From the Editor - E&MJ/Mining Media Prepare for 2008

- In this edition, Engineering & Mining Journal (E&MJ) publishes its annual Scandinavian Report. It updates readers on mining activities in the region and provides insight on equipment and services provided by some of the mining industry’s leading manufacturers and EPCM contractors. According to a new report from Raw Materials Group (RMG), located in Stockholm, the exploration boom in the Nordic countries continues unabated. In 2007, total exploration expenditure in Sweden, Finland and Norway is expected to reach €140 million, an increase of 55% to 60% compared to 2006. The focus of exploration has shifted toward iron ore, nickel and uranium in recent years, but there is still considerable interest in gold and base metals. Visiting multiple sites during the summer, Kyran Casteel, E&MJ’s European editor, assembled a 30-page profile for this edition. He reports on several mining companies, including Lundin Mining, Boliden and LKAB. He also thoroughly covers underground and surface mining equipment, along with mineral processing systems.

Readers often inquire about E&MJ’s editorial coverage. One of the most common questions is: How can we get the editors to cover a new mine, concentrator, or management team? Similar to most engineering projects, prior planning can pay big dividends. During the summer months, Mining Media International (MMI) produces a Media Kit with an editorial calendar that details some of the subjects that will be covered the following year. Granted, it’s nearly impossible to predict what will be newsworthy 18 months in advance, but MMI’s editorial team gives it a go, and then covers late-breaking items on an as-needed basis as they develop.

Mining companies should review E&MJ’s editorial calendar (www.miningmedia/ mediakit/) and, if they have a great story to tell, E&MJ’s editors would like to help them tell it. Reporting is basically broken out into four areas: open-pit mining, underground mining, mineral processing, and general interest. As an example of how the process would work, if a mining company has developed a new mill maintenance strategy, E&MJ could report on it in the March 2008 edition. This would either require a site visit by one of the editors during December. Or, interested parties could contact E&MJ regarding that subject and submit an article for consideration.

As always, E&MJ will publish several regional profiles, such as the Scandinavian Report, along with bonus distribution at important mining trade shows. Looking forward to 2008, two large mining expositions will take place, Expomin in Santiago, Chile (April 15-18), and MINExpo in Las Vegas (Sept. 22-25). Expomin is the largest mining exposition held outside the U.S. and MINExpo is the largest mining exposition in the world. In addition to these events, the E&MJ editorial team will cover a number of smaller, but equally important, technical conferences, such as Indaba, PDAC, SME, etc. If readers can’t attend, they can expect E&MJ to report the news.

E&MJ will produce its highly-successful Spanish language edition, Equipo Minero, four times next year. For readers that would rather receive news electronically, E&MJ provides its World of Mining Professionals (WOMP) E-newsletter, which is free for regular E&MJ subscribers. Launched in 2007, WOMP already reaches 14,000 readers. MMI also has a few surprises for 2008. Working with its sister publication, Coal Age, E&MJ will offer four Chinese editions and a Russian edition. Working in conjunction with RMG, E&MJ will publish a new edition of the World Mining Directory. MMI will launch a Web-enabled database of global mining service providers called World Mining Equipment.

Market fundamentals indicate that next year should be one of the best years for the mining business. It will certainly be an exciting one for MMI. If readers are too busy to leave the mine or mill, they can count on E&MJ to deliver.


Steve Fiscor, Editor-in-Chief, E&MJ