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 >

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

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|0 Comments

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|0 Comments

Fluorine Forum 2021 ONLINE – Global Supply & Demand Trends | Networking | Confirmed Speakers

Confirmed Speakers | Early Bird Ends Monday 13 September IMFORMED is delighted to announce confirmed speakers on key topics for Fluorine Forum 2021 ONLINE Wednesday 20 October. Fluorspar Supply | AlF3 | Steel | Refrigerants | Semiconductors | HF | Li-ion Batteries Listen to presentations on key topics by leading experts Engage in Q&A with speakers and [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Thursday, 2 September, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Industrial Minerals Review 2020-21

Responding to challenges & change This time last year I was invited by Mining Engineering* journal to write an article as an introduction to its well-established annual review of the industrial minerals industry. I was delighted and honoured to be asked again by ME to write a piece this year. Back then I commented on a “2020 Vision for [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Wednesday, 28 July, 2021|Newsfile|4 Comments

No stone unturned

Ever sat down on the beach or just anywhere, and picked up an interesting-looking pebble, turned it over, then wondered about its colour, origins, and composition? Well, here’s the ideal companion to that wonderful timeless pastime while lying on the beach, taking a leisurely stroll, or just waiting for the bus: “The Pebble Spotter's Guide” [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Monday, 26 July, 2021|Newsfile|0 Comments

Refractory minerals market: facing up to the future

Refractory Minerals Forum 2021 ONLINE Review Outlook | China | India | Magnesia | Dolomite | Bauxite | Andalusite | Graphite | Chromite As we head towards the halfway mark of what has proved to be another most challenging year for refractory minerals supply, we review the highlights and key take-aways of IMFORMED’s inaugural Refractory Minerals [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Tuesday, 15 June, 2021|Newsfile|2 Comments

Cofermin evolves: talkin’ ’bout a new generation

Global minerals distributor enters new era with new management team IMFORMED reviews Cofermin’s journey and interviews Managing Director Andreas Pabst In its 2015 announcement of the launch of two subsidiaries, Essen-based Cofermin Rohstoffe GmbH & Co. KG quoted the US author of success principles, Robert Collier: “If you don’t make things happen, things will happen to you”. Well, [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Thursday, 20 May, 2021|Newsfile|0 Comments

Magnesia movers: latest round-up

Magnifin/Huber | Magnor (RHI Normag) | TIMAB/Mag. do Brasil | Brucite+ | Premier | FromMag | Delamin/Morgan As we progress mid-way through the second quarter of 2021, magnesia markets are showing signs of recovery while there has already been a fair bit of change in the corporate landscape as players seek the optimum strategy to [...]

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

The vision for industrial minerals: IMFORMED Rendezvous 2021 Review

Key trends shaping the global industrial minerals industry CO2 reduction | Transforming beyond trading | Covid-19 impact and economic outlook | Critical minerals | EV supply chain | Making profit from strategy | Processing developments Yes, it was disappointing that yet again we could not meet up in Amsterdam for the IMFORMED Rendezvous 2021 (cross [...]

By |2024-03-22T05:52:13+00:00Thursday, 6 May, 2021|Newsfile|0 Comments