Today's Mining Pulse
Ximen Mining Deploys Robotic Dog to Accelerate Underground Surveys
Ximen Mining has introduced an autonomous robotic dog at its Kenville mine project in British Columbia, cutting underground survey time by roughly 30%. The move underscores a broader industry shift toward automation and faster, safer data collection.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Ganfeng invests $319M in Australian Mount Marion lithium mine
An Oilfield Leak Springs Under a Permian Basin Baptist Church
A gurgling plume of salty produced water erupted in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church in Grandfalls, Texas, after pressure from underground oilfield wastewater forced its way through an old, plugged well. State inspectors from the Railroad Commission arrived, deployed vacuum trucks, and began assessing the source while residents were warned to stay clear. The incident adds to a string of surface leaks across the Permian Basin linked to shallow injection practices and aging wellbores. Officials acknowledge limited historical data on many plugged wells, complicating remediation efforts.
Oil and Gas: How Obsolescence Management Can Save You Millions of Pounds
Score, an engineering specialist, warns that obsolete valves and components are behind more than 80% of emergency shutdowns in UK oil and gas operations, costing operators millions per day. The firm shows that targeted obsolescence management—assessing critical parts, refurbishing where...
JLMI – Call for Papers – Issue No. 1/2027
The Journal of Law, Market & Innovation (JLMI) announced its inaugural 2027 issue, slated for March release, dedicated to the securitisation of supply chains for critical raw materials. The theme links energy security with the green transition, examining how trade...
Alaska Senator Reignites Mining Dispute that Could Complicate Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy
Alaska Republican Senator Dan Sullivan has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for stronger environmental safeguards on mining projects in British Columbia’s Golden Triangle, citing risks to trans‑boundary rivers that flow into Alaska. Sullivan’s letters call for formal US‑Canada consultation, dispute‑resolution mechanisms,...
Stakeholders Urge Congress to Improve EPA’s Strict Critical Minerals Regulations
Witnesses told a House environmental subcommittee that EPA’s strict critical‑minerals rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) are creating costly delays for manufacturers and recyclers. Redwood Materials highlighted how a modest...
Myriad Builds Wyoming Uranium District as Report Shows Scale
Myriad Uranium announced an all‑share merger with Rush Rare Metals that will give the partner a 25% interest and consolidate control of the Copper Mountain district in Wyoming, the first such unification since the 1970s. A new technical report compiles...
China Publishes Maps Detailing Minerals on the Ocean Floor
China’s geological survey has published a detailed deep‑sea atlas that pinpoints deposits of cobalt, nickel, manganese and other critical minerals on the ocean floor. The map covers contested waters in the South China Sea, giving Beijing both a commercial roadmap...
Defense Metals’ Mark Tory to Present at CMI Summit 5 on What Separates Bankable Rare Earth Projects From the Rest
Defense Metals CEO Mark Tory will speak at the CMI Summit 5 in Toronto on May 13, outlining how grade, metallurgy and processing capability separate bankable rare‑earth projects from speculative assets. He will use the company’s Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Project—a pre‑feasibility‑studied...
Komatsu Commissions 1,000th Autonomous Haul Truck, Expanding Driverless Mining
Komatsu America announced the commissioning of its 1,000th ultra‑class autonomous haul truck, a 930E-5AT deployed at Barrick’s Nevada Gold Mines. The milestone underscores rapid adoption of driverless, electrified equipment across commodities and continents.
Goliath Resources (TSXV: GOT | OTC: GOTRF) – High-Grade Gold Discovery Expands in British Columbia
Goliath Resources reported new high‑grade gold intercepts from its Surebet discovery in British Columbia’s Golden Triangle. Ongoing drilling expanded the mineralized zone, confirming the potential for a sizable deposit. The company says its exploration program is fully funded, allowing continued...
Gold Stocks to Watch in ‘Structural’ Bull Market
Gold equities remain undervalued even as the metal is up about 7.8% year‑to‑date, prompting analysts at Haywood Securities to label the market a structural bull run. The firm projects gold averaging $4,906 per ounce in 2026 and $5,000 in 2027,...
Dutch Startup Resilicon Granted NZIA Support for New European Polysilicon Plant
Dutch startup Resilicon has secured Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) strategic‑project status for a 13 GW polysilicon plant in Groningen, Netherlands. The EU designation promises streamlined permitting, rapid administrative treatment and access to financing advice. The facility will be powered entirely...
Sandvik DR410i Rotary Drill Rig to Feature in ‘Autonomy-First Operation at Mariana Minerals’ Copper One
Sandvik Mining has delivered a DR410i rotary drill rig, pre‑configured for autonomous operation, to Mariana Minerals’ Copper One mine in Utah. The rig is being commissioned under Sandvik’s AutoMine® Surface Drilling system and will be linked to Mariana’s in‑house MarianaOS...
Morgan Stanley Cuts Gold Price Forecast by Almost 10%
Morgan Stanley’s commodities team slashed its gold price target for the second half of 2026 to $5,200 per ounce, a near‑10% reduction from the prior $5,700 forecast. The downgrade follows a six‑week sell‑off that erased roughly a quarter of gold’s...
Purepoint Advances 3D Uranium Targeting Technology
Purepoint Uranium Group completed an integrated airborne MobileMT electromagnetic survey and 3‑D structural modeling program across its Celeste East, Russell South and Tabbernor projects in the Athabasca Basin. The new workflow sharply improves identification of conductive folds and basement structures...
Fox Tungsten Closes $12.7 Million Bought Deal Financing
Fox Tungsten Ltd. closed a CAD$12.7 million (~US$9.3 million) bought‑deal private placement, issuing hard‑dollar and charity flow‑through units. The proceeds will fund a 2026 exploration program and a preliminary economic assessment for its high‑grade Fox Tungsten Project in central British Columbia, which...
Golden Pass Ships First LNG Cargo, Launching Major New U.S. Export Supply
Golden Pass LNG, a QatarEnergy‑ExxonMobil joint venture, shipped its first export cargo from Sabine Pass, Texas, marking the transition from commissioning to commercial trade. The three‑train terminal aims to export about 18 million tonnes per annum, positioning it among North America’s...
FireFox Gold Provides Update on Kolho Joint Venture Lapland, Finland
FireFox Gold Corp. reported progress on its Kolho joint‑venture in northern Finland, where partner Agnico Eagle has spent $1.842 million in 2025, bringing total spend to $2.936 million since the 2023 earn‑in agreement. The 2025 field program collected 2,778 base‑of‑till samples and...
QTWO Undervalued vs Peers; Quebec Spodumene Near Unicorn
Excellent chart @zempheth which I've modified slightly to highlight your very correct pointing out the @Q2Metals -Cisco valuation (USD 420M) comp to Azure/Andover which was bought for USD 1.1B+ when spodumene prices were half what they are today. With Elevra proving...
Thermal Coal Update
Thermal coal markets have lost the tailwinds they enjoyed after the Strait of Hormuz blockage, sending both spot prices and related equities sharply lower. Over the past two months, benchmark thermal coal contracts have slipped to roughly $70 per metric...
Helium Shortage Triggers Small‑Cap Rally as Investors Bet on Alternatives
The closure of Qatar’s Ras Laffan plant and the Hormuz blockade cut roughly 30% of world helium output, pushing spot prices toward $2,000 per thousand cubic feet. Investors have responded by piling into five AIM‑listed small‑cap companies developing alternative helium assets,...
Middle East Conflict Triggers Aluminium Supply Concerns
The global aluminium market is confronting a sudden supply shock as the Middle‑East conflict disrupts both primary aluminium and alumina shipments. The region accounts for roughly seven million tonnes, about 9% of worldwide output, and the disruption could create a...
Pantoro Partners with Mega Resources on Rama Pit in WA
Pantoro Gold has entered a profit‑sharing partnership with Mega Resources and Bain Global Resources to develop the underground extension of the Rama Open Pit in Western Australia’s Forrestania region. Pantoro will advance up to A$20 million (≈ $13.2 million) to Mega for stage‑two...
Anglo Asian Mining Invests in Processing Capacity at Gedabek, Demirli Operations
Anglo Asian Mining plc announced major upgrades to its Gedabek and Demirli processing plants in Azerbaijan. At Gedabek, nine high‑efficiency Imhoflot pneumatic flotation cells were installed for about $1.8 million, alongside an Energy Efficient Pulp Lifter and other equipment, to improve...
PTX Metals Holds Pent‑Up Exploration Potential Ready to Deploy
PTX Metals $PTX.V $PANXF Overheard about the company and seems quite appropriate: "PTX looks internally busy but externally quiet, which is usually where the real work happens. They now have more exploration capital than originally planned, and the flow‑through...
Teck Flags Chile Cost Pressure Amid Fuel Squeeze
Teck Resources warned that rising diesel and freight costs tied to supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could increase operating expenses at its Chilean copper mines through the second quarter of 2026. Despite the cost pressure, the miner delivered...
Republican Lawmakers Attempt to Shield Big Oil From Climate Lawsuits in ‘Alarming’ Bills
Republican lawmakers introduced the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026, led by Rep. Harriet Hageman and Sen. Ted Cruz, to grant oil and gas companies sweeping legal immunity from climate‑related lawsuits. The proposal would dismiss more than 70 pending state...
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Seeks Investment in Mineral Value Addition After Raw Export Ban
Zimbabwe’s cabinet has imposed a ban on raw mineral and lithium concentrate exports, signaling a pivot toward domestic processing and refining. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga urged private‑sector investment to build processing plants, expand steel capacity, and develop renewable energy projects....
Kinross Poised for Iamgold Takeover Amid Gold M&A Frenzy
Given Agnico $AEM is digesting Finland (not that they are tapped out by any stretch) and beginning to look under the hood at B2 Gold $BTG Have to think this is Kinross $KGC moment to strike on Iamgold $IAG and “make...
Tight Supply Drives Surge in High-End AHTS Dayrates
High‑end AHTS dayrates in the North Sea have surged as supply tightens. The global fleet of about 1,700 AHTS vessels includes only roughly 150 high‑spec units over 200 t bollard pull, with more than 60 % older than 15 years and no new...
Platinum Overextended yet Deeply Discounted to Gold
Platinum Is Stretched, But Low vs. Gold Platinum is extremely extended vs. its 60-month moving average, but a primary underpinning may be its steep discount to gold. At about $2,000 an ounce on April 22, my graphic shows platinum around the...
Tokenized Metals Signal Shift to Hard Collateral
I am interested to see how it impacts liquidity and price discovery for minor metals.
Liberia: Gold Rush Chaos Threatens Rivers, Power, and Governance
Integrity Watch Liberia released a field assessment warning that the country’s artisanal and small‑scale mining (ASM) sector is rapidly turning into a semi‑industrial gold rush. Mechanized dredging on the St. Paul and Tuma rivers is causing severe water contamination, fish loss,...
Copper's Bullish Surge: Few Portfolios Ready to Profit
Quite the bullish outlook for copper from @FrankCappelleri in his note yesterday. Should this happen, how many portfolios are built to benefit from it you think? I'm guessing not many. https://t.co/3Hio1we0O0
ELV Cash Margin Triples as Prices Surge, Costs Stay Steady
$ELV reported good CQ1/26 with output up on higher recoveries. Inventories down on higher sales but what stands out for me is the cash margin which rises from US$186/t for the last quarter to US$569/t for this quarter as costs...
Analyst Report: Newmont Corp
Argus analyst coverage lifted its outlook on Newmont Corp., the world’s largest gold miner, and raised the firm’s price target. The Denver‑based company, founded in 1921, generates roughly 85% of its revenue from gold and operates across North America, South...
TNM Podcast: Juan Biset on Argentina Glacier Mining Reform, Copper Triangle
In the latest TNM Podcast, former Argentine Undersecretary of Mining Juan Biset discusses the government’s plan to overhaul the 2010 glacier mining law, a framework that has limited large‑scale copper development in the Andes. He outlines how the reform could...
Silver Extends Losses as US-Iran Stalemate and Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Precious Metals
Silver prices slipped further Tuesday as Iran rejected participation in Islamabad talks, heightening geopolitical tension. The market’s bearish tilt was reinforced by persistent U.S. rate‑hike expectations, keeping upside capped. Technical charts show the metal breaking below $78, eyeing the $67...
Floating Wind & Deepwater Oil and Gas - Two Worlds Collide
The latest Intelatus Global Partners forecast warns that rising floating offshore wind projects will strain the supply of large anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTSs) and multi‑purpose support vessels (MSVs) as early as 2029‑2031. While deep‑water oil and gas activity...
Hormuz 'Reopening Optimism' Is 'Sliding Fast', Analyst Warns
Analysts warn that optimism about a May 1 reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is eroding, raising the risk of a sharp Brent price adjustment. SEB’s Bjarne Schieldrop notes that each week of delay could add roughly $5 per barrel to...
Anglo American Draws Three Bidders for Coal Sale
Anglo American is restarting the sale of its Queensland steelmaking coal assets after a $3.8 billion deal with Peabody Energy fell apart due to a mine fire. At least three parties—Stanmore Resources, Mitsubishi Corp. and Indonesia’s BUMA Internasional—are now in the...
Deepwater’s Playbook for Delivering Growth
Deepwater oil output is projected to climb from roughly 8 million barrels per day today to about 10 million barrels per day by the early 2030s, according to Welligence. After 2035, production will decline unless a new wave of pre‑FID projects is...
BOEM Issues Environmental Review for Multi-Well Stimulation at Californian Offshore Platform
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a final environmental impact statement for well‑stimulation, including hydraulic fracturing, on Platform Gilda off Ventura County, California. The document was completed in just 28 days after the notice of intent and...
Red Dog Zinc Output Fades in Transition
Teck Resources announced a C$200 million (US$145 million) investment to extend the life of its Red Dog zinc mine in Alaska as first‑quarter output fell 9% to 106,200 metric tons and the average zinc grade slipped 11% to 12.1%. The company’s revised three‑year...
Pogo Gold Production Rebounds During Q1
Northern Star Resources reported that its Pogo underground mine in Alaska produced 65,672 ounces of gold in Q1 2026, up from 52,832 ounces the prior quarter. All‑in sustaining costs dropped to $1,529 per ounce, down from $1,871. The average ore grade...
SIEMAG TECBERG’s First Hoisting Project in Indonesia Successfully Accepted
SIEMAG TECBERG Machinery supplied two vertical shaft hoisting systems to the SDE 2# coal mine in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, and they have now passed final acceptance. The $300 million project, developed by Qinfa Group, aims to produce up to 10 Mt of...
Cameco: The Uranium Powerhouse I'd Buy on Every Dip and Hold Through Any Energy Shock
Cameco, the largest North American uranium miner, owns high‑grade assets at McArthur River and Cigar Lake and holds a 49% stake in Westinghouse Electric. The company stands to benefit from the U.S. shift away from Russian uranium and the planned...
UK Energy Sec Says North Sea Is an 'Important Resource'
UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband reaffirmed the North Sea as a vital domestic energy resource, announcing the rollout of Transitional Energy Certificates (TECs) to enable continued production in existing fields. The government’s North Sea Future Plan bans new oil and...
Valterra Normalizes Quarterly Production After Last Year’s Flooding
Valterra Platinum reported Q1 2026 production normalizing after last year’s flood, with total PGM output up 7% to 743,500 oz and sales 60% higher at 791,400 oz, driven by a five‑year‑high basket price of $2,911 per ounce. The company deferred first‑quarter maintenance to...
WireCo Reports that Synthetic Pendants Cut Mining Equipment Stress and Extend Asset Life
WireCo introduced UNION Gladiator synthetic pendants that damp vibration and shock in draglines and electric rope shovels, cutting harmonic energy by 13% and sideload stress by roughly 29%. The reduced dynamic loads translate into an average 14% extension of component...