Changes are afoot as the chairmen of Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have all announced their intentions to stand down. With several industry titans seeking new bosses, we profile the contenders in the leadership race and what they could bring to the industry, and consider the essential qualities required to steer these businesses through the complex current landscape.
Mongolia is also looking to new horizons, doubling its percentage of land for exploration in an attempt to uncover a second Oyu Tolgoi. We assess the country’s mineral potential. And in Australia, we examine what’s behind the proposal for a new iron ore tax, and if whether it’s in the industry’s – and country’s – best interests.
Then in operations, we find out if palladium is heading for difficult times with the growth of electric vehicles, learn about Cementation Canada’s award-winning injection hoisting system, and speak to researchers about an initiative employing genomics to treat mine waste naturally.
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In this issue
Taking first chair
In the last few months, the chairmen of Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have all announced their intention to stand down. What qualities will incoming company chairs need to steer the industry through a complex business landscape? We look at the likely candidates.
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Are EVs Putting the Brakes on Palladium’s Success?
Palladium has been one of the best-performing precious metals in recent years, but as it’s primarily used to build catalytic converters in cars, the popularity of electric vehicles is causing a decline in demand. Could downward pressure be on the horizon?
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Searching for a Second Oyu Tolgoi
In early March, the Mongolian Mining Minister announced plans to double the amount of land available for mineral exploration to more than 20% of the country’s total land mass. So what is the mineral potential of the new land to be made available, who might lead the exploration efforts, and will Mongolians get a fair share of the benefits?
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Australia Gets Tough on Tax
Proposals for a new tax on iron ore production in Western Australia could generate A$7.2bn for the West Australian Government but would add around A$0.25-5.00/t to the cost of iron ore extraction –a surprising move for a state anxious to protect its industry, so what’s behind the move?
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Winding it Up: A New Era in Hoisting
Cementation Canada jointly won the #DisruptMining competition at the PDAC conference in Toronto with its innovative injection hoisting technology claiming a C$650,000 prize. We take a look at this hoisting system, which eliminates the need for mine shaft production hoisting or trucking.
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Opening the Microbial Black Hole
Little research has been done to determine the role of sulphur-loving microbes in mine wastewater, but with new developments in genomics, better understanding of these microbes could treat water using their natural processes. We find out about a project led by the University of Toronto which is trying to achieve this.
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Next issue
The largest ever gold mine in China has been discovered and is claimed to be worth $22bn. We take a look at the state of the vast gold mining industry in China and ask just how much value the economy places on this most-sought after of minerals. Also in the East, we investigate Mali’s mining industry, as bauxite reserves are tripled, yet reports of questionable practices hold firm.
In the US, a coal sector revival seems to be possible and we assess if it can still compete on a global scale and support the economy, and we hear the outcomes light-hearted International Collegiate Mining Competition, recently held in Kentucky.
Plus, we examine a report on the impact of mining processes on the formation of new minerals and compounds, and ask how damaging is sand mining and see if can be performed conscientiously.
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