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December 2014
31 December 2014
Editor Siobhan Lismore-Scott looks at the trends of 2014
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31 December 2014
CUMI establishes independent European subsidiary
Nabaltec to expand aluminium trihydroxide production
Orbite delays commercial production of HPA
Dashiqiao refractory companies switch kilns to natural gas
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31 December 2014
As unconventional shale oil and gas exploration and development continues at pace in North America and further afield, Andrew Scogings, Industrial Minerals Consultant, provides an executive summary of IM’s upcoming research report on drilling-grade barite.
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31 December 2014
As well as importing more minerals into the region, countries in the Middle East also started to concentrate on developing their own minerals industry, here, Siobhan Lismore-Scott details why this has happened and where.
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31 December 2014
It has been an interesting year for lithium markets with two major mergers taking place and news of a Gigafactory, which ignited interest in the sector.
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31 December 2014
It has been a year of ups and downs for the magnesia industry as demand has waned and supply has remained robust.
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31 December 2014
Compared with 2013, 2014 was a quiet and settled year in agriminerals, though again defined by movements in the potash sector
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31 December 2014
Antonio Torrisi tracks the highs and lows of the bauxite and alumina industry in 2014
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31 December 2014
With the recent publication of data for 2012, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has 100 years of continuous mineral production data - but what do they tell us about worldwide industrial mineral production? Teresa Brown analyses some of these trends and what they say about the industry as a whole.
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31 December 2014
Last year was undoubtedly a turbulent one for the titanium dioxide (TiO2) industry. 2014 was characterised by further consolidation among the market’s top players in response to poor market demand, juxtaposed to positivity from new and hopeful feedstock producers, who maintain that additional supply is needed to meet future demand.
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31 December 2014
The Hungary-based electrominerals producer is a leading supplier of abrasive and refractory products in Europe and is also coveting growth opportunities in the US and developing economies.
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31 December 2014
Despite new production coming online from US-based Molycorp in 2012 and Australia-based Lynas Corp. in 2013, China still retained almost 90% of global rare earths production in 2014.
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31 December 2014
An increase in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) over the past few years means that demand for oilfield minerals has never been stronger. Continued drilling and exploration kept demand high for minerals such as frac sand, bauxite, kaolin, bentonite and barite over the course of 2014.
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27 December 2014
2014 has been a tumultuous year in graphite markets. While steel demand has edged up, this has not translated into volume or price growth for graphite. Meanwhile, the hype that has surrounded potential growth in the Li-ion battery sector has also failed to deliver short-term demand increases.
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27 December 2014
Energy minerals still waiting for battery lift off; chromite market bearish over next 12 months
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27 December 2014
External pressure on bentonite and bauxite prices to continue in 2015
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16 December 2014
Replacing kiln fuel oil with natural gas will enable Dashiqiao manufacturers to produce more specification led products in a less polluting process, while a new quality control office in Tangshan will help manage the regional industry’s transition to higher value products.
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04 December 2014
Following a strategic alliance with two TSX-V listed investors, the Canadian junior strengthens its finances to continue developing its magnesite project and enters a joint venture for a potential high-purity silica project in British Columbia, which is an opportunity to diversify its mineral portfolio.
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03 December 2014
The creation of a specialised China resource underscores the importance the Germany-based trading company places on its refractory materials supply and relationships.
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01 December 2014
IM’s full price listing will now only be published online. If you have any comments or concerns, or wish to discuss any of the grades or prices listed, please contact Laura Syrett, Prices Editor, at lsyrett@indmin.com.
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01 December 2014
The news that Vesuvius' offer was rejected by rival UK refractories producer Morgan Advanced Materials without discussion suggests that Morgan is content with its business model, but also reveals more about Vesuvius' ambitions to expand to create a world-leading refractories company.
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November 2014
28 November 2014
Global increases for calcium carbonate and kaolin
Refractory minerals under strain in China
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27 November 2014
As a leading producer in many mineral industries, Imerys results are a good indication of the state of the market. These are strong results —with the exception of fused minerals — showing that new areas of growth, such as talc in polymers in automobiles and Li-ion batteries, are starting to affect even traditional producers.
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27 November 2014
Refractory products demand sluggish but a positive trend in raw materials noted
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27 November 2014
This month IM brings readers coverage from South East Asia, China, Miami and Singapore, as well as from the results season.
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27 November 2014
Magnesita suspends graphite exploration; Chinese refractories inspections concluded
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27 November 2014
As companies battle to bring their graphite projects, IM looks at the possibilities emerging in India.
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27 November 2014
This year has seen two graphite mines —Woxna and Loharano — come into production and a lot of excitement as Tesla’s Gigafactory was announced. However, prices have remained muted and as time ticks on, a strategic partner is yet to be announced to supply the electric vehicle producer. IM Editor Siobhan Lismore-Scott asks the industry their opinions on the market and projects in the pipeline — both existing and, in the case of Vietnam and India, potential for growth.
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26 November 2014
Graphene has the potential to cause a high-tech revolution in a number of industries, but the material’s commercial breakthrough has been hindered by the difficulty of producing pristine graphene on a bulk scale. Talga resources claims to have broken this impasse, following metallurgical developments at its Vittangi project.
James Sean Dickson, Reporter, visited the company’s site in Sweden to assess its progress.
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26 November 2014
This report aims to compare and contrast 21 listed graphite plays (13 ASX, seven TSX and one AIM) and shed some light on important factors to consider when assessing graphite (and indeed other industrial mineral) projects1. Andrew Scogings, IM Consultant, and Jason Chesters, Resource Analyst at Patersons Securities, look into the listed companies using parameters set out by Patersons in August. The project list is by no means exhaustive, and should be seen as a general perspective on the current state of play.
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26 November 2014
The downturn of the global “commodities supercyle” and slowing raw material demand in China has been felt keenly in Australia’s resources sector. But while proponents of Australian mining admit the industry isn’t quite as mighty as it used to be, they say that there are still plenty of reasons to be positive Down Under, Siobhan Lismore-Scott, Editor and
Laura Syrett, Prices Editor, discover.
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26 November 2014
Although regulatory difficulties in the past may have discouraged foreign investment, South East Asia is being touted as a region ripe for development with many underexploited resources and demand for industrial minerals in a variety of markets including refractories, glass, ceramics, construction and proppants.
Andrew Scogings, IM Correspondant, Kasia Patel, Deputy Editor, and Tran Kim Phuong, Contributor
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26 November 2014
By posting another sequential revenue increase in Q3, which follows solid growth in the previous quarter of this year, the German refractory and flame retardants producer is strengthening its position as a world-leading supplier of alumina products, despite lower growth targets in Germany’s economy.
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26 November 2014
Upcoming Industry events
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25 November 2014
The Canadian junior hopes to gain a strategic foothold in the region through the majority acquisition and expansion of Indian ceramics proppants producer, Hallmark.
Kasia Patel, Deputy Editor
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19 November 2014
The announcement of more minerals opened to foreign investment policies by China’s Ministry of Commerce shows the country’s intention to adapt to the new economic globalisation, while actively promoting more efficiency in its mining industry.
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18 November 2014
The positive results recorded by two of the major Indian refractory producers show a robust demand for refractory products in the country, despite a continuing slow growth in the steel industry, which has not yet reached full capacity.
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14 November 2014
The Brazilian refractory producer is starting to see the benefits of its sales strategy outside its domestic market. The company will continue to pursue this strategy in its core businesses and will temporarily halt graphite exploration to cut costs and increase profitability.
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14 November 2014
The 4th South East Asia event showcased the ample opportunity in the region, as well as the companies already looking at exploiting the resources to hand. Highlighted was the significant upside potential in ceramics, silica sand, high purity quartz, bentonite bleaching earth, diatomite and perlite filter aids.
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10 November 2014
By adding seven mineral claims over known magnesite deposits to its Driftwood Creek project in British Columbia, the junior company controls the majority of magnesite deposits in the Canadian territory and expands its resources capacity to become a potential major producer of magnesia in North America.
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10 November 2014
The move to purchase all shares from Israel’s Cellaris Ltd underlines the Indian refractories company’s commitment to the market.
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07 November 2014
By completing the installation of the decomposer and calcinatory, the Canadian junior has taken a further step towards commissioning its high-purity alumina plant, while filing another patent application for its processing technology for the recovery of a wide range of minerals and metals.
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05 November 2014
Sluggish demand for glass in a slowly developing construction industry and a depressed non-ferrous metal industry due to falling metal prices have impacted RHI’s refractories business and profits and could force the company to close a site in Europe.
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03 November 2014
Vesuvius retains earning outlook in Q3; Alevo to build energy storage battery plant in US, Sumitomo Corp. starts test production of rare earths in Kazakhstan