China files appeal to WTO on Canada’s tariffs on EVs, metal products

Reuters | October 3, 2024 |

Entrance of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 

headquarters in Geneva. Stock image.

China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday it has asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to rule on Canada’s imposition of steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles as well as steel and aluminum products.


Following the lead of the United States and European Union, Canada began imposing on Tuesday a 100% levy on EVs shipped from China, having also announced in late August a 25% tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum products.

“China has raised a litigation to the WTO over Canada’s unilateral and trade protectionist measures, and will conduct anti-discriminatory probe into these restrictive measures,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry repeated its strong opposition to the tariffs, which it says will “disrupt and distort global industrial and supply chain.”

(By Chen Aizhu; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

Canada to hit Chinese steel and aluminum with tariffs on Oct. 22

Bloomberg News | October 1, 2024 


Canada published a list of dozens of Chinese steel and aluminum products on which it will place a 25% tariff, starting in three weeks.


The tariffs, which were announced in August alongside a 100% levy on Chinese-made electric vehicles, bring Canada’s trade policy closer to that of its closest allies — and aims to shelter domestic producers from lower-cost products made in Asia’s largest economy.

“We are moving in lockstep with key international partners to protect Canadian workers and businesses in our steel and aluminum sectors from China’s intentional, state-directed policy of overcapacity and oversupply,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a news release.

The tariffs will apply to a long list of items including ingots, coils, wires, bars and rods. Goods that are already in transit on Oct. 22 will be exempt.

The government said it plans to review the measures within the next year, at which point they may be extended or “supplemented by additional measures.”

Canada, an economy that relies heavily on trade with the US, has been closely monitoring the Biden administration’s moves against Chinese EVs, batteries, solar cells, steel and other products.

Canada’s surtax on electric vehicles takes effect Tuesday and includes certain hybrid passenger automobiles, trucks, buses and delivery vans.

(By Erik Hertzberg)

Ghana’s wildcat gold mining booms, poisoning people and nature

Reuters | October 7, 2024 

Gold exploration in Ghana.

 (Image: Screenshot from AlJazeera’s documentary.)

By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila


PRESTEA-HUNI VALLEY, Ghana – At an unlicensed gold mine in Ghana, men in t-shirts, shorts and rubber boots wade through pools of muddy water laced with mercury, pull out rocks with bare hands and operate a rickety sluice as they search for the precious ore.

The ramshackle mine is part of a booming business that is generating livelihoods and informal revenue streams for Ghana’s economy, even as it harms miners’ health, pollutes waterways, destroys forests and cocoa farms, and fuels crime.

“It’s risky but I just want to survive,” said one of the men at the wildcat site visited by Reuters in the Prestea-Huni Valley district in western Ghana.

The 24-year-old accounting student, who asked not to be named because he was involved in illegal activities, said he had been skipping classes to prospect for gold because he needed the money, having lost his father as a teenager.

There was no professional protective equipment at the mine. Men wore flimsy plastic shopping bags on their heads. One had swimming goggles and another a rice bag covering his torso.

The unlicensed gold mining industry, known in Ghana as “galamsey”, has grown at a breakneck pace this year as global gold prices have risen by almost 30%, enticing new entrants.

Small-scale mines produced 1.2 million ounces of gold in the first seven months of this year, more than in the whole of 2023, according to data from Ghana’s mining sector regulator.

About 40% of Ghana’s total gold output comes from small mines, as opposed to concessions operated by multi-national firms. Some 70-80% of the small mines are unlicensed.
Poisoned profits

Martin Ayisi, head of Ghana’s Minerals Commission, the mining industry regulator, said most galamsey gold was smuggled out of the country and was therefore not contributing to national gold export revenues.

For Ayisi, the rise in gold prices is good for Ghana, helping it recover from a severe economic crisis in 2022 that required a $3-billion IMF bailout.

“We should be able to get a lot of money and probably exit the IMF programme earlier,” he said, forecasting national gold export revenues would more than double to $10 billion this year.

But industry experts say the lines between legal mining and galamsey are blurred, and gold from informal mines represents a larger proportion of revenues than the authorities acknowledge.

The dangers of galamsey, however, are not in dispute.

Dozens of miners have been killed in collapsing pits in recent years, according to news reports and human rights groups, while hospitals and health centres report high numbers of early deaths from pulmonary diseases of miners and residents of towns and villages near mines.


These are caused by inhaling dust that contains heavy metals such as lead, as well as poisonous fumes from the mercury and nitric acid the miners use to leach gold out of sediment.

The chemicals are then dumped on the ground or in rivers. Ghana’s water authority says mercury and heavy metals from mining have contaminated about 65% of water sources.

Meanwhile, thousands of hectares (acres) of cocoa plantations and virgin forest have been destroyed by illegal miners, according to data from Global Forest Watch, an online monitoring platform.

Protesters have taken to the streets in Accra in recent weeks to criticise President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government over what they saw as its failure to tackle these problems. “Leaders, you’ve failed us!” read some of the placards.

“Galamsey has to stop. We want to live long. We don’t want to fall sick. We don’t want to go to the hospital,” said Aboubacar Sadekh, who was taking part in a march on Sept. 22, draped in a Ghanaian flag.

The government denies that it is failing to act on galamsey. When he came to power in 2017, Akufo-Addo pledged to take action on the issue, and during his time in office the government has launched crackdowns, deploying soldiers to arrest illegal miners. In some cases, mining equipment was seized and destroyed.
Organised crime

Opinion polls suggest galamsey is one of the top five issues for voters ahead of a Dec. 7 general election.

The main candidates to replace outgoing Akufo-Addo as president, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Mahama, have pledged to formalise galamsey, for example by funding a state agency to explore for gold and map areas for locals to mine.

But successive governments have been promising for years to tackle the problem without making much headway, partly because powerful people are benefitting from the industry, experts say.

Chris Aston, head of a British-backed programme aimed at regulating small-scale gold mining in Ghana, said artisanal miners were vulnerable to organised crime gangs, who provide them with funding for equipment up-front, unlike other lenders.

“Miner pre-financing is one way that organised crime groups can penetrate the gold supply chain,” he said. Funders then “require miners to sell the gold they mine back to them at a subsidised rate”.

Emmanuel Kwesi Anning, a security consultant based in Accra, said galamsey was fuelling an increase in gun-trafficking because those overseeing illegal mines sought armed protection against rivals or thieves.

He also said politicians and traditional rulers in some areas were taking a cut of galamsey profits, further entrenching the problem.

“It has become an elite consensus that they’ll not touch this business.”

Ghana’s information minister did not respond to requests for comments on the allegations of organised crime involvement, gun running and corruption.

A top official in the National Security Ministry, who did not wish to be named because they were not authorised to speak about the issue in public, said authorities were working to address the links between illegal mining, money laundering and gun trafficking.

(Reporting by Maxwell Akalaare AdombilaEditing by Estelle Shirbon and Frances Kerry)

Ghanaians call on government to shut down all illegal gold mines

Bloomberg News | October 4, 2024 |

Ghanaian policemen observe some ore seized on pits operated by artisanal gold miners to verify the presence of visible gold. Stock image.

Hundreds of Ghanaians have called on their government to clamp down on illegal mining in Africa’s top gold producer in a second day of protests.


Placard-wielding demonstrators had called on Thursday for the release of fellow protesters who were arrested in an earlier march. On Friday, their demands focused on the need to crack down on illegal mining that’s blamed for polluting rivers and soils in the West African nation. A last day of protests is planned Saturday.

“This is not a crisis but a fight for our nation’s soul,” Brownson Adatsi, the lead convener for the Free The Citizens Movement, said, reading out a petition in the capital, Accra. “Our children’s future is at stake, and we cannot, and will not stand by while our nation is ravaged by greed and negligence.”

Gold is a mainstay of the Ghanaian economy, accounting for nearly half of exports in 2023, according to central bank data. Large-scale miners such as Newmont Corp. and Gold Fields Ltd. have to adhere to strict environmental rules, but a thriving artisanal and small-scale mining industry is less regulated. Within the small-mining space, authorities concede that a large number of mines operate illegally, which means there’s no oversight over their activities.

Known as ‘galamsey’, a colloquialism originating from the phrase “gather them and sell,” illegal mining has been spreading with impunity, according to activists.

Unions are also putting pressure on the government to act, with just two months left before Dec. 7 presidential elections.

The incumbent, Nana Akufo-Addo, met with the country’s biggest labor union, Trades Union Congress, Thursday, the presidency said in a statement. The closed-door meeting came after the union announced it would be embarking on an indefinite strike from Oct. 10 to demand a ban on all forms of small-scale gold mining. A spokesman for the union couldn’t immediately be reached for comment about the outcome of that meeting Friday.

Artisanal and small-scale mining sector, officially accounts for about a third of Ghana’s gold production, but not all of it is illegal.

For many, ‘artisanal and small-scale’ still conjures images of people eking out a living using rudimentary tools, like chisels to break ore or pans to scoop up gold-bearing sediments. But there’s been an increased use of large excavation machinery and dredging equipment. Some of these machines are used near rivers and forests – and even inside them – and there’s no effort made to rehabilitate mining sites after excavation when operations are illegal. That’s left soils and rivers polluted, causing disease and water shortages.

“There’s no small-scale mining anymore,” one of the placards read.

(By Yinka Ibukun)

GLOBAL ATOMIC PROVIDES UPDATE ON THE DASA  URANIUM  MINE PROJECT IN NIGER

Oct 03, 2024, 18:00 ET


TORONTO, Oct. 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Global Atomic Corporation ("Global Atomic" or the "Company"), (TSX: GLO) (OTCQX: GLATF) (FRANKFURT: G12) is pleased to provide an update on its Dasa Project in the Republic of Niger. Dasa is the highest-grade uranium deposit in Africa currently under development, only surpassed by grades found in Canada's Athabasca Basin and is scheduled to achieve commercial production in early 2026.

PROJECT FINANCING

Debt financing discussions with a U.S. development bank are progressing with confirmation of the approval schedule expected in October 2024. The bank continues to voice support of the project and its intention to approve a debt facility for US$295 million, which will cover 60% of the planned project costs. Of the remaining 40% of the project funding, the Company has already invested approximately US$120 million.

Global Atomic is also in discussions with parties regarding potential joint venture investment and other financing solutions.

The extension of the expiry date of certain common share purchase warrants from September 17, 2024 to December 31, 2024, was announced on September 13, 2024. This extension is expected subject to final TSX approval.

SITE UPDATE – PROCESSING PLANT

The camp at Dasa has been expanding in phases to support the approximately 450 employees and contractors currently at the site, as well as the workforce expansion to 900 during the height of construction next year. A 60-person housing facility is nearing completion. Earthworks for the next camp phase to house 250 people are complete, and civils are now underway.

Earthworks for the Acid Plant is nearing completion. The local earthworks contractor will next move to prepare the site for the crusher with the SAG mill location to follow.

Processing plant equipment is beginning to arrive at site, beginning with components of the acid plant that were shipped through Nigeria. A video was recently posted on the Company's website (https://globalatomiccorp.com/Operations/Uranium/Photos-and-Videos/default.aspx) highlighting the remaining major components of the acid plant that have been built in India and are now ready for shipment.

SITE UPDATE – MINING

Mining activities at Dasa are advancing on several fronts. Having exceeded 1,200 meters of mine development, our Niger team, which operates under the SOMIDA company banner, has already brought 10,000 tonnes of development ore to surface and is segregating the mineralized material into low, medium and high-grade stockpiles, which will be used for plant commissioning at the end of 2025. The ramp to the ore body has been fully paved and the next phase of underground development is now underway.

To extend the mine development further the ventilation system is being expanded and the boring of a Main Fresh Air Raise is underway and now over 90% complete.

The mining team has not had a lost time incident since mining began 779 days ago. The Dasa workforce is approximately 98% Nigerien, including both experienced miners from a former underground mining operation, as well as local unskilled labour who are going through the Company training and mentorship program.

MINE PLAN UPDATE

The current Mine Plan announced on March 5, 2024, is projected to produce 68.1 million pounds of Yellowcake over a 23-year period starting in 2026. The Mine Plan is based on throughput of 1,000 tonnes per day, however, the plant has been designed to handle up to 1,200 tonnes per day. An updated Mine Plan with higher production rates is scheduled for completion in Q4 2024.

President and CEO of Global Atomic, Stephen Roman, stated, "We continue to make excellent progress at the Dasa Project site as we complete site preparation for civil works to begin and installation of the Acid Plant as the first major component of the Dasa Processing Plant."

"Recent high-level inter-government discussions about the re-opening of the Niger/Benin border have been positive and we are hopeful for a near-term resolution. In addition, as the Niger Government is keen on supporting new projects in the Country, a committee with representatives from several key government ministries is being formed to expedite the resolution of any outstanding issues that may arise relating to mining, finance, transportation and labour within Niger."

"Meanwhile the uranium market continues to heat up with higher spot prices this week. The long-term outlook for uranium demand is accelerating as announcements to expand the number of nuclear power reactors planned and approved proliferate. In September, we attended the World Nuclear Association Symposium in London, which for the first time was sold out. While there, we held successful update meetings with numerous utilities from across the globe which resulted in the initiation of several active contract discussions for Yellowcake supply from the Dasa Project."

"Two recent announcements illustrate the growth in uranium demand:Microsoft and U.S. utility giant Constellation Energy have agreed to a long-term deal wherein Microsoft has agreed to purchase all the power from Constellation's 880MW Three Mile Island (TMI) reactor over a 20-year period at prices of US$100 per MWh to power Microsoft's data centers. This deal calls for a restart of TMI Unit 1 by 2028 and an investment of US$1.6B by Constellation Energy.
The COP28 goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050, has now garnered funding support from some of the world's largest financial institutions, which is expected to accelerate the demand for uranium and the need for new greenfield projects such as our advanced Dasa Project. This has significantly improved our options for the final funding of our project."

Please visit our website www.globalatomiccorp.com for the latest site development photos and videos.

About Global Atomic

Global Atomic Corporation (www.globalatomiccorp.com) is a publicly listed company that provides a unique combination of high-grade uranium mine development and cash-flowing zinc concentrate production.

The Company's Uranium Division is currently developing the fully permitted, large, high grade Dasa Deposit, discovered in 2010 by Global Atomic geologists through grassroots field exploration. The "First Blast Ceremony" occurred on November 5, 2022, and commissioning of the processing plant is scheduled for Q1, 2026. Global Atomic has also identified 3 additional uranium deposits in Niger that will be advanced with further assessment work.

Global Atomic's Base Metals Division holds a 49% interest in the Befesa Silvermet Turkey, S.L. (BST) Joint Venture, which operates a modern zinc recycling plant, located in Iskenderun, Türkiye. The plant recovers zinc from Electric Arc Furnace Dust (EAFD) to produce a high-grade zinc oxide concentrate which is sold to zinc smelters around the world. The Company's joint venture partner, Befesa Zinc S.A.U. (Befesa) holds a 51% interest in and is the operator of the BST Joint Venture. Befesa is a market leader in EAFD recycling, with approximately 50% of the European EAFD market and facilities located throughout Europe, Asia and the United States of America.

The information in this release may contain forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to completion of any financings; Global Atomics' development potential and timetable of its operations, development and exploration assets; Global Atomics' ability to raise additional funds necessary; the future price of uranium; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; conclusions of economic evaluation; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production, development and exploration; cost of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; currency exchange rates; government regulation of mining operations; and environmental and permitting risks. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "is expected", "estimates", variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "will begin", "will include", "are expected", "occur" or "be achieved". All information contained in this news release, other than statements of current or historical fact, is forward-looking information. Statements of forward-looking information are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Global Atomic to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those risks described in the annual information form of Global Atomic and in its public documents filed on SEDAR from time to time.

Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date such statements are made. Although management of Global Atomic has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to be materially different from those forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. Global Atomic does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities law. Readers should also review the risks and uncertainties sections of Global Atomics' annual and interim MD&As.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy and accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE Global Atomic Corporation

GEMOLOGY

Angola diamonds not under sanctions but Russia link is obstacle

Bloomberg News | October 4, 2024 | 

Rough diamonds on a grader’s table. (Image courtesy of Alrosa.)

Angola’s state-owned diamond producer said some clients were deterred by its partnership with Russia’s Alrosa PJSC, but underlined that its output doesn’t fall under western sanctions.


Russian diamond giant Alrosa holds a 41% stake in Angola’s Catoca operation, which also owns just over half of the Luele mine. The southern African nation’s Endiama Mining SA owns a majority of both the mines and has made management changes to shore up its control, according to chief executive officer José Ganga Júnior.

“The diamonds we have in Angola are ours,” Ganga Júnior said in an interview in the country’s capital Luanda.

However, Angola “occasionally encounters difficulties” with clients in certain markets because of Alrosa’s stake in the mines, the CEO said. Ganga Júnior declined to say whether Angola was under pressure to oust Alrosa from Catoca. “Alrosa has no interference in Angola’s operations,” he said.

Group of Seven nations agreed to ban Russian diamond imports from the start of this year to curb the Kremlin’s ability to fund its invasion of Ukraine. The ban initially covered all imports of rough diamonds directly from Russia, but was extended from March to include stones processed in third countries. Alrosa is also sanctioned by the US and European Union.

To comply with G-7 sanctions, Endiama must set up a system to track and identify the diamonds that originate in its mines, Ganga Júnior said.

A diamond’s origin is clear at the start of the supply chain when it is issued a certificate under the Kimberley Process, which was designed to end the sale of so-called blood diamonds that financed wars. But after that, the stones can become difficult to track.

Alrosa helped establish both the Catoca and Luele mines, and still receives revenue from both operations. However, those funds are held in Angola and can’t currently be repatriated to Russia.

Russia said earlier this year that Alrosa may sell its Angolan interests as its partners believe the investment is preventing Catoca’s development, according to Interfax.

In May, Angola’s Minerals and Petroleum Minister Diamantino Azevedo said the country’s long-time partnership with Alrosa had become “toxic.”

Russia’s state-controlled Alrosa vies with Anglo American Plc’s De Beers as the world’s biggest diamond producer.

(By Candido Mendes)

Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine in Canada begins underground production

The mine has transitioned its A21 underground mine into commercial production upon completion of Phase 1.

October 4, 2024

Rio Tinto is preparing for the eventual closure of the Diavik mine. 

Credit: EgolenaHK/Shutterstock.

Rio Tinto has announced the commencement of commercial production at Phase 1 of the A21 underground mine, part of Diavik Diamond Mine operations in the Northwest Territories of Canada.

The company has invested an additional $17m (£12.91m) into Phase 2 of the A21 underground project earlier this year, ensuring the mine’s productivity through to its planned closure.

The construction phase of the A21 underground mine involved the excavation of more than 1,800m of tunnels to access the diamond-bearing ore.

As Rio Tinto prepares for the eventual closure of the Diavik mine, it continues to invest in reclamation activities.

These efforts include earthworks, site clean-up and equipment procurement, demonstrating the company’s dedication to responsible mining practices and environmental stewardship.
See Also:US and India sign MOU to strengthen critical minerals supply chains
Northstar and Novamera to ‘surgically mine’ Cam Copper site in Ontario

Diavik Diamond Mine chief operating officer Matt Breen said: “The A21 underground operation is positive news for our employees, partners, suppliers and local communities in the Northwest Territories, as it will enable operations to continue through to closure.

“Rio Tinto’s decision to proceed with Phase 2 is a testament to the excellent performance of our Diavik team in successfully developing the underground mine beneath the previously mined A21 open pit.”

Last year, Rio Tinto announced plans to move forward with a $40m expansion at the Diavik mine, transitioning the existing A21 open pit into an underground operation, which will extend the mine’s life until at least early 2026.

Phase one below A21 is expected to produce an additional 1.4 million carats while the second phase would produce a further 800,000 carats of rough diamonds.

The Diavik mine has produced more than 144 million carats of rough diamonds since mining began in 2003.

Rio Tinto Launches 'Colour Awakened' Collection Featuring Historic Argyle Diamonds

Rio Tinto has unveiled its 2024 Beyond Rare tender, an extraordinary offering titled 'Colour Awakened'. This marks the second instalment in Rio Tinto’s prestigious Art Series, showcasing 48 lots of rare diamonds from its historic Argyle diamond mine and Diavik diamond mine

diamond world news service
03 Oct 2024

The collection is headlined by seven “Old Masters,” a set of historic pink and red diamonds unearthed from the Argyle mine in Western Australia, which operated from 1983 to 2020. These diamonds, ranging in size from 0.60 to 2.63 carats, have been carefully retrieved from private vaults, with some discovered as far back as 1987. Each diamond has been meticulously selected for its historical significance and exceptional beauty.

“No other mining company in the world has custody of such a kaleidoscope of coloured diamonds,” said Sinead Kaufman, chief executive of Rio Tinto Minerals, in a statement celebrating the launch.

Alongside the Old Masters, the Art Series 02 includes legacy pink, red, and violet diamonds from the Argyle mine, as well as white and yellow diamonds from Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine in Canada. In total, the collection comprises 76 diamonds weighing 39.44 carats, including one Fancy Red diamond, a Fancy Purplish Red diamond, and a unique set featuring a 2.47-carat Fancy Intense Yellow diamond and a 4.04-carat D colour diamond from Diavik.

“Four years on from the closure of the Argyle mine, our Beyond Rare Tender platform is a testimony to the enduring prestige of the Argyle Pink Diamonds brand, the quality of production from our Diavik mine, and the ongoing demand for highly collectable natural diamonds,” added Kaufman.

The 48 lots will be showcased in key global cities, including London, Australia, Singapore, and Belgium, with bids closing on November 18.

This tender represents a rare opportunity for collectors and investors to acquire some of the most coveted natural diamonds ever produced, cementing the legacy of Rio Tinto’s historic mines.

Iron-Rich Volcanoes Hold Hidden Rare Earth Element Reserves

Experiments show how concentrations of rare earth elements, critical to the green energy transition, might be hiding in plain sight in iron-rich deposits around the world.

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier

4 October 2024

EOS

El Laco in Chile is an iron-rich volcano complex and also a source of rare earth elements. Credit: Daniel P. Gauer /Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Volcanoes that are rich in iron might be prime locations to find high concentrations of rare earth elements. Recent lab experiments have demonstrated that when iron-rich magmas experience volcanic pressures and temperatures, the resulting iron oxide-apatite (IOA) deposit separates into two unmixable melts, one of which is highly enriched in rare earth elements (REEs).

“The rare earth element contents can be close to 200 times higher than in the silicate-rich melts,” said Shengchao Yan, a doctoral student at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Geology and Geophysics and lead researcher on the new experiments.

The research, which was published in Geochemical Perspectives Letters, supports the idea that deposits of iron oxide and apatite, an iron-phosphate mineral mined globally for its iron, could be rich targets for REE exploration.

Not Rare, but Hard to Mine

Rare earth elements, the lanthanide series as well as yttrium and scandium, are key to a green energy transition because they are required for producing electric vehicle and wind turbine magnets, solar panels, and storage batteries. With the growing need to address the climate crisis, economies around the world face an increasing demand for REEs.

Rare earth elements, marked here, are key to developing clean energy at scale. Credit: 2012rc via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

But supply is hard to come by. Despite the name, REEs are not rare. These metals exist around the world but are often found in small concentrations or are locked in other minerals. This makes REE extraction economically and environmentally unsustainable for most countries. Currently, 63% of the world’s REE mining occurs in China.

However, rocks enriched in REEs have been found unexpectedly at iron mines in Kiruna, Sweden; El Laco, Chile; and elsewhere. The enrichment makes those REEs easier to extract.

These mines are sited on extinct iron-rich volcanoes that have large IOA deposits.


“In many cases when we find rare earth elements or metals in general, we find them by accident.”

“In many cases when we find rare earth elements or metals in general, we find them by accident,” explained Michael Anenburg, an experimental petrologist at Australian National University in Canberra and a coauthor of the new research. “Those mines are mining iron oxide. They’re mining magnetite. They never looked [to see] if they even have any rare earth elements.”

The discovery of concentrated REEs inside IOA deposits has prompted mining experts and geologists to ask, “Is that just by accident, or is there something about those magmas that make them like that?” Anenburg said.

To explore the possible conditions under which the REEs became separated out and concentrated in the IOA deposits, the researchers subjected magmatic mixtures to volcanic pressures and temperatures in the laboratory. They observed that under those conditions, the magmas separated into two unmixable, or immiscible, components: an iron phosphate (FeP) melt and a silicate melt.

The REEs concentrated more strongly in the iron phosphate melt than in the silicate-rich melt, Yan said, and lighter REEs concentrated more strongly than the heavier ones. The FeP melt was enriched in lanthanum, the lightest of the lanthanide series, about 200 times more than the silicate was, and lutetium, the heaviest lanthanide, was enriched about 100 times more. (Yttrium and scandium, the lightest nonlanthanide REEs, inexplicably did not follow this trend.)

Untapped Potential

Although these experiments are not the first to show that IOAs are rich in rare earth elements, they can help geologists understand one mechanism by which these melts become enriched.

Kiruna Iron Mine in Sweden is the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. 

Credit: Andriy Baranskyy, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Overall, I think it’s a fantastically useful contribution and sheds important light on the debated process of IOA genesis and in particular the process and extent of REE enrichment in this enigmatic class of deposits,” Tobias Keller, a computational geochemist at the University of Glasgow in Scotland who was not involved with the research, wrote in an email.

These experiments add weight to the hypothesis of a volcanic origin for IOA deposits, Keller explained, and provide “important confirmation that REE partitioning between such immiscible liquid pairs strongly favors the FeP-rich melt.” This research helps explain the occurrence of REE-enriched apatite in Kiruna, Sweden, Keller added. But just how these distinct melts form separate bodies of iron-rich magnetite and REE-rich apatite is still a mystery, he wrote.

The iron-rich volcanoes upon which IOA deposits are found are now extinct, Yan noted. By modeling iron-rich volcanoes throughout their evolution, he said he hopes to explore how REE enrichment may have changed over Earth’s history.


“We can try to find the optimal formation conditions of the deposits, so people can reduce or narrow down the exploration location of these deposits.”

“We can try to find the optimal formation conditions of the deposits, so people can reduce or narrow down the exploration location of these deposits,” Yan said.

“Rare earth elements are critical metals,” Anenburg said. A country might not need a large supply now, but global demand will only continue to grow. Knowing whether an active iron mine might also be an untapped source of REEs could pay dividends in the future.

“It’s a win-win,” he said, “because the company gets more value out of the stuff they’re mining anyway. And then the environment wins, because we don’t need to put a new hole in the ground.”

—Kimberly M. S. Cartier (@AstroKimCartier), Staff Writer

Burkina Faso plans to withdraw some mining permits, junta leader says

Reuters | October 5, 2024 | 

Flag of Burkina Faso on military uniform. (Image: Adobe Stock)

Burkina Faso plans to withdraw mining permits from some foreign companies and will seek to produce more of its own gold, junta leader Ibrahim Traore said on Saturday, without specifying which permits could be cancelled.


“We know how to mine our gold and I don’t understand why we’re going to let multinationals come and mine it,” Traore said in a radio address to mark two years since he seized power in a coup.

“In fact, we are going to withdraw mining permits,” he said. He did not specify which permits or provide further detail.

Gold is the main export of the West African country, where frustration over a long-running security crisis helped bring the junta to power in 2022. Since then, it has severed longstanding ties with Western allies and sought closer relations with Russia.

London-listed Endeavour Mining, Australia-based West African Resources, Russia’s Nordgold, and Canada’s Orezone Gold Corporation operate in Burkina Faso.

Operations have been complicated by growing insecurity. Despite the junta promising to contain groups linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State, the country saw a severe escalation of deadly attacks in 2023, with more than 8,000 people reportedly killed, according to US-based crisis-monitoring group ACLED.

(By Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Jason Neely)

World’s top uranium miner votes on returning to nuclear power

Bloomberg News | October 5, 2024 |

Skyline of Astana (now Nur-Sultan), capital of Kazakhstan

. Credit: Adobe Stock

Voters in Kazakhstan will decide on Sunday whether to allow construction of a nuclear power plant amid worries over the environmental impact as well as the potential reliance on the Central Asian nation’s two giant neighbors — China and Russia — for technology.


While the country is the world’s largest uranium miner, it hasn’t used nuclear generation since 1999 and last year faced a power deficit stemming in part from emergency shutdowns at old plants and a jump in energy intensive crypto mining. The shortfall has led to temporary declines in oil output and constraints on industrial development.


President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called the referendum with the aim of demonstrating public support for nuclear power generation. The government has been wary of any hint of unrest after deadly riots roiled the nation in early 2022. That spurred him to hold the only other national referendum since he was handed the presidency by Kazakhstan’s long-time ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019, which was largely seen as dismantling parts of his predecessor’s legacy.

“Holding this referendum is a way for the Tokayev administration to legitimize a decision to build it seems to have already taken,” said George Voloshin, a Paris-based analyst at ACAMS, an anti-financial crime body.

The project has stoked fears among some voters that it could increase dependence on Russia or China, which both build reactors and cooperate with Kazakhstan on other nuclear projects. Concerns about the potential impact of corruption on construction standards and the risk of environmental damage down the road have also resonated in the world’s largest landlocked country, which was the site for nuclear bomb tests during the Soviet era.

Kazakhstan is seeking to expand power generation to 26.5 gigawatts by 2035, including 2.4 gigawatts from nuclear sources, according to emailed data from the Energy Ministry. The nation of about 20 million people had a power capacity of 20.4 gigawatts as of Jan. 1, the ministry said.

Tokayev urged support for the project, which he said would be the largest in the country since the Soviet Union, in a speech to regional lawmakers on Thursday. “It will ensure sustainable progress for our country for decades to come,” he said.

China National Nuclear Corp, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Russia’s Rosatom Corp and Electricite de France SA were on a list of possible builders, according to a presentation from the Energy Ministry.

The referendum allows the authorities to “transfer responsibility for the decision to the people,” said Dosym Satpayev, director of the Almaty-based Risk Assessment Group. There’s a big fear of protests, he said.

The nation had a 1.5 gigawatt power deficit last fall and winter, according to the Energy Ministry. Kazakhstan covers the shortfall by buying electricity from Russia.

“With or without the nuclear plant, the problem of looming energy deficits as well as rapidly aging energy infrastructure, most of which was built in Soviet times, will just not go away,” Voloshin said.

(By Nariman Gizitdinov)

Apache Tribe takes fight against Resolution Copper to US Supreme Court

Staff Writer | October 4, 2024 |

Resolution copper project in Arizona.

 (Image courtesy of Rio Tinto via Flickr.)

The San Carlos Apache Tribe is taking its longstanding fight against the Resolution Copper project to the US Supreme Court after the Arizona state court ruled in favour of the Rio Tinto-BHP joint venture.


This week, the Tribe asked the US Supreme Court to review an earlier decision by the Arizona Supreme Court to allow Resolution to discharge copper and other contaminants into Queen Creek. The project currently sits on federally owned Oak Flat Campground, a place the Apache consider home to deities.

The argument centers on whether the Resolution’s plan to construct what would be one of the largest copper mines in the world constitutes a “new source of pollution” under the Clean Water Act, or an “existing source.”

A “new source” determination would impose the most stringent Clean Water Act regulations on the proposed copper mine, and Resolution would need to prove to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) that Queen Creek could return to compliance with clean water standards even with additional discharges.

An “existing source” determination, however, would allow Resolution to discharge copper-contaminated water into Queen Creek without meeting the strongest protections under the Clean Water Act.

The ADEQ had previously treated Resolution as an “existing source”, and this was later affirmed by the Maricopa County Superior Court.

The Apache Tribe subsequently fought and won its case with the Arizona Court of Appeals in 2022.

However, the Arizona Supreme Court’s June 2024 decision sided with the ADEQ determination, giving Resolution a major win in its quest to mine the some 40 billion pounds of copper metal. The ruling, according to the court, was based Resolution’s plans to reuse a small number of tunnels and mineshafts that the Magma Copper Company constructed for a defunct mine that was exhausted in 1996.

In its statement, the Apache Tribe said the Arizona Supreme Court made “an egregious error” when it ruled that Resolution Copper could avoid meeting the most rigorous Clean Water Act regulations.

“It’s absurd to consider Resolution an existing source when most of Resolution’s mining operations have yet to be built and the copper lode is a mile underground and has never been mined,” Terry Rambler, the Tribe’s chairman, said.

“The Arizona Supreme Court twisted itself in knots to pretend Resolution’s mostly unbuilt mining operations somehow already exist,” he added.

In an emailed statement to Mining.com, a Resolution Copper spokesperson said this case does not present any question that merits US Supreme Court review. “In its unanimous decision, the Arizona Supreme Court engaged in a thorough and straightforward construction and application of the relevant regulation to reach the correct result, and we expect that ruling will stand,” the statement reads.

Meanwhile, in a separate petition, non-profit group Apache Stronghold is also asking the US Supreme Court to prevent the transfer of Oak Flat to Resolution, arguing that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects their right to worship at the sacred site.

The Resolution Copper project has faced numerous setbacks for years due to fierce opposition by the Apache Tribe. Once built, it would supply more than a quarter of America’s copper demand for decades.

Rio Tinto’ CEO recently said in a Bloomberg interview that the company is targeting first production by the end of this decade.

Australian mine fight reignites Aboriginal heritage tensions

Reuters | October 1, 2024 |

(Image courtesy of Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Aboriginal Corporation.)

Wiradjuri elder Nyree Reynolds calls her home west of Sydney the valley of the Bilabula, the Indigenous name for its river. The river features in Wiradjuri stories about the creation of their land, she told state planning regulators, “And no one has the right to destroy this.”


On her objections, the Australian government in August ordered miner Regis Resources to find a new dam site for a A$1 billion ($685 million) gold project on the grounds its proposed location for storing rock and chemical waste would irreparably harm culture attached to the river.

The decision by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek under a rarely used Aboriginal heritage protection law has stoked an outcry from mining groups who say Regis followed all legal processes and the decision raises sovereign risk for developers.

The government’s action adds to the uncertainty miners have faced since iron ore giant Rio Tinto legally destroyed ancient Aboriginal rock shelters at Juukan Gorge four years ago and raises the urgency to overhaul heritage protection laws.

Industry warns sovereign risk in Australia is rising

At least three other resources projects are facing review, like Regis did, under Section 10 of the law that allows Aboriginal people to apply to protect areas important to them when other legal avenues have failed.

“You can get all the state environmental approvals, all the federal environmental approvals and at the end of the process a Section 10, … essentially a federal minister can … make your project unviable,” said Warren Pearce, CEO of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies.

“That’s the definition of sovereign risk.”

While Reynolds objected to Regis’ mine, a local Aboriginal group representing Wiradjuri people, authorized by the state to speak for cultural heritage, had concluded that impacts from the project could be managed.

Regis said in August it is considering its legal options after writing down the value of its project by more than $100 million.

The decision on Regis’ project was the second by the government in as many months to back Indigenous groups over miners.

ERA, majority owned by mining giant Rio Tinto, is suing the government on procedural fairness grounds after it did not renew the miner’s exploration lease on uranium rich land.

Government officials and some investors say developers need to engage earlier and more deeply with Indigenous groups when planning projects, but new laws governing heritage protection that would assist the process are yet to arrive.

The government has not said when it expects to finalize the legislation. Only Western Australia has made some heritage reforms, leaving the industry relying on a patchwork of old state legislation to manage heritage protection at a time when Australia is marketing itself as a supplier of ethical metals.
Votes at stake

Resources projects with outstanding Section 10 objections include miner Bellevue Gold’s plan to dig under a desert lake and Woodside’s Scarborough natural gas project that will feed a gas plant in a region rich in ancient rock art that the government has nominated for a UNESCO World Heritage listing. Both projects are in Western Australia.

Regis Resources takes $130m writedown as gov’t call makes project unviable

But not all objections are equal when it comes to politics, especially with the centre-left Labor government facing an election in 2025.

Woodside is unlikely to face the same setback as Regis, said MST Marquee senior energy analyst Saul Kavonic, as the $12.5 billion Scarborough gas project is “extremely politically important to the Labor government in Western Australia”.

Plibersek’s office said it could not comment on the Scarborough project as the issue is under consideration.

Both Woodside and Bellevue said they take their responsibilities to manage Aboriginal cultural heritage seriously.

Bellevue said it has permission from the Tjiwarl native title group to dig under the lake as part of a heritage management plan.

The government’s action comes after it failed in a referendum last year that sought to give Indigenous Australians special recognition in the country’s constitution and an advisory voice to lawmakers.

Some people think the government is now acting to appease inner city east coast voters who backed the referendum and who may want to vote for the Greens rather than support mining.

“Here is a government trying to scramble to make itself look good, because it absolutely gutted the opportunity for us to have a voice in Parliament,” said Wonnarua man Scott Franks, who has filed three section 10s against developments in the state’s coal rich Hunter Valley region and lost them all.

When asked if she was catering to Green voters with her decision on Regis, Plibersek told reporters on Aug. 28 that she had consulted widely: “I made the decision based on facts.”

Australia’s minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said the government was working hard with Aboriginal groups on new heritage protection laws.

“The Australian government is deeply concerned about the destruction of First Nations heritage values anywhere in Australia,” McCarthy said in a statement to Reuters.
Tighter rules on the way

A key issue that needs to be addressed is to make clear exactly who developers need to consult to ensure projects do not harm important sites on the traditional lands or countries of Indigenous groups.

“Our whole objective is to remove this sort of uncertainty that people are dealing with to make it clear who speaks for the Country,” Plibersek told Australian Broadcasting Corp on Aug. 28.

Regis said it had consulted with 13 different groups and individuals during the permitting process.

“Regis takes its relationship with the Aboriginal stakeholders at our operations very seriously and conducted extensive engagement with Aboriginal parties from an early stage in the approvals process,” it said in a statement to Reuters.

To help miners manage consultations on protecting Aboriginal heritage while the rules are revised, the Responsible Investment Association Australasia, which counts 75% of the country’s institutional investors as members, worked with First Nations, the government and mining giant BHP on best practices.

“The current laws remain inadequate, which is why we need investors and corporates themselves to step up,” the association’s co-CEO, Estelle Parker, said.

Among its recommendations, the association urges miners to adhere to free, prior and informed consent that can be withdrawn at any time.

The guide is “ambitious and probably unrealistic”, law firm Ashurst said in a 2024 report, but it advised miners to get familiar with it.

“Be aware that change will come to Federal heritage laws. When it does, it will be closer to the expectations expressed in these recent publications than the current legal framework.”

($1 = 1.4601 Australian dollars)

(By Melanie Burton; Editing by Sonali Paul)

Mining industry needs $2.1 trillion in new investments by 2050 — BloombergNEF

Staff Writer | October 3, 2024


The mining industry will require $2.1 trillion in new investments by 2050 to meet the raw material demands of a net-zero emissions world, according to BloombergNEF’s (BNEF) annual Transition Metals Outlook.


Despite a decade of growth in metals supply, BNEF reports that current raw material availability remains insufficient to meet the rising demand.

The report highlights that critical energy transition metals, including aluminum, copper and lithium, could face supply deficits this decade — some as early as this year.

According to BNEF’s Economic Transition Scenario (ETS), which assumes no new policy support and is driven by the cost competitiveness of technologies, the world may need 3 billion tonnes of metals between 2024 and 2050 to support low-carbon solutions such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and electrolyzers. That figure could rise to 6 billion tonnes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Recycling could help alleviate some of the pressure, with BNEF predicting that output from secondary sources will become an integral part of the energy transition metals supply chain.

“Good government policies are crucial to the industry’s success. For batteries and stationary storage, governments need to establish collection networks, set recovery rate requirements, develop frameworks to trace individual cells, and provide guidelines for second-life battery management,” BNEF metals and mining associate Allan Ray Restauro said.


The pace of demand growth will vary across regions.

In China, for instance, consumption outpaced the global average between 2020 and 2023, but the country’s demand for energy transition metals is expected to peak in 2030. Southeast Asia is projected to become the fastest-growing market for these metals during the 2030s, according to BNEF’s ETS.


Read More: Lack of capital rises to top risk in EY mining survey

EY Survey Shows Capital As Top Mining Risk For 2025

By Sean Ashcroft
October 01, 2024

A reclaimer used to move stockpiles of crushed iron ore on a mine site.
Ernst & Young mining sector survey reveals the industry is experiencing capital allocation challenges against a backdrop of energy transition demands

Mining companies face mounting pressure to secure capital while meeting rising demand for minerals essential to the energy transition, according to a new survey by Ernst & Young (EY), the global professional services firm.

The survey, based on responses from 353 senior mining executives globally, identifies capital management as the primary business risk for the sector in 2025. This challenge emerges as companies navigate between growth requirements and investor expectations for capital discipline.

Lee Downham, Energy and Resources Lead at EY in the UK, says: "Capital has emerged as the number one risk for mining companies, signalling a need to shift gears."

Mining firms are encountering difficulties in raising funds despite increasing demand for critical minerals. The current economic climate has created a challenging environment for securing investment, the report says.

Investors now require mining companies to demonstrate stringent capital management practices while simultaneously developing strategies for future growth.
EY shows environmental stewardship the key issue

EY says environmental management has become a central focus for mining operations, reflecting heightened scrutiny from stakeholders and regulators.

The survey indicates that less than half of respondents express confidence in meeting environmental obligations, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the industry.

Members of the International Council on Mining and Metals, an international organisation dedicated to improving mining industry standards, have committed to environmental targets. This commitment encompasses biodiversity protection and water resource management.

The report also shows that mining companies are implementing green initiatives to align with investor expectations. These programmes aim to reduce environmental impact while maintaining operational efficiency.
EY mining risk assessment focuses on resource depletion

The industry faces significant challenges related to resource depletion, which appears as a new risk in the EY survey -- reflecting growing concerns about meeting future mineral demand.

Exploration costs, meanwhile, continue to rise, while new mineral discoveries become increasingly rare. This combination creates obstacles for mining companies seeking to replace depleting resources, EY says.

The report urges mining firms to overcome the multiple barriers they face to bring new projects online. These challenges include regulatory requirements, community expectations and technical complexities.

Waste management practices are receiving increased attention from investors. Mining companies are developing closed-loop processes to minimise waste production and maximise resource utilisation.




Mining's capital discipline impacts future growth plans

The requirement to maintain capital discipline while pursuing growth opportunities may lead to increased merger and acquisition activity within the mining sector.

Downham adds: "Miners must move from focusing solely on short-term returns to prioritising long-term value creation."

The survey methodology included responses from board members, C-suite executives and departmental leaders. All participating organisations reported annual revenue exceeding US$bn.

Downham concludes: "While they have a strong track record of capital discipline, it's now crucial to balance this with strategic investments that drive sustainable growth."

 

Dutch Advertising Standards Reprimands MSC Cruises for Environmental Claims

Environmental groups complained about MSC Cruises statements about LNG-fueled cruise ships and future fuel transition plans (MSC Cruises)

Published Oct 2, 2024 6:36 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

Environmental groups are continuing their efforts to limit the claims of the shipping industry and specifically cruise ships for what they believe are aggressive statements about the impact and progress of the ships in the efforts to decarbonize. The Dutch authority which regulates statements in advertising agreed in part with a filing made by three groups against MSC Cruises ordering the cruise line to remove some assertions from its advertising.

The Reclame Code Commissie which administers the advertising code in the Netherlands agreed with the groups that some of the statements about the use of liquified natural gas and milestones in the effort to achieve net zero by 2050 were possibly misleading to consumers and needed to be removed. The ruling bars the company from “showing off plans that are not concrete,” according to Fossielvrij NL (Fossil Free Netherlands) one of the three groups that filed the complaint. In addition, the cruise line is limited from presenting its two LNG-fueled cruise ships which are currently in service as “an important milestone in this journey,” according to the group.

The decision however rejected other claims from the groups about cruising not being environmentally friendly. The groups had demanded in an April 2024 filing that all cruise advertising be stopped. They contended that cruising was one of the least environmentally friendly forms of vacationing.

The groups, Fossil Free along with Advocates for the Future and Reclamejagers (Advertising Hunters) were emboldened in their efforts after winning a similar decision earlier this year regarding the advertising statements made by the Dutch airline KLM. They allege that the companies are part of a broader effort at “greenwashing” (the practice of using misleading statements to promote better environmental performance).

The filing pointed to MSC’s promotion of the two LNG-fueled cruise ships as using one of the cleanest marine fuels. The groups argue that much of the LNG is derived from fracking in the United States which they contend releases methane and is environmentally unfriendly.  

They also highlighted that MSC has 20 other cruise ships that continue to use traditional fuel oil. They argued in their filing that MSC says it is preparing to use bio- or synthetic LNG while those fuels are not yet available, or scalable, and that MSC would face competition for the limited supplies. The current methods to produce synthetic LNG they also allege are extremely energy intensive.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises told Bloomberg that the company has already enacted most of the recommendations of the advertising standards board. The decision however could have wider ramifications for more segments of the shipping industry and other businesses in how they present their efforts.

MSC Cruises is investing in a broad range of efforts as it plans the transition of its cruise fleet. They were among the first cruise lines to introduce large LNG-fueled cruise ships with the MSC World Europa (215,800 GT) in December 2022 and the MSC Euribia (181,000 GT) in June 2023. The cruise line is building three additional LNG-fueled cruise ships for the World Class but is also participating in tests such as fuel cells. It is also planning for synthetic non-carbon fuels.

This is the latest in a series of efforts launched in recent months targeting cruise ships. The Dutch environmental group Extinction Rebellion blocked the entry of cruise ships into Amsterdam. The activist NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) also issued a report citing the growth of the industry along with the increased size of individual ships. They are calling for a tax on the cruise industry to help fund the transition to zero-carbon fuels and ensure the industry contributes its share to the ongoing efforts.