Today's Mining Pulse
Chinese financing fuels a $98 billion mineral power shift
A wave of $98 billion in Chinese financing and heightened U.S. diplomatic activity has thrust critical minerals into the geopolitical spotlight. Resource‑rich nations such as the DRC, Brazil and Zambia are leveraging their mineral wealth to negotiate better terms and assert greater control over strategic industries.
Also developing:
Houthis Vow to Resume Attacks Following Iranian Strikes
Following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced they will resume attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, ending a four‑month lull. BIMCO warns that ships linked to US or Israeli interests face heightened risk, though all vessels could be targeted. The group advises ships to seek refuge in neutral territorial waters such as the UAE or Qatar, or exit the area. Anticipated insurance premiums are expected to surge, and the US has created a maritime warning zone across key Gulf waterways.
Lithium Demand Rebounds 25% as Low‑cost Supply Tightens Price Gap
Lithium bottom: demand +25% as EV/ESS rebound; SQM+Codelco JV raises low-cost supply, tightens cost curve; prices ≈70% below 2022 — overweight low-cost lithium producers. — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
METL: Active Diversified Metals Miners, Up 50% Since Inception In The Past Year
Since its September 2025 debut, the Sprott Active Metals & Miners ETF (METL) has delivered a cumulative return exceeding 50%, outpacing the broader Natural Resources sector. The fund’s portfolio is notably overweight in copper and uranium, differentiating it from gold‑centric...
SQM Reports Earnings for the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2025
SQM reported FY2025 revenue of US$4.576 billion, a modest 1 % increase, while net income surged to US$588 million, reversing a US$404 million loss from the prior year. Gross profit rose to US$1.353 billion, and fourth‑quarter revenue jumped 23.3 % to US$1.324 billion, with net income up...
EU Targets Pre‑consumer Scrap in CBAM to Stop Evasion
EU proposes CBAM treatment for pre-consumer aluminium and steel scrap to curb circumvention and boost traceability. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/eu-cbam-pre-consumer-scrap-proposal.html
US‑Iran Tensions Heighten Rare Earth Supply Scrutiny
The potential U.S. conflict with Iran will create an interesting dilemma regarding weapons re-arming and supply chains. Rare earth elements will come under even greater scrutiny, especially given the already strained trade relationship with China.
How America’s Action in Venezuela Guaranteed Guyana’s Oil Future
U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a January 2026 raid, removing the military threat to Guyana’s Essequibo region and clearing the path for the country’s oil expansion. Guyana’s offshore Stabroek Block, operated by ExxonMobil with Chevron and CNOOC,...
Chile Approves Use of Copper Slag as Artificial Aggregate
Chile’s Ministry of Health has authorized copper slag as an artificial aggregate for road and infrastructure projects under Supreme Decree 46, effective 12 February 2026. The decree permits use only after sanitary approval and confines applications to specified construction uses....
DELKOR India Revamps Tata Steel’s Largest Horizontal Belt Filter
DELKOR India has completed a two‑month revamp of Tata Steel’s 145 m² horizontal belt filter in West Bokaro, a unit that operated continuously for 19 years. The upgrade introduced a site‑spliced 4.2 m belt, redesigned vacuum boxes and airboxes, and a stainless‑steel...
Third Purus Daughter Craft Undergoes Final Outfitting, Sea Trials to Come
Daughter Craft No. 3, commissioned by Purus, is in final outfitting ahead of sea trials, with Volvo Penta IPS drives now installed. The vessel features IMO Tier 3 exhaust after‑treatment to curb emissions and has undergone extensive CFD and tank testing for optimal...
Harnessing the Sun to Extract Oxygen on the Moon
NASA’s Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) successfully used a solar concentrator, mirrors and software to heat simulated lunar regolith and generate carbon monoxide, a precursor to oxygen. The test confirmed that sunlight‑driven chemistry can extract usable gases from moon‑soil without Earth‑supplied...
Co-CEO: Permian Resources Sees Opportunity in Expected Divestiture Wave
Permian Resources Corp. says a wave of asset divestitures is looming as large oil‑and‑gas players unwind recent mega‑deals, and the Midland‑based operator is ready to act. The company can comfortably spend up to $3 billion on acquisitions through 2027 without stretching...
Nike Promotes Manufacturing Exec to Lead Sustainability
Nike has appointed long‑time manufacturing executive Cimarron Nix as its new chief sustainability officer, effective March 15. Nix will report to COO Venkatesh Alagirisamy and relocate from Singapore to Nike’s Beaverton headquarters. She succeeds Jaycee Pribulsky, who departed for a...
The Arsenal Beneath the Arsenal
Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Cadenazzi joined a live event with Ryan Evans to assess the current state of the U.S. defense industrial base. The dialogue covered a surge of venture‑capital‑backed startups, the dominance of legacy primes, and the urgent...
Senegal Gas Project Draws International Scrutiny
The UK OECD National Contact Point has ruled a complaint from Senegalese artisanal fishers against the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas platform admissible. The complaint alleges pollution, denied fishing access, and an inadequate environmental impact assessment by BP and partners....
NatPower Raises Alarm on UK Shore Power Policy
NatPower Marine warns that the UK’s flagship shore‑power projects in Aberdeen and Portsmouth are faltering because soaring industrial electricity prices and a punitive pricing framework make diesel generators cheaper than grid‑connected power. The company attributes the delays to structural policy...
Enaex Commissions All Electric Emulsion Charging Unit at MSC in Argentina
Enaex has commissioned a fully electric mechanised emulsion charging unit at Minera Santa Cruz (MSC) gold‑silver mine in Argentina. The 100 % electric system eliminates diesel engines, cutting underground emissions, noise, and ventilation costs while boosting safety. Jointly developed with MSC,...
UK HRC Discount to North EU Expands
UK hot‑rolled coil (HRC) prices are trading at an average €62 per tonne discount to north‑European benchmarks after Tata Steel UK closed its last blast furnace in September 2024. Imports have surged from 770,000 t in 2023 to 1.4 million t in 2025,...
U.S. Moves to Permanently Seize Sanctioned Tanker ‘Skipper’ and $150M Oil Cargo
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint to permanently seize the motor tanker Skipper and its 1.8‑million‑barrel Venezuelan crude cargo. Authorities seized the vessel off Venezuela in December 2025 after it operated without nationality and falsely claimed...
Worker Dies in an Accident at Chinese Owned Prospect Lithium, Body Spends Almost 12 Hours at Scene
A worker died in an early‑morning incident at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe's processing plant, specifically in the conveyor‑belt section. Police arrived later in the afternoon and the body remained on site for almost twelve hours before being released to relatives at...
CATL and BMW Prepare for Upcoming Battery Passport
Chinese battery giant CATL and German automaker BMW have signed a letter of intent to deepen their partnership, targeting data exchange for the EU battery passport. The two will run pilot projects using the Catena‑X open data ecosystem to enable...
Super Copper Raising $6.0 Million From Upsized Offering
Super Copper Corp. announced an upsized brokered private placement, now targeting $6 million in net proceeds, up from its original $2 million goal. Each unit consists of one common share and a warrant exercisable at $1.15 for three years, with closing expected...
MP's "Strong" Quarter: Accelerated Production, Long-Term Agreements With Major Tech Companies
MP Materials posted a fourth‑quarter revenue of $52.7 million and net income of $9.4 million, buoyed by a U.S. Department of War price‑floor agreement. The company recorded a 12% year‑over‑year increase in rare‑earth oxide concentrate, producing a record 50,692 metric tons, and more...
Maersk Pulls U.S., Other Sailings From Red Sea
Maersk announced it will reroute several U.S. and other services from the Red Sea to the Cape of Good Hope, citing unforeseen security constraints in the region. The changes affect both ME11 and MECL routes, with one westbound and two...
Gunnison Copper Update Lifts Project Value to Near $2B
Gunnison Copper (TSX:GCU) lifted its preliminary economic assessment, pushing the project’s net present value to $1.95 billion and the post‑tax IRR to 23% while extending mine life to 21 years. Capital spending rose 18% to $1.54 billion, reflecting operational upgrades such as...
Canada's Red Tape Stalls Projects for Decades
Canada Is Being Destroyed By Bureaucracy & Over Regulation It takes an average of 19 years to get an approval to build a new Mine Australia's shipping Liquid Natural Gas to Canada's East Coast: Canada has 300 years of Gas Reserves Let's look...
National and International Organisations Express Concern over Another Ruling Against Environmental Defenders Regarding the Curipamba–El Domo Mining Project, Las Naves,...
National and international NGOs condemned the Quevedo Criminal Court's decision to imprison three environmental defenders for four years and impose a fine of fifteen basic salaries. The rulings are part of a broader wave of criminalisation targeting 32 activists opposing...
The Richest Silver Mine Isn’t Underground but in Solar
Silver has become a strategic material for the clean‑energy transition, with solar photovoltaics now accounting for roughly 17% of global silver demand. Primary ore grades are falling, pushing the industry toward higher‑grade, above‑ground sources such as retired solar panels that...
California Sets August Deadline for GHG Emissions Reporting
California’s Air Resources Board has set an August 2024 deadline for companies to file mandatory greenhouse‑gas (GHG) emissions reports covering Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. The state’s climate‑action statutes, including AB 32 and SB 32, require detailed carbon accounting to enforce its cap‑and‑trade...
Manganese X Energy Conducting Pre-Feasibility Work at Battery Hill Project, New Brunswick
Manganese X Energy is moving its Battery Hill pre‑feasibility study forward in New Brunswick by launching a targeted geotechnical drilling program—three holes totalling about 550 metres—and deepening metallurgical process optimization with Kemetco Research. ABH Engineering is steering the PFS schedule and...
Serval Resources Launches 2026 Exploration Programme in Botswana’s Kalahari Copper Belt
Serval Resources has launched its 2026 exploration programme on two licences owned by Kalahari Copper Limited (KCL) in Botswana’s Kalahari Copper Belt, following a conditional agreement to acquire KCL. The first activity is a ground magnetic survey on licence PL061,...
The Talent Paradox
High‑tech mining has embraced automation, AI‑driven haulage and remote operation centres, yet firms struggle to recruit young engineers. Despite the sector’s digital transformation, a perception gap and limited exposure in STEM pipelines keep talent scarce. Universities lag in offering curricula...
Why Sourcing Shifts Are Easier Said than Done when Battling Tariffs
Tariff volatility under the Trump administration is forcing U.S. brands to rethink where they source products. Executives like Brooklinen's COO note that shifting production to a new country takes months, not weeks, and domestic cotton supplies are limited. Companies are...
Most US Coal Plants Could Meet Air Pollution Rules. Trump Weakened Them Anyway
The EPA’s own analysis shows that only 27 of the nation’s 219 coal‑fired power plants would need costly upgrades to meet the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). Despite this, the Trump administration rolled back the stricter limits on...
Metals May Lift Commodities, Yet Risks Favor Decline
Deflation May Reign If Metals Meet High-Price Cure - That orange juice and cocoa were the worst-performing commodities in 2025, after being among the best in 2024, may foreshadow metals in 2026. In the history of the Bloomberg Commodity Spot...
EU Carbon Prices Slip 20% Amid Reform Push
CHART OF THE DAY: The cost of European CO2 allowances has fallen ~20% in recent days after several key countries asked Brussels for a reform. Italy has gone as far as asking the Emissions Trading Syste to be suspended. CO2...
Nigeria: 'Digitisation of Mining License Attracting Investors Into Sector'
Nigeria’s Mining Cadastre Office has completed the digitisation and validation of its mining licence registry, making the country the 11th African nation to achieve this milestone. The move, announced by Director‑General Obadiah Simon Nkom at an African Minerals Development Centre...
Metals Enter Bull Market’s High‑Price Phase, Spark Speculation
From Top Commodity Value to Stretched Speculation - Metals 2026: The Bloomberg All Metals Total Return Subindex represents the top-performing sector over time, but metals may have entered the high-price cure stage of a bull market. The highest-velocity rallies since...
Team Advances America’s Lithium Resurgence at Thacker Pass
A very interesting day at Thacker Pass. A great team building America’s return to #lithium respectability. @LithiumAmericas $LAC https://t.co/Nl37fx3jlX
Ontario Vows More Cash to Boost Mining
Ontario’s government is pledging additional cash to accelerate mining development, announcing C$140 million for road work to the Ring of Fire and billions for high‑capacity power lines. The province upgraded Kinross Gold’s Great Bear project under the One Project One Process...
U.S. Critical Mineral Imports Surge, Few Nations Dominate
America’s net import reliance for critical minerals in 2025, along with the primary countries supplying them between 2021 and 2024 https://t.co/89QwEHKe16 via @visualcap
Hidden Market Volatility May Surface via Crypto, Bonds, Metals
Stock market volatility is still buried. Falling cryptos, T-bond yields and spiking precious metals volatility may trickle down. https://t.co/SeGPI6EvAe
Greenland’s Critical Raw Material Potential and China’s Current Interest in the Arctic
In this episode of Polar Geopolitics, host Eric Pagli discusses China's growing interest in the Arctic, focusing on Greenland's critical raw material potential, with insights from China specialist Gerhard Hegelund and Greenland mining expert Nick Bake‑Heilman. The conversation explores China's...
Glencore Secures $115M Cobalt Deal with Weisfisch
ICYMI: Glencore to buy almost $115 million of cobalt from industry veteran Weisfisch, sources say https://t.co/mu9OLpnjiO
GKN Scraps Magnet Factory, Europe Rare Earths Setback
Exclusive: GKN cancels plans for magnet factory in setback for Europe's rare earths plans https://t.co/KLadnSKxvw
SACIM Completes First Antwerp Diamond Sale in Over a Decade
SACIM completed its first public auction of industrial diamonds in Antwerp, selling 288,000 carats between 16‑20 February 2026. The sale involved 67 international buyers from China, India, the United States and Italy, marking the return of Congolese diamonds to the...
Lithium May Mirror Silver's March‑April Surge?
Is Lithium about to pull 'a Silver' in March and April? $ALB $SQM $LIT $LAC https://t.co/Db55dIPSLT
Adelayde Hires Geologists for Sisson North Tungsten Study
Adelayde Exploration $ADDY.CA $SPMTF Engages Geologic Firm for Work Program on the Sisson North Tungsten Project Directly Bordering Northcliff Resources Ltd. by @newsfile https://t.co/ZGqKQPGqqU
SGS Lakefield Metallurgical Centre of Excellence Celebrates 85th Anniversary
SGS is celebrating the 85th anniversary of its Lakefield Metallurgical Centre of Excellence, positioning the lab at the forefront of Canada’s critical‑minerals push. The facility, which has completed more than 22,000 projects worldwide, offers end‑to‑end metallurgical consulting, pilot‑plant scale‑up and...
India Cuts Coal Imports, Prioritizes Security Over Climate
India prioritizes national security and economic growth above aggressive, ideologically driven climate policies seen in some European countries. India seeks to cut power sector coal imports by 30% this year, sources say https://t.co/bA7W0ywe6Y