InfoMine News
Wrap-up for April 2006
Is global warming threatening diamond production in northern Canada? A number of diamond mines in the Northwest Territories were not able to use winter roads due to unseasonably high temperatures. Aber Diamond Corp.
announced that the Diavik diamond mine, located northeast of Yellowknife, will be short of supplies this summer. The Gahcho Kue diamond project, jointly operated by De Beers Canada Inc. and Mountain Province Diamonds Inc.
did not complete its winter drilling program. If the north does not get cold enough, the winter roads cannot support the heavy truck traffic.
Copper is on a tear. On the last week of April, copper broke through the US$7,000 a tonne barrier. A number of factors came to together to drive up the price. Demand from rapidly industialising countries is high and expected to keep climbing. According to the Chilean Copper Commission, demand from China is expected to grow by 10 percent this year. Under-investment through the 90s has left producers scrambling to catch up. The tight supply left the market susceptible to any threats to copper production. News of labour disruptions at Grupo Mexico, one of country's largest metal producers, and Falconbridge's copper mines in Chile caused the price to rise. Copper mining companies are trying to ramp up production but the tight labour market and the time it takes to mount regulatory hurdles makes it difficult for copper producers to respond quickly to new demand.
Determining where metal prices are headed is anyone's guess. The analysts are all over the map. TD Economics, a major financial research group based in Canada, stated that base metal prices are set to fall by as much as 20 percent later this year. In a 16-page study that was reported by the Canadian Press, TD Economics states that "Speculative activity appears to have taken the helm of late, spurred by either heightened geopolitical concerns (i.e., oil and gold) or merely cashing in on strong upward momentum (base metals)."
A study by Numis Securities in London, which uses economic growth rates devised by the International Monetary Fund, was more upbeat. Due to global economic growth, copper consumption could rise from 18 to 28 million tonnes per year in only 10 years time. "While many mines have seen substantial expansion in recent years, this has barely been sufficient to meet current demand driven by today's growth rates." Mineweb covered the story.
Check the news section each day for the latest mining stories. You can also subscribe to our Headline News Digest,. News subscribers can sign up for our specialty publications, Diamond Digest and Gold Digest.
Santiago, Chile, May 23-28
ExpoMin is Chile's bi-annual, international fair for the worldwide mining industry covering mining technology, equipment, machinery, services, supplies and products.
InfoMine will be sharing a booth with Mineria Chilena Magazine (Chile) and International Mining Magazine (London, UK). Drop by the meet Lola Rivera, InfoMine's office manager based in Lima.
Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 6-10- Rua T, nº22
This is the 4th international trade fair for mining equipment and the 6th international trade fair for
construction equipment. Come and meet InfoMine's Brazil representative, Laura Coehlo who is based in the InfoMine Brasil SA office in Belo Horizonte.
InfoMine Supplier Editorials
Mine Safety Award Honorees Announced - by Industrial Mineral association
Tucson, Arizona- The Industrial Minerals Association-North America (IMA-NA) and the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA) announced the companies and mining operations that will receive their joint safety recognition awards(PDF). You can also view outstanding examples of IMA-NA member company SD projects here.
Keeping Angolan diamonds flowing - by International Mining
Soc Miniera de Catoca (SMC) is the largest diamond producer in Angola from its Catoca kimberlite pipe, 35 km south of Saurimo, in northeast Angola. SMC was established as a joint venture of Endiama (32.8%), Russia’s Almazy Rossii-Sakha (Alrosa) (32.8%), Brazil’s Odebrecht Mining Services Inc. (18.4%), and Israel’s Daumonty (16%). Back in 2000, the USGS reported diamond reserves in the Catoca kimberlite estimated to be at least 40 Mct. more..
InfoMine Careers
CareerMine welcomes our latest "Employers of Choice" - Ledcor, Wabush and William Operating Corporation - at the time of going to press - their pages had not yet been built - however this gives you an excellent excuse to come back and visit their pages. When you return you will be able to see all their current openings. We encourage you to visit all our Employers of Choice pages. We work closely with these Companies to help them with their recruiting needs. We work closely with our Employers of Choice to help them with their recruiting needs. To find out more about becoming an Employer of Choice please email Renee and she will be happy to assist.
Professional Development
EduMine at the CIM!
The annual conference of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy & Petroleum will be held this year in Vancouver BC from May 14 to May 17 2006. The chairman of the EduMine Executive Simon Houlding will be in attendance for the purpose of assisting individuals interested in professional development. Simon will be at booth #1316 on most afternoons and will be happy to answer any questions. You can also contact Simon by email.
Mineral project reporting under NI 43-101
This CIM course on EduMine, authored by John Postle, has been upgraded to the latest version of National Instrument 43-101 which became effective law in Canada on December 30, 2005. This is a course for professional engineers and geoscientists concerned with mineral project reporting for an issuer on a Canadian stock exchange. NI 43-101 also establishes the standards for all public disclosure of scientific and technical information about a mineral project. More...
Mining Humor
One Too Many!!
How many first year engineering students does it take to change a light bulb?
None. That's a second year subject.
How many second year engineering students does it take to change a light bulb?
One, but the rest of the class copies the report.
How many third year engineering students does it take to change a light bulb?
"Will this question be in the final examination?"
How many civil engineers does it take to change a light bulb?
Two. One to do it and one to steady the chandelier.
How many electrical engineers does it take to change a light bulb?
None. They simply redefine darkness as the industry standard.
How many computer engineers does it take to change a light bulb?
"Why bother? The socket will be obsolete in six months anyway."
How many mechanical engineers does it take to change a light bulb?
Five. One to decide which way the bulb ought to turn, one to calculate the force required, one to design a tool with which to turn the bulb, one to design a comfortable - but functional - hand grip, and one to use all this equipment.
How many nuclear engineers does it take to change a light bulb?
Seven. One to install the new bulb and six to figure out what to do with the old one for the next 10,000 years.
If you have any humorous stories about mining or just want to inflict misery on our readers with jokes worse then mine, we would love to get your input. Please email the editor with the subject line marked "InfoMiner Jokes".
InfoMine's Tech Tips of the Month
Having your Favorites and Start Menus Sort Alphabetically
If your Start Menu Program or Favorites are not sorting alphabetically, it is easy to fix this. Want to know how? Then keep reading.
Focus on Emerald
 Here's a sample of the information on "Emerald" available on InfoMine. This is just an example of how our search provides excellent and pertinent results for any topic you wish to explore. Why not try your own favorite topic now?
Mine of the Month
Stillwater Mining Company
Stillwater.InfoMine.com
(A MineSite Feature by InfoMine)
 Stillwater is one of the world's leading producers of platinum group metals and the only significant primary producer of palladium in the Western Hemisphere. Properties covered here include the Stillwater and East Boulder Mines near Nye, Montana and the smelter and refinery complex at Columbus, Montana. The Stillwater Mine began underground mining in 1986. The East Boulder project, some 15 miles west of Stillwater, began commercial production in 2002.
The 28-mile long JM Reef ore deposit is located in the Beartooth Mountains along the northern edge of the Beartooth Uplift and Plateau, which rise to elevations in excess of 10,000 feet above sea level. The surface outcrops of the reef have been examined, mapped and sampled for approximately 28 miles along its east-southeasterly course and over a known expression of over 8,200 feet vertically. The PGMs in the J-M Reef consist primarily of palladium and platinum. The reef also contains significant amounts of iron, copper and nickel.
In 2005 the company expects production of approximately 550,000 to 570,000 ounces of PGMs.
 More than 80% of mining at the Stillwater Mine is mechanized, employing ramp and fill mining, sub-level stoping and cut and fill mining.
 Visit Stillwater Mining's Minesite page for more in depth information on the mine's reserves/resources, production, mining and processing methods as well as news, links and supplier information. You can also view the Minesite pages of other mines by visiting the Minesite homepage. Feel free to contact us with any comments or suggestions you may have for Minesites.
Stillwater is also an Employer of Choice - click here to see their current employment opportunities |
