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:
Africa Has Turned the Screw on Its Gold Miners. Just Ask Gold Fields
Ghana has introduced a sliding‑scale royalty that will take gold earnings from 5% up to 12% as prices rise, and it is renegotiating mining licences on a case‑by‑case basis. Gold Fields, which relies on the Tarkwa mine for about 17% of its output, now faces an uncertain renewal after the government transferred the nearby Damang licence to a contractor linked to the president. Analysts at UBS say the Damang handover sets a precedent that licence extensions in Ghana can no longer be assumed to be automatic. The move mirrors a wider wave of resource nationalism across West Africa that is reshaping investment risk for gold producers.
BREAKING: Republicans Vote to Poison Boundary Waters – America's Most Beloved Wilderness
The Senate voted to overturn a two‑decade mineral withdrawal that shielded 225,504 acres of the Boundary Waters watershed from sulfide‑ore copper mining. The repeal was executed through the Congressional Review Act, a mechanism that prevents future presidents from reinstating similar...
Uranium Royalty to Buy Sweetwater in $1.1B Deal
Canada‑based Uranium Royalty announced a $1.1 billion acquisition of Sweetwater Royalties, a private royalty platform that owns the world’s largest trona deposit and extensive mineral rights across the western United States. The transaction, valued at $1.9 billion including debt, will create a...
Sponsored: Mercur Could Reshape Revival Gold
Revival Gold (TSXV:RVG, OTC:RVLGF) is promoting the restart of the historic Mercur gold mine in Utah through a sponsored interview with The Northern Miner. The company argues the project could deliver up to 150,000 ounces of gold per year, providing...
Wolfden’s Zinc-Silver Resource May Revive Bathurst Camp
Wolfden Resources announced an initial resource estimate for its Canoe Landing deposit on the Tetagouche property in New Brunswick’s Bathurst Mining Camp. The estimate includes 3.69 million indicated tonnes grading 0.71% zinc and 32.9 g/t silver, plus 17.1 million inferred tonnes with 1.83%...
Ivanhoe's Kipushi Zinc Set for US via Project Vault
We were at the White House in February for the launch of Project Vault, a $12 billion supply‑chain security programme launched by the U.S. and backed by @EximBankUS. At the same time we announced that @IvanhoeMines_ is in discussions with @Gecamines...
Middle East Escalation Pushes Aluminium Into a Structural Deficit
Escalating tensions in the Middle East have forced key Gulf aluminium smelters to curtail output, turning a logistics shock into a structural supply deficit. Emirates Global Aluminium halted its Al Taweelah plant, while Alba operates at roughly 30% of capacity and...
Is the US Falling Victim to the Resource Curse?
The article questions whether the United States is succumbing to the classic resource curse, a theory that abundant natural‑resource wealth crowds out manufacturing and renewable development. It notes that the premise assumes a zero‑sum relationship between oil‑gas production and other...
Tocvan Deploys Heavy Machinery at Mexico’s Gran Pilar Project
Tocvan Ventures has mobilised a dozer, excavator and haul truck to accelerate trenching and pilot‑scale development at its Gran Pilar gold‑silver project in Sonora, Mexico. The equipment supports a fully funded 20,000‑meter drilling programme and follows surface work that identified up...
Seabridge Unveils First Snip North Resource
Seabridge Gold announced a maiden inferred resource at the Snip North deposit on its Iskut project in British Columbia’s Golden Triangle. The estimate contains 9.2 million ounces of gold, 28.3 million ounces of silver and 923 million pounds of copper, split almost evenly...
Exploration Upside Could Extend Mine Life, Boost Value
The market focus has been on the tungsten and critical minerals master stroke in the western USA but this is a descent result on Nussir feasibility which was the core focus before Springer was bought for Blue Moon ore processing...
Sitka Confirms Tungsten at Rhosgobel
Sitka Gold Corp. announced that additional assaying of 5,500 samples from 33 drill holes at its Rhosgobel deposit confirmed extensive tungsten mineralization. The deposit, part of the 2.25‑million‑ounce inferred gold resource at the RC Gold project in Yukon’s Tombstone Gold...
Kudz Ze Kayah Moves Closer to Mine Permit
BMC Minerals announced it has secured a positive Decision Document for its ABM Mine at the Kudz Ze Kayah project in Yukon, clearing a key permitting hurdle. The ABM deposit contains 18.3 million metric tons of indicated resources rich in zinc, lead, copper,...
Blue Moon Tables Feasibility Results for Norwegian Copper-Gold Project
Blue Moon Metals completed a feasibility study for its Nussir copper‑gold‑silver project in northern Norway. The study, which focuses on the underground resource, projects a 13‑year mine life with a 6,000‑tonne‑per‑day mill and an after‑tax net present value of $235 million...
India Could Limit Sulphur Exports as Supplies Tighten, Sources Say
India is weighing limits on sulphur exports as domestic supplies tighten amid falling Middle East imports and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The country imports about 2 million metric tons a year, roughly half from the Middle East, while shipping...
Argo Gold Receives Exploration Permit for Uchi Gold Project, Ontario
Argo Gold Inc. has secured a mineral exploration permit for its 25 km² Uchi Gold Project in northwest Ontario, located 90 km east of Red Lake. The project comprises three known zones—Woco, Northgate and Raingold—where 2021 drilling extended strike lengths to 400‑500 metres and...
First Quantum and Hitachi Commission ‘World’s First’ Battery Electric Mining Truck at Kansanshi Mine in Zambia
First Quantum Minerals and Hitachi Construction Machinery commissioned the Hitachi EH4000, the world’s first ultra‑large battery‑electric mining truck, at Zambia’s Kansanshi copper‑gold mine. The truck completed a 4,000‑km trial haul, moving over 30,000 tonnes, proving its operational reliability ahead of...
Bunker Fuel Prices Begin to Stabilise – but Not at All Ports
Bunker fuel prices are beginning to stabilise at Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub, after an early surge that saw very‑low‑sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) breach $1,000 per tonne. The stabilisation reflects ample local stocks and fierce competition that keeps margins...
Trafigura Signs $1bn Oil-Backed Financing Deal with Gabon to Boost Liquidity
Global commodities trader Trafigura has signed a $1 billion oil‑backed financing agreement with the Republic of Gabon, providing upfront liquidity in exchange for the country's profit‑oil over seven years. The deal makes Trafigura the exclusive buyer of Gabon's post‑cost crude, with...
Crude Rally May Echo 2022 US Gas Decline
Crude Surge Could Track Falling US Gas Akin to 2022 Big green quarterly candles in Brent crude oil to roughly $120 a barrel have marked peaks and shifts to enduring red reversion since 2008. Has this pattern changed? Full report on the...
Jordan and UAE Form Joint Venture to Build Freight Railway
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have sealed a $2.3 bn joint‑venture to construct a 360 km freight railway linking the country’s major phosphate and potash mines with the Red Sea port of Aqaba. The new UAE‑Jordan Railway Company, backed by L’imad...
PV Module Prices Continue to Rise Unabated
Photovoltaic module prices climbed for the fourth month in a row, rising 5.5% between March and April 2026, with all‑black modules posting the steepest gains. The increase occurs despite falling polysilicon costs and the removal of Chinese export tax credits,...
Corn's Tight Range Signals Potential April‑May Price Peak
Range-Bound Ags Ripe to Move - Is Up Sustainable? The agriculture sector may be guided by corn -- its most significant commodity -- which hasn't ended a quarter outside a per-bushel range of about $4-$5 since 2Q23. That managed money (hedge...
DRC Boosts US Copper Sales Fivefold to 500,000 Tonnes
The Democratic Republic of Congo has expanded its planned copper sales to the United States to 500,000 tonnes, a fivefold increase from the January commitment. The sales will be marketed through a joint venture between state miner Gécamines, Mercuria Energy...
CZPT Set Zinc Concentrates TC Guidance at $35-70 per Tonne for Q2 2026 Purchasing
Fastmarkets reports that the China Zinc and Lead Producers’ Association (CZPT) has cut its Q2 2026 zinc concentrate transaction cost (TC) guidance to $35‑70 per tonne, a $60 per tonne reduction from the $105‑120 range set for Q1 2026. Spot...
DRC Moves to Secure Fuel Supply From Dangote Refinery Amid Global Market Pressures
Democratic Republic of Congo is evaluating fuel imports from Nigeria’s Dangote refinery to diversify its petroleum supply and boost energy security. Deputy Prime Minister Daniel Mukoko met Aliko Dangote and United Bank for Africa officials to discuss direct supply agreements and financing...
Liberia: Putu Deal, a Shift in Liberia's Mining Model
The Putu Iron Ore Project in Liberia has been handed to a Liberian‑led consortium, Africa Metallic Resources Inc. (AMR), backed by the Africa Finance Corporation and the Conex Group. The venture aims to generate $1.5‑$2 billion in export revenue, contribute up...
Transocean Lands Drillship Deal Worth $158m
Switzerland‑based offshore driller Transocean announced it has won a five‑well contract for its Deepwater Asgard drillship in the Eastern Mediterranean. The 390‑day campaign, slated to begin in Q4 2026, is valued at roughly $158 million in backlog, not counting mobilisation fees. The...
DRC Mines Minister Pushes for Stronger Geological Expertise and Sector Reform
Democratic Republic of Congo Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba visited the National Geological Survey and the CEEC on April 14, 2026, urging a shift toward Congolese geologists to deepen mineral exploration. He highlighted reforms aimed at boosting transparency, traceability, and...
E-Stewards and Bloom ESG Launch Critical‑Metals Metric for Electronics Recycling
e-Stewards and Bloom ESG have introduced a sector‑specific Critical Metals Conserved metric that quantifies cobalt, lithium and rare‑earth recovery in electronics recycling. The tool, built on primary recovery and smelter data, offers audit‑ready material‑intelligence for corporate ESG reporting and is...
Ivanhoe Mines Sees Strong Local Demand for Sulphuric Acid in DRC Amid Global Supply Tightness
Ivanhoe Mines has begun commercial sales of sulphuric acid, a copper‑processing by‑product, to other miners along the Democratic Republic of Congo’s copper belt. The company produced just over 100,000 tonnes in Q1 and expects output to climb to 600,000‑700,000 tonnes...
McHale Komatsu to Supply Large Mining Fleet to Tungsten West for Hemerdon Tungsten & Tin Mine
McHale Komatsu has signed a deal with Tungsten West PLC to deliver a large fleet of Komatsu mining equipment for the restart of the Hemerdon tungsten‑tin mine in Devon. The package includes two fleets of HD785‑8 rigid dump trucks paired...
India–Zambia Critical Minerals Talks Stall Over Mining Rights Uncertainty
India and Zambia’s joint effort to explore cobalt and copper has hit a standstill after Lusaka failed to provide formal assurances on future mining rights. Zambia had earmarked roughly 9,000 square kilometres for Indian geologists, who have already returned with...
FireFox Gold Reports Remaining Results From 2025 Drilling at Sarvi Project in Lapland, Finland
FireFox Gold Corp. released results from the three remaining holes of its 2025 reconnaissance drill program at the 100%-owned Sarvi gold project in Lapland, Finland. Hole 25SA002 intersected a narrow 1.0‑metre interval grading 2.68 g/t Au at 51.5 m depth, while hole...
USA Rare Earth Produces Initial Yttrium Metal
USA Rare Earth, via its subsidiary Less Common Metals, has begun commercial production of yttrium metal with 99‑99.5% purity at its Cheshire, UK facility, making it one of the few non‑Chinese sources of the material. Yttrium is a critical component...
Glencore Technology Heralds Jameson Cell Rougher Duty Expansion
Glencore Technology reports that its Jameson Cell, traditionally used in clean flotation, is now viable for rougher and rougher‑scaler duties thanks to larger downcomer designs. The upgraded cells can process up to 3,500 tonnes per hour, delivering the same feed...
CSOs Back Zimbabwe’s Lithium Export Crackdown, Warn “Execution Will Decide Everything”
Zimbabwe has tightened its raw lithium export ban, introducing a framework that forces mining firms to build local beneficiation facilities and lithium‑sulphate plants by January 2027. The rules require accredited labs, producer‑by‑producer export quotas, and audited financial statements starting December 2025. Civil‑society...
Heraeus, Sibanye-Stillwater Partner on Palladium-Based Glass Fibre Tech
Heraeus Precious Metals and Sibanye‑Stillwater have launched a two‑year joint R&D program to create palladium‑based glass‑fibre bushings using Heraeus’ dispersion‑hardening (DPH) technology. The effort aims to replace costly platinum bushings with cost‑efficient palladium alloys for E‑glass fibres used in reinforced...
Alphamin Says Tin Price Sustainable as Stars Align
Alphamin, a DRC‑based tin miner listed on the JSE and TSX, is on track to post a record quarter with earnings of about $158 million, thanks to tin prices climbing from $30,000 to a peak near $60,000 per tonne and now...
The End of the Hormuz Bargain
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and large volumes of LNG, fertilizer and key feedstocks travel, is no longer a neutral corridor. Escalating Middle‑East tensions and unilateral toll demands have prompted many...
Wah Kwong Spins Off Dry Bulk Arm with 60-Ship Target
Hong Kong‑based Wah Kwong Maritime Transport has spun off its dry‑bulk operations into a new subsidiary, Wah Kwong Bulk. The unit will combine ship ownership and operation, targeting a fleet of 50‑60 vessels by 2030, including about 30 owned ships...
China Sets Record March Coal Power Output Amid Geopolitical Tensions
China posted a 4.4% y-on-y increase in coal-fired electricity generation in March (thermal generation). The data point is the highest ever seasonal (for a March month) coal-fired power generation. China can -- and it is -- doing an enormous flex in...
Featured in WSJ: Insights on Global Sulphur Market
Thank you Ed Ballard for featuring me in your recent @WSJ article on the global #sulphur market. https://t.co/eYZx1hgh4G
Strait of Hormuz Disruption and Global Supply Implications>
In Q1 2026 the U.S.–Iran conflict shut the Strait of Hormuz, cutting roughly 40% of global nitrogen trade and 20% of LNG supply. The chokepoint closure drove Brent crude from about $61 to a peak above $117 per barrel before diplomatic...
China’s Crude Stockpiling Proved Prudent, Says Column
Last year, the oil market was preoccupied with a question: why China was stockpiling so much crude. I wrote an @Opinion column about it in Sept, and re-reading it ⤵️ now, I must admit that all makes sense: Beijing was...
China Sets Record Coal Output, Exceeds U.S. Annual Use
China's coal production reached in March its highest ever monthly level, according to official data. Beijing said it digged 440.62 million metric tons last month, up a tiny bit from the old peak of 440.58m a year ago. (For context, that's more...
Silver Bull Resurgence: Producers to Explorers, Next Moves
The Silver Bull is Back - From Silver Producers to Exploration Stocks What's Next $RYO.V $RYOOF https://t.co/aMmj7XRBtq
Total Metals Secures Full Ownership of High‑Grade Pick Lake Property
Total Metals $TT.V $TTTMF Acquires 100% Interest in the High-Grade Pick Lake Critical Minerals Property from Frontier Energy Limited 🔥🔥🔥https://t.co/vHOmtQ19ql https://t.co/KF6rrVQY2P
Lithium Project's Past, Present, Future Crucial for U.S.
Was great to dive deep with Jon Evans @LithiumAmericas on the past, present and future of this critically and strategically important lithium project for the United States. Strongly encourage all to listen if you've not already done so. $LAC 👇
Coal Demand Chart Misleads by Excluding China
I do love when green campaigners produce a chart about coal demand trends with a tiny little footnote: (excludes China)