Industrial Minerals

Supply Developments

• Soda ash sales boost Solvay Q2 29 July 2010

  Chemicals unit increases profit by 11% as soda ash and fluorochem volumes recover Read More

• PotashCorp's Q2 profits surge 29 July 2010

  Potash sales volumes rocket to 1.9m. tonnes but phosphate lags behind Read More

• FMC’s Q2 profits up 35% 29 July 2010

  Earnings up 35% as lithium, phosphate and soda ash volumes increase Read More

• Nigeria aims to unlock minerals 28 July 2010

  Barytes, kaolin and limestone targeted for government development fund Read More

• New fund tracks lithium industry 28 July 2010

  Global X Lithium ETF provides boost, but will not be a guide to global demand Read More

• Legend to start mining in 2013 28 July 2010

  Australian group to start phosphate and fertiliser production at Mt Isa in 3 years Read More

• Slower iodine growth forecasted 27 July 2010

  Demand expected to rise 3.5% a year driven by use in LCD screens – Roskill Read More

• Industrial Minerals Prices August 2010 August 2010

  Summary of industrial mineral prices listed in monthly IM issue. Read More

• Price briefing August 2010 August 2010

  Future clouded by Chinese restrictions Read More

• Rockwood profit up 37% in Q2 27 July 2010

  Lithium and TiO2 businesses help drive recovery for US speciality chemicals group Read More

• Borates revival sparked by China August 2010

  Borates market is on the way to recovery. Prices are still low but demand is expected to rise by 4.5% in 2014 Read More

• EU fines phosphates cartel August 2010

  The European Commission has fined several animal feed phosphates producers a total of Û175.65m. ($226.6m.) for operating a price-fixing cartel lasting over three decades, the executive branch of the EU announced. Read More

• Barytes braced for US drilling ban impact August 2010

  Suppliers of barytes to the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas drilling industry are braced for a significant drop in demand in the wake of a US ban on most offshore operations Read More

• Novocarb targets soda ash pricing changes August 2010

  French soda ash producer, Novocarb has set out its vision to change the way soda ash is priced in a move that echoes the titanium minerals industry Read More

• Talison backs brine with Salares Lithium merger August 2010

  Talison Minerals Pty Ltd has given the clearest signs yet that brine is the future for the lithium industry after it struck a deal to merge its spodumene business with Toronto-based brine explorer Salares Lithium Inc Read More

• S&B bauxite difficulties persist August 2010

  S&B Industrial Minerals SA, the EU’s leading bauxite producer, is finding it tough going this year as it comes to terms with disruption to its bauxite supply impacted by delays in permitting in a beleaguered Greek economy Read More

• Rare earth supply fears become reality August 2010

  Global fears of a rare earth supply shortage have been made a reality by China after it dramatically cut its export quota by 70% for the second half of the year Read More

• Carborundum expands Russia SiC 26 July 2010

  Indian group invests $75m. to build 100,000 tpa silicon carbide plant in Volgograd Read More

• Fatal blast at zinc oxide plant 26 July 2010

  Horsehead’s Pennsylvania zinc oxide plant shut down after explosion kills two Read More

• MTI to build India PCC plant 23 July 2010

  Minerals Technologies’ to supply filler minerals at Ballapur’s Orissa paper mill Read More

• China expands lithium output 23 July 2010

  Qinghai province to boost lithium carbonate production five-fold by 2015 – report Read More

• Mosaic boosts Q4 profits 23 July 2010

  Potash recovery drives four-fold increase in operating profit; phosphate prices rise Read More

• S&B bauxite difficulties persist 22 July 2010

  Greek producer hopeful that disruption from permit delays is only temporary Read More

• First Bauxite expands reserves 21 July 2010

  Guyana-focused group adds chemical-grade bauxite deposit through acquisition of BCGI Read More

• Gulf vermiculite sells 20% stake 21 July 2010

  Uganda-focused minerals group divests share to Africa Lion fund for $1.16m. Read More

• Talison enacts lithium expansion 20 July 2010

  Spodumene output at Greenbushes, Australia, to expand 40% by end-2011 Read More

• EU fines phosphates cartel 20 July 2010

  Tessenderlo and FMC among groups sharing €176m. fine for feed price fixing Read More

• Christmas phosphate plan blocked 19 July 2010

  Australian government rejects Christmas Island phosphate mining expansion Read More

• Talison in lithium brine merger 16 July 2010

  World’s biggest spodumene miner merges with Chile lithium brine junior, Salares Read More

• Mosaic phosphate faces closure 16 July 2010

  Phosphate miner could close Florida mine owing to lawsuit over pollution concerns Read More

• Comment: Talison lithium deal 16 July 2010

  Lithium deal is as much about attracting investment as it is long term security Read More

• Industry braced for RE shortages 15 July 2010

  Importers of Chinese rare earths await squeeze, focus on high-value materials Read More

• Rio Tinto boosts Q2 output 14 July 2010

  Borates, talc and TiO2 feedstock production rises as end markets bounce back Read More

• Vale starts Peru phosphate mine 14 July 2010

  Brazilian mining group Vale begins phosphate production at Bayóvar project Read More

• Molycorp set for $420m. IPO 14 July 2010

  Rare earth developer plans $15-17 share sale to develop Mountain Pass project Read More

• SVH eyes Australian phosphate 13 July 2010

  Singapore investor SVH targets GBM’s phosphate at Mount Isa in Queensland Read More

• China cuts to boost RE prices 13 July 2010

  Global supply shortage imminent as China cuts H2 rare earth exports – IMCOA Read More

• Talon explores Brazilian potash 13 July 2010

  Talon Metals plans Sergipe resource estimate by 2011, launches drilling programme Read More

• Molycorp on rare earth quotas 12 July 2010

  UPDATE: “Very significant” China H2 quota may lead to near-term shortages – CEO Read More

• Vietnam kaolin demand rises 12 July 2010

  Prices increase in line with China as demand for ceramics grade up across Asia Read More

• Süd-Chemie plans lithium plant 12 July 2010

  Quebec lithium-iron-phosphate plant to produce enough for 500,000 hybrid vehicles Read More

• Sibelco UK fined for pollution 12 July 2010

  UK kaolin subsidiary pleads guilty to 2009 pollution of Dorset watercourse Read More

• China slashes rare earth exports 09 July 2010

  Global shortage fears intensify as China cuts second half 2010 exports by 72% Read More

• China mulls new resource tax 09 July 2010

  Beijing considers nationwide tax on resources to inject money into west – report Read More

• Tertiary eyes Norway fluorspar 08 July 2010

  UK company buys rights for Lassedalen deposit; potential metspar grades Read More

• Potash back to growth 07 July 2010

  Potash sales recover in 2010; capacity to increase over 30% by 2014 - IFA Read More

• Storuman fluorspar estimates grow 06 July 2010

  Scoping study estimates 100,000 tpa fluorspar over 18-year mine life at Swedish site Read More

• Phosphate to grow 20% by 2014 06 July 2010

  Phosphate rock capacity expected to increase to 228m. tonnes by 2014 – IFA Read More

• Cliffs secures chromite majority 06 July 2010

  Play for Canadian chromite junior pays off as Cliffs gains majority of Big Daddy Read More

• Itochu buys Simbol lithium stake 05 July 2010

  Japanese trading house secures Asian marketing rights for new US lithium source Read More

• Kerneos builds briquetting plant 05 July 2010

  Shortage of suitable bauxite pushes French CAC producer to in-house processing Read More

• Australia unveils new mine tax 02 July 2010

  UPDATE: Industry consultation prompts Minerals Resource Rent Tax July 2012 Read More

• India re-imposes soda ash duty 02 July 2010

  India extends duty on Chinese soda ash imports to protect domestic producers Read More

• SOKA eyes Ukraine kaolin plant 02 July 2010

  French group plans to build 75,000 tpa plant to refine material for ceramics industry Read More

• US drilling ban: barytes impact feared 01 July 2010

  Suppliers experience robust market but fear significant demand drop from US drilling ban Read More

• Minerals avoid Australian tax 01 July 2010

  Reports indicate “lower value” minerals exclusion from modified new tax proposal Read More

• GK eyes Mozambique graphite 01 July 2010

  Germany’s Graphit Kropfmühl shows interest in Ancuabe graphite mine Read More

• Perlite Canada profits recover 30 June 2010

  Quebec-based perlite and vermiculite processor continues recovery Read More

• Dupré extends vermiculite deal 30 June 2010

  UK group to buy 35,000 tpa vermiculite from Gulf’s Uganda mine by end of 2011 Read More

• China in for Belaruskali stake 30 June 2010

  Belarusian government looks to sell potash company stake for $6-7bn. Read More

• Reed welcomes Li competition 29 June 2010

  Australian spodumene developer looks forward to increased competition in the industry Read More

• Eti-Soda to double output 28 June 2010

  Turkish soda ash producer increasing capacity from Beypazari Read More

• Mining key to Afghan progress 28 June 2010

  Afghanistan turns to minerals industry to drive recovery; looks for lithium interest Read More

• Lanxess iron oxide expansion 28 June 2010

  German producer to increase capacity after record production levels in H1 2010 Read More

• Kazakhstan turns to mining 25 June 2010

  Central Asian republic keen to invest agriculture fortune into the mining industry Read More