Today's Mining Pulse
U.S. pledges $500M to launch domestic rare‑earth processing plant
The U.S. Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital has conditionally pledged $500 million in long‑term debt to Phoenix Tailings to build the Freedom Facility, a large‑scale rare‑earth separation and metallization plant slated for 2028. The plant will process mine concentrates, recycled materials and secondary sources to produce both light and heavy rare‑earth metals.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Baffinland Iron Mines secures $153M loan
Nigeria: Experts Say Carbon Monoxide Likely Cause of Plateau Miners' Deaths
Medical and environmental experts say carbon monoxide poisoning caused the deaths of 38 miners at a Plateau State underground mine, where poor ventilation likely allowed the gas to accumulate. Survivors reported breathing difficulties and classic CO symptoms before collapsing. The federal government ordered an immediate shutdown of the site and dispatched a ministry team for investigation. Community leaders and activists are demanding a transparent, independent probe into safety practices and regulatory enforcement.
Physical Commodities Surge, Challenging Digital Dominance Decade
CLANCs = Copper, Lithium, Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt. Copper ripped 30% in Jan, then erased ~1/3 — still ~+20% YTD. Secular shortage story → oversupply in days as inventories hit multi-year highs. For decades, digital dominated physical. The physical world is back with a...
Gold Fields ‘Guinea Pig’ in Ghana Royalty Talks
Gold Fields has boosted its Tarkwa mine reserves by 70%, raising them to 7.4 million ounces and resources to 11.2 million ounces as it prepares for a lease renewal due in April 2027. The company is navigating Ghana’s new sliding...
Malawi: Malawi Signs Strategic Mineral Deal With U.S., But Questions Linger Over Transparency
Malawi has signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. trading firm Traxys North America to market graphite from the Kasiya rutile‑graphite project, aiming to supply up to 80,000 tonnes annually to the United States’ Project Vault strategic reserve. The deal,...
Ghana: President Sets Ambitious Target to End Raw Mineral Exports Within 5 Years
President John Dramani Mahama announced Ghana's goal to cease exporting raw minerals within five years, shifting toward domestic refining and processing of oil, bauxite, manganese, and lithium. He highlighted the sector's $6.6 billion export revenue in 2023 but noted limited local...
Kumba Upbeat on Iron Ore Contract Talks with China
Kumba Iron Ore says it will wrap up contract negotiations with Chinese steelmakers this year, despite the ongoing dispute between China Minerals Resources Group and major miners. China now represents 56% of Kumba’s 2025 export sales, up from 54% in...
Gold Fields Delivers on New Power Dividend
Gold Fields announced a final dividend of R18.5 per share, a 164% increase year‑over‑year, and added a special dividend of R4.5 per share. Including the interim payout, the total regular dividend of R25.5 represents 35% of free cash flow, aligning...
NRW's Diversification Drive Pays Off
NRW Holdings announced that its acquisition of Fredon Industries for $200 million is driving a significant upgrade to its FY2025‑26 outlook. The diversified service capabilities are expected to boost revenue guidance by roughly 12% and lift earnings per share by about...
Africa: All of Africa Today - February 19, 2026
A suspected carbon‑monoxide leak killed 33 miners at Solid Unity Nigeria's lead‑zinc mine in Plateau state, sparking renewed safety concerns. Gabon’s regulator ordered a blanket suspension of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and WhatsApp as online tensions rose under President Brice...
Weekly Newsletter 19 February 2026
Albemarle announced the care‑and‑maintenance status of its sole remaining lithium‑hydroxide train in Australia, sparking concerns about the nation’s downstream ambitions. Despite this setback, new projects from Tianqi, Mineral Resources and other players are slated to come online by 2028, keeping...
Gold Buying Prices in Zimbabwe per Gram/ Ounce, 19 February 2026
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) released its official gold buying rates for Zimbabwe on 19 February 2026, quoting prices per gram and per troy ounce. The top tier – Fire Assay cash for gold above 100 g – is $152.01 per gram ($4,728.04 per...
Local Firms to Spearhead Mutapa Gold’s $150m Shamva Expansion and Multi-Project Growth Plan
Mutapa Gold Resources announced a US$150 million redevelopment of its Shamva mine, with the project and subsequent expansions at Jena and Elvington to be executed primarily by Zimbabwean contractors and suppliers. The multi‑phase plan aims to convert Shamva into a low‑cost...
Ausgold Makes Connections with Katanning Noongar People
Ausgold has signed a cooperation agreement with the Katanning Noongar people, the Native Title holders of the Wagyl Kaip Southern region, to advance its proposed Katanning gold project in Western Australia. The company pledged to achieve a 5% workforce participation...
Kavango Declares Maiden 33,900oz Gold Resource at Bill’s Luck, Hillside Total Hits 52,900oz, Here Is Why
Kavango Resources announced a maiden JORC‑compliant mineral resource of 33,900 ounces of gold at the historic Bill’s Luck mine, raising the total Hillside Project resource to 52,900 ounces. The estimate includes 2,600 ounces measured at 3.3 g/t, 13,400 ounces indicated at...
Funding Floodgates Open for Gold Miners as Record Prices Inspire Cash Avalanche
Gold has surged to a record $5,000 per ounce, unleashing unprecedented cash flows into the mining sector. The rally enabled a $639 million takeover of Magnetic Resources by Genesis Minerals and a $175 million placement for Horizon Minerals, underscoring a wave of...
Critical Minerals Americas’ Denis Clement on Reviving a Multi-Billion-Tonne Black Shale Project in Alberta
Critical Minerals Americas (CMAI) is reviving its SBH Project in northeastern Alberta, a massive black‑shale deposit spanning roughly 38‑50 billion tonnes. The deposit hosts a suite of critical minerals—including molybdenum, nickel, uranium, cobalt, lithium and virtually all rare earth elements. CMAI...
Sibanye-Stillwater to Recognise R5.3bn in Impairments
Sibanye‑Stillwater will record R5.3 bn of impairments in the second half of its 2025 financial year, bringing total FY2025 impairments to R14 bn. The write‑downs stem from a R3.8 bn reduction at the Kloof gold mine and a R138 m impairment on the Keliber...
Antimony Price Spike Puts Critical Mineral in Spotlight as Jim Atkinson Advances Antimony Resources’ Bald Hill Project
Antimony Resources Corp. is accelerating development of its Bald Hill project after a serendipitous discovery of the Marcus Zone, a new stibnite‑rich mineralized area. The metal’s price has rocketed from roughly $12,000 to $60,000 per metric ton, driven by defense...
American Tungsten’s Ali Haji Says “It’s a Moly Porphyry with Tungsten-Silver-Rich Veins” As He Targets First Product Sales of Tungsten...
American Tungsten Corp. is moving its historic IMA Mine in Idaho toward commercial production, highlighting high‑grade tungsten‑silver‑molybdenum veins uncovered in recent drilling. The company reported intervals such as 31 ft at 0.48% WO₃ with 1.84 oz/ton silver and plans to complete an...
DRDGold Makes Light of R10bn Outlay with Record Dividend
DRDGOLD posted a record 50c interim dividend while financing its R10 billion Vision 2028 expansion entirely from free cash flow, despite a 9% dip in gold output. The company benefited from a $3,788‑per‑ounce gold price, which boosted revenue and lifted cash balances...
Zambia Lifts Suspension on Mopani’s Mufulira Mine After Safety Upgrades
Zambia’s Minerals Regulation Commission has lifted the week‑long suspension of underground operations at Mopani Copper Mines’ Mufulira mine after the company installed upgraded safety systems. The new measures include a real‑time personnel tracking platform, a two‑hour clearance verification process, and...
Glencore to Extend KCC in Land Deal with Gécamines
Glencore announced a lease agreement with DRC state miner Gécamines that secures additional land titles, extending the Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) life of mine into the 2040s and targeting 300,000 tonnes of copper output by 2028. The deal follows a...
A Decade on, Lily Mine Rescue Remains Unresolved
The Lily Mine collapse in 2016 triggered a business rescue that has now stretched ten years without resolution. The mine remains closed, the three miners unrecovered, creditors unpaid, and no funding has been verified for revised rescue plans. The case...
Gold Buying Prices in Zimbabwe per Gram/ Ounce, 18 February 2026
Fidelity Gold Refinery published its official gold buying rates for 18 February 2026. Prices are quoted in US dollars per gram and per troy ounce, ranging from $148.79/gram ($4,627.89/oz) for 90%+ purity to $141.70/gram ($4,407.37/oz) for 5‑10 g samples. The fire‑assay cash price...
Pan African Dusts Off Historic Gold in Drive for Growth
Pan African Resources announced a maiden interim dividend of 12 South African cents per share, translating to a R280 million payout. The six‑month results showed earnings up 192% to US 0.073 per share, while net debt collapsed 69.3% to $46.2 million and cash...
Sandawana Production to More Than Double as Mutapa Energy Unveils US$250 Million Concentrator, US$36 Million Infrastructure Drive
Mutapa Energy’s Sandawana lithium mine will more than double its concentrate output to 162,000 tonnes in FY2026, a 122% increase over the prior year. The company has secured US$250 million to build a new concentrator plant, with construction slated to start...
Ten Years After the Worst Spill in Argentina’s History, Communities Express Concern About Fish Deaths Near Barrick's Veladero Mine
The Jáchal and Iglesias communities in northwestern Argentina reported thousands of dead silverside fish downstream of Barrick Gold’s Veladero mine in early November 2025. While Barrick and provincial officials claim no spill occurred, independent testing by the University of Cuyo...
Massive Silver Assets One Stock To Watch | Eloro Resources TSX: ELO – OTCQX: ELRRF
Eloro Resources (TSX:ELO, OTCQX:ELRRF) is an exploration and mine‑development firm focused on the Iska Iska silver‑tin polymetallic property in Bolivia's Potosí Department. The company touts the deposit as a potential giant, citing high‑grade silver and tin mineralization. Eloro remains publicly...
The Fallacy of European Rare Earth Prices
Over the past year European intermediaries have quoted rare‑earth oxide prices that are several times higher than the volume‑backed market rates, creating widespread confusion. Adamas Intelligence data shows that 75% of yttrium oxide, 96% of dysprosium oxide and 95% of...
Zambia’s Copper Industry Expands Amid Rising Global Demand and Investment
Global demand for copper, driven by AI, renewable energy and electric vehicles, is spurring a rapid expansion of Zambia’s mining sector. Since 2022, more than $12 billion has been poured into the industry, lifting 2024 output by roughly eight percent to...
InvestorTalk Alert: Christopher Berlet From Stakeholder Gold Corp. To Host on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 9:00 AM EST
Stakeholder Gold Corp. will host an InvestorTalk on February 18, 2026 featuring President, CEO and Director Christopher Berlet. The company controls a 930‑claim, roughly 18,500‑hectare Ballarat Gold‑Copper Project in Yukon’s White Gold District, adjacent to the proposed Northern Gateway Road. It recently received...
Sibanye-Stillwater Cuts Gold Reserves as Kloof Curtailed
Sibanye-Stillwater reported a 6.3% decline in gold mineral reserves, now standing at 9.4 million ounces, after a 1.4‑million‑ounce writedown at its Kloof mine. The broader South African gold resource base fell 25.5% to 36.4 million ounces, while platinum‑group metal (PGM)...
Scottie Drills 4.55m of 141 G/T Gold
Scottie Resources Corp. announced a spectacular 4.55 m intercept grading 141.2 g/t gold from the Fifi Vein within the Blueberry Contact Zone, part of its historic Scottie Mine project in British Columbia’s Golden Triangle. The zone already hosts an inferred 3.6 Mt resource...
Li-FT Launches 2026 Drilling at BIG East
Li‑FT Power has kicked off a 6,770‑meter drilling campaign at its Yellowknife Lithium Project, concentrating on the BIG East spodumene pegmatite. The 2026 program includes 26 diamond holes, with 24 targeting the main dike corridor to depths of about 300 m. BIG East...
DOJ Filing Looms in Pebble Veto Fight
Northern Dynasty Minerals updated the court schedule for its Pebble mining lawsuit, noting that the Department of Justice must file a response brief by Feb. 17, 2026. The EPA’s 2023 Clean Water Act veto halted the project’s wetlands permit, prompting the...
Anson Resources to Commence Drilling at Yellow Cat Uranium-Vanadium Project, Utah USA
Anson Resources, through its Utah subsidiary UV1 Minerals, will begin a targeted drilling campaign at the Yellow Cat uranium‑vanadium project in early March 2026. The program will test roughly 2,500 metres of strike‑length mineralisation that has previously yielded surface assays of...
Resolution Minerals Expands Golden Gate Discovery with Broad Gold and Significant Tungsten Intercepts
Resolution Minerals announced that its 2025 drilling program at Idaho's Golden Gate prospects confirmed extensive near‑surface gold mineralization and identified a notable tungsten zone. Intercepts include more than 100 m of >0.35 g/t Au and a 21 m interval averaging 0.06% tungsten, expanding...
BIR World Mirror: Scrap Supply Tightness Boosts Steel Prices
The Bureau of International Recycling’s World Mirror report shows U.S. recycled‑steel prices rising as winter storms forced yard closures, tightening obsolete scrap inflows and bolstering export demand. Japan’s prices also firmed amid weak scrap generation and a depreciating yen. In...
Frank Basa on Nord Precious Metals’ 2.9 Million Ounce Silver Tailings Deal
Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc. has secured leases containing a historical 2.9 million‑ounce silver tailings resource in Ontario’s Gowganda camp, backed by an NI 43‑101 estimate and an 82% metallurgical recovery rate. The acquisition expands the company’s footprint adjacent to its Castle...
How to Lead Through Uncertainty: What Mining’s Hardest Decisions Reveal About Leadership
Mining’s inherent volatility forces leaders to prioritize organisational resilience over precise forecasting, according to a recent CIM dialogue. Former Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani and industry veteran Doris Hiam Galvez emphasized that adaptive structures, safety culture, and rapid decision‑making are essential...
Saskatchewan’s Rook I Mine Could Make Canada the World’s Largest Uranium Exporter
Canada is on the brink of becoming the world’s largest uranium exporter as NexGen Energy’s Rook I mine in Saskatchewan moves toward final approval by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The project, located in the Athabasca Basin, is designed to...
Hard Landing
The episode examines President Trump’s EPA rule revoking the Obama-era "endangerment finding," which could dismantle federal climate regulation and spark years of litigation. It then shifts focus to California, where Governor Gavin Newsom is scrambling to mitigate the fallout from...
IRMA at UNEA-7
In November 2025 IRMA secured observer status at the United Nations Environment Assembly, granting it full access to UNEA’s deliberations. The initiative attended UNEA‑7 in Nairobi from 8‑12 December 2025, marking its first in‑person participation and involvement in plenary sessions,...
Reclaiming Coal Mine Wastelands: How Afforestation Is Rebuilding Soil From the Ground Up
A recent Scientific Reports study compared three afforestation approaches on hard‑coal post‑mining Technosols: succession on barren spoil, succession on reclaimed topsoil, and plantation on reclaimed topsoil. The research found that applying reclaimed topsoil markedly improved nutrient stocks, water‑holding capacity, and...
Green Creek Silver Reserve Growth Continues
Hecla Mining’s Greens Creek operation in Southeast Alaska added 2.4 million ounces of silver reserves in 2025, bringing its proven and probable reserves to 106.1 million ounces—about half of the company’s total. The company’s overall silver reserves fell roughly 4 % due to...
Fireweed, RRDC Sign Exploration Accord
Fireweed Metals Corp. has signed an exploration and collaboration agreement with the Ross River Dena Council (RRDC) that obligates the company to obtain free, prior and informed consent before advancing its Mactung tungsten and Macpass zinc‑lead‑silver projects in eastern Yukon....
From Ore to Order: Why Understanding China Is a Precondition for Working in Mining Today
In this episode the host explores Jonathan D. T. Ward’s book *China’s Vision of Victory* and its implications for the mining sector, especially critical minerals like lithium, rare earths, and copper. Ward argues that the Chinese Communist Party’s long‑term goal...
Unjust Energy Transition? Challenging the Critical Mineral Rush
London Mining Network is hosting an interactive workshop titled "Unjust Energy Transition? Challenging the Critical Mineral Rush" on Feb 22, 2026 in London. The event critiques the global surge in critical mineral extraction—lithium, copper, etc.—as a cornerstone of the green...
UNEP and IRMA Announce Collaboration to Advance Responsible Mining Practices
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation on responsible mining. The partnership targets improved transparency, environmental performance and traceability across the extractive sector, leveraging...
Kincora and AngloGold Ashanti Exploration Expands and Upgrades Nevertire with Drilling Recommenced
Kincora Copper and AngloGold Ashanti have completed Phase 1 drilling at the Nevertire and Nevertire‑South licences, confirming a large porphyry‑style copper‑gold system extending over more than 5.4 km. The results upgraded the immediate target zone, which remains open in all directions, and...