Q&A - Tertiary Minerals executive chairman Patrick Cheetham

Fluorspar is a vital commodity used by major industrial end-users, from defence to the steel industry. As fluorspar reaches a critical shortage level, Lianna Brinded speaks to Patrick Cheetham, the executive chairman of Tertiary Minerals about risk management behind the “little known but must have” mineral

Fluorspar may not have the press coverage of oil and gas, but it is a vital commodity for a wide range of industrial production. When the European Commission (EC) published a report in June this year, revealing that the mineral had reached a critical shortage level, it looked as if industrial end-users faced another major challenge.

Fluorspar is a mineral used in many different forms – when found in nature, it is known by the mineral name fluorite (CaF₂). There are two grades: acidspar, which is