Mike O'Driscoll

About Mike O'Driscoll

Mike has over 30 years experience in the international mining and minerals industry, specialising in industrial minerals and markets, for which he is widely recognised as a leading expert. After serving 26 years at Industrial Minerals (IM) magazine – 17 years as Editor – Mike left IM in 2014 to pursue an independent career in the industrial minerals business, and launched IMFORMED in January 2015 with Ismene Clarke. Read more >

Oilfield minerals market: Year of recovery

The Year Dot: a plethora of oil wells exploiting the Permian Basin populate Eddy County, New Mexico. Google Earth 2017 The oilfield minerals industry is emerging from the doldrums of 2015/16 with renewed vigour and expectations of rising demand during the next two years at least. Increased E&P spending and drilling activity in [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:21+00:00Thursday, 23 March, 2017|Newsfile|1 Comment

Waste deep in opportunities

Mineral Recycling Forum 2017 Review Rotterdam was again the setting for IMFORMED’s second Mineral Recycling Forum last week, 7-8 March 2017, bringing together leading players in the fast evolving secondary raw materials sector. A real buzz was felt among the delegates as they listened to experts presenting on a range of topical subjects followed by [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:21+00:00Wednesday, 15 March, 2017|Newsfile|Comments Off on Waste deep in opportunities

Mineral Logistics Forum: 2020 vision for Port of Amsterdam

Shipping Outlook | Kaolin from Brazil | New Silk Way | Mineral Inspection |  Fertiliser Minerals Completion of the new sea lock is expected end-2019; 500 metres long, 70 metres wide, and 18 metres deep. The outline of the new lock is now becoming clearly visible from the air (inset). Construction commenced in 2016, [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:22+00:00Thursday, 9 March, 2017|Newsfile|Comments Off on Mineral Logistics Forum: 2020 vision for Port of Amsterdam

Imerys appeal dismissed: Andalusite Resources merger prohibition stands

Andalusite slipping through the fingers: Processing andalusite at Andalusite Resources' plant, Maroeloesfontein, Limpopo province, South Africa. And the winner is…the Competition Tribunal of South Africa, plus consumers of andalusite for refractories: no mixed up envelopes in this drama. The Appeal Court in South Africa today ruled in favour of the Competition Tribunal and [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:22+00:00Thursday, 2 March, 2017|Newsfile|Comments Off on Imerys appeal dismissed: Andalusite Resources merger prohibition stands

Li-ion battery recycling: no worries for raw material suppliers…yet

The emergence of secondary raw materials becoming a more mainstream source of recycled industrial minerals is to increase in significance in the overall supply chain from mine to market. However, the diversification of end use markets and the manufactured products consumed within them create differing degrees of complexity and varying rates of ultimate success in [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:22+00:00Tuesday, 14 February, 2017|Newsfile|1 Comment

Mineral Recycling Forum 2017: Programme Update

Additional speakers: Harsco | Befesa | Hosokawa Alpine | STET There is just a month to go until IMFORMED’s upcoming Mineral Recycling Forum 2017, 7-8 March 2017, Rotterdam. Much interest is already gathering for our second Mineral Recycling Forum, expanded following the success of our inaugural event last year where over 100 senior decision makers [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:22+00:00Monday, 6 February, 2017|Newsfile|Comments Off on Mineral Recycling Forum 2017: Programme Update

Oilfield minerals outlook for the Middle East: Dubai Review

Key takeaways from Dubai: Market recovery on the way Saudi rig activity up Mineral demand increase expected Gas supply challenge a driver Stricter environmental specs. on barite Aramco pushing for SG4.2 barite, Na-treated bentonite, local suppliers Broychim to open new 240,000 tpa barite plant at Safi The oilfield minerals community descended on Dubai in mid-January [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:22+00:00Thursday, 2 February, 2017|Newsfile|Comments Off on Oilfield minerals outlook for the Middle East: Dubai Review

Update: Oilfield Minerals & Markets Forum Dubai 2017

Additional speakers | Sponsor news With just over a week to IMFORMED’s inaugural Oilfield Minerals & Markets Forum Dubai 2017, 15-17 January, at the Habtoor Grand Resort Dubai, we are delighted to announce some updates to the programme. The barite mine in Karazhal, central Kazakhstan, operated by a j-v between Halliburton and Global Chemicals [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:22+00:00Wednesday, 4 January, 2017|Newsfile|Comments Off on Update: Oilfield Minerals & Markets Forum Dubai 2017

Best wishes for the New Year

As IMFORMED nears its second anniversary, Mike and Ismene would like to thank all our customers, sponsors, friends, and families for their unstinting support during the year. May we take this opportunity to wish all of you a most Happy, Peaceful, and Prosperous New Year, and very much look forward to continuing our business and [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:22+00:00Thursday, 29 December, 2016|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Best wishes for the New Year

Fluorine Forum 2017

SUPER EARLY BIRD RATES FIELD TRIP TO MEXICHEM CALL FOR PAPERS In response to customer demand, IMFORMED is delighted to announce its inaugural Fluorine Forum 2017, 30 October – 1 November 2017, in San Luis Potosí, followed by a Field Trip, 2 November 2017, to Mexichem, operator of the world’s largest fluorspar mine. Set in a [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:22+00:00Monday, 28 November, 2016|Newsfile|Comments Off on Fluorine Forum 2017