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China’s virtual monopoly on rare earth elements used in high-technology applications has been loosened, reducing the risk that supplies to U.S. defense contractors could be disrupted, according to the Pentagon’s latest assessment of the nation’s industrial base.

“Global market forces are leading to positive changes in rare earth supply chains, and a sufficient supply of most of these materials likely will be available to the defense industrial base,” according to the Pentagon report by Elana Broitman, the Defense Department’s top official on the U.S. industrial base. “Prices for most rare earth oxides and metals have declined approximately 60 percent from their peaks in the summer of 2011.”

Read more at: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-12-17/pentagon-less-dependent-on-china-s-rare-earths-u-dot-s-dot-report-says

Dec 17 (Reuters) – Glencore’s former No. 2 aluminum trader Matt Lucke has opened a physical metals trading firm, becoming the first high-profile alumni of the commoditytrading giant’s powerful metals business to return to the market since its takeover of Xstrata in May.

The 40-year old American told Reuters last week he has returned to trading just six months after leaving Glencore Xstrata Plc where he worked his way up over 17 years from thefinance department to becoming one of the company’s most senior aluminum executives.

His departure in the summer alongside global aluminum and alumina chief Gary Fegel was the biggest shake-up of the world’s biggest aluminum trading desk in years.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/17/glencore-aluminum-lucke-idUSL2N0JS1I220131217

MetalMiner Editor Lisa Reisman recently took a higher reading of the “Risk-O-Meter” for the likelihood of the Indonesian raw material export ban. Here, MetalMiner’s lead forecasting analyst Raul de Frutos examines price implications of the ban and specifically addresses questions that nickel buyers should be asking.

How big is the impact of the export ban on China?

Today, nickel pig iron (NPI) accounts for around 45% of China’s primary nickel consumption. To produce NPI, China needs to buy a type of nickel ore called laterite ore. China almost completely relies on imports from Indonesia and the Philippines, with Indonesia representing 55% of total laterite imports.

Read more at: http://agmetalminer.com/2013/12/17/indonesia-exports-ban-pricing-implications-for-nickel-stainless-steel-buyers/

Indonesia is drawing up a government regulation that will lay out details of how a planned ban on mineral-ore shipments will be implemented next month, with the cabinet scheduled to review the issue later this week.

The rules, including the treatment of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX)’s local operations, are still being prepared, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa told reporters in Jakarta after ministers met to discuss how the curb will work in practice. The cabinet will discuss the matter on Thursday, according to Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat, who attended today’s gathering with Rajasa, Finance Minister Chatib Basri and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik.

Read more at:  http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/cabinet-to-discuss-ore-ban-amid-freeport-queries/

BHP Billiton is permanently shutting down its underground nickel mine at Leinster in Western Australia’s Goldfields, resulting in 200 job losses.

The mine has been operating since the late 1970s with BHP owning it since 2005.

The miner says it is no longer safe to mine in the sub-level cave of its Nickel West Perseverance mine, following a seismic event in October.

Read more at:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-17/bhp-shuts-down-leinster-nickel-mine/5161562

INDONESIA’S ban on raw-material exports, to come into effect in January, will have a delayed effect on the refined nickel market as top-producer China has enough ore for at least a year, Macquarie Group says.

China, which needs mined nickel to produce nickel pig iron, an alternative to refined metal, will have as much as 40-million tonnes of Indonesian ore stockpiled by the end of this year, according to a senior consultant to Macquarie in London, Jim Lennon.

Read more at:

http://www.bdlive.co.za/world/asia/2013/12/12/china-estimated-to-have-stockpiled-a-years-worth-of-nickel

Japan’s biggest nickel producers will boost ore purchases from the Philippines and New Caledonia for alternative supply as Indonesia is set to halt raw-mineral exports next year.

Top producer Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.’s output would remain unaffected through April as the Tokyo-based smelter was building stockpiles, said Toru Higo, general manager for nickel sales and raw materials.

Read more at: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/japan-nickel-producers-look-to-philippines-after-indonesia-ore-ban/

Nemaska Lithium Inc.  is pleased to report the initial results of its concentrator flow sheet optimization testing and the overall lithium recovery rate for the Whabouchi Project. In the NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment report dated October 2, 2012 as amended February 27, 2013 (the PEA), the concentrator flow sheet is comprised of a first stage of concentration by dense media separation (DMS), followed by flotation to complete the concentration process. Nemaska has conducted tests with actual suppliers of DMS equipment and the results are very encouraging. In short, the overall recovery rate as lithium concentrate from DMS was improved by 16.7%. Nemaska is presently awaiting the final results from similar work conducted on the flotation portion of the flow sheet.

Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20131211-906364.html?dsk=y

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Mining giant BHP Billiton chief Andrew Mackenzie has punted the company’s growth projections to shareholders in Houston, saying that growth of some 16% in copper equivalent terms, was expected over the next two years.

On the first day of the company’s investor briefing, Mackenzie said that BHP’s productivity agenda had the potential to create more value than any of its other operational focuses.

“With all of our operations now on a common information management platform, we can replicate best practice and improve operational performance across the group. By generating more volume from our existing equipment and lowering unit costs, we will continue to build on the $2.7-billion reduction in controllable cash costs delivered in the 2013 financial year.”

Read more at: http://www.miningweekly.com/article/bhps-growth-assured—mackenzie-2013-12-10