Dmitry Fedorov: I want our jewelry to be displayed at a museum in the future

Dmitry Fedorov is the founder of the eponymous jewelry house. His main focus is the creation of Orthodox-inspired premium luxury jewelry of high artistic merit. He told Rough&Polished about his journey in the jewelry industry, about choosing the ‘Orthodox...

28 october 2024

Responsible business practices ‘no longer optional’, says WDC President Feriel Zerouki

The president of the World Diamond Council takes time out of her busy schedule to tell Rough&Polished readers about the critical work of the WDC. Zerouki, the first female present of the body, which includes all the important industry organizations among...

14 october 2024

James Campbell: Botswana Diamonds optimistic as it enters uncharted territory of using AI for mineral exploration

London-listed Botswana Diamonds has expressed optimism about the company’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) to scan the exploration database in Botswana to look for new mineralised deposits. Company managing director James Campbell told Rough...

07 october 2024

Artur Salyakayev: For me, happiness is freedom to make my ideas happen and create valuable products

Artur Salyakayev is an art entrepreneur, founder of the International Jewelry Academy (IJA) and the INCRUA jewelry company. He has initiated and developed successful projects in jewelry industry and services sector. He is also a leading expert...

30 september 2024

Paul Zimnisky: China key for sustained recovery in demand for natural diamonds, prices

The curtailing of upstream and midstream natural diamond production in the past months is starting to have an effect on prices, according to the New-York-based independent diamond and jewellery analyst and consultant, Paul Zimnisky. He told Rough & Polished’s...

23 september 2024

Canada’s FPX Nickel conducts scoping study on nickel refinery

17 september 2024

Canadian exploration and development company FPX Nickel has announced plans to build a nickel refinery with an annual capacity of 32 000 tons of nickel sulphate.

The company will conduct a scoping study after the results of a value engineering study for the Baptiste nickel project in central British Columbia and pilot hydrometallurgical testing. The scoping study is set for completion in the first quarter of 2025.

“Our refinery value engineering studies have substantially improved the business case and reduced the risk profile for a standalone refinery to convert awaruite concentrate into battery-grade nickel sulphate,” commented Andrew Osterloh, FPX senior vice president for projects & operations.

To demonstrate Baptiste’s strategic flexibility to also produce nickel and cobalt for the battery material supply chain, the company envisioned the development of a standalone refinery on the property in the 2023 pre-feasibility study. According to FPX, the refinery would benefit from the infrastructure, services, and labour which would be available at an integrated battery material processing hub, such as those being developed in eastern Canada and other locations worldwide.

The early-stage Baptiste project has the potential to be a high-margin, long-life, large-scale, and low-carbon mine that will produce a high-grade concentrate (60% nickel) for direct feed into the stainless steel industry or further refining into battery-grade nickel sulphate, cobalt precipitate, and copper concentrate products for the battery material supply chain. FPX expects the project would produce an average of 59 100 t/y of nickel over a 29-year mine life.

Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished