (The Barents Observer – September 29, 2016)

September 30, 2016

http://thebarentsobserver.com/

Two new mines to be opened over next three years in Pechenga, the company’s hotbed in the Kola Peninsula.

Kola MMC, the regional subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel, is preparing for an extension of activities in the borderlands to Norway and Finland. That includes the opening of two new mines by year 2019, and the annual provision of an additional 2,5 million tons of ore to the company’s local processing plants.

The expansion is a key part of the company’s development strategy in the Kola Peninsula, company General Director Igor Ryshkel says to corporate newspaper Kolsky Nikel.

One of the new projects, the «Sputnik», will be developed as an open pit. It holds nine ore bodies and will deliver an annual 1 million tons of ore. It is located 16 km east of the town of Nikel and is to be opened for production in year 2019, the company informs.

Nickel Advances on Supply Concerns as Mining Shares Surge – by Yuliya Fedorinova (Bloomberg News – September 19, 2016)

September 20, 2016

http://www.bloomberg.com/

Nickel jumped the most in two months after the Philippines said it may suspend more mines as part of a nationwide audit that’s due for release this week. Glencore Plc and other mining shares also advanced.

Nickel has climbed 15 percent in 2016 as the Philippines shutters sites for failing to meet environmental standards, threatening supplies from the nation, the top supplier of the mined metal. The government could tell more mines to stop operating, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez said in an interview with Bloomberg on Monday after similar comments to Reuters.

“As much as 150,000 tons of nickel, or 8 percent of global supply, could be at risk of closure,” Anton Berlin, head of analysis and market development in Moscow at GMK Norilsk Nickel PJSC, one of the two largest producers of the metal, said by e-mail on Monday.

Inco’s Sudbury Nickel Mines Were Critical During World War Two – by Stan Sudol

September 18, 2016

Nickel Was the Most Strategic Metal

By anyone’s estimation, the highlight of Sudbury’s social calendar in 1939 was the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on June 5th, accompanied by Prime Minister Mackenzie King and a host of local dignitaries. This was the first time a reigning British monarch had ever visited Canada, let alone Sudbury, a testimony to the growing importance of the region’s vital nickel mines. The nickel operations in the Sudbury Basin were booming due to growing global tensions and increased spending on military budgets. Sudbury and the northeastern Ontario gold mining centres of Timmins and Kirkland Lake were among the few economic bright spots in a country devastated by the Great Depression.

In an April 15, 1938 article, Maclean’s Magazine journalist Leslie McFarlane described the three mining communities as, “Northern Ontario’s glittering triangle….No communities in all of Canada are busier, none more prosperous. The same golden light shines on each.”

During the royal visit, precedence was broken by allowing Queen Elizabeth the first female ever to go underground at the Frood Mine. Traditionally miners thought women would bring bad luck if they were permitted underground. There were probably many who thought the beginning of the Second World War on September 1, 1939 was the result of her subterranean visit.

Russia’s Nornickel sees nickel price stabilizing at $10,000/T – by Polina Devitt and Diana Asonova (Reuters U.S. – September 15, 2016)

September 16, 2016

http://www.reuters.com/

MOSCOW – Russian mining giant Nornickel, previously known as Norilsk Nickel (GMKN.MM), expects nickel CMNI3 prices to rise to about $10,000 a tonne by the end of the year and flatten out around that level through 2017, its chief operating officer said.

The stainless steel ingredient has been a top performer on the London Metal Exchange this year, with prices up about 30 percent since February lows to $9,730 a tonne.

Its climb has mainly been driven by concern over supplies after mine closures in the Philippines and Indonesia’s 2014 ban on nickel ore exports. “Everyone is keeping an eye on the development in the Philippines and Indonesia,” Nornickel’s Sergey Dyachenko told the Reuters Russia Investment Summit.

Norilsk’s 1942 nickel plant gone but far from forgotten – by Andy Home (September 13, 2016)

September 13, 2016

http://www.reuters.com/

LONDON – Norilsk Nickel, or Nornik as it has just rebranded itself, has just completed the decommissioning of the nickel refining plant in its far-flung Polar operations in the Arctic north of Siberia. It was known as the 1942 Plant because that’s when it was first commissioned and it has been operating ever since.

The closure is part of a radical overhaul of the company’s nickel operations, with refining operations being refocused on the metallurgical complex on the Kola Peninsula in the west of Russia and the Harjavalta refining complex in Finland. It is decidedly good news for the inhabitants of the city of Norilsk itself.

Located with Soviet practicality within the residential confines of the city, the plant emitted 380,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide every year, representing around 25 percent of total sulphur emissions in the city.

Nickel discovery in Nigeria “extraordinary” – Australian Mining firm – by Ben Ezeamalu (Premium Times [Nigeria] – September 13, 2016)

September 13, 2016

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/

The abundance of native nickel balls recently discovered in Nigeria is “an extraordinary occurrence in a style not known to have been previously documented”, Comet, a private mining syndicate headed by veteran Australian miner, Hugh Morgan, has said.

In a paper distributed at the Africa Down Under Conference which held September 7 – 9 in Perth, Australia, the company said the discovery had “important implications” for nickel exploration worldwide.

The paper was delivered by the Comet team comprising Mr. Morgan, Professor Louisa Lawrence, Stephen Davis, and Steven Pragnell. The metal named “Titan”, measuring 0.1-5.0 millimetres in diameter and weighing an estimated three weight percent, was found on the southern margin of the Jos Plateau, near the rural villages of Dangoma and Bakin Kogi, Kaduna State.

Russian metals firm admits spillage turned river blood red (The Guardian – September 12, 2016)

September 13, 2016

https://www.theguardian.com/

Norilsk Nickel insists the temporary problem will not affect people or wildlife, but environmental activists say it is too early to tell

Russian metals giant Norilsk Nickel has admitted a spillage at one of its plants was responsible for turning a local river blood red.

Russia’s environment ministry last week launched an investigation into the incident after images showed the Daldykan river near Norilsk in the far north of Russia flowing bright red, with local activists blaming the nearby Nadezhda metallurgical plant.

After initially refusing to confirm a leak, Norilsk Nickel – the world’s biggest producer of nickel and palladium – on Monday said heavy rain on 5 September had resulted in water flooding over a filtration dam at the plant and into the river.

In Siberia, a ‘Blood River’ in a Dead Zone Twice the Size of Rhode Island – by Andrew E. Kramer (New York Times – September 8, 2016)

September 9, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/

MOSCOW — A river in the far north of Siberia turned bright red this week, residents said, leading Russians to nickname the tributary the “blood river.”

A government ministry said it was investigating a possible leak of industrial waste, but had not determined what caused the discoloration. One hint at the possible cause is the path the river, the Daldykan, takes past the Norilsk Nickel mine and metallurgical plant, by many measures one of the world’s most polluting enterprises.

The plant belches so much acid rain-producing sulfur dioxide — two million tons a year, more than is produced in all of France — that it is surrounded by a dead zone of tree trunks and mud about twice the size of Rhode Island.

Sudbury mine remains closed – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – September 3, 2016)

September 6, 2016

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

Night shift Thursday and day shift Friday were cancelled at Vale’s Coleman Mine in Levack while the company addressed 12 work orders issued against it Thursday by the Ministry of Labour.

Six of the orders outline actions Vale must take to correct what the ministry concluded was a situation that could be harmful to employees. The other six prohibit it from resuming production until the orders are met. There are no dates for compliance on the orders, but production can’t resume until they are addressed.

The mine has essentially been out of commission since last Friday when workers detected the odour of smoke and were sent home. A job risk analysis of the situation was done and its results presented to mine employees Wednesday morning. Those workers did not have to go underground because Vale offered them the choice of going home or working on surface.

Production at Vale Sudbury Coleman mine shut down – by Carol Muligan (September 2, 2016)

September 2, 2016

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

The Ministry of Labour has issued 12 orders against Vale Ltd., six of them stop-work orders, halting production at the company’s Coleman Mine in Levack until they are met.

The Labour ministry was contacted Wednesday after a night shift of about 85 production and maintenance workers refused to go underground because it had health and safety concerns.

The workers, members of United Steelworkers Local 6500, had complained about the odour of smoke wafting into the mine through a fresh air raise in parts of the main ore body at Coleman.

The odour was first detected Friday of last week and workers were sent home.

NEWS RELEASE: Wallbridge Announces Fully-Funded $4.0 Million Exploration Program on Sudbury Joint Ventures

August 30, 2016

http://www.wallbridgemining.com/

Toronto, Ontario — August 30, 2016 – Wallbridge Mining Company Limited (TSX: WM, FWB: WC7) (“Wallbridge”) announces that the Exploration Committees for the Lonmin funded joint ventures in Sudbury have approved programs totalling $3.958 million for approximately 20,000 metres of drilling and other work to start October 1, 2016. The approved programs of joint venture committees are subject to the usual final approval by Lonmin’s board of directors.

“The exploration program for 2016-2017 is exciting in that it not only follows up on this year’s success at expanding the near-surface mineralization at Parkin, but also will test other exploration targets at depth” said Marz Kord, President and CEO of Wallbridge, “This exploration program will advance Wallbridge’s exploration stage assets in Sudbury and complements Wallbridge’s current efforts in acquiring an advanced stage gold asset, the Fenelon Mine Property, from Balmoral Resources, which the company is planning to rapidly advance to a production decision by mid-2017”.