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:
Ancient Process that Created Rare Earth Elements Discovered — and It Could Help Us Locate Desperately Needed Deposits
Scientists have identified that most rare‑earth element (REE) deposits and their host alkaline or carbonatite magmas are situated above ancient subduction zones. By modeling plate‑tectonic history over the past two billion years, the study found 67% of alkaline magma blobs and 72% of known REE deposits coincide with these “fertilized” mantle regions, with alignment rising to 92% for deposits older than 540 million years. The research challenges the traditional view that mantle plumes are the primary source of REE mineralization, showing that subduction‑derived fluids can enrich the mantle for eons before melting. These insights give exploration firms a more focused strategy for locating new REE resources.
Cosmic‑Ray Data and AI Boost Mining Firms' Hunt for Critical Minerals
Rio Tinto and other mining companies are deploying cosmic‑ray imaging and AI‑driven analytics to map underground mineral deposits, a move driven by record‑high copper prices and looming supply shortfalls. The effort aims to improve subsurface intelligence for both new greenfield...
How Big Oil Is Cashing in on Iran War - The Latest
The world’s 100 largest oil and gas companies generated more than $30 million per hour in unearned profit during the first month of the US‑Israeli war on Iran. Crude prices averaged $100 a barrel in March, driving an estimated $23 billion windfall...
LaFleur and Trafigura Enter Into Term Sheet for C$30 Million Prepayment Facility and Gold Offtake Agreement
LaFleur Minerals has signed a term sheet with Trafigura Canada for a non‑dilutive prepayment facility of up to C$30 million (≈US$22 million) and a gold doré offtake agreement to fund the restart and expansion of its Beacon Gold Mill in Val‑d’Or, Québec....
VP Chiwenga Sets Out Chromium Value-Chain Development Plan, Seeks Investors for Industrial Expansion
Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga used Africa Chromium Week 2026 to unveil a roadmap that expands the country’s chrome sector beyond ferrochrome exports into chemicals, super‑alloys and plating solutions. The nation now runs 17 ferrochrome smelters and shipped 433,000 metric tonnes in 2025, a...
Stena Drilling’s Drillship Finds Job in Greece
Stena Drilling has secured an exploratory drilling contract for its 2008‑built drillship Stena DrillMAX with Energean Hellas, marking Greece’s first deep‑water offshore well. The well, slated for early 2027 in Block 2 of the Northwestern Ionian Sea, will require managed pressure drilling....
US Oil Production Hits Record High Amid Hormuz Blockade
CHART OF THE DAY: The barrel of last resort. US total crude oil and refined petroleum products have surged to an all-time high of >12.7 million b/d. (And further highs are likely over the next few weeks as everyone turns...
Demand for Colombia LNG Shipments Set to Surge
Colombia’s power sector is gearing up for a sharp increase in LNG imports as an El Niño‑driven dry season threatens its hydropower‑dependent grid. Imports, currently 210 million cubic feet per day, are expected to climb to the SPEC terminal’s full 475 mcf/d capacity...
Iran War, Indonesia Curbs to Support Nickel Price: Report
BMI raised its 2026 refined nickel price forecast to $16,600 per tonne, up from $15,800, citing a structurally firmer market despite a persistent global surplus. Indonesia’s decision to cap nickel ore mining quotas at 260‑270 million wet metric tonnes, down from...
Silver Demand From PV Industry Expected to Drop 19% This Year
Metal Focus’s World Silver Survey 2026 shows the global silver market remains tightly constrained, with prices averaging $40 per ounce in 2025 and a fifth straight annual deficit of 40.3 million ounces projected for 2025 and 2026. At the same time,...
China’s Africa Strategy Is Shifting and Iran Conflict Will Speed It Up
China is pivoting its Africa strategy from resource extraction to investment, centering the effort in Hunan Province’s “Hunan Model.” The model, formalized through the China‑Africa Economic and Trade Deep Cooperation Pilot Zone and a dedicated exhibition, streamlines logistics, free‑trade zones,...
China’s CATL to Invest US$4.4 Billion in Mining Arm to Secure EV Battery Supply Chain
China’s battery leader CATL is earmarking 30 bn yuan (≈$4.4 bn) to launch a mining subsidiary that will consolidate existing assets and chase new mineral projects worldwide, securing raw‑material supply for its EV batteries and energy‑storage systems. The move follows a Q1...
WD-40 Braces for Iran War Impact on Supply Costs
WD‑40 warned that the Iran‑driven oil shock is raising the price of petroleum‑based specialty chemicals used in its formulas. The company said the cost increase will take 90‑120 days to filter through inventory and affect gross margins, with the first...
Why Sulfuric Acid Is Emerging as a Supply Chain Constraint in Copper
Sulfuric acid, traditionally a background chemical in copper production, is emerging as a tangible supply‑chain constraint. Trade disruptions in the Middle East, China’s abrupt export ban, and already weak smelter economics are converging to tighten acid availability. The pressure hits...
Loughborough University Targets the UK’s Critical Materials Sovereignty Gap
Loughborough University has partnered with Freemelt to deploy electron‑beam additive manufacturing (EBM) for processing refractory metals such as tungsten, niobium and tantalum, which are essential to next‑generation energy and defence systems. The vacuum‑based EBM platform overcomes laser‑related reflectivity and oxidation...
BASF and TSR Group Collaborate on Battery Recycling
BASF and the TSR Group announced a partnership to integrate battery‑dismantling, safe discharge, and black‑mass processing across Europe. TSR will contribute its network of more than 190 licensed waste‑management sites, while BASF adds its Schwarzheide recycling plant that produces black...
A2 Gold Outlines Antimony Potential at Nevada Project
A2 Gold Corp. disclosed new technical data highlighting significant antimony mineralization at its Taylor Gold‑Silver Project in Nevada. Historical production from two former antimony mines showed high‑grade ore, including 13 tons at 56% Sb in 1939 and 90 tons averaging 14% Sb...
China's Rare‑Earth Export Ban Heightens US‑China Mineral Tensions
China announced a ban on rare‑earth exports to the United States for military use, while simultaneously pulling over $150 billion of liquidity, slashing U.S. Treasury holdings to $694 billion and amassing $343 billion in gold. The move deepens a strategic clash over critical...
Amid the Hormuz Crisis, Indonesia Rewrites Its Energy Playbook
Indonesia’s government responded to the Strait of Hormuz disruption with a two‑pronged strategy: domestic fuel subsidies and demand controls were kept steady while the president launched an intensive diplomatic tour of Japan, South Korea and Russia. The visits produced concrete...
Harmony's Eva to Use ABB Drives
Harmony Gold is moving ahead with its Eva copper‑gold project, a US$1.73 billion development that targets both copper and gold extraction. The mine will be equipped with ABB’s 24 MW gearless mill drive (GMD) and ring‑geared mill drive (RMD) technologies. While the...
Ascension Secures Funding for Geothermal Critical Mineral Recovery
Ascension, a UK geothermal developer, has secured a £670,490 Innovate UK grant and £1 million from UKI2S to fund a pilot plant that extracts critical minerals from geothermal brine. The project will focus on recovering rare earth elements, lithium and other strategic...
Pebble Plaintiffs Rebut DOJ Veto Brief
Northern Dynasty Minerals filed a reply brief in Alaska federal court challenging the EPA’s 2023 Pebble mine veto. The brief argues the agency’s decision conflicts with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Final Environmental Impact Statement, relies on a flawed...
Eagle Water Treatment Resumes for Spring
The Yukon government announced on April 13 that treated‑water discharge will resume at the Eagle Gold Mine, allowing the site to build storage capacity ahead of the spring melt. Since the 2024 heap‑leach pad failure, the mine, under PwC receivership,...
New Amalga PEA Outlines Juneau Gold Mine
Grande Portage Resources released its first preliminary economic assessment for the New Amalga gold project near Juneau, outlining a seven‑year underground mine with offsite processing. The PEA projects 1.05 million ounces of gold over life‑of‑mine, with after‑tax NPV of $721 million at...
Tongwei and Daqo Shares Rally on Polysilicon Regulatory Rumours, Prices Stay Depressed
Rumors of a closed‑door meeting in Chengdu to impose polysilicon production cuts sparked a sharp rally in Chinese PV stocks on April 13, with Tongwei up 7.9% and Daqo Energy nearly 8%. The benchmark polysilicon futures surged to RMB 34,770/ton (≈US$5,097),...
Foremost Clean Energy Drills High-Grade Unconformity Mineralization at Hatchet Lake South Project, Saskatchewan
Foremost Clean Energy reported 2026 drill results from the Hatchet Lake South uranium project in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin. Five of ten holes intersected unconformity‑related mineralization, highlighted by 0.34% eU3O8 over 4.6 m, including a 1.0% eU3O8 core of 1.4 m. Step‑out drilling...
THIS ISN'T YOUR FATHER'S OIL SHOCK: The 4 Pillars of U.S. Energy Resilience & Why the U.S. Can and Is...
The United States is now far more resilient to oil price spikes than during the 1970s stagflation era. A multi‑decade shift—driven by the shale revolution, lower energy intensity, and a smaller share of gasoline in household budgets—means the economy can...
January Gas Expected Below $4.40 in Q4
January Gas: Above $5.40 or Below $4.40 in 4Q? A year ago, the January 2027 natural gas future was roughly the same as the $4.60 per MMBtu on April 14, indicating the price to expect in 4Q. A move below the...
Senate Republicans Threaten Boundary Waters with Foreign Mining
It sounds like the Republicans in the Senate are going to try to sell out the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to a foreign mining company today. The BWCA is a million acres of designated Wilderness in northern Minnesota with...
Doubleview Gold Corp. Announces Filing of Preliminary Economic Assessment Technical Report for the Hat Project
Doubleview Gold Corp. filed a NI 43‑101 technical report detailing its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the 100%-owned Hat polymetallic project in northwestern British Columbia. The PEA shows after‑tax NPV (5%) ranging from C$4.96 billion (≈$3.7 billion) to C$14.85 billion (≈$11 billion) and IRRs...
Copper Prices Overextended; Must Revisit 5‑Year Mean
Copper Peak Inklings? Stretched From 5-Year Mean Copper faces up-too-much risks near the start of 2Q. If the metal doesn't revisit its five-year moving average at $10,253 a ton, it would be the first year since 2021. Copper dropped 14% in...
Data Shows the U.S. Blockade Is Halting Ships in the Strait of Hormuz
Financial Times tracking data confirms the United States’ naval blockade is halting vessels at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. Several tankers, including two sanctioned Iranian ships, turned back or stopped before reaching the Gulf of Oman. China has denounced...
FE Mottram Expands Titanium Scrap Capacity in Estonia
FE Mottram is adding roasters, crushers, and backup furnace capacity to strengthen titanium scrap processing in Estonia. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/fe-mottram-ferro-titanium-expansion.html
CATL Must Acquire Ganf
Desperate times call for desperate measures. @catl_official should buy @GanfengOfficial & or #Tianqi. Even with 100% of both, they would still need more #lithium. https://t.co/NBTEIaIRFs
Norway Eyes Enhanced Oil & Gas Recovery Projects to Boost Production
Norway’s Offshore Directorate (NOD) has launched a task force to fast‑track enhanced oil and gas recovery (EOGR) pilots on the mature Norwegian Continental Shelf. A prior Imperial College study put the theoretical upside at 350‑700 million standard cubic meters of oil...
Brazil Conditions Rare Earth Deal Amid US‑China Competition
China and the US want rare earths. Brazil will share – on one condition Move comes as Washington locks US$565 million deal with Brazil’s only operating rare earth mine https://t.co/iQo2RjLACX via @scmpnews
Adelayde Plans Next Phase for Quebec Gold Project
Adelayde Exploration $ADDY $SPMTF Formulating Plans for the Next Phase of Work on the Perron-East Gold Project in Quebec by @newsfile https://t.co/QsOx27YLqu https://t.co/3ddyAxLpV5
Chinese Deep‑Sea Vessels Log 800 Days Mining While Mapping Strategic Waters
Eight Chinese research vessels have logged more than 800 days probing deep‑sea mining sites while also cruising through strategically sensitive ocean corridors. The United States, eyeing polymetallic nodules as a way to cut reliance on China, is racing to approve...
Greenland Resources Valued at $2.5‑3B
At the current Molybdenum prices, Greenland Resources' $MOLY NPV sits around here (~$2.5-3.0bn) 👇 Market cap of $170m. https://t.co/q78aNaCpRO
Near‑surface Oxide Delivers Low‑cost, High‑margin Cash Flow
Near-surface oxide in a proven district means low strip ratios, simple open-pit mining, and low-capex heap leaching often delivering some of the lowest AISC in the industry. Bulk tonnage with silver credits can generate strong margins and quicker cash flow...
Vår Energi Unveils $360 Million Investment in Barents Sea Field
Vår Energi announced a $360 million investment to modify the Goliat Gas Export (GGE) project in Norway’s Barents Sea, extending the field’s operational life to around 2050. The plan adds a 12‑kilometre gas export pipeline and connects the FPSO Goliat to...
Antofagasta Backs 2026 Goals Despite Copper Output Dip
Chilean miner Antofagasta reported an 8% drop in first‑quarter copper output to 143,000 tonnes, but net cash costs fell 30% to $1.08 per pound. The company kept its full‑year production guidance of 650,000‑700,000 tonnes and its $3.4 billion capital‑spending plan, citing...
New Episode: How Have Global Oil Supply Chains Shifted Around the Iran Conflict?
The latest Energy Technology episode examines how the US‑Israel‑Iran confrontation has reshaped global oil supply chains. With the Strait of Hormuz closed and U.S. blockades on Iranian tankers, Middle‑East exporters such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have trimmed output...
German DAX Edges Higher as Oil Prices Slip and US‑Iran Talks Resume
German equities climbed almost 1% on Tuesday, buoyed by a drop in Brent crude to $96.50 a barrel and renewed expectations that U.S. and Iranian delegations will reconvene in Pakistan. The move reflects a tentative shift in market sentiment amid...
Codelco in Talks with Hindustan Copper for Chile Copper Joint Venture
Codelco is negotiating a joint venture with Hindustan Copper Ltd. to develop an undeveloped Chilean deposit, with the partnership slated to involve more than $1 billion in capital. The deal would let Codelco share the financial burden of new projects, a...
PGMs, China’s Stockpiling Spur Mining Production Leap, Minerals Council Reports
South Africa’s mining sector posted a 9.7% year‑on‑year production rise in February 2026, propelled by a 52.3% surge in platinum‑group metals (PGMs) and Chinese stockpiling of chrome and manganese. Total mineral sales jumped 58.3% YoY to R78.6 billion (≈$4.1 billion), led by...
Gold and Commodities Are Set to Soar
Gold and silver appear to have found a floor and are climbing, driven by a broader rally in commodities. The surge follows the United States’ naval blockade in the Sea of Oman, which threatens the supply of base metals, sulphuric...
Malabar Marks Start of Longwall Mining at Maxwell Underground Coal Operation
Malabar Resources announced that the Maxwell Underground mine in New South Wales has produced its first full shears of coal using a longwall machine, marking the transition to the region’s largest long‑life longwall operation. The project, approved in December 2020,...
ABB to Deliver GMD, RMD Technology for Harmony’s Eva Copper Mine Project
ABB has secured a contract to supply its gearless mill drive (GMD) and ring‑geared mill drive (RMD) technology for Harmony’s Eva Copper Mine in Queensland. The 24 MW GMD will power a 12.2‑m SAG mill while an 18 MW variable‑speed RMD will...
Japan to Launch $10B Fund to Help Asia Secure Oil
Japan announced a $10 billion financial framework, administered by state‑backed lenders JBIC and NEXI, to help Asian nations secure oil amid heightened Middle East tensions. The fund is equivalent to roughly 1.2 billion barrels, or about one year of crude imports for...