Today's Mining Pulse
Ximen Mining Deploys Robotic Dog to Accelerate Underground Surveys
Ximen Mining has introduced an autonomous robotic dog at its Kenville mine project in British Columbia, cutting underground survey time by roughly 30%. The move underscores a broader industry shift toward automation and faster, safer data collection.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Ganfeng invests $319M in Australian Mount Marion lithium mine
JPMorgan Backs Clean Iron Startup Electra
Electra, a Colorado clean‑iron startup, secured a $30 million venture‑debt facility from J.P. Morgan to move toward its first commercial plant. The company’s low‑temperature electro‑refining process converts iron ore into 99% pure iron using renewable electricity, eliminating coal and high‑grade ore requirements. Recent deals with global steelmakers and an Environmental Attribute Credit agreement with Meta complement the new funding. Electra aims to launch a 130,000‑square‑foot demonstration facility in Jefferson County by mid‑2026, targeting 500 metric tons of low‑carbon iron annually.
Cabral Gold Achieves Major Permitting Milestone with the Granting of the LP for Full Mining License at Cuiu Cuiu Gold...
Cabral Gold Inc. announced that Pará’s Environmental Council (COEMA) has issued the Licença Prévia (LP) for a full mining license at the Cuiú Cuiú gold district in Brazil. The LP clears the most time‑intensive stage of Brazil’s permitting process, de‑risking...
Thiess Set to Retrofit Caterpillar 793D with FLANDERS Hybrid Kit
Thiess’ 2025 Sustainability Report acknowledges a slower‑than‑expected energy transition and pivots to interim hybrid solutions for its mining fleet. After a 2024 memorandum of understanding with FLANDERS, the companies completed installation planning and risk assessments in 2025 and aim to...
How IEA Emergency Oil Releases Actually Work
It's a while since the last IEA emergency oil release, so I put together a briefing note on how it works in practice as it follows a strict technical and diplomatic protocol. The below is a (simplified) guide to follow...
Congo Expands State Gold Trading to Strengthen National Reserves
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s state‑owned DRC Gold Trading aims to purchase up to 15 metric tons of artisanal gold by 2026, after the government assumed full ownership in 2024. A February agreement gives the Central Bank of Congo priority...
From Forest to Flatpack, IKEA Faces Timber Traceability Test Under EUDR
The EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), set to take effect at the end of 2026, requires companies like IKEA to provide geolocation data proving their timber was not sourced from land deforested after December 2020. Although IKEA already sources nearly 100 % of...
QIMC Completes 711 Metre Discovery Hole DDH-26-01 at West-Advocate, Nova Scotia: Hydrogen System Confirmed at Depth
Québec Innovative Materials Corp. completed discovery borehole DDH-26-01 at its West‑Advocate project in Nova Scotia, reaching 711 m depth. Visible gas bubbles and instrument exceedances confirmed a persistent, pressurised hydrogen‑bearing system from roughly 505 m to the bottom of the hole. Diluted...
Lara Raising $33.7 Million for Brazilian Copper-Gold Project
Lara Exploration Ltd. announced a $33.7 million financing plan to advance its Planalto copper‑gold project in Brazil. The company will conduct a brokered private placement of up to 6.75 million shares at $3 each, targeting roughly $20.25 million, alongside a non‑brokered placement of...
US EV Demand Surge Could Boost Lithium Stocks
In recent Rock Stock videos I’ve suggested the extremely negative US EV narrative is likely already “priced in” to #lithium equities — leaving room for an upside surprise. Today TD Cowen published a 60+ page note making a similar contrarian case....
Nevada Sunrise Resamples Historical Drill Hole at the Griffon Gold Mine Project, Nevada
Nevada Sunrise Metals resampled four historic 2020 drill holes at the Griffon Gold Mine, confirming gold grades and revealing classic Carlin-type pathfinder elements. The 52‑element geochemical analysis matched Fremont Gold’s original gold assays, showing 1.01 g/t Au over 50.2 m in hole...
Standard Uranium Confirms Anomalous Uranium and High-Grade Rare Earths at Surface on the Rocas Project, Saskatchewan
Standard Uranium reported final assay results from its 2025 surface program on the Rocas Project in Saskatchewan, confirming anomalous uranium mineralization and high‑grade rare earth element (TREO) values up to 9.83%. Grab samples yielded uranium grades as high as 0.409%...
Tenke Fungurume Mine Accused of Polluting Air and Harming Communities in DR C
The Environmental Investigation Agency and PremiCongo released the "Toxic Transition" report accusing CMOC’s Tenke Fungurume Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo of emitting pollutants that may be harming nearby residents. The study, based on more than 1,200 anonymized medical...
Vital's Rare Earth Footprint Gets Bigger
Vital Metals released final assay results from its Nechalacho rare‑earth‑niobium project, confirming record‑high total rare‑earth oxide (TREO) grades across six newly identified targets. The standout 1029A target delivered 292,145 ppm TREO, the highest ever recorded at the site, with notable neodymium‑praseodymium...
New Episode: Sustainable Reporting in Mining
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) launched its first mining‑specific sustainability framework, GRI 14, in January 2026. The standard offers a unified methodology for reporting environmental, social and economic impacts, with material issues identified through stakeholder engagement and data‑driven analysis. In an Energy...
Banks Failing to Screen for Illegal Mining Risks
A Reuters‑cited study by WWF and Themis finds that roughly 40% of banks and investors do not screen for illegal mining risks, despite 84% operating in high‑risk sectors such as transport and trade. Illegal mining generates at least $48 billion in...
Brixton Rallies on High Grade Ontario Silver Results
Brixton Metals reported its first 2026 drill results from the Langis Silver Project in Ontario, highlighting two holes with more than 700 g/t silver over 14 metres and a peak of 15,522 g/t. The results push the company's share price up 9% to...
Sandvik DTH Rigs Deploy to Zambian Copper
Sandvik announced the sale of 16 D25KX down‑the‑hole rotary drill rigs to a major Zambian copper mine. The new rigs will join an existing fleet of nine D25KS and four Pantera DP1500i units that have been operating since 2016. Sandvik...
Tsurumi on Battery Powered Pump Possibilities in Mining
Tsurumi tested its LB480 and KTV3-55 submersible pumps using an Instagrid mobile battery unit, demonstrating that battery power can replace generators on mining sites. Both pumps moved roughly 40,000 litres per charge, with the larger KTV3-55 delivering 44 m³ in under 50 minutes....
Jim Atkinson Says Bald Hill Could Be Among the Highest-Grade Antimony Deposits in North America
Antimony Resources Corp. announced that its Bald Hill project in New Brunswick may host some of the highest‑grade antimony deposits in North America, with visible stibnite mineralization and solid grades up to 60% antimony. The company is executing a 10,000‑meter...
Fireweed Assembles Expert Team for Tungsten Project Study
Fireweed Metals has hired a slate of top-tier engineering and technical consultants to produce an updated feasibility study for its Mactung tungsten project, targeting early 2027 completion. The study will integrate the 2025 field program, extensive historical data, and new...
Drone Strike Sparks Fire at ADNOC’s Ruwais Industrial Complex
Abu Dhabi’s state oil company ADNOC shut its Ruwais refinery after a fire broke out following a drone strike on the complex. The facility, which can process up to 922,000 barrels of oil per day and hosts major chemical, fertilizer...
Venezuela Gains Initial Approval for New Mining Bill
Venezuela's National Assembly gave preliminary approval to a mining reform bill aimed at attracting foreign investment. The legislation would replace a three‑decade‑old framework, adding stronger legal guarantees, mediation and arbitration for disputes. It targets bauxite, gold and other strategic minerals,...
Industrial Capacity, Not Politics, Drives EV and Security Future
@ctindale is spot on. Political will cannot summon industrial reality. EVs & electrification demand a massive new material order: mines, refineries, grids, copper at scale, that takes decades to build, spanning across election cycles. Intention without capacity is illusion. The...
Viridien Starts Seismic Reprocessing Initiative for India’s Offshore Basins
Viridien has launched a regional multi‑client seismic reprocessing initiative targeting India’s offshore basins, beginning with a Phase 1 reimaging of roughly 9,000 sq km of 3D data in the Mahanadi Basin. The project will deliver fast‑track results by June 2026 and complete datasets by...
DRC Boosts Oil Revenue and Fights Fraud with Innovative Fuel Traceability Program
The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a molecular marking program for petroleum products, using invisible chemical tracers to track fuel from import to retail. Partnering with Authentix Inc., the initiative aims to curb smuggling and improve tax compliance. Early...
SpectraFlow Crossbelt Analyzer Optimising Concentrate Mix at Dye Non-Ferrous Metal Group Ausmelt TSL Copper Smelter
SpectraFlow Analytics secured an order for its Crossbelt Analyzer to be installed at Dye Non-Ferrous Metal Group’s Ausmelt TSL copper smelter in Huangshi, China. The near‑infrared online analyzer will sit in the concentrate blending zone, continuously measuring and adjusting the...
Connectivity Is Infrastructure: Strategic Partnerships Are Redefining Mining in Africa
Vodacom Business positions connectivity as core infrastructure for African mining, deploying Mobile Private Networks (MPNs) at sites like Sasol’s synthetic fuel facility. Integrated IoT solutions, including edge gateways and drone mapping, shift operations from reactive to predictive maintenance, cutting unplanned...
Tin Market Volatility Intensifies as Global Demand for Strategic Metals Grows
Tin prices surged to a projected $54,925 per ton for the week of March 9‑14 2026, according to the DRC’s National Market Commission, while Boursorama data on March 10 showed a daily dip to $48,275 per ton, underscoring sharp volatility. The metal’s small...
China’s Integrated Strategy Beats Fragmented Western Approach
🎯“China treats electricity, critical minerals, manufacturing, defence and infrastructure as one strategic system. Credit, permitting, refining, fabrication and demand scale together. Western systems fragment the same problem across central banks, markets, regulators and election cycles, assuming price signals will coordinate what...
Epiroc Announces Ground Support Partnership with DYWIDAG Australia
Epiroc has formed a strategic partnership with DYWIDAG Australia to distribute its ground support solutions throughout Oceania and Indonesia. The agreement makes DYWIDAG the official regional distributor, providing technical support and maintaining local inventory. This is Epiroc’s first ground‑support partnership...
Market Spinning After 'Most Epic Price Reversal in Oil History'
Oil prices surged past $100 per barrel before reversing sharply, marking what analysts call the most epic price reversal in oil history. The swing was driven by mixed signals about the U.S.–Iran conflict, including President Trump's comments and hopes of...
Illegal Mining and Child Labor Concerns Raised in Bas-Uélé Province
Congolese entrepreneur Obed Mutuale warned that illegal artisanal mining is booming in Bas‑Uélé province, with under‑age children increasingly employed at hazardous sites. During a Jan. 18‑25 visit, he called on the DRC central government to intervene urgently, citing weak state oversight...
December Crude and Corn Futures Poised Below $55, $4.60
Massive Short Cleansing or New Bull Market? Crude May Follow Gas - The invisible hand can be quite efficient in autocorrelated commodities, and crude oil and corn producers may have just received a chance to hedge and bring on more...
Copper Emerges as Critical Mineral Driving Global Growth
It was a pleasure to talk about ‘The Dawn of the Age of Copper’ at the U.S. Capital Access Forum in Singapore. It’s never easy to follow a keynote from @DonaldJTrumpJr, but copper is always a show-stopper… Many thanks to Hall...
Chinese Launch Next-Gen Deepwater Multi-Purpose Offshore Engineering Vessel
Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) has launched a 126‑metre deepwater multi‑purpose offshore engineering vessel for China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s Shenzhen Offshore Engineering Technology Service. The ship features a 400‑ton crane, a 3,000‑ton cable reel, a 1,600‑HP trencher, a 12‑person...
December Corn Caps Near $5 Amid Rising Stocks
Did December Corn Peak Near $5? Corn's $5-a-bushel ceiling may have solidified due to the Iran war. When December corn (Dec26) began trading in 2022 at about the same price as on March 9 near $4.85 a bushel, US ending stocks...
Southeast Asian Gas Drilling Ops Edging Closer with ‘Major Milestone’ Reached
UK‑based, AIM‑listed Sunda Energy has secured a Category A environmental licence for its Chuditch‑2 appraisal well in Timor‑Leste’s offshore Chuditch field. The licence, issued on 9 March 2026 and valid until March 2028, follows the submission and endorsement of a detailed environmental impact statement...
Mining for Key Energy-Transition Minerals Is Not a Major Source of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, ICMM Research Finds
The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) released a Global Mining & Metals GHG Emissions Dataset covering 1,700 facilities and 87% of production across 14 key commodities. The dataset provides a sector‑wide estimate of scope 1 and scope 2 emissions for...
Export Routes Matter More than Production Amid US‑Iran War
As the US-Iran war goes on, focus on oil flow and not on oil production: What matters now is exports ex Strait of Hormuz, not well head output in KSA, UAE, Iraq, Qatar and Iraq. Yes, later is deteriorating, but former...
Hard Assets Rally as War Ends, Metals Lead
“Precious metals surge as the war ends.” Bizarre, to say the least. Very solid move in miners and Latin American stocks today. Also worth noting: Oil and gas equities remain remarkably resilient despite the volatility in energy prices. None of us own enough hard...
'Quality' Coal Rallies as LNG Spikes
LNG spot prices in Asia surged to a two‑year high of $22.50 per mmBtu after strikes closed the Strait of Hormuz, cutting Qatar’s supply. The spike lifted high‑quality 6,000 kcal/kg thermal coal to $129.62 a ton, a 14‑month peak, while European...
Japan Sets NdPr Price Floor, Investors Remain Unmoved
Japan becomes the second country to lock in a NdPr price floor. Countries seem to recognise the issue with rare earths but equity investors seem not to... https://t.co/5GI3bRV7K3
Iran Mirrors China's Rare‑Earth Economic Escalation Power
remember when the world saw that China had economic escalation dominance over Trump in the rare earths saga last fall? apparently Iran does too
Italy Opens New LNG Chapter with FSRU Ticking Off First Small Scale Cargo
Italy’s OLT Offshore LNG Toscana, a Snam subsidiary, has begun commercial small‑scale LNG operations at its FSRU Toscana off Livorno. The inaugural cargo of 4,000 cubic metres arrived on the Green Zeebrugge carrier, marking the first SSLNG service in the country....
Bypasses and SPR only Buy Time; only Hormuz Reopening Solves
Oil bypass pipelines buy time, but don't solve the problem. SPR/IEA release would buy more time, but doesn't solve either. Ultimately, only one thing solves the problem: re-open the Strait of Hormuz. But rather than hitting the wall this...
Middle East Strikes and Oil Surge Amplify Global Risks
As strikes shake the Middle East and oil prices soar, what are the global ramifications of the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran? 🎥 Tune in LIVE as @TimOBrien discusses with @JavierBlas and @MarcChampion1 Tuesday, March 10 @ 8:30 am EDT...
RBZ Gold Stockpile Grows 250% as Mineral Royalties and Export Proceeds Boost National Buffers
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) boosted its gold holdings by roughly 250%, rising from 1.5 tonnes in April 2024 to 4.03 tonnes by December 2025. This surge helped lift total foreign‑currency reserves from US$276 million to about US$1.2 billion, expanding import‑cover from 0.18 to 1.5 months....
Eight Experts Analyze Today’s Oil Market Landscape
8 experts express their views about current oil market conditions. 👇👇👇👇 click on the link, then change the language in your browser.
East-West Pipeline: Aramco's Final Buffer Against Hormuz
The comments from Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser on the East-West pipeline, the last (and only partial) line of defence of the oil market against the Strait of Hormuz disruption (other than a SPR release) For background, my @Opinion column from...
Namib Minerals Delivers on ESG Commitments with Major Community Investments at How Mine
Namib Minerals announced a suite of ESG initiatives at its How Mine operation, including a new school block, staff housing, and healthcare donations to United Bulawayo Hospitals. The projects complement ongoing environmental rehabilitation at the site. These actions are part...