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 outlook: facing a “multi-year upcycle”?

US demand tight | International growth | Frac sand surge | Barite India & Nigeria The oilfield market for industrial minerals – such as barite, bentonite, silica sand, calcium carbonate, graphite, and bauxite – used in a range of applications including drilling fluids, stimulation, and well cementing – appears to be entering a period of [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Wednesday, 4 May, 2022|Newsfile|0 Comments

Industrial mineral supply disruption: Ukraine crisis

Ceramic clay supply cut off | Tile producers' stocks running out | Graphite expansion on hold As the Russia-Ukraine war tragically passes its 50th day, with still no end in sight, industrial mineral supply chains and markets continue facing widespread disruption and uncertainty. Since the war started on 24 February 2022, many industrial mineral companies we [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Sunday, 17 April, 2022|Newsfile|0 Comments

XI European Congress of Refractory Raw Materials, Barcelona 11-12 May 2022

We are delighted to announce that ANFRE, Spain (National Association of Manufacturers of Refractories, Materials and Related Services) and IMFORMED, have joined forces to present the: XI European Congress of Refractory Raw Materials, Machinery & Installation Hotel Condes, Barcelona, 11-12 May 2022 A stimulating conference focusing on key aspects of the refractory raw materials industry [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Thursday, 3 February, 2022|Newsfile|0 Comments

Dragon’s dominance in decline? Refractory mineral world ponders sourcing future

Review of China Refractory Minerals Forum 2021 ONLINE As we head towards the Chinese New Year of the Tiger (1 February 2022), it is timely to review some of the key issues influencing the supply of Chinese refractory raw materials to global markets. Title Image Peak Magnesite: PRCO’s Kamado high purity, and high altitude (4,200 metres), [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Tuesday, 18 January, 2022|Newsfile|0 Comments

Get back into action with IMFORMED for 2022 – Confirmed Speakers

 As IMFORMED nears its seventh anniversary, Mike and Ismene would like to thank all our customers, sponsors, friends, and families for their unstinting support during this last, and somewhat challenging, 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 [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Saturday, 1 January, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Oilfield Minerals Outlook: Review of ONLINE Forum 2021

Oil & Gas Market | Barite | Bentonite | Pollucite/Caesium Formate | Gilsonite While it wasn’t quite the usual fizz and excitement of our annual in-person event in Houston where we bring together the great and the good of the world’s oilfield minerals industry for a networking and knowledge extravaganza, our virtual version earlier this year, [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Wednesday, 1 December, 2021|Newsfile|0 Comments

Fluorspar supply sources emerge: Mongolia | USA | Canada | Greenland

Being designated a “critical mineral” in the EU and more recently in the USA has certainly assisted fluorspar’s standing as an exploration target. However, those already in the market have known for some years now that mine closures and production capacity reductions in the West combined with China becoming a net importer, a growing consumer, [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Wednesday, 13 October, 2021|Newsfile|0 Comments

New dawn for Brazilian bauxite

Bautek expands & enters refractory, abrasive, chemical markets It is often said that timing is everything. And right now, the timing of bringing to market any new or alternative source of aluminosilicate minerals outside of China is most apposite. Indeed, there are relatively few commercially developed world sources of high quality non-metallurgical bauxite, andalusite, kyanite, [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Friday, 8 October, 2021|Uncategorized|2 Comments

Refractory Mineral Maelstrom: The heat is on | Seen & heard at ICR Aachen

China Crisis Deepens | Refra-Horn Recycling JV | Cofermin Magnesia Arm | Alumina Issues Last week’s 64th International Refractories Colloquium held in Aachen, organised by the European Centre for Refractories gGmbH (ECREF) was a somewhat surreal experience: a mix of euphoria and novelty in finally reconnecting with each other again face to face (or mask [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Wednesday, 6 October, 2021|Newsfile|1 Comment

Magnesia markets outlook: MagForum 2021 ONLINE Review

Supply & Demand | China | CO2 Reduction | Sensor Sorting | Process Costs | Digitisation | Dolomite | Synthetic MgO | Trading | Chemical Markets In what has proved to be another most challenging year for magnesia minerals supply and markets, we review the highlights and key take-aways of IMFORMED’s MagForum 2021 ONLINE which [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Thursday, 23 September, 2021|Newsfile|0 Comments