Metals and mineral production is just as renewable as other forms of resource extraction, such as forestry Continue reading

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Dr John Atherton, Director of the International Council on Mining and Metals spoke recently at the International Nickel Study Group annual meeting about the key trends in the mining industry. Here's how he sees it: Increasing public concerns Intensifying political struggles over distribution of resource rents Increased emphasis on corporate social and environmental practices Increased NGO campaigning on a range of issues Increasing complexity and breadth of issues facing the industry Growing recognition that no single interest can address issues effectively Continue reading

China nickel pig iron production continues to rise By Patrick Whiteway Sven Tollin, Chief Statistician, Industry Advisory Panel of the International Nickel Study Group (INSG) presented recently at the annual meeting of the INSG in Lisbon. He showed how imports of lateritic nickel ore to China from Indonesia and the Philippines has increased from near zero in 2005 to almost 5 million tonnes in 2011. During those six short years, nickel pig iron production in China increased from near zero to 225,000 tonnes. Continue reading

The rise of corporate social responsibility in the nickel industry. By Patrick Whiteway At the annual meeting of the International Nickel Study Group, held in Lisbon April 23, 2012, Heinz Pariser, a consultant, examined the question "What's new in stainless steel scrap?" The information he presented provides an interesting snap-shot of how well nickel resources are being used by society today. This information can also inform the work of policy makers which influences the environment in which the nickel industry operates so as to improve the utilization of this unique resource. Key among the factors that influence the management of... Continue reading

Where are nickel markets and prices headed in 2012? Demand, supply balance. Growth markets. Market threats. Continue reading

Was the early interest in seabed mining really created by the CIA as a consequence of an attempt to conceal other, more important geopolitical ambitions? By Patrick Whiteway The intense interest in deepsea mining expressed by the world's leading mining companies in the early 1970s was the unintended consequence of an attempt by the United States to conceal an elaborate government program designed to raise a sunken Russian submarine from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. At least that's the opinion of Kenneth Sewell, author of the 2005 book Red Star Rogue. Continue reading

When China restricted exports of rare earths, it set off alarm bells around the world By Patrick Whiteway Globalization was supposed to give manufacturers a secure supply of raw materials, at competitive prices. But when one country dominates the supply of a particular material, all bets are off. China is one such country. It dominates the supply of several metals, including the rare earths. So when China imposes trade restrictions on these metals, other countries have to pay a higher price for them. That's not playing by the rules said the World Trade Organization, February 1. Continue reading

From where this mine engineer sits, the top nickel stories of 2011 were as follows: Continue reading

An initiative by the Mining Association of Canada promises to set a global standard for best practices Continue reading

As the price of, and demand for, metals continue to rise, a wave of resource nationalism is washing across many parts of the world. As a result, Canada has become a vastly lower-risk place for mining companies to invest in exploration. Continue reading

Consultancy identifies six areas with high potential for copper, nickel, platinum group metals. By Patrick Whiteway Geological and engineering consultants Watts, Griffis McOuat of Toronto have done a great service for Canada. They have researched 26 unexplored geological settings in Canada that could potentially host significant copper, nickel, platinum group metal deposits. The six high-potential exploration projects generated by the study are available to companies wishing to invest in exploration for these metals. Continue reading

The global nickel industry lost not only an important legal case last week, it lost credibility with the public. Can it rebuild the good will it once had? Continue reading

What does Canada need to do today to ensure that it has a sustainable nickel industry 100 years from now? Continue reading

The close proximity of Ontario's Ring of Fire, Manitoba's Thompson Nickel Belt and low carbon-emitting hydro power, give Canada an unparalleled opportunity to become a long-term, producer of stainless steel, the enviro-metal. If only the sustainability of the northern boreal forest could be assured as well. Continue reading

Is China's involvement in deepsea mineral exploration simply a foray into 'scientific' inquiry? Or is it part of a larger strategy to acquire vast resources of metals? Who is examining the economic and environmental issues? Continue reading

For Canada to create a sustainable nickel industry a massive, long-term grassroots exploration program is needed Continue reading

Thoughts on mining nickel laterites inspired by two recent books: 'Linkages of Sustainability' and 'The Black Swan.' By Patrick Whiteway It's October 2008 and I'm relaxing in a second-row seat of an air conditioned tour bus. It's crossing the Swan River in beautiful downtown Perth, Australia, when the driver suggests to passangers that the river should be called the Black Swan River. That's because 300 years ago, he explains, European explorers first visited this part of Western Australia and saw black swans for the very first time. Up until then, the only swans they had seen were white ones. Seeing... Continue reading

What were the most significant events to impact the nickel industry in 2010? Continue reading

As nickel miners go back to work in Sudbury, Ont., there's a remote chance that the cultural abyss between the old Inco Ltd. and the new Vale S.A. will one day be bridged. Continue reading

Three former executives of Inco Ltd., now on the Board of Royal Nickel Corporation, have a duty to provide potential investors with a thorough analysis of the risks of investing in a high-cost nickel producer Continue reading

The premise of a recent story in the Globe and Mail: that nickel pig iron (NPI) production in China is a threat to nickel sulphide production in Canada, is untrue. Continue reading

To generate meaningful positive publicity, the mining industry needs to invest millions in new films for the general public Continue reading

In the past year, China has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Canadian nickel properties both producing and exploratory. Will these investments benefit Canadians? Continue reading

Public discourse on the efficacy of foreign ownership in the Canadian mining industry is running rampant these days. Continue reading