Republic of Mining

Patent fight could impact half of global rare earth metal supply – by Dorothy Kosich (Mineweb.com – August 13, 2013)

August 13, 2013

http://www.mineweb.com/

A dispute between a new Chinese rare earth company industrial alliance and Japan’s Hitachi Metals over extension of Nd-Fe-B magnets could impact U.S. and Chinese manufacturing.

RENO (MINEWEB) – China’s desire to promote the development of a domestic rare earth permanent magnet industry is running head-on into Japan’s Hitachi Metals, Ltd. which is trying to protect over 600 sintered rare earth magnet patents globally, including over 100 patents in the U.S., 300 in China and 600 in Japan.

The dispute could impact up to half of the world’s rare earths production. The neodymium- iron-boron alloy magnet is used in motors, audio speakers, headphone, cordless tools, computer hard drives and even golf ball markers.

A year ago, Hitachi Metals, Ltd. and Hitachi Metals North Carolina, Ltd. asked the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to stop the sales of such products and their downstream products that did not have a U.S. patent license. Four Chinese companies entered into settlement agreements with Hitachi in May by paying money to gain the patent license.

Mexico’s oil policy change challenges Canadian energy sector – by Jeffrey Jones (Globe and Mail – August 13, 2013)

August 13, 2013

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

CALGARY — A rush of foreign investment in Mexican oil production in the wake of that country’s energy reforms threatens to fuel competition against Canada in the race to supply the U.S. Gulf Coast market with crude.

Mexico’s government is seeking to break a 75-year state monopoly on energy and lure private investors into the oil, gas and electricity industries to boost flagging output and lower energy costs for manufacturers.

The plan from President Enrique Pena Nieto, unveiled Monday, will be sent to the Congress for approval this week. It includes plans to change articles of the Constitution that prohibit private ownership of Mexican oil and introduce profit-sharing contracts.

If enacted, the reforms would mark the largest private sector opportunity in decades for Mexico’s oil and gas industry, which was nationalized in 1938 and is controlled by state monopoly Pemex. The national oil sector has been a source of Mexican pride since then, so approval of the reforms is still uncertain.

NEWS RELEASE: Wallbridge Mining Provides Mid-Year Exploration Update (August 13, 2013)

August 13, 2013

Toronto, Ontario — August 13, 2013 – Wallbridge Mining Company Limited (TSX: WM, FWB: WC7) (“Wallbridge”) today provided a 2013 mid-year exploration update. Exploration activities to date in 2013 have included over 4,000 metres of exploration diamond drilling on the Sudbury area projects. Exploration activities are ongoing, focused on joint venture projects with partners Lonmin Plc (“Lonmin”), Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (“Implats”), and Xstrata Nickel (“Xstrata”). In addition, work is continuing to advance the Broken Hammer PGE-copper project through feasibility and into production.

On the Parkin Offset Joint Venture, which covers a nine kilometre strike length of the Parkin Offset, a review and compilation of the existing and historical drill information has been completed and an updated geological model was created in the first half of 2013. Various targets have been identified within the Parkin Offset Dyke from surface down to 1500 metre level. Follow up drilling and geological interpretation has been proposed for the 2013-2014 exploration program. This $1.0 million 2013/2014 program was approved by the Management Committee. Implats has elected to not participate in the 2013/2014 program. In light of this, Wallbridge will implement a reduced program on the joint venture this year.

The Parkin Offset Dyke hosts platinum, palladium, nickel, copper and gold mineralization typical of other offset dykes in Sudbury with examples at Vale’s Copper Cliff North and South mines and Vale’s Totten mine development. Mineralization on the Parkin Offset includes the Milnet Mine with reported past production of 157,130 tons averaging 2.25 g/t platinum, 2.98 g/t palladium, 0.93 g/t gold, 1.49 % nickel and 1.54 % copper.

Mexico proposes energy reform, some investors skeptical – by David Alire Garcia and Simon Gardner (Reuters U.S. – August 12, 2013)

August 13, 2013

http://www.reuters.com/

MEXICO CITY – (Reuters) – President Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday proposed an overhaul of Mexico’s energy industry to offer private companies profit-sharing contracts, but investors said it might be too cautious and some sold Mexican assets.

The proposal calls for changes to key articles of the constitution that ban certain contracts and make oil, gas, petrochemicals and electricity the sole preserve of the state, in a bid to lure investment to stem sliding oil output.

If enacted, the reform would mark the largest private sector opening in decades for Mexico’s energy industry, which was nationalized in 1938 and is controlled by state monopoly Pemex.

However, the centrist government’s bill stops short of proposing concessions to tap Mexican oil, or production-sharing, that were viewed as the best-case scenarios by oil companies.

It also avoids giving private companies ownership over Mexico’s oil and gas and instead gives them a share of profits, in cash but not oil. It was not yet clear how attractive the reform would be for oil majors such as BP Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp.

Canada must continue to exercise its sovereignty in the North (Calgary Herald Editorial – August 12, 2013)

August 13, 2013

http://www.calgaryherald.com/index.html

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who made the Arctic a priority soon after coming to power in 2006, apparently needs to educate others in the federal government about how important the North is to the country’s well-being.

National Defence advisers have revealed there’s too much infighting going on in the civil service and that departments are failing to embrace the Tories’ so-called Northern Strategy. Their internal report, which was published last year but just now obtained by Postmedia News, is worrisome.

It is essential that Canada demonstrates its sovereignty in the sparsely populated region, which is rich in natural resources and is expected to become increasingly important for shipping in future years.

“The federal government culture can often be described by its hierarchical leanings and stove pipes which limit the exchange of information and often produce a reluctance to co-operate, lest traditional boundaries be violated or perceived authority be ceded unnecessarily,” says the report by the Defence Science Advisory Board.

ArcelorMittal remains committed to Nunavut iron ore mine – by Robert Gibbens (Montreal Gazette – August 12, 2013)

August 13, 2013

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

MONTREAL — ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker, said Monday it is fully committed to developing a $4 billion open-pit mine with an annual capacity of 18-20 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore on northern Baffin Island in Nunavut.

Steve Wood, ArcelorMittal’s vice-president, Iron Ore Americas, reaffirmed ArcelorMittal’s future plans for long-term development of the Mary River deposits, after addressing the 23rd World Mining Congress at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal. His comments follow skepticism from some industry sources who questioned whether ArcelorMittal was still committed to such a large capacity, following the collapse in global iron ore prices last year, along with a severe slowdown in steel demand.

ArcelorMittal’s commitment to the Baffin Island development comes at a time when executives like Rio Tinto Alcan CEO Jacynthe Côté are talking about the increased risks facing the mining industry, which is struggling with the vagaries of the economic cycle, rising operating, compliance and social costs, and locations that are more remote and challenging.

The blow to iron ore prices last year led ArcelorMittal to reduce its interest in Baffinland Iron Mines Inc. — owner of the almost inexhaustible Mary River deposits — from 75 per cent to 50 per cent.

NEWS RELEASE: Partnership opens mining sector employment doors for First Nations members

August 13, 2013

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario Mining Association member Noront Resources is the industry partner in a new alliance to provide training for future mining jobs to the people of Matawa First Nations. The Ring of Fire Aboriginal Training Alliance (RoFATA) has received $5.9 million from the federal government’s Skills and Partnership Fund to support that goal.

“Our government’s top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity across the country and right here in Northern Ontario,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of State Responsible for the Ring of Fire. “It is important that all Canadians have the necessary skills and training they need to succeed.”

RoFATA was created through a partnership of Noront Resources, Matawa First Nations, Kikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETS) and Confederation College in Thunder Bay. RoFATA’s key objective is to provide training-to-employment opportunities to support Matawa First Nations people. The Matawa First Nation encompasses nine communities.

Canada’s new science minister wants green mining growth (QMI Agency – August 12th, 2013)

August 13, 2013

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/home.html

OTTAWA – Newly appointed Minister of State for Science and Technology Greg Rickford gave a speech at the World Mining Congress Monday in which he referred to the industry as a “cornerstone of the Canadian economy” and iterated the need for continued growth.

He described how the feds have streamlined the regulatory process, eliminated redundant bureaucratic requirements and made project reviews more market sensitive.

But unlike other, similar speeches given by his Conservative comrades, Rickford’s emphasized environmental stewardship and the need for the mining industry to “(obtain) a social licence to operate.”

If the social licence can be defined as a trust among parties that all are benefiting satisfactorily and feel their priorities and concerns are taken into account, then the renewal of such a thing between the federal government, mining companies and the local communities they affect – namely First Nations – could prove invaluable. Because when it comes to the resource extraction industry in particular, public confidence in “the system” is abysmal, said Rob Roach, vice president of research at the Canada West Foundation.

Europe’s slowdown forces Finland to turn to Russia again – by Jussi Rosendahl (Reuters India – August 12, 2013)

August 13, 2013

http://in.reuters.com/

HELSINKI, Aug 11 (Reuters) – After decades of pursuing trade with western Europe, Finland is becoming dependent on Russia again as that country’s burgeoning middle class and wealthy investors provide opportunities for growth lacking in recession-hit Europe.

While some Finns still view their eastern neighbour and former ruler with suspicion, expectations of only a slow European recovery mean more businesses are likely to embrace closer ties with Russia, signalling a readjustment after two decades of close commercial relations with Europe.

Recent trade data show a shift has already begun. Finnish exports to the rest of the European Union fell 4 percent year-on-year in the first five months of 2013, while those to Russia rose 4 percent.

Judging from second-quarter corporate results, which showed a wide range of companies hit by uncertainty in Europe, Finland may become even more dependent on Russia. Top companies such as retailer Kesko and department store chain Stockmann have cited Russia as their strongest card.

Decade-long Australia mining boom turns to bust (The Associated Press/Las Vegas Sun – August 10, 2013)

August 13, 2013

http://www.lasvegassun.com/

The Australian mining boom built over a decade on Chinese hunger for energy and raw materials is turning into bust for many business owners as China’s cooling growth reverberates through a country accustomed to winning from the rise of an Asian economic giant.

Endowed with vast mineral resources, Australia has been the envy of the Western world for avoiding recession during the global financial crisis while other wealthy countries drowned in debt. But the country now faces a potentially painful transition as it weans itself off a heavy reliance on its two biggest exports, coal and iron ore.

Australia’s dilemma underscores that China’s long run of supercharged growth has given it enough weight in the world economy to create not only winners, but losers too when its own fortunes change.

Trade between Australia and China equaled 7.6 percent of Australia’s $1.5 trillion economy last year, a dramatic threefold increase from a decade earlier, according to an Associated Press analysis of trade data. During that time, mining companies gushed multibillion dollar profits while jobs as mundane as maintenance commanded salaries above $120,000.

Gold producers squeezed by rising costs and sliding prices – by Tim Kiladze (Globe and Mail – August 12, 2013)

August 12, 2013

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Midway through his master’s degree in geology in the 1980s, Brian Christie trekked to the Red Lake gold mine in Northwestern Ontario as part of a research project. About 930 metres deep, more than one and a half times the CN Tower’s height, the remote mining project was a treat for a geology student eager to make his mark in the industry.

At the time, Red Lake was near the top of the list of the world’s most important gold mines in terms of grade and volume. Even today, after decades of production, some areas of the mine produce 57 grams of the gold per tonne – many multiples ahead of the industry average.

Yet the enthusiasm for projects such as that once drew Mr. Christie to research Red Lake has been undercut by a 10-month slide in gold prices and at least $23-billion worth of writedowns by Canadian gold miners over the past year and a half.

Today, Red Lake’s high-grade gold is found as far down as 2,350 metres, about four times the CN Tower’s height, which shows the difficulty gold miners face in trying to boost their stock valuations even if prices for the precious metal rebound.

The (Russian) Arctic is open for business – by Michael Byers (Globe and Mail – August 12, 2013)

August 12, 2013

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

In the 1990 thriller The Hunt for Red October, the rogue captain of a Soviet submarine evades the U.S. and Soviet navies by threading his way through a narrow – but precisely charted – mid-ocean trench.

In real life, the Soviet navy’s charting efforts extended to the heart of the Canadian Arctic. Soviet-era charts, available today, show more depth soundings in the Northwest Passage than Canada’s most recent charts do.

The Cold War is over, but Russia still takes the Arctic seriously. Russian nuclear-powered submarines still sail under the sea ice, where Canada’s diesel-powered submarines cannot venture.

Russia is intent on transforming its Arctic coastline into a commercially viable alternative to the Suez Canal. In 2011, President Vladimir Putin said: “I want to stress the importance of the Northern Sea Route as an international transport artery that will rival traditional trade lanes in service fees, security and quality.”

Opening new mines here [B.C.] is our responsibility to the world – by Daryl Anderson (Vancouver Sun – August 11, 2013)

August 12, 2013

http://www.vancouversun.com/index.html

Environmentally sound projects within Canada save poorly regulated countries from unsafe developments

I grew up in B.C. and have been involved in conservation for my whole working life including conducting inspections and investigations at mine sites for Environment Canada.

Recently I had the opportunity to address the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency panel hearings into the proposed New Prosperity mine in the Cariboo. You might be surprised to read that I am in favour of the New Prosperity proposal. The reasons I decided to speak in favour are many.

North America consumes a huge percentage of the world’s metal and mineral resources, yet we only extract about a third of those resources within our borders, relying on the rest of the world to satisfy our ever-increasing demands. As an example, the average lifespan of a new smartphone in North America is only 21 months from production to disposal. Even those among us who live a relatively simple lifestyle still utilize and benefit from the infrastructure we have developed to support our health care, education, transportation, communication and many other systems.

Mining industry’s view: Let mining boost state manufacturing – by Hal Quinn (Duluth News Tribune – August 11, 2013)

August 12, 2013

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/

Hal Quinn is president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based National Mining Association (nma.org), which advocates on behalf of America’s mining and minerals resources.

The economy is a top concern for state manufacturers who question whether Minnesota is a competitive state in which to do business, according to findings from Enterprise Minnesota’s fifth-annual “State of Manufacturing” report released in July. Chief among the features state officials should be touting to anxious industry leaders is Minnesota’s vast mineral wealth, which — through sound reform of the federal mine-permitting process — could provide manufacturers with ready, reliable access to the raw materials upon which they rely.

That’s not to say there aren’t already thousands of Minnesotans working to develop some key state resources. Last year, more than $4.5 billion worth of minerals were produced in Minnesota, minerals crucial to high-tech devices, electro-medical equipment, advanced-energy components, defense technologies and infrastructure.