Today's Mining Pulse
Indonesia grants export monopoly to state trader DSI, targeting $66bn in resource revenues
Indonesia’s employers association and major mining cartels have endorsed President Prabowo Subianto’s new export monopoly, giving exclusive rights to state‑controlled PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia. The policy seeks to capture roughly $66.13 billion in annual resource revenues—about 23.4% of exports—and to curb $908 billion in historic tax leakage.
Also developing:
Mongolia Seeks to Amend Rio’s Oyu Tolgoi Mine Loan, FT Reports
Mongolia’s government is moving to renegotiate the loan it obtained from Rio Tinto to fund its 34% share of the Oyu Tolgoi copper‑gold mine. The aim is to secure a lower interest rate and cut the annual management fee that Rio receives as the mine’s operator. The loan underpins the country’s financing of one of the world’s largest copper deposits, while the renegotiation could reshape revenue flows between the state‑owned miner Erdenes Mongol and Rio. The talks signal Mongolia’s effort to improve fiscal sustainability amid volatile commodity prices.
Indicators Point to Hiccups in Steel Demand Momentum
U.S. steel production slipped in early March, falling 26,000 tons as weekly output dropped from 1.817 million to 1.791 million tons. The slowdown mirrors weak construction employment, which shed 11,000 jobs in February and posted a 6.9% unemployment rate, and a modest...
Missile Performance Relies on Critical Scandium Supply
Missiles like the Tomahawk—and the advanced defenses against them—consume vast quantities of critical minerals far beyond just copper. These systems increasingly depend on scandium-aluminum alloys to reduce weight, extend range, and enhance payload performance under extreme conditions. That’s exactly why these are...
Market Morsel: Making the Most of Wheat Market Volatility
The piece highlights a shift from a tranquil 2025 wheat market to renewed volatility driven by the Middle Eastern conflict. It outlines how weather, geopolitics, trade policy and speculative capital historically cause rapid price swings in grain markets. Seasonal harvest...
Pantoro Sets Timeline for Third Underground Mine at Norseman
Pantoro Gold will begin development of its third underground mine at the Norseman project later this year, following the dewatering and rehabilitation of the Bullen decline. High‑grade intercepts, including a 2.4‑metre, 43.19 g/t gold shoot, were reported at Crown South and O’Brien’s...
KVH Industries Inc (KVHI) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Intrepid Potash (KVHI) reported a blockbuster 2025, posting adjusted net income of $6.5 million and adjusted EBITDA of $63 million—an 80% YoY increase and the strongest since 2016. Sales volumes surged 20% to over 590,000 tons, driven by a record 303,000 tons of Trio,...
Coal Price Rally Fuels FIFO Boom
Rising coal prices have reignited Australia’s fly‑in, fly‑out (FIFO) market, with spot rates climbing from US $172 to US $220 per tonne since July 2025. Civeo Corporation reported an 18 percent profit surge, posting US $51.9 million in Australian earnings after delivering 2.78 million accommodation nights...
Beef Processors Push Hard as Cattle Flow Shifts
Cattle yarding and processing indices rebounded sharply in February 2026 after the typical January lull, but the recovery was uneven across regions. New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania returned to near‑full capacity, while Queensland’s yardings lagged despite a...
2026 Geopolitical Turmoil Drives Global Oil Price Swings
The geopolitical rollercoaster that is 2026 continues and is impacting global oil prices. #canada🇨🇦 #canada #trade #energy
IDB Invest Finances Rincon Mining to Expand Lithium Production in Argentina
IDB Invest has joined a multi‑lender financing package worth up to $1.175 billion to expand Rio Tinto’s Rincón Mining lithium project in Salta, Argentina. The bank will provide a $100 million loan and technical assistance, while the International Finance Corporation, Export Finance...
QMines Builds Mount Mackenzie Porphyry Case with High-Grade Gold and Copper Strikes
QMines announced a series of high‑grade gold, silver and copper intercepts from its North Knoll drilling at the Mount Mackenzie project in central Queensland. A surface hole returned 15.8 m grading 2.58 g/t Au and 7.1 g/t Ag, while deeper intervals delivered up...
FIN Resources Zeroes in on Lupin-Style Gold System at Cabin Lake
FIN Resources is launching a 1,500‑metre maiden diamond drill program at the Cabin Lake gold project in Canada’s Slave Craton. Recent re‑assays of historic core returned striking grades, including 31.4 m at 15.2 g/t Au, reinforcing the view that the deposit mirrors...
Skyharbour Says Denison Has Begun Athabasca Uranium Drilling
Skyharbour Resources announced that its joint‑venture partner Denison Mines has kicked off a winter drilling program at the Wheeler North property in northern Saskatchewan. The first phase comprises roughly 2,500 metres of diamond drilling targeting the Fox Lake Trail, with...
Petra Diamonds Limited (PDLMF) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Petra Diamonds Limited reported its Q2 2026 interim results, highlighting a transition to a leaner operating model after disposing of the Williamson and Koffiefontein mines. The company now focuses on two capital‑optimized assets with world‑class resource bases. Management announced a refinancing...
Roy Bonnell Says Allied Critical Metals’ Borralha Tungsten Project Shows Billion-Dollar Potential as Western Supply Tightens
Allied Critical Metals released a Preliminary Economic Assessment for its Borralha tungsten project in northern Portugal, estimating an after‑tax NPV of $706.4 million at a $1,500 per metric tonne WO₃ price and $91 million initial capital for an 11‑year mine life. CEO...
The US’s Critical Minerals Club Threatens an Equitable Clean Energy Transition
The United States is forming a critical‑minerals trading bloc aimed at breaking China’s dominance in supply chains for digital and defense technologies. The initiative downplays clean‑energy needs, even though analysis shows only a handful of the 33 minerals the UK...
Polysilicon Prices Plunge, with Maximum Decline Exceeding 12%
Polysilicon prices in China plunged last week, with the steepest drop of 12.87% for n‑type granular material. High inventory—reaching 480,000 tons—combined with weak demand from downstream solar‑cell and module producers drove the decline. February output fell 17.3% to 84,400 tons,...
Codelco and Microsoft Partner on Advanced Analytics and AI
Chile’s state‑owned copper giant Codelco and Microsoft have signed an 18‑month collaboration framework to explore joint initiatives in artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, automation and digital security. The deal builds on more than 27 years of partnership between the two firms. Planned...
Oil Instability Powers Interest in Uranium & Nuclear Energy
Escalating Middle‑East tensions have pushed oil prices higher, reigniting concerns over energy security. The volatility is prompting policymakers and utilities to revisit nuclear power as a reliable baseload source, especially for power‑hungry AI data centers. Uranium, the core fuel for...
Gold Price Fades on Inflation Concerns, Silver Price Rebounds
Gold slipped to about $5,015 an ounce on Monday, a 3% intraday drop, before regaining most of the loss, as a stronger U.S. dollar and inflation‑driven rate worries kept investors on the sidelines. Silver, by contrast, rose over 2% to...
STRABAG Wins Contracts at Codelco’s Chuquicamata Underground Mine
STRABAG’s ZÜBLIN unit secured two contracts with Chilean copper giant Codelco for the Chuquicamata underground expansion, valued at $942 million. The scope covers more than 54 km of tunnels and related infrastructure, aiming to extend the mine’s life into the 2030s while...
The Magnet Bottleneck Nobody’s Talking About (And China Controls 99% of It)
The article highlights a hidden bottleneck in the magnet supply chain: while the United States possesses rare‑earth deposits, it lacks domestic capacity to separate, purify, and produce permanent magnets. China controls roughly 99 % of the downstream magnet processing and manufacturing....
Carla Devlin Cites Sio Silica’s 15-Billion-Tonne Deposit for Defense Technologies While Encouraging Support for Public Petition
Carla Devlin, president of Sio Silica Corp., announced that the company is awaiting an environmental licence from Manitoba’s Environmental Approvals Branch before drilling can begin. The firm boasts a 15‑billion‑tonne high‑purity silica deposit that can be refined to 99.999% purity,...
HPE and STRACON Tech Adding AI to Their Strategic Alliance
Hewlett Packard Enterprise and STRACON Tech have deepened their strategic alliance to embed artificial intelligence across mining operations. HPE will deliver its Private Cloud AI platform, powered by NVIDIA and offered through the GreenLake consumption model, enabling on‑premise model development...
Zimplats Heads for Government Talks as Unpaid Export Proceeds Surge 158%
Zimplats, Zimbabwe's leading PGM producer, will meet the government to resolve delayed local‑currency payments under the Reserve Bank's 30% export surrender policy. The company's deferred liquidation account swelled 158% to US$78.1 million between June 2025 and December 2025, reflecting export proceeds...
Domestic Coal Production Likely to Grow 6-7% Annually over Next Few Years: Kishan Reddy
India plans to boost domestic coal output by 6‑7 % annually, aiming for roughly 1.5 billion tonnes by FY 2029‑30. Production was about 1.05 bn tonnes in 2024‑25, and the government expects demand to peak around 2040. Minister G Kishan Reddy emphasized that...
Merafe Reports Big Drop in Revenue, HEPS on Idled Smelters
Merafe Resources posted a 31% revenue decline to R5.84 billion and a 72% drop in headline earnings per share, down to 12.2 c, for the year ended 31 December 2025. The downturn was driven by a complete shutdown of its ferrochrome smelters in Q2 2025,...
Kenmare Facing VAT Hit After Mozambique Springs Tax Surprise
Kenmare Resources warned that Mozambique's tax authority has unilaterally introduced new regulations that could raise royalties to 3.5% by 2031 and strip the Moma heavy‑minerals mine of its industrial free‑zone status. The company estimates the changes could cost $25‑40 million annually,...
Anglo’s New AI Centre of Excellence to Drive Safe & Responsible AI Adoption
Anglo American’s 2025 annual report announces the creation of an AI Centre of Excellence to steer safe, responsible AI adoption across its mining operations. The AI CoE will govern risk, ethics and compliance while supporting generative‑AI projects that deliver clear...
Craig Lindsay Says Resolution Minerals’ Idaho Project Targets Antimony, Gold and Tungsten as U.S. Seeks Domestic Critical Metals Supply
Resolution Minerals Ltd. is concentrating on its 100%-owned Horse Heaven project in Idaho, a 15,000‑acre site that hosts high‑grade antimony, tungsten, gold and silver mineralization. Historic stockpiles show average antimony grades of 40%, far exceeding nearby benchmarks, and the company...
Iran Conflict Could Halt Grain Surplus Recovery
Commodity Price Pumps and Iran vs. Russia's Ukraine Invasion - The US exports about 25% of its grain production, and prices have been declining on the back of the 2022 spikes, which incentivized more supply -- notably from Brazil. Russia's...
Hormuz Closure Threatens India's Energy Supply
A 33 km waterway which is 3000 km away from you can decide how much you must pay for petrol, cylinder etc. A 33 km waterway between Iran–Oman called the Strait of Hormuz. 20% of global crude oil passes through this route,...
VAALCO Adjusts Gabon Drilling Plan After Exploration Well Result
VAALCO Energy finished drilling the ET‑14P exploration well at Gabon's Etame field, intersecting 10 meters of high‑quality Gamba sands but discovering a water‑bearing target zone. The lower section of the well will be plugged and abandoned, while the existing bore...
Oil Plunges $30 on Trump’s Iran War Comment
The oil market thinks Trump just TACO’d (I’m less convinced, but let’s see) A $30 price swing in a day, helped by expectations of a big strategic oil stock release. Such larks. Oil tumbles to $90 as Trump says Iran war...
Controlled Thermal Resources to Go Public via $4.7B SPAC
California lithium developer Controlled Thermal Resources to go public in $4.7 billion SPAC deal https://t.co/Y9xV4yNqPd
Domestic Metals Expands Exploration Efforts at Smart Creek Project in US
Domestic Metals announced an expanded exploration budget for its Smart Creek Copper Project in Montana, with diamond drilling slated for April 2026. Surface program results revealed high‑grade gold, copper and silver assays, including 102 g/t gold and 13.8 % copper in a...
A2 Gold Expands with 117 Km² District-Scale Acquisition
Sometimes the best way to grow a mining company is simple: buy more rocks. That's exactly what @A2GoldCorp has done, adding a 117 km² district-scale land package to its NV #gold portfolio. Lots of detail from JV in this one,...
Trump’s Rare‑Earth Bank Leaves China Dependence Unchanged
The Bank Trump Is Relying On for Rare-Earth Minerals Impact so far on dependence on China? Zero.... https://t.co/Ux4lLRcEqv via @NYTimes
Valeura Lifts Output with Three Producing Wells at Thailand’s Manora Field
Valeura Energy completed an infill drilling campaign on Thailand’s Manora field, bringing three new wells online – two development wells and one appraisal well – on its 70% operated working interest. The added wells lifted average oil output from roughly...
Four Borr Drilling Rigs’ Ops in Middle East on ‘Standby’
Borr Drilling announced that its four jack‑up rigs deployed across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are on standby due to escalating hostilities in the Arabian Gulf. The Arabia III unit was shut down and its crew evacuated after a March 7...
Middle East Turmoil Could Boost Non‑oil Metal Markets
Some thoughts on the metals and materials that can benefit from disruption in the Middle East that people may be forgetting while they focus on oil and gas... #lithium #rareearths #graphite #anode #antimony #tungsten #aluminium https://t.co/JJ1BwOvjEs https://t.co/4YTMyZtDdI
LG Energy Solution Reportedly Drops LG Chem Cathodes for Tesla Batteries
LG Energy Solution (LGES) will stop using cathode material from sister firm LG Chem for Tesla battery packs, shifting to external supplier L&F. The change is driven by Tesla’s demand for ultra‑high‑nickel (95% Ni) NMC cathodes that promise roughly 20%...
Shell Inks Oil and Gas Exploration Deals with Venezuela
Shell has signed a series of oil and gas exploration agreements with the Venezuelan government, covering offshore natural gas and on‑shore projects, and partnered with local engineering firm VEPICA, KBR, and Baker Hughes. The deals clear the path for the...
Fortescue Ramps up Electrification, Spending $1 B Yearly
Fortescue has officially hit the accelerator on its plan to purge diesel from its operations, reaching a massive one billion dollar annual spending rate on electrification. https://t.co/NNU6MWp1YM
Iran Uses Partial Pipeline Bypass to Pressure Trump Economically
COLUMN: Iran’s strategy is by now clear: Impose an intolerable economic cost on President Trump. One of the last lines of defence is a couple of oil pipelines offerign a partial (**emphasis on partial**) bypass of the Strait of Hormuz. Link: https://t.co/tXkHzUOiYy...
EU Buys 100% of Russian Arctic LNG Just 9 Months Before Planned Gas Ban
In February 2026 the European Union purchased every cargo from Russia’s Yamal LNG project, amounting to 1.54 million tonnes across 21 shipments, the first full‑yearly capture since 2018. The purchases came just nine months before the EU’s scheduled ban on Russian...
Epiroc Acquires South Africa-Based Parts Provider Eventspec Proprietary Limited
Epiroc announced the acquisition of Eventspec Proprietary Limited, a Johannesburg‑based mining aftermarket provider that manufactures spare parts for drill rigs, trucks and loaders. Eventspec, with roughly 120 employees, generated about ZAR280 million ($16.6 million) in 2025 revenue serving South African mining firms....
North's Golden Geology Tarnished by Policy
The Fraser Institute’s 2025 mining survey shows that policy perceptions are eclipsing geological endowment in determining investment attractiveness across Alaska and Canada’s northern jurisdictions. Despite high mineral potential rankings, Alaska fell ten spots on the Investment Attractiveness Index, while British...
Gina Rinehart, Her Struggles and Successes
Gina Rinehart recounts turning a mortgaged, claim‑laden startup into the $10 billion Roy Hill iron‑ore megaproject, the fastest greenfield construction in northern Australia. She describes battling gender bias, legal hurdles and a revoked port‑rail corridor while relying on loyal backers to...
IEA Emergency Oil Releases Have Surged, 2022 Tops History
History of IEA collective oil emergecy stockpiles releases (and size; note the size was volume offered): 1991: First Gulf War (~75 million) 2005: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (~60 million) 2011: Libya civil war (~60 million) 2022: Russia-Ukraine (~180 million in two tranches)