China currently produces approximately 70% of the world’s graphite (world production is approximately 1,100,000 tonnes of which 400,000 is flake graphite) and has recently restricted exports by instituting an export tax. As well, the Chinese government has banned any new graphite plants and imposed strict environmental regulations on existing plants in Qingdao. A state owned amorphous graphite monopoly has been formed which will consolidate 210 amorphous graphite mines down to 20 and will reduce production capacity from 600,000 to 510,000 tonnes per year. The implementation of these new rules and standards will make graphite mines much more difficult to build and/or operate in China. Recently, South Graphite, which was formed in 2011 to consolidate all the amorphous graphite resources in Hunan, China (which is the world’s largest graphite producer) and has a total production capacity of approximately 200,000 tonnes per annum.
Graphite is an allotrope of carbon along with diamonds and coal. Graphite is the best known conductor of heat and electricity. Graphite and graphite powder are valued in industrial applications for their self-lubricating and dry lubricating properties. It maintains its strength and stability to temperatures in excess of 3,000°C and is resistant to chemical attack. Graphite demand was historically driven by the steel and automotive industries. Due to the industrialization of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) economies, Graphite demand has steadily increased by 5% per annum since 2000. Global graphite demand is growing rapidly and is expected to continue based on new applications and green technologies, including but not limited to: hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs); plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs); battery-electric vehicles (BEVs); fuel cells; Lithium-Ion Batteries; Pebble Bed Nuclear Reactors; lubricants and Graphene.
As global demand grows, graphite prices have increased substantially, more than doubling over the past three years. Both the European Union and the United States have declared graphite a supply critical mineral.
Also, to give you an idea of what is considered 'high grade' graphite, see the below chart which came from the same news release from Canadian company: 'Graphite One Resources' [(GPH: TSX-V, GPHOF: OTCQX)] on the 20th November, 2013:-
MNS Price at posting:
13.5¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Held
(20min delay)