Industrial Minerals

Latest News

China leads offshore drilling boom

Monday, 11 March 2019

Offshore drilling activity is at its highest level in over three years, driven by record Chinese activity, while US onshore activity remains sluggish despite upbeat outlooks from frackers.
PRICING NOTICE: Fastmarkets IM Christmas schedule

Friday, 14 December 2018

Certain Fastmarkets prices will be rolled over between December 25 and January 1 in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Falling US oil well completions hit frac sand companies

Monday, 29 October 2018

The number of drilled but uncompleted wells in the Permian Basin is at a record high, which means bad news for companies selling frac sand.
Refractory minerals taken off US tariffs list; TiO2 pigments, ceramic raw materials still included

Tuesday, 18 September 2018

Graphite, magnesia, alumina and silicon carbide are excluded from the list of China-origin materials subject to a new US tariff, as are antimony, rare earths and barite. Pigments such as titanium dioxide will also be subject to the duty, as will refractory finished products, some ceramic minerals such as kaolin, and lithium.

PRICING NOTICE: Fastmarkets IM Christmas schedule

Friday, 14 December 2018

Certain Fastmarkets prices will be rolled over between December 25 and January 1 in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
IM's March Price Movements

Friday, 13 April 2018

IM's monthly price movements.
IM's February Price Movements

Tuesday, 27 February 2018

IM's monthly price movements.
IM's January Price Movements

Thursday, 01 February 2018

IM's monthly price movements.

The peaks and troughs of Eurasian mining

Wednesday, 01 May 2019

Turkey is the standout performer in Eurasia’s industrial minerals industry but its economic recession is affecting the wider region. Rose Pengelly looks at what neighboring countries are doing to boost their domestic mining sectors.
Clay time: Should pharmaceuticals take a closer look at bentonite?

Wednesday, 03 April 2019

Widely used in industrial applications, pharmaceuticals make up a relatively modest proportion of bentonite’s end markets – a situation which could change with more research and advances in technology, Rose Pengelly, Correspondent, finds.
India banks on ceramics

Thursday, 28 March 2019

The Indian ceramics industry has made steady progress in the past few years on the back of a growing middle class and several governmental schemes to boost the industry, as correspondent Sunder Singh discovered at India’s recent Ceramics Asia event.
A growth trajectory: ceramics markets look to Asia

Wednesday, 28 March 2018

The ceramics industry registered a dip in trade and production following the global economic downturn in 2008. But, as Industrial Minerals correspondent Sunder Singh finds, trade in Asia is now picking up, which is putting renewed pressure on kaolin, zircon, bentonite and other ceramics markets.