Know What's Happening in Mining
Know What's Happening in Mining
Iran war pushes global coal demand higher
The U.S. and allies’ conflict with Iran is prompting nations to lean on coal as oil and gas supplies falter. Coal consumption has risen by about 1.3 billion tonnes since 2020, reaching 8.8 billion tonnes, driven by higher demand in India, China and Europe’s shift away from Russian gas.
The United States hosted its first Critical Minerals Ministerial in February 2026, unveiling a preferential trading bloc, price‑floor mechanisms and a $12 billion strategic stockpile to curb China’s dominance. At the same time, a US‑backed consortium struck a $9 billion deal with Glencore for a 40 percent stake in two DRC copper‑cobalt mines, securing raw‑material access under fragile peace accords. While the initiative promises stable supply for Western tech, African producers remain confined to low‑value ore exports, with little investment in local processing or revenue guarantees. The arrangement deepens a historic pattern of extracting African resources while value accrues elsewhere.
Indigenous communities in Indonesia’s Papua province have lodged an administrative objection to two forestry ministry decrees that reclassify 486,939 hectares of forest as non‑forest land, clearing the way for oil‑palm plantations under the government’s food‑estate program. The rezoning, approved in...
South32 COO Noel Pillay highlighted aluminium as a cornerstone of the low‑carbon transition, emphasizing its lightweight, durable and fully recyclable nature. The South African government has classified the sector as strategic, granting Hillside Aluminium a preferential electricity tariff through Eskom...
Stanford geoscience professor Jef Caers announced that artificial‑intelligence‑driven "intelligent agents" could slash mineral‑exploration drilling by up to five‑fold. The system plans sequential drilling to test and falsify human geological hypotheses, targeting uncertainty reduction rather than exhaustive grid sampling. By focusing...
Valterra Platinum announced a R5.3bn special dividend, bringing its total payout for the 2025 financial year to R45 per share, equivalent to 71% of headline earnings. The payout follows an 89% rise in platinum‑group‑metal prices in the second half of...
Great Divide Mining has engaged LA Broome Contracting to manage mullock, the waste rock from its operations, and feed it into the Challenger gold processing plant in New South Wales. The partnership will turn this low‑grade material into the plant’s initial...
Wellington Management, a trillion‑dollar US asset manager, is intensifying its sustainable‑investment platform to meet escalating client expectations on stewardship, decarbonisation, and climate risk. In a Responsible Investor podcast, head of sustainable investment Wendy Cromwell explains how the firm aligns ESG considerations...
Fastmarkets announced a proposal to launch a new ex‑works China price for antimony trioxide (99.5% Sb2O3 min). The price, quoted in yuan per tonne, will be published weekly and targets a minimum 10‑tonne spot transaction. The consultation period runs from...
Fortescue buys Alta Copper outright, deepening its copper expansion strategy around Peru’s Canariaco project. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/fortescue-alta-copper-acquisition.html
Standard Bank’s African Markets Conference highlighted a bullish outlook for gold, with its head of precious metals projecting the metal to finish the year above $6,000 per ounce and potentially reach $7,000‑$10,000 next year if interest rates keep falling. Attendees...
President Emmerson Mnangagwa told Zimbabwean exporters that raw mineral shipments are effectively ending, insisting that value‑addition must occur domestically. The Finance Act now imposes a 10% export tax on unbeneficiated lithium and chrome, with chrome also subject to a 5%...
US launches Pax Silica to secure polysilicon inputs and expand allied semiconductor partnerships for AI growth. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/pax-silica-silicon-supply-chain.html
Hillgrove Resources reported a strong 2025 turnaround at its Kanmantoo underground copper mine, boosting production to over 11,300 tonnes and lifting revenue 49% to $167.6 million. The company reversed a $14.8 million loss into a modest $100,000 profit and grew cash reserves...
Metallium and ElementUSA target US gallium and scandium recovery from Louisiana red mud using flash joule heating. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/02/metallium-flash-joule-heating.html
The Chamber of Mines rebutted ILO remarks by highlighting that its members generated 20,843 direct jobs and an estimated 145,901 indirect jobs in 2024, accounting for 26.7% of Namibia’s employed population. It contested claims that the sector lacks local beneficiation...
Arika Resources announced that recent RC drilling at its Pennyweight Point deposit on the Yundamindra project has extended high‑grade gold mineralisation both along strike and to greater depth. Intercepts include 21 m at 4.65 g/t Au, with a peak of 19.39 g/t over...
Copper is driving miners' profits But exposure is hard to scale unless prices stay high for years Profits are hard to maintain unless supply growth fails Mega-mergers failed because sellers wanted to be paid for the future scarcity now Usual good insights from @ClydeCommods...
Fortescue Metals Group spent $427 million in the first half of FY2026 on decarbonisation and expects annual outlays of $800 million to $1.2 billion, putting the company on a roughly $1 billion‑a‑year run rate through the decade. The miner is installing solar, wind, battery...
Coronado Global Resources announced the completion of its Mammoth Underground expansion and Buchanan growth project after a challenging 2025 marked by a steep revenue decline and significant net losses. The company aims to leverage the new assets to boost ore...
Riversgold has completed a 31‑hole shallow drill program across the central and eastern mineralised zones of its Northern Zone gold project in Western Australia. The company expects assay results soon and is advancing the conversion of the tenement to a...
Norwest Minerals announced a high‑grade gold intercept at its Marymia East project, reporting 3 metres grading 7.93 g/t Au from 48 m depth, including a 1 metre section of 21.4 g/t. The drill hole, MRC02, was located 50 m west of historic shallow mineralisation and bolsters...
The Australian government is closely tracking new iron‑ore pricing arrangements being trialled between Chinese buyers and major Australian producers. Companies such as Fortescue and Rio Tinto have begun using Fastmarkets, while BHP negotiates with China Mineral Resources Group over alternative...
Argentina’s Vaca Muerta looks great on paper, but it’s not the next Permian. Argentina’s fiscal mess, weak infrastructure, & massive capex needs are real barriers. Continental’s hype says as much about a fading Bakken play as it does about Vaca Muerta. https://t.co/SGzycaNHEd #Oil...
COLUMN: Net zero by 2050 is effectively dead: Oil, natural gas and coal will remain crucial for meeting the world's energy needs. But that doesn't mean the end of renewable energy. Solar, in particular, is thriving, and will continue to...
Nimy Resources has launched a scoping study for the Block 3 gallium discovery at its Mons project in Western Australia’s Yilgarn Craton. The deposit contains roughly 2,700 tonnes of gallium, positioning it as a potential non‑Chinese supply source for Western markets. Metallurgical...
Higher #lithium prices don’t have the power to make low quality lithium assets good investments. Be careful out there. https://t.co/BDwn05D4Fc
Uranium enrichment is running straight into a hard physical bottleneck Enrichment capacity, not reactors, is the constraint The US is still deeply dependent on Russian enrichment https://t.co/UzZh17Lcy5 #NuclearEnergy #Uranium #EnergySecurity #SupplyChains #EnergyTransition #Geopolitics
Rox Resources is accelerating development at its wholly‑owned Youanmi gold project in Western Australia, completing roughly 750 metres of underground advance and targeting first‑level access by month‑end. Surface and underground infill drilling are underway to boost early ore inventory, while dewatering...
Centrus Energy reported FY 2025 revenue of $448.7 million, a modest 1.5% increase, with gross profit rising 5% to $117.5 million and net income of $77.8 million. Growth was driven by a 21% jump in SWU sales, while uranium revenue...
Select Water Solutions reported $1.4 billion in consolidated revenue for 2025 and a record adjusted EBITDA of $260 million, exceeding its guidance. The Water Infrastructure segment posted a 54% gross margin in Q4 and is projected to grow 20‑25% year‑over‑year in 2026,...
Warrior Met Coal reported record Q4 and full‑year 2025 production and sales, driven by the early, on‑budget launch of the Blue Creek longwall mine. Revenue rose to $384 million and net income surged to $23 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased 75% to...
Fortescue Metals Group delivered a record 100.2 million tonnes of iron ore in the first half of FY 2025, a 3% increase over the prior period, driving revenue to $8.4 billion and EBITDA to $4.486 billion. Mining output rose 2% and processing volumes matched...
Alkane Resources has identified high‑grade antimony‑gold intersections at the Kendal system, an up‑dip extension of its Youle and Shepherd deposits at Costerfield, Victoria. Infill and extension drilling over the past year revealed multiple bonanza‑style zones, notably the 520 vein which...
Whitecap Resources leveraged its May acquisition of rival Veren to boost scale, prompting a credit‑rating upgrade, lower borrowing costs and larger reserves. The expanded footprint enabled the company to lock in two 10‑year natural‑gas supply contracts totaling 85,000 MMBtu per day,...
PolarX’s inaugural drill program at the Ridgeline prospect in Nevada delivered high‑grade gold intersections, highlighted by a 9.1‑metre interval grading 6.38 g/t at 89 metres depth. The 13‑hole, 2,027‑metre campaign intersected mineralisation in ten holes, confirming the surface‑to‑depth continuity of steeply dipping...
Air Products has moved to secure a Water Quality Certification from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, a prerequisite for its federal permit to build a blue‑hydrogen and carbon‑capture facility. The certification confirms compliance with Clean Water Act sections governing...
Canada’s largest gold producer Agnico Eagle announced an accelerated expansion of its Detour Lake mine and ongoing construction of the Upper Beaver project, aiming to boost output by up to 30% and exceed 4 million ounces by the early 2030s. The...
Chile’s right‑wing government, set to assume power on March 11, is reshaping mining policy. President‑elect José Antonio Kast campaigned on stricter border control and law‑and‑order, reflecting rising concerns over crime and Venezuelan migration. He merged the Mining and Economy ministries and...
Hong Kong announced a concerted push to become a premier international gold trading hub, aligning with China’s goal to expand its market share and influence on global bullion prices. The city plans to increase gold storage capacity to over 2,000...
Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, unveiled on 17 February 2026, places critical minerals at the core of national security and industrial policy. The government frames domestic mining as essential for defence supply chains, reducing reliance on China’s near‑monopoly over rare earths and...
Denison Mines Corp. has secured regulatory approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to construct the Wheeler River uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin. The construction licence, effective until February 28, 2031, makes the project the province’s first new uranium mine...
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to address the Australian Parliament, signalling a push toward a Canada‑Australia critical minerals partnership. His recent World Economic Forum speech urged medium powers to forge new alliances, a message that provoked a sharp...
Lab‑grown diamonds, touted as a cost‑effective alternative to mined stones, can be up to 90 percent cheaper. A CBC Marketplace investigation bought two one‑carat, D‑color, ideal‑cut, VS1‑clarity diamonds—one from Blue Nile and another from Alibaba—and found a stark price gap despite...
Canadian billionaire Eric Sprott increased his stake in Hycroft Mining Holding by purchasing 150,000 shares at $42.05, bringing his ownership to roughly 44.5% of the company. The buy‑back sparked a more than 12% rally, pushing the stock to a one‑month...
The European Union is reviewing its Arctic policy, and a tighter definition could unlock the Barents Sea’s estimated 22 trillion cubic feet of gas. Norway’s offshore fields could then supply 20‑30% of EU gas demand through 2050, offering a lower‑emission alternative...
It was a pleasure and an honor to catch up with the @JJovanovicUSA President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the @EximBankUS of the United States (EXIM). The support EXIM and this administration shows and extends to...
Eagle Energy Metals Corp. completed its business combination with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. II, creating Eagle Nuclear Energy Corp. The new company will begin Nasdaq trading on February 25, 2026 under the ticker symbols NUCL and NUCLW. The merger pairs the largest...
Sunny & cold in Florida. How high will #lithium price go this cycle was the # 1 question. How real is the ESS boom was #2. Nice to see some optimism after a couple of lean years. https://t.co/KLtvzNOlxk
Ghanaian officials and civil‑society groups are urging a revision of the Minerals and Mining Act to curb the rampant smuggling and use of mercury in artisanal and small‑scale gold mining (ASGM). The current legislation lacks a national mercury storage and...
Rokbak concentrates exclusively on articulated haulers, positioning itself as a niche expert for mining and quarry operations. Its RA30 and RA40 models achieve high physical availability by integrating robust structures, proven components, and low warranty claim rates. The company extends...
