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Russian Mining Company Partners With China to Develop Massive Titanium Deposit in Arctic – by Malte Humpert (High North News – February 6, 2023)

https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/

Chinese investment and interest in Russia’s Arctic natural resources continues unabated. In addition to receiving regular shipments of LNG and crude oil, one of China’s major engineering and construction companies is partnering with Russian Titanium Resources to develop a massive mineral deposit in the Russian Arctic.

Russian Titanium Resources (Rustitan) and China Communications and Construction Company signed an agreement for the development of the Pizhemskoye mining project in the Komi Republic.

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B.C. fines Teck Coal $16 million for contaminating Kootenay waterways – by Winston Szeto (CBC News British Columbia – February 8, 2023)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/

The company failed to treat effluent for selenium and nitrate, Ministry of Environment says

A Canadian mining company has been fined more than $16 million for polluting waterways in B.C.’s East Kootenay.

The B.C. Ministry of Environment has imposed three administrative penalties on Teck Coal Limited, a subsidiary of Teck Resources, citing the company’s failure to have water treatment facilities ready by a required date to limit emissions of nitrate and selenium from its Fording River operations in the Elk Valley.

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Alaska mine production tops $4.5 billion – by Shane Lasley (North of 60 Mining News – February 6, 2023)

https://www.miningnewsnorth.com/

More gold, strong zinc prices helped push value higher; critical minerals could add a boost moving forward.

Alaska mines produced approximately $4.51 billion worth of nonfuel minerals last year, a 16% increase over the $3.89 billion in 2021, and an impressive 42.7% jump over the $3.16 billion of mined products during 2020, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2023 report.

The rise in Alaska mine production value is largely due to increased zinc and gold production, along with strong zinc prices during 2022.

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Tesla Deal for Lithium From Quebec Could Intensify Housing Shortage in Northern Mining Towns – by Kristian Gravenor (CoStar News – February 6, 2023)

https://www.costar.com/

Though surrounded by endless expanses of land, northern mining towns in Quebec are running out of permissible space to build much-needed housing and other property types required for growing cities.

It’s a problem expected to intensify as the region faces an influx of anticipated workers from a major new contract with U.S. manufacturer Tesla and an increase in mining for materials used to make batteries for electric vehicles. Tesla announced a deal last month to buy spodumene concentrate, a source of lithium and important raw material needed for electric vehicle batteries, from the Sayona Mine 560 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

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Microsoft calls for ‘coalition’ to improve Congo’s informal cobalt mines (Reuters – February 8, 2023)

https://www.reuters.com/

CAPE TOWN, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Microsoft visited an artisanal cobalt mine in Democratic Republic of Congo in December as part of attempts to jump-start formalisation of the little-regulated and dangerous industry that experts say is key to meeting global demand for the battery material.

Congo accounts for three-quarters of the world’s mined cobalt supply. Industrial mines produce most of Congo’s cobalt, but “artisanal” miners, who dig by hand and often die when tunnels cave in, account for up to 30% of production, though that fluctuates depending on price.

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Cree mother wonders how mining development in northern Quebec will affect food supply – by Stephane Blais (CBC Montreal/Canadian Press – February 7, 2023)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/

Project would deprive the Cree of certain hunting grounds

Heather House studies full-time through McGill University’s distance education program, and when she is not immersed in books, she is raising her eight children with her husband in Chisasibi, the northernmost community in Quebec accessible by road.

Feeding a family of eight children, two parents, and two elders in such a remote community where grocery prices are among the highest in the country would be a major challenge if it were not for access to the land for hunting, fishing, trapping and berry picking.

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The history and the future of mining in Australia – by Jon Taylor (Mining.com – February 7, 2023)

https://www.mining.com/

Mining in Australia is a vast industry famous worldwide due to its fascinating history, power in the export market, and as a trendsetter in ‘future-proofing’ the sector. Furthermore, the high number of Australian mines means that it provides a huge jobs market to citizens and the number of foreign workers who flock to work in the industry due to its global reputation.

In this article, we will explore the rise of mining in Australia, its current status as a pillar of the country’s economy, and how it intends to tackle the rising pressures of climate change. Let’s start by looking at the current state of play for the industry.

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West Bloomfield jeweler explains why new lab formed diamonds are gaining popularity – by Gino Vicci (CBS News Detroit – February 5, 2023)

https://www.cbsnews.com/

The lab grown diamond industry has become more and more popular in recent years. “Laboratory grown diamonds are very popular,” said Joe Yatooma, owner of Dash Diamonds in West Bloomfield. Yatooma said the lab grown diamonds have become a real thing because they are now considered “real” diamonds.

“The reason why we embrace laboratory grown diamonds here at Dash Diamonds is because the Gemologist Institute of America now approves a laboratory grown diamond and grades it,” Yatooma said.

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[Florida] The Phosphate Industry Needs Additional Regulations – by Glenn Compton (Bradenton Times – February 05, 2023)

https://thebradentontimes.com/

Glenn Compton is the Chairman of ManaSota 88, a non-profit organization that has spent over 30 years fighting to protect the environment of Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The Myakka River is an Outstanding Florida Water (OFW) and must not be further polluted. More than 22,000 acres of land have the potential to be mined for phosphate in the Myakka River Basin. Phosphate companies have an interest in at least 22,375 acres of land in the Myakka River Basin not yet approved for mining.

In 1985, the Legislature of Florida adopted the Myakka River Wild and Scenic Designation and Preservation Act (Section 258.501, Florida Statutes), which designated a 34-mile segment of the Myakka River within Sarasota County as a “Florida wild and scenic” river.

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Peru unrest threatens copper supply – by Joe Parkin Daniels and Harry Dempsey (Financial Times – February 8, 2023)

https://www.ft.com/

Analysts expect disruption to world’s second-largest producer to boost prices of the metal

Widespread anti-government protests are disrupting copper output in Peru, the world’s second-biggest producer, triggering predictions of a further surge in prices for the metal which has already rocketed in recent months as China’s resource-hungry economy reopens.

Demonstrators demanding early elections and the resignation of President Dina Boluarte have thrown up roadblocks across the country and attacked mines, causing production slowdowns and closures in the Latin American nation’s copper operations, which account for about 10 per cent of global supply.

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‘We need to restore the land’: as coal mines close, here’s a community blueprint to sustain the Hunter Valley – by Kimberley Crofts and Liam Phelan (The Conversation – February 7, 2023)

https://theconversation.com/

The decline of the coal industry means 17 mines in the New South Wales Hunter Valley will close over the next two decades. More than 130,000 hectares of mining land — nearly two-thirds of the valley floor between Broke and Muswellbrook — will become available for new uses.

Restoring and reusing this land could contribute billions of dollars to the Hunter economy, create thousands of full-time jobs and make the region a world leader in industries such as renewable energy and regenerative agriculture that improves soil and water quality and increases biodiversity and resilience. But to unlock these future opportunities, we must first clean up the legacy of the past.

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General Motors Competes for Stake in Vale’s Base Metals Unit – by Dinesh Nair and Cristiane Lucchesi (Bloomberg News – February 8, 2023)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — General Motors Co. is competing for a stake in Brazilian mining giant Vale SA’s base metals unit, people familiar with the matter said, underscoring automakers’ desire for easy access to the materials needed for electric vehicle batteries.

Detroit-based General Motors has advanced to the next round of bidding for a minority stake in the business, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. Vale could raise more than $2 billion from a deal, according to the people.

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Australia blocks coal mine to protect Great Barrier Reef – by Tiffanie Turnbull (BBC.com – February 8, 2023)

https://www.bbc.com/

For the first time in history, Australia has blocked the creation of a coal mine under environmental laws. The government on Thursday rejected a proposal for a new mine about 10km (6.2 miles) from the Great Barrier Reef.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the project posed an unacceptable risk to the World Heritage area, which is already highly vulnerable. The mine’s owner, the controversial Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, has not yet responded to the rejection.

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Thacker Pass lithium mine clears most legal challenges, minus a judge ordered waste rock review – by Jeniffer Solis (Nevada Current – February 7, 2023)

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A federal judge on Monday ordered regulators to reexamine a state permit allowing Lithium Americas Corp.’s Thacker Pass mine to produce and store mining waste on more than a thousand acres of public land.

Chief Judge Miranda M. Du, however, rejected opponents’ claims that the project would cause “unnecessary and undue degradation” to the environment or wildlife, meaning construction of the mine can continue.

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Anglo American makes C$24m investment in Canada Nickel – by Staff (MiningWeekly.com – February 8, 2023)

https://www.miningweekly.com/

Diversified miner Anglo American has agreed to acquire a 9.9% minority interest in Canada Nickel Company, which owns the Crawford nickel project in Ontario, Canada. The major will make a C$24-million investment in Canada Nickel at a price of C$1.95 a common share – a 10% premium to the 30-day volume weighted average price.

Anglo will provide technology expertise to the Crawford project and has the exclusive right to buy up to 10% of recoveries of nickel concentrate, iron and chromium contained in the magnetite concentrates and any corresponding carbon credits from the Crawford project.

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