Exploraberg

Investigation in Chile to develop lithium batteries

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:56:26 +0000

US$1 million assigned to Lithium Innovation Center for projects aimed at improving quality, storage, and production costs.

It is estimated petroleum reserves will be run out of in about 40 years, so lithium is considered the fuel of future. Chile, notwithstanding being the largest producer of lithium in the world by concentrating 37% of offer, has addressed its efforts to export instead of developing a value-added industry as it could be the energy storage which is estimated to represent US$25 billion by 2015.

However, a few days ago an important signal was given to modify that situation after Lithium Innovation Center (LIC) headed by SQM, Chemetall, Marubeni and University of Chile – which is also considered as the first great effort of private companies and University on this matter – approved the first four projects for high investigation and development aimed at generating technologies to enable the leap in batteries technology value chain. Batteries are the main product using this mineral to provide energies mainly to notebooks, cellular phones or smart phones, amongst others.- However, there is a new niche increasing demand: electric cars, with current production reaching 143,000 units worldwide and great growth perspectives: Production forecast for 2015 is around 1.7 million for fabrication investments. Furthermore, although use of lithium batteries in electric cars is still low, it is also foreseen it may reach 100% in a three-year term. On the other side, its use in large-scale accumulators for NCRE like wind and solar energy is also being noticed. - The problem is that in spite of its huge potential, these are expensive-to-produce systems (A battery price is about US$18 thousand and an electric car is at approximately US$40 thousand). Those are the three challenges Chile should target to with technology development aiding to overcome said difficulties.

In fact, Eduardo Morales, General Manager for Chemetall holding 16% of production worldwide explains that when market requires a cell phone battery to last for several days or a notebook not to run out of battery power in spite of intensive use, “demand changes and special requirements are submitted to us for us to meet them. This is the point where nanotechnology, for example, has become a means to improve development, he explains, also adding that there is a reason for companies such as Toshiba, Sony, Altair, and Samsung to be already working on projects involving lithium use, “this is a sign of a competitive market”. Jaime Alée, LIC Director, explains that being part of this business is a one-time opportunity each 20 years. For this reason, after working for more than one year, the first four projects were selected with US$1 million allocation. From this amount, US$ 600,000 came from private contributions, US$ 300,000 was provided by University of Chile, and US$ 100,000 by Corfo. Notwithstanding this is considered a strategic mineral for the country, “the State has had little participation. Any of these projects in countries like Japan or USA would have received US$1 million each. However, we expect that when we reach tests stage we may also be assigned additional funds from the same companies that are currently involved and this becomes a product for them also”, he explains. Then he added that USA has assigned US$ 300 million to develop lithium-ion-batteries.

Extract from Diario Financiero – Noticias, 6th february 2012

Chilean scientists discover mineral detecting cancer

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:43:23 +0000

Chilean scientists Ramiro Arratia und Rodrigo Ramírez-Tagle from Chemistry Science Department of Andrés Bello University, Santiago explain the characteristics of rhenium salts. Mineral composition created by them to detect and attack cancerous cells (Link below, in Spanish). 52% of worldwide Rhenium-produktion came from Chile.

http://noticias.unab.cl/investigacion/el-mercurio-cientificos-chilenos-descubren-que-un-mineral-detecta-el-cancer/

EXPLORA+ is more output with less cost

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:01:34 +0000

The only way to ‘survive’ each financial crisis successfully is to innovate in technology and professionals. Especially in Chilean’s mining & exploration sector, where for instance problems in water and/or energy supply may hit seriously traditional decision making.

We offer our new product EXPLORA+ as multiple service package to lower your present exploration budget. Offering innovative technical and practical solutions. Since 2 years we draw digital all-in-one exploration maps in field. With rugged-tech equipment, GPS-online supported, and progressive national software XILAB by our partner Geomintec. Fast and easy to understand and to interprete.

Actually we offer geochemical XRF-handheld measurements for real-time decision making. This, for instance, will help you to manage expensive drill programs using important pathfinders to extend or halt drilling at the bottom of the hole. Apart of exploration, mobile XRF-measurements reduce costs significantly in previous plant process control and environmental waste detection.

GENERA+ explore Onsite best solution with renewable energy

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:44:44 +0000

Chilean’s fast growing mine business and industry needs stable energy supply and prices, clean produced and certified in front of carbon footprint (& OCDE).

Imported gas, oil and coal is not the solution. Whereas the Atacama-desert is a prime region for renewable energy:

Wind at the coastline and some other favorable more inland.
Geothermal steam from volcanic fields and hot dry rocks from the High Cordillera.
Sunlight is everywhere in excess, probably with best places in the precordillera (~1.500 – 3.000 m.a.s.l.).

We offer our product GENERA+ . where regional energy planning has to be done so far, similar like urban configuration, in spite of optimization of costs and efficiency. Therefore, Exploraberg promotes the urgent implementation of an Digital-Energy-Map-Atlas (DEMA) for Northern and Southern Chile. In our presentation do exist three important steps, with more detail than here:

Identification of favored zones
In-field assessments
Siting of energy potential

Ref.: KaBe

Funds for early stage mine exploration

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 23:00:57 +0000

I’m talking about grassroot and greenfield exploration. It’s not easy to explore with persistence and continuity in a volatile world, where constant funding is rare. Financial partners will see the result in days or weeks, but not in months (or even years). Discoveries as a must, at the first sight.

Exploraberg is specialist in this professional area, since 2004. We present here three important steps to be done for success:

Generate new targets and prospects: You needs strategic concepts like ‘mine clusters’, geologic models, infrastructure and environment, etc. to claim new mine concessions.
Reconnaissance Studies: To develop geology by digital exploration mapping, for instance to delineate mining potential.
Follow up’s and recommendations: There exist are variety of options, for instance other disciplines before you start to drill (test and prove) the prospect, like geochemistry, petrography and/or geophysics. It’s up to you, and depends of the budget of your client.

In Spanish we prepared a presentation, from where you can get all these features in a short list.

Ref.: KaBe

Vision: Solar industry in Chile?

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:11:53 +0000

I am asked more frequently by foreign colleagues : Why doesn’t any solar power plant exist in Chile?

It’s common knowledge in Chile that climate conditions for Solar Power are ideal in the Northern Atacama Desert. Even better than in California or Spain, where solar plants are actually installed. Is here any lack of vision or the fear of blame, if it doesn’t work? 20 years before indeed (I can prove that), but nowadays there is no time to hesitate. Therefore, Chilean’s President Sebastián Pineira, known as a modern and visioned leader, proclaimed during his recent annual governmental report THE SUN as the most promising energy potential for Chile! [Parliament, Valparaiso, 21 of May 2011].

Exploraberg promotes all clean technologies for national energy supply. We invite our website users to read the white paper (in Spanish) from Xavier Martínez about global solar projects: “Como la energía solar conquista el mundo – a pesar de su elevado precio inicial” This proposes the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) as preferable technology for Chile. There are more solar technologies available, but in Chile we have to include the high seismicity as risk factor, as in Japan, where high buildings are extremely expensive to construct. Economic reasons to freeze national solar projects is the opposite of the new way of energy independancy, and has to be planned by the authorities within an industrialization program for the next decades.

Renewable energy in not only clean, it also generates identity and a common sence of participation amoung people. An old friend from India told me a couple of years ago: “Only the technology really wanted by the people will grow.” I think he must be right, because his one-man-made-company is now one of the fastest growing energy firms for social solar cooking and heating.

Ref.: KaBe

Mix of renewable energies may transform Chile into ‘developed’ country

admin — Mon, 02 May 2011 02:57:05 +0000

Chilean government will take an option for nuclear energy, perhaps similar like Japan (but before Fukushima meltdown in three reactors), or even France, USA, Belgium. It fears not to fullfill and complete the mission of 20% renewable energy in 2020. Everybody says: It’s too expensive. Looks true, at first sight, if we don’t put into the game all these negative effects by burning fossil energy, like coal, oil, gas or even uranium. Giant hydroelectric dams and plants becomes even more into twilight by environmental and social conflicts, if proper climate won’t fail by irregulary raining seasons.

To begin an early, peacefull and guided national discussion in Chile, we need concrete arguments for energy planning next future. Not only in Chile and South America, but also for the whole world. Xavier Martínez, Exploraberg’s energy expert open the debate with his statement: Future Energy Costs of Chile 2020-30 (in spanish, pdf), Escenario de costos energéticos a futuro en Chile 2020-2030 , comparing costs from different energy supply, fossil and renewable. Coming to the conclusion that Solar Energy for instance will be cheaper than nuclear energy for a seismic country like Chile.

So, our question is still here to the Government: Why we (Chileans) need to spend a lot of money in a high cost/risk technology, whereas the same money will better inverted to “cheapen” even more the renewable energies with inhouse innovation? Renewable energies are much more social than imported “black box” technologies, involving horrorfied mistakes, like in Fukushima and Chernobyl. The IPCC-organization came to similar results, recently.

Ref.: KaBe

First Chilean’s geopark ‘Kütralcura’

admin — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:44:59 +0000

In Melipeuco, Araucanian Region, South of Chile on 13 th of April 2011 first Chilean geopark was proclaimed by regional, local and native authorities. At same time a geocientific and cultural symposium about geoparks and geoturism was held for four days with excursions into the active volcanics and native forests. Seems that humanity on whole earth rediscovered the value of real impressive landscapes, formed by geological events and the strong relationship between vegetation, inhabitants and animals. There exist a global spirit of protection, but combined with comercial interests.

Chileans Geological Survey Sernageomin put this new project in advance. To develop Kütralcura (native “firerock”) geopark next two years for turism, education and science. If this project “works”, a couple of new claimed GeoSites from Chile will get the real chance to be transformed into ‘geoparks’ next years.

Ref.: KaBe

The future of mineral exploration (CESCO)

admin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:21:08 +0000

First week of april was signed for Chilean’s main industry, the mining sector by really important windows for opinions and discussion about the future of mining exploration activity. Like the IV International Forum from Cesco, held on 4th of april, where about one hundred of mining companies (from all scales) and institutions demonstrated their sucessfull strategy to underline their last discoveries and efforts, here and elsewhere around Latin America.

Chile is in trouble for future: About 40% of the mining industry in copper is established and concentrated here. But especially Peru and other countries from Latin America become each year more atractive for exploration by small scaled Junior companies. Why? First reason: They will explore where they can, where they will find spaces and opportunity of success to increase exploration value rapid and garanteed. Second reason: If qualified regional geological information is available inhouse, initial grassroots and greenfield work in field looks more easier, but it’s not the main condition for a successfull work.

All participants agree, that Chile needs urgently to innovate their legal frame for further growing industry, not only for mining and exploration, but priority is just here. The Government protect private owners and their goods, but not the work in it, to be done for growing. Not only for posess. Small foreign junior companies were showing to the public of the forum, how they are working busy, rapid and sucessfull in Peru and other countries, with better legal, prime conditions. Chile has to learn from others.

Earth’s gravity revealed in unprecedented detail (GOCE)

admin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:29:55 +0000

After just two years in orbit, ESA’s GOCE satellite has gathered enough data to map Earth’s gravity with unrivalled precision. Scientists now have access to the most accurate model of the ‘geoid’ ever produced to further our understanding of how Earth works. The new geoid was unveiled today at the Fourth International GOCE User Workshop hosted at the Technische Universität München in Munich, Germany. Media representatives and scientists from around the world have been treated to the best view yet of global gravity. The geoid is the surface of an ideal global ocean in the absence of tides and currents, shaped only by gravity. It is a crucial reference for measuring ocean circulation, sea-level change and ice dynamics – all affected by climate change.

Prof. Reiner Rummel, former Head of the Institute for Astronomical and Physical Geodesy at the Technische Universität München, said, “We see a continuous stream of excellent GOCE gradiometry data coming in. With each new two-month cycle, our GOCE gravity field model is getting better and better. ”Now the time has come to use GOCE data for science and applications. I am particularly excited about the first oceanographic results. ”They show that GOCE will give us dynamic topography and circulation patterns of the oceans with unprecedented quality and resolution. I am confident that these results will help improve our understanding of the dynamics of world oceans.”

In addition, GOCE uses an innovative ion engine that generates tiny forces to compensate for any drag the satellite experiences as it orbits through the remnants of Earth’s atmosphere.


Counteracting drag

Prof. Liebig added, “You could say that, at its early conception, GOCE was more like science fiction. GOCE has now clearly demonstrated that it is a state-of-the-art mission.” Rune Floberghagen, ESA’s GOCE Mission Manager, noted “This is a highly significant step for the mission. We now look forward to the coming months, when additional data will add to the accuracy of the GOCE geoid, further benefiting our data users.” – Participants are also discussing how the GOCE geoid will make advances in ocean and climate studies, and improve our understanding of Earth’s internal structure. For example, the gravity data from GOCE are helping to develop a deeper knowledge of the processes that cause earthquakes, such as the event that recently devastated Japan. Since this earthquake was caused by tectonic plate movement under the ocean, the motion cannot be observed directly from space. However, earthquakes create signatures in gravity data, which could be used to understand the processes leading to these natural disasters and ultimately help to predict them.

The GOCE satellite was launched in March 2009 and has now collected more than 12-months of gravity data.

Published by ESA, 31 March 2011