Know What's Happening in Mining
Know What's Happening in Mining
Mining Titans Surge $250B Amid Iran Conflict, Valuing Sector at $2.41T
The MINING.com Top 50 miners posted a combined market capitalization of $2.41 trillion at the end of Q1 2026, up roughly $250 billion from the start of 2025. Valuations rose despite the US‑Iran war and a sharp drop in gold and silver prices, with copper only modestly down and lithium firms re‑entering the list. Six companies now exceed $100 billion in market value.
Saudi Arabian phosphate producer Maaden will restart exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu, shifting from its traditional Ras Al‑Khair gateway. The move circumvents the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked since late February. Maaden plans to ship the first loads in April, including a 15,000‑ton MAP sale to South America. Transporting product by truck from Ras Al‑Khair to Yanbu may limit volumes, but the additional supply could ease tight global fertilizer markets.
A significant copper shortage is projected over the next 15 years, with ING Group forecasting a 600‑kiloton refined copper deficit in 2026, extending the shortfall from the previous year. Ongoing mine disruptions and growing tariff anxieties are tightening supply further....
At PDAC 2026, Stakeholder Gold Corp highlighted its strategic position in Yukon’s revitalizing White Gold District. The company has staked claims along a planned $70 million road corridor and secured a Class I permit for a 2,000‑meter, multi‑target drill program slated for...
The article examines how digitalisation is reshaping blasting operations, drawing on insights from industry leaders BME, Enaex, and Orica. It highlights the massive data generated by each blast and the potential of AI, sensors, and edge computing to improve efficiency,...
Liontown Resources CEO Tony Ottaviano says large‑scale stationary energy storage is emerging as a second engine for lithium demand, reducing reliance on electric vehicles alone. Fastmarkets forecasts global storage installations will grow ~25% annually, reaching about 800 GWh by 2030 and...
FLSmidth announced a joint venture with Uzbek industrial group Texnopark to build a modular service centre in Uzbekistan. The centre will initially support Almalyk MMC’s MOF‑4 copper‑gold‑molybdenum concentrator and later expand as new mines come online. By locating service, spare‑parts...
Grid Metals Corp. announced a shallow cesium discovery in Manitoba during PDAC 2026, marking one of only six globally significant deposits. The company released final assay results and plans over 100 drill holes to support a resource estimate later this...
Panther Metals Plc is preparing to dual‑list on the Canadian Securities Exchange to fund its Ontario portfolio, highlighted by the historic Winston mine on Lake Superior. CEO Darren Hazelwood emphasized reviving Winston, a former zinc‑focused VMS operation that also produced...
Zambia’s state‑owned ZCCM Investments Holdings has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN‑backed planetGOLD Zambia Project to formalize the artisanal and small‑scale gold mining (ASGM) sector. The partnership will create a transparent off‑take system, introduce mercury‑free processing technologies, and...
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed update to the Santa Clara Unit Development and Production Plan, which would allow hydraulic fracturing on 16 existing wells...
BN Metals Corp. announced it aims to become the first U.S. tungsten producer within 14‑16 months while simultaneously expanding a sizable gold‑silver resource in historic California. The company controls roughly 6,000 acres that host one of the nation’s largest tungsten...
Global demand for copper and other transition metals is set to triple by 2030, prompting a scramble for new sources. Uganda’s dormant Kilembe copper mine and newly identified mineral belts could supply millions of tonnes of copper and rare‑earth elements....
REalloys announced a patent‑pending, hydrofluoric‑acid‑free fluorination process that converts rare‑earth oxides into metallization‑grade fluorides. Independent testing showed the product contains only 0.34 wt % oxygen, well under the <1 wt % specification. The HF‑free method removes the need for hazardous HF, cutting safety, regulatory...
Hello Chris Fralic, I hope you’re doing well. I’m reaching out to present a valuable investment opportunity in the mining sector. I currently have access to a 5,000-acre parcel of land in Sierra Leone, officially leased by the government for a...
Triangle Energy announced the creation of Tetragon Energy, a spin‑out that will house its Philippine oil and gas assets, including three petroleum service contracts in the Sulu Sea and Cagayan Basin. The Australian firm will inject $1.5 million of seed capital...
"Mining today represents just 1% of the S&P 500." — @robert_ivanhoe, remarks in the Oval Office #NotSustainable. Tomasz Nadrowski’s new book Mineral War and @ctindale's viral Return of Matter thesis frame the challenge: stateless (financial) capitalism vs. state (material) capitalism. China has mastered the industrial middle - Processing. Refining. Smelting....
The liquidation of Ekapa Mining marks the end of roughly 150 years of diamond extraction in Kimberley and underscores a broader slump that has driven unpolished diamond prices to a 12‑month low. De Beers, pressured by the market decline, cut prices...
Ontario’s One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework consolidates multiple mining permits into a single, government‑led pathway, aiming to speed approvals for critical‑mineral projects. Frontier Lithium’s PAK lithium project, the first designated under 1P1P, is already seeing benefits such as streamlined...
BHP has lodged an Environmental Impact Assessment for a new copper concentrator at Chile’s Escondida mine, targeting a $4.4‑$5.9 billion upgrade that will replace the aging Los Colorados plant. The facility is designed to sustain a total processing capacity of 460,000...
Brazilian oil producer PRIO, formerly PetroRio, secured an Ibaba amendment allowing up to 14 new wells in the Frade field of the Campos basin. The approval follows an operating licence for the Wahoo field, where PRIO will drill six wells—four...
On March 16, the London Metal Exchange’s primary electronic matching engine experienced a technical fault, triggering a three‑hour trading halt on its LME Select platform. The inter‑office market stayed operational, and the exchange switched to a backup closing‑price methodology to publish...
A parliamentary standing committee has urged the mines ministry to fast‑track the monetisation of roughly 33 million tonnes of gold‑rich tailings at Bharat Gold Mines Ltd (BGML) in Karnataka’s Kolar Gold Fields. The dormant PSU, closed since 2001, received ₹8.75 crore in...
Brent Crude's Pattern: $120 Highs Lead to $40 Lows - Brent crude price surges to $120 a barrel have been resolved near $40 for about two decades. Has that pattern changed? This key macroeconomic question of 2026 may be guided...
3ME Technology, in partnership with Rio Tinto, completed the world’s first DC arc‑flash testing on high‑voltage lithium‑ion battery packs, exposing extreme fault energy that can surpass standard PPE protection. The data will inform faster‑acting protection devices, revised DC arc‑flash calculations,...
I think the most dangerous thing that I see in markets currently is this assumption that, as soon as the war ends, commodity production will just switch back on again. It won’t. It can’t. Commodity production is not like a manufacturing...
BP and Eni’s Azule Energy joint venture has begun gas production at Angola’s Quiluma field, delivering an initial 150 MMcfd with plans to reach 330 MMcfd by year‑end. Quiluma is Angola’s first non‑associated gas project, feeding treated gas to the on‑shore plant...
Eldorado Gold has received operating authorisation from Quebec regulators to mine the high‑grade Ormaque deposit at its Lamaque Complex and ship ore to the nearby Sigma Mill. The permit leverages existing underground access via the Triangle‑Sigma decline, reducing capital outlay...
Haultrax has completed the first mining‑focused fleet management system (FMS) deployment on prime movers and road trains, extending real‑time visibility beyond traditional pit‑based haul trucks. The company re‑engineered its cycle‑detection algorithm to handle multi‑trailer configurations, dynamic loads, and long‑haul routes....
In this hour‑long conversation, veteran resource investor Rick Rule reflects on five decades of cycles in mining, banking, and brokerage, sharing why he sat out the 2008‑2011 precious‑metal bull market and how his opportunistic moves in banks and Berkshire Hathaway...
Contango Ore Inc. entered a transitional 2026, with Manh Choh gold output falling to 40‑45 k ounces as the mine shifts from the North Pit to higher‑grade South Pit ore. Production in 2025 delivered 60,200 gold‑equivalent ounces, including 57,315 ounces of silver,...
Almonty Industries has finished phase‑one commissioning at South Korea’s Sangdong Tungsten Mine, restarting production after a 30‑year pause. The operating plant can process 640,000 tonnes of ore per year, delivering roughly 2,300 tonnes of tungsten concentrate. A phase‑two expansion slated...
Social media activist Onjezani Kenani has sparked a national debate in Malawi by questioning who truly benefits from the Kasiya Rutile‑Graphite Project, one of the country’s largest mineral discoveries. The project’s development hinges on $665 million in foreign capital, with Australian‑listed...
Trafigura has entered a pre‑payment agreement with Venezuela’s state‑run miner Minerven to purchase 650 kg to 1 ton of gold doré under a new responsible sourcing programme. The deal follows a U.S. Treasury licence that lifts sanctions on Minerven’s gold, allowing exports...
Tanzania's mining reforms are bearing fruit as expanded local refineries have added roughly 5.8 trillion shillings in mineral value. The policy that mandates domestic processing generated 273 jobs, most of them for young people, and spurred 3.8 trillion shillings of procurement from...
Vale secures 2026 RKAB approval in Indonesia and moves to restart nickel mining and construction in Sulawesi. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/vale-secures-2026-nickel-mining-quotas.html
Resolution Copper, a Rio Tinto‑BHP joint venture, completed a historic land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service, swapping over 5,400 acres of environmentally sensitive land for 2,400 acres adjacent to the historic Magma copper mine in Superior, Arizona. The exchange...
Tesla begins operations at its Texas lithium refinery near Corpus Christi to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/tesla-texas-lithium-refinery-starts.html
Energy Fuels targets low-cost NdPr at Utah’s White Mesa Mill with a 6,000t/yr expansion plan. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/utah-low-cost-ree-producer-plans-could.html
Seadrill’s 50:50 joint venture with a Sonangol affiliate, Sonadrill Holding, has secured a contract extension for the ultra‑deepwater drillship Sonangol Quenguela in Angola. The extension exercises a seven‑well priced option, adding roughly 480 days of operation and stretching the rig’s...
$ANDC.V @AndinaCopper 126m of 0.46% Cu + 0.53 g/t Au from 529m at Piuquenes East New gold-rich porphyry confirmed. Cashed up post-$27.5M raise Big scale potential in San Juan.
PHOTO(S) OF THE DAY: China is still getting (some of) its oil — and Iran its getting (some of) its money. Three weeks into the war, Iran continues loading oil supertankers from Kharg Island. (No damage visible at this resolution) Photo @CopernicusEU...
Since the third Gulf war erupted three weeks ago, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has immobilized roughly 10‑15 % of global oil supply, pushing Brent crude above $106 a barrel. President Donald Trump has ordered the largest-ever strategic reserve...
RUA GOLD $rua.to High-grade gold-antimony explorer in NZ's historic Reefton Goldfield just hit 1.4m @ 29.1 g/t AuEq + strike/depth extensions. Well-funded, 19k m program & PEA targeted 2026. @RuaGold
Heritage Mining $HML.CA Confirms the Third Visible Gold Occurrence in Core and Extends Drill Hole to Length ~150m at Melba Project by @thenewswire https://t.co/dPJNMZ96K3 https://t.co/YsgwaMDu0F
The U.S. Defense Department has signed a new supply agreement with Australian rare‑earths producer Lynas, marking the latest effort to secure critical minerals for national security. The deal is intended to diversify the U.S. supply chain away from China, which...
As the everything critical minerals bubble continues to rock. Qatar as the second most important source of helium moves up the list. https://t.co/cri7gKi7xp
LINK: https://t.co/Iz3LToWVCF A flotilla of Oil Tankers Carrying Saudi Arab Light Crude to Asia Map form @Kpler
Ghana is positioning itself as a new lithium producer to support the global energy transition, but the sector’s licensing and revenue‑collection processes remain opaque. Past mining scandals in Ghana and corruption cases in other lithium‑rich countries reveal recurring risks such...
Mngt at @AmerPacMine kicks off a property-wide 3D geophysical survey at its Madison #Copper-#Gold project in Montana, the goal to see what’s hiding 1–2 kms below ground. As JC says akin to giving a geologist X-ray glasses before sending drill...
Management @Pacifica_Silver is stepping on the gas, expanding the Phase II drill campaign at Claudia from 12,000m to 20,000m. Only 10% of 30 kms of known veins have been drilled. Plus, a new VP-Ex gets added to this already strong...
