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:
Metso‑Loesche Launch VRM Dry Grinding Tech
Metso and Loesche have formed an exclusive partnership to launch Metso Loesche VRM dry grinding technology for minerals processing. The solution merges Metso’s end‑to‑end processing portfolio with Loesche’s vertical roller mill (VRM) design, aiming to replace HPGR, horizontal and stirred mills. It promises lower energy consumption, reduced wear‑part usage, a steeper particle‑size distribution and the possibility of fully dry flowsheets that cut water use. A webinar on the technology is scheduled for March 5, 2026.
Eidesvik Wins PSV Extension From Aker BP
Eidesvik Offshore has secured an additional contract extension from Aker BP for its 2012-built platform supply vessel Viking Prince. The extension adds roughly two months to the vessel’s hire, pushing the end‑date to the end of April 2026. This follows...
Bahri Charters Five Supertankers as Rates Approach $200K/Day
Saudi Arabia’s largest oil shipper, Bahri, provisionally chartered five very large crude carriers as daily charter rates neared $200,000, the highest level since 2020. The vessels are slated to move Saudi crude to Asian markets, chiefly China, in the coming...
Surge Battery Metals Drills 116 Meters of 3,752 Ppm Lithium at Nevada North Lithium Project, Nevada
Surge Battery Metals, together with Evolution Mining, released the final assay results from its 2025 core drilling program at Nevada North Lithium Project. Infill drilling returned a 116‑metre interval averaging 3,752 ppm lithium, including a 32.1‑metre zone grading 4,521 ppm, confirming a...
Contesting Self-Governance in the South Pacific
New Zealand’s foreign minister announced a NZ $30 million aid suspension to the Cook Islands after the Pacific nation failed to consult Wellington on a deep‑sea mining partnership with China. The dispute centers on the interpretation of the Cook Islands’ free‑association status...
Strategic Reserve Could Stabilize Mineral Markets, Unlock Capital
Last night’s State of the Union address tied AI dominance to power plants, permits, and domestic mining. Earlier in the day, the House Energy & Minerals Subcommittee debated how to actually fix the mineral markets behind that ambition via the SECURE...
U.S. Treasury Sanctions 12 Tankers in Iran’s Shadow Fleet
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on 12 tankers and their owners that have shipped hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products. The designations also include nine individuals and entities in Iran,...
Bears May Get Brief Relief, Not Full Trend Reversal
@GrainsGorilla your bearish tenacity may be about ready to payoff, at least for a little while. May be time time to shake the trees for a little bit and give some relief to the bears it seems. ...
SA Mining Baffled as Godongwana Fails to Address Energy Tariffs
South Africa’s Minerals Council criticised the 2024 budget for omitting any reduction in electricity tariffs for the ferroalloys sector, despite industrial power costs soaring over 900% since 2008. The omission threatens the ferrochrome industry, which supports more than 20,000 jobs,...
After 2019 Flood, Arkansas Port Gets $8M for Rebuild
The Arkansas River port, devastated by the 2019 flood, secured an $8.1 million federal grant to modernize its facilities and expand rail capacity. Operator Five Rivers Distribution will construct three 30,000‑square‑foot warehouses to handle freight arriving by rail. The city’s port...
VanadiumCorp Begins Staged Technical Program Toward NI 43-101 Report for Lac Laura Gold-Copper Property, Quebec
VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. announced it is moving forward with a staged, gated technical program to produce an NI 43‑101 compliant report for its Lac Laura gold‑copper property in Quebec. The company is selecting independent geological and engineering consultants to execute Phase 1...
FLSmidth – Toni Laaksonen
FLSmidth announced that Toni Laaksonen will assume the role of chief executive officer, while temporarily retaining his duties as president of the service business line. He succeeds Mikko Keto, who has stepped down after a tenure marked by strategic realignment. The appointment...
Crédit Agricole Appoints Quentin Guerineau as Chief Sustainability and Impact Officer
Crédit Agricole has appointed former French cabinet minister Quentin Guerineau as its Chief Sustainability and Impact Officer, succeeding Eric Campos. Guerineau joins the bank’s Management Committee and will report to Gregory Erphelin, head of the newly formed Transformation, Human Resources...
Global Tailings Management Institute – Ed Toms
The Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI) announced Ed Toms as its new chief executive officer. Toms, a veteran of the mining sector, will steer GTMI’s mission to improve tailings safety and sustainability worldwide. The appointment comes amid heightened scrutiny of...
U.S. Department of Labor – Wayne D. Palmer
The U.S. Department of Labor has sworn in Wayne D. Palmer as the 12th assistant secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) after his Senate confirmation in October. Palmer previously served as acting and deputy assistant secretary at...
Eskay Mining – Clinton Smyth
Clinton Smyth has been hired as chief geologist for Eskay Mining Corp., bringing a 25‑year mining pedigree from Anglo American and Minorco. He previously served as vice‑president of exploration, overseeing the discovery of the 2‑million‑ounce Buzwagi gold deposit in Tanzania...
Highland Copper – Dr. Wynand Van Dyk
Highland Copper announced that Project Director Dr. Wynand van Dyk is leaving the company to become an associate professor at the University of Stellenbosch. He will stay on a consulting basis to finish the integrated mine plan review. The firm...
Tectonic Metals – Eira Thomas & Allison Rippin Armstrong
Tectonic Metals Inc. announced that co‑founder Eira Thomas has been appointed chair of the board of directors. Thomas brings more than three decades of senior mining and exploration experience, having led Kaminak Gold and co‑founded Stornoway and Lucara Diamond. Allison...
AECI Grows Ebitda, Ebitda Margin; to Invest in Plants and Equipment in 2026
AECI reported a record R3.4 billion EBITDA and an 11% margin despite a 4% drop in revenue to R32.1 billion. The company completed most non‑core asset disposals, generating R2.2 billion and cutting net debt to R465 million from R3.74 billion. Earnings per share turned positive,...
Sixty North Gold Mining
Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd announced the addition of two directors, Daniel Martin and Michelle Legat. Martin contributes 15 years of investment‑banking experience, having advised public and private firms on capital‑markets and strategic deals. Legat, a professional geoscientist, joins from GeologicAI where she...
Collective Mining – Carlos Andrés Santos
Collective Mining Ltd. announced the appointment of Carlos Andrés Santos as executive vice president, effective immediately. Santos arrives with more than two decades of senior leadership, most recently as CEO of Americas Business Services at Holcim/Amrize. He also previously served...
Strategic Metals – Sam Wallingham
Strategic Metals Ltd. has appointed Sam Wallingham as its vice president of energy development. Wallingham brings extensive Yukon experience, having served as a community affairs director, negotiator, and trainer for multiple exploration firms. He previously sat on the Alexco Resource...
Almonty Industries – Guillaume Wiesenbach De Lamaziere
Almonty Industries Inc. announced the appointment of Guillaume Wiesenbach de Lamaziere, CFA, as its new chief development officer. The veteran finance professional will oversee the company's growth initiatives across its global tungsten mining portfolio. Wiesenbach de Lamaziere brings over two...
Capacity Additions to Lift Indonesia’s Nickel Supply in 2026
Indonesia, which supplies roughly 65% of global nickel, is set to increase output to 2.9 million tonnes in 2026, an 11.9% rise from 2025. The boost stems from expanded mining permits at Weda Bay and the commissioning of several high‑pressure acid...
Toronto to Host Global Mineral Sector for PDAC 2026, March 1–4
The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada will host its 94th annual convention in Toronto from March 1‑4, 2026, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The event, billed as the world’s premier mineral exploration and mining gathering, will feature more...
Appia Rare Earths & Uranium’s Tom Drivas Reports 300 Metres at 2.55% TREO From Surface in Brazil Carbonatite
Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. announced a 300‑metre drill hole in Brazil’s Ultra Hard Rock carbonatite that intersected 2.55% total rare earth oxides (TREO) from surface, including a 1.7‑metre interval grading 14.27% TREO and 2.3% magnet rare earths. The...
Funds ‘Could Be on Hook for Further €9bn Divestment’ Under Revised SFDR
The EU’s revised Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) now obliges funds to disclose and potentially divest from fossil‑fuel holdings, prompting German NGOs to warn that an extra €9 billion of assets may need to be sold. The European Securities and Markets...
Zambia to Build ‘Rainy Day’ Fund While Metals Surge
Zambia will establish a “rainy day” stabilisation fund to lock away surplus copper revenues as production hits record levels and prices hover near historic highs. The Treasury plans to finalise the fund’s framework this year before beginning deposits, using the...
The Argentina Deal Is the Template of How Deals in the New World Order Will Work
On February 5, the United States and Argentina signed a bilateral agreement that goes beyond tariff cuts to align trade, investment, and national‑security priorities in critical minerals and energy. The pact obliges Argentina to facilitate U.S. investment across the entire...
Project Ramp-Ups and Capacity Expansions to Increase Australian Coal Output in 2026
Australia’s coal output remained flat in 2025 at roughly 65 mt, buoyed by the Olive Downs Complex and efficiency gains at Hunter Valley and Dawson. A 3.9% rise to 483.2 mt is forecast for 2026, driven by the Maxwell underground ramp‑up, capacity...
5 Minutes with… Brooke Bibeault
In a brief interview, Brooke Bibeault, chief executive of Makor Resources, outlines the company’s growth strategy and its commitment to responsible mining. She stresses the need for greater public awareness of where metals originate and highlights Makor’s upcoming copper project...
Sitka Expands RC Gold Beyond 5M Ounces
Sitka Gold Corp. released an updated mineral resource estimate for its RC Gold project in Yukon, pushing the combined resource base above five million ounces of gold. The new estimate adds a maiden 2.25‑million‑ounce resource at the newly discovered Rhosgobel deposit...
US$28,74m Write-Down as Sibanye-Stillwater Reassesses Mimosa’s Long-Term Economic Outlook
Sibanye‑Stillwater recorded a $28.74 million impairment on its Zimbabwean Mimosa platinum operation after revising long‑term economic assumptions. The new model assumes an eight‑year life‑of‑mine, higher working and capital costs, and incorporates a 10 % beneficiation tax, reducing projected cash inflows. Despite a...
Gold Buying Prices in Zimbabwe per Gram/ Ounce, 25 February 2026
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) released its gold buying rates for 25 February 2026, listing prices from $149.39 to $157.69 per gram (approximately $4,646.55‑$4,904.71 per ounce) across purity tiers. The highest cash price applies to fire‑assay gold above 100 g with no sample deduction,...
Technip Energies-Led JV Nets ‘Major’ LNG Contract with QatarEnergy
A joint venture led by Technip Energies, together with Consolidated Contractors Company and Gulf Asia Contracting, secured an EPCC contract from QatarEnergy for the onshore LNG facilities of the North Field West project. The award, valued at over €1 billion, includes...
Ontario Grants Exploration Permit for Howells Lake Antimony-Gold Project
Ontario’s Ministry of Northern Development granted an exploration permit for the Howells Lake project, targeting a combined antimony‑gold deposit in the province’s mineral‑rich north. The permit follows a rigorous environmental review and grants the operator a five‑year window to delineate...
BQE Water, Hudbay to Deliver Canada’s First SART Plant
BQE Water has signed a contract with Hudbay Minerals to advance the engineering design of Canada’s first SART (Sodium Arsenite Removal and Treatment) plant, slated for integration into Hudbay’s Snow Lake mill in Manitoba. The agreement moves the project into...
Gold's Historic Premium Signals Potential 2025 Bust
The 2026 Gold Rush Risks a 2025 Bitcoin-Like Bust - At almost 3x, gold has never sustained a greater stretch vs. its 120-month moving average with inflation so low. The graphic highlights a historic oxymoron for the traditional haven: its...
UUUU Forms Bullish Cup‑Handle, Target Mid‑$20s
$UUUU Daily. Uranium/rare earth miner still forming an attractive, bullish cup and handle pattern. Needs to push back into mid-$20's now. https://t.co/jqAyOlkNY0
Australia Ships LNG 16,000 Miles to Canada as Asia Demand Slumps
Australia’s Gorgon‑linked LNG exporter sent a cargo aboard the Maran Gas Hector to eastern Canada, covering roughly 16,000 miles – the longest route for Australian LNG to date. The move reflects a sharp slowdown in Asian demand, where shipments to...
Silver Drilling Kicks Off in Mining‑friendly Nevada.
Starting major silver drilling campaign in mining friendly Nevada @BRCSilver $brc.v look at that chart
Fortescue Bets Future on $1 Bn Green Pilbara Shift
"Fortescue Stakes Its Future on a Billion Dollar Green Pivot in the Pilbara" https://t.co/NNU6MWp1YM @FortescueNews #Fortescue
Botswana Diamonds Rebrands, Targets Copper
Botswana Diamonds announced it will rebrand as Botswana Minerals and adopt the ticker BMIN on Feb 27, reflecting a strategic shift beyond diamonds into copper exploration. The change follows an AI‑driven review of its 95,000 sq km geological database, which uncovered 11 high‑prospectivity...
Congo’s Sovereignty, Not Ownership, Controls Cobalt Supply
China’s cobalt strategy assumed that owning mines guaranteed supply. Congo’s export controls show that sovereignty trumps ownership. China controls processing; Congo controls the tap. https://t.co/sBpdLF03jS #Cobalt #CriticalMinerals #China #SupplyChains #Geopolitics @ctindale
Retail Lithium Investors Should Prioritize Proven Production Assets
Nobody likes to hear it but these are dangerous times for retail #lithium investors that throw money at projects that shouldn’t (and ultimately won’t) be built. Buy quality assets - currently producing or with a clear path to production. Traders?...
Botswana Diamonds Rebrands, Targeting Copper
Botswana Diamonds announced it will rebrand as Botswana Minerals and adopt the ticker BMIN, reflecting a strategic pivot toward copper exploration. An AI‑driven analysis of its 95,000 sq km geological database uncovered 11 high‑potential copper targets, leading to eight new licences. The...
ILi Markets: Rare, Timely Lithium Market Insight Source
Thanks @D_Jimenez_Sch - there are limited sources of useful, timely information on the #lithium market. Daniel (& his team at iLi Markets) is one of them. Great podcast guest too.
Besra Secures Conditional Lease Renewal for Jugan Deposit in Malaysia
Besra Gold announced that the Sarawak Government has conditionally approved the renewal of mining lease ML 05/2012/1D, covering the Jugan deposit within its Bau Gold Project. The company controls a 98.5% stake (93.8% on an equity basis) in the brownfield project,...
Contango Drills Bonanza Gold at Lucky Shot
Contango Ore reported high‑grade underground drill results from its Lucky Shot gold project in Alaska, highlighted by a 1.16‑meter interval grading 294.8 g/t gold in the newly identified KM vein. The first 20 of a planned 60‑hole phase confirmed mineralization in...
JinkoSolar Achieves Record-Breaking 26.66% Efficiency for TOPCon Solar Cell Based on M10-Size Wafer
JinkoSolar announced a 26.6% power conversion efficiency for an industrial‑scale TOPCon solar cell built on an M10‑size wafer, setting a new world record for this technology class. The result, validated by an independent Chinese third‑party, stems from a dual‑side electrical...