Skillings Mining Review August 2019

2019 AUGUST IN REVIEW

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Vol:108.No:08

1912-2

019

CALL FOR SUSPENSION OF ALL STATE GRANTS FOR POLYMET MINE P 06

SAFEST SEASON EVER FOR MINERS P 14

INSIDE STATISTICS

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AUGUST 2019 VOL.108. NO.08

...From the Editorial Desk

W

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4227 to law Monday, creating the Committee on the Mining Future of Michigan. Founded in February by state Rep. Sara Cambensy, the Committee will be responsible for making advisory legislative e were very pleased to see that

and policy guidelines to strengthen

Skillings Mining Review publishes comprehensive information on global mining, iron ore markets and critical industry issues via our monthly magazine, weekly E-newsletter, annual mining directory and real time website.

PUBLISHER CHARLES PITTS chas.pitts@skillings.net MANAGING EDITOR JOHN EDWARD john.edward@cfxnetwork.com SENIOR SALES MANAGER STAN SALMI stan.salmi@skillings.net SALES REPRESENTATIVE, CANADA RON SANDERSON ron.sanderson@cfxnetwork.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS SARAH HART KATIE SIMS DAVID WILSON CAROLINE DAVIS ART DIRECTOR MO SHINE mo.shine@cfxnetwork.com CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions@skillings.net SALES & MARKETING CHRISTINE MARIE advertising@skillings.net

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and develop mining practices in Michigan.

"I'm extremely happy to have my first bill officially signed into law by Gov. Whitmer," Cambensy said in a press release. "Placing an advisory committee to check at present gaps in communication, partnership, and what industry and interest groups find important or lacking in terms of mining study, infrastructure, energy, and the environment will be crucial to coming up with long-term targets and strategies that help elected leaders make sound policy decisions." Cambensy said the concept for this legislation came from watching the idling of the Empire Mine in 2016. A couple of years before, a major expansion and a direct reduced iron in order to melt steel and create new steel products' evolution were being worked on in the Marquette Iron Range.

"It became clear after viewing the investment Change from Michigan to Minnesota, that what elected leaders do or do not do at the state level can be crucial to where investments are made," she said. Those investments, based on Cambensy, are not limited to Exploration and development of minerals.

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August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 3

IN THIS ISSUE

Lawmakers Call for the suspension of all state grants for PolyMet copper-nickel mine P 06

P 14

P 16

Study Shows Loss of Over $1 Billion Due to Insufficient Icebreaking Capabilities on the Great Lakes

SAFEST SEASON EVER FOR MINERS

COAL

gold exploration.........................................................15

Anglo approves progression of Aquila coal Mine......5

IRON RANGE REGION

Whitehaven operates coal exploration through

Leaked memo raises new questions about

Micromine data system.............................................13

PolyMet water License..............................................18

COVERSTORY

Company plans to Resuscitate mining on

Minnesota Lawmakers Call for the

West Range................................................................20

suspension of all state grants for PolyMet

MINING FINANCE

copper-nickel mine.......................................................6

DNR penalizes Minnesota taconite company

COPPER

over creek stream.......................................................11

Twin Metals to use Environmentally

Iced Out: Study Shows Loss of Over $1

safely Dry Stack Tailings in Copper-Nickel Mine......10

Billion Due to Insufficient Icebreaking

Twin Metals aims to prevent tailings dam worries

Capabilities on the Great Lakes................................16

about dry stacking strategy......................................12

MINING SAFETY

GOLD

COUNTY REPORT: Safest Season Ever

Eye On Mining: A look at the beginning of

for Miners...................................................................14

Statistics.............................................................. 22/23

4 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

Mining People............................................................ 21

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Anglo approves progression of Aquila coal Mine

M

CEO of Anglo A merican ' s M etallurgical Coal business said: "Anglo

itchelson

American

has been in the forefront

of embracing innovation to drive the next level of mine security and performance , and our

Aquila

Capcoal complex, it says. The complex is made from the Capcoal open-pit mine, underground Grasstree operations, and associated infrastructure, and is a joint venture between Anglo American (70%) and Mitsui & Co (30%).

mine

is going to be developed among the most technologically advanced underground mines in the world.

"Aquila is a hard coking coal project, close to Middlemount, which will prolong the life of the existing Capcoal operations of Anglo to 2028, by six decades, and continue to optimise the

Aquila will continue to adopt the FutureSmart Mining program, which implements technological advances and innovative thinking to deal with the major sustainability and operational difficulties of mining of Anglo American, the business said. The accelerating pace of technological innovation, especially in the digitalisation, automa-

tion, and artificial intelligence regions, is opening up opportunities for the mining industry to be safer, more sustainable, and productive. As the largest underground coal miner in Australia, we are leveraging the work already underway at our existing mine sites and climbing the development of new technology in our operations. "Mitchelson said Aquila was an important expansion project for the business and might provide employment opportunities for your company's Grasstree workforce as the mine reaches its end of life. Having an estimated capital expenditure of $226 million (Anglo American share), development work is anticipated to start in September 2019, with initial longwall production of premium quality hard coking coal at early 2022, the company said.

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August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 5

COVERSTORY

Minnesota Lawmakers

Call for the suspension of all state grants for

PolyMet copper-nickel mine

Autonomous legislators are asking for Gov. Tim Walz to put on hold all state grants for PolyMet's proposed copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota, stating the state needs assurances "that the authorizations were not rigged."

I

t ' s the initial move by legisla -

are underway.

year of an iron ore mine tailings dam in Brazil, a facility with a comparable style to the tailings dam PolyMet would certainly use. In a letter to Walz on Wednesday, the legislators asked the governor to suspend PolyMet's permits and also to direct the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to cooperate with queries right into the permit rumor.

Sen. John Marty, the Rose ÂŹ Ville Democrat leading the initiative, said lawmakers were additionally inspired

by Glencore's current purchase of PolyMet Mining Corp. as well as the catastrophic failing previously in the

They likewise called on regulators to customize the license for PolyMet's tailings dam to a various style; obtain an "ironclad" economic assurances plan with Glencore's name on it; as well as to conduct a research study of

tors following recent disclo sures about how state and federal

regulatory authorities dealt with a crucial wastewater authorization for

PolyMet,

which would certainly be

the state's very first hard-rock mine.

Three queries right into that episode

6 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

the mine's wellness impacts. The letter is authorized by 18 DFL lawmakers, including Marty. Much more trademarks are coming, Marty claimed: "Our hope is to increase awareness concerning just how significant this matter is."

Walz spokesperson Teddy Tschann claimed the guv "takes these problems seriously." He added the authorization "is currently being assessed in court, as well as he believes that process must proceed."

Residence Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, called the letter an "ideological assault." “It’s disappointing that Metro Democrats are spreading out deceptive and false information about the environmental review procedure in an

www.skillings.net

effort to hinder this task and its remarkable advantages for Minnesota work and also Minnesota's economic situation," Daudt claimed in a statement. "PolyMet is one of the most completely reviewed industrial jobs in Minnesota background as well as has been experiencing the ecological review procedure for 14 years."

Any kind of action to suspend accepted permits would likely fulfill with resistance from Toronto-based PolyMet Mining and Glencore, the Switzerland-based mining giant that possesses it. It holds more than 20 licenses, many provided by state regulators. PolyMet provided a statement saying the task "meets all state and also government ecological criteria, which are the most stringent in the country as well as in the world. Several internal and outside reviews, together with extraordinary public comment possibilities, have actually taken place on all elements of the job, as well as

it has actually been established that PolyMet meets or goes beyond all factors of safety."

Nancy Norr, chairwoman of Jobs for Minnesotans, stated it's typical to see mine opponents increase initiatives prior to building and construction. She stated she does not think Walz would suspend the licenses since that would "fly in the face" of the lengthy public permitting procedure. DNR Assistant

Concerns concerning the roughness of the permitting process took a turn in January, when a retired EPA water attorney from Boston, Jeffry Fowley, submitted a grievance with the government EPA Office of Inspector General.

Commissioner Jess Richards stated he could not remember any similar demands to suspend a license. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) supplied a 13-page document demonstrating how it resolved the EPA worry about PolyMet's wastewater license.In a statement, MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop defended the license, called a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination (NPDES) authorization. "With PolyMet's 479-page NPDES authorization, the MPCA is holding the company answerable to rigid, enforceable water quality standards for eight impurities, consisting of mercury and lead," Bishop stated. "I understand lawmakers' concerns, and also welcome all chances to talk about the information of the permit."

MPCA Assistant Commissioner Katrina Kessler claimed it would be "really uncommon" to suspend a license.

The MPCA "addressed" every one of the EPA's interests in the permit, she said: "We really did not do specifically what they requested in every instance."

Mine opponents said they rejoiced to see elected leaders get involved. "The walls of silence are falling apart!" said Arne Carlson, Minnesota's Republican governor throughout the 1990s.

FILE - This Feb. 10, 2016, file photo, shows a former iron ore processing plant near Hoyt Lakes, Minn., that would become part of a proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine.

Environmental Protection Agency documents show that its staffers were critical of how Minnesota regulators drafted a key permit for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine. And they show the EPA officials concluded the permit would violate federal law because it lacked specific water pollution limits. The EPA released the documents after a court challenge by WaterLegacy. Environmental attorney Paula Maccabee says the EPA's concerns weren't reflected in PolyMet's final water pollution permit.

(AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

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Kathryn Hoffman, head of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, advised Walz to "hit the brakes" on PolyMet's strategies. "As our seven claims show, as well as these legislative leaders, have acknowledged, the firms charged with holding PolyMet answerable failed to do their work," Hoffman stated in a declaration. Worries concerning the rigor of the permitting process deviated in January, when a retired

August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 7

COVERSTORY

EPA water lawyer from Boston, Jeffry Fowley, submitted a problem with the federal EPA Office of Inspector General.

Fowley said he presumed transgression in exactly how Minnesota regulatory authorities and the EPA Region 5 office in Chicago, which oversees Minnesota's enforcement of federal air pollution regulations, managed PolyMet's wastewater authorization. The license regulates contaminants that can be released, such as lead, arsenic, and mercury.

U.S. Sen. Betty McCollum and also others started pushing the EPA for documents.

Eventually, the EPA released papers that showed job staffers at EPA Region 5 did not send their objections of PolyMet's draft license in composing but reviewed them over the telephone to Minnesota regulatory authorities.

After that, a leaked email showed that an MPCA assistant commissioner asked EPA Region 5 officials not to send written remarks during the open public comment duration, effectively keeping them out of the general public record.

In this Wednesday, May 29, 2019 photo, Jon Cherry, left, President, CEO and Director at Polymet, Bruce Richardson, Vice President of Corporate Communications and External Affairs, and LaTisha Gietzen, center, Vice-President of Public, Government, and Environmental Affairs, tour the site of the Polymet copper-nickel mine to discuss what's next now that the controversial project has it's major environmental permits in Hoyt Lakes, Minn. (Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via AP)

Lastly, a comprehensive memo by Kevin Pierard, principal of the wastewater allowing branch at EPA Region 5, was leaked. It recorded almost 30 worries EPA had with PolyMet's permit as well as how many problems were not resolved.

Any action to suspend accepted authorizations would likely fulfill with

In this Wednesday, May 29, 2019 photo, core samples show the mineral deposits sought after by miners at the site of the Polymet copper-nickel mine in Hoyt Lakes, Minn. The developers of the proposed mine in northern Minnesota are courting bankers for nearly $1 billion to move ahead with the project, even as opponents hold out hope of blocking the operation due to fears of water pollution. (Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via AP)

resistance from Toronto-based PolyMet Mining and also Glencore, the Switzerland-based mining giant that owns it. In a statement, MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop safeguarded the permit, called a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination (NPDES) permit. "With PolyMet's 479-page NPDES permit, the MPCA is holding the business responsible to rigid, enforceable water quality criteria for eight contaminants, including mercury as well as lead," Bishop stated.

Concerns concerning the roughness of the permitting process took a turn in January, when a retired EPA water attorney from Boston, Jeffry Fowley, submitted a grievance with the government EPA Office of Inspector General.

Fowley claimed he presumed misconduct in exactly how Minnesota regulatory authorities and the EPA Region 5 office in Chicago, which manages Minnesota's enforcement of government air pollution laws, handled PolyMet's wastewater permit.

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COPPER

Twin Metals to use Environmentally safely Dry Stack Tailings in Copper-Nickel Mine Twin Metals, a Minnesota firm building and managing an underground nickel, nickel, platinum Silver and gold mining job (TMM) announced plans to Utilize the environmentally friendly dry stack method to put away the leftover rock from the proposed underground copper-nickel mine southeast of Ely, Minnesota.

T

he dry stack method eliminates dam and the storage pond associated with conventional

moisture content of the filtered tailings is reduced to some substance that we can compact and manage seasonally.

tailings facilities. It has been used in

United States and Canada to Minnesota with

four mines in the northern

similar climates and has been allowed at two mines in the

United States.

Tailings from a mine would be the crushed rock left over after the target Minerals are eliminated. Using the stack method that is dry, leftover tailings would be kept on a ground facility close to the plant site and compressed into the low-moisture residue. Reclamation of the tailing site can occur in stages and may be covered or capped with natural vegetation.

"Dry stack tailing storage would be the most environmentally Friendly tailings management approach for our site," explained Kelly Osborne, chief executive officer of Twin Metals Minnesota. "The primary key is that there is no dam, no risk of dam failure. The

"Because there is no risk of a dam failure, the dry pile is regarded as the best available technologies for tailings storage and, after a decade of research and consultation with worried voices within our area, we decided it will be an effective choice for our project."

Community concerns concerning copper-nickel mines have concentrated on fears of leaks or tailings dam failure, which could threaten both local surface water and groundwater. Risk of failure or dam leakage is removed because there is no dam. Equally significant is the fact that the tailings in the Maturi Deposit will be non-acid-generating.

"The most frequent concern about sulfides hints at basic misunderstanding about our project," Osborne stated. "The geology of this Maturi Deposit provides us with confidence that we are able

10 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

to mine safely. The stone sandwiching the coating of copper, nickel and platinum group minerals in the deposit is totally free of sulfides. When the concentrated minerals are removed during the concentration process and sent to clients, only a minute quantity of sulfides will stay in the tailings."

Testing within the last decade shows that Maturi Deposit tailings will be non-acid-generating. The strategy will be outlined in detail in the Mine Plan of TMM of Operation, to be submitted to state and federal regulators in the forthcoming months. Regulatory review, such as hearings for public comment, will pay for compliance with regulations to protect air and water quality, drinking water, wetlands, endangered species, plant life, and resources.

Dry stack tailings storage, often promoted by environmental groups as an alternative to traditional tailings as a means to protect water quality, continues to be an option under consideration since Twin Metals began mine planning in 2010.

As technology has continued to progress, and the application of stack in the cold, wet climates has proven successful at multiple places, Twin Metals made a choice to follow suit as the best option. Earlier this season the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy hailed the benefits of dry tailings in a statement.

"Dry stack is one of the ways We're making a 21st century Mine that will be the most technologically advanced mine in Minnesota's history along with a suitable method of how copper mining can be done safely and sustainably," said Osborne.

www.skillings.net

DNR penalizes Minnesota taconite company over creek stream used to draw on water from among its pits. However, the company failed to restart after moving the pumps, pumping, the DNR said.The mine was taken over in 2017 by an investment group headed by Virginia health care entrepreneur Tom Clarke, who then ceded control to an investment company by the British Virgin Islands, which in January sold $260 million of Mesabi's debt back to Essar Global.

Mesabi did not return a request for feedback Thursday. On May 23, the DNR told Mesabi to start pumping water, but it was discovered the firm had failed to do so after some time.

The taconite mine has experienced a turbulent period in preceding years. Essar Steel Minnesota, a subsidiary of Dubaibased Essar Global that went bankrupt in 2016 possessed it.

A

fter the mining company failed to rectify its disturbance of a creek west of

Hibbing, state $ 1 million

regulators this week slapped a

penalty against

Mesabi Metallics.

Jess Richards, an assistant commissioner at the DNR, said the $ 1 million over Oxhide Creek is not a penalty if it cures the problem because at least some of the money would be returned to the financial assurance fund of Mesabi. "As a result of this ongoing noncompliance, DNR has exercised its ability to draw upon Mesabi financial assurance funds and use that cash to pay the state's price to resume pumping into the creek," the DNR said in a statement Wednesday.

A financial assurance fund is a pool of money set aside, often by mining companies, to protect the public from the future environmental costs of mining operations.

Formerly called Essar Steel, Mesabi Metallics Co. mines taconite between Hibbing and Grand Rapids.

The firm's pit dewatering operation draws water from Oxhide Creek, and its own permits require that it pump water into the creek to keep its normal level, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

In the summer of 2018, the company relocated pumps

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August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 11

IRON RANGE REGION

Twin Metals aims to prevent tailings dam worries about dry stacking strategy "The geology of the Maturi deposit supplies us with self-confidence that we can mine below safely and sustainably. When the targeted minerals are eliminated throughout the concentration process and delivered to consumers, just a minimal quantity of sulphides will certainly continue to be in the tailings." t/y of copper. Extensive screening over the previous decade reveals that Maturi deposit tailings will be non-acid-generating, the business clarified. " Because there's no risk of a dam failure, a completely dry stack is thought about the very best offered innovation for tailings storage and also, after a decade of research study and consultation with concerned voices in our community, we determined that it will certainly be an efficient choice for our job."

This image shows both active and reclaimed dry stack tailings storage at the Greens Creek Mine located near Juneau, Alaska. Glenn Barr, Twin Metals Minnesota

W

hen the targeted minerals are eliminated during the concentration procedure

as well as shipped to consumers, just a minute amount of sulphides will continue to be in the tailings."

The programmer of the Double Metals task, in the Iron Variety region of northeast Minnesota, U.S.A., has actually revealed strategies to use completely dry piled tailings at the underground copper, nickel, platinum, gold, silver and palladium possession as the firm aims to eliminate the viewed risk of a dam leak or failure.

After reaffirming Twin Metal's right to restore its two federal mineral leases, the Department of Interior reinstated the leases to TMM in May 2018. Antofagasta anticipates these to be restored during 2019. Equally crucial, TMM claimed, is the reality that the tailings from the Maturi deposit at Twin Metals will certainly be non-acid-generating.

In 2018, an upgrade of the prefeasibility study for Twin Metals described an 18,000 t/d ore project, producing an average of 42,000 t/y of copper, plus nickel and platinum group metals as spin-offs, the equivalent of some 65,000

12 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

The method will certainly be detailed in detail in TMM's Mine Plan of Operation, to be sent to the state as well as government regulators in the coming months. Governing evaluation, including hearings for public remark, will cover compliance with guidelines to secure water and air quality, alcohol consumption water, wetlands, endangered varieties, plant and also social sources. While the MPO is being reviewed, the business will advance the usefulness research study.

Kelly Osborne, Chief Executive Officer of Twin Metals Minnesota, stated: "Dry pile tailing storage is the most eco-pleasant tailings administration method for our website. The initial

www.skillings.net

secret is that there's no dam, no risk of dam failure. The dampness content of the filtered tailings is lowered to a material that we can portable as well as manage seasonally.

Twin Metals Minnesota (TMM), a business owned by Antofagasta, stated the dry stack method removes the storage space pond and dam connected with traditional tailings centers as well as has been efficiently utilized in four mines in the northern United States and Canada with similar environments to Minnesota.

Dry pile tailings storage space has actually been a choice under consideration considering that Twin Metals started a mine preparation in 2010, the firm claimed. "As technology has continued to advance, and the application of dry pile in cold, damp environments has actually proven successful at multiple locations, Twin Metals made the decision to move to it as the most effective available choice," TMM stated, adding that the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy hailed the benefits of dry pile tailings in a statement earlier this year.

TMM, like several various other prospective mine designers, claimed area worries about copper-nickel mines have actually concentrated on concerns of tailings clog failing or leaks that might intimidate both neighboring surface water and groundwater. This comes after several high profile dam failures in North as well as South America.

If all most likely to plan, the firm will certainly make use of the dry stack method to save the leftover rock from its proposed underground mine on a lined ground center near the plant site. This will certainly allow reclamation of the trailing site to occur in phases, with the site topped or covered with natural greenery.

Osborne concluded: "Dry pile is among the methods we are making a 21st-century mine that will certainly be the most technologically innovative mine in Minnesota's history as well as a design of exactly how copper mining can be done safely as well as sustainably." Kelly Osborne, Chief Executive Officer of Twin Metals Minnesota, stated: "Dry stack trailing storage is the most environmentally friendly tailings management strategy for our website. The very first trick is that there's no dam, no risk of dam failure. The wetness web content of the filtered tailings is reduced to a product that we can portable and also take care of seasonally.

www.skillings.net

Whitehaven operates coal exploration through Micromine data system

W

Coal has ramped up exploration in Queensland and South Wales with Micromine's geological data management system's introduction, Geobank. The data system has been implehitehaven

mented by the coal producer across all of its operations as demand for

Australian

coal increases.

Senior Geobank data management pro Ibo Mango stated Geobank Provided an important instrument manage, to hone and guide generation procedures and their exploration. "Geobank helps firms of all sizes to record, accessibility, Review, incorporate and use their fundamental geological information," Mango said. "Issues with incorrect data tend to be imperceptible. Data loss, bad quality, or accessibility management problems can cost millions of dollars and create incorrect decision making, particularly in a high-yield industry like coal." Whitehaven Procured Geobank to supply information validation, collection, and depth adjustment to satisfy innovative and browsing demands.

"Geobank's fully customizable solution gave Whitehaven with Extended performance designed especially for their drilling and mining requirements, Geobank provides specialized utilities for displaying and handling drill hole information," Mango said. The CoalLog Standard is also integrated by geobank and was released in 2012.

Before its debut, about 30 different data processes and over 100 different data code translation were utilized in the capture of geological data, resulting in significant inefficiencies in the transfer, collection, and analysis of coal borehole data. Whitehaven works six mines at the Gunnedah Basin in North West NSW, with another development underway, and also its latest development in Queensland's Bowen Basin going through the approvals procedure. The company produced 16 million tonnes of coal in 2018, Contributing to record coal export effects. In February this year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed coal was the nation's highest-earning export product of 2018, accounting for $66 billion in export earnings.

August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 13

MINING SAFETY

COUNTY REPORT

Safest Season Ever FOR MINES

Earlier this year, Risk Management and St. Louis County Safety Director Joe Austin declared a small increase in production and employment rate. But more noteworthy was his reporting zero casualties and a fall in 18 to 14 incidents of "loss time or severe accidents" in 2018 resulting from a "continued dedication to the security of all those who work in the mining industry within our shared goal," based on his yearly report.

Mine inspector Derek Harbin called it the "safest year ever for Employees concerning injuries to employees" from the county's history of coverage. Austin and Harbin presented the report to County Commissioners in April. They praised the work of all partners in the mining sector for their own work to identify and eliminate potential safety risks in active mining operations such as ArcelorMittal Minorca, Hibbing Keetac Taconite, Minntac, Northshore and United Taconite.

Commissioner Mike Jugovitch, whose grandfather and father worked in the mines on the Iron Range until he found employment at Buhl in June, thumbed through the annual report in great spirits. "It has been 11 years since we have had a fatality in the mines on The Range," Jugovich told the Hibbing Daily Tribune. "That's something we take for day-in and day-out. It's a fantastic stretch of time, and the companies should be commended for the achievement." The commissioner noted that

when the report was penned between 1905 and 1910, an average of 73 people died in mining accidents. There haven't been any mining deaths in the county since 2007 along with the 14 accidents ranks as the next lowest figure ever recorded.

His applause came several months after the County Board voted unanimously to appoint Harbin to replace Steve Manninen as their mine supervisor. Commissioners celebrated the swearing-in ceremony of Harbin at the Babbitt City Hall during a meeting. He had been the latest county inspector because the place was created over 115 years back.

Harbin, who grew up in Grand Rapids pursued a degree in Elementary education at the University of Minnesota. After climbing the ladder, he shifted into the organization's safety department. He'd later take on a consultant role to get a Mountain Iron company which specializes in safety,

14 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

health, and environmental work, before being hired as the assistant mine inspector in 2017 of the county. In accordance with Minnesota statutes, the county mine inspector is responsible for assessing mining possessions that are active at least once each 90 days. Throughout his stops, he inspects fencing around the 285 inactive mines at least yearly, in addition to accident investigations as needed.

"The mine inspector functions in tandem with all the mine firms to make sure every one of us and our loved ones who step onto the properties are safe," Jugovich explained. Furthermore, to the safety update, Austin's report that mining activity "showed a robust and steady production program for both St. Louis and Itasca counties." A remarkable example is observed in the increase in taconite shipped (40.9 million tons) from area operations in 2018, a 3.7% growth from 2017.

Additionally, mining firms added ten rankings for a total of 3,954 Jobs from the counties. The total hours reported for area mining operations was 8.4 million for the year.

"These favorable amounts mark two years of continuous production and a substantial improvement compared to the two consecutive years of decreased mining and production-related job in the region reported in 2015 and 2016," Austin said in the report. Members of the Mine Department and the County Board agreed with the report's belief that "progress is still made by several area operations toward the objective development during the coming years" involving the Poly 'Met's NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals mine project and Twin Metals Which aims to build a precious metals mine near Ely.

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Eye On Mining A look at the beginning of gold exploration

F

rom the exploration of iron ore to the current propositions of copper and nickel mining, mineral exploration has actually been active in our region

100 years, and everything started with Vermilion Gold Rush, Andrew Tyrrell an exploration Manager at AngloGold Ashanti stated. for more than

gold during the

While that didn't exercise the way explorers of 1865 were wishing, it hasn't quit existing day exploration from taking place. "It's a challenge, yet it's likewise a chance."

"We are currently operating in three continents – Africa, South America, along with Australia." They eventually want to include Minnesota to the mix.

While AngloGold continues its research study to respond to that question, Tyrrell claimed they have actually seen some compelling results. "I can claim that the rocks are very interesting, and we would keep on performing exploration job or activity to much better understand what that geology, what those rocks actually indicate. It is most definitely intriguing, and that's all I would say at this time.

To provide you a better suggestion of a timeline, Tyrell claimed the time between going and making a discovery right into advancement can be as much as twelve years, then you add on an additional five years for the early expedition, which is where AngloGold is at now. At this stage, Tyrrell said the objective is to build an understanding of the geology, surface as well as the mineral potential of Minnesota. While still early in the process, Tyrrell stated they still have a great deal of work to do with the hopes of making a discovery.

"The long-lasting objective is clearly ultimately to discover a gold system, a gold deposit."

"In 2016 we met with the DNR, applied for some mineral leases and ever since we've been carrying out onset reconnaissance exploration job." Presently, the company only works with state-held mineral leases. That work consists of four phases of exploratory mining in Itasca County.

But, like the explorers before them, Minnesota's territory seems more complicated than it may appear.

"This will offer you a feeling of what we have to kind of look through," claimed Tyrrell while revealing the level of commitment they have to get through to reach the underlying geology. "This is what makes it challenging, and this is most likely the major reason why previous explorers hadn't invested as much time since it is an extensive method, or it's really challenging to look through."

Yet our next-door neighbors to the north have seen success which has fueled exploration additionally in our area. "You have the Abitibi side of it, which is in Canada that has more than 200 million ounces of gold uncovered.

The principle is that geology extends into Minnesota into what they call the Wawa terrain and therefore by reasoning we see this to be rather a well-endowed component of the Superior district. Why would Minnesota be different?"

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August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 15

MINING FINANCE

Iced Out Study Shows Loss of Over $1 Billion Due to Insufficient Icebreaking Capabilities on the Great Lakes The U.S. economy lost greater than $1 billion in business revenue, and 5,421 people lost their jobs as a result of insufficient icebreaking capabilities on the fantastic Lakes during the 2018-2019 winter period. Because of this tragedy that affected business earnings, the federal government missed out on more than $125 million in earnings and also $46 million has been lost by local and state governments.

F

Economic Impact of Lost Tonnages due to inadequate icebreaking in the average winter of 2018/2019

or the record, that reduction means that the

U.S. government Great Lakes

could build a new

icebreaker and recoup those costs in a couple of years . to inquiries at a

"I n response recent Congressio-

nal hearing, we polled our members about the delays they incurred due to

this winter," said Jim Weakley, President of Lake Carriers' Association.

insufficient icebreaking

"After we had the entire number of tons postponed and hours they were postponed, we were able to figure out the extra freight we might have moved had the Coast Guard been in a position to satisfy the requirements

JOBS Direct Jobs............................................... 1,925 Induced..................................................... 1,666 Indirect...................................................... 1,829 Total................................................... 5,421 PERSONAL INCOME (1,000) Direct.................................................. $106,912 Re-Spending/Local Purchases... $203,098 Indirect..................................................$80,454 Total.............................................$390,464 BUSINESS REVENUE (1,000)....$1,044,044 LOCAL PURCHASES (1,000)........ $187,193 STATE AND LOCAL TAXES (1,000)............$46,429 FEDERAL TAXES (1,000)................ $125,518

of commerce. Using the financial version updated in July of 2018 by Martin Associates, it was ascertained that U.S. Economy dropped over $1 billion as a result of the steel not made and the power not generated by the coal and iron ore the U.S.-flag fleet couldn't move."

With powerful icebreaking Capabilities paving the way for industrial shipping, U.S. flag Lakers could have carried 4 million extra tons of iron ore and 879,210 added tons of coal.

In other words, Lakers could have done an extra 860 ship delivering iron ore to steel mills and 21 trips delivering coal to electricity generation plants. " A l i ve l y f l e e t o f I c e b r e a k i n g resources is absolutely crucial for our regional and national market, particularly our domestic steel and power generation industries which were hit hard this past winter," states Mark W. Barker, president of The Interlake Steamship Company, which transports

4,000,000 ton loss of iron ore and 900,0000-ton loss of coal due to ice delays. Source: Martin Associates 16 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

www.skillings.net

almost 20 million tons annually crisscrossing the Lakes more than 500 times between March and January. "Robust icebreaking capabilities enable the Coast Guard to deliver on its mission to facilitate the flow of commerce across our Great Lakes."

Mark Pietrocarlo, Lake Carriers' Association's board chairman, stated, "The U.S. Coast Guard was down four icebreakers for a significant time period this past winter and also for the first time in memory, no icebreaker was abandoned on Lake Superior when the Soo Locks closed from January 15th to March 25th. One icebreaker took seventeen months to repair, one was on the East Coast for a significant overhaul, and others missed over a month of icebreaking."

About the study: To gauge the economic effect of inadequate icebreaking during the typical ice conditions experienced on the Great Lakes during the 2018 - 2019 winter season, Lake Carriers' Association (LCA) questioned U.S.-flag carriers to report their own delays in hours and the number of loads transported during their delays.

The types of delays along with being beset in the ice, at anchor awaiting an icebreaker, having to slow down because of insufficient icebreaking, awaiting Coast Guard permission to proceed, and waiting for a convoy to shape. Additionally, hours wasted because of fixing

ice damage to the hours lost by boats that delayed their first sailing times as a result of inadequate icebreaking were factored into the total.

LCA aggregated the fleet's lost hours and tons postponed and decided that a total of 409,729 tons of coal were delayed for 206 hours. It also calculated that 2,186,361 tons of Iron ore was postponed for a total of 1,586.5 hours.

Since the vessels reporting were a combination of "footers" and smaller vessels, we used a mean of 42,000 tons per trip. It was also supposed that a typical round trip for a U.S.-flag Laker takes 96 hours.

"The economic impact on our customers and the supply chain they empower is significant and points out the requirement to get a fresh icebreaker for the Great Lakes," Pietrocarlo said. "Considering that the missing tax revenue, the economic model calculated for the national authorities, the payback period to the treasury for the vessel is two decades. Infrastructure investment isn't just about repairing the streets; we also must maintain our marine highways."

We thrive on challenges golder.com

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August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 17

IRON RANGE REGION

Leaked memo raises new questions about PolyMet water License Water license for the state's first copper-nickel mine was approved by the Minnesota pollution regulators over serious reservations raised by their national counterparts, according to a leaked memo gotten by the Star Tribune.

T

he

29-page

written by

memorandum was

K evin P ierard ,

principal of the water quality

C hicago U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It records EPA initiatives to strengthen water

permitting branch in the workplace of the

who chairs an essential House subcommittee on the atmosphere and also the interior, explained the memorandum as "stunning paperwork," adding: "The EPA researchers who gave the alarm were purposefully overruled in a coldly politicized and corrupted process."

protections in the permit and how

The memo might play a role in three separate questions that are currently checking out how federal and state regulatory authorities handled the crucial authorization for PolyMet Mining Inc., and also its projected copper mine on Minnesota's Iron Range.

The memo defines the "refusal" of the Minnesota regulators to include specific numeric limitations on hefty steels such as arsenic, cobalt, lead, nickel and mercury that can legitimately be discharged from the mining procedures.

Instead, the state chose much less strict criteria such as "operating limits" that, Pierard composed, "may lack a clear regulative link to regulating surface water discharges."

Minnesota environmental supporters have actually demanded that leading officials at the EPA essentially subdued concerns increased by job regulatory authorities in the Chicago workplace, so Minnesota approved PolyMet's license without attending to all of their objections. Pierard's memo consists of a graph of 29 EPA concerns, less than 10 of which appear to have actually been completely settled. United State Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota,

Conservationists opposed to copper mining in Minnesota's watery north seized on the memorandum as fresh evidence of misdeed by the regulators. "This memorandum shows that EPA's concerns were deeper and wider than what we had actually recognized previously," said Paula Maccabee, an attorney for nonprofit WaterLegacy in St. Paul, which has appealed the water top quality license. "Why would you take something that is a weak solution

those efforts were managed by the

EPA

as well as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

18 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

instead of using effluent restrictions that are simple, efficient, and tough?"

Aaron Klemz, the spokesperson for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, said Pierard's memorandum reveals that Minnesota regulatory authorities were not being truthful when they said they had actually dealt with the EPA's issues.

"This is an additional piece of proof of a conceal in the PolyMet permitting procedure," Klemz stated. "It's generally a plan for why you need to have objected to the permit." Klemz said Minnesota officials ought to halt service on the PolyMet project up until the concerns are dealt with.

MPCA spokesman Darin Broton claimed state regulatory authorities are still assessing the memorandum as well as could not comment extensively.

He disagreed that the memorandum files failed initiatives to enhance the authorization. "That's not exactly how I read the memo," Broton said. "I read it as a recap paper."

The EPA never formally challenged the permit; he said. And also the last sentence of Pierard's letter in the memo recommends that the EPA supported it:" there are lawful debates that can be made to sustain enforcement of the recommended authorization that has actually been offered to Water Division management as well as Region 5 Chief of Staff Kurt Thiede." An EPA representative stated comments the agency made on the exact same issue a couple of weeks ago. Minnesota and the EPA have actually had a memorandum of understanding in position for many years, he said, and under it, the EPA can give its input in different means.

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The water authorization was "changed to show much of EPA's recommendations," he said, and the EPA's actions on the permit "follow the needs of the Clean Water Act." The Star Tribune obtained the memo from Nicole Cantello, head of state of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, which stands for employees from the EPA Chicago office.

The memorandum is dated Dec. 18 of last year, two days before the MPCA issued the water top quality permit.

Cantello, high-ranking water counsel for water enforcement in the EPA Chicago workplace, stated she does not know who sent her the memorandum.

She said she assumes it was written to document the objections of career EPA researchers to the authorization's handling. "He was recording everything," Cantello said. Pierard did not return messages requesting comment.

The memorandum was not contained in a set of emails and records that the EPA Chicago office recently launched to the Star Tribune in feedback to a public records request. It's the second paper concerning the PolyMet license that the union has supplied, claiming it was leaked by an unknown source.

Last month, Cantello provided a leaked email composed in March 2018 by Shannon Lotthammer, after that an MPCA assistant commissioner, to EPA Region 5 Chief of Staff Kurt Thiede.

sive comments to MPCA team over the telephone, numerous weeks after the general public remark period closed.

different queries into how regulators managed PolyMet's water high-quality permit, consisting of one by the EPA's inspector general and one by Minnesota's Legislative Auditor. In addition, the Minnesota Court of Appeals decided last month that there was "significant proof of step-by-step abnormalities" in how the permit was dealt with and ordered Ramsey County District Court to explore.

The result, according to mine challengers, is that cr ucial EPA comments were never formally entered into the general public record. The freshly emerged memo likewise points out that plan, claiming "Region 5 elderly administration got to an arrangement with the MPCA to discard written comments." It consists of an email about the arrangement back to Lotthammer from Thiede, who was hired by Trump appointee Cathy Stepp, head of the EPA's Chicago office. It's not clear whether Pierard is considered senior monitoring. There are now three

NORTH AMERICAN MARKET (LTU) Company

IRON ORE PRICE REPORT

Ore Type

Pellets, FOB Michigan Mines Pellets, FOB Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Minnesota Upper Lakes Port Source: CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.

Late last month, a group of greater than two loads preservation groups around the state, including the Minnesota Environmental Par tnership, contacted Gov. Tim Walz asking him to place a hang on the PolyMet license pending the examinations.

Per Iron Unit

Per Gross Ton at 64%

Per Ton at 64% Reporting Date

$1.28

$81.92

12/31/17

$1.42

$90.88

12/31/17

In it, Lotthammer asks the EPA not to send its written comments throughout the general public remark period but to hold back till later on, pointing out an agreement the two sides had.

Rather, Pierard reviewed the exten-

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August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 19

IRON ORE

Company plans to Resuscitate mining on West Range A Firm, headed by a set of well-known Iron Range names, has secured a part of ERP Iron Ore's asset with the belief of reviving scram mining operations. Scram mining was formerly operating on the West Range by Magnetation, a firm experiencing rapid growth. The company got its start extracting ore from tailings basins and waste piles.

B

2015, the firm employed 400 people among four operations. Not long after, y early over

plummeting iron ore value left the mining company insolvent.

When Magnetation declared bankruptcy, its own assets included Plant 1 near Keewatin, Plant 2 in the Jesse Load Facility, Taconite and the newly built Plant 4, just north of Grand Rapids. There was a pellet manufacturing plant, situated in Reynolds, Ind. Immediately after bankruptcy, Magnetation's resources were bought by ERP Iron Ore, headed by Tom Clarke, in late 2016. Before buying the assets, Clarke made money in the healthcare business. Still, the acquisition of Magnetation by Clarke was welcomed by local officials. The prospect of the return of hundreds of jobs has been one huge factor. Additionally, numerous contractors were owed millions from the building of Plant 4. Despite the success in the healthcare sector, Clarke didn't do

so well in mining. By the end of the year in 2018, the assets of ERP were below Chapter 7 protection and once again prepared for the auction block.

Several companies were considering ERP's assets throughout the next Round of insolvency auction bid.

Four firms submitted bids into the Minnesota Bankruptcy Court – each having a different vision of what should become of those mining equipment and resources of this firm that prevented iron ore from tailings.

According to court documents dated June 6, the following is a breakdown of the bids submitted for court consideration early last month: • MJM Minerals filed a bid of $1.7 million for Plant 2, situated near Bovey/Taconite. Although little information was available concerning the organization's plan as of press time, it is believed MJM intends to scrap the plant.

20 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

• Bison Minerals also plans to use established Tech from South African firms to mine the tailings basins along the West Range. Bison submitted two bids for the Jesse Load Out and Magnetation's assets – a $4 million bid for Plants 1, 2 and a $21 million bid including Plant 4 near Grand Rapids. The bid for many Magnetation's assets comprised an initial payment of $5 million with the $16 million balance. South African mining executive Hank Venter leads Bison. Bison was disqualified from the bidding process due to the court's determination of inadequate proof of financial resources.

Even though he was unsuccessful in the bidding process, Bison filed an objection to the disqualification; said spokesperson Mike Andrews, claiming the company did meet with the requirements stated by the judiciary as of June 7 when initial bids were due. "We have future possibilities," stated Andrews on June 10. "We did file an objection because we were qualified under previous rules as of last Friday."

• Prairie River Minerals is a locally-based firm led by former state Rep. Tom Anzelc, Ed Shaughnessy, Johann Grobler, Jim Swearingen, and Scott Conley. The business successfully bid $1.95 million to Plant 1, near Keewatin, and the Jesse Load Facility. Prairie River intends to use a procedure called ultra-dense media separation to extract hematite from old mining stockpiles.

• Buckeye Minerals, LLC is a newly formed company organized in Delaware in May. Buckeye provided

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$7 million for Plants 1, 2 and 4 as well as the Jesse Loadout center.

On June 10, the court approved Prairie River's bid to get Plant 1 and the Jesse Loadout Centre. MJM Mineral's bidding for Plant 2 was accepted on that date. However, the court later declared a final order on the sale until June 26 due to objections that had been registered. The hearing hadn't happened as of press time. The Minnesota Bankruptcy Court arranged the approval of Prairie River's bid in documents filed on June 20.

Left out of the bidding process was the Reynolds pellet plant. Shortly after the bankruptcy auction sale, the plant was discovered to have issues. It had been offered to Altos Hornos de Mexico via Federal Bankruptcy Court in Minnesota. News reports from March 2019 indicate the plant has been dismantled and shipped to Mexico.

www.skillings.net

Meanwhile, the resources of near Grand Rapids Plant 4 remain in limbo.

The court left its sale from their first auction proceedings and, as of press time, it was unknown if a sale could be revisited in the not too distant future.

Those with knowledge of the issue say it might prove problematic due to multiple mechanics liens at the plant.

Prairie River Minerals has been somewhat publicity-shy when it comes to revealing its plans. Spokesperson Anzelc said the company already had begun the permitting process for a scram mining operation.

Prairie River Minerals is currently working to finalize off-take financing and agreements. The business has not disclosed how much ore will be processed annually or how many jobs would be created once operations resume.

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August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 21

STATISTICS

August 2019 Raw Steel Production

I

August 24, 2019, domestic raw steel production was 1,877,000 net tons while the capability utilization rate was 80.6 percent. Production was 1,861,000 net tons in the week ending August n the week ending on

24, 2018 while the capability utilization then was 79.4 percent. The current week production represents a 0.9 percent increase from the same period in the previous year. Production for the week ending August 24, 2019 is up 1.1 percent from the previous week ending August 17, 2019 when production was 1,857,000 net tons and the rate of capability utilization was 79.8 percent.

Adjusted year-to-date production through August 24, 2019 was 63,546,000 net tons, at a capability utilization rate of 81.0 percent. That is up 4.4 percent from the 60,862,000 net tons during the same period last year, when the capability utilization rate was 77.3 percent.

Broken down by districts, here's production for the week ending August 24, 2019 in thousands of net tons: North East: 202; Great Lakes: 681; Midwest: 204; Southern: 719 and Western: 71 for a total of 1877.

July 2019 crude steel production

By John Edward, Associate Publisher

W

64 countries World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 156.7 million tonnes (Mt) in July 2019, a 1.7% increase compared to July 2018.

China’s crude steel production for July 2019 was 85.2 Mt, an increase of 5.0% compared to July 2018. India produced 9.2 Mt of crude steel in July 2019, an increase of 1.7% compared to July 2018. Japan produced 8.4 Mt of crude steel in July 2019, down 0.4% on July 2018. South Korea’s crude steel production was 6.0 Mt in July 2019, a decrease of 2.1% on July 2018. orld crude steel production for the reporting to the

The US produced 7.5 Mt of crude steel in July 2019, an increase of 1.8% compared to July 2018. Brazil’s crude steel production for July 2019 was 2.4 Mt, down by 20.7% on July 2018. Turkey’s crude steel production for July 2019 was 2.9 Mt, down by 10.6% on July 2018. Crude steel production in Ukraine was 1.8 Mt this month, down 1.7% on July 2018.

Statistics based on World Steel Association Report 

22 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW August 2019

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CRUDE STEEL PRODUCTION, JULY 2019. Source – World Steel Association COUNTRY

JULY 2019

JULY % CHANGE 2018 JULY-19/18

2019

% CHANGE

COUNTRY

Austria

577

354

63,1

4 539

8,7

Mexico

Belgium

660 e

704

-6,3

4 665

-1,4

Bulgaria

55 e

51

7,8

362

-9,0

Croatia

JULY 2019

JULY % CHANGE 2018 JULY-19/18

2019

% CHANGE

1 440 e

1 754

-17,9

10 924

-10,3

United States

7 514

7 383

1,8

51 827

4,8

North America

10 124

10 278

-1,5

70 751

1,7

418

464

-9,8

2 737

-9,2

Brazil

2 449

3 086

-20,7

19 691

-4,3

Chile

80 e

96

-16,5

523

-17,0

2e

10

-80,2

52

-16,2

Czech Republic

391

444

-11,9

2 839

-3,8

Finland

220

346

-36,4

2 158

-12,3

France

1 330 e

1 338

-0,6

9 006

-3,3

Germany

3 360 e

3 395

-1,0

24 077

-4,6

Colombia

95 e

115

-17,6

601

-12,6

Greece

130 e

136

-4,4

891

-2,3

Ecuador

55 e

51

7,9

357

4,7

Hungary

136

179

-24,2

1 072

-8,9

Paraguay

1e

2

-51,9

8

-14,1

2 130 e

2 156

-1,2

14 697

-1,9

Peru

110 e

103

6,8

718

1,4

Luxembourg

200 e

205

-2,3

1 386

0,7

Uruguay

5e

5

-3,7

33

0,3

Netherlands

605

589

2,7

4 043

-1,9

Venezuela

5e

9

-44,4

39

-61,9

780 e

809

-3,6

5 692

-5,6

49

52

-4,4

381

-5,6

South America

3 218

3 931

-18,1

24 708

-5,3

Egypt

526

660

-20,2

4 623

3,7

1 100 e

951

15,7

8 518

1,8

Libya

60 e

43

38,7

340

49,9

Sweden

352

349

0,6

2 909

0,3

South Africa

464

535

-13,2

3 598

-3,6

United Kingdom

645

687

-6,1

4 432

-3,6

Africa

1 051

1 238

-15,1

8 562

1,7

920 e

919

0,1

6 468

0,7

Iran

2 200 e

1 981

11,1

14 988

6,4

European Union (28) 13 641

13 673

-0,2

98 186

-2,4

Qatar

230

224

2,7

1 519

-1,4

64

69

-7,2

485

57,5

Saudi Arabia (1)

440 e

503

-12,6

3 023

-0,8

20 e

24

-15,8

153

-1,1

UAE

225

274

-17,9

1 877

1,0

Norway

20

15

34,4

348

11,2

Middle East

3 095

2 982

3,8

21 407

4,2

Serbia

136

179

-23,7

1 169

-0,6

China

85 223

81 180

5,0 577 064

9,0

Turkey

2 925

3 272

-10,6

19 919

-10,2

India

9 215

9 059

1,7

66 188

4,6

Other Europe

3 166

3 559

-11,1

22 075

-8,5

Japan

8 387

8 420

-0,4

59 473

-3,1

Byelorussia

230 e

224

2,7

1 550

13,4

South Korea

6 041

6 173

-2,1

42 487

0,6

Kazakhstan

350 e

367

-4,6

2 313

-14,1

Pakistan

310 e

436

-28,9

1 979

-32,9

35 e

42

-16,7

215

-32,2

Taiwan, China

1 890 e

1 976

-4,4

13 306

-0,7

6 200 e

6 293

-1,5

42 462

0,4

Thailand

415 e

568

-27,0

2 550

-34,3

1 784

1 815

-1,7

12 717

4,2

Vietnam (2)

1 773

1 165

52,2

12 046

57,1

65 e

52

25,0

374

-1,3

Asia

3,9 775 093

7,0

8 664

8 793

-1,5

59 631

0,6

Australia

1 120 e

1 088

2,9

7 650

0,7

New Zealand

Cuba

15 e

18

-18,3

118

-2,4

Oceania

El Salvador

10 e

9

7,9

59

4,8

Total (64 Ctry) (3)

Guatemala

25 e

26

-2,0

174

2,0

Italy

Poland Slovenia Spain

Other E.U. (28) (e) Bosnia-Herzegovina Macedonia

Moldova Russia Ukraine Uzbekistan C.I.S. (6) Canada

Argentina

113 254 108 977 429

516

-16,8

3 147

-8,5

55

62

-10,5

390

0,4

484

577

-16,2

3 538

-7,6

156 697 154 009

1,7 1 083 951

4,6

(1) HADEED only. (2) partial data, approximately 75% of national total. (3) the 64 countries included in this table accounted for approximately 99% of total world crude steel production in 2018. e – estimate | r – revised

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August 2019 SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW | 23