The mining industry briefing

The latest news, trends, and data from the mining industry

News in numbers

$586,000

The EU’s Court of Justice has levied a $586,000 a day fine at the Polish Government for continuing to operate the Turow lignite mine on the Czech border, despite safety concerns.

6.8%

Global nickel production is expected to reach 2.4 million tonnes this year, an increase of 6.8% over 2020, with Brazil and Indonesia leading the increases in production.

100,000 tonnes

XTC has unveiled plans for a lithium battery metals facility in China, which will boast an annual production of 100,000 tonnes of lithium ion phosphate and receive $1.6bn in funding.

2022

By the end of next year, Swedish technology firm Epiroc aims to deliver mining equipment and services to aid in iron mine expansion in China. The deal is valued at $23.21m.

30 years

The SLACCtt charity has opened a month-long inquiry into a coal mine operated by West Cumbia Mining. Should it go ahead, the mine will be the first new coal mine in the UK in 30 years.

Project updates

Barrick Gold has signed an option agreement with Kenorland Minerals to acquire a stake in the South Uchi project in Ontario, with an option to earn a 70% interest.

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State-owned Ghanian miner GIADEC has selected Rocksure to develop a $1.2bn bauxite mine in Ghana, with close to one billion tonnes of bauxite identified in the country.

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Sylla Gold has signed a definitive option agreement to acquire an indirect 100% interest in an exploration permit at the Niaouleni Project in southern Mali.

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Vertical Exploration has obtained full quarry permitting approval from the Quebec Government for its St-Onge Wollastonite project, earning a 2% net smelter royalty.

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China’s Shenzhen Chengxin Lithium Group and an affiliate of Indonesian firm Tsingshan have agreed to invest in a $350m lithium plant in Indonesia to help meet the growing demand from the electric vehicle battery sector.

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Covid-19 briefing

Download GlobalData’s Covid-19 Executive Briefing report

- ECONOMIC IMPACT -

Latest update: 15 September

Total Covid-19 vaccine doses administered has surpassed total confirmed cases of Covid-19, with China, India and the US leading total vaccination numbers.

GlobalData expects “all” major countries to recover strongly from the pandemic, with projecting increases in GDP growth rate and rate of inflation around the world.

India leads the world in forecast economic growth rate in 2021, ahead of China and the UK with a growth rate of 9%.

-16%

The US leads the world in net borrowing/lending in 2020, as the economic burden of tackling the pandemic hits national governments directly. The US saw its net borrowing/lending fall from -6% to 16% between 2019 and 2020.

Impact of Covid-19 on equity indices

- SECTOR IMPACT: MINING -

Latest update: 4 August

COAL

ICE Coal Futures prices rose steeply again in August, up by 15.1% for the month and were US$174.25/t by month end. Prices have been helped by rising demand from China and other parts of North Asia, as well as supply constraints. China's aversion to buying coal from Australia is also leading to high price increases for lower quality coal from markets such as Indonesia.

IRON ORE

The iron ore price dropped steeply in August, ending on US$159/5, having previously been over US$200/t in July. The fall was due to the Chinese government moving to restrict steel output. China is aiming to reduce its carbon footprint, with reduced steel output in 2021 to support this. Steel production in China fell by 9.4% in July.

PALLADIUM & PLATINUM

After reaching a six-year high of $1,325/troy oz in February, the price of platinum has been falling, dropping to US$979/troy oz in late August, and ending the month on US$1,020/troy oz. However, in 2021, prices are expected to be supported by improved demand from the auto and industrial sectors, albeit balanced by significant growth in supply after the 2020 challenges.

BASE METALS

With rising inventories, the average copper price in August was 1% down on the July average although the price improved towards the end of the month, finishing at $9,463/t. Concerns over supplies from Chile, where strikes are threatened at several major mines, plus potentially higher mining taxes in Peru may keep prices high over the remainder of 2021.

PRECIOUS METALS

After passing $1,900/oz in late May, the gold price declined in mid-June before steadying at around US$1,800/t in July and August. An improving economic outlook and strengthening US dollar had dampened prospects for a rise in the gold price, although they are being supported by continued low interest rates in 2021.

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02/17/2024 19:58:54

COMPANY INSIGHT

Your Partner for Safer Mining

Mining is all about partnership – and in the Master Builders Solutions experts, you will find the right partner: A partner not just offering tailor-made solutions for each step in the mining cycle, but also supporting you with on-site problem solving, start-up supervision, and lab testing. Through advanced chemistry for hard rock, coal or open pit mining, we help you increase the efficiency and profitability of operations while improving safety at the same time.

The Master Builders Solutions brand brings all of our expertise together to create chemical solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures. Master Builders Solutions is built on the experience gained from more than a century in the construction industry.

Rock Bolting

Working at ever greater depths with potentially unstable strata increases the need for enhanced personnel safety within the mine environment. Master Builders Solutions offers a wide range of rock bolting solutions: the portfolio includes ready-to-use cementitious products and admixtures for OPC based grouts to adjust the behavior in terms of shrinkage compensation, corrosion protection, pumping capacity, and bond improvement. Our new MasterRoc RBA 38X line of pumpable thixotropic resins has been designed to offer significant benefits over traditional bolt fixing methods, saving time and improving mine operator safety during the installation and reducing the risks of bolt failures during their expected lifetime.

Sprayed Concrete (SC)

High-quality, durable sprayed concrete (shotcrete) has become a vital component of ground support and stabilization in both tunneling and mining. The Master Builders Solutions portfolio provides a wide range of superplasticizers for all needs which improves the pumpability and workability performance of sprayed concrete mixes in the fresh state while reducing permeability and increasing density and long-term strength performance in the hardened state.

Constantly striving to exceed customer needs and demands, our admixture technologies enhance the workability, hydration control and viscosity of fresh concrete.

Sprayed Liners

In hard and soft rock mining, changes in humidity and temperature affect weak strata, causing rock falls and rib degradation. Effective surface support and the protection against weathering of rock and strata are critical to the safety, efficiency and longevity of any mining operation. Master Builders Solutions provides systems for supplementary surface support to strategic areas of a mine. MasterRoc TSL (thin spray-on liner) range provides products based on polymers which allows them to be used in thin layers supporting the strata.

Injection

Unexpected water ingress and poor ground conditions can cause significant delays and escalate costs. To counteract these risks, an economical approach is to pre-inject the ground ahead of the advancing face. MasterRoc MP microcements provide extremely effective penetration into fine cracks in rock and fine-grained soils to give efficient water tightness, stability and durability. Master Builders Solutions' fast reacting and non-water-sensitive polyurethanes and polyurea silicate systems quickly stabilize poor ground and are suitable for strata consolidation and rock reinforcement. Our post-excavation injection technologies counteract risks and challenges like instable ground conditions by offering a comprehensive range of injection solutions and technical support.

Our solutions allow a cost-effective approach whilst improving working safety at the same time.

Backfill

Backfill operations represent 25 to 30 percent of the overall mining costs. Thus, optimization of the backfill process leads to significant total mining cost reductions as well as improved mining production. The Master Builders Solutions team takes a scientific approach to this challenge that can help mining companies understand and run backfill operations at lower risks and lower costs with higher efficiency through our tailor-made chemistry and backfill expertise.

Repair and Maintenance

As a full-range supplier of repair and protection products, Master Builders Solutions offers customized solutions for concrete structures as well as support for the evaluation of the causes of structural damage. Being certified by independent testing institutes in compliance with national and/or international standard requirements, the system solutions help customers to extend the service life of their construction and, lastly, make a significant contribution to sustainability.

Infrastructure Above Ground

Our admixtures aid in the production of high-strength, durable concrete – a prerequisite for complex structures. They are allowing the concrete to flow, thus increasing performance and making it easier to use. They also aid in the curing process of the concrete, preventing the concrete’s components from segregating. After curing they leave the concrete with a smooth and clean surface – and ensure an extremely long service life for the structure. The increased energy efficiency, higher concrete durability and better construction process contribute to reducing CO_²emissions and save time and costs.

Contact information

Master Builders Solutions – a brand of MBCC Group

Web: master-builders-solutions.com

Email: ugc@mbcc-group.com

02/17/2024 19:58:54