Industrial Minerals

Features

• Frac sand in the pipeline

  Where North America’s thirst for oil and natural gas has grown, so too has the demand for frac sand. The supply rush has exerted intense pressure on railroads and the environment, but has been a gold mine to the recession-stricken continent Read More

• Afghanistan’s mineral plan

  With its position at the heart of Central Asia, and significant mineral resources including lithium and rare earths, Afghanistan holds vast potential for attracting private sector investment, Vasili Nicoletopoulos reveals Read More

• Exploration key to growing Greek industry

  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

• End User Focus: Reconstruction revives refractories in Japan

  Sluggish steel outlook tempered by cement stimulus from post-quake rebuilding programme Read More

Supply Developments

• China quotas unlikely to curb rare earth price drop

  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

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

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

• Minerals braced for bumpy 2012

  The year 2012 expected to be another volatile ride for industrial minerals prices, dragged down by the European debt crisis and China’s property bubble. But better H2 on the cards Read More

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

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

• PotashCorp continues potash shutdown policy

  North American producer extends shutdown to 3 March; Uralkali’s output up 6.4% in 2011; Canpotex out of BHP’s plans Read More

• What will 2012 hold for the mining industry?

  Deloitte warns difficult year for mining; Rising costs of doing business; Commodity price chaos; Australian royalties pressure Read More

• Mild weather in the US leads to salt oversupply

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

• US aggregates majors lock horns over hostile bid

  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

• Mexichem expands acidspar with Fluorita de Mexico buy

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

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

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

• Projects in the Pipeline: Kaolin bounces back

  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

• Industrial Minerals Prices February 2012

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

  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

Comment

• Growth markets blowing in the wind

  Mineral demand anticipated from wind turbine blades Read More

Market Monitor

• Fertilisers feel the pressure of economic uncertainty

  The fertiliser industry, which healthily headed back to pre-crisis levels during 2011, is starting to experience the effects of the global economy weakened by the European debt crisis, the slowdown in China and the recent downgrade of US debt in addition to major markets such as India pushing downwards pressure on prices Read More

Strandlines

• Chinese TiO2 group chairman arrested

  Zhuang Kai of Pangang Group held ; Allegedly stole chloride TiO2 documents Read More

Diary Dates

• Diary Dates February 2012

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Processing

• Dust control evolves

  Dust extraction systems can extend equipment life and reduce product cross-contamination, yet traditional cleaning systems require costly facility downtime. But, as Dustcheck outlines, new online systems are emerging Read More

Exposure

• Sintoukola Potash

  Elemental Minerals Ltd (EML), an Australian company operating from Johannesburg in South Africa, is developing the Sintoukola potash deposit in the Republic of Congo (ROC) on the African continent Read More

People & Places

• People and places 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

Refractories Hotline

• Kobin Mining poised to acquire Kumas

  A conclusion to the sale of Turkey’s leading dead burned magnesia and refractories producer, Kutahya Manyezit İşletmeleri AŞ (Kumas), appeared imminent by the end of January 2012. Read More

Trading Faces

• Talk from the Top: “We are pursuing a very clear acquisition strategy”

  Christian Kather, CEO of world no.2 talc producer Mondo Minerals, talked to IM about the strategy to develop the plastics market & grow through acquisitions in Asia & South America Read More