A Blog for Browsing Mining, Mineral Processing, and Metals Info

#BHP iron ore boss #JimmyWilson pledged in October last year that the miner could beat Rio on costs over the “medium term” and claim its coveted mantle as the cheapest exporter of #IronOre to China, as he outlined a three-year plan for the business.  Mr Wilson said “with annual sustaining capex of approximately $US5 a tonne over the next five years, we aim to be the lowest-cost supplier to #China on an all-in cash basis”.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining/bhp-inches-ahead-of-rio-in-game-of-cents-20150906-gjg4yl.html#ixzz3l3IQA6Up

#Graphene could soon be protecting airliners from lightning strikes, with #British company #Haydale winning a contract to investigate practical uses for the “wonder material”.

Read more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/engineering/11848397/Wonder-material-graphene-could-protect-airliners-from-lightning-strikes.html

Metals company #Alcoa Inc said on Thursday it will invest $60 million to expand its research and development center in #Pennsylvania to explore ways to make #3DPrinting viable on an industrial scale to produce parts for the #Aerospace, #Automotive and construction sectors.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/03/metals-alcoa-idUSL1N1181N620150903

After “rigorous analysis,” #RioTinto, the world’s second-biggest miner,reaffirmed Chinese crude-steel output will reach about 1 billion metric tons by 2030. #BHP now forecasts production to peak in the mid-2020s at between 935 million tons and 985 million tons, down from as much as 1.1 billion tons.

Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-03/rio-keeps-1-billion-ton-china-steel-output-after-bhp-cuts-view

The largest exporter of unwrought nickel to the country was #Russia. The imports from Russia totaled 36,408.3 mt, accounting for more than 75% of the total imports by the country during the month. In second place was #Canada with 2,484.6 mt, followed by #Australia with 1,483.0 mt. The #UnwroughtNickel imports during the initial seven month period of the year totaled 150,087.1 mt.

Read more at: http://www.metal.com/newscontent/77123_chinese-customs-releases-nickel-import-statistics-for-july-2015

He said construction of a #NickelSmelter would need huge investment and long process of planning and preparations.

“Investors, therefore, would need legal certainty and consistency in government policy in ban on exports of #NickelOre,” he said.

Relaxation in the policy would discourage investment to build smelter and badly dent the confidence of investors, he said.

Read more at: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/100259/government-asked-to-be-consistent-in-mineral-export-ban

#Jakarta, Sept 1 (Reuters) – #Indonesia will keep its export ban on #Nickel ore, contrary to recent media reports suggesting the country may relax curbs to prop up its slowing economy, senior government officials said.

Read more at: https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/indonesia-keep-ban-nickel-ore-120730595.html

Rare earth companies in #China and #Japan are reportedly interested in buying some of bankrupt #Molycorp Inc.’s assets.

Read more at: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2015/09/01/chinese-japanese-buyers-reportedly-interested-in.html

“If anyone in Russia can print at the moment, it’s Norilsk Nickel,” said a London-based investor due to meet with the company next week. “Possibly everyone is underweight Russia, and Norilsk has been one of the main beneficiaries of the events in the country.”

Operating profit at the company stood at US$2.4bn for the first six months of this year, up by US$400m year-on-year and US$600m more than the same period of 2013, according to its financial statements. This is despite nickel prices falling 35% this year, according to Thomson Reuters Eikon data.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/01/bonds-norilsk-nickel-idUSL5N1171EU20150901

Both #Vale and #Fortescue need a benchmark price of about $US40 a tonne to break even while #BHPBilliton and #RioTinto require about $US25 a tonne, #Citigroup analyst Alexander Hacking said. Those break evens – the price at which the miners are not making or losing cash – have been calculated on an earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation basis (EBITDA).

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/citi-says-vale-will-open-big-cost-gap-on-fortescue-metals-20150831-gjc70w.html#ixzz3kTvqvxJQ