Republic of Mining

Premier wants ‘shovels in the ground’ at Ring of Fire – by Gord Young (North Bay Nugget – May 12, 2017)

May 12, 2017

http://www.nugget.ca/

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne committed Thursday to consult with Northern Ontario municipal leaders on economic development strategies for the region.

Wynne told delegates at the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) conference that’s she’s “absolutely open” to a suggestion brought to her during the event that she sit down with the mayors of Northern Ontario’s five largest municipalities, as well as the heads of FONOM and the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, to discuss economic development.

Although the province is already working on an economic development plan, Wynne said she wants to hear from the groups in order to get an immediate take on what some of the opportunities may be and to discuss ways to improve what’s being done.

Wynne pushes Ring of Fire chiefs for decision on regional road – by Gloria Galloway (Globe and Mail – May 12, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

OTTAWA – Premier Kathleen Wynne is warning fly-in First Nations in Northern Ontario they must quickly agree on the construction of a road into their region – one that would also serve mining interests in the so-called Ring of Fire – or she will negotiate unilaterally with those communities that want the project.

It has been three years since the Ontario government said it would spend up to $1-billion to create an all-season road that would make development possible in the massive cache of chromite and other minerals as it connects to some reserves that are not currently accessible by car.

But little progress has been made, in part because the First Nations do not agree among themselves on how to proceed and are concerned about losing jurisdictional rights in the process. Negotiations with provincial officials have not always been productive.

COLUMN-Nickel ore oversupply looms, threatening refined prices – by Clyde Russell (Reuters U.S. – May 11, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://www.reuters.com/

May 11 It may be going from bad to worse for the nickel price, with conciliatory comments from the new mining minister in top ore producer the Philippines adding to the risks of the market being pushed into oversupply.

Former army general Roy Cimatu was appointed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on May 8 to replace Regina Lopez, whose confrontational approach to mining won her friends among environmentalists but not among enough politicians, resulting in her dismissal by the Southeast Asian nation’s Congress.

Cimatu was cautious in initial comments to the media, in stark contrast to the firebrand approach of his predecessor, who shut down almost half the country’s mines, citing environmental breaches.

[Pasinex Resources] High Risk, High Reward – Reaping The Benefits – by Peter Kennedy (Stockhouse.com – May 10, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://www.stockhouse.com/

Starting a junior exploration company is always a high risk venture, even for the most mining-savvy entrepreneurs. But it is a move that is paying off for Pasinex Resources Ltd. (CSE: C.PSE, PSXRF, Forum) CEO Steve Williams and the company’s financial backers.

Not only has Pasinex been able to get its high grade Turkish zinc mine into production without going through all the usual development and financing hoops, it has also ridden the bull market for zinc metal that many analysts say will continue for another couple of years.

After posting a profit of $826,906 or $0.01 per share in 2016, the company is quickly transforming itself into a mid-tier zinc producer and looking forward to discovering more metal in the vicinity of its flagship Pinargozu mine.

These were the top producing diamond mines in 2016 – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – May 9, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://www.mining.com/

While diamond industry experts warn that demand is expected to outstrip supply as early as 2019, the largest mines keep producing the coveted rocks at full steam. Here are last year’s top 10 diamond mines in terms of output and value, based on data compiled by expert Paul Zimnisky.

1. Jwaneng, Botswana: Produced 11,975,000 carats, worth $2,347 million

Jwaneng, the richest diamond mine in the world, is located in south-central Botswana in the Naledi river valley of the Kalahari. It’s 2 kilometres across at its widest point and patrolled by colossal 300-tonne trucks that labour up the terraced slopes.

Nicknamed “the Prince of Mines”, Jwaneng was opened in 1982, as the diamond trade helped Botswana go from being one of the world’s poorest countries to one of Africa’s wealthiest.

First Nations actually want resource development — if paid activists would just get out of their way – by Cody Battershill (Financial Post – May 11, 017)

May 11, 2017

http://business.financialpost.com/

It’s always unsettling to see paid activist groups like Greenpeace pretending to speak for Canada’s indigenous peoples. Recent Canadian history has shown that non-indigenous activist groups should think twice before claiming to speak for indigenous populations. After all, indigenous people in this country are more than able to speak for themselves. And there’s no doubt their views are on the record.

Many First Nations have gone public recently in order to ensure their positions are known, especially as those positions relate to oil and gas development and the construction of pipelines. Here’s some of what the recent record reflects:

-Fully 174 First Nations in Canada — more than 25 per cent of all Canadian First Nations — produce oil and gas now or want to in the future.

-In British Columbia there is overwhelming majority support from all First Nations eligible for the Pacific Trail, Coastal GasLink, Prince Rupert Gas and West Coast Connector projects. In some cases, there is 100-per-cent support.

The midcentury aluminum homes that would have changed U.S. suburbs – by Anthony Paletta (Curbed.com – May 10, 2017)

May 11, 2017

https://www.curbed.com/

A look back at the Alcoa Care-free homes, on their 60th anniversary

“Here is your Dream House Made Real” began the promotional brochure for the Alcoa Care-free Home, an aluminum prototype home designed by Charles Goodman and launched 60 years ago, in 1957.

Ductile metals are not usually the stuff of dreams—unless you’re an aerospace engineer—but Alcoa, a Pittsburgh-based aluminum company, hoped that homes made of their flagship product might find a place in your local cul-de-sac.

They largely did not. That largely seems due to their price tag of $60,000 (just shy of of $438,000 in today’s dollars, and more than twice what was advertised), rather than due to any defects in the design. But the program—and the two dozen homes actually built—are a powerful argument for Charles Goodman’s clever midcentury design.

Cobalt-mining boys given hope – but many still suffer – by Alex Crawford (Sky News – May 10, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://news.sky.com/

Sky News has found children continue to work long hours in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – months after multinational corporations insisted they had cracked down on this exploitation.

Despite multiple assurances from international companies about changing work practices and tightening up supply lines, we have found nothing has changed in practice on the ground.

After an overwhelming response to our report earlier this year, with offers of donations and adoption for the children featured in the report, as well as a White House petition demanding changes, we returned to the impoverished African country to try to find some of the young people involved.

How would you like your aluminum? Green or black? – by Andy Home (Reuters U.S. – May 10, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://www.reuters.com/

LONDON – Aluminum is one of the materials benefiting from the greening of the world’s economy. Lightweight and durable, it has been making steady inroads into the transportation sector in particular and enjoys one of the strongest usage profiles of any industrial metal.

But what promoters such as the Aluminum Association dub “the miracle metal” has a dirty little secret. To produce the stuff requires a lot of electricity and in many parts of the world that electricity is generated by coal, every environmentalist’s bogey fossil fuel.

Aluminum’s split eco-personality, green in its applications, a lot darker in its production, has been exposed by China’s inclusion of the metal in the list of industries targeted for smog-busting production cuts during the winter heating months.

Adapting mine rescue standards – by Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – May 10, 2017)

May 11, 2017

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Innovations, transparency features of 2016 competition

In 2015, when it was announced that Sudbury would host the 2016 International Mines Rescue Competition (IMRC), Ontario Mine Rescue and Workplace Safety North — the lead coordinators for the event — had to decide exactly what they wanted the competition to be.

It was the first time the event was to be held in Canada, but after years of Ontario teams competing in other jurisdictions around the globe, they knew what they didn’t want: primarily, events that favoured the home community, a lack of transparency, and unrealistic simulations in an arena setting, said Ted Hanley, Ontario Mine Rescue’s general manager.

“Ontario had two teams that travelled to the Polish competition (in 2014), and while the logistics and the cultural exchange were fantastic, the big frustration was in the competition itself,” Hanley said during the 2017 Workplace Safety North mining conference, held in Sudbury in April. “It wasn’t challenging, and they didn’t learn anything.”

Alcoa CEO says aluminum producer rejuvenated by split – by Len Boselovic (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – May 11, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://www.post-gazette.com/

Alcoa CEO Roy C. Harvey told shareholders Wednesday that the aluminum producer’s separation from the company’s downstream businesses in November re-energized the 129-year-old company.

“It gave us an opportunity to rethink everything,” Mr. Harvey said at Alcoa’s shareholder meeting at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. “We’re a start-up. We’re a brand new business,” he said.

Mr. Harvey said the company’s plans to consolidate administrative offices — which includes moving its headquarters back to Pittsburgh from New York later this year — will save money and help employees work more closely together.

Elliott willing to back BHP board candidate as next chairman: source – by James Regan (Reuters U.S. – May 11, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://www.reuters.com/

SYDNEY – Elliott Management is willing to back a board member of BHP Billiton (BHP.AX) (BLT.L) to be its chairman upon the retirement of Jac Nasser despite deep reservations about its top management, a source close to the activist shareholder said on Thursday.

Elliott, founded by billionaire Paul Singer, is pushing for a $46 billion overhaul at BHP that includes spin offs, dismantling a corporate structure built on dual listings in London and Sydney and returning more money to shareholders. The Anglo-Australian miner has rejected the demands.

The activist investor blames Nasser and BHP’s top management for what it sees as bad investments by the world’s biggest mining house, particularly in U.S. shale gas, the source said. But Elliott believes “there are personalities on the board that are talented and capable”, with the “potential for someone to be selected from the existing board”, the source said.

Province pushed to make roads decision holding up Ring of Fire and $1-billion ferrochrome facility – by Elaine Della-Mattia (North Bay Nugget – May 11, 2017)

May 11, 2017

http://www.nugget.ca/

At least four communities are in the running to host a $1-billion ferrochrome facility to process ore from the Ring of Fire, located in northwestern Ontario. Top executives with Noront Resources were in Sault Ste. Marie Wednesday and said they will decide by the end of summer where the company will build its ferrochrome facility, which is expected to create up to 350 jobs.

Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins and Thunder Bay-Fort William are competing for the plant. The Noront executives met with community leaders and chamber of commerce members in the Sault, outlining their plans and how the Ring of Fire development can provide an economic boost to Northern Ontario.

Alan Coutts, president and CEO of Noront Resources, said he wants communities to understand the company and its capabilities, and have the supports in place if that community is chosen to host the first ferrochrome facility in North America.

Canada’s McEwen Mining aims for S&P500, sees gold on the rise – by Barbara Lewis (Reuters U.S. – May 9, 2017)

May 10, 2017

http://www.reuters.com/

LONDON – Canadian resources magnate Rob McEwen aims to list his company McEwen Mining on the S&P 500 in two to three years’ time to meet a rise he predicts in demand for gold as part of investor portfolios. So far the only gold company listed on the S&P 500 is Newmont Mining.

“Our overriding goal is to get into the S&P 500,” McEwen said, adding he aimed to achieve that in two-to-three years’ time and expected an increased appetite for exposure to gold in investment portfolios.

McEwen made his fortune as the founder and former chairman and CEO of Goldcorp Inc., one of the world’s largest gold producers. He stepped down as head of Goldcorp in 2005 and his business card now describes him as chief owner of McEwen Mining, which in February this year announced it was buying Lexam VG Gold.

Ceremony marks 25th anniversary of Westray mine disaster in Nova Scotia – by Michael MacDonald (Toronto Star – May 10, 2017)

May 10, 2017

https://www.thestar.com/

There were 26 coal miners in the final hours of a four-day shift at the Westray mine in Plymouth, N.S., when a coal seam spit a jet of methane gas that somehow ignited. The explosion killed every man in the mine and tore off the metal roof at the pit entrance.

CANADIAN PRESS – NEW GLASGOW, N.S.—Twenty-five years after she lost her husband to one of Nova Scotia’s worst coal mining disasters, Darlene Dollimont-Svenson still finds it difficult talking about the life they once shared.

“He was a fabulous man, but I don’t know what to say about that because it’s 25 years later and you have all these memories, and one doesn’t really know if the memories are glorified fantasies or reality,” she said, drawing a deep breath and pausing.

Thirty-six-year-old Adonis Dollimont and 25 other miners were in the final hours of a four-day shift at the Westray mine in Plymouth, N.S., when a coal seam spit a jet of methane gas that somehow ignited.