It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Monday, October 16, 2023
Rio Tinto Kennecott completes construction of solar power plant
10 October 2023
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Rio Tinto has completed construction on a new 5-megawatt solar power plant at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah.
The 12,800 solar panel power plant will be commissioned in coming weeks, enabling Kennecott to reduce its operational emissions by 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.
The plant will serve as a pilot project with the goal of expanding Kennecott’s solar energy supply in the future.
Shifting to sustainable energy solutions is a priority for Kennecott. The mine closed down its coal-fired power plant in 2019, moving to electricity paired with renewable energy certificates. This resulted in a 65 percent reduction in its carbon footprint and the elimination of over 1 million tons of carbon dioxide output per year.
Rio Tinto Kennecott Managing Director Nate Foster said: “Rio Tinto Kennecott has a key role to play in supporting the energy transition. We supply U.S. companies with the copper and tellurium they need to produce solar panels, wind turbines, and conductors. We also continue to take steps to further decarbonize our business, from our battery electric vehicle trial to our renewable diesel trial and now to our very own solar plant.”
The location of the 30-acre solar array was carefully selected to minimize visual and environmental impacts. It is adjacent to other existing industrial operations, away from residential and commercial zones, with earthen berms from the railway providing a visual barrier to most of the installation.
Notes to editors Last year, Rio Tinto started producing tellurium as a byproduct of mining and refining copper at Kennecott, becoming one of only two U.S. producers of this critical mineral. Both copper and tellurium are vital components of photovoltaic solar panels. The tellurium from Kennecott is refined by 5N Plus, a producer of specialty semiconductors and performance materials, before being supplied primarily to First Solar for use in its solar panels.
Rio Tinto aims to reduce its global Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
New research finds that ancient carbon in rocks releases as much carbon dioxide as the world's volcanoes
Sedimentary rocks on the banks of the Mackenzie River, Canada, a major river basin where rock weathering is a CO2 source. Credit: Robert Hilton.
A new study led by the University of Oxford has overturned the view that natural rock weathering acts as a CO2 sink, indicating instead that this can also act as a large CO2 source, rivaling that of volcanoes. The results, published today in the journal Nature, have important implications for modeling climate change scenarios.
Rocks contain an enormous store of carbon in the ancient remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. This means that the "geological carbon cycle" acts as a thermostat that helps to regulate the Earth's temperature.
For instance, during chemical weathering rocks can suck up CO2 when certain minerals are attacked by the weak acid found in rainwater. This process helps to counteract the continuous CO2 released by volcanoes around the world, and forms part of Earth's natural carbon cycle that has helped keep the surface habitable to life for a billion years or more.
However, for the first time this new study measured an additional natural process of CO2 release from rocks to the atmosphere, finding that it is as significant as the CO2 released from volcanoes around the world. Currently, this process is not included in most models of the natural carbon cycle.
The process occurs when rocks that formed on ancient seafloors (where plants and animals were buried in sediments) are pushed back up to Earth's surface, for example when mountains like the Himalayas or Andes form. This exposes the organic carbon in the rocks to oxygen in the air and water, which can react and release CO2. This means that weathering rocks could be a source of CO2, rather than the commonly assumed sink.
Shale rocks high up in the remote Mackenzie mountains Canada, which contain lots of rock organic carbon and are hotspots of CO2 release. Credit: Robert Hilton.
Up to now, measuring the release of this CO2 from weathering organic carbon in rocks has proved difficult. In the new study, the researchers used a tracer element (rhenium) which is released into water when rock organic carbon reacts with oxygen. Sampling river water to measure rhenium levels makes it possible to quantify CO2 release. However, sampling all river water in the world to get a global estimate would be a significant challenge.
To upscale over Earth's surface, the researchers did two things. First, they worked out how much organic carbon is present in rocks near the surface. Second, they worked out where these were being exposed most rapidly, by erosion in steep, mountain locations.
Dr. Jesse Zondervan, the researcher who led the study at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, said, "The challenge was then how to combine these global maps with the river data, while considering uncertainties. We fed all of our data into a supercomputer at Oxford, simulating the complex interplay of physical, chemical, and hydrological processes. By piecing together this vast planetary jigsaw, we could finally estimate the total carbon dioxide emitted as these rocks weather and exhale their ancient carbon into the air."
This could then be compared to how much CO2 could be drawn down by natural rock weathering of silicate minerals. The results identified many large areas where weathering was a CO2 source, challenging the current view about how weathering impacts the carbon cycle.
Landslides in the high Andes of Peru, exposing rocks full of organic matter to weathering which can release CO2. Credit: Robert Hilton.
Hotspots of CO2 release were concentrated in mountain ranges with high uplift rates that cause sedimentary rocks to be exposed, such as the eastern Himalayas, the Rocky Mountains, and the Andes. The global CO2 release from rock organic carbon weathering was found to be 68 megatons of carbon per year.
Professor Robert Hilton (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford), who leads the ROC-CO2 research project that supported the study, said, "This is about 100 times less than present day human CO2 emissions by burning fossil fuels, but it is similar to how much CO2 is released by volcanoes around the world, meaning it is a key player in Earth's natural carbon cycle."
These fluxes could have changed during Earth's past. For instance, during periods of mountain building that bring up many rocks containing organic matter, the CO2 release may have been higher, influencing global climate in the past.
High erosion in southern France exposes these sedimentary rocks to weathering, releasing CO2 as the ancient organic carbon breaks down. Credit: Robert Hilton
Ongoing and future work is looking into how changes in erosion due to human activities, alongside the increased warming of rocks due to anthropogenic climate changes, could increase this natural carbon leak. A question the team are now asking is if this natural CO2 release will increase over the coming century. "Currently we don't know—our methods allow us to provide a robust global estimate, but not yet assess how it could change," says Hilton.
"While the carbon dioxide release from rock weathering is small compared to present-day human emissions, the improved understanding of these natural fluxes will help us better predict our carbon budget," concluded Dr. Zondervan.
A 2014 toxic spill in a Mexican river blamed on Grupo Mexico was not an accident but a result of negligence, the country’s environment minister said on Thursday, while urging the mining conglomerate to create a new plan to remediate the damage.
“It was not an accident, it was negligence,” Environment Minister Maria Luisa Albores said, adding that the government filed a complaint in August against the company, one of the world’s largest copper producers.
Grupo Mexico failed to remediate the river’s water and soil and did not provide the funds to carry out proper works for the environmental recovery of the area, according to Albores.
The company needed to provide an initial 2 billion pesos ($111.86 million), of which it only provided half, she said.
The spill was first detected on the morning of Aug. 6, 2014 and pumped 40,000 cubic meters (over 10 million gallons) of toxic mining acid into the Bacanuchi river in Mexico’s northern Sonora state, the federal attorney general’s office for environmental protection (Profepa) said at the time.
The possible fine for the spill was set at up to 40 million pesos, worth about $3 million then.
The government is now asking for a new remediation plan that not only targets soil contamination, but other components such as water and air. Albores did not say how much this could cost the company.
Grupo Mexico did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the causes of the spill and the government complaint.
The miner said in an Oct. 4 statement that remediation work in the river was successful and backed by scientific studies.
Shares in Grupo Mexico were down 2.3% after Albores’ comments on Thursday.
($1 = 17.8868 Mexican pesos)
(By Ana Isabel Martinez and Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle and Marguerita Choy)
Barrick to restart gold mining in Papua New Guinea
Operations have undergone a three-year hiatus following the government’s refusal to extend Barrick’s special mining lease.
Canadian mining company Barrick Gold has been permitted by the Government of Papua New Guinea to restart operations at the Porgera gold mine, which has been out of action for three years.
In April 2020, the Papua New Guinea Government took control of the mine after refusing to extend Barrick’s special mining lease at the facility. Prime Minister James Marape cited environmental concerns with the project that were behind the government’s decision.
On Friday, Barrick announced that New Porgera Ltd was granted a special mining lease by Bob Dadae, the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea. The operation is set to produce 700,000oz per year of gold. Before production was halted, the mine produced 600,000oz of gold in 2019.
Mark Bristow, Barrick’s chief executive and president, said: “It has been a long road, but the end is now in sight. Negotiations between Barrick, the government and the other stakeholders required patience and persistence, but the spirit of partnership they conducted eventually led to an outcome acceptable to all. Barrick’s commitment to partnership with its host countries is also reflected in New Porgera Ltd’s ownership structure, which ensures the equitable sharing of the value created by Porgera with all stakeholders.”
Barrick owns a 49% stake in the venture and is the mine’s operator, while Papua New Guinea stakeholders own the remaining 51%.
Following the announcement on Friday morning, Barrick’s stock price increased by 4% on the Toronto Stock Exchange by midday.
According to research by GlobalData, Mining Technology’s parent company, Papua New Guinea was the 18th-largest gold producer in the world in 2022. The compound annual growth rate of the sector is expected to rise by 11% between 2022 and 2026.
Special Mining Lease Signals Porgera Restart
Barrick Gold Corporation Fri, October 13, 2023 Barrick Gold Corporation
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, Oct. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD) (TSX:ABX) – Governor General Sir Bob Dabae today granted a special mining lease to New Porgera Limited (NPL), clearing the way for Barrick Gold Corporation to restart production at the gold mine, which has been on care and maintenance for three years.1
This follows the signing of a mining development contract and the conclusion of a fiscal stability agreement for New Porgera between the government and NPL. NPL will meet the mine property’s landowners in the coming week to settle compensation agreements.
Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said subject to agreement on compensation, the mine was positioned to restart before the end of this year. Recruitment was being accelerated to employ the full workforce that will be required when the mine starts ramping up operations as soon as the compensation agreements are in place.
“It’s been a long road, but the end is now in sight. Negotiations between Barrick, the government and the other stakeholders required patience and persistence but the spirit of partnership in which they were conducted eventually led to an outcome acceptable to all. Barrick’s commitment to partnership with its host countries is also reflected in NPL’s ownership structure, which ensures the equitable sharing of the value created by Porgera with all stakeholders,” he said.
Endnote Porgera was placed on temporary care and maintenance on April 25, 2020 and remains excluded from our 2023 guidance. We expect to update our guidance to include Porgera following both the execution of definitive agreements to implement the Commencement Agreement and the finalization of a timeline for the resumption of full mine operations.
Miners see value in EU focus on ESG but face red tape hurdles
Reuters | October 13, 2023 | Mining truck on trolley at Boliden Aitik mine. Source: Caterpillar
Miners welcome the positive impact of Europe’s focus on environment, social and governance issues (ESG) although the process can be riddled with red tape causing delays in achieving their green ambitions, company executives said.
Mining is crucial for the supply of critical raw materials including copper and aluminium needed for electric vehicles and renewable technologies such as solar power, but miners are also responsible for up to 7% of greenhouse-gas (GHG) global emissions as most in the sector race to hit net zero by 2050.
Compliance with ESG standards are increasingly important to keep commitments from institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance firms and for bank loans.
Christel Bories, CEO at miner Eramet told Reuters documentation proving the company’s ESG credentials for bank loans ran into thousands of pages and that the whole process from start to finish could take up to 18 months.
“We have no problem supplying the evidence… but it does slow down the project,” Bories said.
One initiative welcomed by metal producers is the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). From Oct. 1, EU firms have to report the GHG embedded during production of imported volumes of some goods including iron and steel, aluminium and electricity.
CO2 emission charges will not be imposed until 2026.
“We like it because it gives us a level playing field with other countries,” said Boliden CEO Mikael Staffas, but he added there were issues.
“One example is if you import copper, turn it into tube and export it, you should get some credit back. This will be an administrative nightmare,” Staffas said referring to the paperwork that would be required.
Investors want to see mining companies account for and report their emissions consistently and mine in a socially responsible way.
“There is a concern that there has been a proliferation (of standards) but let’s not forget a lot of these standards have evolved because things in the sector have not been so good in the past,” said Adam Matthews, chief responsible investment officer for the Church of England Pensions Board, which invests in mining companies.
Boliden’s Staffas cited zero fatalities due to focus on ESG compared with roughly two per annum at some of the largest miners. “We are 15 years fatality free.”
EU lawmakers are also pushing for far greater recycling of waste in a new law to ensure the bloc has raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt required for its green transition, and traditional recycling companies and newcomers are investing in capacity to produce battery materials.
Eramet’s joint venture with water company Suez SA to be located in France’s Dunkirk region is one example.
The partners are aiming to build a plant to dismantle electric vehicle batteries, followed by a second unit to separate and refine metals for reuse with a low carbon hydrometallurgy process.
(By Pratima Desai and Clara Denina; Editing by Deborah Kyvrikosaios)
Raising capital now biggest risk to mining companies after ESG
Frik Els | October 12, 2023 | Blue sky potential for making bank. Stock image.
Global mining and metals executives still view environment, social and governance (ESG) as the top risk facing their business over the next 12 months, but access to capital has now also become a major worry, according to a new report from EY.
Paul Mitchell, Global Mining & Metals Leader at the management consulting firm says the latest ranking of the top 10 business risks for mining and metals in 2024 which is based on interviews with 150 executives involved in the sector “highlights the complex operating environment miners will face in 2024”:
“Responses to these risks are now clearly embedded into the strategies of the best operators — particularly environmental, social and governance and license to operate — and will remain priorities for a number of years to come.”
Respondents to the survey say scrutiny from all stakeholder groups is increasing, particularly around ESG issues and, according to EY mining firms that get ESG right will enjoy “significant benefits, including improved access to capital, a healthier talent pipeline and stronger licence to operate.”
While a “healthier talent pipeline” has become less of a worry for mining executives (now tenth on the list of top risks), “improved access to capital” is now considered the second most important priority for major miners after ESG as the massive outlays required by the green energy transition become a firm boardroom agenda item. Growth capital not growing
A renewed focus on growth capital could mark something of a turning point for the mining industry.
Average shareholder returns by the top 30 miners have increased by a compound annual growth rare of 22% from 2019 to 2022, according to the EY report.
Despite a return to mega-profits at the top tier, the focus has remained on dividends and capital discipline, not gearing up for growth.
Over the past 20 years, expansion capital spending across the industry has typically run above 20% of top line profits, which is to be expected in an industry with depleting assets and falling grades.
The last couple of years have seen this metric slip to around 10% as companies continue to favour shareholder returns over building new mines.
So far however, growth capital for the energy transition does not appear to be flowing into mining with the report finding iron and steel, gold, and coal companies attracting the most capital since 2022. Not exactly Mining 2.0 money.
The report states that capital raised through debt and equity in the first seven months of 2023 has remained steady ($196 billion compared with $192 billion in the same period of 2022) and according to the authors “this trend is expected to continue into 2024.”
There is no doubt lithium and nickel are attracting attention as mainstream investors and outside capital jump on the electric car bandwagon, but steep price falls for these commodities this year may see many cool on EV raw materials sooner than expected.
It’s also noteworthy that money raised for copper – the crux of the energy transition – is down 28% in 2023 while specialty metals investment is down by almost 50%, despite the many “critical minerals” lists drawn up by countries over the last few years.
In the first seven months of 2023, mining and metals companies issued $1 billion of green bonds, down from nearly $4 billion in the same period of the prior year. EY expects the trend of linking ESG bonds to specific projects, for example renewable energy, biodiversity and investing in local communities, rather than large overall targets, continuing. Get the balance right
Building new mines has become a trickier proposition with new ESG requirements adding significantly to capex costs – and not just for greenfield projects. The financial woes of Codelco struggling to lift output from a decades low at its existing operations serves as a warning to the rest of the industry.
Recent volatility has exacerbated the problem of capital productivity that has long concerned the mining sector, adding that apart from increased input costs, higher interest rates are pushing up the cost of capital, says EY.
A review of 132 development projects requiring more than $1 billion of capital investment showed nearly one in five faced cost overruns, with an average blowout of $500 million.
EY says miners “should be mindful of the need for older projects to meet newer ESG requirements, which may include electrification, green energy and low water usage, to win financing.”
EY highlights the challenge miners face to “balance returns with responsibilities” and quotes one executive who said “new mines need to be carbon neutral from the outset” and another who stated “you can no longer develop brownfields if there is no green power supply”:
“As miners adapt models and make more difficult investment decisions, they will need to make sure they bring investors along on the journey.
“With interest rates unlikely to decline soon, companies may need to work harder to balance sustainable alternatives with economic returns.“
Researchers at Monash University have developed a new lithium-sulfur battery design that addresses the environmental concerns and limitations of traditional lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Li-S batteries have been considered a next-generation energy storage technology with higher theoretical energy density, lower cost, and better environmental compatibility compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
The researchers applied a nanoporous ultra glassy permselective Poly(trimethylsilyl)propyne polymer coating (PTMSP) directly to lithium foil, reducing the amount of lithium needed in the battery and improving its performance. The PTMSP polymer coating contains tiny holes that allow lithium ions to move freely while blocking other chemicals that would attack the lithium. This coating also acts as a scaffold for lithium, enhancing its charge and discharge capabilities.
The coated anodes in lab tests exhibited 5.7 times more dense lithium compared to controls, resulting in improved cycling performance and increased capacity retention. Moreover, the new design eliminates the need for nickel or cobalt, reducing the environmental and social costs associated with these minerals.
This breakthrough in lithium-sulfur battery design promises several advantages, including reduced environmental impact, lower cost, and increased energy per unit volume. The development of Li-metal protection technologies, such as this polymer coating, paves the way for the widespread adoption of lithium-sulfur batteries and other lithium metal-based energy storage systems.
Sources: – Monash University
Chilean startup raises $10 million for video game-inspired mining software
A Chilean startup offering video game-inspired digitalization services to some of the world’s biggest mines has raised $10 million from investors including Chile’s richest family.
TIMining provides data analytics and real-time simulation to boost productivity and safety at about 50 mines, including some owned by BHP Group, Anglo American Plc and Codelco. The firm wants to grow its client base fivefold and revenue tenfold over the next five years as mines grapple with lower ore quality and higher costs.
“Usually mines achieve 75% to 80% of their monthly mining plans,” chief executive officer Nicolas Jubera said in an interview from Santiago. “With our software, that should go up by 10 percentage points.”
The recent financing round was led by Kayyak Ventures and included investors such as Larrain Vial and the Luksic’s family office. The firm has also pitched Santiago’s startup exchange, ScaleX, and doesn’t rule out going public or buying peers in the future to accelerate growth, he said.
TIMining creates a digital twin of mining operations from data received from sensors or network-connected equipment as a way to boost efficiencies. To develop the software, the team drew inspiration from video games like Warcraft. Jubera himself was a gamer in his youth. “I proved to my mom that I wasn’t wasting my time.”
(By Valentina Fuentes and James Attwood)
Indonesian tycoon said to weigh selling gold miner Archi
Bloomberg News | October 13, 2023 | Image: Rajawali Group
PT Rajawali Corp., an Indonesian conglomerate owned by tycoon Peter Sondakh, is considering selling its controlling interest in gold miner PT Archi Indonesia, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The Jakarta-based conglomerate is working with a financial adviser on the potential divestment and could decide to keep a stake, said the people, asking not to be identified as the process is private. Rajawali, which owns about 85% of the miner’s shares, is seeking about a $1 billion valuation for the company in a deal, one of the people said.
Archi shares surged as much as 18% in their biggest gain since January in Jakarta on Friday after the Bloomberg News report. The stock has advanced about 15% this year, giving the company a market value of around 9.4 trillion rupiah ($602 million).
Deliberations are ongoing and there is no certainty that the Indonesian conglomerate will proceed with a sale, the people said.
A representative for Archi said they didn’t have information about the deal as it’s a shareholder matter, while a representative for Rajawali didn’t respond to requests for comment through phone and emails.
Founded in 2009, Archi is one of the biggest pure-play gold producers in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, according to its website. The Jakarta-headquartered company owns the Toka Tindung gold mine in North Sulawesi. The asset has produced about 1.9 million ounces of gold as of 2020, supported by 3.6 million tons of processing plant capacity per year, the website shows.
The company’s initial public offering raised about 2.8 trillion rupiah in 2021. The share price has declined by more than half since it began trading.
(By Elffie Chew and Fathiya Dahrul)
Indigenous groups in Peru are suing government over oil, mining plans - and winning
LIMA (Reuters) - Indigenous groups in Peru are turning to the courts with a new legal strategy for keeping mining and oil projects off their lands, racking up victories that could make it harder for companies to secure permits in the Andean country, a major minerals producer.
Native communities from the Peruvian Amazon and the Andes have filed at least eight lawsuits against the government since passage of the “prior consultation” law in 2011, which gives them the right to weigh in on official decisions that could affect their communities, according to judicial documents.
The law, based on an international pact Peru signed in 1993, aimed to grant overdue rights to indigenous people and prevent deadly clashes over mining and energy projects.
But several indigenous communities complained the government did not consult them, or when they did, did not consult them early enough, on plans for tapping nearby oil or mineral reserves.
So far, the courts have agreed with the indigenous.
Judges sided with native communities in all six of the lawsuits that have been decided since the 2011 law’s passage, pointing to international law to annul the government’s greenlighting of projects, including mining and oil concessions.
“Without a doubt, an important precedent is being set with these cases,” said Jose de Echave, a director of the local environmental group Cooperaccion.
For mining and oil companies, that might mean an added wait while the government discusses potential extractive activities with indigenous groups. While communities cannot unilaterally block a project under the prior consultation law, the government must try to reach some agreement.
The two pending lawsuits include requests to suspend Glencore’s proposed $590 million expansion of its Antapaccay copper mine and Chile-based GeoPark’s plans to drill for oil in the Amazon region.
Glencore and GeoPark both declined to comment on the lawsuits.
Peru’s energy and mines ministry also declined to comment.
“We’re the owners of this land. We’ve lived here before the state was formed,” said Sumbinianch Mitiap, a representative of the indigenous Achuar community that is opposed to GeoPark’s drilling plans.
The lawsuit the Achuar filed is just one tool they are using in hopes of blocking GeoPark from drilling for oil on their land. On Thursday, members of the community held a protest outside the company’s headquarters in Santiago and met with its shareholders to push for a withdrawal from its Peru project.
The mining permits revoked so far - 200 concessions for exploration in the Amazon - were relatively minor, far from the big deposits in the Andes that have made Peru the world’s No. 2 copper, zinc and silver producer.
But with 31,000 mining concessions issued in the past two decades according to Cooperaccion, the legal precedents the cases set are potentially huge - exciting indigenous rights activists, but alarming industry.
“We’re watching the recent judicial rulings with deep worry,” said Pablo de la Flor, the executive director of Peru’s National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy.
Reporting by Maria Cervantes; additional reporting by Rodrigo Garrido in Santiago; writing By Mitra Taj; editing by Chris Reese and G Crosse
Getech : Joins International Consortium Seeking New Ways to Discover Sedimentary Copper
October 16, 2023
Getech, a world-leading locator of subsurface resources, has joined a consortium of academia and industry to speed up the understanding of copper deposits required for the discovery of critical metal needed for renewable technologies.
The three-year Kupferschiefer project, which launched in the first half of 2023, aims to revisit archive geological data and reinterpret it using petroleum and mineral system approaches, creating maps of mineral prospective areas within the Central European Basin.
The project, led by the University of Western Australia's Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET), has university funding as well as industry sponsors. Other partners include the University of Warsaw and industry participants First Quantum Minerals, Teck Resources and BHP.
The consortium is taking a holistic mineral system approach to sedimentary copper discovery. This requires an understanding of the combination of geological processes that are required to form and preserve sedimentary deposits, in this case copper.
Getech is using its proprietary gravity and magnetics data, as well as Globe earth model and spatial analytical expertise, to provide the consortium with clear and realistic insights into the nature and structure of the subsurface.
Copper is a highly efficient conduit, which is used in decarbonisation and electrification strategies to generate power from solar, hydro, thermal and wind energy, as well as transport and store it. With the looming world-wide copper deficit, sedimentary hosted copper deposits offer a promising and more sustainable alternative for meeting the increasing global demand for this energy transition critical mineral. These deposits account only for 20-25% of the world's total copper production today and offer several advantages compared to non-sedimentary alternatives such as porphyry deposits found in igneous settings, including:
Sedimentary-hosted copper deposits, being globally more widely distributed, present ESG opportunities by promoting equitable economic distribution and reducing transport emissions.
These deposits typically require less energy-intensive processing methods.
Another critical aspect of sedimentary hosted copper deposits is their significant cobalt content. Approximately 80% of the world's cobalt, a key component in batteries, comes from these deposits.
Howard Golden, Senior Advisor - Critical Minerals at Getech and technical advisor for the CET, commented:
"Increasing quantities of copper are needed to support the world's decarbonisation and it is more important than ever that we understand the depositional environments to help us identify new, innovative ways of finding this critical resource.
Our joint cross-industry and cross-academia project is a step in the right direction and a great opportunity for Getech to benefit the wider industry through our extensive database of geological observations and interpretations.
The process and data from this project can be replicated globally for the exploration of copper and subsurface resources including lithium, potash, phosphates and even gold and naturally occurring hydrogen. It's a potentially revolutionary approach to finding resources."
Dr Weronika Gorczyk, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth Sciences at The University of Western Australia, added:
"To make well informed decision on exploration, comprehensive multiscale and multidisciplinary datasets are required. Getech is a suitable partner which can provide a substantial part of the information required."
Leveraging market-leading geologic and geophysical data, advanced geoscientific techniques and state-of-the-art technology, Getech can add value to exploration for energy transition minerals like copper and lithium.
Getech Group plc published this content on 16 October 2023 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 16 October 2023
Getech joins international consortium seeking new ways to discover sedimentary copper
Getech has joined a consortium of academia and industry to speed up the understanding of copper deposits required for renewable technologies.
The three-year Kupferschiefer project, which launched in the first half of 2023, aims to revisit archive geological data and reinterpret it using petroleum and mineral system approaches, creating maps of mineral prospective areas within the Central European Basin.
The project, led by the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET), has university funding as well as industry sponsors. Other partners include the University of Warsaw and industry participants First Quantum Minerals, Teck Resources, and BHP.
The consortium is taking a holistic mineral system approach to sedimentary copper discovery. This requires an understanding of the combination of geological processes that are required to form and preserve sedimentary deposits, in this case copper.
Getech is using its proprietary gravity and magnetics data, as well as Globe Earth model and spatial analytical expertise, to provide the consortium with clear and realistic insights into the nature and structure of the subsurface.
Copper is a highly efficient conduit, which is used in decarbonisation and electrification strategies for power generation from solar, hydro, thermal, and wind energy, as well as for transportation and storage. With the looming world-wide copper deficit, sedimentary hosted copper deposits offer a promising and more sustainable alternative for meeting the increasing global demand for this critical mineral. These deposits account only for 20 – 25% of the world's total copper production today and offer several advantages compared to non-sedimentary alternatives such as porphyry deposits found in igneous settings, including:
Sedimentary-hosted copper deposits, as they are globally more widely distributed, present ESG opportunities by promoting equitable economic distribution and reducing transport emissions.
These deposits typically require less energy-intensive processing methods.
Another critical aspect of sedimentary hosted copper deposits is their significant cobalt content. Approximately 80% of the world's cobalt, a key component in batteries, comes from these deposits.
Howard Golden, Senior Advisor for Critical Minerals at Getech and Technical Advisor for the CET, commented:
“Increasing quantities of copper are needed to support the world’s decarbonisation and it is more important than ever that we understand the depositional environments to help us identify new, innovative ways of finding this critical resource.
Our joint cross-industry and cross-academia project is a step in the right direction and a great opportunity for Getech to benefit the wider industry through our extensive database of geological observations and interpretations.
The process and data from this project can be replicated globally for the exploration of copper and subsurface resources including lithium, potash, phosphates, and even gold and naturally occurring hydrogen. It's a potentially revolutionary approach to finding resources.”
Dr Weronika Gorczyk, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth Sciences at The University of Western Australia, added:
“To make well informed decisions on exploration, comprehensive multiscale and multidisciplinary datasets are required. Getech is a suitable partner which can provide a substantial part of the necessary information.”
Tsingshan plans $233 million lithium-related investment in Chile
China’s Tsingshan Holding Group will invest $233.2 million to set up a plant in Chile to produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP), used to power electric vehicles, Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Monday.
The plant in northern Chile is expected to be operational in May 2025 and will create 668 jobs when it reaches full capacity, the government of Chile, home to the world’s biggest lithium reserves, said in a statement.
“The most important thing, is that we’re not limiting ourselves to just the extraction of lithium, but we’ll be creating value chains and transferring knowledge,” Boric, who is currently visiting China, said in a video posted on social media.
The government said the project aims to produce 120,000 metric tons of LFP, which is a lower-cost competitor to nickel cobalt manganese cells.
Tsingshan said it could consider further investments in Chile.
“Chile is the world’s largest country of lithium resources reserves and export. If the government gives great support, (we) can consider building a lithium battery industry park,” Tsingshan Chairman Xiang Guangda said in a meeting with Boric, according to a WeChat post by Tsingshan.
Xiang noted that nickel and stainless steel giant Tsingshan has invested and established an integrated nickel supply chain in Indonesia, the world’s top nickel supplier, creating over 100,000 jobs in the country.
The Chilean economic development agency Corfo said in a separate statement that Yongqing Technology, which is owned by Tsingshan Holding, will have access to 11,244 tons of battery grade lithium carbonate from Chilean lithium miner SQM at a preferential price until 2030. The project will also import lithium carbonate from Tsingshan’s joint lithium project with Eramet in Argentina.
Chile’s government announced plans to take state control over its lithium industry earlier this year. It’s currently negotiating state control over SQM, which has a lithium contract that expires in 2030.
In 2019 three companies selected for value-added lithium projects in Chile dropped out of planned investments.
Boric is on his first visit to China since being elected in 2021.
(By Natalia Siniawski, Alexander Villegas and Siyi Liu; Editing by Toby Chopra, Louise Heavens and Susan Fenton)
Canada to give Umicore up to C$1bn for new battery components plant
ALL CAPITALI$M IS STATE CAPITALI$M
Reuters | October 16, 2023 Credit: Umicore Canada and the province of Ontario will give up to C$1 billion to a unit of Belgium’s Umicore to help it build a plant that will produce components for electric vehicle batteries, Ottawa said on Monday.
The facility, in the Ontario town of Loyalist Township, will manufacture cathode active materials and precursor cathode active materials, federal Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.
The plant – the first of its kind in North America – will initially employ 600 people and have a battery materials production capacity of 35 gigawatt hours annually.
Canada, home to a large mining sector for minerals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, wants to woo firms involved in all levels of the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain via a multibillion-dollar green technology.
The Umicore plant is due to be built in stages and could be worth C$2.7 billion when fully completed. Canada will invest up to C$551.3 billion with Ontario adding up to C$424.6 billion.
The full project has the potential to produce enough battery materials to support the production of over 800,000 EVs per year, Champagne said.
(By David Ljunggren; Editing by David Gregorio)
ALCHEMY
Tiny sample from corner of Mona Lisa reveals toxic secret hidden inside painting Vishwam Sankaran Mon, 16 October 2023
He experimented with the compound lead (II) oxide, causing the formation of the toxic lead-compound plumbonacrite in a layer beneath the iconic Mona Lisa painting, new research published last week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society suggested.
Previous research has shown that many paintings from the early 1500s, including the Mona Lisa, were painted on wooden panels that required a thick, “ground layer” of paint to be laid down before artwork was added. While other artists of the time typically used gesso – a compound derived from plaster of Paris – the Italian polymath widely experimented, say scientists, including those from CNRS in France. They say he began some of his artworks by laying down thick layers of lead white pigment and by infusing his oil with lead(II) oxide – an orange pigment that conferred specific drying properties to the paint above.
He also used a similar technique on the wall underneath the Last Supper, which researchers say is a departure from the traditional, fresco mural painting technique used at the time.
In the latest study, scientists sought to apply updated and high-resolution analytical techniques to small samples from these two paintings.
They assessed a tiny “microsample” that was previously obtained from a hidden corner of the “Mona Lisa,” as well as 17 such small samples taken from across the surface of the “Last Supper.”
The study found that the ground layers of these artworks not only contained oil and lead white but also a much rarer lead compound: plumbonacrite [Pb5(CO3)O(OH)2]. This tiny fleck of paint, taken from the “Mona Lisa” is revealing insights into previously unknown steps of the artists’ process (Adapted from the Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023)
While this material had not been previously detected in Italian Renaissance paintings, researchers say it has been found in later paintings by Rembrandt in the 1600s.
Although artists are known to have added lead oxides to pigments to help them dry, this technique has not been proved experimentally for paintings from da Vinci’s time.
During the legendary polymath’s time, the only evidence scientists have found of PbO was in reference to skin and hair remedies, even though it is now known to be toxic. The Mona Lisa Reveals a Toxic Secret Hidden Inside The Painting
Leonardo da Vinci is well known for having used less conventional painting methods and substances in his work, and we're still making new discoveries about them – the latest being a mix of toxic pigments underlying the brushwork on the Mona Lisa.
Researchers from France and the UK looked at a tiny microsample taken from a hidden corner of the Mona Lisa, deploying a variety of X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy imaging techniques to identify the substances used.
The team found not only oil and lead white – as expected – but also the rare compound plumbonacrite (Pb5(CO3)3O(OH)2). Plumbonacrite is formed when oil and lead(II) oxide (or PbO) react together, suggesting the latter compound was used by da Vinci.
"Leonardo probably endeavored to prepare a thick paint suitable for covering the wooden panel of the Mona Lisa by treating the oil with a high load of lead(II) oxide, PbO," write the researchers in their published paper.
The same PbO compound was found in several microsamples taken from the surface of The Last Supper, another famous painting from da Vinci. However, the only references to PbO in the Italian artist's writings were related to skin and hair remedies.
Even though it's not included in his writings, it nevertheless seems that da Vinci made use of this lead(II) oxide as a ground layer. It's something that's been hypothesized about before, but now we have more direct evidence of it.
It's thought that the lead(II) oxide power would've been heated and dissolved in linseed or nut oil by da Vinci, producing a mixture that's thicker and faster drying than traditional oil paints – a recipe that then went on to be used by other artists.
The same plumbonacrite substance has also been discovered in The Night Watch painting by Rembrandt, created in 1642 – almost a century and a half after the Mona Lisa. That suggests the Dutch master used a similar technique to da Vinci.
This discovery is another example of how modern-day analysis techniques are opening up new findings about historical artifacts. Advanced 3D rendering has previously been used to help study another da Vinci painting, Salvator Mundi.
It's also testament to the constant inventiveness of Leonardo da Vinci, a man who achieved greatness not just in his painting, but also in many other fields – including mathematics, chemistry, and engineering.
"He was someone who loved to experiment, and each of his paintings is completely different technically," chemist Victor Gonzalez, from the Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris in France, told the Associated Press.
Study shows limestone can serve as a repository of microbial genetic information about the deep biosphere
by Alena Gold, Antje Nieber, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Rock cores used for the investigation. Credit: Robert Lehmann
Most of the Earth's microbial biomass is hidden in the subsurface. According to estimates, microorganisms can be found at depth of up to five kilometers below the continental surface. Here they also colonize solid rock. Since this deep biosphere is difficult to access, researchers know little about the composition and role of these microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles.
A research team from Friedrich Schiller University Jena and its Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse as well as other research networks and institutes have now discovered that limestone serves as an archive for microbial colonization of the subsurface. The first results of the study have been published in the journal doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01647-2>Microbiome.
"We examined drill cores from a depth of up to 300 meters from the Thuringian Basin to gain insights into the biomass in solid rocks and the metabolic status of rock-dwelling microbiomes," says Dr. Carl-Eric Wegner, lead author of the study. "Based on previous research results, we assumed that the high calcium content in limestone could preserve the DNA of microorganisms, similar to dental calculus in mummies or skeletons. However, due to the low biomass in the rock, existing methods had to be adapted."
In order to extract the DNA contained in the rock samples for a so-called metagenomic analysis, the researchers adapted methods from microbial archaeology and palaeogenomics. "Our goal was to decipher the genetic information of microorganisms in the stones and to classify them both taxonomically and functionally," explains Prof. Dr. Christina Warinner, Professor of Microbiome Sciences at the University of Jena.
"We have also been able to detect genetic information from past microbial communities—so-called paleomes—in three rock samples. These give us information about which metabolic performances played a role when these microorganisms were still alive," says Prof. Dr. Kirsten Küsel, spokesperson of the Balance of the Microverse Cluster of Excellence, and initiator of the study.
The authors conclude that the study of limestone is particularly suitable because its properties favor the long-term preservation of genetic information. "Determining the age of endolithic DNA is the key to the geomicrobiological history of the subsurface," Küsel says.
More information: Carl-Eric Wegner et al, A glimpse of the paleome in endolithic microbial communities, Microbiome (2023). DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01647-2
