TLG Discussion 2022

[Semmel]

Soooo.. April 5th is less than 2 weeks away. Share price is not exactly in the gutter but also not really elevated either. Given the court decision has a high probably of being positive, and a jump to at least 2AUD of the positive news, I suspect we will see some front running next week. Maybe do some.. front running the front runners ? Let's get our game on!

 

[WheresTheMonkey]

Soooo.. April 5th is less than 2 weeks away. Share price is not exactly in the gutter but also not really elevated either. Given the court decision has a high probably of being positive, and a jump to at least 2AUD of the positive news, I suspect we will see some front running next week. Maybe do some.. front running the front runners ? Let's get our game on!

Yeah I think we might see a bit of a lift next week after all there are, in my opinion, probably only 6 trading days left including today before the inevitable trading halt kicks in on Monday 3 April.

 

[Stares_into_Space]

Soooo.. April 5th is less than 2 weeks away. Share price is not exactly in the gutter but also not really elevated either. Given the court decision has a high probably of being positive, and a jump to at least 2AUD of the positive news, I suspect we will see some front running next week. Maybe do some.. front running the front runners ? Let's get our game on!

Stormed the front today but was met with a sizeable wall at 1.04 USD. Nothing left in the magazine so I guess it's down to calling an airstrike on my position and seeing if I get lucky

 

[Semmel]

Interesting price action on TLG these days. A beginning of a push in the morning, followed by a fade. Especially it does seem to be TLG specific, as NVX, VUL and SYR are all up massively while today while TLG is fading just like yesterday. Market doesn't buy the 'permits are immanent' story it seems. Well if you listening to the media coverage, reindeers are more important than Europe's EV related economy or world climate anyway, so can't really fault it. But it does seem like there is some significant shorting going on. More fuel to the fire in about a week.

Next up, watch us getting the court decision delayed

 

[cosors]

Interesting price action on TLG these days. A beginning of a push in the morning, followed by a fade. Especially it does seem to be TLG specific, as NVX, VUL and SYR are all up massively while today while TLG is fading just like yesterday. Market doesn't buy the 'permits are immanent' story it seems. Well if you listening to the media coverage, reindeers are more important than Europe's EV related economy or world climate anyway, so can't really fault it. But it does seem like there is some significant shorting going on. More fuel to the fire in about a week.

Next up, watch us getting the court decision delayed

Ge inte upp så lätt!



Read this carefully and especially the second part. If there were only yes or no, they would not be acting in accordance with the law. I am a layman. But I just wait and see.

"...
No measures may be taken within the designated areas that could significantly impair the established values or significantly impede the intended use of the land.

...

Detailed delineation means that the route of the deposit is indicated by drawing the national interest on a map with associated coordinates. This makes it easier for county councils and local authorities to balance, partly in the planning process, when an area is of national interest for several incompatible purposes.
..."
https://www.sgu.se/mineralnaring/mi...ntressen-for-vardefulla-amnen-eller-material/


and now this:
"...
The Sami Parliament writes that the state must ensure that reindeer husbandry can continue and that the protection of the national interest for reindeer husbandry was created partly because reindeer husbandry has difficulty asserting itself against strong exploitative interests such as mineral extraction. The Sami Parliament also writes that it is recognised that several national interests may overlap and that decisions are made when land use changes. Finally, the Sami Parliament writes that Nunasvaara is currently only a point deposit and that it believes that the Nunasvaara deposit is sufficiently protected by the Environmental Code.

The SGU notes that it is not unusual for several national interests to overlap in one area.
Which national interest takes precedence is determined when land use changes are assessed. In a possible licence application for mining the Nunasvaara graphite deposit, a balance between the different interests will be sought unless the national interest areas can coexist.
The graphite-bearing horizons are very thin and vary between 15 and 60 metres and occur in two parallel horizons in an area that is highly deformed. For practical reasons, it is not possible to delineate such thin horizons separately. SGU has therefore chosen to delineate the geological sequence of strata. In the event of future mining, SGU believes that it is important for the company and the affected Sami village to enter into a dialogue on how mining can be carried out in a way that minimises the impact on reindeer herding. This may involve, for example, deciding when in the year a particular area is sensitive.

Kiruna Municipality: Most of the proposed detailed delineation is in an area (X4) that the municipality has reserved for strategic purposes. In this area, no action may be taken that impedes the extraction of minerals. The municipality also points out that the detailed delimitation affects other national interests such as overall defence, commercial fishing, reindeer husbandry, wildlife life and nature conservation. The detailed delineated area also contains ancient monuments, wetlands and important biotopes.

SGU: The municipality of Kiruna points out that in the event of a change in land use, it will be decided which national interest will be given priority. In the case of mining the Nunasvaara graphite deposit, a balance will be struck between the different interests.
..."
https://www.sgu.se/globalassets/mineralnaring/lagstiftning/beslut-31-388-2019-nunasvaara-.pdf


Much underlining but I take it as described.
I think the court cannot simply allow the passage to Vittangi to be blocked, nor can it disallow mining under environmental law conditions.

Please note what it is about in the map below. So only Nunasvaara South. So the blockade is out of the question (not even later, as the road above and below may certainly not be blocked; Or they move the road slightly south by a few metres between Nuansvaara and Niska). Mining must not be hindered. For this reason, the opponents' lawyer also wants the application to be submitted for the entire area as shown in the SGU markings and everything to start all over again. Their argumentation is different. But I wouldn't waste all my powder right away either. That way they could better argue the point about the blockade. So this argument doesn't work.
Please interpret everything yourself. I don't want anyone to be angry with me afterwards.

Salt sticks and a cold beer. I have been intensively dealing with panic, doom and gloom and unforgiveness for about 2 to 3 years now. Does the above read unforgiving like yes or no or like a compromise? IMO

No liability for translation errors.

_______
If anyone would like to take a closer look at the situation, click here:
https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/sweden-home-of-tlgs-graphite-mine-s.31382/post-146600

 

[cosors]

I am once again at the riddle of how they want to deal with Nunasvaara East. What the strategy is.
In retrospect, everything I have in mind was well thought out. Even the politics was well initiated. By the way, I wonder why no one here has commented on this: https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/tlg-discussion-2022.7072/post-256437
As if that were a given. Or have I missed something?
Or the removal and crushing of the material was also perfectly arranged. Just don't offer a point of attack. The Sami had appealed against this but lost. Do you remember?

And now we have the clean strategy in court. I don't know what they could do better.
But back to my question. Could NE be mined underground and the foundation of the crusher/plant be laid in such a way that it lies perfectly like a slab over the resource? I mean, when they lay the foundations, they are already scratching the resource that is so close to the surface. They have to be careful that it doesn't serve as mining when they build the foundation.
Unfortunately I know little about mining techniques. I'm also scratching my head from time to time about what technique they would use to mine a slim vertical resource. I don't think it will work like Kiruna, or will it? Can anyone of you recommend a page that shows the basic types of mining well?

 

[DAH]

Ge inte upp så lätt!



Read this carefully and especially the second part. If there were only yes or no, they would not be acting in accordance with the law. I am a layman. But I just wait and see.

View attachment 33120
"...
No measures may be taken within the designated areas that could significantly impair the established values or significantly impede the intended use of the land.

...

Detailed delineation means that the route of the deposit is indicated by drawing the national interest on a map with associated coordinates. This makes it easier for county councils and local authorities to balance, partly in the planning process, when an area is of national interest for several incompatible purposes.
..."
https://www.sgu.se/mineralnaring/mi...ntressen-for-vardefulla-amnen-eller-material/


and now this:
"...
The Sami Parliament writes that the state must ensure that reindeer husbandry can continue and that the protection of the national interest for reindeer husbandry was created partly because reindeer husbandry has difficulty asserting itself against strong exploitative interests such as mineral extraction. The Sami Parliament also writes that it is recognised that several national interests may overlap and that decisions are made when land use changes. Finally, the Sami Parliament writes that Nunasvaara is currently only a point deposit and that it believes that the Nunasvaara deposit is sufficiently protected by the Environmental Code.

The SGU notes that it is not unusual for several national interests to overlap in one area.
Which national interest takes precedence is determined when land use changes are assessed. In a possible licence application for mining the Nunasvaara graphite deposit, a balance between the different interests will be sought unless the national interest areas can coexist.
The graphite-bearing horizons are very thin and vary between 15 and 60 metres and occur in two parallel horizons in an area that is highly deformed. For practical reasons, it is not possible to delineate such thin horizons separately. SGU has therefore chosen to delineate the geological sequence of strata. In the event of future mining, SGU believes that it is important for the company and the affected Sami village to enter into a dialogue on how mining can be carried out in a way that minimises the impact on reindeer herding. This may involve, for example, deciding when in the year a particular area is sensitive.

Kiruna Municipality: Most of the proposed detailed delineation is in an area (X4) that the municipality has reserved for strategic purposes. In this area, no action may be taken that impedes the extraction of minerals. The municipality also points out that the detailed delimitation affects other national interests such as overall defence, commercial fishing, reindeer husbandry, wildlife life and nature conservation. The detailed delineated area also contains ancient monuments, wetlands and important biotopes.

SGU: The municipality of Kiruna points out that in the event of a change in land use, it will be decided which national interest will be given priority. In the case of mining the Nunasvaara graphite deposit, a balance will be struck between the different interests.
..."
https://www.sgu.se/globalassets/mineralnaring/lagstiftning/beslut-31-388-2019-nunasvaara-.pdf


Much underlining but I take it as described.
I think the court cannot simply allow the passage to Vittangi to be blocked, nor can it disallow mining under environmental law conditions, which Sami confirms if I understand it correctly.
Please note what it is about in the map below. So only Nunasvaara South. So the blockade is out of the question (not even later, as the road above and below may certainly not be blocked; Or they move the road slightly south by a few metres between Nuansvaara and Niska). Mining must not be hindered. For this reason, the opponents' lawyer also wants the application to be submitted for the entire area as shown in the SGU markings and everything to start all over again. Their argumentation is different. But I wouldn't waste all my powder right away either. That way they could better argue the point about the blockade. So this argument doesn't work.
Please interpret everything yourself. I don't want anyone to be angry with me afterwards.

Salt sticks and a cold beer. I have been intensively dealing with panic, doom and gloom and unforgiveness for about 2 to 3 years now. Does the above read unforgiving like yes or no or like a compromise? IMO

No liability for translation errors.

_______
If anyone would like to take a closer look at the situation, click here:
https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/sweden-home-of-tlgs-graphite-mine-s.31382/post-146600

Great digging Cosors!

We're very much of the same thinking here... I've always been of the opinion Vittangi will be extracted, it was just when.

We know the court expects and takes favourably to the parties finding common ground and making allowances and we've seen the outcomes for those that don't. I think we can be confident Talga have done everything they can to work with all stakeholders and as a result, we know all but two are onboard to progress permits.

As an aside, it frustrates me that we never hear from the media the fact that Talga are attempting to co-exist by mining only 6 months/year. Why doesn't this get discussed?

There's info overload at present and understandable anxietas for holders as we tick off the days and I try still keeep to what we know. Talga appear to have played this application process very well (it's on record). The SGU state such a resource cannot be excluded from use, we now have NG designated as critical and strategic for the EU and Talga just happens to be close to their one stop NG shop. We want 100k ore pa (it's not much!).

To knock back permits and have it publicly known you cannot mine a small amount of the highest grade NG during the Swedish summer for fear of disturbing reindeeer, with all the known pressures on the local materials supply chain, would be very brave of the court and IMO outrageousWeRecent precedent has acknowledged small localised impacts from mining but that the bigger picture and greater good far outweighed such (I believe this will apply to TLG). We just have to hope common sense prevails here. If it doesn't (albeit extremely unlikely IMO) we'll be back at it under stronger legislation with publicly announced Government backing to get it next time around (but this shouldn't be needed).

Like others, I'm in the camp of having heavily loaded up on this amazing business (and opportunity) and a divorce would be just the tip of my iceberg if we cannot progress. I do take comfort in some of the diversification taking place MT has mentioned that isn't reliant on Vittangi, but for now it's all about the permits!

Potentially only 6 trading days till we hopefully all get a good night's sleep

 

[Monkeymandan]

View attachment 33121 View attachment 33122
I am once again at the riddle of how they want to deal with Nunasvaara East. What the strategy is.
In retrospect, everything I have in mind was well thought out. Even the politics was well initiated. By the way, I wonder why no one here has commented on this: https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/tlg-discussion-2022.7072/post-256437
As if that were a given. Or have I missed something?
Or the removal and crushing of the material was also perfectly arranged. Just don't offer a point of attack. The Sami had appealed against this but lost. Do you remember?

And now we have the clean strategy in court. I don't know what they could do better.
But back to my question. Could NE be mined underground and the foundation of the crusher/plant be laid in such a way that it lies perfectly like a slab over the resource? I mean, when they lay the foundations, they are already scratching the resource that is so close to the surface. They have to be careful that it doesn't serve as mining when they build the foundation.
Unfortunately I know little about mining techniques. I'm also scratching my head from time to time about what technique they would use to mine a slim vertical resource. I don't think it will work like Kiruna, or will it? Can anyone of you recommend a page that shows the basic types of mining well?

Hi Cosors, I’m no mining expert but yes, vertical or near vertical ore bodies can be mined using underground techniques.

The below snippet is from the Niska scoping study. Niska S, Niska N will be mined using longitudinal stoping, and Nunasvaara N will be mined using traverse stoping.

Nunasvaara E would probably use underhand or shrinkage stoping.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoping

In terms of the crusher plant slab over future NE mine location, nothing is impossible but it would make mining NE needlessly more complex. Pretty certain they will just modify the building permit once granted. For a minor reconfiguration of the buildings within the site area this should be pretty straightforward. It’s very common for any big project of this nature to have multiple modifications submitted post approval (incl during construction), as plans change, designs are finalised and unforeseen site conditions are encountered.

 

[Monkeymandan]

Hi Cosors, I’m no mining expert but yes, vertical or near vertical ore bodies can be mined using underground techniques.

The below snippet is from the Niska scoping study. Niska S, Niska N will be mined using longitudinal stoping, and Nunasvaara N will be mined using traverse stoping.

Nunasvaara E would probably use underhand or shrinkage stoping.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoping


View attachment 33136

In terms of the crusher plant slab over future NE mine location, nothing is impossible but it would make mining NE needlessly more complex. Pretty certain they will just modify the building permit once granted. For a minor reconfiguration of the buildings within the site area this should be pretty straightforward. It’s very common for any big project of this nature to have multiple modifications submitted post approval (incl during construction), as plans change, designs are finalised and unforeseen site conditions are encountered.

Image of shrinkage stoping attached. I recall MT liking a post by Lkab on Twitter previously, which showed a robotic system they were developing for inserting the explosives for this approach.

 

[Semmel]

Hi Cosors, I’m no mining expert but yes, vertical or near vertical ore bodies can be mined using underground techniques.

The below snippet is from the Niska scoping study. Niska S, Niska N will be mined using longitudinal stoping, and Nunasvaara N will be mined using traverse stoping.

Nunasvaara E would probably use underhand or shrinkage stoping.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoping


View attachment 33136

In terms of the crusher plant slab over future NE mine location, nothing is impossible but it would make mining NE needlessly more complex. Pretty certain they will just modify the building permit once granted. For a minor reconfiguration of the buildings within the site area this should be pretty straightforward. It’s very common for any big project of this nature to have multiple modifications submitted post approval (incl during construction), as plans change, designs are finalised and unforeseen site conditions are encountered.

So for the leyman..
1. They dig until they reach the bottom
2. mine a thin slice by some method.
3. explosives through the next layer up, such that rock can fill the hole below, 40% expansion ratio
4. they leave the rubble in place and just shovel it out at the bottom
5. when a huge cavity is created, it either holds in place or collapses under its own weight, in which case it needs back filling

What if they didnt reach the bottom? Can they dig deaper afterwards and repeat? Beacuse if I remember correctly, for none of the ore bodies from Talga have they found the bottom..

 

[WheresTheMonkey]

To knock back permits and have it publicly known you cannot mine a small amount of the highest grade NG during the Swedish summer for fear of disturbing reindeeer, with all the known pressures on the local materials supply chain, would be very brave of the court and IMO outrageousWeRecent precedent has acknowledged small localised impacts from mining but that the bigger picture and greater good far outweighed such

I don't think the Court cares about whether a mineral is in short supply or not. That might later play into future legislation being enacted down the track by the Swedish government which is probably another 2 years away if it is necessary in the event of permit denial.

In my experience they will apply the environmental law as they see fit but also take into consideration any concessions TLG will make to reduce environmental impact i.e. 6 months on mining per year.

Plus I believe the Court will also look at TLG's track record as don't forget they do have a trial mining licence that has been in production for what ?......is it 2 years. I hope we have ben model citizens as far as the trial mine is concerned.

I take some comfort in the fact that we have not heard any complaints re the trial mine plus our concession to mine only 6 months each year with restoration ongoing.

Also the fact that Euroz Hartley changed TLG's status from "Speculative Buy" to "Buy" tells me that the information on the ground in Sweden is probably much more positive that what our own nightmares are churning out on these pages.

 

[Monkeymandan]

So for the leyman..
1. They dig until they reach the bottom
2. mine a thin slice by some method.
3. explosives through the next layer up, such that rock can fill the hole below, 40% expansion ratio
4. they leave the rubble in place and just shovel it out at the bottom
5. when a huge cavity is created, it either holds in place or collapses under its own weight, in which case it needs back filling

What if they didnt reach the bottom? Can they dig deaper afterwards and repeat? Beacuse if I remember correctly, for none of the ore bodies from Talga have they found the bottom..

You can tackle the ore seam from above too, which is underhand stoping. So in theory if they didn’t reach the bottom to start with, they could excavate down from that starting point at a later date. They just wouldn’t have the aid of gravity, which is why I understand overhand from below is the usual preference.

 

[beserk]

So for the leyman..
1. They dig until they reach the bottom
2. mine a thin slice by some method.
3. explosives through the next layer up, such that rock can fill the hole below, 40% expansion ratio
4. they leave the rubble in place and just shovel it out at the bottom
5. when a huge cavity is created, it either holds in place or collapses under its own weight, in which case it needs back filling

What if they didnt reach the bottom? Can they dig deaper afterwards and repeat? Beacuse if I remember correctly, for none of the ore bodies from Talga have they found the bottom..

An answer to question raised on how a race to the bottom of a sloping ore body could be performed.Much could be gleaned from LKAB operations in nearby Kiruna iron mine. Using the stope methodology mentioned the company has continously mined its 80 to 120 m wide, 4 km long slab of 60 % Fe3O4, with an inclination of 70 % for many decades and developed unrivaled expertise in underground mining.

In the case of the Kirunavaara mine they have been following the iron ore body down ward by succesively drilling and blasting vertical shafts and horisontal haulage drives at different levels below the surface. And they approach the iron ore body from underneath drilling and blasting while letting gravity do the rest. The present deepest haulage drive is 1365 meters below surface and is named KUJ 1365. The next one up disused haulage level being KUJ 1045.

In Kiruna they reckon the ore body goes down for another km or so. If it is economical to continue to follow the ore body down even deeper depends on the price of the Direct Reduction Iron pellets. But as I reported in another posting under the Media thread LKAB have recently done some more exploration of the Per Geijer ore body a few km north of Kirunavaara iron ore.

Like the Kiruna iron ore body Per Geijer contains a mixture of iron ore ie magnetite associated with Rare Earth Elements. REEs that interestingly enough find their use in battery technology. The estimate is that the new iron ore will future proof LKAB, and ensure job opportunities for a majority of local mine workers for some years to come. Assuming the same rate of extraction as present.

The impressive transport tunnels and underground road networks stretches for 500 km in the Kiruna iron ore mine. It is the largest underground operation of its kind in the world and well worth a visit. However, to drill and blast your way down requires an initial investment. So lets hope that Talga can get a decent price for its value added Talnode C and Si products to pay for that. And that we will get that go ahead we all are expecting any day now.

LKAB developed its own value added proposition by R&D performed in the mid 80ies and patenting of the Direct Reduction Iron ore pelletising technology with beneficial additives.

These days LKAB manufactures DRI pellets in four separate above ground on site pelletising plants in huge rotating drums. And the steel works in Europe crave millions upon millions of tonnes per annum of these DRI pellets optimised for their steel manufacture.

As an aside, in my youth I had the opportunity and responsibility of running one of the rotary mills in one of the first operating pelletising plants in Kiruna during the holiday period in the summer months. I was trained as a fill in for the regular operator when he was absent on holidays.

- beserk

 

[WheresTheMonkey]

OK guys and gals were we not supposed to get a refinery clearance by 24 March ?..................last Friday

From page 15 of the Euroz-Hartley presentation................

Building permits for refinery granted, with
decision to come into force 24 March 2023
(pending any appeals)

 

[cosors]

Hi Cosors, I’m no mining expert but yes, vertical or near vertical ore bodies can be mined using underground techniques.

The below snippet is from the Niska scoping study. Niska S, Niska N will be mined using longitudinal stoping, and Nunasvaara N will be mined using traverse stoping.

Nunasvaara E would probably use underhand or shrinkage stoping.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoping


View attachment 33136

In terms of the crusher plant slab over future NE mine location, nothing is impossible but it would make mining NE needlessly more complex. Pretty certain they will just modify the building permit once granted. For a minor reconfiguration of the buildings within the site area this should be pretty straightforward. It’s very common for any big project of this nature to have multiple modifications submitted post approval (incl during construction), as plans change, designs are finalised and unforeseen site conditions are encountered.

Thanks, I'll try to imagine it and research it further with your keyword.
My thought always in the back of my mind that the ore body is very lean and they don't want to waste any of it.

At Kiruna mine the ore body is also almost vertical and slim but seems to be a bit wider. There they dig underneath until the rock above slides off and closes the cavity again. Therefore the craters at the surface and more often earthquakes when the cavity closes by settling rock above.
I am curious what the exact plan is. They definitely have a professional around the corner with LKAB.

 

[JNRB]

I don't think the Court cares about whether a mineral is in short supply or not. That might later play into future legislation being enacted down the track by the Swedish government which is probably another 2 years away if it is necessary in the event of permit denial.

In my experience they will apply the environmental law as they see fit but also take into consideration any concessions TLG will make to reduce environmental impact i.e. 6 months on mining per year.

Plus I believe the Court will also look at TLG's track record as don't forget they do have a trial mining licence that has been in production for what ?......is it 2 years. I hope we have ben model citizens as far as the trial mine is concerned.

I take some comfort in the fact that we have not heard any complaints re the trial mine plus our concession to mine only 6 months each year with restoration ongoing.

Also the fact that Euroz Hartley changed TLG's status from "Speculative Buy" to "Buy" tells me that the information on the ground in Sweden is probably much more positive that what our own nightmares are churning out on these pages.

They may not care about if a mineral is in short supply or not,

But they absolutely DO care about whether it's listed as critical/strategic by the legal framework within which they operate

 

[cosors]

Image of shrinkage stoping attached. I recall MT liking a post by Lkab on Twitter previously, which showed a robotic system they were developing for inserting the explosives for this approach.

Oh it's still early and I got confused with the order or did not read further. I know this picture and when MT posted it it seems to be a valid indication of what might come. Thanks!

 

[beserk]

An answer to question raised on how a race to the bottom of a sloping ore body could be performed much could be gleaned from LKAB in nearby Kiruna iron mine. Using the stope methodology the company has continously mined its 80 to 120 m wide and 4 km long slab of 60 % Fe3O4 with an inclination of 70 % for many decades and developed unrivaled expertise in underground mining.

In the case of the Kirunavaara mine they have been following the iron ore body down ward by succesively drilling and blasting vertical shafts and horisontal haulage drives at different levels below the surface. And they approach the iron ore body from underneath drilling and blasting while letting gravity do the rest. The present deepest haulage drive is 1365 meters below surface and is named KUJ 1365. The one up disused haulage level being KUJ 1045.

In Kiruna they reckon the ore body goes down for another km or so. If it is economical to continue to follow the ore body down even deeper depends on the price of the Direct Reduction Iron pellets. But as I reported in another posting under the Media thread LKAB have recently discovered the Per Geijer ore body containing a mixture of Rare Earth Elements REE used in battery technology combined with iron ore that will last for another 70 years at the present rate of extraction.

The impressive transport tunnels and underground road networks stretches for 500 km in the Kiruna iron ore mine. It is the largest underground operation of its kind in the world and well worth a visit. However, to drill and blast your way down requires an initial investment. So lets hope that Talga can get a decent price for its value added Talnode C and Si products to pay for that. And that we will get that go ahead we all are expecting any day now.

LKAB developed its own value added proposition by R&D performed in the mid 80ies and patenting of the Direct Reduction Iron ore pelletising technology with beneficial additives.

These days LKAB manufactures DRI pellets in four separate above ground on site pelletising plants in huge rotating mills. And the steel works in Europe crave millions upon millions of tonnes per annum of these DRI pellets optimised for their steel manufacture.

As an aside, in my youth I had the opportunity and responsibility of running one of the rotary pelletising drum in one of the first operating pelletising plants in Kiruna during the holiday period in the summer months. I was trained as a fill in for the regular operator when he was absent on holidays.

- beserk

This is a schematic diagram showing what the steps are in rolling an iron meatball or a million....

And this is the noisy dirty hot reality of operating a rotary drum in an industrial scale pelletising factory running 24/7. Note the person standing on the right with a hard hat on. The iron meatball rolling machine is as you can see five stories high and 30 meters long. To give you some perspective.

Occasionally the whole inside of the 30 meter sloping drum had to be maintained and it was my job to climb inside it equipped with a sledgehammer and a spade to remove congealed iron gloop that had gotten stuck inside the drum.

Happy days

-beserk

Maybe I with my previous experience working for LKAB could get a job in Nunasvaara running the Talga floatation process in the on site grinding and enrichment plant?[/QUOTE]

 

[WheresTheMonkey]

They may not care about if a mineral is in short supply or not,

But they absolutely DO care about whether it's listed as critical/strategic by the legal framework within which they operate

OK I didn't realise "short supply" or a "critical"mineral" was written into the Act or various Act(s) they need to consider.

 

[cosors]

This is a schematic diagram showing what the steps are in rolling an iron meatball or a million....

View attachment 33168

And this is the noisy dirty hot reality of operating a rotary drum in an industrial scale pelletising factory running 24/7. Note the person standing on the right with a hard hat on. The iron meatball rolling machine is as you can see five stories high and 30 meters long. To give you some perspective.


View attachment 33169

View attachment 33170

Occasionally the whole inside of the 30 meter sloping drum had to be maintained and it was my job to climb inside it equipped with a sledgehammer and a spade to remove congealed iron gloop that had gotten stuck inside the drum.

Happy days

-beserk

Maybe I with my previous experience working for LKAB could get a job in Nunasvaara running the Talga floatation process in the on site grinding and enrichment plant?

Now I finally know how the balls are created that I have seen so often. And how much know-how is involved in something that hardly anyone notices. I hope Talga's path will cross again later.

I love big machines and I can imagine that you were/are very impressed with your work back then.
The machines I dealt with follow much further back in the chain behind LKAB. If anyone has ever worked next to or with a 4000t presses knows what huge forces are.