Industrial Minerals

Latest News

• SQM lithium falls to 23,000 tonnes

  Chilean group reports 34% drop in annual profits despite potash sales tripling Read More

• Tiomin quits Kenya minsands

  Long suffering Tiomin agrees to offload TiO2 feedstock development for $3m. Read More

• Price Briefing: Week 8

  Quiet markets: Chinese zircon could firm as rare earths, chromite and others stall Read More

• Loss-making Iluka’s sales plunge

  Australian minsands producer posts A$114m. loss as global zircon sales half Read More

• Tough year for Exxaro minsands

  South African miner’s earnings fall 70% as minsands businesses report a loss Read More

• More lithium battery warnings

  Concern over battery overcapacity for electric cars reflects lithium mining sector Read More

• Shipping rates lose direction

  Baltic Dry Index flat as world waits for China to return to work after New Year Read More

• Thermo Fisher Brazil office open

  Sao Paulo office to provide analytical equipment for growing minerals market Read More

• Globe fluorspar sees recovery

  Australian group forecasts fluorspar recovery as it explores Mozambique potential Read More

• SQM suspends two operations

  Chilean SQM cuts back iodine and sodium nitrate production as inventories high Read More

• Galaxy plans battery EMD plant

  Lithium group to build electrolytic manganese dioxide plant for battery industry Read More

• Rhodia silicas unit profits rise

  Silcea division more than doubles Q4 profits as prices and volumes recover Read More

• Vale in kaolin divestment talks

  Brazilian mining giant negotiating the sale of its Para Pigmentos kaolin business Read More

• Li3 expands lithium prospects

  US group acquires several lithium assets in southern Peru and Nevada Read More

• TOR Minerals posts stronger Q4

  Texas-based pigment producer reports increased demand across the board Read More

• S Africa re-enters wollastonite

  Namaqua to start up wollastonite production in April; targets 23,000 tonnes for 2014 Read More

• Shanghai lithium plant build starts

  Galaxy begins plant construction after $130m. loan from China Development Bank Read More

• TiO2 producers push price hikes

  Producers announce selective regional price rises; Chinese output up in 2009 Read More

• Pricing boosts soda ash profits

  Penrice profits rise 5% in fiscal H1 as it forecasts full-year improvement Read More

• LME wants freight trade j-v

  London Metal Exchange approaches Baltic Exchange on freight forwards joint venture Read More

• First Bauxite eyes 100,000 tpa

  ThyssenKrupp hired to design plants for calcined bauxite production in Guyana Read More

• World steel production rebounds

  Output increases 25.5% in January driven by the EU, North America and east Asia Read More

• Baobab ups ilmenite exploration

  Australian group plans March drilling programme at Tete project in Mozambique Read More

• Eramet manganese in 2009 loss

  Division reports full year €27m. loss but steel recovery drives stronger second half Read More

• Chinese fluorspar policy awaited

  Producers in the dark on new standards expected to constrain global supply Read More

• Arafura raises rare earth funds

  Australian developer’s share placement could raise $35m. to advance Nolans project Read More

• Canpotex signs India potash deal

  Canadian trader keeps potash contracts short in $375/tonne deal with Indian buyers Read More

• Akzo paints business stabilising

  World No.1 coatings producer reports stronger Q4 buts says “recovery is fragile” Read More

Supply Developments

• SQM lithium falls to 23,000 tonnes

  Chilean group reports 34% drop in annual profits despite potash sales tripling Read More

• Globe fluorspar sees recovery

  Australian group forecasts fluorspar recovery as it explores Mozambique potential Read More

• SQM suspends two operations

  Chilean SQM cuts back iodine and sodium nitrate production as inventories high Read More

• Galaxy plans battery EMD plant

  Lithium group to build electrolytic manganese dioxide plant for battery industry Read More

• Rhodia silicas unit profits rise

  Silcea division more than doubles Q4 profits as prices and volumes recover Read More

• Vale in kaolin divestment talks

  Brazilian mining giant negotiating the sale of its Para Pigmentos kaolin business Read More

• Li3 expands lithium prospects

  US group acquires several lithium assets in southern Peru and Nevada Read More

• S Africa re-enters wollastonite

  Namaqua to start up wollastonite production in April; targets 23,000 tonnes for 2014 Read More

• Shanghai lithium plant build starts

  Galaxy begins plant construction after $130m. loan from China Development Bank Read More

• Pricing boosts soda ash profits

  Penrice profits rise 5% in fiscal H1 as it forecasts full-year improvement Read More

• First Bauxite eyes 100,000 tpa

  ThyssenKrupp hired to design plants for calcined bauxite production in Guyana Read More

• Eramet manganese in 2009 loss

  Division reports full year €27m. loss but steel recovery drives stronger second half Read More

• Chinese fluorspar policy awaited

  Producers in the dark on new standards expected to constrain global supply Read More

• Arafura raises rare earth funds

  Australian developer’s share placement could raise $35m. to advance Nolans project Read More

Focus of the week

• EU clamps down on cartels

  Cement, glass and speciality graphite all in the spotlight as the European Union investigates price fixing in industrial mineral markets Read More

Market Monitor

• More lithium battery warnings

  Concern over battery overcapacity for electric cars reflects lithium mining sector Read More

• Akzo paints business stabilising

  World No.1 coatings producer reports stronger Q4 buts says “recovery is fragile” Read More

Strandlines

• Tiomin quits Kenya minsands

  Long suffering Tiomin agrees to offload TiO2 feedstock development for $3m. Read More

• Loss-making Iluka’s sales plunge

  Australian minsands producer posts A$114m. loss as global zircon sales half Read More

• Tough year for Exxaro minsands

  South African miner’s earnings fall 70% as minsands businesses report a loss Read More

• TOR Minerals posts stronger Q4

  Texas-based pigment producer reports increased demand across the board Read More

• TiO2 producers push price hikes

  Producers announce selective regional price rises; Chinese output up in 2009 Read More

• Baobab ups ilmenite exploration

  Australian group plans March drilling programme at Tete project in Mozambique Read More

Processing

• Thermo Fisher Brazil office open

  Sao Paulo office to provide analytical equipment for growing minerals market Read More

Logistics News

• Shipping rates lose direction

  Baltic Dry Index flat as world waits for China to return to work after New Year Read More

• LME wants freight trade j-v

  London Metal Exchange approaches Baltic Exchange on freight forwards joint venture Read More

Refractories Hotline

• World steel production rebounds

  Output increases 25.5% in January driven by the EU, North America and east Asia Read More