Nickel not fickle for WA
Nickel may have been fickle, but it’s one of the few commodities around which is performing solidly in the wake of COVID. The fact was highlighted by WA Mines, Energy, and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston as he opened the 2020 Paydirt Nickel Conference held in Perth in October. He said WA, in particular, was in good stead when it came to the metal as a result of growing demand for lithium ion batteries, Indonesia’s nickel ore export ban and the impact of the global pandemic. “WA has the second largest nickel reserves in the world and some of the highest-grade deposits,” he said. “These deposits are clearly ideal for production of nickel sulphate, one of the mineral components that’s used…