Republic of Mining

Is Saskatchewan eyeing its own ‘sovereignty act’? Province slams federal green laws and says it’s ‘Drawing the Line’ – by Jeremy Nuttall (Toronto Star – October 12, 2022)

October 12, 2022

https://www.thestar.com/

Assessing the cost of federal environmental regulations at $111 billion, Premier Scott Moe’s government says it’s preparing legislation to ‘clarify and protect’ its constitutional rights.

Tension between some Prairie provinces and the federal government flared again Tuesday as Saskatchewan released a report alleging the federal government’s climate-change plans will cost the province $111 billion by 2035.

In a statement, Premier Scott Moe said his government would “take steps to protect” the province’s families, businesses and jobs.

Rethinking water: To keep the surrounding environment safe, miners are turning to the newest innovations in water management – by Matthew Parizot (CIM Magazine – October 05, 2022)

October 12, 2022

https://magazine.cim.org/en/

Managing and protecting local water sources during operations are simultaneously some of the most important and most difficult aspects of mining sustainably.

Mines use large amounts of water for numerous processes in normal operations, such as in mineral processing, that lead to the creation of wastewater, which can contain contaminants such as selenium, sulfates or other dissolved metals. Once those contaminants start tainting natural watersheds and water bodies, it can be extremely difficult to undo the damage.

All the more important, then, that new technologies are being developed to remove these contaminants from the water before they make their way into the local ecosystem.

As the Western world looks for ‘Western fuel,’ Canadian nuclear fuel firm is buying into Westinghouse Electric Co. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – October 12, 2022)

October 12, 2022

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

As nuclear operators around the world forge plans to turn away from Russia, a Canadian nuclear fuel company, Cameco Corp., is buying into one of Russia’s nuclear industry’s main foils: Westinghouse Electric Co.

Westinghouse, a Cranberry-based nuclear engineering company, is changing hands again, four years after it was bought out of bankruptcy in 2018 by Canadian investment firm Brookfield Business Partners for $4.6 billion. Westinghouse will still be under the Brookfield umbrella when the newly announced deal closes, expected in the second half of next year.

US opens new cobalt mine as EV battery needs grow – by Claire Bushey and Aime Williams (Financial Times – October 7, 2022)

October 12, 2022

https://www.ft.com/

Recently passed climate law boosts incentives for electric cars with domestic materials

The first new US cobalt mine to open in decades is ramping up production in Idaho, buoyed by the carmakers’ increasing demand for battery raw materials and legislation designed to foster a battery supply chain.

The mine is located in the state’s Salmon River Mountains at 8,000ft above sea level. Owned by Australia’s Jervois Global, chief executive Bryce Crocker said it will reach full production in February, extracting 2,000 tonnes of the bluish ore a year. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was scheduled for Friday.

Nutrien’s new CEO Ken Seitz has a lot on his plate – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – October 11, 2022)

October 12, 2022

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

In some ways, Ken Seitz, the new chief executive of fertilizer giant Nutrien Ltd., is in an enviable position. As long as he doesn’t get fired, he’ll be ahead of his two predecessors, Mayo Schmidt and Chuck Magro, both of whom were shown the door in the past year and a half.

And as a former miner himself, Mr. Seitz commands a natural respect from the thousands of men and women who work a kilometre underground in Nutrien’s six potash mines in Saskatchewan, some of which have been in operation since the late 1960s.

GM to take equity stake in Australian mining company – by David Shepardson (Reuters – October 11, 2022)

October 12, 2022

https://www.reuters.com/

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Tuesday it will invest up to $69 million and take an equity stake in Queensland Pacific Metals (QPM.AX) to secure a new source of nickel and cobalt for battery cells for use in the U.S. automaker’s vehicles.

GM said the investment will help support electric-vehicle eligibility for consumer incentives under new, clean energy U.S. tax credits. GM said the nickel laterite ore is expected to be processed using a new, proprietary process that helps reduce waste.

How a Ban on Russia’s Mining Giants Could Shake the Metals World – by Jack Farchy (Bloomberg News – October 8, 2022)

October 12, 2022

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — A possible ban on Russian supplies by the London Metal Exchange would be a seismic event for the metals industry, cutting some of the world’s biggest companies off from the main global marketplace.

The exchange has yet to make a decision, but on Thursday launched a formal three-week discussion process on the possibility of banning Russian metal, potentially as soon as next month.

Renewed effort promised to remediate [Sudbury] Long Lake Gold tailings – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – October 7, 2022)

October 7, 2022

https://www.sudbury.com/

Mines minister outlines how more action on the remediation process will take place this fall and into next spring and summer

There is a renewed effort in the works to get the old Long Lake Gold property in Sudbury cleaned up and rehabilitated. That’s based on a recent letter from Ontario Mines Minister George Pirie to Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas.

Pirie was responding to an inquiry from Gélinas with respect to whatever progress there might be on the former gold property located in Eden Township, just outside of the City of Greater Sudbury at the at the south end of Long Lake. Gélinas has been pursuing a government solution to the issue for several years.

Opinion: Climate extremists don’t speak for Indigenous groups – by Zachary Authier (Financial Post- October 7, 2022)

October 7, 2022

https://financialpost.com/

They behave like modern-day colonialists when they impose their agendas on communities

Enbridge recently announced that 23 First Nations and Métis communities plan to invest $1.12 billion to acquire an 11.57 per cent interest in seven Enbridge pipelines in Alberta’s Athabasca region, the largest-ever energy-related Indigenous partnership transaction in North America.

This is a giant step towards economic reconciliation and a significant improvement for these communities on their path to self-determination and better material circumstances.

SolGold and Cornerstone bury hatchet with friendly merger – by Mariaan Webb (Mining Weekly – October 7, 2022)

October 7, 2022

https://www.miningweekly.com/

After a previous hostile takeover attempt of its partner in the Cascabel copper project, SolGold on Friday announced that it had reached an agreement for a friendly merger with Cornerstone Capital Resources.

TSX- and LSE-listed SolGold will acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of TSX-V-listed Cornerstone for 15 of its own shares for every Cornerstone share held. SolGold may elect to pay up to 20% of the consideration in cash.

GMS: Lessons from Great Bear’s smashing $2B success at Dixie – by Alisha Hiyate (Northern Miner – October 4, 2022)

October 7, 2022

https://www.northernminer.com/

One of the most exciting gold exploration stories in recent years has been Great Bear Resources and its Dixie gold project near Red Lake, Ont. The company was acquired by Kinross Gold (TSX: K; NYSE: KGC) in February — even before it had a chance to compile an initial resource for the high-grade, large-scale project.

In September, Royal Gold (NASDAQ: RGLD) bought Great Bear Resources — a spinout of Great Bear whose only asset was a 2% net smelter return royalty on Dixie — for $200 million, bringing the total value of Great Bear’s assets to $2 billion.

Mining company says Timmins could supplant Sudbury as global nickel capital – by Darren MacDonald (CTV News Northern Ontario – October 6, 2022)

October 7, 2022

https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/

Deposits being explored in the Timmins area could become major source of high-quality nickel for the electric car battery market. That’s the word from officials with Canada Nickel, which is working on developing its Crawford deposit.

It’s also excited about another find, the Reid Property, located 16 kilometres southwest of Crawford, or 37 kilometres northwest of Timmins. Mark Selby, Canada Nickel CEO and director, told a news conference this week that deposits in the area have the potential to become one of the largest sources of nickel for EV batteries in the world.

Eerie vision of Far North ghost towns – by A.J. Roan (North of 60 Mining News – October 7, 2022)

October 7, 2022

https://www.miningnewsnorth.com/

Places that were once filled with life have all but disappeared, leaving behind remnants of homes that are all but forgotten

For this special spooky edition, North of 60 Mining News is revisiting some of the most bizarre and disturbing ghost towns in its northern coverage area. From one of the most haunted places in Alaska to a practically unknown trading post in Nunavut, enjoy this eerie account of places that once thrived but are now all but forgotten with nary the skeleton of infrastructure to prove its existence.

Let us peer into the oftentimes short-lived bastions of civilization that, for numerous reasons, could not stand the test of time and are only a memory of a bygone life.

Alaska: Dyea

Princeton sells most holdings in Lithium Americas, Protect Thacker Pass argues not enough – by Lia Opperman and Miriam Waldvogel (Daily Princetonian – October 6, 2022)

October 7, 2022

https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/

The University sold the majority of its stake in the Lithium Americas Corporation during the second quarter of 2022, according to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings released over the summer. As of last filing, the University’s holdings in the company are around $4.5 million, down from $92 million earlier this year.

Still, Protect Thacker Pass, a Nevada-based coalition of activists, has argued that the University’s holdings in the company remain unacceptable. Max Wilbert, the co-founder of Protect Thacker Pass, said, “We need far deeper and more significant change, including an end to car manufacturing, to stop the [ecological] crisis we’re in.” According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lithium is used in most of today’s electric vehicles.

Shakeup at Metallum Resources as CEO departs – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – October 4, 2022)

October 7, 2022

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Vancouver junior miner wants to put former Schreiber-area zinc mine back into production

The head of a junior mining outfit, with ambitious plans to put a former zinc mine near Schreiber back into production, has abruptly left the company. Vancouver’s Metallum Resources announced Oct. 3 that Kerem Usenmez has resigned as president, CEO and his seat on the board of directors.

In an Oct. 3 news release, the company said board chair Tony Wonnacott will step into the CEO’s role on an interim basis. Wonnacott was appointed chair back in July.