Albert Einstein is remembered for his mastery of complex scientific theory, but in many ways, it was his passion for simplicity that set him apart from other intellects.
With Einstein’s dictum firmly in mind, that “everything should be made as...
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...
It’s been discovered on every continent on earth, it’s edible, our oceans contain nearly 20 million tonnes of it, and it’s perhaps the metal most infused with symbolism. Most people may associate gold with high-quality jewellery or wealth, but...
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...
You can see, and hear a mining operation from far away. Everything about them is monumental: from the vast tipper trucks and shovels of a surface mine, to the looming presence of a shaft head-gear that drops miners and...
Step 1
Ore is taken out of the ground
Holes are drilled in the ground (if it’s an open-pit mine) or in the rock-face (if it’s an underground mine), and explosives are placed in them to blast it open. The resulting...
An easily understood feature of corporate taxation is that you only tax a business once it is making a profit. But what do you do if it takes several years before the business makes a profit?
It easily takes 7-10...
The hunger for metals and minerals, driven by a growing global economy and the digital and renewable energy sectors, is insatiable. Meeting the surging demand for resources like copper, cobalt, lithium, and gold may require Africa to dig even...
To commit a billion dollars or more to a venture which might only show a return on investment 10 years from now is a tough decision which prompts tough questions:
How great is the mineral deposit?
Once exploration has found a mineral deposit worth...
You don’t have to be a miner or a metallurgist to know that demand for nickel is on the rise. Think back to the first digital cameras, when rechargeable batteries first entered our lives. Those nickel metal hydride (NiMH)...
