The mining industry briefing
The latest news, trends, and data from the mining industry
News in numbers
$1.4bn
La Mancha has launched a $1.4bn fund to explore new opportunities in the industry, primarily involving gold mining projects.
15
China is set to resume production at 15 shuttered coal mines to meet rising power demand.
$7bn
London’s Court of Appeal has decided to reopen the $7bn lawsuit against Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP over the Fundão tailings dam disaster that occurred in Brazil in 2015.
58,000
Anglo-Australian mining firm Rio Tinto has decided to invest $2.4bn to develop the Jadar lithium-borates project in Serbia. The Jadar project will have the capacity to produce nearly 58,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate.
19
One miner has been killed and at least 19 are trapped in a flooded coal mine in Gangca County in China’s Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
Project updates
Chile’s environmental regulator has reportedly initiated legal proceedings against Lundin Mining for irregularities related to its Candelaria copper mine.
Rio Tinto has signed a 20-year agreement with CrossBoundary Energy to purchase renewable power for its QIT Madagascar Minerals ilmenite mine in Southern Madagascar.
The contract will see the independent power producer build, own, and operate a hybrid plant, which will include an 8MW solar park and 12MW wind farm tied to a lithium-ion battery energy storage system of up to 8.25MW.
A US federal judge in Nevada has reportedly ruled that Lithium Americas can undertake excavation work at the $1bn Thacker Pass lithium project, decried over environmental concerns.
A consortium of South Korean investors has signed an agreement with Australian Strategic Materials to acquire a 20% stake in the Dubbo rare earths project for $250m.
FURTHER READING
From Europe to Asia, mining drones are taking over more than just mapping
Drones in mining operations are used for a varied range of applications: from exploration, surveying and mapping to maintaining safety and enhancing security. Different unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with different sensors and cameras based on their mission.
The popularity of drones across the mining industry has grown immensely in recent years, with a 2019 GlobalData survey of 179 mine sites showing 26% of mines with considerable investments in drone technology, versus just under 20% in 2018.
Source: Mining Technology
