Skillings Mining Review January 2020: The opening month of 2020 highlighted the collision of automation, market cycles, and geopolitics that would shape mining through the year. In equipment, a new Komatsu–Vale partnership promised breakthroughs in safety and efficiency, emblematic of how global miners and suppliers were collaborating on next-generation solutions.
Our Profiles in Mining spotlight featured Alan Mitchell Clegg, an independent director in South Africa, whose experience across resource companies offered valuable insights into governance and strategy at a time of rapid sector change.
Surface mining stories revealed both opportunity and adaptation. Bowen sought to revive the Burton coal mine, while Ampcontrol and PPK Mining Equipment partnered to deliver EVs for underground coal, reflecting the growing momentum of electrification. Brazil’s iron ore boom continued, feeding surging global demand, while Trevali confirmed $111 million in financing for Rosh Pinah, reinforcing confidence in zinc operations. A series of features asked how automation was reshaping labor and productivity—from mines to the broader American economy.
The Lead Feature examined Afghanistan, where vast mineral wealth remains locked beneath political instability, posing one of the most complex untapped resource frontiers in the world.
Underground mining gained visibility with projections that the underground equipment market would grow steadily through 2017–2025, powered by both technological upgrades and deeper ore body exploitation. In our Special Focus, lithium took center stage: with demand surging from batteries and electrification, investors asked whether there was still time to avoid a looming lithium stock crisis.
Industry data provided perspective. August 2021 crude steel production figures offered a forward-looking benchmark, while the December 2020 crude steel production report closed the books on a turbulent year for global steel. Both underscored the close relationship between mining supply chains and steel demand cycles.
The January 2020 edition captures mining at the threshold of a defining decade—balancing automation, electrification, and resource geopolitics with the enduring realities of coal, steel, and financing.
