The Assay Insights

The global nickel market has a volatile history which has experienced periods of prolonged growth followed by sustained periods of lows. The Assay breaks down market and demand trends for nickel over the last few years, giving an in-depth breakdown of the metal characteristics and uses. Understanding nickel At...

Palladium and platinum have historically been favorable among investors as both precious metals are in high demand in the automotive industry. The two metals are part of the platinum group metals (PGMs) family. According to the United States Geological Survey, PGMs comprise:  Iridium Osmium Palladium Platinum Rhodium Ruthenium Palladium...

Welcome to The Assay roundup of people and talent shifts over the past year, focusing on movements across leading global mining and resources companies. The value of mining companies has traditionally been defined in terms of commodity prices, ore quality, location, equipment, and physical assets. However, talent is increasingly...

Conventional solution mining, also known as In Situ Leaching (ISL), refers to the artificial extraction of raw material, by pumping superheated water into deposits. The targeted minerals are dissolved, and the brine is pumped to the surface where it is cooled down, dried, and processed. The process is like...

Today, a modern underground mine features extensive ventilation, water drainage systems, high tech communication networks, and computerized machines to reduce the number of humans required below ground. Gone are the days of manually hacking at rock, with underground mining developed to the point where some minerals can be extracted...

Strip mining is a form of surface mining that is employed to strip away a layer or seam of soil, natural vegetation, and rocks (known as overburden) to extract the mineral deposits underneath. Unlike underground mining, it is predominately used to access relatively flat sedimentary mineral reserves that are...