Pertinent market/industry news/articles, page-5599

First tentative thoughts that come to mind are:

1. Takes an average of 18 years to build a Ni mine from start of initial exploration. Assuming BHP will not be producing green Ni, then the build time might reduce to, say, 12 years. ARL commences green Ni production in, say, 5 years if the DFS is great.
2. Indonesia’s high grade saprolite laterite Ni is forecast to be exhausted in 6 years time. That leaves the low grade limonite laterite Ni supply forecast to last 33 years. More high costs and low grades for BHP. The Big Aussie just loves high cost low grade Ni operations.
3. What is it about Goongarie’s 40+ years low cost LOM that the highly paid top management at BHP just cannot seem to understand?
4. Has BHP jumped in the laterite Ni bandwagon now? Used to be NiS focussed.
5. Doubt that SMM and MC see BHP’s foray into Indonesia as a future excess supply concern. Recently, SMM had even reduced its Ni investment in Indonesia.

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