All articles by Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans
Reviving uranium mining at the Grand Canyon
Proposals to rip up a moratorium preventing uranium mining around the Grand Canyon have received sharp criticism and bullish support in almost equal measures. But, as always, the devil is in the detail, so how far does the current moratorium go and what is being proposed in its stead? Dr Gareth Evans finds out.
MineSense: separating ore and waste rock in real time
As the headwinds of the post super-cycle ‘super-correction’ continue to buffet the global mining industry, achieving more ore from the same – or less – overall quantity of mined material, while increasing the relative recovery of metal from it, sounds like the answer to many a prayer.
Ice cooling takes the heat off at Harmony’s Phakisa gold mine
Two and a half kilometres below ground, rock temperatures top 50oC, and keeping mines – and miners – cool soon becomes both essential and expensive. Dr Gareth Evans reports on the new approach to ‘ice cooling’ currently in use at Harmony’s Phakisa gold mine in South Africa.
The Carmichael Project – risk vs reward
As Queensland’s huge and controversial Carmichael project continues to move closer to becoming a reality, the battles lines have been drawn and opinions seem to be becoming increasingly polarised across Australia’s growing coal mining divide. Dr Gareth Evans reports.
Commodity focus – silver
As the strongest performing asset class for a decade, and yet paradoxically, in the wake of record price lows, the worst over the last year, silver is clearly going through changing times.
Mining in Zimbabwe – has the tide turned for investment?
While July’s election result remains contested, signs of a thawing in the international stance to the recently returned President Robert Mugabe – and outright calls by some nations, notably Belgium, to lift sanctions – has brought hope, both inside and outside the country, that the tide might at last be turning. Dr Gareth reports on the changing fortunes of Zimbabwe’s mining industry.
Mining in Mexico – the Aztec Tiger’s changing fortunes
Once one of the most prominent of the emerging nation economies, a series of factors have recently conspired to threaten Mexico’s “Aztec Tiger” status. As moves to implement President Peña Nieto’s wide-ranging programme of ambitious reforms roll out, what can investors expect from a rapidly changing landscape?
Mining data: advanced capture methods help miners do more with less
Across all aspects of the business, from start to finish, the mining industry is awash with data – geological, hydrological, environmental and operational – and all this needs to be processed and analysed in a timely and effective way. Recent developments in spatial technology, remote sensing and advanced computing have paved the way for huge leaps forward in the way this is done, and ultimately will help increase efficiency, improve safety and maximise profitability in the future.
Mining security – opening up Latin America
Mining in Latin America is no stranger to violent protests or paramilitary conflict. But as South America makes its presence felt on the world stage, the gradually improving security situation is calming the fears of international mining companies and opening up vast new tracts of undiscovered mineral wealth. Dr Gareth Evans reports.
How do we get coal? New technologies to extract a crucial resource
Coal is one of the cheapest and most reliable sources of energy, and as demand soars new technology will be crucial. With global demand for coal widely expected to rise over the next 20 years, Dr Gareth Evans finds out how a range of new technologies will help the coal mining industry meet that need – from both existing and less conventional sources.