Archives: Energy minerals

Rio Tinto says it has commenced production of battery-grade lithium from waste rock at a lithium demonstration plant at the Boron mine site in California, USA. The demonstration plant is the next step in scaling up a breakthrough lithium production process developed at Boron, to recover the critical mineral and extract additional value out of[…]

Canada-based E3 Metals says it has received a government grant totalling C$1.8 million ($1.4 million) from Alberta Innovates that will assist it in funding a pilot plant to test out its proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. DLE technology, the company says, seamlessly connects conventional oil field and lithium processing, with the potential to unlock[…]

Kore Potash and Summit Africa Ltd, on behalf of a consortium of investors and engineering firms, have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to arrange the total financing required for the construction of the Kola potash project in the Republic of Congo. The MoU with Summit outlines a roadmap to optimise, fully finance and[…]

Panoramic Resources Ltd, after a 12-month review process, has approved the restart of the Savannah Nickel Operation, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The decision hinges on a 12-year mine life with an average annual production target of 9,072 t of nickel, 4,683 t of copper and 676 t cobalt in concentrate; as well[…]

Minimising operational and maintenance costs is a key business driver in mining. In its most recent blog post, Hexagon Mining says the challenge is doing this in a stressful, ever-changing environment. “At the front line are dispatchers responsible for scheduling and assigning work orders to operators and equipment. Their decision-making keeps a fleet running efficiently.[…]

Northern Minerals’ Browns Range rare earth pilot plant in Western Australia has continued to churn out more product, with the company set to soon make a shipment of more than 40,000 kg to offtake partner thyssenkrupp Materials Trading GmbH. The Browns Range pilot plant has now surpassed a new production milestone of 210,000 kg of[…]

Schlumberger New Energy has announced the development of a lithium extraction pilot plant in Clayton Valley, Nevada, through its new venture, NeoLith Energy. The NeoLith Energy sustainable approach uses a differentiated direct lithium extraction (DLE) process to enable the production of high-purity, battery-grade lithium material while reducing the production time from over a year to[…]

In April 2019, the inaugural International Mining Events conference titled The Electric Mine took place in Toronto, Canada, and was a major success with attendance from a wide range of global mining companies, technology providers, engineering houses, equipment OEMs and consultants. It came at the right time for the industry and with the right mix[…]

QEM Ltd says it has commenced studies into ‘green hydrogen’ opportunities on site at its flagship 100%-owned Julia Creek vanadium and oil shale open-pit project in Queensland, Australia. The studies will investigate the financial and regulatory requirements of the company to produce hydrogen on site at Julia Creek using a “green” solar-powered electrolyser. It is[…]

The Ontario Government says it is developing its first-ever Critical Minerals Strategy to help generate investment, increase the province’s competitiveness in the global market, and create jobs and opportunities in the mining sector. It will also support Ontario’s transition to a low-carbon economy both at home and abroad, the government said. “By developing this strategy,[…]