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Exclusive – In search of sparkle: is corporate inaction on mica condemning Indian children to death? – by Nita Bhalla (Reuters U.S. – December 19, 2017)

https://www.reuters.com/

GIRIDIH, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Since 12-year-old Laxmi Kumari was buried alive in a mica mine eight months ago, her family’s grief has turned to despair on realizing promises by global companies to end child labor in the mines in eastern India have so far led to nothing.

Just over a year ago, a Thomson Reuters Foundation investigation found children in India were dying in the depths of crumbling, illegal mines for the prized mineral that puts the sparkle in make-up and car paint – but their deaths covered up.

The discovery that seven children had died in two months alone prompted pledges by multinationals sourcing mica from India to clean up their supply chains, and state authorities vowed to accelerate plans to legalize and regulate the sector.

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Mining Wins as Chile and South Africa Back Pro-Business Leaders – by Javier Blas (Bloomberg News – December 18, 2017)

https://www.bloomberg.com/

For the world’s largest mining companies, it was a victory day. In Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, voters returned billionaire Sebastian Pinera to the country’s presidency, with a promise to reduce corporate taxes and cut red tape.

In South Africa — the top producer of platinum and also rich in gold, coal, ferro-chrome, iron ore and other minerals — the ruling party backed Cyril Ramaphosa as its new leader, putting him on a path to replace Jacob Zuma as the country’s president.

The political shifts are good news for the likes of BHP Billiton Ltd., Rio Tinto Group, Glencore Plc and Anglo American Plc, which have billions of dollars tied in mines in South Africa or Chile — and, in some cases, in both nations.

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Protesters object to development of Cape Breton mountain sacred to Mi’kmaq (Halifax Chronicle-Herald – December 16, 2017)

http://thechronicleherald.ca/

The Canadian Press: BADDECK, N.S. — Dozens of protesters are taking a stand against mining projects on a Cape Breton mountain that is considered sacred by the Mi’kmaq.

Raymond Plourde of the Ecology Action Centre said traffic on Cape Breton’s Seal Island Bridge was slowed in response to Saturday’s rally against mining or quarrying of Kellys Mountain, and the roads were temporarily shut down by police during a Mi’kmaq ceremony.

Protesters walked down the middle of the road draped in flags and beating drums. Two people held up a sign reading “Hands off sacred Kluscap Mountain,” referring to Mi’kmaq name for the mountain, which is protected by the province as a Kluscap wilderness area.

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COLUMN-Coal’s bleak future is stagnant demand, volatile trading – by Clyde Russell (Reuters U.S. – December 18, 2017)

https://www.reuters.com/

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Moribund global demand growth and volatile pricing are what coal producers face in the next five years, with not even some bright spots in Asia able to outweigh a bleak outlook for Europe and the United States, and lower consumption in top user China.

That’s the central message of the International Energy Agency’s Coal 2017 report, which outlines a future in which coal remains a significant source of global energy, but one that is decreasing in importance.

Global coal demand will grow by only a compound 0.5 percent a year over the 2018-22 period to 5,534 million tonnes of coal equivalent (mtce), up just 177 mtce from 2016’s consumption, the IEA said.

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Rio Tinto embarks on automation roll-out at Pilbarra iron-ore operations – by Megan Van Wyngaardt (MiningWeekly.com – December 18, 2017)

http://www.miningweekly.com/

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Mining giant Rio Tinto will expand its fleet of autonomous haul trucks at its iron-ore operations in the Pilbara by more than 50% by 2019, after signing agreements with manufacturers Caterpillar and Komatsu to convert traditional trucks to autonomous vehicles.

A total of 29 Komatsu haul trucks will be retrofitted with autonomous haulage system (AHS) technology starting next year. The project at the Brockman 4 operation is scheduled for completion by mid-2019, allowing the mine to run entirely in AHS mode once fully deployed.

A further 19 Caterpillar haul trucks at the Marandoo mine will also be retrofitted starting mid-2018 for completion by the end of 2019. The retrofit is significant for Rio Tinto as it marks the first time AHS technology has been deployed by the company on Caterpillar haul trucks.

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NEWS RELEASE: Osisko Metals Announces Friendly Acquisition of Pine Point Mining (December 18, 2017)

https://www.osiskometals.com/en/

MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC and TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Dec. 18, 2017) –

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Osisko Metals Incorporated (“Osisko Metals”) (TSX VENTURE:OM)(FRANKFURT:0B5) and Pine Point Mining Limited (“Pine Point”) (TSX VENTURE:ZINC) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement dated December 15, 2017 (the “Agreement”) pursuant to which, among other things, (i) Osisko Metals has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Pine Point, and (ii) a newly formed company (“Spinco”) will be created to hold all of the assets and liabilities of Pine Point, with the exception of the Pine Point project located in the Northwest Territories (the “Pine Point Project”), all of which is to be completed by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “Arrangement”).

The Arrangement will result in Osisko Metals acquiring the Pine Point Project in furtherance of Osisko Metals’ stated strategy of consolidating and developing base metal assets at the mining district scale.

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How Batteries Sparked a Cobalt Frenzy and What Could Happen Next – by Mark Burton (Bloomberg News – December 17, 2017)

https://www.bloomberg.com/

Cobalt left other metals in the dust this year, driven by demand from electric carmakers like Tesla Inc. But with new supply coming online and high prices likely to spur substitution and recycling, the market for the key battery component could prove choppier next year. Here are five themes that will capture the market’s attention in 2018.

Record Prices

After prices more than tripled in the past two years, cobalt has become a valuable prize for the handful of miners producing it at scale. The global market has increased from about $4 billion a year at the end of 2016 to about $8 billion now and is roughly equal in size to the tin market.

But cobalt could be set to level out in 2018. BMO Capital Markets sees prices averaging about $68,200 a ton from about $72,000 now as Glencore Plc and Eurasian Resources Group ramp up major new projects in 2018 and 2019.

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Gold mine case bolsters Indigenous rights in Brazil – by Stephanie Nolen (Globe and Mail – December 18, 2017)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

A Brazilian appeals court has upheld the suspension of a key licence for Toronto-based Belo Sun Mining Corp., which hopes to build Brazil’s largest open-pit gold mine in the Amazon forest.

The decision sets the project back at least a year, and in their ruling, the three-judge tribunal blasted the company for failing to consult Indigenous people sufficiently.

The precedent-setting ruling serves to shore up the rights of Brazil’s First Nations, rights which are, in principle, constitutionally protected, but in practice often ignored in the development of infrastructure and commercial projects. It comes at a time when the political climate strongly favours the mining industry.

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Don’t rule out Kamloops’ Ajax mine just yet, expert says – by Roshini Nair (CBC News B.C. – December 17, 2017)

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

Opponents of a proposed open-pit copper and gold mine near Kamloops, B.C. have lauded the province’s decision to withhold an environmental assessment certificate, but an expert says it might be too early for them to celebrate.

Mining law specialist Patricia Dawn Mills, who teaches at Lakehead University and the University of British Columbia’s law school and consulted with the First Nations who opposed the mine, says she thinks the decision was the right one, but added the project is far from over.

“We’re not finished with [the Ajax mine]. This is a blip on the way,” Mills said.And it’s been a long way indeed.

Controversial start

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Trump reconsiders rules protecting miners from black lung (Washington Post/Associated Press – December 15, 2017)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — President Donald Trump’s mining regulators are reconsidering regulations meant to protect underground miners from breathing coal and rock dust – the cause of black lung – and diesel exhaust, which can cause cancer.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration has asked for public comments on whether standards “could be improved or made more effective or less burdensome by accommodating advances in technology, innovative techniques, or less costly methods.”

Some “requirements that could be streamlined or replaced in frequency” involve coal and rock dust. Others address diesel exhaust , which can have health impacts ranging from headaches and nausea to respiratory disease and cancer.

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Indonesia, Freeport Near New Deal for Giant Copper Mine – by Fathiya Dahrul and David Stringer (Bloomberg News – December 15, 2017)

https://www.bloomberg.com/

Indonesia and Freeport-McMoRan Inc. may sign a new agreement as soon as this weekend that will lay out a road-map for the transfer of majority ownership of the giant Grasberg mine to a local firm, according to people familiar with the proposal. Freeport shares rose.

The nation’s government, state-owned PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium — known as Inalum, and Phoenix-based Freeport are set to back a so-called transaction completion agreement as early as Sunday, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the details are private.

Under the new deal, Inalum will seek to acquire London-based Rio Tinto Group’s joint venture interest in Grasberg by March, and subsequently aim to convert the interest into an equity stake, two of the people said.

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Space mining is getting close to reality – by Rebecca Campbell (MiningWeekly.com – December 15, 2017)

http://www.miningweekly.com/

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Space mining – the mining of bodies and other worlds in outer space for minerals and other natural resources – remains within the realm of science fiction. For now.

But, during the younger years of most of the world’s current senior mining executives, personal communication devices (cellphones) were science fiction, as were a whole plethora of compact electronic and domestic devices that are today widely available, affordable and, indeed, nearly ubiquitous.

It is very likely that, within the remaining life spans of those self-same senior mining executives, space mining will become a scientific, technological, engineering and financial fact.

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BMW Sees 10-Fold Jump in Its Need for Battery Materials by 2025 – by Elisabeth Behrmann (Bloomberg News – December 15, 2017)

https://www.bloomberg.com/

BMW AG’s needs for car-battery raw materials such as cobalt and lithium will surge 10-fold by the middle of the next decade, pushing the German carmaker increasingly to forge long-term deals as shortages loom.

Purchase contracts with five- to 10-year time frames are close to being completed, the manufacturer’s head of procurement told reporters in Munich Friday. Concerns about supply bottlenecks, especially for cobalt, have prompted auto producers including Volkswagen AG to step up efforts to ensure they have enough. BMW plans to offer 25 electrified vehicles by 2025, while VW is targeting a 300-model battery-powered lineup by 2030.

“We’ve been intensively focusing on how to manage future cobalt supply for about a year now,” said Markus Duesmann, the BMW purchasing executive. “Before, it wasn’t clear just how quickly demand will accelerate.”

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South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater to be No. 2 platinum miner with Lonmin buy – by Zandi Shabalala and Ed Stoddard (Reuters U.S. – December 15, 2017)

https://www.reuters.com/

LONDON/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater (SGLJ.J) agreed to buy troubled miner Lonmin (LMI.L) (LONJ.J) for about 285 million pounds ($382 million) to create the world’s No. 2 platinum producer in a bid to ride out depressed prices for the metal.

Sibanye, whose CEO is called “Mr Fix It” for turning his firm from a spin-off with three old mines into a global precious metals player, said it would cut a third of Lonmin’s employees and deliver savings of about $112 million a year by 2021.

Lonmin, the world’s third biggest platinum producer, has burned through $1.6 billion in cash which was raised from investors since platinum prices plunged 60 percent from their peak in 2008. But it has still struggled to fund its mines.

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Exports of iron ore pellets lift St. Lawrence Seaway freight volumes – by Eric Atkins (Globe and Mail – December 15, 2017)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Asian demand for U.S. iron ore is driving up freight volumes on the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Overall cargo tonnage, including mining products and grain, rose by 8.5 per cent to 33 million tonnes on the water route as of the end of November, from the same period a year ago, the Chamber of Marine Commerce said on Thursday.

Shipments of iron ore pellets, which are used to make steel, rose by 34 per cent to 7.4 million tonnes as China secured raw materials to feed its manufacturing facilities. Demand was also aided by higher commodity prices, Canadian demand for domestic ore and U.S. tariffs that have spurred sales to U.S. mills on the lower Great Lakes.

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