Colombia expects record mining investment

Colombian Mines and Energy Minister Hernan Martinez maintains that investor confidence and increased security in the country have encouraged foreign investment in mining exploration and production.
Despite the global financial crisis, according to El Colombiano, 2009 is likely to see a record US$2 billion invested in mining, Colombia’s second most important sector after oil.
Speaking at [...]

River of Copper ? Yes there is in Chile …

Rio Tinto and CODELCO have entered into the “Río de Cobre” (River of Copper) technology alliance agreement.
The new alliance allows both companies to jointly pursue next generation copper mining and processing technology development.  The aim is to deliver safer, more energy efficient and lower cost of production from both current and [...]

Morales : Bolivia to produce 40% of global lithium carbonate

Over a three day period last week, the country of Bolivia hosted a forum focused on natural resources.
While Bolivia has a strong resource base with ample reserves of silver, tin and natural gas, many of the participants of the forum came to learn more about the world’s hottest new commodity: lithium. Bolivia sits on [...]

SQM – steady as she goes

Sociedad Qumica y Minera de Chile or SQM for short, has not been in the news of late, so has been off of my radar.  Having had some spare time yesterday, I have been revisiting a few old friends & this stock has caught my eye for a couple of reasons.

Its the [...]

Chile leads the way for South American ETFs

Whilst suffering from shrinking export markets, led by the all important 20% supply of global copper, a shrinking economy & climbing unemployment; Chile continues to buck global trends, with ratings agency, Moody’s Investors Service making it the first investment- grade country to be awarded a higher credit rating this year. The South [...]

Garcia makes populist move on copper

With global copper prices sinking from a 2008 high of $4 per lb, down to todays miserly, $1.25 per lb, it is hardly surprising that the two major copper producing countries in South America are looking at ways to buoy up their operations.
Last week, Peruvian president Alan Garcia dropped some strong [...]