It has arrived – the end of 2024. It has been quite a year for mining and the nation. As we set our sights on 2025 with optimism, as well as a new American leader in the returning energy-friendly president Donald Trump, we can pick up the pen to begin charting the nation’s new chapter.
NAM has its sights set on the same, with nine issues and maybe even a couple of special surprises. This is our final issue of the year, with your next one coming in January/February, so you just may hear about those surprises early via social media – watch our X, LinkedIn and Facebook pages for more.
In addition, we have an exciting line-up of editorial features ahead (view the media kit), and we’re already seeing a high level of interest in many of them. We’re also introducing our sister publication, Minería Pan-Americana, for the Latin American mining industry. If you haven’t yet seen it, check out www.mineria-pa.com.
Of course, we’ll be on the road in the coming year as well, from SME Denver and the Bluefield Coal Show to the Women in Mining USA national conference and several others. It is also going to be an exciting time for everyone with our sister SEMCO Publishing titles Rock Products, the newly renamed Cement Optimized, Concrete Products, and The ASIA Miner.
If you are more cautiously optimistic for how the coming 12 months may treat the mining community, perhaps I can offer a positive turn courtesy of Argus. The financial-focused mining media group said it had learned Wolverine Fuels has plans to reopen the Fossil Rock coal operation in Utah after 23 years on idle.
Wolverine subsidiary Fossil Rock Resources, which has been performing its rehab, has reportedly produced – about 8,600 tons – so far for the first time since 2001. Argus added that its plan, per Wolverine Vice-President of Commercial Operations Patrick Barrett, is also to add a longwall panel and have it online in the coming two years. MSHA, which reported the mine now employs 76 workers, officially changed its status to active on September 4.
Want a little more good news? Lithium Americas announced in October that it has entered into an investment agreement with General Motors and established a joint venture to bring the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Humboldt County, Nev., online.
Under the terms of the deal, GM will deliver $625 million of cash and letters of credit to Thacker Pass alongside a conditional commitment of a $2.3 billion Department of Energy loan. The automotive manufacturer will also acquire a 38% asset-level ownership stake in the mine.
I don’t know about you, but I’m very ready to see what the new year will bring for mining as we begin again in January!
Donna Schmidt
Editor, North American Mining magazine
[email protected]
X: @Dschmidt_NAM