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 >

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|Comments Off on XI European Congress of Refractory Raw Materials, Barcelona 11-12 May 2022

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|Comments Off on Dragon’s dominance in decline? Refractory mineral world ponders sourcing future

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|Comments Off on Get back into action with IMFORMED for 2022 – Confirmed Speakers

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|Comments Off on Oilfield Minerals Outlook: Review of ONLINE Forum 2021

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|Comments Off on Fluorspar supply sources emerge: Mongolia | USA | Canada | Greenland

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|Comments Off on Magnesia markets outlook: MagForum 2021 ONLINE Review

M!NERALS now one of Europe’s largest industrial mineral suppliers

Cofermin’s evolution 2: Expanding beyond a Chinese minerals focus Securing Chinese industrial minerals supply for world markets has been a vital and growing role for mineral traders and distributors since the 1980s. And it has never been easy. Today, ongoing issues with primary ore availability, environmental controls, government reforms, process costs, logistics, and most recently [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Wednesday, 15 September, 2021|Newsfile|Comments Off on M!NERALS now one of Europe’s largest industrial mineral suppliers

Forums announced for 2022 – Save the dates!

CALL FOR PAPERS | SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES | EARLY BIRD RATES Mineral Recycling Forum 2022 28-30 March Hilton Imperial, Dubrovnik The latest developments in recycling industrial minerals from a range of waste sources, including tailings, refractories, slags, ash and their markets FULL DETAILS HERE IMFORMED Rendezvous 2022 24-26 April Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin (Noordwijk), Amsterdam The [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Tuesday, 7 September, 2021|Newsfile|Comments Off on Forums announced for 2022 – Save the dates!