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

URUMQI, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — Geological workers have discovered a nickel ore, with nickel reserves of at least 1.28 million tonnes, in Ruoqiang county, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2012-10/06/c_131890217.htm

Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (UCU) said today in a statement that a unit of the U.S. Department of Defense agreed to conduct a mineralogical and metallurgical study of the company’s Bokan Mountain rare-earth property in Alaska.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-01/ucore-says-department-of-defense-agrees-to-rare-earth-study.html

DENVER, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Jeff Masingill, vice president, sales and marketing, RTI Remmele Engineering Inc., New Brighton, MN, will serve as the moderator for the Commercial Aerospace session, which is sponsored by RTI International Metals, Inc., Pittsburgh. RTI Remmele produces titanium fabricated products and machined components.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/titanium-2012-explores-developments-in-the-largest-business-sector-for-the-global-titanium-industry-2012-10-01

The Australian nickel mining industry  is awaiting the outcome of the world’s largest takeover battle this  year to see if it provides any direction on the future of the  sector.

http://www.skynews.com.au/businessnews/article.aspx?id=800664

(Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp, the world’s biggest non-state oil company, has not yet accepted an offer to look over a new Afghan oil concession in the country’s
north, possibly indicating a fading appetite to invest in the conflict-wracked country.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/30/us-afghanistan-mining-idUSBRE88T07E20120930

“So far this year, nickel imports have risen nearly 40 percent compared with last year. About 65 percent of nickel imported into the United States comes from Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Other prominent producers include South Korea and Russia.”

http://agmetalminer.com/2012/09/27/nickel-and-zinc-imports-headed-opposite-directions/

After spending nine years colliding zinc, which has 30 protons, with bismuth, which has 83, scientists from Japan say they have finally made the protons from two atoms stick together, creating a new synthetic element with 113 protons in the nucleus.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/japan-makes-new-element-dnews-nugget-120927.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1

(Reuters) – Russia’s Norilsk Nickel (GMKN.MM), the world’s largest nickel and palladium miner, is taking its push to boost reserves to Africa, where it is considering deals and the acquisition of copper, nickel and platinum licenses, its CEO said on Wednesday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/26/us-russia-summit-norilsk-two-idUSBRE88P1DO20120926

Over on our sister site, MetalMiner, my colleague Stuart Burns recently explored declining prices for certain classes of light rare earth metals (read his full commentary here and here). Not too long ago, we were all reading headlines about China erecting export restrictions to prop up prices. What’s changed?

http://www.spendmatters.com/index.cfm/2012/9/25/Rare-Earth-Metals–Will-China-Lose-Pricing-Power

Metalysis, the UK based specialist metals company, has developed a process that can change natural rutile sands directly into titanium metal powder in a single step.

http://www.metal-powder.net/view/28425/metalysis-produces-titanium-powder-directly-from-sand/