Daily Mining Industry Report: March 20, 2025

Daily Mining Industry Report: March 20, 2025

Canadian Developments

• Alberta Lifts Ban on Coal Exploration in Eastern Slopes
  The Alberta government has lifted its ban on coal exploration and development in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, reinstating the 1976 Coal Policy. This decision follows legal challenges from companies like Cabin Ridge and Hancock Prospecting, which claimed significant financial losses due to previous bans. Valory Resources, an Australian-led Canadian company, is poised to benefit with its Blackstone project, focusing on underground steelmaking coal. ​

• Canada's Mining Sector Faces Disruptions Due to Wildfires
  Recent wildfires in Canada have disrupted mining operations, affecting supply chains and exposing vulnerabilities in property and operational continuity. Companies are reassessing risk management strategies to mitigate future environmental challenges. ​

Global Developments

• Trump Invokes Defense Production Act to Boost U.S. Mineral Production
  Former President Donald Trump has signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to enhance domestic production of critical minerals and rare earth elements. This move aims to reduce reliance on foreign sources, particularly China, and secure supply chains vital for national security. ​Financial Times

• HBIS and Vale Collaborate on Steel Decarbonization
  Chinese steelmaker HBIS Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Brazilian mining giant Vale to jointly work on decarbonizing the steel value chain. The partnership will explore technologies such as the Tecnored furnace, hydrogen metallurgy, and carbon capture to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. ​Reuters

• Iron Ore Heiresses Secure $5 Billion Mining Deal
  Australian sisters Leonie Baldock and Alexandra Burt have successfully brokered an $8 billion sale of a substantial iron ore deposit in Rhodes Ridge. Their company, VOC Group, facilitated a deal with Japan's Mitsui, granting access to one of Western Australia's largest undeveloped iron ore deposits. ​The Australian+1Wikipedia+1

• Zambia's Kafue River Contaminated by Mining Spill
  An acidic waste spill from a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia has severely contaminated the Kafue River, affecting millions who rely on it for water and fishing. The incident has raised environmental and public health concerns.

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