Picture Credits: Gécamines offices in DRC’s capital, Kinshasa. Gecamines, the state-owned mining company in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), announced on Monday that it will begin shipping germanium concentrates to Europe for the first time. The concentrates, produced at a newly established facility in Lubumbashi, will be sent to Umicore in Belgium for further […]

Lead is still widely used for car batteries, pigments, ammunition, cable sheathing, weights for lifting, weight belts for diving, lead crystal glass, radiation protection and in some solders. According to Bestmag, Global supply of refined lead metal exceeded demand by 92,000 tonnes in 2023, according to data from the International Lead and Zinc Study Group. The world’s cobalt […]

Located in the northern Chilean Atacama Desert, roughly 15 kilometres north of Calama, is Chuquicamata, one of the biggest and most important copper mines in the world. Known for its enormous size and depth, it is the second-deepest open pit mine in the world, measuring more than 4.3 kilometres (2.7 miles) long and 3 kilometres […]

For the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, which are utilised in EVs, cellphones, and other renewable energy applications, cobalt is a crucial mineral. Cobalt demand is expected to climb sharply as the globe shifts to greener technologies. The world’s cobalt reserves, especially those in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which account for the majority […]

Since 2010, Kinross Gold Corporation has been managing the Tasiast gold mine via its fully-owned subsidiary Tasiast Mauritanie Limited SA (TMLSA). Tasiast is an open-pit operation located 300 miles northeast of Nouakchott in the Inchiri area, amidst immense desert plains. A processing facility and heap leaching facilities are used to recover the gold that is […]

The map highlights some of the world’s largest mines (excluding coal and salts). I focus on the biggest pits and highest producing assets within each commodity category. The “Other” category includes primarily Nickel, Zinc, Molybdenum, some Silver, and various byproducts. What stands out is the sheer scale of iron mining compared to other commodities. So, […]

Significant changes have been observed in the worldwide copper mining sector during the second quarter of 2024. Significant output increases have been observed by companies like as MMG, Antofagasta, Ivanhoe Mines, and Teck Resources as compared to the first quarter of 2024. MMG produced 90,972 tonnes, a remarkable 35.52% increase in output. Production at Antofagasta […]

Blast patterns dictate how explosive energy is distributed throughout the rock mass, influencing the fragmentation and throw of the blasted material (Fourney, 2016). Below are the three main blast patterns used in mining operations and their associated advantages and disadvantages. Staggered Blast Pattern In a staggered blast pattern, the drill holes are arranged in a […]

Water is used to assist control dust during the mining and processing of ore, on tailings and storage heaps, and throughout the transportation process. Water not only binds mineral dust to the surface of the ore but also aids in suppressing dust that is already in the air. Huge trucks enter and exit mines several […]