The Skillings Mining Review May 2021 edition highlights a pivotal trend shaping global mining—Mergers and Acquisitions in Iron Ore Mining. With royalty companies and explorers increasingly “on sale,” consolidation is redefining the sector. Our cover story explores what this wave of deals means for future production, pricing power, and investor strategies.
In Professionals, we examine hydrogen’s decarbonizing potential as a critical pathway to reducing emissions in iron and steel production. Meanwhile, in Profiles in Mining, Lara Smith, Founder and Managing Director of Core Consultants, shares her perspective on commodities analysis and navigating volatile markets.
Across Surface Mining, stories range from innovative partnerships—like Bill Gates–backed Heliogen powering large-scale mines—to pressing social issues, such as striking workers in Alabama and mine rescue operations in Colombia’s Caldas region. We also unpack a plan to explore state-owned nonferrous metal leases and investigate JDS Mining & Energy’s role in the Elk Gold Project.
Clean energy and electrification remain central themes, with reports on North America’s EV material supply, Virginia’s coal-mining equipment supplier pivoting toward renewables, and the rise of an extremely rare metal outperforming even Bitcoin.
In Underground Mining, we spotlight critical minerals “more valuable than gold,” Pelangio Exploration’s progress in Ghana’s Dankran Project, and the mounting challenges of global shipping chaos disrupting mining supply chains.
Finally, our Statistics section covers March 2021 crude steel production alongside December 2020 benchmarks, offering a quantitative perspective on market direction.
This issue of Skillings Mining Review May 2021 captures the industry’s crossroads—where financial consolidation, green energy imperatives, and supply disruptions converge to shape mining’s near-term future.
