World production averages one billion metric tons of raw ore annually. The world's largest producer of iron ore is the Brazilian mining corporation Vale, followed by Anglo-Australian companies BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto Group. A further Australian supplier, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd may eventually bring Australia's production to second in the world.
Iron-rich rocks are common worldwide. The major constraint to economics for iron ore deposits is not necessarily the grade or size of the deposits, because it is not particularly hard to geologically prove enough tonnage of the rocks exist. The main constraint is the position of the iron ore relative to market, the cost of rail infrastructure to get it to market and the energy cost required to do so.
The main consumers being China, Japan, Korea, the United States and the European Union.
China is currently the largest consumer of iron ore, which translates to be the world's largest steel producing country. China is followed by Japan and Korea, which consume a significant amount of raw iron ore and metallurgical coal.
Iron is the world's most commonly used metal. It is used primarily in structural engineering applications and in maritime purposes, automobiles, and general industrial applications (machinery).
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_ore
Friday, October 17, 2008
Vale
Vale the second-largest mining company in the world, and the largest producer of iron ore[6], pellets[7], and second largest of nickel.[8] also produces manganese, ferroalloys, copper, bauxite, potash, kaolin, alumina and aluminum.
Vale, present in 16 Brazilian states is also present in 6 continents: South America, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Vale has participation on mining operations in Finland, Canada, Australia, Mongolia, China, India, Angola, South Africa, Chile, Peru and other countries.
Brazil has one of the largest iron ore reserves in the world.
Iron Ore: Vale is the world leader in the iron ore and pellets market. Vale produces over 60% of all the iron in Brazil and around 15% of all the iron in the world. The mineral that is the most produced and consumed in the world.
Manganese and Alloys: Vale the second largest manganese producer in the world, Vale annually produces close to 2.3 million tons of manganese ore and 500,000 tons of manganese alloys.
Nickel: Vale , the world’s largest producer of nickel, with a production of 250,600 tons. Found in nature in association with iron and sulphur. Nickel is demanded mainly in metallurgy, with 63% of such demand to produce stainless steel.
Copper: Vale's copper production began in the Sossego Mine, whose average installed capacity is 140 thousand tons per year of copper in concentrate .
Coal: Vale is present in Venezuela, Australia, South Africa, Mozambique and Angola with offices, ore search works and development of new businesses of coal. Currently it has minority stakes on Chinese coal producers, such as Longyu and Shandong Yankuang International Coking Co. Meanwhile, its major project, Moatize, in Mozambique, estimated to produce 14 million ton of metallurgic and energetic coal for 70 years is in economical feasibility study. With AMCI acquisition, Vale added to its coal portfolio the underground coal deposit in Belvedere, Queensland State, Australia, with estimated resources of 2,7 billion of ton.
Potash: Vale produces potash at The Taquari-Vassouras Operational Unit, an underground mine with a treatment plant on the surface. “Taquari-Vassouras” is the name of the ore deposit. This unit is the single manufacturer of potassium chloride (KCl) in activity in Brazil. Potassium Chloride is an important component for the manufacture of fertilizers, and it is obtained through the underground mine of sylvite and later on improved by the flotation process. Presently all production is for domestic market and assure 13% of the Brazilian demand for the product. Since 1992 production comprised 24.7 million tonnes of ROM with an average grade of 31.80 percent KCl, containing a total of 7.8 million tonnes of KCl.
Kaolin: a fine White aluminum silicate used as a coating agent, filler, extender and absorbent in the paper, ceramics and pharmaceutical industries. Despite being abundantly found in nature, its commercial reserves are restricted to Brazil, United Kingdom and the US.
Aluminium
Vale is involved in all stages of the aluminum chain, from bauxite mining and alumina refining to primary aluminum production.
Vale aluminium business is focus on the upstream of the production chain - developing low-cost bauxite and alumina projects. Large, undeveloped high-quality bauxite reserves and opportunities for low-cost expansions in alumina refining available. Primary aluminium strategy focuses on the development of projects in countries with low energy costs.
Alumina is the main raw material for primary aluminum production. It is obtained from the refining of bauxite, an ore abundant in the state of Pará, especially in the regions of the Trombetas River and Paragominas.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companhia_Vale_do_Rio_Doce
Vale, present in 16 Brazilian states is also present in 6 continents: South America, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Vale has participation on mining operations in Finland, Canada, Australia, Mongolia, China, India, Angola, South Africa, Chile, Peru and other countries.
Brazil has one of the largest iron ore reserves in the world.
Iron Ore: Vale is the world leader in the iron ore and pellets market. Vale produces over 60% of all the iron in Brazil and around 15% of all the iron in the world. The mineral that is the most produced and consumed in the world.
Manganese and Alloys: Vale the second largest manganese producer in the world, Vale annually produces close to 2.3 million tons of manganese ore and 500,000 tons of manganese alloys.
Nickel: Vale , the world’s largest producer of nickel, with a production of 250,600 tons. Found in nature in association with iron and sulphur. Nickel is demanded mainly in metallurgy, with 63% of such demand to produce stainless steel.
Copper: Vale's copper production began in the Sossego Mine, whose average installed capacity is 140 thousand tons per year of copper in concentrate .
Coal: Vale is present in Venezuela, Australia, South Africa, Mozambique and Angola with offices, ore search works and development of new businesses of coal. Currently it has minority stakes on Chinese coal producers, such as Longyu and Shandong Yankuang International Coking Co. Meanwhile, its major project, Moatize, in Mozambique, estimated to produce 14 million ton of metallurgic and energetic coal for 70 years is in economical feasibility study. With AMCI acquisition, Vale added to its coal portfolio the underground coal deposit in Belvedere, Queensland State, Australia, with estimated resources of 2,7 billion of ton.
Potash: Vale produces potash at The Taquari-Vassouras Operational Unit, an underground mine with a treatment plant on the surface. “Taquari-Vassouras” is the name of the ore deposit. This unit is the single manufacturer of potassium chloride (KCl) in activity in Brazil. Potassium Chloride is an important component for the manufacture of fertilizers, and it is obtained through the underground mine of sylvite and later on improved by the flotation process. Presently all production is for domestic market and assure 13% of the Brazilian demand for the product. Since 1992 production comprised 24.7 million tonnes of ROM with an average grade of 31.80 percent KCl, containing a total of 7.8 million tonnes of KCl.
Kaolin: a fine White aluminum silicate used as a coating agent, filler, extender and absorbent in the paper, ceramics and pharmaceutical industries. Despite being abundantly found in nature, its commercial reserves are restricted to Brazil, United Kingdom and the US.
Aluminium
Vale is involved in all stages of the aluminum chain, from bauxite mining and alumina refining to primary aluminum production.
Vale aluminium business is focus on the upstream of the production chain - developing low-cost bauxite and alumina projects. Large, undeveloped high-quality bauxite reserves and opportunities for low-cost expansions in alumina refining available. Primary aluminium strategy focuses on the development of projects in countries with low energy costs.
Alumina is the main raw material for primary aluminum production. It is obtained from the refining of bauxite, an ore abundant in the state of Pará, especially in the regions of the Trombetas River and Paragominas.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companhia_Vale_do_Rio_Doce
Baosteel
Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation 上海宝钢集团公司is the largest Chinese iron and steel conglomerate, sixth-largest steel producer in the world.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Baosteel_Group_Corporation.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Baosteel_Group_Corporation.
Tata Steel
Tata Steel is the world's 5th largest and India's largest steel company .
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Steel.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Steel.
Rio Tinto
The firm Rio Tinto and its name come from southern Spain, where the Río Tinto (Spanish 'Red River') was the site of an ancient mine.
The group produces a number of mineral commodities in its various divisions:
Iron ore
Rio Tinto wholly owns Hamersley Iron, which owns and operates a number of mines in Western Australia either wholly or jointly with several partners. Its partners on some projects notably include several Chinese corporations.
Rio Tinto also owns 53% of Robe River Iron Associates and 59% of the Iron Ore Company of Canada. Iron made up 18% of revenue in 2003 and was responsible for 36% of the group's profit. It is the world's second-largest producer of iron ore. Future iron ore mines are being developed at Simandou in Guinea.
Copper
The copper division not only produces copper itself, but also a considerable quantity of gold from its mines in Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Chile, and the United States, some as part of joint ventures. The group owns Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation. The copper group was responsible for 23% of turnover (of which 55% was copper and most of the remainder gold) and 32% of profits in 2003.
Energy
The company's energy group includes coal mining operations in Australia (Rio Tinto Coal Australia) and North America. It is the largest coal mining company in the world
and Energy Resources of Australia, which operates the Ranger Uranium Mine near Kakadu National Park in Australia. The energy group also operates the Rossing uranium mine in Namibia. This group contributed 20% of turnover and 11% of profit.
Industrial minerals
The Industrial minerals group extracts talc, titanium dioxide, salt, borax, amongst several others. These operations are scattered across Australia, the United States, and Africa. This group contributed 15% of turnover and 11% of earnings.
Bauxite
Rio Tinto owns Comalco, which mines bauxite (aluminium ore) in Weipa, Queensland, operates alumina refineries in Gladstone, Queensland. It also operates two aluminium smelters in Australia at Bell Bay (Tasmania) and Boyne Island (Queensland, 59% interest), and one in New Zealand at Tiwai Point (79% interest). The group also operates the Anglesey Aluminium smelter at Holyhead in the United Kingdom. This group contributed 16% of turnover and 14% of adjusted earnings. Rio Tinto now also owns Alcan; the Canadian based, hydro-powered aluminium operation.
Diamonds
The company's diamond operations are best known for the pink diamonds produced at the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia, which produces over 90% of the world's supply of these gems and around 30% of the world's annual production of all natural diamonds. The company also owns 60% of and manages the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, and the Murowa diamond mine in Zimbabwe.
Rio Tinto lodged mining lease applications for its Bunder diamond project in India in a move it called a vital step in the development of what could be the first significant world class diamond mine in the country.
Rio Tinto also produces bauxite, gold, titanium, lead, zinc, cobalt, nickel and uranium.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Tinto_Group
The group produces a number of mineral commodities in its various divisions:
Iron ore
Rio Tinto wholly owns Hamersley Iron, which owns and operates a number of mines in Western Australia either wholly or jointly with several partners. Its partners on some projects notably include several Chinese corporations.
Rio Tinto also owns 53% of Robe River Iron Associates and 59% of the Iron Ore Company of Canada. Iron made up 18% of revenue in 2003 and was responsible for 36% of the group's profit. It is the world's second-largest producer of iron ore. Future iron ore mines are being developed at Simandou in Guinea.
Copper
The copper division not only produces copper itself, but also a considerable quantity of gold from its mines in Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Chile, and the United States, some as part of joint ventures. The group owns Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation. The copper group was responsible for 23% of turnover (of which 55% was copper and most of the remainder gold) and 32% of profits in 2003.
Energy
The company's energy group includes coal mining operations in Australia (Rio Tinto Coal Australia) and North America. It is the largest coal mining company in the world
and Energy Resources of Australia, which operates the Ranger Uranium Mine near Kakadu National Park in Australia. The energy group also operates the Rossing uranium mine in Namibia. This group contributed 20% of turnover and 11% of profit.
Industrial minerals
The Industrial minerals group extracts talc, titanium dioxide, salt, borax, amongst several others. These operations are scattered across Australia, the United States, and Africa. This group contributed 15% of turnover and 11% of earnings.
Bauxite
Rio Tinto owns Comalco, which mines bauxite (aluminium ore) in Weipa, Queensland, operates alumina refineries in Gladstone, Queensland. It also operates two aluminium smelters in Australia at Bell Bay (Tasmania) and Boyne Island (Queensland, 59% interest), and one in New Zealand at Tiwai Point (79% interest). The group also operates the Anglesey Aluminium smelter at Holyhead in the United Kingdom. This group contributed 16% of turnover and 14% of adjusted earnings. Rio Tinto now also owns Alcan; the Canadian based, hydro-powered aluminium operation.
Diamonds
The company's diamond operations are best known for the pink diamonds produced at the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia, which produces over 90% of the world's supply of these gems and around 30% of the world's annual production of all natural diamonds. The company also owns 60% of and manages the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, and the Murowa diamond mine in Zimbabwe.
Rio Tinto lodged mining lease applications for its Bunder diamond project in India in a move it called a vital step in the development of what could be the first significant world class diamond mine in the country.
Rio Tinto also produces bauxite, gold, titanium, lead, zinc, cobalt, nickel and uranium.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Tinto_Group
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is the world's largest mining company, form through the merger of Australia's Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP) and the UK's Billiton, which had a South African background.
The company has nine primary operational units:
Iron ore
Manganese
Petroleum
Aluminium
Base Metals (primary products include copper, lead, zinc and uranium)
Metallurgical Coal
Thermal Coal
Stainless Steel Materials (nickel and cobalt)
Diamonds & Speciality Products (diamonds and titanium minerals)
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BHP_Billiton
The company has nine primary operational units:
Iron ore
Manganese
Petroleum
Aluminium
Base Metals (primary products include copper, lead, zinc and uranium)
Metallurgical Coal
Thermal Coal
Stainless Steel Materials (nickel and cobalt)
Diamonds & Speciality Products (diamonds and titanium minerals)
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BHP_Billiton
BlueScope Steel
BlueScope Steel is a flat product steel producer with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Pacific and North America. It was "spun out" from BHP Billiton in 2002 as BHP Steel and renamed BlueScope Steel .
Major products include steel slab, hot rolled coil, steel plate, automotive steel, galvanised steel, corrugated galvanised iron, "ZINCALUME" brand (55% aluminium-zinc) coated steel, and "COLORBOND" brand pre-painted steel.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlueScope_Steel.
Major products include steel slab, hot rolled coil, steel plate, automotive steel, galvanised steel, corrugated galvanised iron, "ZINCALUME" brand (55% aluminium-zinc) coated steel, and "COLORBOND" brand pre-painted steel.
read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlueScope_Steel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)