Skillings Mining Review May 2024: our cover package maps iron-ore M&A in 2024—why majors and mid-tiers are buying tons, grade, and logistics rather than building them, how balance-sheet discipline meets decarbonization constraints, and where antitrust and price decks set the ceiling.
Beyond deals, we track supply-chain shifts: Minespider × Star Diamond’s “diamond passport”, EMP Metals’ DLE pilot, Lithium Australia–Centrex plans for a domestic plant, and Metso’s recycling solution in Chile. Capital and performance signals include Vale’s 9% profit dip, Perseus–OreCorp closing, Integra’s financing, American Pacific’s Palmer progress, and a WesTrac milestone. Policy, safety, and community stay front-and-center—collision-prevention integration at African Mining Indaba, the Mount Clear incident, and a blueprint for transforming artisanal mining to shared prosperity.
We round it out with market context: gold at record highs on rate-cut bets, manganese and lithium volatility, Namibia’s uranium water constraints, and employment dynamics across 2024. The through-line: consolidate quality ore, de-risk execution, and align with technology and social license.
