The industrial and supply chain of the mining industry adjusts, the global mining development begins a new cycle
The International Mining Research Center of China Geological Survey, Ministry of Natural Resources has released the “Global Mining Development Report 2024” at “Belt and Road” Geoscience Cooperation and Mining Investment Forum of the 26th China Mining Conference and Exhibition on October 16th, 2024. The report comprehensively analyzed the global mining development trend under the new cycle, which is one of the contributions to sustainable development of global mining from Chinese research institutions.
According to the report, the global economy faced growth challenges since 2023. Geopolitical and financial policies have influenced the evolution of the global manufacturing landscape, leading to increased risks in industry and supply chains. The global exploration investment for major solid minerals amounted to USD12.76 billion, down 1.8% year-on-year. The mining financing has reduced, but Mergers and acquisitions amount has increased.
The production, consumption, and trade of Global energy and resources have continued to grow, with adjustments in supply and demand structures. The overall supply and demand for global fossil fuels have both risen. The supply and demand for bulk solid minerals are clearly differentiated: The supply and demand for steel have both fallen, leading to increased oversupply; copper supply grows faster than demand, causing a significant expansion of the supply-demand gap; aluminum supply also outpaces demand, resulting in oversupply. The production of strategic emerging minerals is rapidly increasing, with lithium, cobalt, and nickel all facing oversupply, leading to a noticeable decline in trade volumes. Precious metals gold demand once peaked and then fell back; silver has seen an increase in supply and a decrease in demand; platinum has experienced a decrease in both supply and demand.
In 2023, international mineral product prices generally experienced a downward trend. The energy mineral product prices decline overall. The bulk solid minerals showed increased price volatility. Battery-grade lithium carbonate prices dropped by over 80% during the year. The stock prices of mining companies also had a volatile decline. Major oil and gas companies saw their stock prices decrease, with a significant drop in net profits. Stocks prices for major solid mineral companies initially fell but later recovered, with net profits declining by more than 20%, although overall profits remained high. Strategic emerging mineral companies experienced sharp declines in stock prices, with net profits dropping by more than 60% year-over-year. Gold companies saw continued increases in net profits and market value. The total market value of world’s top 50mining companies has remained relatively stable, yet structural changes have been significant. The global lithium battery industrial chain saw a slowdown in overall demand. Global hydrogen energy projects continued expanding in scale, but actual deployment fell short of expectations.
The report noted that countries continuously updated strategic mineral policies. They implemented various incentive and intervention measures, including forming strategic intergovernmental cooperation or trade agreements on critical minerals, enacting laws and policies to develop critical mineral resources and supply chains, and promoting the coordination of mining projects with infrastructure development. As the new round of technological and industrial revolutions continues advancing, mining technology and equipment have become critical variables in international mining cooperation and competition. Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a paradigm shift in mineral exploration, offering promising prospects for new quality productive forces in the mining industry. The rapid development of technical equipment for global exploration, R&D, resource recycling and utilization, and other aspects is leading to more efficient, intelligent, high-precision, and low-carbon solutions. Low-grade and hard-to-process ore beneficiation technologies are evolving toward greener and more automated processes, with the development of large-scale, multi-field, automated, and interdisciplinary beneficiation equipment being a key focus for low-grade mineral resources.
Looking to the future, new quality productive forces are driving high-quality development in mining. Advanced technologies such as satellite remote sensing, big data, and the Internet of Things will continue fostering new industries like AI-driver mineral exploration and intelligent mining. The valuation of data assets is expected to lead the way in new global mining infrastructure, enhancing the comprehensive utilization of mineral resources and urban mining, which will provide new momentum for the industry’s development. Guided by the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, we will see a inevitable extension of industrial chains in mineral-producing regions, with manufacturing and infrastructure powerhouses highlighting competitive advantages. These countries will continue contributing to global mining cooperation. Countries should strengthen collaboration in critical mineral sectors to jointly maintain stable and smooth industrial and supply chains, and to guide and promote resource-saving, intensive, and green development in mining, thereby contributing to global economic growth.
2019年上半年,全球矿业证券市场呈现先扬后抑的总体走势,标准普尔/多伦多证券交易所全球矿业指数(S&P/TSX Global Mining Index,TXGM)从2019年1月67点升到4月的78点,随后下跌至6月的70点附近,与标准普尔/多伦多证券交易所综合指数走势相似,但波动幅度更小,总体好于2018年下半年。2019年6月标准普尔/多伦多证券交易所全球矿业指数同比增加8%。
美国采取了四项措施。一是2019年7月22日特朗普通过《美国国防生产法案(Defense Production Act)》授权总统可以优先采购钕、铁和硼,以及用钐和钴生产永磁体的国内材料、设备和服务。特朗普命令国防部加快消费类电子产品、军用器件和医疗设备所需稀土永磁的生产。《美国国防生产法案》曾经保护过美国钢铁生产能力,也被用来强制购买国内半导体制造设备,还用于资助锂离子电池、轻武器弹药和其他技术的研究和采购。二是推进稀土供应法案的审议。2019年5月,美国参议员森斯·曼钦、谢莉·卡皮托和丽莎·穆尔科斯基向国会提交了《稀土元素先进煤炭技术法案》。该法案旨在争取联邦财政拨款,用于支持开发先进分离技术,从煤炭和煤炭副产品中提取和回收稀土元素和矿物,进而改变美国100%依赖国外稀土进口的现状。三是推进稀土的产学研结合。宾夕法尼亚州立大学最近启动了关键矿产研究中心,目标是成为关键矿物研究和开发技术支持的首选中心,特别是宾夕法尼亚州立大学与能源部研究人员合作使用先进分离技术从煤炭副产品中提取稀土元素等优势技术。四是美国将建立稀土分离工厂和延伸产业链。2019年5月20日,澳大利亚稀土生产商表示,已与美国公司签署谅解备忘录,将在美国建立稀土分离工厂,由澳大利亚公司控股。
大兴安岭南段是我国重要的铅锌、银、铜、锡多金属成矿带。按照成矿物质来源和矿床组合,区内划分出3个成矿带,其中林西-甘珠尔庙一带以锡多金属成矿作用为主,而锡林浩特-霍林郭勒地区则以银铅锌成矿作用为主。因此,长期以来,大兴安岭南段的锡矿找矿工作一直以林西-甘珠尔庙地区为重点,但多年来始终未取得较大突破。维拉斯托矿床位于以银铅锌成矿作用为主的锡林浩特-霍林郭勒地区,其与拜仁达坝矿床一起曾作为大型银铅锌矿床开展找矿勘查和科学研究工作。然而,此次维拉斯托矿床深部锡多金属矿体的发现,显示出传统的银铅锌成矿区巨大的锡矿找矿潜力。最近,Liu et al、祝新友等和Wang et al研究认为,维拉斯托矿床的银铅锌矿体和锡矿体是同一成矿系统的产物,并指出浅部为热液型脉状铅锌银矿,深部则可能存在岩浆热液型锡(钨)多金属矿。因此,维拉斯托矿床深部锡多金属矿的发现不仅改变了人们以往对大兴安岭南段锡、银、铅锌成矿规律的认识,而且将影响该区域今后的锡矿找矿勘查思路,意义重大。