LES ANNALES DES MINES

REALITES INDUSTRIELLES

FOR OUR ENGLISH-SPEAKING READERS  - August 2008   

France and overseas mining during the post-WW II boom Issue editor: Paul-Henri Bourrelier Editorial François Valérian Foreword: Mining operations launched during the “thirty glorious” years of prosperity following WW II Paul-Henri Bourrelier and Jean Lespine Overseas mining operations: BRGM, a key actor in public policy Paul-Henri Bourrelier and Jean Lespine BRGM had the assignment to pursue French mining operations overseas in what was becoming a postcolonial context. It was a major tool in French mining policy till the 1980s. Appendix 1: La Société des Mines de Fer de Mauritanie (MIFERMA) Marc Gallet Appendix 2: COMILOG, a “success story” Philippe Gros Appendix 3: The Taiba phosphates (Senegal) Louis Lasserre Appendix 4 : The Togo phosphates Jacques Houyvet   Société Le Nickel Philippe Gros Founded in 1880 in Paris, Société Le Nickel (SLN) came through the cataclysms and recessions of the 20th century but still remains, today like yesterday, an indispensable player in the nickel industry. It owes this long existence to the fighting spirit of a group of men who, over the generations, were discovers, pioneers, builders, financiers or industrialists as well as to all those who followed them in this adventure. It also owes it to New Caledonia with its major ore deposits and to the growth in worldwide demand for nickel.   Société Minière et Métallurgique de Peñarroya Gilbert Troly More than an article is needed to recount the history, even if abridged to a few decades, of an important mining company. A book of the sort often found in English is needed by authors who have more respect for their industrial heritage than the French. These few pages can tell but one of the many aspects of this story.

Uranium mines and French mining companies: A magnificent adventure Jacques Blanc The French mining adventure still arouses enthusiasm. Evidence of this comes from a major witness whose passion for the mining industry has not cooled.   France, an inspiration for attempts to stabilize world markets Robert Diethrich By their very nature, raw material markets are unstable; periods of overproduction and shortages follow each other with variable intensity and wide, often sudden, price fluctuations. Government interventions might turn out to be necessary.   Miscellany Gaston Moch, a cadet fighting for peace Paul-Henri Bourrelier Jules Moch, a graduate of École Polytechnique and a Socialist friend of Léon Blum, has left his name in French history. Jules, his grandfather (a cadet and officer under the Second Empire and Third Republic) and Gaston, his father (also an engineer from Polytechnique) have been forgotten even though this exceptional lineage reflects a century of French history. To make up for this, this article focuses on Gaston Moch (1859-1935), who has the distinction of being the only one of Dreyfus’s classmates to defend him publicly. His technical and scientific credentials, his predictions about modern warfare, his European vision, his pacifist and linguistic advocacy, all this justifies this focus on an inspired itinerary. Sharing scientific knowledge: Issues and risks (Report on the Rendez-vous du Club des Annales des Mines) François Boisivon Time is not the same for science as for public opinion, as we notice during ever more frequent environmental and health emergencies. A diverse, broad public, drenched with contradictory information, is impatient to know the truth that experts and scientists seem incapable of explaining in simple terms and with a single voice. Should we, however, forgo informing the public on scientific questions? In modern democracies, the answer is obviously “no”. Public debates about scientific issues need information in order to avoid the risks of manipulation.   Energy : Facts and figures from 2007