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:
Celsius Seals Samsung Heavy LNG Carrier Order
Celsius Tankers, a subsidiary of Denmark’s Celsius Shipping, has placed an order for a 180,000‑cubic‑metre LNG carrier with South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries. The contract, valued at roughly KRW 368 billion ($255 million), lifts Celsius’s LNG fleet to 24 vessels. The new ship joins a broader program of more than ten identical carriers already being built in China and South Korea. Delivery of the latest vessel is targeted for the end of May 2028.
Analysts Overstate Global Copper Supply by Ignoring Strategic Reserves
I am seeing many market analysts include the accumulated copper stockpiles in the US in their global balance of copper stockpiles and therefore conclude that there are >1 million tonnes of available copper in global stockpiles today. I am not...
WCS Supports Amazonian Communities in Fight Against Mercury Pollution From Illegal and Small-Scale Gold Mining
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is tackling a surge of illegal and artisanal gold mining that is poisoning Amazon rivers with mercury, a neurotoxic metal that bioaccumulates in fish and enters Indigenous diets. In Bolivia and Ecuador, WCS partnered with...
Diablo Resources Identifies Large Silver–Antimony Anomaly at Utah Project
Diablo Resources announced a kilometer‑scale silver‑antimony geochemical anomaly at its 100% owned Star Range Project in Utah. First‑pass soil sampling at the South Star Prospect confirmed the anomaly, which extends over 1 km and remains open to the northeast, and is...
Short Bitcoin, Copper, Silver Near 2026 Peaks
Sell the 2026 Open, Buy the Close? Bitcoin, Copper, Silver Tilts - Potentially prudent shorts around $90,000 for Bitcoin, $6 per pound for copper and $100 an ounce for silver could gain traction -- and companions -- when stock...
High-Temp Sodium-Zinc Batteries Reveal Causes of Rapid Capacity Loss
Researchers at Germany's Helmholtz‑Zentrum Dresden‑Rossendorf used operando X‑ray radiography to watch sodium‑zinc molten‑salt batteries function at 600 °C, uncovering hidden aging mechanisms. The imaging revealed liquid‑metal movement, dendrite formation, and electrolyte breakdown that together drive rapid capacity loss. Although the chemistry...
Gold Volatility Surge Signals Looming Stock Market Reversal
Gold Volatility Could Trickle Up to Stocks - Gold's highest 180-day volatility since 2009, juxtaposed with the lowest for the Nasdaq-100 index (NDX) since 2018, forms a crocodile-jaw pattern ripe to bite. My graphic highlights what might be the top...
Andes Iron’s $2.5B Dominga Project in Chile Hits Fresh Snag
Chile’s Antofagasta Court of Appeals overturned a favorable ruling for Andes Iron’s $2.5 billion Dominga iron‑ore and copper project, sending the case back to the special Committee of Ministers. The appeals panel deemed the earlier enforcement vote procedurally flawed and did...
Coal Miner Cops “Substantial Penalty” For Polluting Blue Mountains Waterways
The New South Wales EPA has ordered Centennial Coal to pay $815,000 after the company discharged untreated, metal‑laden water into the Wollangambe River near the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The penalty includes a $543,500 court fine, $185,000 in investigation costs...
Fortescue’s Green Iron Bet in a €300 per Tonne Iron World
Fortescue Metals Group is moving its low‑temperature, hydrogen‑free electrochemical iron process from the laboratory to a pilot plant in the Pilbara. The technology reduces iron ore directly in an alkaline slurry using electricity, allowing continuous production of metallic iron from...
Korean-Dutch Partnership Pursuing Hydrogen Retrofit for Feeder Vessel
South Korean firm Vinssen and Dutch engineering company MANA have signed an MOU to develop a hydrogen fuel‑cell retrofit for an 800 TEU feeder vessel operating in the Baltic and Northern Europe. The partnership will first conduct a technical feasibility study...
Gold Daily Call for February 23rd, 2026
In the February 23, 2026 Gold Daily Call, Florian Grummes analyzes the current gold market, noting a sideways consolidation phase with higher lows and higher highs suggesting a potential breakout toward the $5,350 level. He highlights the bullish momentum in...
SeaBird Exploration Nets Contract Extension for Seismic Survey Vessel
SeaBird Exploration, a subsidiary of SED Energy Holdings, announced a three‑month extension of its contract for the Fulmar Explorer seismic survey vessel. The extension covers ocean‑bottom‑node source work in the Western Hemisphere and pushes the vessel’s commitment through mid‑June 2026. Commercial...
The Redefined Role of Steel in Solar Energy Projects
Solar installations are scaling up, prompting steel to shift from a simple commodity to a strategic engineering component. Project developers now demand steel that meets strict quality, traceability, and performance standards over 25‑year service lives. Integrated production models—combining high‑volume manufacturing,...
Romgaz Prepared to Cover Neptun Deep Costs, CEO Says
Romanian state‑owned gas producer Romgaz says it has sufficient funding lines to cover its €2 billion share of the Neptun Deep offshore gas project in 2026. The €4 billion development, partnered with OMV Petrom, is one of the EU’s largest natural‑gas deposits. Romgaz’s...
BC Government Accepts Surge Copper’s Berg Project
The British Columbia government has accepted Surge Copper’s Berg Project into the province’s Critical Minerals Office, giving it priority status and coordinated regulatory support. The Berg Project hosts a copper‑molybdenum‑silver deposit with a projected mine life exceeding 30 years. Inclusion...
North Sea Storm Cuts EnQuest’s 2026 Output Forecast
EnQuest announced a revised 2026 production outlook after a severe North Sea storm damaged the third‑party Ninian Central platform, forcing a five‑week shutdown of its Magnus field. Production at Magnus resumed early on February 22, but the outage prompted the company...
Bentley Commits to Use 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Car Airfreight
Bentley Motors announced it will use 100 % sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for every customer car air‑freight shipment worldwide, effective immediately. The move is part of the brand’s “Beyond100+” sustainability programme, which targets full carbon‑neutrality by 2030 and a shift to...
Illegal Coal Mining Bust in East Jaintia Hills; 17,000 MT Seized, 22 Held
Police in East Jaintia Hills seized twelve coal‑laden trucks, confiscating 17,322 metric tonnes of coal and 25.5 kg of explosives. The operation resulted in 22 arrests and 94 FIRs, intensifying a crackdown that follows a February 5 dynamite blast that killed...
Gemfields Earns $53m From February Ruby Auction
Gemfields generated $53 million from its mixed‑quality rough ruby auction held 9‑20 February, selling 121 of 135 lots (90%) and 189,620 carats of the 214,509 offered (88%). The auction achieved an average price of $279 per carat, underscoring strong demand for fine‑quality...
Geneva Dry Dialogues: European Energy Exchange
Geneva Dry 2026, the premier dry‑bulk shipping conference, is set for April 28‑29 in Lausanne with up to 900 delegates and 51 sponsors. European Energy Exchange (EEX) head Peter Blogg warned that geopolitical turbulence makes short‑term forecasts difficult, underscoring the...
15-Year-Old VLCC Values Jump 57% Year-on-Year as Sinokor Linked to Teekay Exit
Teekay Tankers sold its 15‑year‑old VLCC Singapore Spirit for $84.5 million, a deal widely linked to Korean buyer Sinokor. Recent disposals by CMB.TECH of similar‑aged vessels also point to Sinokor’s aggressive purchasing pattern, with the firm tied to over 40 VLCC...
Polaris Engineering to Refurbish Forrestania's Lake Johnston Plant
Polaris Engineering has secured a $5 million contract to refurbish the three‑stage crushing circuit at Forrestania Resources' Lake Johnston project in Western Australia. The scope includes upgrades to major equipment, piping, cabling and instrumentation, aiming to boost plant reliability and throughput....
Behind the Boardroom Coup at Copper 360
Copper 360, the JSE‑listed pure‑play copper miner, announced a boardroom shake‑up as CEO Graham Briggs and CFO Stephan Du Plessis were placed on leave, with COO Gordon Thompson acting as CEO. The move follows a costly R1.15 billion recapitalisation that tripled the...
‘Go Ahead and Occupy the Space’: President Urges Youth to Seize Mining Opportunities Under Vision 2030
President Emmerson Mnangagwa urged Zimbabwe’s 30,000‑strong youth audience to seize opportunities in the mining sector as part of the National Development Strategy 2 and Vision 2030. He highlighted the growing impact of young entrepreneurs, citing Ionosphere Investments’ lithium processing plant and BlackBull...
Genesis Eyes GR Engineering for Tower Hill Gold Plant
Genesis Minerals has appointed GR Engineering Services as the preferred contractor to design and build a new processing plant at its Tower Hill gold deposit, located just north of the Gwalia mine in Western Australia. The facility will integrate with...
Antilles Gold, GeoMinera Begin Cuba Mine, 2026 Commissioning
Antilles Gold and GeoMinera start building Cuba’s Nueva Sabana copper-gold mine, targeting end-2026 commissioning. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/antilles-gold-nueva-sabana-copper-gold.html
China’s 2026 Policy Loosening Boosts Steel, Non‑Ferrous Demand
China signals looser policy and faster green transition for 2026, supporting steel and non-ferrous demand. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/china-2026-economic-policy-direction.html
Rwanda: MPs Back Tougher Action On Abandoned Mining Pits
Rwanda's Parliament endorsed stricter measures to tackle abandoned mining pits after a session with Environment Minister Bernadette Arakwiye. The new framework will raise rehabilitation guarantee fees and tighten licence renewal requirements, aiming to curb illegal mining and reduce environmental damage....
Regulatory Green Light Paves Way for Bindi Metals to Drill Serbian Gold Project
Bindi Metals has secured regulatory approval from Serbia’s Ministry of Mining and Energy to commence its maiden drill program at the Ravni gold project. The approval, which amends the work program, clears the path for drilling within the first exploration...
Queen Hill Delivers Big Upgrade as Stellar Resources Hits 100,000t Tassie Tin Milestone
Stellar Resources announced that its Heemskirk tin project in Tasmania has surpassed the 100,000‑tonne tin metal threshold, driven by a 41% increase in the Queen Hill resource to 4.11 Mt at 0.85% Sn (34,900 t contained tin). The upgrade lifts the total...
Lodestar Minerals Reports High-Grade Rare Earths at New US Project
Lodestar Minerals announced that reconnaissance sampling at its newly acquired Virgin Mountain project in Arizona returned exceptionally high rare earth oxide grades, including up to 3.73% total rare earth oxides (TREO) with a heavy rare earth (HRE) dominance. The assays...
Brightstar Delivers Big Gold Strike at 2.4Moz Sandstone as Resource Update Nears
Brightstar Resources announced a series of high‑grade gold intercepts from its Sandstone project in Western Australia, highlighted by a 4.2‑metre interval grading 26.7 g/t gold at the Musketeer deposit. Additional holes at Musketeer and the nearby Indomitable deposit returned multiple zones...
QMines Unlocks Copper Expansion Potential with Develin Creek Resource Lift
QMines announced a 46% increase in indicated resources at its Develin Creek copper‑zinc project, raising the indicated reserve to 4.22 Mt at 0.98% copper and 1.08% zinc. Total mineral resources now total 4.7 Mt at roughly 0.94% copper and 1.0% zinc, with...
The Cost of Compliance with the EUDR Will Limit Its Impact on Reducing Deforestation (Commentary)
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will require physical segregation of seven high‑risk agri‑commodities, adding substantial compliance costs. Because commodity markets operate on razor‑thin margins—often 1‑3% for soy—the extra expenses threaten price competitiveness. The authors argue that these costs will push...
India Pivots to Brazil with $20B Mining Deal
#IndiaWatch🇮🇳: India just signed a $20B mining and minerals pact with Brazil to secure iron ore and fuel steel expansion. US tariff threats push India away, and it pivots towards the global south. https://t.co/JvDQ3RVGy6
Queensland Puts Mount Isa Supply Chain on Track with Rail Subsidy
Queensland announced a 10 percent subsidy on below‑rail access charges for the Mount Isa Line, aiming to lower freight costs for the state’s mining corridor. The measure is expected to save users over $5 million across four years for a typical shipper...
Perenti Lifts Earnings, Strengthens Margins in FY26 Half-Year
Perenti reported a solid first‑half FY26 result, posting $1.73 billion revenue and a 3% rise in EBITA to $160.1 million. Underlying net profit jumped 12% to $91.8 million, lifting earnings per share 12% to 9.8 cents and improving the EBITA margin to 9.3%. The...
Onslow Powers MinRes’ $1.2 Billion Earnings Record
Mineral Resources (MinRes) posted a record first‑half EBITDA of $1.2 billion on $3.1 billion revenue, a 286% profit surge. The jump was driven by Onslow Iron reaching its 35 Mtpa nameplate, delivering $519 million EBITDA, and strong lithium recoveries at Wodgina and Mt Marion. Net...
Queensland Gov’t Trade Mission Targets Manufacturing and Resources Growth in East Asia
The Queensland Government announced a trade mission to South Korea and Japan, led by Minister Dale Last, to boost investment in the state’s mining, critical‑minerals and manufacturing sectors. The delegation will promote coal, gas, and the revived Queensland Train Manufacturing...
Cannae Holdings Inc (CNNE) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Canaan Inc. posted Q4 2025 revenue of $196 million, up 30.4% quarter‑over‑quarter and 121.1% year‑over‑year, marking its strongest quarter in three years. Product revenue surged 39.1% to $165 million, driven by large North American orders, while computing power sold hit an all‑time high...
Copper Rebound Anchors CAFCA’s Q1 Performance as Export Demand Surges
CAFCA Limited posted a 3% year‑on‑year increase in total sales volumes for Q1 2025, propelled by a 21% surge in copper product volumes. Export shipments to regional markets leapt 77% after the company overhauled its distribution model and eliminated consignment...
Partners Study Year-Round Shipping From Canada’s Churchill Port
Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) has teamed up with Canadian carrier Fednav to evaluate the operational requirements for year‑round shipping from the Port of Churchill. The joint study, focused on ice‑covered Hudson Bay navigation, will assess historical ice patterns, seasonal extensions...
How Salt Helped Win the Civil War – by Anne Ewbank (Atlas Obscura – September 28, 2018)
During the American Civil War, salt emerged as a strategic commodity, vital for preserving food, curing leather, and maintaining soldiers’ health. Union forces quickly recognized that Confederate salt production facilities, especially those in the South, were critical supply nodes and...
The Gold and Salt Economy of Medieval West Africa – by Jimi Obawole (Nia Nexus Africa – October 3, 2025)
Medieval West Africa’s economy revolved around a vast gold‑and‑salt trade network that connected savannah kingdoms to North African and Mediterranean markets for nearly a millennium. The introduction of the camel and Islam in the 8th century transformed the Sahara into a...
US Blocks Sea Salt Imports From South Korean Salt Farm over Forced Labor Concerns – by Kim Tong-Hyung (Associated Press...
The United States Customs and Border Protection issued a withhold‑release order blocking imports of sea‑salt from South Korea’s Taepyung farm, citing reasonable indications of forced labor. Taepyung, the nation’s largest salt producer, accounts for roughly 6% of South Korea’s total...
![[History of Salt] Age of Invention: The Second Soul, Part I – by Anton Howes (Substack – March 8, 2024)](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/8a3abc1da294a54652c1d06963a57332.webp)
[History of Salt] Age of Invention: The Second Soul, Part I – by Anton Howes (Substack – March 8, 2024)
The article highlights salt’s pivotal role in the 17th‑century economy, where it was deemed as essential as grain and fuel. Control over salt sources drove military campaigns and even sparked wars, underscoring its strategic value. Technological advances in the 18th...
Kristie Batten: TG Metals on the Pathway to Gold Production
TG Metals is finalising a resource update for its Van Uden gold project in Western Australia, where a 6.35 Mt resource at 1.1 g/t yields roughly 227,000 ounces of gold. Recent drilling returned high‑grade intercepts up to 2.48 g/t over 30 m and extended the...
Flying to Florida, Then Nevada for Lithium Americas Visit
Nice day to fly. Florida (BMO) today. Nevada to visit @LithiumAmericas & Thacker Pass later this week. https://t.co/IxPMJX66U7
IPO Watch: Taurus-Backed Endurance Mining Eyes Late 2026 Float After Reviving WA Silver and Lead Mine
Endurance Mining, backed by Taurus Funds, has revived the Abra lead‑silver mine in Western Australia, delivering a record $19.5 million EBITDA and $8.8 million free cash flow in the December quarter. Production reached 253,000 oz of silver and 19,756 t of lead at a...