Explosives Industry News - March 20, 2019

Big Norwegian Aluminum Producer Suffers Extensive Cyber Attack

Norsk Hydro ASA, one of the world’s biggest aluminum producers, suffered production outages after a ransomware attack affected operations across Europe and the U.S.

The company called the situation “quite severe” and was still working to contain the effects of the attack. It couldn’t detail how much output had been impacted, but said the so-called potlines, which process molten aluminum and need to be kept running 24 hours a day, had switched to manual mode.

Visit https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-19/hydro-says-victim-of-extensive-cyber-attack-impacting-operations-jtfgz6td?srnd=premium to view the full article online.

Oil and Gas Production Activity Outside the U.S. to Grow at Moderate Pace

Over the last 12 months, the global upstream industry has featured rising oil and gas production (particularly in the U.S.); volatile, unpredictable oil prices (as in the final quarter of 2018); and slowly-but-steadily rising drilling activity.

Last year, global drilling, excluding the U.S., improved 1.6%, to 45,064 wells. This year, we think drilling will be up 2.5%, to 46,209 wells. Seven out of eight regions should increase this year. Regulatory frameworks are being loosened up and reformed in a number of countries, to attract more operators and investment. Exploration worldwide remains at a low level.

Visit https://www.worldoil.com/magazine/2019/february-2019/special-focus/activity-outside-the-us-to-grow-at-moderate-pace to view the full article online.

Industry News

2019 Ohio Drilling & Blasting Conference

The Ohio Drilling and Blasting Conference kicks off from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2019, with a welcome reception and exhibits. On Thursday, learn about various topics such as underground blasting, waveforms, public relations, demolition blasting, current compliance issues and more.

Ohio Drilling and Blasting is co-sponsored by International Society of Explosives Engineers; Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association; Ohio Coal Association; and is endorsed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Visit https://www.isee.org/2019-ohio-drilling-and-blasting-conference to view the full article online.

32nd Annual Best in the West Conference

Early bird registration ends March 31 for the 32nd Annual Best in the West Drill and Blast Conference. The conference will run April 24-26, 2019, at the Spearfish Holiday Inn Convention Center in Spearfish, S.D.

Register for the conference online at https://bitwconference.org under the Register, or download and print the registration forms at https://bitwconference.org under Forms. Additional activities during the conference include the Paul Muehl Scholarship Clays Shoot, the Bob Martin Memorial Golf Scramble and the Crazy Horse Mountain Tour.

Visit https://bitwconference.org/ to view the full article online.

Calling All Students: ISEE Accepting Scholarship Applications

This year, the SEE Education Foundation will be awarding $88,000 USD in scholarships to students pursuing degrees related to the explosives industry. This year will also feature an inaugural award from the Dale Ramsey Memorial Scholarship Fund. Created to honor the memory and legacy of an ISEE leader, this scholarship will mark the beginning of a lasting tribute to a man who gave so much of himself to the ISEE, and more significantly, students wishing to join our industry.

To be eligible for a scholarship, students must be, or plan to be, pursuing a technical, undergraduate, master’s or doctorate degree in fields of study related to the commercial explosives industries. Students will be evaluated on their academic and professional achievements, their goals related to the industry, a personal challenges narrative and a statement of financial need. The deadline to apply is May 3, 2019.

Visit https://www.isee.org/news/433-calling-all-students-isee-accepting-scholarship-applications-2 to view the full article online.

Brazilian Court Freezes $260 Million from Vale’s Accounts

A Brazilian court has ordered iron ore miner Vale (NYSE:VALE) to freeze 1 billion reais (about $260 million) in funds as compensation for affected communities following the January dam disaster at the company’s Corrego do Feijão mine, which left at least 300 people dead.

“In addition to the block of funds, the decision also requires that Vale pays for the sheltering, lodging, maintenance and feeding of the removed people, besides the adoption of other measures aiming to grant assistance to the affected community,” it said in a statement.

Visit http://www.mining.com/brazilian-court-freezes-260-million-vales-accounts/ to view the full article online.

Infrastructure Funding Chances, Opportunities Looking Up in 2019

Infrastructure will be a hot topic again in 2019 in Washington, but it is anyone’s guess whether legislation will actually be approved, in part, because of differences between Democrats and Republicans on how to fund any new massive spending. However, the good news is that any bill will likely include water projects, which was not a certainty last year when talk about spending funds centered on roads and bridges. Drinking water and sewer construction wasn’t on the table.

Visit https://ucononline.com/magazine/2019/february-2019-vol-74-no-2/features/infrastructure-funding-chances-opportunities-looking-up-in-2019 to view the full article online.