Think of the last time you connected with someone. Perhaps it was via a text message, or a Skype call, or a visit to their home some distance away. In each case, copper was part of the process that...
Outside of the aerospace and defense industries, mining is arguably the most capital-intensive business in the world.
You have to move a lot of earth to get at the mineral-bearing ore, and this requires complex structures, equipment, vehicles and heavy...
In 2013, for the very first time, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) overtook Zambia to become Africa’s leading copper producer, with an output of 925 000 tonnes. This is an extraordinary accomplishment, given that barely 10 years earlier,...
1. It is very rich in minerals
The DRC has the largest reserves of coltan and is the biggest producer of the metal, which is needed in almost all electronic devices. The DRC produces more than half of the world’s...
The rewards in mining can be high, but so is the risk. Starting a new mining venture is a long and arduous journey, and there are many reasons why it could fail.
"It takes an average of 12 years between...
For most people, “copper” calls to mind an important and increasingly rare commodity that’s found in a certain part of Zambia. Here, these mineral deposits were once so rich that the entire area was named Copperbelt Province. But copper...
Considering that the per carat value of coloured gemstones like emeralds and rubies is growing faster than diamond prices, it may finally be time to rewrite Marilyn Monroe’s 1950’s hit, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. The growing popularity...
Asteroids are huge lumps of rock – some barely a few hundred metres in length – hurtling through space; and they are focusing minds here on planet Earth because they are extremely rich in minerals, from cobalt to platinum.
A...
1. It is one of the world’s biggest producers of diamonds
In 2017, Sierra Leone produced nearly 450 000 carats of diamonds, making it the world’s eighth-biggest producer. Other minerals mined in Sierra Leone include gold, rutile, iron ore, and...
Smelting is an extremely important part of the overall mining process, facilitating the extraction of all kinds of metals – including silver, and base metals like iron and copper – from their ores. But how much do you really...
