Industrial Minerals

Construction, Chemicals

• Rusal doubles stake in fluorspar group Yaroslavsk to 100% Thursday, February 02, 2012

  Russian aluminium leader strengthens fluorspar supply security with acquisition Read More

• GHCL posts increase in sales and profit for soda ash arm Thursday, February 02, 2012

  Market value down by $12m year on year on “market volatility” Read More

• Pilkington Glass to restart production at Finnish plant Wednesday, February 01, 2012

  Sibelco Nordic said Pilkington "significant customer" for silica sand, feldspar Read More

• USGS reports rise in mineral value in 2011; bucks recession trend Tuesday, January 31, 2012

  Non-metallic sector value up by 3%, led by ilmenite, rutile price rise; soda ash flat Read More

• Mantec consolidates UK technical ceramics subsidiaries Friday, January 27, 2012

  Ceramic aggregate, filtration manufacturers combined under Mantec Technical Ceramics Read More

• Head of major Indian state calls for ban on chromite exports Thursday, January 26, 2012

  Claims only 66m tonnes of chromite left in India; encourages Zimbabwe-like ban Read More

• Industrial Minerals Prices February 2012 February 2012

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• Price Briefing: New Year, new price - minerals respond to fluctuating world markets February 2012

  The start of the year saw many mineral grades increasing in value as producers upped their prices to cope with hikes in energy, freight and tight global market fundamentals Read More

• Exploration key to growing Greek industry February 2012

  Greece is opening its doors to private investment to boost domestic industries. Ananias Tsirambides and Anestis Filippidis discuss the country’s key exploration targets for industrial minerals development Read More

• People and places February 2012 February 2012

  Gordon Stollery, Canada Fluorspar; Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Solvay; Akiva Mozes, Israel Chemicals; Ron Bryan, Compass Minerals; John A. Clarke, Great Quest Metals; Mario Juarez, Lithium One; Daniel Greenwell, Tronox Read More

• Projects in the Pipeline: Kaolin bounces back February 2012

  It has been a difficult couple of years for kaolin as the global recession spread to its end user markets, but a recent recovery in demand has also encouraged a surge of new operations and exploration projects Read More

• Supply Situation Report: New players emerge to challenge China rare earth dominance February 2012

  Lynas, Molycorp lead the pack; Chinese REO demand could top 130,000 tpa by 2015; Juniors hit by falling prices Read More

• Mexichem expands acidspar with Fluorita de Mexico buy February 2012

  Consolidation of Mexican fluorspar Mexichem which tops capacity to 1m tonnes; Shen Zhou acquires Chinese fluorspar, barytes Read More

• US aggregates majors lock horns over hostile bid February 2012

  Vulcan says $4.8bn bid by Martin Marietta Materials undervalues assets; Vuclcan management accused of scare tactics; US antitrust watchdog requests details on operations Read More

• Mild weather in the US leads to salt oversupply February 2012

  Cargill closes three mines; Compass announces sales drop; Cold weather expected for Q1 2012 Read More

• India’s Gujarat Heavy Chemicals served soda ash closure notice February 2012

  GHCL pollution reprimanded; New Saudi Arabia plant commissioned; Gypsum by-product eyed Read More

• “World’s largest” lithium battery plant built in Siberia February 2012

  Joint $430m Russo-Chinese investment; could take 10-15% market share by 2015 Read More

• China quotas unlikely to curb rare earth price drop February 2012

  China’s 2012 quotas are expected to remain unchanged but new quotas policy could squeeze heavy elements supply. Lower prices forecast in 2012 after 2011 highs Read More

• DuPont TiO2 business posts 33% profit rise on price hikes Wednesday, January 25, 2012

  World’s largest TiO2 producer reports strong quarter, but sees drop in Asia demand Read More

• Roullier Group acquires Possehl’s stake in Van Mannekus Wednesday, January 25, 2012

  French group jointly owns Van Mannekus with Grecian Magnesite Read More

• EU report outlines ambitions to recover minerals from waste Tuesday, January 24, 2012

  Implementing full waste legislation could save EU €72bn a year, Commission says Read More

• Gulf Industrials completes Uganda vermiculite production run Tuesday, January 24, 2012

  But suffers early setbacks from power failure and rain; looks to expand capacity Read More

• Rhewum secures screening order from German salt group Thursday, January 19, 2012

  Screen will provide 200,000 tpa capacity for GSES’s de-icer, animal feed grades Read More

• Price Briefing — 12-19 January 2012 Thursday, January 19, 2012

  Chinese New Year blamed for lull, increased cost pressures to up bentonite, MIO Read More

• Tertiary Minerals updates Lassedalen fluorspar resource Wednesday, January 18, 2012

  Estimates resource at 4m tonnes; hopes to complete more detailed work in Q1 Read More

• UPDATE: China Shen Zhou acquires Guizhou fluorspar assets Wednesday, January 18, 2012

  Wuchuan Dongsheng stake gives access to flotation and fluorine technologies Read More

• Rio Tinto increases Q4 borates, TiO2 feedstock output Tuesday, January 17, 2012

  Minerals production up marginally in fourth quarter and full-year 2011 Read More

• FOCUS: Wind blades turn into growth markets for minerals Monday, January 16, 2012

  Mineral fillers and cement to enjoy demand from wind turbine blade manufacturing Read More

• Palabora undertakes study to double vermiculite production Monday, January 16, 2012

  South African group looks to pounce on strong demand, but output falls 48% in Q4 Read More

• Canada’s second-last asbestos mine declares bankruptcy Friday, January 13, 2012

  LAB Chrysotile remains closed, sheds 350 jobs, leaving no Canada mines operational Read More