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

Category Archives: Metals

Burkina Faso’s nationalization rattles West Africa’s gold sector

Posted on September 8, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Workers at a mining site during sunset, with heavy machinery in the background and a mountainous landscape.

Burkina Faso is accelerating its drive to nationalize natural resources, requesting this week to acquire another 35% of West African Resources’ (ASX: WAF) Kiaka gold mine — a move that forced the miner into a trading halt on Thursday.

The company said the government wants to raise its stake in Kiaka, which poured first gold in June, “for valuable paid consideration”. It added the trading should resume Monday.

WAF has grown from a struggling explorer into one of West Africa’s biggest success stories, producing about 500,000 ounces of gold a year at low cost. The company says it has already paid hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties to Burkina Faso, with revenues expected to reach the billions once Kiaka ramps up.

Orezone Gold (ASX, TSX: ORE), which operates the Bomboré mine, also halted trading after the news. The company said it has received no similar request from the government but plans to meet with officials this weekend.

The development highlights the fragile investment climate in West Africa, already rattled by political instability in Mali.

Burkina Faso, Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer, has added key assets to the portfolio of its new state-owned miner, Société de Participation Minière du Burkina (SOPAMIB).

New ‘safe’ destinations

For foreign miners, the upheaval underscores how quickly long-term agreements can collapse. Countries such as Ghana, Egypt, Namibia and Botswana continue to offer more predictable frameworks, while Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea are emerging as new magnets for investment.

Rio Tinto’s (ASX, LON: RIO) multibillion-dollar Simandou iron ore project highlights growing confidence in Guinea’s commitment to the rule of law.

Yet the risks remain high. Success in much of Africa often depends on global majors with world-class mines, diversified portfolios and close government ties. Canada’s Barrick Mining (TSX: ABX)(NYSE: B) continues to navigate these challenges in Mali, but smaller players such as WAF now face sharper uncertainty.

Metals

Let’s build the #SiliconValley of #Canada in #Ontario

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A vibrant skyline of a Canadian city at sunset, featuring modern skyscrapers, including a building adorned with greenery and the Canadian flag prominently displayed. Two individuals are sitting on a balcony, one working on a laptop and the other taking pictures.

It is undeniable several South Asian, mainly Indian, intellectual minds made a lasting impact on Silicon Valley.

As per Chat GPT:

Influence on Tech Culture

The Indian diaspora has significantly influenced the culture and work ethic in Silicon Valley. With many tech leaders hailing from India, the focus on rigorous education, a strong work ethic, and an emphasis on innovation and risk-taking is central to the region’s identity.

Indian-Americans make up nearly 30% of Silicon Valley’s tech workforce, even though they are just a small percentage of the U.S. population.
Silicon Valley’s emphasis on meritocracy and innovation aligns well with many cultural values in India, including a focus on education, technical prowess, and entrepreneurship.

It seems that the impact of Indian intellectual minds on the US intellectual innovations might be changing in the future.

For decades Indians did not trust US administrations.

But in the past two decades, the US administrations were trying to change the perception, with a landmark visit by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, followed by George W Bush administration recognising India to be treated with the likes of great power like Britain, France and China and signing a historic nuclear deal under former PM Manmohan Singh. President Barack Obama’s pivot to Asia and his administration’s bid to support India to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council also marked a turning point in the two countries’ relations.

This US strategic outreach towards India has been in a bipartisan manner over the past 25 years but the carefully built diplomatic progress has been “undone” in a few weeks by US administration 2025.

As per Fareed Zakaria of CNN, due to the US Administration 2025 policies, the Indians believe that America has shown its true colors, its unreliable, its willingness to be brutal to those it calls its friends. They will understandably feel that they need to hedge their bets. Stay close to Russia, and even make amends with China.

(https://indianexpress.com/article/world/fareed-zakaria-worsening-ties-india-us-under-trump-10195630/)

If Canada could bring these intellectual minds and investments from South Asia along with Europeans, Canada could build Silicon Valley in Canada to help not only Canada but also the world.

[2025 US Admin Wants to Own Patents of New Inventions – Newsweek

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-patent-new-invention-2120206]

Former Prime Minister of #Canada #JustinTrudeau relax the immigration policies with criticism but I believe it is the first step towards to attract the intellectual minds and investment. Time will justify his optimism.

Current Prime Minister of Canada #MarkCarney is after intellectual minds and investments from all friendly and law-abiding nations.

Current Premier of #Ontario #DougFord is opened to opportunities with his courage decision making.

It is possible.

We are who we are.

We are United ProCanadians

#UnitedProCanadians

Metals

Joint Declaration of Intent between #Canada and #Germany on Critical Minerals Cooperation

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A Canadian flag and a German flag positioned on metallic mineral ores, symbolizing cooperation in critical minerals between Canada and Germany.

The Department of Natural Resources (NRCan) of Canada and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) of Germany recognize the strategic importance of critical minerals to the economic and national security of our countries, including defense applications, the energy transition, clean technology manufacturing, and advanced manufacturing. We concur on the growing need for secure, diversified, and resilient critical mineral supply chains that reduce reliance on any single source and strengthen economic security.

We acknowledge the significance of critical minerals midstream technologies, including smelting, processing, refining, and recycling capacity to ensure secure and sustainable supply, and we share mutual interest in fostering innovation, rules-based trade, investment, and collaboration in the critical minerals space. Building on existing commitments under the Canada-Germany Energy Partnership, the Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance, the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials, and the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan objectives to strengthen sustainable supply chains, we have established the following common objectives.

Metals

#US Defense Department to buy #Cobalt for up to $500 million

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A technician inspects cobalt materials in a storage facility, with American flags and military equipment visible in the background.

By Reuters

Aug 21 (Reuters) – The U.S. is seeking to procure cobalt worth up to $500 million for defense stockpiles amid the country’s move to boost its critical mineral supplies.

Companies have been scrambling to source rare earths after China imposed restrictions, leading to a 75% drop in rare earth magnet exports from the country in June and causing some auto companies to suspend production.

Metals

##Brazil Wanted #America’s Help Mining #RareEarths. Then Came Tariffs – #NYTimes

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Scenic landscape featuring rolling green hills, with a United States flag on the left, a Brazilian flag overlaid on the hills, wind turbines in the foreground, and an aircraft flying in the sky during sunset.

Brazil is believed to hold between 19 and 23 percent of global reserves of rare earths, a group of 17 elements needed to make powerful magnets used in a range of products, from electric cars and wind turbines to missiles and fighter jets.

American support could help Brazil become a global powerhouse in the extraction and processing of rare earths. And Brazilian rare earths could reduce American dependence on China, which controls about 90 percent of world supplies — and has shown itself willing to withhold them.

Tensions between President Trump and Brazil’s leader could derail a promising alliance to unlock the world’s second largest reserve of the minerals.

Metals

China pledges to address #India’s #RareEarth needs, #Indian source says

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

India has the world’s fifth-largest rare earth reserves, at 6.9 million metric tons, but has no magnet production and relies on imported magnets, mainly from China.

NEW DELHI, Aug 19 (Reuters) – There is an upward trend in India-China relations and Beijing has promised to address New Delhi’s needs on rare earths, a top Indian official and a source said on Tuesday, as the neighbours rebuild ties that were damaged by a 2020 border clash.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting India for the 24th round of border talks with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and is also due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, days before Modi travels to China for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Metals

#Indian miner #IREL seeks #Japan, #SouthKorea partnerships for #RareEarth #Magnet production

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A digital illustration featuring a large red magnet amidst rocky terrain, with flags of India, South Korea, and Japan in the background, symbolizing collaboration in rare earth magnet production.

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 (Reuters) – India’s state-owned miner IREL is seeking to collaborate with Japanese and South Korean companies to start commercial production of rare earth magnets, a source familiar with the matter said, as part of efforts to reduce reliance on China.

The company is looking at both Japan and South Korea for rare earth processing technology, potentially through government-to-government channels, the source said.

Metals

#Africa is challenging #China’s mining hegemony

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Across Africa, Beijing’s mining dominance is now being scrutinised more closely, with a growing demand for fairer, more transparent partnerships.

A new wave of resistance, driven by increased scrutiny from African governments as well as civil society activism, is starting to challenge China’s long-standing dominance in Africa’s mining industry. Chinese firms have often failed to deliver promised skills transfer or infrastructure. Consequently, African nations are growingly asserting their rights to value-added development. The old model of raw resource extraction in exchange for infrastructure or investments is no longer tenable in a region demanding agency, accountability, and economic sovereignty.

Africa’s critical mineral opportunity: from extraction zone into manufacturing and innovation hub

Let incentivize

Let de-risk mining

Let invest

Let transfer the technology know-how

Let work together to support the global energy transition

Let stop dividing the continents with your words and actions.

Metals

#Indonesia Weighs Tax Incentives to Promote #Nickel-Based EV Batteries

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A black electric vehicle parked on a highway with a city skyline in the background, featuring a prominent 'Ni' label on the vehicle and the Indonesian flag in the corner.

Jakarta. The Finance Ministry is reviewing a plan to offer tax incentives aimed at encouraging electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to adopt nickel-based batteries over lithium alternatives, to accelerate the country’s downstream nickel industry and solidify its role in the global EV supply chain.

The proposal is currently being assessed by the Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF) through the Directorate General of Economic and Fiscal Strategy (DJSEF). Riznaldi Akbar, a senior policy analyst at the directorate, said the incentives could include government-borne value-added tax (VAT), import duty exemptions, and luxury goods sales tax (PPnBM) relief.

“It’s still under review at BKF,” Riznaldi said on Thursday. “The package would likely combine various tax incentives–VAT subsidies, import duty waivers, and PPnBM exemptions– not only for EV purchases but also for battery components.”