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India has recorded economic growth of around 7% per year in the past three years. But while it has significant resources of some of the most widely used industrial minerals, this sector has shown only modest growth, as Industrial Minerals correspondent Sunder Singh discovers.
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In the wake of President Trump’s announcement that the US will be pulling out of the 2015 Paris Climate Treaty,
IM looks at the significance of this move and the possible impact this will have on the industrial minerals market.
By Mark Rowe
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The global economic downturn and the subsequent lull in construction has taken its toll on the global float glass market. Now however, as Sarah Gibbons and Liz Newmark discover, the industry is looking to a brighter future - despite there still being challenges for producers and the raw material markets which supply them.
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Low per capita glass usage has marked India out as a major potential growth market for glass minerals, but so far this projected expansion has failed to materialise. Sunder Singh, IM Correspondent, looks at how geographical concentration and pressure from imports are hampering India’s domestic glass industry.
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At its peak in 2008, oil (WTI) was trading at $140/bbl, which in turn pushed up the price of natural gas. The high price of fuel prompted investment in alternative energy supply, with countries looking to become self-sufficient, at least in part. Now, Cameron Perks, IM Correspondent, details how Australia has moved to diversify its supply mix and what this means for oilfield mineral markets.
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Unlike the US, Australia’s silica sand industry has not benefitted from a fracking boom. But as Cameron Perks*, IM Correspondent, explains, the country’s sand producers have a diverse range of expanding markets to choose from.
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Canada’s most southwesterly province has a long history of industrial mineral mining. George Simandl and Michaela Neetz of the British Columbia Geological Survey at the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines give a detailed over view of its non-metallic mineral activity and potential.
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Saskatchewan is best known for its potash mining, but as the staff of the Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy explain, the Canadian province has many more minerals to offer.
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While predictions for the oil and gas industry range between bottomed out to a distant turnaround as far away as 2017, so far frac sand has gained market share due to its availability, price and changing trends in fracking, Kasia Patel, North American Editor, finds.
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The US has long enjoyed a successful fracking industry, having drilled more than a million wells to date. Yet, with plummeting oil prices causing some to question the short-term success of this process, Vasili Nicoletopoulos* provides an executive summary of IM’s latest research report on the US proppants market.
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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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Owing to recent political events in Ukraine, and indirectly those in the Middle East, concerns have mounted in relation to oil and gas delivery to Europe, with some analysts suggesting that North American shale resources may need to be called upon. However, due to basic economic factors, a more realistic solution would be for the EU and Ukraine to develop their own shale resources but, so far, with the exception of the UK, and to a lesser extent Poland and Spain, no large-scale efforts are being undertaken, finds Vasili Nicoletopoulos.*
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Regulatory body considers reducing silica permitted exposure level; industry associations say change ‘not justified’
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Frac sand, a specific type of silica sand, is a durable, round grain, crush-resistant material produced for use in the hydraulic fracturing process (more widely known as fracking).
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Glass manufacturing is a large consumer of many industrial minerals, including soda ash, quartz and limestone. It is also used in a wide variety of industries, such as construction, manufacturing and home ware. But with the economic recession still leaving a trail of devastation in many industries, how will the glass supply chain fare in 2013?
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As Chinese thirst for energy continues unabated, its shale oil and gas potential, liberated by hydraulic fracturing (fracking), would appear to be the ideal solution. But, as Vasili Nicoletopoulos asks, how will it overcome numerous legislative, political and environmental concerns?
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Increased regulation and cost pressures mean that more than ever companies are looking to see which products better suit them. Siobhan Lismore looks at the industrial minerals used in wastewater treatment, with particular emphasis on magnesium hydroxide and lime, and speaks to key figures about how the market is progressing
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Could shale gas provide the answer to global energy concerns? There are vast untapped resources in Europe, but fracking, the controversial method of extraction, could prove to be the stumbling block as Vasili Nicoletopoulos* explains
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According to the latest US Geological Survey data, Wisconsin ranked third in total US industrial silica sand production at 3.39m tonnes in 2010, accounting for 11.3%, after Illinois and Texas. But within the silica sand sector, the state is leading in frac sand production.
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While the dip in construction has hit sales of glass fibre, the move towards increasing energy efficiency has maintained strong global demand.
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There are three main sectors for production of ceramics in the world: porcelain/tableware, sanitaryware and tiles. In all of these markets, China is the world’s leading producer and consumer and it is just the global ceramic tiles sector that will be considered in the following.
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High purity silica and quartz development is very much on the agenda for Saudi Arabia. IM reports on silica matters seen and heard in Jeddah
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The US shale gas revolution is causing a new gold rush in fracking fluid feedstock such as frac sand and ceramic proppants. But what is unconventional drilling? And can the boom be sustained for much longer?
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Supplying the oilfield market is not for the faint-hearted, with the need to have 24/7 ability to cope with sudden changes in delivery schedules or requirements.
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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
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These days, tile adhesives are a complicated mixture of additives, chemicals and fillers, each playing a crucial part in the adhesive performance. But, as Ed Hiam explains, traditional materials such as industrial minerals still play a key role in this evolving market
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A healthy resurgence for metal casting in 2011 is spurring demand for foundry raw materials, but producers are struggling to supply niche minerals as stocks dwindle
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In just over 25 years, China’s sanitaryware industry has grown more than 2,000% to 174.1m. pieces. Eileen Hao and Ian Wilson outline the country’s main producers and examine growth challenges for the future
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The Rainbow Nation has significant mineral resources but will have to go through transformation to make the most of them
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One of the first markets to be dramatically impacted by the financial downturn, the glass industry slowly starts cracking the window to recovery in Europe but pre-crisis levels are still far away
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Strong government support is seeing increased development of Vietnam’s key mineral resources, but red tape threatens to hold back over-eager foreign investors
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The final addition to a ceramic body before firing, glaze controls the physical appearance and structural resilience of the ceramic piece. Here some of the key glaze minerals are reviewed
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Automotive markets are giving foundries the drive they need to recover from recession, but western foundries will have to tap into specialised products to compete with developing countries’ heavy industries
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Dolomite, fluorspar and lime flux producers breathe a sigh of relief as an upswing begins in the aluminium and steel market cycles
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After a year of depressed oil and gas prices, North American gas exploration is tentatively fuelling a pick up in proppant demand. But how will US producers react to proposed legislation that seeks to further regulate drilling?
by Jessica Roberts, Assistant Editor
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Demand for mineral wool remains stable despite a slumping construction market as government global warming strategies call for ever more efficient insulation products, Alison Russell reports
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One ray of sunshine in the current economic climate is the photovoltaic cell (PV) market, which is growing year on year. Certain industrial minerals used in specific PV applications, such as silicon carbide and fused silica, are already seeing growth in demand. Alison Russell reviews the state of the industry and its future prospects
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Seeking Saudi mineral potential: A shift in national policy to diversify into non-oil resources has prompted domestic development and overseas interest in Saudi Arabia’s considerable wealth of untapped industrial minerals
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IM reports on the 4th High Performance Fillers for Polymer Composites conference, held 4-5 March 2009 in Barcelona, Spain, covering market outlook, new filler grades, plus developments in nanofillers and mineral processing
by Jessica Roberts, Assistant Editor
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Mathias Trojosky of Allgaier Process Technology discusses the pros and cons of rotary drum versus fluidised bed drying techniques
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An abrasives market focus: opportunities have opened up for certain types of abrasive products, especially superabrasives in specific markets. Alison Russell reviews minerals used as abrasives and examines consumption trends within the industry.
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Murray Lines reports on the 32nd ASEAN Glass Conference held 7-10 October 2008 in Borneo. Amongst topics and trends covered was the outlook for glass packaging, central to glass minerals’ prospects in the Asia Pacific region
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A report on the 16th Functional Fillers conference organised by Intertech-Pira, held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on 22-24 September 2008, and comprised 16 papers spread over four sessions, plus optional seminars on plastic fillers selection and flame retardants.
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Innovations are expanding markets for mineral use in
plastics, demand for which is forecast to rise in the long
term. Alison Russell reviews trends in plastics usage and
end markets, and industrial mineral consumption
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Murray Lines examines the main glass minerals and highlights trends in the rapidly expanding Asia Pacific market, dominated by China.
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Oilfield Minerals Supplement: Understanding frac sand API
specifications is key to assessing which deposits have potential. As Misty Dobbins explains, the next step is to consider what mother nature has provided, and determine if processing techniques can be used to meet those specifications laid out by the API
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Oilfield Minerals Supplement: Continuing high demand for frac sand has prompted the search for potential new sources of supply. Here we feature two new players in Nebraska and Manitoba
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As Spain looks to rebuild its construction industry, how are Catalan processers, Lorda Y Roig SA, staying a float on this downward market? Kwok W Wan, Assistant Editor, paid a visit to find out.
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Major redevelopment projects in Afghanistan are placing large demands on the minerals industry, which is struggling to keep pace. Clive Mitchell and Antony Benham report on the revival of the country’s industrial minerals industry
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