Skillings Mining Review November 2021

2020 NOVEMBER ADVERTORIAL ISSUE

110/09 110/11

33

ILLINOIS COAL MINING EMISSIONS Although a new legislation sets deadlines for fossil-fuel power facilities Illinois coal mining continues to be a major source of climate-changing emissions

10

Mining & Society

27

Interview with Sarah Mojuetan, Communications Volunteer, Women In Mining Uk

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PROFILES IN MINING

27 Interview with Sarah Mojuetan, Communications Volunteer, Women In Mining Uk

SURFACE MINING

14 Central Bank Analysis: Australian Coal Mines: Verge of Becoming Stranded: 2030

16 Mercury Consumption Advisory List Expanded by Seven Oklahoma Lakes

UNDERGROUND MINING

18 Zacks Points of Interest: Hess Corp, Occidental Petroleum, Marathon Oil, DT Midstream and PHX Minerals

42 $1M in Brookwood-Sago funds for mine safety teaching by U.S. Department of Labor: 13 miners to be schooled

45 Paper Drenched in Synthetic

Endeavour Financial as its latest Financial Advisor: Team to Success!

38 Interagency Working Group: “Major Announcement” Would Be Made Soon

40 Caravel Minerals Goes for Advisory Announcement and Senior Executive Announcements

SPECIAL FOCUS

10 Mining & Society

22 New Coal Plants Proposals Scuffled Since the Paris Arrangement

37 GoviEx New Appointments:

STATISTICS

46 September 2021 crude INDUSTRY INSIDER

steel production

24 Randy Reichert Joins Skeena

47 crude steel production

Resources' Board of Directors

December 2020

Cannabinoids Trafficked: Coal Township Jail

THE LEAD

33 Although a new legislation sets deadlines for fossilfuel power facilities Illinois coal mining continues to be a major source of climatechanging emissions www.skillings.net | 3

NOVEMBER 2021 VOL.110. NO.11

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SPECIAL FOCUS

Mining & Society

10 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

John Murray, the founder of Swann Group, was invited to speak at the Critical Minerals Associations G7 summit in Cornwall in June 2021 about the importance of mining to society.

Beyond the immediate threat of the covid epidemic, John discussed six concerns that face mining at the moment.

John expands on his G7 lecture in this series of pieces, delving further into the problems.

He offers suggestions regarding how we may solve them in other situations, based on interviews with some of the industry's greats and his decades of expertise. In others, he asks provocative questions to elicit thought and conversation in preparation for a future update.

All the articles are gathered in a single publication where you can download to get a more detailed insight on the company’s website. Here, we discuss the sixth and final article where John focuses on mining talent shortages and what is required to fill the gap.

www.skillings.net | 11

SPECIAL FOCUS

executives will need to change. It would be stupid to treat any of these generations as if they were all the same, but they are typically more informed and vocal about the importance of values, purpose, and work/life balance than their forefathers.

Leadership and management methods are likely to alter as the next generation expects to be consulted and informed and receive feedback informally and frequently rather than as part of an annual performance review.

John Murray, the founder of Swann Group.

TALENT SHORTFALLS IN MINING

The emerging talent gap in mining has been well documented, that arises from large swaths of senior leaders retiring, divestments and redundancies compelling prospective leaders into different fields, and mining firms not being able to make the industry attractive to graduates.

The problem of losing such talent has been exacerbated by our industry's failure to capture the information and skills of experienced team members before their departure. Semi-retired advisors and consultants can assist in bridging the gap, but they're not a long-term answer as they are scarce, expensive, and non-flexible.

who are currently unknown, will be precisely the expertise the industry requires.

In contrast, individuals with more traditional mining abilities will become less critical. Education and industry must learn to interact more effectively to produce the skills our sector will require in the future.

To satisfy the expectations of Millennials, Generation Z, and their successors, senior

During the collapse, those who left the industry see no reason to return to a sector that abandoned them during the past commodity cycle's decline. Young IT talent is more attracted to the cleaner, greener world than to an industry they've been taught to regard as dirty, destructive, and ethically problematic.

However, as mining becomes more technologically driven, these digital natives, 12 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

As this new talent matures into leaders, new modes of development will be required. The speed of change will pick up in the future, and we'll need adaptable, brilliant people who can stay productive even if the paradigm has moved substantially by the time they reach a leadership position.

It will take a massive effort from professional organizations, educators, policymakers, and the industry, but it is achievable. But, after working out the kinks in this collaboration and solving this basic issue, it seems that the next generation of mining executives will be well-prepared to weather the coming storms.

CONCLUSIONS

The mining industry carries a long record of being slow to change. Large corporations have 'tried and tested methods that have served them well for decades, resulting in a mindset of 'that's how we do things here,' rather than evaluating how things should be done.

The Big 4 consultancies appear to be overly reliant on mining firms to do their strategic thinking for them. This implies that they do not develop strategic talent within. As a result, individuals access well-known global thinkers, but they find

it challenging to synthesize and implement what they learn. Risk is dealt with in the mining business, but uncertainty, which is more difficult to quantify, is overlooked.

This has to change in these tumultuous times, and we've already seen signs of it.

Despite all of the doom and gloom over the last 18 months or so, our industry has shown tenacity and adaptation. Survival is an accomplishment in the face of Covid19's colossal struggle. The speed with which mining companies ensured that production continued, rather than relying

on ex-pats who were subject to travel restrictions, is worthy of praise as an example of sector agility.

As a result, mining certainly can and will withstand the impact of the trends described in this research - as well as any others that emerge in the months and years ahead.

However, those organizations that foresee and plan for them will surely be in the most excellent position to prevent bad outcomes and capitalize on possibilities that arise.

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SURFACE MINING

Central Bank Analysis: Australian Coal Mines: Verge of Becoming Stranded: 2030 According to a report by Australia's central bank, three out of four scenarios that evaluate how the global energy shift would unfold put the country's coal mines at risk of becoming stranded assets.

According to government estimates, Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas, with fossil fuels accounting for over a quarter of the country's total exports, worth A$71 billion ($51.9 billion) in the previous financial year.

Almost two-thirds of the country's fossil fuel exports go to three major customers: Japan, China, and South Korea, all of which have set net-zero emissions objectives, 2050 for Japan and South Korea, and a decade later for China.

The RBA examined how efforts to reduce emissions might affect the country's fossil fuel industry under four climate scenarios developed by the Network for Greening the Financial System (NFGS), a group of central banks dedicated to bettering climate risk management.

The volume of Australian coal exports reduces in three scenarios, with the biggest drops occurring in the Net Zero and Below 2°C scenes, in which Australia's coal exports drop by 80% by mid-century.

Coal exports steadily climb to be 17 percent higher in 2050 under the fourth scenario, which contains just existing government policies with modest progress in lowering emissions.

Coal reserves in Australian operating mines already exceed estimated export demand by 2050 under the Net Zero and Below 2°C scenarios, implying a risk of 'stranding' even if no new mines are built.

14 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

HALCOR PRODUCTS Copper tubes with or without lining or industrial insulation for applications in: • Drinking water and heating networks • Underfloor heating and cooling • Gas and medical distribution networks gases • Cooling and air conditioning systems • Solar energy applications • Various industrial applications

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The copper segment of ElvalHalcor S.A. develops and distributes a wide range of products, including copper and copper-alloy rolled and extruded products with Halcor being the sole producer of

Halcor is the copper tubes division of ElvalHalcor S.A. and together with four more companies form the copper segment of ElvalHalcor S.A. that specializes in the production, processing and marketing of copper and copper alloys products with dynamic commercial presence in the European and global markets. For more than 80 years, Halcor has been offering innovative and added-value solutions that meet contemporary client demands in fields, such as plumbing, HVAC&R, renewable energy, architecture, engineering and industrial production.

copper tubes in Greece. High quality in production is achieved through strict controls applied throughout the production process. With a consistent quality focus, the company implements an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Quality Management System and leverages high technologies and expert staff.

As a result of the Group’s strategic investments in research & development, Halcor is recognized as one of the leading copper producers globally, setting new

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SURFACE MINING

Lake Texoma in southeast Oklahoma is one of seven lakes recently added to a fish consumption advisory list by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. Nicolas Henderson / Flickr

Mercury Consumption Advisory List Expanded by Seven Oklahoma Lakes The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has updated its mercury-affected fish-eating recommendation directory. Chandler Lake, Lake Hefner, Shawnee Twin Lakes, Sooner Lake, Lake Tenkiller, Lake Texoma, and Lake Thunderbird are the seven that have all been added to the list.

According to the DEQ, mercury levels do not influence the lake's safety as a source of drinking water or for swimming and boating. Only the fish with too much mercury is a problem, which can be well avoided.

F

Oklahomans should still go fishing and consume fish, according to Erin Hatfield, a DEQ representative.

ive more lakes have been eliminated since the government last updated the list, bringing the total number of lakes with mercury consumption advisories to 66.

Mercury is released naturally through sources such as volcanoes and forest fires, according to Jay Wright, an environmental projects manager at the DEQ.

Man-made sources, such as the gold mining industry, can also provide it.

Mercury is released into the atmosphere, where it can eventually wind up in lakes and fish.

While Wright believes that eating fish is healthful, he also believes that fish with high mercury levels can be detrimental.

16 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

"We really encourage people to go fishing, and we also urge people to consume the fish they catch," Hatfield added.

"All they need is the most up-to-date information." And that's exactly what we've provided.”

FloLevel Technologies

UNDERGROUND MINING

Zacks Points of Interest Hess Corp, Occidental Petroleum, Marathon Oil, DT Midstream and PHX Minerals The rise in oil and natural gas prices shows the

energy industry's slow recovery from the pandemic-induced depression. Currently, companies' prospects are bright, from exploration and production to refining, as fuel demand has recovered dramatically.

The Zacks Oil & Gas US Integrated industry's prognosis has improved as a result of this.

18 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

Occidental Petroleum, Hess Corp, Marathon Oil, DT Midstream, and PHX Minerals are among the industry's frontrunners that could benefit from the improving business situation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY

The Zacks Oil & Gas US Integrated industry is mainly in the upstream and midstream energy business. Upstream operations mark oil and natural gas exploration and production in the United States' booming shale basins.

Midstream operations are also pursued by integrated energy firms through collection and processing facilities and transportation pipeline networks and storage facilities.

The upstream industry is, on average, positively connected with oil and gas prices. The produced commodity volumes are then transported via midstream infrastructure, resulting in consistent fee-based revenues. The downstream operations where the transported oil volumes are converted to finished products, such as gasoline, natural gas liquids, and diesel, are also available to the integrated energy companies in the United States.

What Factors Are Influencing the Oil and Gas Integrated Industry in the United States?

OIL PRICES ARE INCREASING

Oil demand is rapidly recovering around the world, despite a scarcity of the product. On the heels of the rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines and an improving forecast for fuel demand, demand is improving faster than most analysts expected.

The MRP of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude is once again trading above $75 per barrel, indicating a significant turnaround from the negative area reached in April. The integrated company's upstream operation is benefiting from the enormous increase in oil prices.

PRICE INCREASES IN GAS

Natural gas prices have risen dramatically in comparison to the previous year. There isn't enough gas to refill the depleted reserve before winter, as countries become increasingly reliant on natural gas for indoor heating. With www.skillings.net | 19

UNDERGROUND MINING

a greater reliance on the commodity as governments seek to use cleaner fuel, gas prices have risen, improving the outlook for gas exploration and production.

THE REFINING INDUSTRY RECOVERS

Refining operations are being aided by rising fuel demand. Demand for gasoline and jet fuel will remain to climb as more people socialize and commute to work.

Consequently, despite increasing refining costs, a strong recovery in end-product demand will continue to drive downstream operations.

the top 35% of more than 250 Zacks industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank of the group, which is essentially the average of the Zacks Ranks of all the member companies, shows that the group's near-term prospects are favorable. According to our findings, the top half of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom half by a factor of more than two to one.

Let's take a look at the industry's recent stock-market performance and valuation picture before we provide a few stocks you might wish to investigate.

Current Valuation for the Industry Because oil and gas firms are heavily in debt, the EV/EBITDA (Enterprise Value/ Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortization) ratio makes sense. This is because the valuation metric considers not just the amount of equity but also the amount of debt.

The industry is presently trading at 7.31X, lower than the S&P 500's 15.98X, based on the trailing 12-month enterprise valueto-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio. However, it is greater than the industry's trailing-12month EV/EBITDA of 5.05X.

FEE-BASED REVENUES ARE STABLE

The integrated firms' midstream operation is less vulnerable to commodity price fluctuation. This is because shippers typically book pipeline and storage assets for the long term, ensuring consistent fee-based earnings.

CLIMATE CHANGE POSITION

Integrated players in the United States have been observing climate change as a considerable risk that requires to be addressed. The industries are now looking at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and flaring rates.

ConocoPhillips just declared that it would be a leader in the energy transition by raising its Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity reduction targets. The corporation has set a target of a 40-50 percent decrease in intensity by 2030, up from the previous objective of 35-45 percent.

The Zacks Industry Rank denotes a positive outlook.

Within the broader Zacks Oil - Energy sector, the Zacks Oil & Gas US Integrated industry is made up of 11 stocks.

The industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #89, which places it in

The upstream industry is, on average, positively connected with oil and gas prices. The produced commodity volumes are then transported via midstream infrastructure, resulting in consistent fee-based revenues.

Industry Outperforms Sector and S&P 500 Over the last year, the Zacks Oil & Gas US Integrated industry has outperformed both the more significant Zacks Oil - Energy sector and the Zacks S&P 500 composite.

Over this time, the industry has increased by 120.7 percent, compared to 35.4 percent for the S&P 500 and 54.8 percent for the broader sector.

20 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

The industry has traded at a high of 13.26X, a low of 3.28X, and a median of 5.60X during the last three years.

5 US Integrated Oil Stocks Outperforming the Market PHX MINERALS

The company's strategy of divesting lower-margin operations while investing in core mining assets has continued to pay off handsomely. The corporation is also working to reduce its debt load and improve its financial condition. Over the last 60 days, the stock with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) has had upward earnings estimate revisions for fiscal 2021.

DT MIDSTREAM, INC.

DT Midstream, Inc. is a company that operates in the oil and gas industry.

The company has secured substantial cashflows from its long-term contracts with a portfolio of natural gas midstream interstate and intrastate pipelines. DT Midstream has a healthy balance sheet with no long-term debt maturities of more than seven years. The #2 ranked stock has seen higher earnings estimate revisions for 2021 in the month of September 2021.

HESS

MARATHON OIL

OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM (OCCIDENTAL)

Hess is a leading upstream corporation based in New York, with operations in the Bakken, Gulf of Mexico, and offshore Guyana. The company is confident that its position in Guyana is robust enough to support long-term cash flow growth.

Marathon Oil is an exploration and producer based in Houston, Texas, with a primary concentration in the United States. Because of the company's unique business model, it has been able to create large free cash flows, which will be used to reduce debt. Because of the company's robust and long-term business plan, it has been able to increase its quarterly base dividend. In the last several days, there has been no change in the earnings estimate for 2021 for the #3 ranked stock.

Over the same time period, the company has seen upward earnings estimate revisions for the coming year.

Occidental Petroleum, based in Houston, Texas, is an oil and natural gas exploration with a presence in the midstream energy sector. Aside from cost-cutting measures, the corporation has realized acquisition cost synergies, which has helped its bottom line.

There has been no earnings estimate revision for 2021 in the last several days for the stock with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Over the same time period, the stock has had upward earnings estimate revisions for the following year.

Over the last several days, the stock has received higher earnings estimate revisions for its 2021 bottom line. With a Zacks Rank of 3, the stock is expected to boost earnings by 128.1 percent in 2021.

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SURFACE MINING

New Coal Plants Proposals Scuffled Since the Paris Arrangement According to a report by climate advocacy groups, more than three-quarters of projects were abandoned after the Paris Agreement was signed. According to data, the global pipeline of new coal power plants has fallen since the 2015 Paris climate agreement, indicating that the polluting energy source is nearing its end.

S

ince the climate agreement was signed, more than three-quarters of the world's planned plants have been abandoned, meaning 44 countries no

longer have any future coal power plans.

E3G, Global Energy Monitor, and Ember, the report's authors, said those countries now have the advantage to join the 40

22 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

countries that have previously committed to a "no new coal" promise to aid reduce global carbon emissions.

The Cop26 climate negotiations in Glasgow in November, according to Christine Shearer, program director at Global Energy Monitor and co-author of the research, are "an appropriate time for the world's leaders to join together and commit to a world with no new coal plants."

Without a commitment from governments to phase out coal, Alok Sharma, the UK's Cop26 president, stated that stopping global temperatures from increasing by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would be "very difficult."

Coal is one of the most significant contributors to the carbon emissions that are causing the climate crisis, and the United Nations has stated that by the end of the decade, global coal use must have fallen by 79 percent compared to 2019 levels if the world is to meet the Paris climate agreement targets.

"Just 5 years ago, there were so many new coal power plants slated to be built," said Ember's Dave Jones. "Now, most of these have either been officially halted, or are paused and unlikely to ever be built."

As a result, a snowball of public promises to "no new coal" can build up across countries, marking an important step toward the fate of coal's doom.

The remaining coal power plants are dispersed over 31 nations, with half of them only having one planned for the future. The economics of coal have been set to be "increasingly uncompetitive in compared to renewable energy, while the risk of stranded assets has increased," according to Chris Littlecott, associate director of E3G. According to the analysis, if China, which is responsible for more than half of the world's coal plant plans, along with India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey, and Bangladesh, decided to cancel the projects, the number of coal power plants in the pipeline would drop by about 90%. www.skillings.net | 23

INDUSTRY INSIDER

"Skeena" or the "Company" delightfully announced Randy Reichert's appointment to the Company's Board of Directors as an independent director last month.

Borden R. Putnam III, who left the Board of Directors to become a technical advisor for Skeena, was also thanked by the Company.

Walter Coles Jr., CEO of Skeena, said during the announcement, "Borden has served on the Skeena Board of Directors for the last 3 years, and we are appreciative for his contributions. He has been an important part of the Company's overall success to this point, and we are thankful to be able to roll on to benefit from his geological knowledge and skills.

Randy's years of mine-building experience will now assist Skeena in this exciting next chapter of expansion as we aggressively drive Eskay Creek through development and into production."

Getting ready to drill the Spectrum property in northwest British Columbia. INSET: Randy Reichert (Source: Skeena Resources Ltd.)

Randy Reichert Joins Skeena Resources' Board of Directors Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE) (OTCQX:SKREF) is a

Canadian mining exploration and development company focusing on reviving the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver mine in Tahltan Territory in northwest British Columbia, Canada's Golden Triangle.

24 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

Mr. Reichert has 30 years of mining expertise and is currently Vice President, Operations at B2Gold Corp., where he controls the Company's three worldwide gold operations. Mr. Reichert previously worked as the General Manager at their Fekola Mine in Mali. He was a member of the development team and oversaw the transition from development to operations.

Mr. Reichert began his career with Cominco in Canada, where he worked at several different operations, including the Snip Mine. He then moved to worldwide executive roles with Bema Gold, Oriel Resources, and other junior firms, where he was in charge of various development projects and mining operations.

Randy has overseen construction or development projects in Russia, Brazil, Nevada, and Kazakhstan and served as General Manager for Bema Gold and then

Kinross during the development of the Kupol Mine in Russia. He has also served acting as a consulting professional for Canadian financial firms, assisting with due diligence for mine financings.

of 4.57 g/t AuEq, an after-tax NPV5% of C$1.4B, 56% IRR, along with a 1.4-year payback at US$1,550/oz Au. The firm is actively drilling infill and exploratory holes to bring Eskay Creek to full feasibility in Q1 2022. In addition, the Company is continuing its exploratory efforts at the Snip gold mine, which has previously produced gold.

Mr. Reichert is an Engineer holding a BASc in Mining and Mineral Processing, an MScEng in Rock Mechanics, and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration.

ABOUT SKEENA

The Company gave a Prefeasibility Study for Eskay Creek in July 2021, which showcases an open-pit average grade

Skeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration and development company focused on revitalizing the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver

mine located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Prefeasibility Study for Eskay Creek in July 2021 which highlights an open-pit average grade of 4.57 g/t AuEq, an aftertax NPV5% of C$1.4B, 56% IRR, and a 1.4year payback at US$1,550/oz Au. Skeena is currently completing both infill and exploration drilling to advance Eskay Creek to full Feasibility by Q1 2022.

Additionally, the Company continues exploration programs at the past-producing Snip gold mine.

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26 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

PiM

profiles in mining

Interview with

Sarah Mojuetan COMMUNICATIONS VOLUNTEER, WOMEN IN MINING UK

Sarah Mojuetan gained her geological background from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. It spurred her to take up a job as a Customer Sales Representative in a jewelry line based in Nigeria. Whilst she worked this job, she was curious to figure out how the raw materials (gemstones and precious metals) for jewelry making are extracted from the Earth. She worked in a technical role for over a year and then decided to pursue a Mining Engineering Masters' Degree at Camborne School of Mines, UK. Please provide us with a brief background of your current work?

“I serve as a Communications Volunteer at Women in Mining UK, a nonprofit organization that promotes the employment, retention, and progress of women in the mining industry. Currently, I'm working on a Research Education Campaign - Systemic Workplace Sexism, which is scheduled to go live in Q3 2021. We see that women are still being discriminated from taking up certain jobs.

However, a rule of thumb says “including

women isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the economic thing to do."

Tell us about your professional experience in detail please, and how you moved from the beginning to where you are today?

Embarking on several field trips during my BSc degree in Geology at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, exposed me to different rock types and broadened my understanding of the processes responsible for Earth’s formation. During

the course of my studies, I had the opportunity to Intern at Sowsco Well Services Nigeria Ltd. Primarily, I worked in a cementing laboratory and regularly carried out different tests on cement (fluid loss, compressive strength) to ascertain its ability to resist failure and its suitability for oil well casings.

Upon completion of my BSc degree, I took up a job as a Customer Sales Representative in Saint Tracy, a jewelry line in Nigeria focused on the commercial side www.skillings.net | 27

PROFILES IN MINING

of the business. As part of my job, I often walked clients through their needs and preferred the most suitable product (wedding or engagement rings) to maintain and exceed customer satisfaction.

I resigned because I needed a more technical role and after some months, I got a job as a Business Development Executive in Jevant Spencer International Company Limited, an engineering service firm based in Nigeria that specializes in the procurement and logistics of engineering tools and equipment. I was often involved in the delivery and inspection of these machineries to clients’ warehouses.

Stemming from my Geology background as well as the commercial and technical experience I gained, I was curious to find out how the raw materials (gemstones and precious metals) used in jewelry making were extracted from the Earth and this spurred me to pursue a Mining Engineering Masters’ at the Camborne School of Mines (C.S.M), University of Exeter, UK. C.S.M. has a world-class geoscience and mining department and it provided me a sneak peek of what the Metals & Mining Industry looks like.

The Industry is heavily dynamic and the most vital for the economy as metals and minerals (which are mined from the Earth) are the lifeblood of the global industrial production. From the construction of roads, houses, and hospitals to assembling automobiles, computers, and satellites, and all the other many goods consumers enjoy – mining matters.

The Energy Transition the world aims to achieve by 2030 will almost be impossible without the Metals & Mining Industry providing the raw materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt needed for clean energy through sustainable mining and mine digitization. My MSc dissertation was on the Impacts and Issues of Climate

An artisanal gold miner in Sierra Leone. Copyright Michael Duff, GIZ

28 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

PiM

profiles in mining

Change with a focus on the Nigerian Mining Sector and I recommended that the Sector adapts Climate-Smart Mining, an initiative by the World Bank to its operations.

monthly basis. Discussions at our events cover topical issues such as “the future of mining,” “how consumers are pushing the sustainability agenda,” “career opportunities in the mining industry” and lots more.

I currently serve as a Communications Volunteer at Women in Mining UK (I was also one of the recipients of the 2019/2020 WIM UK Scholarships) and I’m in charge of writing and e-publishing technical summaries of our monthly webinars. However, I’m yet to secure a job in the Mining

Currently, our events are being held online due to the COVID-19 restrictions still in place. Under normal circumstances, we also organize physical mentoring dinners.

Summarize your company’s business and the current projects that you are involved in?

I currently serve as a Communications Volunteer at Women in Mining UK (WIM UK), a non-profit organization that promotes the employment, retention and progress of women in the mining industry.

WIM UK partners with universities that offer mining at the degree level (Camborne School of Mines, Imperial College London) and mining companies (Polymetal International plc) in providing a number of scholarships to young women who have decided to pursue a mining-related degree.

The new generation of miners also have the opportunity to take part in summer paid internships at mining companies such as Altus Strategies, Golden Star Resources Ltd and World Gold Council, the market development organization for the gold industry.

Through the #WIMvoice initiative, we promote greater visibility for women in mining (and mining-related services) on the global conference circuit. We connect with women speakers as well as with event organizers for our educational and professional events which are held on a

Our partnership with Women on Boards UK – WOB UK helps our members on their journey to becoming Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) and very recently, we started offering 10 bursaries to women who are currently working in the UK for the Board CV Masterclass taking place in October and December 2021.

Our Head of Events and Conference Partnerships, Aymone Schendel who’s also Head of Relationship Management at Natural Resources Forum shared her experience of the WOB UK event she previously attended on her LinkedIn page, while also inviting young miners and women to our June 2021 event: Targeting the Corporate Boardroom – Tips and Inspiration for taking Your Seat at the Table held in partnership with WOB UK.

“…I attended full of curiosity. Could I possibly be #board material?

Am I too young, too inexperienced? I left feeling inspired and encouraged not to think like that at all…”

Very recently, we entered into a partnership with Geologize Ltd, to help our members partake in the critically www.skillings.net | 29

PROFILES IN MINING

acclaimed on-demand course, Practical Geo-communication which is endorsed and sponsored by global leaders and organizations in the geosciences and mining industry, including WIM UK. Currently, I’m working on a Research Education Campaign – Systemic Workplace Sexism which is scheduled to go live in Q3 2021. We see that women are still being discriminated from taking up certain jobs.

On a personal note, this is subtly becoming my reality. I graduated with a Merit in Mining Engineering from C.S.M. in November 2020, I’m a Communications Volunteer at WIM UK and I haven’t been able to secure a job yet.

A rule of thumb says “including women isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the economic thing to do.”

How Nigeria’s mining sector can adapt climate-smart mining?

“Climate-Smart Mining is an initiative by the World Bank that supports the responsible extraction, processing and recycling of minerals to secure supply for clean energy technologies while minimizing the climate and material footprint throughout the value chain.

It holds the potential for resource-rich developing countries such as Nigeria to position itself to leverage on the evolving commodities (lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper) market responding to a low carbon energy transition.

Although Nigeria is enriched with colossal reserves of solid minerals, including energy minerals and metals, precious and base minerals and industrial minerals, the laws and regulations on mining and its impacts on the environment are not

30 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

robust enough to address the growing climatic and environmental changes posed by the mining sector.

However, an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework governing Nigeria’s Mining Sector is a prerequisite to unearth the magnitude of the work required for a climate smart sector.

The mining industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, intensifies the impacts of climate change on natural resources, the environment and local communities, however, the mining industry is at the heart of the development and growth of green energy technologies (solar panels, wind turbines) that are crucial for the reduction of GHG emissions required to keep average global temperature below 2°C. This has buttressed the need for the mining industry to develop environmentally-friendly Climate-Smart Mining to its operations.

PiM

profiles in mining

be good stewards of these resources.

Sustainability is hinged on three pillars – economic, environmental and social, also referred to as profits, planet and people.

Mine digitization is the use of computerized or digital devices or systems and digitized data that reduce costs, improve business productivity and transform mining practices. Automated drilling and tunnel boring systems, drones and smart sensors, autonomous vehicles are few digital technologies reshaping the mining sector.

Driving more rapid innovation towards greater levels of sustainability across the mining sector is very important as it touches the lives of every person, every day on the planet. With deposits becoming lower grade and geologically more complex (i.e more difficult to extract),

capital looking to be greener and a redefinition of what profitable means in the age of sustainability and better life quality, it has become an imperative for mining operations to be carried out in an environmentally-friendly way through the use of digital technologies.

Mine digitization is key to enhancing productivity, safety, sustainability and managing variability in the mining sector.

Digital technologies play significant roles in the mining sector by increasing mechanization through automation, building a more comprehensive understanding of the resource base, optimizing material and equipment flow, and monitoring performance in real-time.

Aligning sustainability and digital strategies is critical to mines becoming climate-smart.

To become climate-smart, Nigeria’s Mining Sector has to integrate renewable energy in its operations, be innovative in extractive practices and waste solutions, efficiently use resources and energy in mineral value chain, adopt a circular economy for low-carbon minerals, leverage carbon finance instruments and have a robust geological data management.

These must be conducted under strong governance and adequate regulatory framework and also ensure full-gender and multi-stakeholder engagement.”

What Are Your Views On Sustainability In Mine Digitization Sustainability involves the efficient use of the Earth’s resources to meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. The Earth’s resources are required for our survival and it’s our duty to www.skillings.net | 31

THE LEAD

32 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

Although a new legislation sets deadlines for fossil-fuel power facilities

Illinois coal mining continues to be a major source of climatechanging emissions With a new state law that bans coal and gas-fired power by

2045, Gov. J.B. Pritzker promises that Illinois will help stop — and even reverse — climate change. However, the rule ignores the state's most significant source of climate-changing pollution: coal mining.

A

ccording to a Chicago Tribune estimate based on a calculation created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, out-of-state corporations burning Illinois coal discharged more than 57 million tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the sky in 2020 alone.

The state's coal and gas plants, on the other hand, emitted 46 million tons of CO2 throughout the year. The disparity underscores Illinois' continued role as a major coal supplier, even as the state and the country as a whole move away from coal-fired power generation.

Pritzker and state lawmakers avoided publicly tackling Illinois' coal sector because it produces jobs and pay taxes, albeit with a fraction of the employees it formerly employed in a section of the state nearer to Tupelo, Mississippi, compared to Chicago.

"It's one aspect to hault importing coal into your territory but another to completely stop mining the same well within your own borders," commented Barry Rabe.

He is a teacher of public policy at the University of Michigan and studies issues related to energy.

According to federal figures, Illinois was only third in the amount of coal pulled out of the ground last year, behind Wyoming, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Foresight Energy, a bankrupt St. Louis-based firm that obtained the rights to latent coal seams in four southern Illinois counties in the mid-2000s, supplied more than half of the 32 million tons mined in Illinois.

Almost all of Foresight's coal is exported to other states and nations. Longwall mining, which uses robotic equipment rather than people to mine coal, saves

THE LEADMINING SURFACE

money for the corporation. With twice as many personnel, the state's coal sector was able to generate nearly the same quantity of coal last year as it did in 2003.

Foresight proclaimed its presence with more than $3 million in campaign contributions dispersed among Illinois legislators, including several who also worked at state agencies governing the sector, decades before the climate impact of burning coal was generally understood.

For the time being, the only thing preventing Foresight's largest mine from polluting the planet more is an underground fire that halted production a few days back in the month of September.

The fire, which triggered the evacuation of the Sugar Camp mine in Franklin County, 270 miles southwest of Chicago, is still being investigated by federal and state investigators. Officials from the company did not reply to calls for comment.

It was at least the second time one of Foresight's mines had been shut down by the fire. The firm's Deer Run complex in Montgomery County started smoking in 2014.

It didn't reopen until 2019, when federal officials permitted a new underground shaft to an unexplored area of the coal seam.

Foresight also owns a mine in Macoupin County that is currently dormant, as well as another in Williamson County.

Records demonstrate that all four mines consistently violate federal workplace safety and clean water requirements.

JB Pritzker, Governor - Illinois

34 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

Five of the 16 Illinois miners murdered on the job since 2008 worked in Sugar Camp, where the injury rate has at times topped the national average.

According to federal figures, Illinois was only third in the amount of coal pulled out of the ground last year, behind Wyoming, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Foresight Energy, a bankrupt St. Louis-based firm that obtained the rights to latent coal seams in four southern Illinois counties in the mid-2000s, supplied more than half of the 32 million tons mined in Illinois. other incentives for electric automobiles, wind power, and solar energy, among other things.

It adds an extra $700 million to ratepayers' bills to help Chicago-based Exelon, which threatened to shut down two nuclear power reactors unless Pritzker and lawmakers approved the bailout.

As a result, tens of thousands of union workers will preserve their employment.

Continued operation of the carbon-free plants could help prevent the new gasfired generation and stabilize the grid as more wind and solar electricity come online, which is good for health and the environment.

Joyce observed the state lately approved an expansion of Deer Run that could enable the mine to continue operating for another three decades. Last year, the carbon dioxide generated by Foresight's coal in power stations and factories was greater than from automobiles registered in Illinois.

However, coal mining was not mentioned

by Pritzker on Wednesday when he stated that countries must act immediately to combat the fast-accelerating effects of climate change.

The governor claimed the new energy law makes Illinois "a force for good" and promises "an environmental future we can be proud of" during a bill-signing event outside the Shedd Aquarium.

The state law aims to minimize climate pollution by providing subsidies and www.skillings.net | 35

THE LEAD

5 Chicago suburbs and many other Midwestern communities matched to collectively take on more than $5 billion in debt to finance Prairie State in the mid-2000s. Private investors abandoned dozens of similar projects due to skyrocketing construction costs and the likelihood that climate pollution would eventually be regulated.

Municipal investors campaigned against Pritzker's initial proposal to close the coal plant by 2030, including Batavia, Geneva, Naperville, St. Charles, and Winnetka.

After months of delays, supporters of the energy bill decided to further the deadline, allowing Prairie State and a municipally owned coal plant in Springfield until 2035 to reduce CO2 outputs by 45% and another decade after that to either eradicate or shut down climate pollution.

Toxic coal ash waste, the red material in the river bank, from Dynegy’s Vermilion Power Plant in Oakwood, Illinois, can be seen leaking into the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River.

The governor claimed the new energy law makes Illinois "a force for good" and promises "an environmental future we can be proud of" during a bill-signing event outside the Shedd Aquarium.

Coal-fired power plants, which Pritzker and lawmakers have targeted, are already being phased out. All but three of Illinois' 11 nuclear power plants are set to shut down by 2027 at the earliest.

Only those who survive will be able to use Illinois coal. In the beginning 1990s, most of the state's utilities decided that switching to low-sulfur Wyoming coal

instead of constructing pollution-control equipment to scrub high-sulfur Illinois coal was a more cost-effective way to comply with the federal Clean Air Act. The Prairie State Generating Station, southeast of St. Louis, is the largest industrial carbon dioxide generator constructed in the U.S. in the last quarter-century.

36 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

Prairie State gets its coal through a mine in Washington County near the power station, a deal pushed through by Peabody Energy, a St. Louis-based coal company that later sold its 5% investment in the project at a loss. By the state's carbon-free electricity deadline of 2045, Illinois towns are projected to have paid off their portion of the debt.

Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh said that the transition to clean energy would prevent up to 62 premature deaths across the state each year.

One of the environmentalists working on the energy bill noted official data showing that coal production is dropping across the country.

The mines that give for Prairie State and the Dallman plant in Springfield contributed approximately a fifth of the state's coal last year, a clean-energy advocate for the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council.

INDUSTRY INSIDER

GoviEx New Appointments: Endeavour Financial as its latest Financial Advisor: Team to Success!

G

oviEx is a renowned mineral resource company that focuses on exploring and developing uranium resources in Africa (TSXV: GXU) (OTCQB: GVXXF). GoviEx's primary goal has always been to become a substantial uranium producer by continuing to explore and develop its mine-permitted Madaouela Project in Niger, the mine-permitted Mutanga Project in Zambia, and the multi-element Falea Project in Mali, very consistently without any operational bottlenecks.

Endeavour Financial, a leading mining financial consultancy firm with offices in London, the United Kingdom, George Town, Cayman Islands, and Vancouver, British Columbia, specializes in arranging multi-sourced funding solutions for development-stage enterprises. Endeavour Financial, which was founded in the year 1988, has a track record of continuous and never-ending success, having raised over US$500 million in royalty and stream financing, US$4 billion in debt financing, and US$28 billion in mergers and acquisitions.

Vancouver, British Columbia, GoviEx Uranium Inc. (TSXV: GXU) (OTCQB: GVXXF) ("GoviEx" or "Company") was pleased to announce the engagement of Endeavour Financial as financial advisor to GoviEx's mine-permitted Madaouela uranium project in Niger (the "Madaouela Project") last month. It looks forward to sure shot success and economic optimization with this arrangement.

Chief Executive Officer Daniel Major gave in his statement, "We look forward to collaborating with Endeavour Financial on the Madaouela Project's optimal financing option. Endeavour Financial offers an interesting and broad range of financial consulting services, including debt advising, offtake financing, and technical and environmental advice. Endeavour Financial's track record in mine finance, particularly in poor countries such as Africa, speaks for itself, and their decision to cooperate with GoviEx, I feel, demonstrates the project's excellence and future success. We believe that, in the end, production finance will be a mix of debt, royalties or streaming, and equity, with the equity portion being kept as low as feasible and this would be advantageous."

"Endeavour Financial is delighted to be able to work with the GoviEx team to analyze and carry out financing for the development of this high-class asset in Niger, a country that has been a recognized as a reliable major uranium producer since the 1970s," said David Rhodes, Managing Director of Endeavour Financial.

Endeavour Financial Limited is a company that provides financial services (Cayman)

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Engineers | Architects | Planners | Scientists 800.325.2055 | sehinc.com/subscribe

www.skillings.net | 37

INDUSTRY INSIDER

Coal Power plant at dusk. photo: By leungchopan

Interagency Working Group: “Major Announcement” Would Be Made Soon The

public should be prepared to hear about a "major an-

nouncement" from one of President Joe Biden's Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, according to the executive director.

O

ne of the 11 member agencies of the IWG, according to Brian Anderson, who is also the director of the (NETL) National Energy Technology Laboratory, is anticipated to unveil a new program soon.

"I can't tell which agency is up next until we make it public," he said, "but we're working on a huge announcement from

one of the other agencies about how they'll be investing in coal, energy, and power plant areas across the country."

On Jan. 27, the IWG was established by Executive Order 14008, Section 218 to ensure that the transition to a clean-energy economy creates good-paying union jobs, stimulates economic revitalization, mitigates environmental degradation,

38 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

and revamps energy workers in coal, oil, and gas communities across the country.

"This isn't the time for half-measures.

We must take risks. So, to be clear, this includes assisting towns around coal, oil, gas, and power plants in revitalizing their economy.

When Biden announced the order, he said, "We have to start by creating new, good-paying jobs, capping abandoned wells, reclaiming mines, and transforming old brownfield sites into new hubs of economic growth."

"We'll work with mayors, governors, tribal

ing federal money for infrastructure, environmental remediation, union job development, and community revitalization efforts.

The investment includes nearly $260 million in current resources that the Department of the Interior has previously mobilized to promote abandoned mining land reclamation, mostly in Appalachia.

According to Anderson, the IWG is already planning a series of events in the 25 "priority regions" hardest harmed by declining coal production and consumption highlighted in its original report.

"So that we can continue to create capacity, as well as pull out investments and continue some of the analysis on these energy communities and how they can be dramatically impacted by an energy transition," he explained.

Brian Anderson

According to Anderson, the IWG is already planning a series of events in the 25 "priority regions" hardest harmed by declining coal production and consumption highlighted in its original report. leaders, and forward-thinking business leaders, as well as young people who are mobilizing and leading the way."

Department of Treasury, Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Management and Budget, Domestic Policy Council, and Appalachian Regional Commission are among the 11 federal agencies that make up the IWG.

"We're trying to figure out how all 11 agencies can best help communities around the country and there would be a strady stream of declarations." Anderson explained.

The IWG issued an initial report on findings and recommendations to spur economic development in traditional energy towns within 60 days of Biden's command, which included plans for $109.5 million in funding for programs that directly assist job creation.

According to the report, energy towns could access over $38 billion in exist-

The "Southern West Virginia non-metropolitan area," the Wheeling area, the "Northern West Virginia non-metropolitan area," and Beckley and Charleston, which cover more than 40 of the state's 55 counties, are among the areas mentioned in the original assessment.

"A lot of the on-the-ground engagement with communities is continuing to analyze and gather what their prospective future is and how we can identify resources across agencies," he added.

Anderson stated that a lot of other IWG reports would be given out in the future.

"There will be reports coming out at the (one) year mark, as well as reports coming out in four distinct workstreams across time," he explained.

According to Anderson, investment, stakeholder/community engagement, policy, and integration are the four "workstreams,". www.skillings.net | 39

INDUSTRY INSIDER

Caravel's new mining manager Jason Vos inspects haul truck training facilities to evaluate mining equipment providers.

I

n this undertaking, Don Hyma has been engaged as a board adviser to guide the Caravel project's implementation plan in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region and assist the board in analyzing feasibility study results more widely and in a more holistic view.

Caravel Minerals Goes for Advisory Announcement and Senior Executive Announcements Caravel Minerals (ASX: CVV), a copper explorer, has announced new leadership and advisory appointments to help drive its eponymous copper project through feasibility studies and into production in the month of September 2021.

40 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

In this new announcement, Jason Vos has been hired as Caravel's new mining manager, and Michael Klvac has been named as the company's approvals and compliance manager.

Mr. Hyma has been a mining sector executive with more than 30 years of big project experience in regions like Canada, Chile, New Caledonia, and Australia, as stated by the new board advisor Caravel. His background is very versatile and appropriate for this position.

It includes everything from feasibility studies to project delivery, with a focus on nickel, copper, and iron ore. And all of this was accomplished with great success

and appreciation where he worked. Mr. Hyma is currently based in Perth, Western Australia, providing independent advisory services to the mineral resources sector. He is a very valued consultant in this regard.

His prior responsibilities include director of projects at Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG), technical director at Mitsui & Co, vice president of projects at Iron Ore Company of Canada, general manager of projects at Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO), and senior project management roles at Falconbridge (now Glencore).

According to Caravel chairman Wayne Trumble, Mr. Hyma's skills and knowledge in building significant mining operations "will be of considerable value."

APPOINTMENTS TO THE EXECUTIVE SUITE

Mr. Vos, Caravel's new mining manager, is "extremely experienced" in the position, having built and operated large-scale open-pit crews.

Mr. Klvac has over 25 years of experience in the WA mining industry, including roles in commercial, risk, business planning, and approvals senior management at Hamersley Iron (Rio), Western Mining Corp, BHP (ASX: BHP), and BCI Minerals (ASX: BCI).

project is a joint venture between two companies. The Caravel copper project is roughly 150 kilometers northeast of Perth. It is based on a 661.9 million tonne indicated and inferred mineral resource of 0.28 percent copper for a total of 1.86 million tonnes of contained copper.

Mr. Trumble stated that he is looking forward to working on the Caravel copper project with "Vossie and Mick."

The Bindi deposit contains the project's greatest resource, estimated at 223.4 million tonnes at 0.36 percent copper and 796,000 tonnes of contained metal.

"Bringing in the appropriate people is critical to the project's success, and we are thrilled to have been able to attract such skilled and experienced professionals to join us," he continued. The Caravel copper

Since 2020, a significant drilling operation at Bindi has been underway, with recent results revealing extensive zones of highgrade copper mineralization.

In this new announcement, Jason Vos has been hired as Caravel's new mining manager, and Michael Klvac has been named as the company's approvals and compliance manager.

Similar mining manager and mine planner roles have previously been held by him at Perseus Mining's (ASX: PRU) You're gold mine in West Africa, Harmony Gold's Hidden Valley mine in Papua New Guinea, Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) Pilgangoora lithium mine in Western Australia, and AngloGold Ashanti's (ASX: AGG) Tropicana gold mine.

According to Caravel, Mr. Vos will be in charge of all parts of mine planning, design, and operational readiness.

Mr. Klvac's role as approvals and compliance manager will entail overseeing the process of obtaining and maintaining all approvals required to develop the Caravel copper project. This includes putting in place an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework to aid the company's operations. www.skillings.net | 41

UNDERGROUND MINING

$1M in Brookwood-Sago funds for mine safety teaching by U.S. Department of Labor : 13 miners to be schooled The Mine Safety & Health Administration

of the

U.S.

of

America announced a $1 million grant from the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program to promote education and training to recognize, evade, and avoid harmful working situations in and around the country's mines.

"Mining deaths are on the rise, notably motorized haulage fatalities, and this drift must be upturned. The safety and well being of those working in and around mines is the primary priority of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, "Jeannette J. Galanis, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health, stated. "Mine workers are a

valuable resource, and grants like these support the mining industry's training and education needs, as well as promote ways to better protect miners."

The program remembers 25 miners who died in mine disasters at the Jim Walter Resources #5 mine in Brookwood, Alabama, in 2001 and the Sago Mine in

42 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

Buckhannon, West Virginia, in 2006. It was established by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006.

Brookwood-Sago awards allow grantees to create training materials, give mine safety training or educational programs, recruit mine operators and workers, and perform and assess training. They're an important aspect of MSHA's focus on programs and materials for miners in smaller mines, such as training miners and employers on new federal regulations and high-risk activities or hazards identified by MSHA.

Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 established the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants Program. It was named in remembrance of 13 men who died in the disaster at the Jim Walter Resources Inc.’s No. 5 Mine in Brookwood, Alabama, in 2001 and 12 men who died after an explosion at Wolf Run Mining Company’s Sago Mine in Tallmansville, West Virginia in 2006.

The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 established the Brookwood-Sago grant program in honor of the 25 miners who died at the Jim Walter Resources No. 5 mine in Brookwood, Alabama, in 2001 and at the Sago Mine in Buckhannon, West Virginia, in 2006.

This competitive grant program provides funding for education and training programs to better identify, avoid, and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around mines. Grantees will use these funds to establish and implement education and training programs or to create training materials and programs on MSHA-identified safety priorities.

2020 RECIPIENTS OF THE BROOKWOOD-SAGO GRANT AWARDS

1. University of Arizona 2. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 3. United Mine Workers of America Career Centers, Inc. 4. Colorado Department of Natural Resources 5. Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy 6. West Virginia University Research Corporation 2019 RECIPIENTS OF THE BROOKWOOD-SAGO GRANT AWARDS

1. Hutchinson Community College 2. Penn State University 3. United Mine Workers of America Career Centers, Inc. 4. University of Arizona 5. West Virginia University Research Corporation

www.skillings.net | 43

UNDERGROUND MINING

The following are the grant recipients The University of Arizona in Tucson got $140,000 from the Arizona Board of Regents to develop app-based training resources to improve training for belt conveyor safety, electrical risks, and powered haulage incidents.

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources in Denver was awarded $95,000 to create an innovative film that emphasizes the necessity for mine emergency mitigation, risk, preparedness, and readiness evaluations.

The Colorado School of Mines in Golden was awarded $95,000 to design a hazard recognition training package centered on energy.

The Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy of the Commonwealth of Virginia in Big Stone Gap was awarded $50,000 to provide virtual reality training to imitate real-time circumstances at mining sites.

The Trustees of Indiana University in Bloomington were awarded $50,000 to provide training materials aimed at reducing respiratory dangers, particularly those related to mining operations and recent biohazards such as the coronavirus.

The Local 49 IUOE Apprenticeship and Training Program in Hinckley, Minnesota, was awarded $50,000 to develop a training simulation device that will simulate fall protection, respiratory protection, working in confined spaces, electrical hazard awareness, and powered haulage awareness training scenarios.

The Rapid City-based South Dakota School of Mines and Technology was awarded $120,000 to develop virtual reality training materials for mine emergency prevention and awareness.

Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Cumberland was awarded $50,000 to develop new training materials for miners under Parts 46 and 48 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. A $50,000 grant was awarded to the University of Texas at Arlington to produce disaster prevention and preparedness training materials for the mining industry.

The University of Texas at Arlington has been awarded $70,000 to develop and

The Marshall University Research Corp. in Huntington, West Virginia, was awarded $130,000 to create movies about powered haulage safety, fire safety, emergency planning, and personal protective equipment.

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implement virtual reality-based training materials to help small mines avoid or reduce powered haulage accidents.

United Mine Workers of America Career Centers, Inc. in Prosperity, Pennsylvania, won a $50,000 grant to create a two-part multimedia educational package on Belt Conveyor Safety Awareness and Mine Emergency Escape Interactive Exercises.

The West Virginia Research Corporation in Morgantown was awarded $50,000 to provide emergency prevention and readiness training to coal miners and mine operators in the areas of self-contained self-rescuers and mine rescue.

SURFACE MINING

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Paper Drenched in Synthetic Cannabinoids Trafficked: Coal Township Jail

J

eremiah Bush, 35, of Shamokin, testified to officers from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections that he attempted to have contraband sent to him while in jail at the State Correctional Institution in Coal Township.

After officials discovered a conspiracy to have 23 sheets drenched in synthetic cannabinoids sent to the prison, Bush was charged with various offenses. Bush told the authorities he wanted to sell all the papers to pay for his court and lawyer bills. Agent Daniel Erdman reported that in discussion with detainee Bush, the latter revealed to your affiant that he ordered unknown parties to bring papers saturated with synthetic cannabinoids.

In an affidavit of probable cause, Erdman said, "The pages contained within the parcel are consistent with how inmates normally work in an attempt to introduce contraband via legal mail."

According to the testing results, all 23 pages include MDMB-4en-PINACA, a schedule 1 indole carboxamide, which was discovered on Aug. 4. Bush, in jail at the State Correctional Institute in Coal Township, was granted $5,000 monetary bail. Court records reveal a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 16 with Judge John Gembic in Northumberland.

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Bush, a prisoner at the State Correctional Institute in Coal Township, was released on a $5,000 bond. According to court records, a preliminary hearing with Judge John Gembic in Northumberland is planned for Nov. 16. www.skillings.net | 45

STATISTICS

SEPTEMBER 2021 CRUDE STEEL PRODUCTION

W

orld crude steel production for the 64 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 144.4 million tonnes (Mt) in September 2021, an 8.9% decrease compared to September 2020.

CRUDE STEEL PRODUCTION BY REGION

Africa produced 1.4 Mt in September 2021, up 51.0% on September 2020. Asia and Oceania produced 101.9 Mt, down 14.6%. The CIS produced 8.2 Mt, down 1.0%. The EU (27) produced 12.7 Mt, up 15.6%. Europe, Other produced 4.2 Mt, up 4.3%. The Middle East produced 2.2 Mt, down 35.7%. North America produced 9.8 Mt, up 19.2%. South America produced 3.9 Mt, up 17.0%.

The 64 countries included in this table accounted for approximately 98% of total world crude steel production in 2020.

Regions covered by the table: Africa, Asia and Oceania, CIS, European Union (27) Europe, Other, Middle East, North America, South America.

TOP 10 STEEL-PRODUCING COUNTRIES

China produced 73.8 Mt in September 2021, down 21.2% on September 2020.

India produced 9.5 Mt, up 7.2%. Japan produced 8.1 Mt, up 25.6%. The United States produced 7.3 Mt, up 22.0%. Russia is estimated to have produced 5.9 Mt,

Table 1. Crude steel production by region Sep 2021 (Mt) Africa

1.4

% change Sep 21/20 51.0

Table 2. Top 10 steel-producing countries

Jan-Sep 2021 (Mt) 11.9

% change Jan-Sep 21/20

% change Sep 21/20

Jan-Sep 21 (Mt)

% change Jan-Sep 21/20

China

73.8

-21.2

805.9

2.0

India

9.5

7.2

87.3

23.3

Japan

8.1

25.6

72.1

17.9

7.3

22.0

64.4

19.8

e 5.9

-2.2

56.4

6.2

-14.6

1,066.0

5.5

CIS

8.2

-1.0

78.9

6.4

EU (27)

12.7

15.6

114.8

19.8

Europe, Other

4.2

4.3

37.9

13.4

Middle East

2.2

-35.7

28.9

-3.0

North America

9.8

19.2

88.6

19.2

South America

3.9

17.0

34.1

23.9

144.4

-8.9

1,461.2

7.8

Total 64 countries

Sep 2021 (Mt)

31.2

101.9

Asia and Oceania

down 2.2%. South Korea produced 5.5 Mt, down 5.0%. Germany produced 3.3 Mt, up 10.7%. Turkey produced 3.3 Mt, up 2.4%. Brazil produced 3.1 Mt, up 15.3%.

Iran is estimated to have produced 1.3 Mt, down 51.4%.

United States Russia South Korea

5.5

-5.0

52.9

6.7

Germany

3.3

10.7

29.9

16.1

Turkey

3.3

2.4

29.9

15.0

Brazil Iran

3.1

15.3

27.2

20.2

e 1.3

-51.4

19.3

-8.6

The 64 countries included in this table accounted for approximately 98% of total world crude steel production in 2020. Regions and countries covered by the table: Africa: Egypt, Libya, South Africa. Asia and Oceania: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan (China), Vietnam. CIS: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. European Union (27). Europe, Other: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, United Kingdom. Middle East: Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. North America: Canada, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, United States. South America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

46 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW November 2021

CRUDE STEEL PRODUCTION DECEMBER 2020. Source – World Steel Association COUNTRY

DEC 2020

DEC 2019

%CHANGE DEC-20/19

2020

% CHANGE

COUNTRY

DEC 2020

DEC 2019

%CHANGE DEC-20/19

2020

% CHANGE

Austria

530 e

521

1.7

6 665

-10.2

Mexico

1 550 e

1 361

13.9

16 854

-8.3

Belgium

359

505

-28.9

6 119

-21.1

United States

6 434

7 292

-11.8

72 690

-17.2

Bulgaria

40 e

43

-6.3

485

-14.3

Croatia

15 e

7

101.9

47

-32.0

North America

9 107

9 801

-7.1

101 119

-15.5

388

326

19.0

3 651

-21.4

2 886

2 462

17.2

30 971

-4.9

Argentina

Czech Republic

408

359

13.7

4 465

0.6

Finland

339

186

81.8

3 500

0.8

France

1 155

918

25.7

11 596

-19.8

Chile

105 e

109

-3.5

1 165

2.8

Germany

3 137

2 835

10.6

35 658

-10.0

Colombia

110 e

97

13.5

1 126

-15.5

94

17.0

1 430

5.9

Ecuador

50 e

50

0.5

477

-21.5

164

-44.8

1 513

-14.5

Paraguay

3 e

3

-4.4

22

-17.5

1 404

6.9

20 200

-12.9

Peru

105 e

91

15.8

671

-45.4

Uruguay

5 e

5

-7.2

47

-24.6

Venezuela

2 e

0

315.8

29

-43.6

3 654

3 143

16.3

38 158

-8.4

Egypt

994

574

73.0

8 229

13.4

Libya

73

63

16.2

495

-18.4

297

-1.5

3 877

-37.0

934

45.5

12 600

-10.1

2 224

19.6

29 030

13.4

85

186

-54.3

1 218

-52.4

Saudi Arabia

440

664

-33.8

7 775

-5.1

United Arab Emirates

280

297

-5.8

2 722

-18.2

3 465

3 371

2.8

40 745

2.7

China

91 252

84 692

7.7 1 052 999

5.2

India

9 796

9 383

4.4

99 570

-10.6

Japan

7 526

7 785

-3.3

83 194

-16.2

South Korea

5 952

5 880

1.2

67 121

-6.0

380 e

261

45.6

3 743

13.3

1 700 e

1 693

0.4

20 570

-6.3

Thailand

410 e

357

14.8

4 420

4.1

Vietnam

1 600 e

1 876

…

19 500

11.6

118 616

111927

6.0

1 351 117

1.6

473

449

5.4

5 490

0.0

59

57

3.8

586

-12.2

533

506

5.2

6 076

-1.4

Greece Hungary Italy

110 e 90 1 500 e

Luxembourg

113

97

17.3

1 886

-11.0

Netherlands

540

521

3.6

6 054

-9.1

Poland

680 e

642

5.9

7 890

-11.9

Slovenia

50 e

34

45.0

570

-8.5

Spain

891

765

16.4

10 934

-19.5

Sweden

410

376

8.9

4 409

-6.6

United Kingdom

710 e

550

29.0

7 185

-0.5

Other E.U. (28) (e)

680 e

642

6.0

8180

-12.1

10 665

10.2

138 786

-11.8

European Union (28) 11 757 Bosnia-Herzegovina

75

70

6.5

759

-5.2

Macedonia

33

24

35.9

180

-24.8

Norway

41

40

3.2

624

0.5

Serbia

119

158

-24.8

1 456

-24.6

Turkey

3 403

2 893

17.7

35 763

6.0

Other Europe

3 671

3 185

15.3

38 782

3.9

Byelorussia

200 e

225

-11.2

2 490

-5.0

Kazakhstan

355 e

374

-5.0

3 835

-7.2

45 e

35

28.2

465

18.7

Russia

6 110 e

6 159

-0.8

73 400

2.6

Ukraine

1 906

1 561

22.1

20 616

-1.1

84

-4.8

950

42.6

Moldova

Uzbekistan

80 e

C.I.S. (6)

8 696

8 438

3.1

101 756

1.5

Canada

1 070 e

1 092

-2.0

11 078

-14.1

20 e

22

-8.5

181

-21.4

El Salvador

8 e

8

-5.7

79

-22.5

Guatemala

25 e

26

-3.9

237

-22.6

Cuba

Brazil

South America

South Africa

292 e

Africa

1 359

Iran

2 660 e

Qatar

Middle East

Pakistan Taiwan, China

Asia Australia New Zealand Oceania

Total 64 countries (1) 160 858

151 969

5.8 1 829 140

-0.9

(1) - HADEED only. (2) - the 64 countries included in this table accounted for approximately 99% of total world crude steel production in 2019. e - estimated

www.skillings.net | 47

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