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

A National Coal Council study released Thursday determined that more funding and other incentives are needed to produce carbon capture technology that would work on a global, commercial scale.

The study, prepared at the request of US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, and titled “Fossil Forward – Revitalizing CCS: Bringing Scale & Speed to CCS Deployment,” assessed the progress made by the Department of Energy on the cost, safety and technical operation of carbon capture utilization and storage technology and found it came up short.

The Kemper power plant under construction by Southern Company in Mississippi will be the first integrated gasification, combined-cycle plant with carbon capture geologic storage and will come online in 2016, said Janet Gellici, executive vice president of the National Coal Council.

Read more at: http://www.platts.com/latest-news/coal/houston/more-funding-needed-for-ccs-technology-on-a-global-21920472

NORILSK — Russia’s financial crisis is posing a stark challenge to the country’s largest mining company. How can Norilsk Nickel protect the living standards of thousands of workers cut off inside the inhospitable Arctic while also satisfying its shareholders?

Read more at: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-s-norilsk-nickel-faces-battle-to-protect-workforce-from-rising-food-prices/515178.html

H.C. Starck has partnered with Rapid Prototype and Manufacturing (rp+m), to develop novel, sophisticated products by combining the latest 3D printing technology with H.C. Starck’s refractory metals.

Read more at: http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=11691

Jan 28, Colombo: MRL Corporation, an Australian mining company exploring graphite in Sri Lanka, said it is on track to start production from its Aluketiya graphite project in Sri Lanka in the September quarter 2015 after drilling returned assays of up to 99.3% total graphitic carbon (TGC).

Six holes were drilled at the project with the majority returning assays above 90%TGC. A three-hole diamond drilling program will commence within days with the aim of establishing the presence of further graphite mineralization and sterilizing other areas.

Read more at: http://www.colombopage.com/archive_15A/Jan28_1422429147CH.php

Ravensthorpe nickel mine in Western Australia is set to reopen after a chemical spill closed the site in December.

On December 15th 2014, First Quantum Minerals advised a structural failure to the atmospheric leach tank at the Ravensthorpe site.

Read more at: http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/ravensthorpe-mine-to-reopen-after-chemical-spill

Jan 27 (Reuters) – World No. 1 copper producer Chile will consider boosting the development of its lithium industry through public-private partnerships, though the state would retain control of the mineral, a government-funded commission said on Tuesday.

With one of the largest lithium reserves on the globe, Chile is already the second-biggest producer of the mineral, which is widely used in products ranging from hybrid vehicles to smartphone batteries.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/27/chile-mining-lithium-idUSL1N0V61WE20150127

(Reuters) – China called on India on Monday to take more steps to satisfy the standards of a global organisation that controls atomic exports after U.S. President Barack Obama said the United States was in favour of India joining the group.

Obama reaffirmed on the weekend during a visit to India the U.S. position that India is ready for membership into the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), according to a U.S.-India joint statement.

Read more at: http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/26/china-india-nuclear-idINKBN0KZ14Y20150126

China Mining Tuesday 27th January, 2015

Russian mining and steel company Mechel OAO announces that it has signed a MOU with China’s steelmaking major Baosteel Resources corp. to boost supplies to 1.44 million tonnes of coking coal a year.

An earlier contract provided for supplies of 1.2 million tonnes of coking coal a year. Since April 2014 through December 2014, over 1 million tonnes of coking coal was shipped to Baosteel.

Read more at: http://www.canadastandard.com/index.php/sid/229719307

TOKYO – The economies of Indonesia and the Philippines are projected to grow further this year thanks to the strong US economy, falling crude oil prices and other factors, according to an economic forecast for China and four major Southeast Asian economies by the Japan Center for Economic Research.

Read more at: http://business.asiaone.com/news/indonesia-philippines-economies-expected-grow-6-cent

Indonesian financial authorities welcome the European Central Bank’s (ECB) move to implement its own stimulus as it is expected to be a significant factor for boosting the global economy.

See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/01/24/ecb-stimulus-fresh-breeze-indonesia.html#sthash.0ptlrOok.dpuf