Japan Mining News and Commentary

Uranium prices to hit rock bottom this year

Cecilia Jamasmie | May 11, 2012

With the price of uranium down about 25% from levels reached before the Japanese earthquake and nuclear disaster in Japan last year, the least the industry wanted to hear was what the latest edition of the Scotiabank Commodity Price Index had to say: the yellow material prices may well bottom in 2012.

Fukushima now priced into market: Uranium One

Andrew Topf | May 7, 2012

Uranium One said the effects of the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown in Japan last March are now priced into the market for uranium oxide.
Japan completely without nuclear power for the first time since 1970

Jeremy Gordon | May 4, 2012

Japan will find itself without nuclear power for the first time since 1970 as the last of its currently operating nuclear reactors prepares to go offline.
Japan and India sign rare earth deal to reduce dependency on China

Cecilia Jamasmie | May 1, 2012

Japan and India have reached a basic agreement to jointly develop rare earths, used in the production of several high-tech goods from weapons to cell phones, and supply Tokyo with about 14% of its rare earth needs.
Japanese joining Indians, Chinese as major gold buyers

Mineweb | April 30, 2012

According to Michael Lombardi, lead contributor to Profit Confidential, there is mounting evidence of large amounts of buying in the gold market by India, China and now, Japan.
20.5% surge in Japan's diamond imports

IDEX Online | April 29, 2012

With the exception of a minute decline in January, polished diamonds imports by Japan completed a yearlong rise in March.
Honda would like those rare earth metals back

Michael Allan McCrae | April 19, 2012

In another attempt to reduce its dependence on China's strangehold on rare earth element supply, Honda announced that its dealers will start to recycle old cars to extract the rare earth metals from the nickel-metal hydride batteries.
Continued growing demand for jewelry in Japan

IDEX Online | April 16, 2012

Sales of precious metals, art and jewelry at Japan’s department stores have been on the rise in March, outpacing the growth of most other consumer categories.
'Sense of duty' prevented another Fukushima nuclear disaster

Michael Allan McCrae | April 2, 2012

The Mainichi Daily News profiles Yanosuke Hirai, a technocrat in Japan, whose doggedness and sense of personal duty, compelled him to build a breakwater high enough to deflect the March 2011 tsunami and prevented the nucelar power plant at the Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, from being subsumed by the same waters that took out the Fukushima power plant.
Once-idled Japanese coal mines back in business

Andrew Topf | April 1, 2012

Japan has found a silver lining in the cloud of nuclear plant shutdowns following last year's Fukushima disaster.
Uranium market stable despite Japan’s pending decision on nuclear reactors

Cecilia Jamasmie | March 30, 2012

Long term uranium market fundamentals remain strong, despite worries over what Japan will do with 53 of its 54 nuclear reactors, which are currently rest shut down for maintenance or safety reviews, says Australian research group, Resource Capital Research (RCR).
Japan urges dialogue with China on rare earths

Cecilia Jamasmie | March 28, 2012

Japan, the world’s main importer of rare earths, has requested international assistance for alternatives, conservation, diversification and recycling and to continue dialogue with China to secure stable global supply
US coal-fired power: What the gas boom started, Obama has just finished off

Frik Els | March 27, 2012

The closures and the dearth of new builds are as much a function of new environmental impact laws as it is of the US gas boom, which has sent natural gas prices to decade lows.
Copper Mountain Announces 2011 Year End Results

PR Newswire: Mining | March 27, 2012

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (TSX: CUM) (the "Company" or "Copper Mountain") announces production results for the fourth quarter of 2011 from the newly opened Copper Mountain mine located in southern British Columbia.
World's largest coal company muscling in on world's largest metallurgical deposit

Frik Els | March 26, 2012

"Shenhua is the most competitive bidder for the project given its technology, transport infrastructure, access to the Chinese market and the backing of the Chinese government," Shenhua CEO Ling Wen told reporters.
Japan looks to Canada as new source of natural gas

Cecilia Jamasmie | March 26, 2012

Japan and Canada have formally agreed to launch negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) to eliminate import tariffs on most products and cooperate on developing energy resources, including natural gas and minerals, reports Platts.
The bulls can rest their case on this one chart

Michael Allan McCrae | March 25, 2012

Gold is being amassed largely on the fears that the global currency system is flawed, and bears also believe American and Chinese economies are headed for another fall. However, there is a deep economic imbalance that is rapidly being righted that can result in a lot of prosperity for all.
Japan's Hokkaido shuts coal-fired unit due to problem

Reuters Africa | March 25, 2012

The company also said its fuel oil-fired 350-MW No.2 unit at its Date plant would halt power generation from March 24 to 30 due to repair work on the unit's condenser. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Mark Potter)
Doug Casey: "It's a dead-man-walking economy"

Casey Research | March 23, 2012

In an interview with Louis James, the inimitable Doug Casey throws cold water on those celebrating the economic recovery.
Kobe Steel to invest $298 million in Southdown iron ore project in Australia

Kobe Steel | March 16, 2012

Kobe Steel, Ltd. announces that it reached agreement with trading firm Sojitz Corporation to take a 33% equity share in Sojitz Resources & Technology Pty Ltd, currently a 100% owned subsidiary of Sojitz Corporation.
Japan steel output set to fall

Tradewinds | January 27, 2012

Bad news from nation's steel makers translates into more bad news for already weakened dry bulk sector.
Toyota says could bring rare earth substitute for hybrid cars to market within two years

MINING.com News | January 24, 2012

Reuters reports that Toyota has developed a technology to substitute rare earths used in its hybrid vehicles. The company, which has a strong lead in environmentally friendlier car sales around the world said it would be able to bring the technology to market within two years if REE prices don't fall.
A look inside the Fukushima containment vessel

Michael Allan McCrae | January 21, 2012

Forty technicians were needed to create a 8.5 mm hole so an endoscope could be lowered inside the stricken Fukushima containament vessel. The video, highly distorted due to radiation levels, was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday by arevamirpal "Drilling the hole …
Pan Pacific plans to resume Saganoseki smelter in a month

Mineweb | January 16, 2012

Japan's largest copper smelter said Monday it aims to resume its Saganoseki copper smelter in about a month, after a fire damaged facilities and forced it to halt operations on Jan.7.
Possible nationalization and underworld ties: things go from bad to worse at Japan's top power company

MINING.com Editor | December 30, 2011

The Atlantic is reporting that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), Japan's chief supplier of electricity and the company that runs the Fukushima Daichii nuclear plant, will be nationalized due to the sheer number of liability claims it faces.
Japan’s preference for higher value diamonds continues

IDEX Online | December 29, 2011

After the pre-holiday season restocking phase in September and October, Japan’s polished diamond imports eased to $62.1 million in November.