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 >

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!

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

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|Comments Off on No stone unturned

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|Comments Off on Cofermin evolves: talkin’ ’bout a new generation