Republic of Mining

After many delays, $2B Iron Range project revives quest to create first new taconite mine since 1970s – by Mike Hughlett (Minnesota Star Tribune – November 2024)

November 8, 2024

https://www.startribune.com/

Mesabi Metallics lost critical state mineral leases last year, leaving an even bigger question mark over its half-built, controversial project in Nashwauk. But the company says it will finish the plant.

NASHWAUK, MINN. – An industrial resurrection seems afoot at a long-promising but snakebitten $2 billion-plus taconite project. On a crisp fall morning, a construction site in this Iron Range city teemed with workers aiming to complete a venture given up for dead by just about everybody but its owner, Mesabi Metallics.

After years of missed deadlines and financial failures, Mesabi last year permanently lost crucial state mineral leases. But Mesabi still controls private land leases in Nashwauk. And it has renewed construction of a project that was only half built when work shut down during a 2016 bankruptcy.

Miners react to election news – by Munira Rajkotwalla (Mining Magazine – November 6, 2024)

November 8, 2024

https://www.miningmagazine.com/

Domestic push and less red-tape emerge as key themes

As the US prepares to usher in another Trump presidency, the mining industry is watching closely. Topics like the country’s China outlook, investment policy and environmental regulation are all expected to have ripple effects for miners and service providers, both in country and out.

Some industry leaders see the possibility of renewed policies aimed at reducing red tape and accelerating project timelines, aligning with former President Trump’s pro-business stance.

Pine Point Mine Ltd. and Town of Hay River sign agreement in hopes of restarting mining project – by Carla Ulrich (CBC News North – November 7, 2024)

November 8, 2024

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

Pine Point mining project is located about 90 kilometres from Hay River, N.W.T.

The Town of Hay River and Pine Point Mining Limited have signed an agreement with the goal of ensuring that residents and businesses will benefit from future mining operations in the area. Mayor Kandis Jameson and Jeff Hussey, the CEO of Pine Point Mining Limited signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday.

The Pine Point lead and zinc mining project is located about 90 kilometres from Hay River. There hasn’t been an operational mine at Pine Point in almost four decades, when the former mine and neighbouring community closed down and were abandoned.

Opinion: Trump says the U.S. has been ‘screwed’ by Canada. Brace yourselves for a full-on trade war- by David Olive (Toronto Star – November 8, 2024)

November 8, 2024

https://www.thestar.com/

Now that Donald Trump has been re-elected as president of the U.S., Canada is bracing for a trade war with its biggest export customer. Damage will be done to Canada’s $900-billion (U.S.) trade relationship with the United States.

There will be harm on both sides of the border if Trump proceeds with his avowed imposition of a 10-per-cent to 20-per-cent tariff on U.S. imports.

Federal watchdog snaps at climate, Indigenous gaps in Ottawa’s critical minerals strategy – by Colin McClelland (Northern Miner – November 7, 2024)

November 8, 2024

https://www.northernminer.com/

Canada’s auditor general criticized the federal critical minerals strategy for not adequately probing the impact increased mining will have on the environment and Indigenous communities.

The government program issued in 2022 budgets $3.8 billion on critical minerals support over eight years. Yet, the strategy doesn’t properly measure results and progress on ecosystems and First Nations, the Office of the Auditor General, the government’s own watchdog, said in a report on Thursday. The matters included greenhouse gas emissions, the protection of culturally significant sites and improvements to local living conditions, it said.

Barrick prepared to give Mali more than half of economic spoils to end fiscal dispute – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – November 8, 2024)

November 8, 2024

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Barrick Gold Corp. chief executive Mark Bristow says the Canadian gold miner is prepared to fork over to Mali more than half of the economic spoils from mining in the country, as it toils to put an end to yet another fiscal dispute with an overseas government.

Toronto-based Barrick over the past few years has bounced from one fiscal dispute to another with several host countries over taxes, royalties and joint-venture stakes in its mines overseas. After patching up disputes that lasted for years with both Tanzania in East Africa and then Papua New Guinea in the southwestern Pacific, Barrick this year has tangled with Mali’s military junta in West Africa.

Trump’s win is a clear signal that the American left is lost – by Terence Corcoran (Financial Post – November 8, 2024)

November 8, 2024

https://financialpost.com/

The Democrats have lost the confidence of the people

As the narratives around Donald Trump’s Republican election victory over Democrat Kamala Harris unfold over many conflicting streams, two stand out as perhaps the most important and meaningful indicators of the significance of the results.

One is the reaction of stock markets as investors jumped in realization that the U.S. economy may remain a largely market-driven and private affair outside the grasp of government. The other thread in the post-election narratives is the realization that the American left has lost the confidence of the people.

Canadian mining firms fear ability to meet soaring demand as jobs crisis stalks land of the Big Nickel – by Julie Mollins (Reuters – November 7, 2024)

November 8, 2024

https://www.reuters.com/

‘People love to jump in their cars, use their cell phones and Xboxes and jump on light rail, but they don’t understand the minerals and metals that go into that, says Ryan Montpellier, a leading mining sector executive in Canada.

“Even those young people that do have an awareness continue to hold very dated perceptions of our industry. They still view this as a dark, dirty and dangerous industry, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he says.

US Election: what a Trump or Harris victory means for critical minerals – by Caroline Peachey (Mining Technology – November 4, 2024)

November 6, 2024

https://www.mining-technology.com/

Both candidates have pledged their support for mining and recognise the strategic importance of critical minerals for the energy transition and national security.

In the most anticipated political event of the year, the 2024 US presidential elections will see Kamala Harris and Donald Trump battle for America’s vote on 5 November. It is an extremely tight race. Polls are predicting a “knife-edge” result, with outcomes in seven swing states set to decide who will become the next US president.

Both candidates have pledged their support for mining and recognise the strategic importance of critical minerals for the energy transition and national security. Here, Mining Technology looks at how critical minerals policy could be impacted by the election outcome.

Mining the Northwest: Goldshore Resources sees blue sky potential in Shebandowan area – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – November 5, 2024)

November 6, 2024

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Moss deposit, west of Thunder Bay, could have district-scale potential

Goldshore Resources believes there are more ounces to be found around its six-million ounce deposit in the Shebandowan area, west of Thunder Bay.

The Vancouver gold explorer announced in late October it has raised $13.9 million in flow-through financing that’s doing into exploration this winter to drill off targets in the vicinity where the company has sketched out a conceptual open-pit mine.

Court to assess $510M in legal fees related to Robinson Huron Treaty annuities case – by Aya Dufour and Jonathan Migneault (CBC News Sudbury – November 5, 2024)

November 6, 2024

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

Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Garden River First Nation argue legal fees were too high

A judge has ruled in favour of two First Nations in northern Ontario that have argued $510 million in legal fees related to the $10-billion Robinson Huron treaty annuities settlement should be assessed. Justice Jana Steele says the court will conduct an assessment of the lawyers’ fees.

Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Garden River First Nation challenged the $510-million legal bill earlier in May. Both communities are part of 21 First Nations involved in the landmark annuities case.

Environmental NGOs love using First Nation land issues for profit – by Geoff Russ (National Post – November 5, 2024)

November 6, 2024

https://nationalpost.com/

Is there a natural resource project being built somewhere in Canada? Does it overlap with the title land, reserve lands, or other jurisdictions of a First Nation? If so, expect green NGOs to turn it into another dramatic episode so they can keep fundraising.

It has been 53 years since the infamous “Crying Indian” ad was released, but it still provides the template for how environmentalist NGOs co-opt and intrude into Indigenous affairs. Made by an American NGO called Keep America Beautiful, the ad showed a tear running down the face of a Native American, dressed like he was plucked from the set of a John Wayne movie.

World’s biggest cobalt miner is gloomy on the EV metal’s future – by Annie Lee (Bloomberg News – November 6, 2024)

November 6, 2024

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

The world’s No. 1 cobalt miner is sounding the alarm over the shrinking role of the metal in electric vehicle batteries. Chinese company CMOC Group Ltd., which has been churning out cobalt much faster than rivals like Glencore Plc, said the importance of the raw material in the energy transition is declining rapidly.

The adoption of cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries has gained momentum in recent years, due to them being cheaper to manufacture. The proportion of EV batteries in China containing cobalt will drop to 31% in 2024, from 44% two years ago, according to consultancy CRU Group.

Trump return will slow, not stop, US clean energy boom – by Richard Valdmanis (Reuters – November 6, 2024)

November 6, 2024

https://www.reuters.com/

Donald Trump’s return to the White House will refocus the nation’s energy policy onto maximizing oil and gas production and away from fighting climate change, but the Republican win in Tuesday’s presidential elections is unlikely to dramatically slow the U.S. renewable energy boom.

That is because a Biden-era law providing a decade of lucrative subsidies for new solar, wind and other clean energy projects would be near-impossible to repeal, thanks to support from Republican states, while other levers available to the next president would only have marginal impact, analysts say.

Junior gold miners are appealing takeover targets as bullion prices climb – by Dominique Gené and Andrew Willis (Globe and Mail – November 5, 2024)

November 6, 2024

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

For the mining crowd, the annual Denver Gold Forum is a chance to swap speculation on potential deals. At this year’s gathering in September, all the takeover talk revolved around junior companies with promising properties being snapped up by larger rivals.

The country’s smallest gold miners – those developing projects that are years away from producing bullion – are becoming attractive takeover targets. Soaring gold prices have boosted the valuations of senior and intermediate mining companies and left them flush with cash, while stock prices continue to languish at exploration companies.