Republic of Mining

Round two for Ring of Fire’s Richard Nemis – by Norm Tollinsky (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal – September, 2011)

August 19, 2011

This article was originally published in the September, 2011 issue of Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal and written by editor Norm Tollinsky.

“If the financiers in downtown Toronto see any kind of risk,
they move on to the next thing. They’re looking at it
[Ring of Fire] and saying ‘We love the Hudson Bay Lowlands
and we think there’s going to be all kinds of things found
in the future, but we don’t know when that’s going to happen,
so our money is going to go to shorter term opportunities.’”
When there is some clarity on the issue of infrastructure,
“everything up there will boom.” (Richard Nemis – 2010 PDAC
Prospector of the Year Co-Winner)

Award winning mining promoter offers new take on the Ring of Fire

Richard Nemis, the Sudbury-born lawyer turned mining promoter, is back in the ring. Down for the count after relinquishing his post as president of Noront Resources in 2008, Nemis is once again poring over maps, knocking on doors and mobilizing drill rigs to the furthest reaches of Ontario’s Far North.

Nemis has reassembled the team credited with the discovery of Noront’s Eagle’s Nest nickel-PGE deposit in the Ring of Fire, launched two new companies, Rencore Resources Ltd. and Bold Ventures Inc., and raised $10 million from Dundee Corporation to test promising geophysical anomalies west of the currently accepted boundaries of the Ring of Fire.

“Our theory is that the Ring of Fire is a lot bigger and goes a lot further,” possibly extending as far as Thomson, Manitoba, said Nemis. The western extension of the Ring of Fire is interrupted by the Winisk River Provincial Park, a no-go area for mineral exploration, but airborne geophysics commissioned by Rencore has identified 16 potential drill targets in the so-called REN-6 and REN-8 claim groups west of the park.

Building human capacity: the Vale solution – by Dick DeStefano (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal- September, 2011)

September 13, 2018August 19, 2011

Dick DeStefano is the Executive Director of Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA). destefan@isys.ca This column was originally published in the September, 2011 issue of Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal.

Building human capacity: the Vale solution – by Dick DeStefano (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal- September, 2011)

The global mining industry will face a serious problem in the near future acquiring and developing the human potential required to maintain economic viability. We need to find solutions very quickly to solve the problem.

According to the Mining Industry Human Resource Council’s (MiHR) 2010 Canadian Mining Industry Employment and Hiring Forecast report, under the baseline scenario the Canadian mining industry will need to hire approximately 100,000 new workers by the end of 2020. This is the number of workers required to fill newly created positions and to meet replacement demand as workers retire or leave the mining industry.

Australia shows a similar trend, with skilled jobs in the mining industry doubling within the next 10 years to 215,000. In 2005, the U.S. Society of Mining Engineers reported that 58 per cent of industry workers were over the age of 50.

Northern College and other educational institutions in northeastern Ontario are making attempts through their academic programs to solve the problem.

“Power and Heat from Peat – Peat in Finnish Energy Policy” (Part 6 of 6)

August 18, 2011

While most of the publication “Power and Heat from Peat – Peat in Finnish Energy Policy” is written in the Finnish language, the following six English summaries give valuable insight into this largely unknown energy source. Vapo Oy is the largest producer of Peat Fuel in Finland.

Developments in Peat Harvesting Technology in Finland – Summary

Between the 1940s and the present, Finland’s peat industry went from being behind technologically to become the world’s leading innovator and producer of peat technology.

Between the 1940s and the 1960s the Association of Finnish Peat Industries, which was established during the war years, took care that Finnish know-how did not lag behind that of the world’s leading peat producing nations: the Soviet Union, Germany and Ireland. The period of cheap oil in the 1950s and 1960s spelt a downturn for Finland’s peat industry.

The Association of Finnish Peat Industries nonetheless actively monitored technological innovations in the sector. A particular area of interest was the milled peat technology developed in the Soviet Union which allowed large production volumes on a viable industrial scale. Milled peat could be used to make both garden and fuel peat and as a fuel for pulverised fuel-fired power plants.

“Power and Heat from Peat – Peat in Finnish Energy Policy” (Part 5 of 6)

August 18, 2011

The Energy Peat Market in Finland – Summary

In the late 1960s and the early 1970s the decision makers in the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the management of the State Fuel Centre wisely foresaw that it was necessary to create a functioning market for peat. Small-scale producers, inconsistent peat quality and reliance on one customer (the Finnish State Railways) were factors that sowed the seeds of destruction for sod peat production in the 1950s. Admittedly the sector had also been depressed by exceptionally cheap oil. It had become clear that without state subsidies the peat industry could not compete against oil and coal because the imported fuels had a higher thermal value and prices in the 1960s were heading downwards.

Peat had to make up in price and security of supply what it lost in thermal value. A price comparison was made with oil in the 1960s and the early 1970s. Essentially peat was, and still is, a good fuel in terms of security of supply because the production, supply and usage chains are all within Finland.

“Power and Heat from Peat – Peat in Finnish Energy Policy” (Part 4 of 6)

August 18, 2011

Peat as a Source of Energy: Environmental Awareness and Environmental Protection – Summary

Environmental protection and environmental awareness related to the utilisation of peat and peatlands have undergone a considerable transformation between the 1960s and the present day. The focus of environmental protection has also varied over time: in the 1960s and 70s mire conservation programmes and the impact of the peat industry on conservation targets were in the forefront; in the 1980s and 90s watercourse protection and the impact of peat extraction on biodiversity were among the key issues, and in the 1990s and since 2000 environmental protection has been dominated by climate policy, linked to the greenhouse gas emissions from peat combustion and the land usage of peatlands.

In terms of environmental awareness, there has been a progression towards a principle of increased environmental responsibility. The awareness of the peat industry – and of Finnish industry in general – of the environmental impact of their activities increased in the 1980s, and at the same time data on the impacts became available, the authorities imposed more standards and environmental protection started to be a major area of stakeholder interaction.

“Power and Heat from Peat – Peat in Finnish Energy Policy” (Part 3 of 6)

August 18, 2011

Finnish Energy Policy and Peat as a Source of Energy – Summary

Finnish policy on energy and the operations of Vapo, which are elucidated in this chapter, changed quite drastically from the days of the Arab oil embargo in the early 1970s to the present day.

Before the first oil crisis in 1973–74, the Finnish energy system relied basically on hydropower and increasing imports of coal and crude oil. Especially in the 1960s, the energy self-sufficiency rate weakened and oil dependency grew significantly, causing problems for the security of energy supply. In addition, energy efficiency and energy savings were not a high priority since Finland imported most of its energy carriers (oil and coal) from the USSR.

The use of wood as an energy source, a traditional fuel for cooking and heating for centuries and for industrial power plants since the adoption of combustion technology in the late 19th century, declined after the Second World War as a result of nationwide electrification and the emergence of oil-fuelled district heating systems and power plants. Oil prices remained very low from the Korean War to the beginning of the 1970s.

Furthermore, policies regarding the use of forest resources were dictated by the importance of the expanding forest industry for the economy as a whole, and thus the use of wood as an energy source for non-industrial combustion plants was not particularly championed in the 1960s.

“Power and Heat from Peat – Peat in Finnish Energy Policy” (Part 2 of 6)

August 18, 2011

Peat as an Energy Source before the First Oil Crisis – Summary

The subject of this study – biomass energy (e.g. wood, peat, reed canary grass, crops and waste) – is an area that has raised expectations in countries with extensive forest and peatland resources and fields. In spite of its CO2 emissions, biomass combustion is generally considered to be greenhouse gas-neutral because it is part of the contemporary carbon cycle (Randolph & Masters 2008).

However, peat is an exception among biomass-based fuels; it has been classified as a fossil fuel by the EU and as a slowly renewable biomass fuel by the Finnish government and the Finnish and Swedish peat industries. Thus it is not globally accepted that peat can be classified as a slowly renewable energy source or even as a biomass. Patrick Crill, Atte Korhola and Ken Hargreaves, all internationally recognised peatland and climate change experts, suggested in 2000 that peat should be classified as a biomass fuel, so as to distinguish it from biofuels (such as wood) and from fossil fuels (such as coal, lignite and oil shale) (Crill, Korhola and Hargreaves 2000).

However, their reasoning and conclusions have been criticized by environmental movements. The discussion on the classification of peat is still on going. Based on research by Finnish and Swedish scientists in the early 2000s, the IPCC placed peat fuel in a separate category, “peat”, occupying an intermediate position between biomass and lignite. On the whole, peat is still an energy source the definitions of which vary enormously between countries and also political parties.

“Power and Heat from Peat – Peat in Finnish Energy Policy” (Part 1 of 6)

August 18, 2011

Northern Ontario has some of the largest deposits of peat fuel in the world. The North’s vast bogs have the energy equivalent of 72 billion barrels of oil – this province’s own version of the Alberta tar sands, none of which is being harvested for energy use. Current provincial resources policies are very hostile to the sustainable development of this strategic energy source. – Stan Sudol

Power and Heat from Peat

The use of peat for energy has a long and colourful history. The attitudes towards peat have ranged from confidence to criticism – often based on a vague understanding of how peat can be utilised.

Vapo’s 70th Anniversary Commemorative Book “Power and Heat from Peat – Peat in Finnish Energy Policy” takes the reader through yet unexplored paths of history and describes how peat has become an important part of Finland’s energy supply.

Hudak would ‘suspend’ $122M GO Transit deal going to Quebec – by Tanya Talaga (Toronto Star – August 18, 2011)

August 18, 2011

The Toronto Star, has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

Tory Leader Tim Hudak would “suspend” a $122 million contract with a Quebec firm to refurbish GO Transit coaches if he becomes premier this October.

This is the latest big ticket contract Hudak is looking at nixing. The Tories also intend to get rid of the $7 billion green energy Samsung agreement, which his party has dubbed the “king of all secret, sweetheart deals”.

North Bay’s Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a Crown corporation, lost the bid to refurbish the GO trains which are owned by Metrolinx, another Crown firm. As a result nearly 109 jobs will be lost, said Nipissing Progressive Conservative candidate Vic Fedeli.

“We would immediately suspend it, then review it to see what our options are,” Fedeli told the Toronto Star on Wednesday.

Venezuela’s Chavez says he’ll nationalize gold mines – by David Ebner (Globe and Mail – August 18, 2011)

August 18, 2011

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous impact and influence on Canada’s political and business elite as well as the rest of the country’s print, radio and television media.

Hugo Chavez is attempting to capitalize on record gold prices with a plan to nationalize the industry in Venezuela, a move to bolster the South American country’s financial reserves.

The erratic Venezuelan president made the declaration on Wednesday by telephone, during a military ceremony, to the country’s national television broadcaster. Mr. Chavez said an official decree would soon be issued and called on the military to enforce the move.

“I have here the laws allowing the state to exploit gold and all related activities,” said Mr. Chavez in comments reported by Reuters from Caracas. “We are going to nationalize the gold and we are going to convert it, among other things, into international reserves because gold continues to increase in value.”

Venezuela produces very little gold, officially about 150,000 ounces a year, which is about 2 per cent of the output of Barrick Gold Corp., the world’s largest bullion miner.

Weak demand saps nickel prices – by Pratima Desai – Reuters (Sudbury Star – August 17, 2011)

August 18, 2011

The Sudbury Star, the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

LONDON — Deteriorating demand from stainless steel mills and rising mine production are likely to push the nickel market into surplus in the second half of the year and put modest downward pressure on prices.

The uncertain outlook for global economic growth and demand because of the debt crisis in the euro zone and the United States mean gloomier prospects for nickel demand.

Stainless steel producers use about two-thirds of global nickel output, which is estimated at above 1.5 million tonnes this year.

First-quarter production of stainless steel rose to a record high of 8.390 million tonnes, according to the International Stainless Steel Forum, and expectations for the second quarter are, at best, flat.

[Anti-asbestos] Ottawa widow stands firm against Conservative threats – by Time Harper (Toronto Star – August 17, 2011)

August 17, 2011

The Toronto Star, has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

Michaela Keyserlingk pauses when asked to recite her history of political activism. She seems to recall writing a letter to the local school board some years back after it closed some schools.

But over the past 72 hours, the Ottawa woman has outsmarted the propaganda arm of the Harper government after it handed her a gift, allowing her to publicize a cause she has championed in honour of her late husband.

The Conservative party may have success demonizing the Liberal party or painting the national media as agents of evil, but it appears to have met its match in this Ottawa widow.

Keyserlingk lost her husband, a retired university professor and one-time Progressive Conservative riding association president for Ottawa Centre, to asbestos-related cancer in December, 2009.

Northern Ontario Heritage Party faces challenges – by Wayne Snider (The Timmins Daily Press – August 16, 2011)

August 16, 2011August 16, 2011

The Daily Press, the city of Timmins newspaper. Contact the writer at news@thedailypress.ca.

While the Northern Ontario Heritage Party continues to experience growing pains, plans are beginning to come together for the fledgling political party. NOHP Leader Ed Debeil, of North Bay, still hopes to field candidates in all 11 Northern Ontario ridings for the Oct. 6 provincial election.

Currently the party has two confirmed candidates — in the ridings of Timiskaming-Cochrane and Kenora-Rainy River. Official announcements will be made later this week to introduce these candidates. Previously, Debeil had hoped to have riding associations formed and candidates in place in all 11 ridings by Aug. 8.

The process has moved slower than he had originally hoped. “We’re working on a candidate for Timmins-James Bay,” he explained in a phone interview on Monday. “I’ve had two or three people express interest in the nomination.

[NDP mining policy] Job saver or job killer? – by Rachel Punch (Sudbury Star – August 16, 2011)

August 16, 2011

The Sudbury Star, the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

NDP MPP France Gelinas is standing by her party’s plan to keep Ontario’s resources in the province for processing, despite the Liberal claim it would put hundreds of well-paying jobs at risk in Sudbury.

Ontario NDP Leader Andrew Horwath announced earlier this month that if her party is elected in October, it would amend the Mining Act so resources mined in Ontario cannot be exported if they can be processed in Ontario. ” The North’s natural resources should be creating jobs in the North,” Horwath stated.

“Instead of letting companies take our resources and run, we can keep good value-added jobs and industry in northern communities.” Sudbury’s Liberal MPP Rick Bartolucci, however, said Monday the policy would mean job losses for Sudburians.

” This is just a policy that would ensure that other countries would close their borders to Canada and … most immediately would result in the loss of jobs in Sudbury,” he said.