Today's Mining Pulse
Ximen Mining Deploys Robotic Dog to Speed Up Underground Surveys
Ximen Mining has introduced an autonomous robotic dog to survey underground excavations at its Kenville mine project in British Columbia. The platform delivers faster, safer data collection and the company says it trims survey time by roughly 30 percent, underscoring a broader industry shift toward automation.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Ganfeng invests $319M in Australian Mount Marion lithium mine
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 handling 500,000 tonnes annually. By making rail more competitive than road haulage, the subsidy seeks to improve supply‑chain resilience and road safety. The initiative also dovetails with Queensland’s bid for U.S. critical‑minerals funding and broader infrastructure upgrades.
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
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...
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...
💥New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC💥
The episode examines Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC’s recent Chapter 11 sale filing, tracing its roots back to the 1916-founded R.T. Vanderbilt Company and its evolution from paper clay mining to industrial talc production. It highlights the long‑standing regulatory challenges with OSHA...
DRC, Belgium, and KoBold Metals in Dispute Over Colonial Mineral Archives
A dispute has emerged between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, and U.S. firm KoBold Metals over access to colonial-era geological archives housed at Belgium’s AfricaMuseum. The DRC wants to partner with KoBold to digitize data on cobalt, lithium and...
Kolwezi to Host DRC Critical Minerals & Industrialization Forum in October 2026
The Democratic Republic of Congo will host the inaugural DRC Critical Minerals & Industrialization Forum in Kolwezi from 7 to 9 October 2026, co‑hosting with the DRC‑Africa Battery Metals Forum. The event targets cobalt and lithium, aiming to shift the...
Jubilee Metals Reports Strong Half-Year Copper Performance in Zambia
Jubilee Metals reported a strong first half of 2025, with Roan achieving its 30,000‑tonne‑per‑month feed target and saleable copper output rising 8.7% to 1,543 tonnes. The company kept its full‑year production guidance of 4,500‑5,100 tonnes despite seasonal rain disruptions. Roan...
ZCCM-IH to Construct Access Roads at Kikonge Mine as Govt Moves to Formalise Artisanal Mining
ZCCM Investments Holdings has begun constructing access roads to the Kikonge Mine in Mufumbwe, signalling a concrete step in Zambia’s drive to regularise artisanal and small‑scale mining. The government, led by Mining Minister Paul Kabuswe, linked illegal mining to the...
DRC Subcontracting Regulator Cancels Kibali Contracts, Orders Legal Tender Process
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting (ARSP) has voided contracts between the Kibali Gold Mine and three service firms—KMS, Boart Longyear and TAI Services—citing non‑compliance with subcontracting regulations. The audit, conducted in November 2025, found the contractors...
DRC Launches AXIS Programme and Sovereign Gold Reserve Token Framework
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Mines and the Social Fund signed an agreement to launch the AXIS Programme and its Sovereign Gold Reserve Token (SGRT), a debt‑free financing tool linked to gold production. Led by the FSRDC with...
Africa: Africa's Regional Blocs Must Prevent a Silent Scramble for Critical Minerals
A new scramble for Africa's critical minerals—lithium, cobalt, graphite, platinum‑group metals and rare‑earth elements—is driven by global green‑energy supply chains. The article argues that regional blocs such as SADC, ECOWAS and EAC must coordinate policies to move from raw‑material exports...
Coal Demand Set for Uptick on Rising Power Needs
India’s power demand rebounded sharply in December, posting a 6.3% rise, and continued climbing in January as a harsh winter and improving economic activity spurred electricity consumption. The surge is expected to lift coal demand, reversing a period of weakness...
Gold Digger: Why Gold Remains the Market’s ‘Biggest Trade’
Triple Eight Capital’s Roscoe Widdup warns that gold remains the market’s biggest trade, with bullion prices poised to climb above $5,000 per ounce. He highlights that top gold miners are trading at less than 10 times forward cash‑flow, a steep discount...
The US Is Still Bleeding Coal Jobs, Trump Or No Trump
President Trump continues to tout coal while the industry sheds jobs at an accelerating pace. U.S. coal‑generating capacity fell by 57 GW during his two terms, outpacing the 48 GW loss under Obama and 41 GW under Biden. Employment in coal mining has...
Hubei STR to Open 50k‑ton Anode Recycling Plant 2026
Hubei STR will launch a 50,000 t/yr anode recycling plant in March 2026 as China battery scrap rises. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/hubei-str-anode-recycling-plant-will.html
REalloys Secures 5‑Year Rare‑Earth Deal, Boosts Saskatoon Expansion
REalloys signs 5-year SRC deal for NdPr, Dy, Tb and funds Saskatoon capacity expansion. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/realloys-rare-earth-supply-deal-with.html
Fault Lines in Nevada: Governance, Gold, and the Future of NGM
Newmont Corporation filed a formal notice of default against Barrick Gold over the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture, citing alleged mismanagement and resource diversion. The JV, formed in 2019, gives Barrick a 61.5% operating stake while Newmont holds 38.5% of...
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
Iran's Survival Shift Fuels Chaos Amid China Metal Competition
Teheran now believes it's marked for death, writes @ctindale Once survival replaces strategy, restraint evaporates & chaos becomes leverage Anyone who thinks this isn’t about oil—specifically balancing China’s grip on metals—simply isn’t paying attention #Geopolitics #Iran #Deterrence #EnergySecurity #PowerPolitics #Risk #MiddleEast #StrategicStability
From Courtroom to Capital Markets: Why US Tariff Instability Matters
The Supreme Court narrowed presidential tariff authority, prompting the administration to rely on alternative statutes and refusing refunds for collected duties. This creates a new layer of substitution and retroactivity risk that markets now price into trade‑policy expectations. For capital‑intensive...
Full EV Fleet by 2026 Cuts WA Emissions Over Half
While renewables boom in WA, WA electric vehicle adoption half the global adoption rate of 25% If WA's vehicle fleet was 100% electric in 2026 with renewables penetration at 55%, more than half of WA transport emissions would have been eliminated @RogerCookMLA
Japan's Deep-Sea Rare Earths: Promise Meets Extraction Hurdle
Japan’s deep-sea rare earth find at Minamitorishima sounds like a game-changer. And on paper, it is. The 50-50 mix of light and heavy rare earths is impressive, especially since heavy elements are the truly scarce ones. The bad news is it’s...
How Can IAA Bring Local Cleantech Manufacturing?
The article argues that embedding Union content criteria in the EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) is the only viable lever to build a resilient, locally sourced battery industry. By conditioning public subsidies—such as EV purchase incentives—on a minimum share of...
Jan Gas Futures Near $5, Could Slip Below $4.40
January Natural Gas vs. Lower Energy, Rates Goals - The January natural gas future (Jan27) is typically the tip of the price curve and will be tops in relevance around the US midterms, with a potential downward bias. Preexisting trends...
U.S. Produces 300 Mining Engineers vs China’s 3,000
Here’s an important story in the Washington Post, with a link below, about how the United States forgot how to mine anything and what it is costing our nation today. If America wants to reduce its dependence on imports from...
New Partnership to Keep Thompson Mine Open, Eyes Expansion After Partial Sale – by Eric Westhaver (CBC News Manitoba –...
Vale Base Metals has sold a majority stake in its Thompson nickel mine to a consortium of Exiro Minerals, Orion Resource Partners, and the Canada Growth Fund. The new Exiro Nickel Company will operate the mine, backed by up to...
Almonty Raises $112.5M for Global Tungsten Expansion
Almonty seeks $112.5mn to advance Montana tungsten, Portugal Panasqueira expansion, and Korea Sangdong Mo drilling. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/almonty-tungsten-funding-targets-1125mn.html
CEO Warwick Smith Discusses Deal Strategies at American Pacific
Resource Expert Sean Brodrick interviews Deal-maker CEO Warwick Smith of American Pacific Mining Corp $USGDF $USGD.CA https://t.co/9vg3VBGu4A https://t.co/fs6rz3m196
Wall Street Bears Turn Tail After Gold Rises to $5,100/Oz, Main Street Bullishness Unchanged as Iran Tensions Mount – by...
Gold prices rebounded from early‑week weakness, reclaiming the $5,000 support level and climbing to $5,100 per ounce by week’s end. The initial dip was tied to reduced Chinese demand during the Lunar New Year, but safe‑haven buying spurred by rising...
Beyond Bullish Forecasts: Deep Dive with YJ Lee
Episode 229 of the @globallithium podcast with YJ Lee. The bullish forecasts are only a small part of the conversation. @usuallyYJLee https://t.co/Dkg19Dg7Lg
Gold and Silver Surge Amid Iran Tensions, CNY Break Ends
Gold back over $5100 USD and Silver over $84 USD. We have a potential Iran conflict, and the end of the CNY break next week. https://t.co/Eac6sG80np
Corb Lund Launching Water Not Coal Petition Campaign Friday in Lethbridge, with Event Saturday in Calgary – by Stephen Tipper...
Southern Alberta country singer Corb Lund has relaunched his “Water Not Coal” petition campaign to ban new coal exploration and mining in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains. He received official clearance from Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer and has...
Mineral Resources Posts Interim Profit on Onslow Boost, Lithium Rebound
Mineral Resources swings to interim profit on stronger Onslow output, lithium rebound https://t.co/DOTSeLY4pB via @KitcoNewsNOW
Push Renewables, Not Nuclear, for WA’s Future
Let's build WA's future around renewables and green iron, not gullibly back nuclear and last century subs that have already been strategically neutralised by drones Hey @AlboMP - what the hell is wrong with Labor backing nukes?
B.C.’s Booming Mine Industry Is Scrambling to Recruit More Workers – by Derrick Penner (Vancouver Sun – February 19, 2026)
British Columbia’s mining sector is experiencing a rapid boom as gold and silver prices reach historic highs and Canada intensifies its focus on critical minerals like copper and nickel. The surge has created a sharp demand for skilled workers, especially...
True North: A Look at the Development of the Most Northerly Base Metal Mine in the World – by Ailbhe...
The Polaris zinc‑lead underground mine on Little Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, is the world’s most northerly base‑metal mine. Discovered in 1971 after a seven‑year Cominco exploration program, the first drill hole intersected a Mississippi Valley‑type orebody. The deposit holds about twenty...
Mine. Mine. Mine. How One Corrupt Billionaire Kicked Off the Global Cobalt Spree – by Nicolas Niarchos (Vanity Fair –...
Dan Gertler, an Israeli businessman, leveraged deep political connections to dominate Congo's cobalt mining, turning the country into a linchpin of the global battery supply chain. His network of opaque contracts and bribes enabled Western tech firms to secure cheap...
Teck Getting a Handle on Chilean Mine’s Engineering Problems, CEO Says – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – February...
Teck Resources CEO Jonathan Price says the engineering setbacks at the QB2 mine in Chile will be resolved by the end of 2026, clearing a major operational hurdle. The company is awaiting final antitrust clearance for Anglo American's US$20 billion no‑premium...
Nutrien Sees Potash Demand Growing Again This Year After Record Harvest – by Daniel Johnson (CP24/Canadian Press – February 19,...
Nutrien Ltd. projects potash demand to expand for a fourth straight year, targeting sales of 14.1‑14.8 million tonnes in 2026. Benchmark potash prices are roughly 20% higher than a year earlier, reflecting tighter market fundamentals. CFO Mark Thompson highlighted constrained...