Milad Esmzadeh’s Post

Shallow gem mining in Sri Lanka is a traditional and significant part of the country's gem industry. This method involves the extraction of gemstones from shallow deposits, typically found in riverbeds, alluvial plains, and near-surface soil layers. Miners use simple tools like shovels, picks, and pans to dig small pits and trenches, usually up to about 10 meters deep, to reach gem-bearing gravel layers. Sri Lanka is renowned for its high-quality sapphires, rubies, and a variety of other gemstones. The shallow mining method is less invasive compared to deep mining, preserving more of the natural landscape and ecosystems. However, it still requires careful management to prevent environmental degradation and ensure sustainable practices. #gemindustry #gemmining #gemstone #godapathal #srilankagemmining #shallowmining #nambuwa #garumwattiya

Native Americans were the first to mine copper there, and the region is still dotted with thousands of ancient mining pits and more modern sites left behind after the commercial mining rush of the late-1800s to mid-1900s. At one point, the Keweenaw’s Calumet and Hecla Mining Co. accounted for more than half of the nation’s copper production. Mining jobs brought a wave of immigrant workers to the region, particularly from Finland. Today, the Keweenaw Peninsula remains a hub of Finnish-American culture.

Daily Maverick has just published an article by Kristin Engel based on the Transnational Institute (TNI)’s recent special report ‘The Sand Worth Billions: How Mining Companies are Reshaping South Africa’s West Coast’. It makes for horrific reading, but you should be horrified if this topic affects or grabs you in any way. Mostly, it should just make you fire-spitting angry. Or at least it will – after you check out the DM article and take a look at the TNI report. According to its website, “TNI is an international research and advocacy institute based in the Netherlands that is committed to building a just, democratic and sustainable planet. For 50 years, TNI has served as a unique nexus between social movements, engaged scholars and policymakers.” Report author Carsten Pedersen is a political activist and researcher with the Environmental and Agrarian Justice (AEJ) team at TNI, whose previous recent work includes a special report on fishing rights in Gaza and historic injustices in Mauritius. ‘The Sand Worth Billions’ is a thoroughly-researched and sometimes damning indictment of many of the major and minor players in the mining industry on the South African West Coast, which is mostly focused on digging up the seabed, beaches and dunes for diamonds and heavy minerals such as zircon, ilmenite and rutile, which are used in a variety of industrial applications, as well as metals such as titanium. This industry is worth billions of dollars every year, and of course, earns the South African government massive revenues as well. No surprise the deluge of mining applications continues unabated. While other mining companies operating in the area are mentioned, the report focuses on Tronox, which a significant portion of its profits from its zircon mining operations in South Africa on both the West Coast and in KZN. According to the TNI report in 2021, Tronox generated USD 478 million (ZAR 8.2 billion) in revenue from direct sales of zircon internationally, accounting for 13% of its total revenue. “The report finds that mineral extraction in South Africa and other parts of the world continues to produce major social and environmental destruction,” writes Engel in DM. “The mining of mineral sands is no exception and the report shows that continued extensification of mining on the West Coast will add to the existing social, environmental and climate crisis. “In the report, Pedersen looked at Tronox Holdings which operates Namakwa Sands (Tronox Mineral Sands) in Saldanha and Matzikama, and KwaZulu-Natal Sands in Empangeni. Pedersen noted that these operations were less visible on the radar because they did more ‘clean business’ and good PR work, so you don’t see the same injustice. But when he looked at the scale and size of the company, Pedersen [said] this was the one they needed to pay attention to." Read more: http://bit.ly/3UwhXaL #beachmining #TNI #dailymaverick #protectthewestcoast #ecoactivism

via Stockhead They say to make hay while the sun shines, and explorers in the emerging rare earths (#REE) mining scene in Brazil are doing just that, as many other commodities experience depressed market prices or supply gluts. REE demand is high, getting higher, and forecast to be prolonged as outside China markets look to create new supply chains for the 17 elements that make up rare earths. Alvo Minerals Ltd managing director Rob Smakman said Brazil was fast emerging as the most important REE jurisdiction globally. Bordering Goias State in Toncantin State, #ALV is proving up its flagship Bluebush rare earths project, where neighbour Serra Verde recently became the only IAC-type REE producer outside China. Read more: https://loom.ly/X2rCss4 #AlvoMinerals #RareEarths #ASX

𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗻, 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆 by Simon Matthis; miningmetalnews.com At today’s press conference the Norwegian mining company Rare Earths Norway AS (“REN”) announced a mineral resource estimate showing that The Fen Carbonatite Complex hosts continental Europe’s largest deposit of rare earth elements. The Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate shows that the Fen Carbonatite Complex hosts the largest #REE deposit in continental #Europe evaluated to date. This is the first published Mineral Resource Estimate of REEs from the Fen Carbonatite Complex. The current estimate covers a large majority of the Project area and thus a huge discovery for #REN, #Norway, and #Europe. "This is a very important moment for Rare Earths Norway, the resource estimate underscores the potential of the deposit to be a truly transformative asset that can underpin a secure rare earths #valuechain for Europe. We are working with leading #partners, such as Montanuniversität Leoben in #Austria to develop this #deposit with the world’s most sustainable mine and mineral processing technology minimising the environmental footprint from mine to magnet", states Alf Reistad, CEO of Rare Earths Norway AS. "We are very excited to see Rare Earths Norway, a company that #EITRawMaterials and #ERMA have supported over several years, reach this major milestone. This project underscores the potential and the opportunity for Europe to invest in world class mining and processing projects that will help secure our industrial value chains and set new standards in environmental and social performance through technology, innovation and collaboration" says Bernd Schäfer, CEO, EIT RawMaterials. The article link is here: https://lnkd.in/dWMbzHBX

Ginintuang kabundukan, pero walang kaunlaran. The Igorot of Itogon are keenly aware of a bitter irony about their cliffside town, nicknamed the "Gold Haven" of Benguet. The mountains are literally lined with gold. And yet the locals have been condemned to underdevelopment, even hard pressed to fund repairs on some chronically unsafe roads. For over a century, beginning with the American colonial forces, mining companies have nearly stripped the land clean of any ore, lining their pockets with the finest gold. Itogon remains. Its people merely endure. Elder Cristeta Caytap tells Mongabay has seen many "‘good-intentioned’ companies. But where are the schools and the hospitals? Yes they’ve given some financial assistance on occasion, but we remain underdeveloped. And now here they come again.” Itogon-Suyoc Resources Inc. (ISRI), one of the Philippines’ oldest mining firms, is seeking to mine again mainly around Sitio Dalicno. The locals claim the company, aided by the govt, railroaded consultations for Free, Prior and Informed Consent and even excluded elders in the process. Dalicno fears their lands will be ravaged once more. And it surprised me to hear from ISRI (owned by Razon's Apex mines), that they felt community mining was more environmentally destructive than large scale mining. There's honestly a lot to unpack in this story but some other takeaways: -ISRI already has several mining sites in the area and is looking to gain control over 581 hectares. -Mining experts and the Cordillera People's Alliance say "it’s time they leave Itogon alone, let the land heal and let the people redevelop the resources.” -ISRI is waiting for the govt's green light. But the consent process lacks documentation to prove that community consultations actually took place. -ISRI says it can employ as many as 800 locals under the Big Brother Small Brother arrangement. Dalicno alone has a voting population of 2,000. https://lnkd.in/gZhVNJEP

From the #AusIMMBulletin: Read the Illawarra Branch Mineral Heritage Subcommittee's latest piece about the restoration and preservation of a piece of Australian mining history. https://lnkd.in/gxDXbuVs

Some 200 kilometres from Las Vegas sits Sarcobatus Flat. It is a massive dry lakebed, similar to its nearby neighbour Area 51, the birthplace of generations of advanced U.S. aircraft and, according to some, home to who knows what else. Sarcobatus Flat is part of the Nevada desert and you can see it for miles due to an eye-catching surface that looks like a dusting of snow. Underneath that white blanket of salts lies what Mining Intelligence ranks as the third-largest lithium clay and hard rock project in the world, Bonnie Claire. This is the project proudly held by Nevada Lithium Resources The company has 18,300 acres of land at Bonnie Claire and has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). By the numbers, the project contains 18.37 million tonnes of Inferred lithium carbonate equivalent. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors #CSE #OTCQB #NVLH #NVLHF http://ow.ly/GuEh105kaTm

Bloody Norwegians did troll the Swedish National Day again. 8.8 Mt TREO - If I remember correctly the Kiruna finde was reported as > 1Mt TREO. I demand a re-estimation LKAB! Oslo, Norway – 6 June 2024. At today’s press conference the Norwegian mining company Rare Earths Norway (“REN”) announced a mineral resource estimate showing that The Fen Carbonatite Complex hosts continental Europe’s largest deposit of rare earth elements. "The Maiden Inferred Mineral Resource, which satisfies the RPEEE is at 559 Mt at 1.57% Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO). This means that the Fen Carbonatite Complex contains 8.8 Mt TREO with a reasonable prospect for eventual economic extraction" #rareearth #norway #sweden https://lnkd.in/eBhRAHSd

🌊 Five Years After Brumadinho: Unveiling Hidden Risks in Tailings Dams 🌊 On January 25, 2019, the Brumadinho tailings dam at the Córrego do Feijão mine in Brazil collapsed, tragically killing 270 people and devastating the local ecosystem. Now, five years later, ETH Zurich researchers have uncovered a critical mechanism behind the failure, providing insights that could prevent future disasters. Their findings highlight how internal factors like delayed slip surface growth and creep deformation can lead to catastrophic failures, even in dams that are no longer active. This research is crucial for improving the safety of tailings dams and preventing similar tragedies. Read more about their groundbreaking work and its implications for the mining industry: https://lnkd.in/eAjnyGr7 #MiningSafety #EnvironmentalProtection #Brumadinho #TailingsDams #EngineeringResearch #ETHZurich #Hydropower