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POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 22, 2009
In our practical business activity we spent a lot of time looking for solutions to lots of questions that we have to tackle. I want to share some information that is very handy in this life – so that is the reason for the posts under this caption: Practical Hints. This is not advertising – just practical advice!!!
HINT # 1. We start with a very useful book that is introduced on the Net:
Will teach you how to interpret and understand company news releases, drill results, technical reports, secrets of the pros, how to “read between the lines” and so much more, regardless of the geotechnical jargon used. In particular, it speaks about: The investment cycle and what it means for mining stocks; The drilling process and how to understand drill results; How to read between the lines and learn secrets of the pros; How to analyze news releases and technical reports; What those geology terms actually mean; The mining process from start to finish; Different exploration techniques – and many more. For a very small price it can be bought on-line at this link.
HINT #2. In my practical sales activity I found very difficult to find any information and establish direct contacts with Chinese buyers. There are lots of intermediaries; and the big Chinese companies do have their Web-sites, that have contact information. BUT: the only way is to contact them – is by phone (which is rather tedious process due to language problems). I have never received any feedback from e-mail addresses that are posted on Web-sites. So, there is a B2B Web portal that offers something:
Very specific name for sales of minerals, but it is so…. This is a very a very peculiar way for doing business, and it reminds a huge Chinese flea market with literally everything there. But the systematic search may result in finding of billboards that deal with sales of minerals: alumina, coal and iron ore.
For example, the page titled BUY-MINERAL lists everything that you may imagine: from ‘mineral water’ and ‘naked mineral cosmetics’ (what a fancy name!) to barites and alumina
Mineral Education
Mining is spread all over the world. In any part of the world you may meet people from different countries, and I have experienced it myself. It started with business lounge in Jakarta’s Marriott, and continued at the bar at my apartment complex in Taman Rasuna. While these people I met are very rather seasoned experts, I assume that younger generation is still at learning.
A rather interesting set of facts is provided in a recent article: “Notwithstanding the current commodity slump, there is a demographic time bomb ticking in the mineral sector as the baby boomers get ready to retire. It is believed that 60 per cent of geo scientists – the people who find new mineral deposits – in Canada will be 65 or older by 2015. In early 2008, the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MIHR) projected that mining industry yearly labour requirements face three scenarios: high-growth (9,200), no-growth (6,200), and industry contraction (4,600), until 2016. These were only based on retirements.”
Well, where does the younger generation get the Mineral Education?
The simplest answer – the Internet. Of course the Mining Education resources are not that abundant, as compared with, let us say, electronics, but there are good Web-sites too.
First I would recommend to upload a very good pamphlet form USGS: “The Life Cycle of a Mineral Deposit—A Teacher’s Guide for Hands-On Mineral Education Activities”. This amazing book defines what a mineral deposit is and how a mineral deposit is identified and measured, how the mineral resources are extracted, and how the mining site is reclaimed; how minerals and mineral resources are processed; and how we use mineral resources in our everyday lives.
You may spend a couple of days exploring the Web-site of Mineral Information Institute that in my opinion is the best educational source for mining neophytes. Here is the world famous MIIBaby:
The Mineral Information Institute is a U.S. not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating youth about the science of minerals and other natural resources, and about their importance in our everyday lives. There are numerous teaching materials
The National Mining Association is also a good source of valuable information. Their latest product is Mountain Top Mining Book
Other worthy sources are:
ResponsibleGold.org, an information source for consumers of gold products provided by the world’s premier gold producers and The Silver Institute – these two provide very detailed information on the subjects.
A much respected site is Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration – but it requires paid registration.
Women in Mining offers good sources of minerals information
What about educational Institutions? Traditionally, there are many of them in the USA and Canada. We need to mention University of Toronto with it’s over 100 year’s history of mining education. It is nicely described here.
Laurentian University – one of the biggest in Canada – has a sound mining education facilities. In fact, there are suggestions to “consolidate the province’s scattered post-secondary mineral education programs at Laurentian University and establish a world-class centre of excellence – a Harvard of the Mining Sector”
Probably the Blog readers may suggest to us some new sources of educational information on the Net; and tell about more distinguished educational centers???
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