Ta/Li articles
I'll preface the articles with a couple comments:
1. Ta - limited supply, increasing demand and prices have led some to consider the political (not to mention financial) risks of mine development in Africa.
2. Li - regarding new sources of supply, niche market opportunities (for small volumes) and price competitiveness (for large volumes) are noteworthy. Minsal has all but eliminated its competitors producing lithium carbonate from hard-rock sources as well as several other Lithium carbonate producers.
If ore grade and tonnage can be proven up, the market advantages re. Pakeagama Lake include:
- North American location (no political risk)
- Proximity to the world's largest market for industrial minerals
- Canada-U.S. Exchange rate improves mine economics
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African tantalum resources hold investment potential
African Mining, May/Jun 1999, p 55, 57
Africa has probably the world's largest undeveloped tantalum resource base. Tantalum-bearing mineralisations occur in various countries across the African continent, yet only one of these deposits is currently being exploited on a significant scale. Across the continent, the recovery of tantalite and columbite, the two most important tantalum- bearing minerals, has historically been associated with tin mining. Significant quantities of tantalum have also been produced as slag from the smelting of cassiterite (tin) ores. Hence, the collapse of ITC support for the tin market from 1985 sent tantalum production in Africa into a downward spiral from which it has yet to recover fully. Central African production is estimated to be around 200 000 lb/y of Ta2O5. Production is by small-scale artisanal mining. A Consortium (including Cabot Corporation) is considering re-opening the Morrua deposit in Mozambique, where a feasibility study has shown a total of 4.57 Mt of proven and probable mineable ore.
Tantalum finds extra capacity
Metal Bulletin Monthly, Apr 1999, p 52-53, 55
The rapid growth in the tantalum market over the past ten years is largely based on a tripling in the number of tantalum-based electronic capacitors sold for use in personal computers, consumer and automotive electronics, and telecommunications, especially mobile telephones. Tantalum is also enjoying rapid growth in alloy and engineering steel applications. Current annual demand is around 3.5 million lb. The leading producer of tantalum is Australia's Sons of Gwalia, which supplies 25% of the market share. Sons of Gwalia announced late in 1998 that it had made major new ore discoveries that would double its primary hard-rock tantalum resource base to 45 kt of in situ tantalum pentoxide. When the current expansion programme at Wodgina mine in Western Australia is completed in mid-1999, annual production capacity at Sons of Gwalia's two tantalite mines (Greenbushes and Wodgina), will rise to around 1 million lb/y. World supplies could further increase if hard-rock mining begins at Paranapanema's Pitinga tin mine in Brazil, and there is also scope for increasing capacity in Africa, China and Canada. Tantalum appears to have a healthy long-term future, provided the development of mining, processes and products can stay ahead of alternative solutions and compete on cost and performance.
Raymor in lithium research
Platt's Metals Week, 14 Jun 1999, p 13-14
Raymor Resources has signed a research contract with McGill University to produce lithium metal via a revolutionary technique. The process being developed will enable Raymor to produce lithium metal directly from spodumene, thus reducing costs. The process will be adapted directly to the spodumene from the La Motte property lithium deposit, which is 100% owned by Raymor Resources. Following a prefeasibility study, an industrial subsidiary will be created and owned
entirely by Raymor Resources. The industrial subsidiary will have an exclusive worldwide licence to use the high-tech metallurgical process for lithium metal production.
SQM to increase capacity for nitrates, lithium and potash
Industrial Minerals, May 1999, p 9
SQM SA, the Chilean speciality fertilisers and salts producer, is to invest about $40 million over the next two years to boost capacity of potassium nitrate, potash and lithium carbonate. Potassium nitrate production is expected to increase by 150 kt/y to 650 kt/y by 2001, making SQM the largest potassium nitrate producer in the world. This will be achieved through the construction of a $16 million plant in joint venture with Norway-based Norsk Hydro. SQM will have a majority share in the joint venture. Construction will start in mid-1999 in Chile's second region between Antofagasta and Tocopilla, where SQM has two existing potassium nitrate plants. SQM uses its own potash supply from the Salar de Atacama to produce potassium nitrates. Potash production is due to increase to 600 kt/y by 2000. SQM is also to increase lithium carbonate production by 8 to 10%. Production capacity is currently around 200 kt/y, but sales were 13 kt/y in 1998 and are expected to be 17 kt/y in 1999. SQM now holds 30% of the lithium carbonate market.
JOM, Apr 1999, p 8
The largest lithium chemical producer in the world in 1998 was Chile, followed by China, Russia, the USA, and Argentina. Australia and Canada were major producers of lithium ore concentrates. The USA remained the leading consumer of lithium minerals and compounds, and the leading producer of value-added lithium materials. More than 60% of estimated US consumption was for lithium compounds used in ceramics, glass and primary aluminium production. Other major end uses for lithium were in the manufacture of lubricants and greases, and in the production of synthetic rubber. The recycling of lithium was insignificant, but is growing through the recycling of lithium batteries. The increased production in Argentina and Chile increased the existing oversupply, resulting in lower prices for lithium carbonate during the past two years. Interest in lithium batteries for electric vehicles continued to grow, and research is ongoing.
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DRT |
