Today's Mining Pulse
China slams Indonesia's investment climate over nickel curbs
China criticised Indonesia's investment climate, citing recent restrictions on nickel exports that could deter foreign investors. The Financial Times reported the remarks as part of broader concerns about the region's mining policy environment.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Mutapa Gold secures $75M bank funding
How Central Asia Can Seize the Critical Minerals Moment – by Marsha McGraw Olive (National Interest – May 18, 2026)
Central Asian nations must boost regulatory transparency and deepen regional integration to lure Western capital into critical mineral projects, especially a pending tungsten megaproject in Kazakhstan backed by US interests. Letters of interest from the Export‑Import Bank ($900 million) and the US International Development Finance Corporation ($700 million) signal tentative financing, but the deal remains unsettled. The United States frames mineral security as a national‑security imperative, linking it to its Project Vault strategic reserve and the FORGE supply‑chain forum. Treasury officials estimate that de‑risking the supply chain can be resolved within four years.
New Veteran Joins Team Amid Largest Drilling Program
Exploration muscle gets added by @OCG_Silver: Carlos Torres, a very experienced addition to the tactical team. This on top of the company in the middle of drilling its largest program in history, plus Resource update in Q3. Current price =...
Agnico Eagle Approves Hope Bay Investment
Agnico Eagle Mines approved a major investment in its Hope Bay project after completing a preliminary economic assessment. The plan calls for an underground mine feeding a 6,000 mt/d processing plant that could produce 400,000‑435,000 ounces of gold annually, with an...
SANY Showcases SKT145Ei Electric Unmanned Wide Body Mining Truck
At its Global Mining Key Customer Summit in Xi'an, SANY Group gathered more than 700 delegates and announced signed orders exceeding 5 billion yuan (about $700 million). The event highlighted the SKT145Ei, a battery‑electric, cabless wide‑body truck, alongside the hybrid SRT100S dump...
G7 Finance Ministers Commit to Cut China Dependence on Critical Minerals
Finance ministers and central bank governors of the G7 met in Paris and agreed to push EU regulations that would limit any single supplier to 30‑40% of critical mineral purchases. The move, backed by EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, signals...
Chile’s Salt Flats and the Lithium Race neither China nor the US Wants to Lose
The Chilean government under President José Antonio Kast has moved to simplify lithium mining regulations, merging the economy and mining ministries and pledging faster permits and lower taxes. This shift reverses the previous left‑leaning National Lithium Strategy, rolling back environmental...
First Capital Equipment Purchased for Savannah’s Barroso Lithium Project
Savannah Resources reported steady progress on the Barroso lithium project, Europe’s largest spodumene deposit, confirming that the Definitive Feasibility Study will be finished in July 2026. The company secured a second temporary land access, is close to appointing a FEED...
Talisman Reveals Findings From Fougnar Sampling in Morocco
Talisman Metals reported stream‑sediment results from its Fougnar project in Morocco, confirming existing drill targets and uncovering a new 4‑km corridor of anomalous mineralisation. The program analysed 132 samples, delivering peak assays of 200 ppm copper, 6,510 ppm barium, 502 ppm lead and...
OMV Starts Up Major Austrian Gas Development
OMV AG has started production at the Wittau well in Lower Austria, the country’s largest gas discovery in four decades. Phase 1 will deliver 11 tWh (about 1 billion cubic metres) of natural gas, enough to heat roughly 100,000 homes for a decade, with first...
Colombia Pushes Glencore on Cerrejón Closure Plans
Colombia’s government is urging Glencore to start planning a post‑coal future for the Cerrejón mine, whose concession runs until 2034. Production fell to 16.8 million tonnes in 2025, supporting more than 12,000 jobs and generating about $166 million in annual royalties. Officials...
Sigma Lithium Fights Brazil Ruling After Shares Slide
Sigma Lithium (Nasdaq: SGML) is appealing a Brazilian court ruling that could impose a $10 million penalty over alleged waste‑disposal violations at its Grota do Cirilo mine. The decision sparked a 15% slide in the stock, pushing the share price to...
EPA Revisits PFAS Limits, Congress Proposes $130 EV Fee, and Russian Oil Waiver Extended
The EPA announced a proposal to rescind limits on four PFAS chemicals while keeping standards on PFOA and PFOS, the House Transportation Committee introduced a $130 annual fee for electric vehicles, and the Treasury extended a sanctions waiver for Russian...
BHP Deepens Its South Australian Ties as Copper Royalties Climb
BHP has reached a landmark agreement with the South Australian government to restructure copper royalties from its Olympic Dam operation. The new framework comes as copper royalties have surged to a monthly high, reflecting strong global demand. The deal includes higher...
Gold Buying Prices in Zimbabwe per Gram/ Ounce, 19 May 2026
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) released its May 19, 2026 gold buying rates for Zimbabwe. The fire‑assay cash price for gold above 100 g is $137 per gram ($4,260.78 per ounce), the highest tier. Prices for lower assay grades range from $136.28...
NLR Partners With Colorado School of Mines and University of Utah To Scale Up US Critical Minerals Capacity
The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) signed memorandums of understanding with the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Utah to expand U.S. critical‑minerals capacity. The agreements enable shared use of a new 60,000‑sq‑ft Energy Materials and Processing...
Fresh Geophysics Fuels Growing True North Qld Copper Target
True North Copper’s latest induced polarisation (IP) survey at the Mt Oxide project in northwest Queensland has extended the Aquila copper‑cobalt‑silver anomaly northward by 500 metres, pushing the strike to over 1.5 km and keeping it open at depth. Recent drill holes have...
Greenland Approvals Supercharge Dalaroo Rare Earths Hunt
Dalaroo Metals secured two new Greenland exploration licences for its Blue Lagoon project, expanding its hold over the Gardar Alkaline Province. The enlarged land package gives the company control of key transport corridors and potential offshore heavy‑mineral traps, complementing earlier...
Mineral Resources Restarts Bald Hill Lithium Mine, Boosting EV Battery Supply
Mineral Resources announced it will bring the Bald Hill lithium mine back into production, ending an 18‑month mothball caused by weak market conditions. The restart is expected to add fresh lithium supply to the rapidly expanding electric‑vehicle battery sector.
Australian Treasurer Orders $40 M Share Dump From Northern Minerals
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers ordered six shareholders to divest a combined 1.679 billion shares – 17.5% of Northern Minerals – valued at about $40.4 million. The move targets Chinese‑linked investors and aims to safeguard Australia’s critical‑minerals supply chain.
Compass Minerals Teams with EnergyX on $400 Million Lithium Extraction Project at Great Salt Lake
Compass Minerals has signed a memorandum of understanding with General Motors‑backed startup EnergyX to invest more than $400 million in direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology at Utah’s Great Salt Lake. The deal would tap an estimated 2.4 million metric tons of lithium,...
Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) Summit 5: Critical Minerals and the New Industrial Order
The Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) Summit 5 in Toronto framed critical minerals as the backbone of industrial power, not just a mining niche. Executives and policymakers highlighted the geopolitical, defense, and technology dimensions of minerals like tungsten, antimony, and rare earths....
The Strait of Hormuz Crisis Is Cracking the Petrodollar System
The 13‑week closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut roughly one‑fifth of Gulf oil exports, forcing Asian importers to seek direct, often opaque, agreements with Gulf producers and Iran. Tankers are slipping through the waterway with AIS off, while...
Zambia Lifts Sulphuric Acid Export Ban to DRC, Easing Battery‑metal Supply Constraints
Zambia has cleared two major copper producers to restart limited sulphuric acid exports to the Democratic Republic of Congo after domestic inventories recovered. The move, which includes a 5,000‑tonne shipment authorised for trader Alliswell Investment, aims to ease a bottleneck...
19,000 Great Pyramids a Year: Report Flags Unsustainable Rate of Sand Mining
The United Nations Environment Programme reports that global sand extraction now tops 50 billion metric tons per year, a rate that far exceeds natural replenishment. This pace is enough to construct more than 19,000 Great Pyramids of Giza annually and is...
MinRes Reboots Bald Hill Lithium Mine After 18-Month Pause
Mineral Resources (MinRes) announced the restart of its Bald Hill lithium project in Nevada after an 18‑month shutdown caused by permitting delays and a soft lithium price environment. The company plans to ramp production to roughly 12,000 tonnes of lithium...
Southern Africa: Russia's Controversial Uranium Mining Plan Threatens Southern Africa's Vital Aquifer
Rosatom subsidiary Headspring Investments/Uranium One is advancing Project Wings, an in‑situ leaching uranium venture in the Kalahari’s Stampriet Artesian Basin. The plan calls for pumping large volumes of sulphuric acid into the trans‑boundary aquifer that supplies drinking water and irrigation for Namibia,...
How Gulf Investments Are Responding to the US-China Critical Minerals Competition
The United States is intensifying its focus on critical minerals, launching initiatives like FORGE and Project Vault to curb Chinese dominance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Gulf sovereign‑wealth funds—UAE’s ADQ, Qatar Investment Authority, and Saudi Arabia’s PIF—are pouring billions...
Australia Orders Six Northern Minerals Investors to Divest Stakes
Australia’s treasurer ordered six China‑linked shareholders of Northern Minerals to divest roughly 17% of the rare‑earth miner within two weeks, citing national‑interest concerns. The move follows earlier 2024 interventions aimed at limiting Chinese control over the company’s Browns Range heavy...
New NE China Rare Earth Deposit Boosts Global Dominance
Why China rare earth breakthrough in icy northeast could cement global dominance A new type of deposit in Heilongjiang and Jilin promises easier, cheaper mining than in southern clay-rich areas, say scientists https://t.co/WeL9zeMtvt via @scmpnews
Liberia: Communities Cry for Clean Water As EPA Shuts Down Nugget Era Mining for Illegal Operations in Gbarpolu
The Liberian EPA shut down Nugget Era Mining’s Class B gold operation in Gbarpolu on April 29, 2026, after finding it operated without an environmental permit and polluted local water sources. Residents of Korninga Chiefdom report contaminated drinking water, rising illness, and...
Critical Minerals Supply Chain Resilience Starts Upstream — Where US Policy Is Weakest
The article argues that U.S. critical‑minerals risk stems from weak upstream governance, not just sourcing shortages. While the CHIPS and Science Act earmarks $53 billion for domestic semiconductor and battery production, upstream mining and processing remain largely foreign and misaligned with...
ADES’ 2014-Built Rig Turns One-Year North Sea Gig Into Three-Year Drilling Job
ADES Holding Company, part of Saudi‑based ADES Group, secured a contract extension for its 12‑year‑old Shelf Drilling Winner jack‑up rig with Tenaz Energy in the Dutch North Sea. The extension converts the original one‑year firm term into a three‑year firm...
Kazera Notes Third-Party Interest in Its Namibian Tantalum, Lithium Project
Kazera Global says third‑party interest is growing for its African Tantalum (Aftan) project in southern Namibia, which targets both tantalum and lithium. The company’s recent technical work highlights dry‑beneficiation methods that could dramatically reduce water use, a key advantage in...
U.S. and China Vie for African Critical Mineral Assets as Competition Intensifies
The United States and China are deepening their contest for Africa’s critical mineral deposits, a sector that holds about 30% of global reserves. Recent diplomatic talks highlighted the stakes, while Kenya’s $5 bn Chinese railway loan underscores the debt risks that...
Anglo American Flags Potential Production Hit at Collahuasi After Chile Tribunal Ruling
Anglo American PLC disclosed that Chile's Second Environmental Tribunal is reviewing a 2021 permit for Collahuasi's expansion, including a near‑complete desalination plant. The mining group said the ruling could affect operations but noted alternative water sources mitigate immediate risk. The...
Rokeby Announces 20-Year Licence Renewal for Omeo Gold Project
Rokeby Resources secured a 20‑year renewal of Mining Licence MIN 4921, extending its control over the Omeo Gold Project in Victoria until May 2044. The licence covers the Mt Wills goldfield, which hosts the Maude and Sunnyside deposits and a historical resource of...
Mining OEMs and the Solutions Revolution
Major mining equipment manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Komatsu, Sandvik and Epiroc are rebranding from pure hardware sellers to integrated, technology‑driven solutions providers. They are bundling autonomous haulage, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance into subscription‑style service contracts, aiming to capture a...
GR Engineering to Deliver Ora Banda's Expanded Davyhurst Plant
GR Engineering Services has been appointed as the preferred contractor for Ora Banda Mining’s Davyhurst Expansion Project, which will deliver a new 3 million‑tonne‑per‑year gold processing plant. The plant is designed to boost capacity and capture higher‑grade ore, supporting Ora Banda’s record 38,766 oz...
Nobel Begins Drilling at Chile’s Pampa Austral
Nobel Resources has begun diamond drilling at its Pampa Austral property in Chile, targeting a historic 70‑metre interval that returned 0.70% copper and a 14‑metre zone of 2.1% copper. The initial two holes will test an induced‑polarisation (IP) chargeability anomaly...
Qld, Federal Govt Kick Off Mount Isa Transformation Study
Queensland and the Australian federal government have launched the Mount Isa Transformation Study, a strategic review aimed at securing the long‑term viability of the region’s copper sector. The study follows Glencore’s 2026 re‑bricking of its Mount Isa copper smelter and...
ZCCM-IH Aims for Bigger Stakes in Zambian Mines
ZCCM Investments Holdings, Zambia’s state investment arm, is moving to increase its minority stakes in several copper mines, including raising its share in Lubambe to 30% and in Mingomba to 25%. The strategy is part of a broader national push...
Pentagon Pours $200
Some interesting details in this BBG story about the Pentagon's critical minerals team - 200bln in financing over three years (overkill for REs) -Pentagon's most optimistic forecasts suggest will take at least until 2030 for US production to ramp up. https://t.co/ZtaURjJGgc
Chalmers Sends More China-Linked Northern Minerals Investors Packing
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers ordered six investors to sell their holdings in Northern Minerals, citing concerns over Chinese influence at the company’s high‑profile Browns Range rare‑earth project. The investors collectively own almost 1.7 billion shares, representing a significant stake in the...
China Rare Earth Breakthrough in Icy Northeast Could Cement Country’s Dominance
Chinese scientists have identified a new class of rare‑earth deposits in the frozen soils of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. Unlike the clay‑rich ion‑adsorption deposits of southern China, these northern formations are loose sand and gravel created by freeze‑thaw cycles and...
Godolphin Considers ASX Spin-Out for Narraburra Rare Earths as It Joins Vital US Defence Consortium
Australian junior Godolphin Resources (ASX:GRL) has joined the US Defense Industrial Base Consortium, giving its Narraburra rare earth project direct access to US defence and industrial partners. The company is reviewing a demerger that would spin out the Narraburra assets...
Critica Delivers ~97% TREO MREO at Jupiter
Critica reported that its Jupiter rare‑earth project in Western Australia produced a third mixed rare‑earth oxide (MREO) batch with approximately 97% total rare‑earth oxide (TREO) purity, up from 84‑86% in prior tests. The hydrometallurgical flowsheet optimisation also delivered magnet rare‑earth...
Miners to Pay for Port Hedland Bypass Channel
Miners using Western Australia’s Port Hedland – BHP, Fortescue and Hancock Iron Ore – will foot the $50 million bill to construct the Zone 5 Bypass Channel. The project was fast‑tracked after Fortescue’s Nicola incident nearly forced the port to shut. The...
Viking Gets Nod for Tungsten Drilling Blitz in Nevada
Viking Mines has secured U.S. Bureau of Land Management approval to begin a 63‑hole, 48‑pad drilling campaign at its Linka tungsten project in Nevada, targeting the first subsurface exploration in over four decades. The program includes an 800‑metre southwest extension...
China's Sulphuric Acid Export Ban Threatens EV Battery Supply Chains
China has announced an immediate ban on sulphuric acid exports, a key chemical for nickel leaching and battery production. The move, timed after Middle East shipping disruptions, raises concerns for EV battery manufacturers and could ripple into fertilizer and food...
Greek State Grants Metlen €300 Million to Boost Gallium Production and Cut EU Imports
The Greek Interministerial Committee for Strategic Investments approved a €300 million ($348.8 m) project by Metlen Energy & Metals to expand gallium production, securing €118 million ($137.2 m) in state grants and tax incentives. The move targets EU supply‑security goals for the critical semiconductor...