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:
Cambodia Tests River After Indigenous Communities Report Mining‑Related Illnesses
Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment sent teams to the O’Ta Bouk River in Ratanakiri province to collect water, sediment and fish samples after Indigenous Brao residents complained of skin ailments linked to a nearby gold mine. The testing, carried out Feb. 13‑20, covered 34 fish species, yet officials have not released any findings, leaving the community in limbo.
S&P Global: Oil Markets Face 'Double Depletion'
S&P Global warns that oil markets are entering a ‘double depletion’ phase, where demand is falling while inventories are being drawn down sharply. Global liquids demand in Q2 2026 is projected to be about 5 million barrels per day lower than...
Blue in the Face Demanding Transparent, Just and Equitable Outcomes: QMM, Madagascar
Rio Tinto’s QMM ilmenite mine in Madagascar is under a strategic review, sparking fears it may be sold to a Chinese operator. Local communities and subcontractors report ongoing water contamination, fish kills, and unpaid compensation, while independent studies have found...
Sun Summit Outlines Plans for Significant Drilling at the JD Project, Toodoggone Mining District, B.C.
Sun Summit Minerals announced a 10,000‑metre drill campaign at its JD Project in British Columbia’s Toodoggone district, slated to start in early June 2026. The program will target the Creek and Finn zones, testing both bulk‑tonnage and high‑grade near‑surface gold‑silver...
Virtus Minerals Advances Chemaf Takeover in DRC with Key Regulatory Review
Virtus Minerals is advancing its $30 million acquisition of Chemaf’s copper‑cobalt assets in the Democratic Republic of Congo, entering a critical regulatory review with the DRC Mining Registry. The review will verify mining rights, contracts and legacy debt of roughly $900 million,...
Avenir's Rare Phosphate Grab Signals New LFP Push
This is an interesting move by Avenir/AEM. Is this a move to lock up a potential source for the LFP supply chain or of phosphate rock for the fertiliser and chemical industry? These high purity igneous phosphate projects are quite...
Will the US Serra Verde Acquisition Help Break China’s Rare Earth Monopoly?
On April 20, USA Rare Earth announced a $2.8 billion acquisition of Brazil’s Serra Verde Group, backed by a $565 million loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. The deal includes a 15‑year government‑backed offtake vehicle that will channel all of Serra Verde’s rare‑earth ore...
Valaris’ Batch of Rig Deals Lifts Total Contract Backlog to $4.9 Billion
Valaris, the Bermuda‑incorporated offshore drilling contractor, announced a series of new rig contracts and extensions in Brazil, Brunei, Indonesia, and the UK/Danish North Sea, lifting its total contract backlog to about $4.9 billion, up from $4.7 billion in February. The biggest addition...
World Gold Council to Launch Unified Platform for Responsible Mining to Address Various Concerns
The World Gold Council announced it will create a unified platform that consolidates responsible mining standards for gold producers worldwide. The platform will standardize environmental, human‑rights and labor practices and also provide shared infrastructure to link physical gold in vaults...
DHL CEO Flags Jet Fuel Supply Constraints in Asia
DHL Group’s CEO Tobias Meyer warned that jet‑fuel shortages are tightening at several Asian airports, a fallout from the Iran‑related disruption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. While DHL’s major hubs such as Leipzig enjoy reliable fuel supplies,...
Larvotto Identifies Gold-Antimony-Tungsten Deposits at Midas Gully
Larvotto Resources announced an extension of high‑grade gold‑antimony‑tungsten mineralisation at the Midas Gully zone of its Hillgrove Antimony‑Gold Project in New South Wales. Recent drilling from hole BLK115 returned a 13‑metre interval averaging 8.56 g/t gold‑equivalent, including a 1.2‑metre section at...
Viper Energy Adds $8 B in Mineral Assets, Triples Permian Acreage in Q4 2025
Viper Energy disclosed more than $8 billion of mineral acquisitions during its Q4 2025 earnings call, expanding Permian Basin acreage nearly 2.5‑times. The deal coincided with a 15% dividend hike, a $1 billion boost to share‑repurchase authority and a reduction of net...
Thistle Resources Begins Trading on TSX Venture Exchange
Thistle Resources Inc. launched trading on the TSX Venture Exchange at C$0.275 per share, giving it a market capitalization of roughly C$17 million (about US$12.6 million). The junior explorer focuses on precious and critical minerals across five projects in New Brunswick, Cape...
Glencore Zinc Smelter Hit by Deadly Explosion
Glencore’s zinc smelter in Konkola, Zambia suffered a catastrophic explosion that killed at least two workers and injured five others. The blast forced an immediate shutdown of the plant, suspending production of a facility that processes roughly 1.5 million tonnes...
Altman-Backed Boost Rocked as Good Week Turns Bad: Next Africa
Silicon Valley venture KoBold Metals, backed by Sam Altman and Bill Gates, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Mingomba copper mine in Zambia, a project slated to produce over 300,000 tons of copper annually—critical for data centers and electric vehicles....
Kilometre-Scale Copper Corridor Discovery Fuels Bullish Momentum
Disseminated on Behalf of Super Copper Corp US: $CUPPF l CSE: $CUPR Kilometre-Scale Copper Corridor Identified at Cordillera Cobre - Q2 2026 Drill Program Fully Funded Flagship assets - Cordillera Cobre — Recent high-grade discoveries (up to 7.13% Cu in samples), IP...
Komatsu Launches PC9000-12 Mining Excavator with Electric Drive Option
Komatsu has launched the PC9000-12, the largest hydraulic mining excavator in its lineup, now offered worldwide with a diesel or fully electric drive option. The electric variant features two 1,700 kW motors and an operating weight of up to 896 tonnes. With...
Structural Demand Shifts Pulverizing US Forest Exports
US forest product exports are entering a multiyear decline as demand shifts. Stagnant U.S. home sales, rising use of composite materials, and lingering trade‑policy uncertainty have reduced industrial production by 2.9% year‑over‑year in February 2026 and pushed capacity utilization down...
South Sudan Declines to Renew Oranto’s Block B3 Exploration License
South Sudan’s Ministry of Petroleum refused to renew Oranto Petroleum’s Block B3 exploration and production sharing agreement after the company missed mandatory seismic surveys, drilling commitments, and financial obligations. The decision marks a rare non‑renewal in the country’s licensing history and...
Brixton Metals Drilling Atlin Goldfields Project, British Columbia
Brixton Metals has launched a drill program at its Atlin Goldfields Project in northwest British Columbia, targeting new structurally‑controlled zones in the Yellowjacket area. The plan calls for 6‑10 holes covering 2,500‑3,000 metres of core. Eldorado Gold holds an earn‑in...
CanAlaska Uranium Posts Winter Drilling Results From West McArthur Project, Saskatchewan
CanAlaska Uranium completed its 2026 winter drill program at the West McArthur Pike Zone, stepping out 350 m east and west of the 2025 core. The campaign intersected uranium in 10 of 24 holes and delivered a new high‑grade intercept of 5.2 m...
Ghana: Forestry Commission Arrests 24 Suspects in Anti-Illegal Mining Operation At Atewa Range Forest Reserve
The Ghana Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response Teams seized a dawn raid at the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, arresting 24 individuals suspected of illegal mining. The operation, conducted by 30 officers, destroyed 16 water‑pumping machines and dismantled 52 makeshift shelters, while...
Shell and Kosmos Put US Gulf Hydrocarbon Prospect on Their 2027 Drilling Agenda
Shell and Kosmos Energy have cemented a strategic alliance to explore ten blocks in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, targeting the high‑potential Trailblazer prospect. Trailblazer is estimated to hold roughly 200 million barrels of oil equivalent and is slated for spudding...
Sitka Recovers Gold, Tungsten at Rhosgobel
Sitka Gold Corp. announced that metallurgical testing on the Rhosgobel deposit of its RC Gold project in Yukon delivered an average gold recovery of 94.3% and an 84.7% recovery for tungsten. The deposit sits within a 447‑square‑kilometer district hosting 1.01 g/t...
Cascadia Launches Largest Carmacks Program
Cascadia Minerals has kicked off a 15,000‑meter diamond drill campaign at its Carmacks copper‑gold project in central Yukon, the largest exploration effort on the property since 2007. The 2026 program will focus on expanding resources in Zones 147, 2000S and...
Globex Mining Extends Gold Mineralization Below 2,000 Metres at Kewagama Royalty Claims, Quebec
Globex Mining holds a 2% net smelter royalty on the Kewagama gold mine, part of the O’Brien Gold Project in Quebec. A recent drill hole (OB-26-384) reached 1.9 km depth and intersected 4.54 g/t gold over 12 m, including higher-grade intervals. The discovery...
Omnia Says It Is Built to Absorb Hormuz Shock
Omnia, South Africa’s key supplier of fertiliser and mining explosives, says its supply chain can weather the current disruption of ammonia shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The company has six to eight weeks of on‑site chemical storage and has...
Kyodo News Digest: May 5, 2026
Japan and South Africa agreed to deepen cooperation on critical mineral supply chains, aiming to attract corporate investment and revive South Africa's lagging economy. In Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Donald Trump will urge China’s Xi Jinping to...
EnerMech Joins Subsea7 on Mexico’s First Deepwater Oil Project
EnerMech has secured a subsea pre‑commissioning contract from Subsea7 for Mexico’s first ultra‑deepwater oil development, the Trion project. The field sits 180 km offshore in the Perdido Fold Belt at water depths of 2,500‑2,600 m and will host 24 subsea wells tied...
Kuwait's KPC Raises May Sulphur Price by $195/T
Kuwait's state‑owned sulphur producer KPC raised its May Kuwait Sulphur Price to $765 per tonne FOB, a $195 increase from April's $570. This marks the highest KSP level since the price hikes began in July 2025 and since the benchmark’s...
Norway Adds 70 Offshore Blocks in New Oil And Gas Licensing Round
Norway’s Ministry of Energy announced the APA 2026 licensing round, adding 70 offshore exploration blocks across the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea. The new acreage, originally slated for the postponed 2025 round, will be offered to oil companies under...
Pecoy Copper Deploys Third Drill Rig at Peru Project
Pecoy Copper has brought a third drill rig online, boosting its 35,000‑metre diamond‑drilling program at the copper‑gold‑molybdenum‑silver project in southern Peru. The new rig is now drilling in the South Breccia zone while work continues in the Centre of the...
Pini Althaus to Deliver Keynote at CMI Summit 5 on U.S. Government Policy and Strategy in the Global Race for...
Pini Althaus, CEO of Cove Capital, will deliver a keynote at the Critical Minerals Institute Summit 5 in Toronto on May 13, focusing on how U.S. government advocacy is reshaping access to critical minerals. His talk, “Securing Strategic Assets,” will examine financing...
Western Star Pushes U.S. Defense Tungsten Supply with DIBC Application
Western Star Resources Inc. submitted a proposal to the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium to develop its Rowland tungsten project in Nevada, positioning the company to benefit from a 350% year‑to‑date price rally in tungsten and an upcoming U.S. ban...
Ali Haji of American Tungsten Corp. To Speak on Restoring Domestic Tungsten Supply Amid Growing National Security Concerns
Ali Haji, CEO of American Tungsten Corp., will speak at the Critical Minerals Institute’s Summit 5 in Toronto on May 14, outlining the company’s plan to restore a domestic tungsten supply. He highlighted that China currently dominates the market, supplying roughly 80%...
China’s KDG Completes Takeover of JSE’s MC Mining
Hong Kong‑listed Kinetic Development Group (KDG) completed its takeover of ASX and JSE‑listed MC Mining, securing a 51% stake after the $90 million second‑tranche payment on April 22. MC Mining is moving forward with the Makhado metallurgical coal project in Limpopo, targeting...
Gold Dominates Zim’s Exports, Prices Deserve Credit, but a Production Boom Cannot Be Ignored
Zimbabwe’s gold exports surged to US$426.6 million in March 2026, representing 45.8% of total export value and over US$1.38 billion in the first quarter. While record gold prices above US$4,000 per ounce contributed, a structural boom driven by artisanal and small‑scale mining...
McEwen Files Tartan Technical Report
Canada‑based McEwen Mining has lodged an independent technical report for its Tartan Mine near Flin Flon, Manitoba, confirming a gold resource exceeding 611,000 oz. The filing paves the way to restart the legacy underground operation, which the company plans to scale up...
Takaichi Signs Australia Deals to Boost Japan’s Energy Security
Japan and Australia announced a comprehensive partnership to strengthen Japan’s energy security, focusing on critical minerals, defence cooperation, and stable fuel supplies. The deal targets China’s dominance in rare‑earth markets and aims to mitigate supply shocks from the Iran‑related fuel...
North Sea Field’s Start-Up Augments Europe’s Gas Arsenal 48-Years After Discovery
Equinor and Orlen Upstream Norway have brought the Eirin field online, a North Sea discovery made in 1978 that was only now developed as a subsea tie‑back to the electrified Gina Krog platform. The field will supply roughly 270 million cubic metres...
Global Cattle Pricing Update April 2026
The EP3 April 2026 cattle price index shows US heavy‑steer at 769 Ac/kg, far ahead of Argentina (480 Ac/kg), Australia (414 Ac/kg) and Brazil (325 Ac/kg). Australian prices slipped 7% year‑to‑date, while US values rose 2% and both Argentina and Brazil gained 9%. The gap...
Will Green Demand Push Australian Transition Metals Into a New Supercycle?
Rising demand for copper, lithium, nickel and other transition metals is prompting a debate over whether Australia is entering a new mining supercycle. The International Energy Agency projects the critical‑minerals market to expand from $320 bn in 2022 to $770 bn by...
American Pacific Mining Secures Madison Drill Contracts
American Pacific Mining has secured contracts with O’Keefe Drilling and Nasco Industrial Services and Supply (NISS) to execute a 15,000‑metre drill programme at its Madison copper‑gold project in Montana, slated to begin in May 2026. The campaign will combine reverse‑circulation...
India Targets 100 Mt Coal Gasification by 2030
This project is a critical component of India’s National Coal Gasification Mission, which aims to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030 to reduce reliance on imported chemicals and fertilizers.
Anson's Green River Upgrade Unlocks >1Mt LCE Upside
Great to see this substantial resource upgrade out for Anson's Green River project. Management indicates that there's considerable further upside potential to above 1Mt LCE. https://t.co/U2HJQQsSPG https://t.co/ZbUwzZ5dmf
Resources Top 5: Regis Opens $10.7bn Vault with Gold Merger
Regis Resources and Vault Minerals have agreed to merge, creating a gold producer valued at roughly $7 billion USD with a pro‑forma output of about 700,000 ounces per year. Regis will hold a 51% stake while Vault shareholders retain 49% and...
Global Oil Liftings Rebound to Pre‑war Levels.
CHART OF THE DAY: Impressive chart via @Vortexa. On a 7-day moving average, global oil liftings (into tankers) have **recovered to their pre-war level** due to a surge in liftings in the Americas. (Of course, that's helped by massive stock...
Project Freedom only Clears Outbound Tankers, Not Two‑way Flow
Project Freedom (the new US attempt to unblock the strait) is all about getting oil tankers out. So far, no indication the US is even contemplating a two-way traffic, with tankers going into the Persian Gulf. The later is a...
Robo-Road Trains at Heart of Hexagon's Plan for Mining World Domination
Swedish industrial‑technology leader Hexagon announced a strategic partnership with Australian miner Mineral Resources to develop and trial autonomous road‑train trucks. The pilot, running on Mineral Resources' Pilbara operations, will deploy up to ten driverless haul trucks equipped with Hexagon’s AI...
PDAC Exposed: Governments Exploit Investors, Halt Projects
Why I stopped going to pdac…these 3rd world governments send politicians to lie to you saying they are friendly to foreign investment. they take foreign money and when they return home they suspend companies exploration after a local protest....