Republic of Mining

Trudeau visits rare earth element processing plant in Saskatoon – by Kelly Geraldine Malone (Canadian Press/CTV News – January 16, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.ctvnews.ca/

SASKATOON – Justin Trudeau pressed Saskatchewan’s government on its record for clean energy projects after Premier Scott Moe expressed disappointment he was not made aware of the prime minister’s visit to a rare earth elements processing plant.

“There’s work to be done on encouraging the government of Saskatchewan to see the opportunities that companies, and indeed, workers, are seeing in ΓÇª cleaner jobs, in the opportunities for cleaner energy projects,” Trudeau said Monday after a tour through the Vital Metals facility in Saskatoon.

Mineral exploration halted on 94K hectares near Long Lake #58 First Nation – by Gary Rinne (Northern Ontario Business – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

The Ministry of Mines issued the order to facilitate negotiations over an Aboriginal title claim filed by the First Nation

GREENSTONE — The Ontario government has withdrawn a large tract of land near Long Lake # 58 First Nation from prospecting and mining claim registration. The order will remain in place indefinitely, subject to review.

On Dec. 15, 2022, the Ministry of Mines issued an order signed by Assistant Deputy Minister Afsana Qureshi, affecting 94,000 hectares or 940 square kilometres.

DR Congo and UAE join forces against illicit gold (Brussels Times – January 16, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.brusselstimes.com/

A joint venture created by a new partnership between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a view to ending the illicit movement of precious metals from the DRC has just made its shipment of “fair gold”.

The 28 kilograms of gold bars, displayed at a ceremony in Kinshasa on Friday 13 January, resulted from the first five days of activity by Primera Gold DRC in the east of the country, the company’s director, Joseph Kazibaziba said. That initial shipment was more than the 26 kilograms of artisanal gold officially exported by the DRC in 2021.

Biden’s Green Energy Bank Races to Leverage $394 Billion to Scale Cleantech – by Zahra Hirji and Ari Natter (Bloomberg News – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — An obscure arm of the US Energy Department is racing against the clock to leverage as much as $394 billion to speed the country’s fight against climate change.

Mostly sidelined by the Trump administration, the agency’s Loan Programs Office has been revived under President Joe Biden and armed with more money following the passage last year of the country’s landmark climate law. But the office’s window of opportunity to support innovative low-carbon technologies could be short, with two years left in Biden’s term and no guarantee that a future president will prioritize it.

OPINION: Time to put Antwerp’s Russian diamonds on EU sanctions list – by KATHLEEN VAN BREMPT AND VICKY REYNAERT (EU Observer – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://euobserver.com/

Anyone walking around the area surrounding Antwerp’s Central Station can hardly ignore it. Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world. Thanks to its strategic location, the city has been inextricably linked to the trade and processing of the raw stones for centuries.

Around 85 percent of the world’s rough diamonds, half of polished diamonds and 40 percent of industrial diamonds pass through Antwerp. But today a dark shadow looms over the once magnificent diamond quarter. Almost a third of the diamonds for trade in Antwerp come from Russia.

‘Smoke and mirrors’: Northern miners call for more support for critical minerals – by Emily Blake (Canadian Press/CTV News – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.ctvnews.ca/

YELLOWKNIFE – Mining companies with projects in the North say more federal support is needed following the release of Canada’s new critical minerals strategy, while some environmental advocates are wary of the potential impacts.

Several projects in the North focus on critical minerals — so-called because they are considered critical to Canada’s economy and strategic industries like clean technology — including zinc, copper, cobalt, bismuth, tungsten, uranium, and nickel. Canada’s first rare earth elements mine, Nechalacho mine owned by Vital Metals subsidiary Cheetah Resources, opened in the Northwest Territories in 2021.

Greta Thunberg detained at German coal mine protest (Al Jazeera – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.aljazeera.com/

Climate activist Greta Thunberg is carried away by police during a rally near the German village of Luetzerath, slated for demolition.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been hauled away and detained during a protest near a German village being razed to make way for a coal mine expansion.

Thunberg has been in Germany for several days to support demonstrations against the demolition of Luetzerath, which has become a symbol of resistance against fossil fuels.

Premier Smith ‘sickened’ by staggering disruption planned with Trudeau’s Just Transition – by David Staples (Edmonton Journal – January 16, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://edmontonjournal.com/

If you’re from Alberta, Saskatchewan or Newfoundland and Labrador, this plan might well strike you as madness, as a federal government that has lost all humility and common sense

The staggering scope of change that Justin Trudeau’s Liberals intend to impose on Canadians with their Just Transition program is made clear in a newly-released government document.

Such is the magnitude of the proposed change that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she “felt sick” reading it.

Mega Miners Are Hunting for Deals After Decade on the Sidelines – by Thomas Biesheuvel, Dinesh Nair and Jack Farchy (Bloomberg News – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — In the rush of the 2000s commodities boom, the world’s biggest miners earned a reputation as swashbuckling dealmakers, taking on rivals in an onslaught of hostile offers, massive mergers and vicious bidding wars.

Then it all fell apart. A series of disastrous transactions meant balance sheets got shredded, bosses got fired and investors were furious. And so, for the past decade, miners have focused on mining and the mega deals mostly dried up. But now their penitence is over.

James Bay lithium mine wins federal approval amid Trudeau’s push to make Canada an EV player – by Naimul Karim (Financial Post – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://financialpost.com/

Quebec mine must adhere to 271 conditions, including measures to protect the environment

The federal government approved the construction of a lithium mine in northern Quebec, moving Brisbane, Australia-based Allkem Ltd.‘s project closer to the finish line, and moving Canada closer to being able to supply a highly sought metal that will be key to the energy transition.

Environment Minster Steven Guilbeault said Allkem’s Galaxy Lithium, which owns the project situated about 100 kilometres east of James Bay, and the Eastmain Cree community will need to adhere to 271 conditions, including measures to protect fish, birds, bats, wetlands, as well as lands and resources used by the Cree.

TSX slams Canada over Chinese lithium divestment order – by Harry Dempsey (Financial Times – January 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.ft.com/

Intervention risks risked harming free flow of capital on which mining companies rely

The Toronto Stock Exchange has called on Canada’s government to do more to replace lost capital after Ottawa ordered three Chinese companies to divest their stakes in Canadian producers of critical minerals.

Dean McPherson, head of business development for mining at TSX’s operator TMX Group Inc., said the intervention by Justin Trudeau’s government risked harming the free flow of capital on which mining companies rely to explore and develop resources.

COLUMN-Funds jump back into copper, betting on Chinese recovery – by Andy Home (Reuters – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://www.reuters.com/

LONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) – Copper has begun the New Year on a surge, with funds piling back into the market in anticipation that China’s rapid emergence from a year of lockdowns will translate into recovering demand in the world’s largest metals buyer.

London Metal Exchange (LME) three-month copper broke back up through the $9,000-per tonne level last week for the first time since June. Currently trading around $9,130, the copper price is up by 9.6% since the start of January. The rally has been driven primarily by shifts in fund positioning on both the LME and the CME with the bulls back in town and bears in retreat.

Construction activity ramps up at Dubreuilville gold mine (Northern Ontario Business – January 13, 2023)

January 16, 2023

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Alamos Gold sets ambitious gold targets for its two Northern Ontario operations

Capital spending at the Island Gold Mine in the Dubreuilville-area is expected to be between $210 million and $235 million this year as the third wave of expansion starts to speed up.

The mine continues to be a major catalyst for Alamos Gold, which released its fourth quarter and year-end production results for 2022 this week. The Toronto-based gold miner also laid out its company-wide plans for 2023 and beyond in setting production gold targets – known as guidance – for the next three years.

EU exploring further sanctions against Russian diamond industry – by Samuel Ord (Jeweller Magazine – January 16, 2023)

January 16, 2023

https://www.jewellermagazine.com/

There have been renewed calls from within the European Union to place further sanctions on Russia’s diamond mining industry in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Diplomats from Poland and Lithuania are reportedly demanding harsher EU sanctions be instated prior to the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv in February. Nine rounds of sanctions have been adopted by the EU against Russia since the invasion of Ukraine with the most recent of these coming into effect in December.

Two workers die in clashes at Indonesia nickel smelter (Nikkei Asia – January 16, 2023)

January 16, 2023

https://asia.nikkei.com/

Violence erupts as workers demonstrate for better pay and safety

JAKARTA (Reuters) — Two workers were killed in clashes and rioting at an Indonesian nickel smelting facility at the weekend, officials said on Monday, after violence erupted during a protest by a labor group demanding better pay and safety.

An Indonesian and a Chinese worker were killed during the unrest at the PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI) smelter, owned by China’s Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry, which involved protesters, workers and security personnel, said Didik Supranoto, a spokesperson for Central Sulawesi police.