Odds ‘n’ Sods: How not to drill a project
I was never really one for keeping a diary; I’m basically too lazy, and not nearly introspective enough. The only time I did keep one, it was by accident. In…
Commentary
Uranium market gathers momentum – towards a supply shortfall
After a dozen years in the doldrums, uranium prices are on the rise, supported by real growing demand and support for nuclear power, as well as geopolitical concerns. While in…
Clean nickel or cheap nickel? You can’t have both
Nickel price trends have become hard to predict. Ever since the London Metals Exchange (LME) crash, in March 2022, and the subsequent canceled trades, a number of banks pulled out…
The view from England: Unfortunate alliances by mining leaders
Just brilliant! The mining industry is in urgent need of redemption but, at conferences in January, mining executives have aligned themselves with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and an…
Precious metals outlook: CPM Group sees sharp rise for gold — but not until 2024
There are several key elements to having a rational view of likely price movements in precious metals in 2023. The first is accurately understanding what has happened in these markets…
Mining’s biggest future challenges will be meeting sustainability expectations – and adapting to the metaverse
We present the winner of the 2022 Northern Miner Scholarship, part of the Young Mining Professionals Scholarship Fund. Entrants were asked to write an essay outlining the mining industry’s biggest…
How Brazil is becoming a global leader in the production of green metals
For years, Brazil was overlooked as a favourable mining jurisdiction within South America. But what’s recently become apparent is that times are changing. The countries that were once deemed as…
The view from England: Coal mine approval a seasonal gift from UK government
Gifts have been exchanged in England during December since before the building of Stonehenge 5,000 years ago. Back then our Neolithic ancestors were celebrating the midwinter solstice (Dec. 21) with…
Will Indigenous-led impact assessments help or hinder mine project approvals?
In Ontario, Anishnawbek peoples have been mining copper for more than 4,000 years. They practiced sustainable mining methods by limiting their disturbance to the land, mining what they needed to…
Better geoscience communication can solve the mining industry’s image problem
Society perceives mining as an industry aimed at pillaging the Earth for its resources with no regard for the environment and the people it impacts. However, most Earth scientists, especially…
Ukraine war crisis offers Canada an opportunity to lead with responsible mining
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shone a spotlight on energy security throughout Europe and the Americas. World leaders are finally paying attention to their reliance on Russia for energy and…
The view from England: The UK’s burning decision on coal
Boris Johnson’s government seems set to approve the first new underground coal mine in the U.K. for 36 years. Such an outcome (a decision is due by July 7) will…