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
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 equivalent – roughly $180‑$350 billion at current prices. The agency says the potential output could match the entire production of the Johan Sverdrup field, offering a significant revenue boost. Officials stress urgency, noting a gap between identified opportunities and the few projects actually pursued.
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...
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...
Eni Ships Venezuelan Crude to Europe After Two-Year Gap
Italian energy giant Eni loaded a 1‑million‑barrel cargo of heavy Venezuelan crude bound for Spain, the first European shipment in almost two years. The cargo left the Jose terminal aboard the Marshall Islands‑flagged tanker Front Cruiser after U.S. licenses cleared...
Eramet's Nickel Quota Slashed 70%, Threatening Indonesian Supply
Eramet’s Weda Bay Nickel received a 70pc lower 2026 quota, raising new concerns over Indonesian ore supply. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/eramet-weda-bay-nickel-quota-cut-raises.html
5 Minutes with… Thea Van Rossum
Thea Van Rossum, chief science officer of Koonkie, explains how the company’s Mining Microbiome Analytics Platform (M‑MAP) is building the first large‑scale, searchable database of microbial DNA from mine sites. A recent partnership with Rio Tinto produced a comprehensive inventory of...
Trident Intersects 4.61 G/T Au over 38.48m From 77.00m, Including 5.48 G/T over 26.14m From Hole 26028 – 200m ENE...
Trident Resources reported assay results from the first nine diamond holes of its 2026 winter program at the Contact Lake Gold Project. Hole CL26028 returned 4.61 g/t Au over 38.48 m, including a 33.16 g/t hit over 1.89 m, while hole CL26025 intersected 11.97 g/t...
Resources Top 5: FIN’s Maiden Drilling Strikes Wide Sulphide Zones at Cabin Lake
FIN Resources reported its maiden drilling at the Cabin Lake gold project in Canada, intersecting 114 m of massive sulphide mineralisation at the Arrow prospect. Historical drilling at Arrow has returned high‑grade zones such as 31.4 m at 15.2 g/t Au, bolstering the...
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Further Tightens Screws On Minerals Beneficiation
Zimbabwe's cabinet approved a strict minerals‑beneficiation framework that mandates a Value‑Added Compliance Certificate for every export permit and creates a decentralized network of university‑based analytical hubs. The policy follows a recent blanket ban on raw lithium exports and seeks to...
Iran Can Hold Hormuz Longer; US Strikes Won’t Spark Crisis
Seven weeks later, many taboos broken: 1) Iran can’t block the Strait of Hormuz. Yes, it can, and for far longer than the oil market thought it would be possible. 2) If the US attacks, an energy crisis follows. Sure, gasoline...
Earthquake Forces Underground Stoppage at Cadia
Newmont has suspended all underground operations at its Cadia mine in New South Wales after a 4.5‑magnitude earthquake struck the area on Tuesday evening. The quake’s epicentre was just 3 km from the site, making it the strongest seismic event recorded...
R-Evolution Adding a New Dimension to Airborne Imagery at Vale Legacy Mine Site
Hexagon’s R‑evolution has launched hybrid airborne imagery and LiDAR missions over Vale’s 1,908‑ha Mina de Águas Claras legacy mine in Brazil. Using Leica Geosystems’ hybrid system, the flights will map more than 20 sq km at 10‑cm resolution, generating a high‑density 3‑D...
Hancock, Wright and Rhodes in Supreme Court Reckoning
After decades of litigation, the Hancock and Wright families are now before Western Australia’s Supreme Court over royalty rights to the Hope Downs mine. Recent evidence suggests the Wright heirs are entitled to a share of the mine’s lucrative royalties....
Larvotto Closes in on First Antimony Ingots at NSW Mine
Larvotto Resources is on track to start producing antimony, gold and tungsten at its Hillgrove mine in New South Wales by mid‑2026, with the processing plant undergoing a US$46 million refurbishment and slated for wet commissioning in August. The project will...
Hidden Defects in Chalcopyrite Promise Cleaner Copper Extraction
Chalcopyrite, the primary source of copper, contains hidden atomic defects and trace elements that could enable cleaner, more efficient copper extraction, supporting the growing demand for sustainable energy technologies. materialsinnovation
Wirtgen: Flexibility, Precision Guarantee the Right Material Size
Wirtgen introduced the Vario Impact Sizer (VIS) for its 220 SM(i) 3.8 surface miner, delivering precise, on‑drum control of maximum particle size in opencast mining. The system uses a split baffle plate with five gap settings and four scraper‑hole cover positions, allowing...
Canada’s Helium Shortage Threatens Hospitals and Tech
Helium Is More Than Balloons. It’s A Crisis Canada Can't Ignore "Unlike oil or gas, there is no substitute for helium. You can’t switch fuels or scale alternatives. When helium is in short supply, critical systems slow down or stop. Hospitals...
Hanzhong Zinc Adds 30 T/Yr Indium, Bol
Hanzhong Zinc commissioned new 30 t/yr indium capacity, strengthening China’s by-product metals supply chain. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/hanzhong-zinc-indium-capacity-expansion.html
Copper Output Remains Lofty
Global copper smelting activity rose in March, driven primarily by China, which saw its inactive capacity decline for a second consecutive month. Worldwide inactive smelter capacity fell to 11.7%, while the active capacity reached a record 10.73 million metric tons, up...
Brent Crude Edges up Ahead of Fresh US-Iran Talks
Brent crude futures rose to $95.16 per barrel, up 0.39%, while U.S. WTI slipped to $91.04, down 0.26%. President Donald Trump signaled a second round of U.S.-Iran talks but confirmed he will not attend, and a U.S. destroyer ordered two...
Sierra Nevada Sets the Stage for As Safra Drilling with High-Grade Copper and Gold Samples
Sierra Nevada Gold announced that rock‑chip sampling at its As Safra project in Saudi Arabia returned exceptionally high grades, including up to 7.63% copper and 32.9 g/t gold. The 60‑sample program highlighted a 400 m high‑grade corridor in the Central Gold Zone and...
Australian Developer Moves Ahead with Modular Green Hydrogen Production Plant
InterContinental Energy (ICE) announced it has secured up to AUD 1.6 million ($1.14 million) in Australian federal funding to develop a digital twin for its patented P2(H2)Node modular system. The company also signed the first licence for the node, marking the transition from...
Gold Miners Lead Early Bull Cycle Awareness Phase
Gold miners are leading the market once again. Since January 2025, their performance has far outpaced every other sector. This could mark one of the most important comebacks in mining history. So where are we in the bull cycle? I would argue we are...
Waratah Minerals Drilling Keeps Extending High-Grade Gold Mineralisation at Spur Project
Waratah Minerals' aggressive 10‑rig drilling campaign at its Spur project in New South Wales has extended high‑grade gold mineralisation in both the Consols and Spur zones. In the Consols zone, hole SPD025 added 75 m of strike continuity and 100 m up‑dip,...
Gold Mine Stops Underground Operations After magnitude-4.5 Earthquake
Newmont’s Cadia gold mine in New South Wales halted all underground operations after a magnitude‑4.5 earthquake struck just west of the site on April 15. The tremor, the strongest ever recorded in the Central West region, prompted an immediate evacuation...
Bloom Energy's Oracle Deal Spurs Scandium Boom
Congratulations to Bloom Energy $BE on their deal with Oracle The koala is absolutely thrilled to see the demand growth trajectory for bloom boxes inflect higher and higher 4kg per 100kw scandium density (Gemini screenshot below) is ~40 tonnes per GW Let’s...
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...
Ivanhoe Mines Posts 71,417 Tonnes of Copper Anodes in Q1 2026, Signaling Ramp‑up at Kamoa‑Kakula
Ivanhoe Mines announced that its Kamoa‑Kakula mine produced 71,417 tonnes of copper in blister and anode form in the first quarter of 2026, including 63,671 tonnes from its on‑site smelter. The result supports the company's guidance to exceed 500,000 tonnes...
Helium Stocks Poised for Takeover Bid Amid IPO Un
Helium equities looking for a bid for sure. If North America helium doesn’t public this cycle got to wonder.
Helium Startups Face Five Key Challenges Amid Middle East Crisis
Top 5 issues for helium startups in Middle East crisis ⚾️Reduced production capacity ⚾️Increased costs ⚾️Strategic adjustments ⚾️Partnerships and logistics ⚾️Leverage government support
YOLOv11 Model Detects Unsafe Coal Mining Behaviors
Researchers have enhanced the YOLOv11 object‑detection framework with attention and anchor‑optimization modules to identify unsafe miner behaviors in underground coal mines. The dual‑model system, combining YOLOv11 and YOLOv11‑Pose, achieved 95.7% mean average precision, 95.3% accuracy and 95.1% recall on a...
Exxon Holds Near‑Monopoly on Ultra‑Pure Helium for Chipmakers
Chip Makers Need Ultra-Pure Helium and Exxon Is Nearly the Sole Source of Six Nines Purity https://t.co/zcuJfHv9fX
Sinopec to Source Russian Oil Directly After US Waiver
Translation: With President Trump Waver, SINOPEC can but the Russian oil "DIRECTLY" without STS or intermediaries. Sinopec buys Russian oil to replace Mideast supply after US waiver, sources say
Monash Research Uncovers New Pathway to Cleaner Copper Production
Monash University researchers identified microscopic defects and trace elements in chalcopyrite that can be leveraged to improve copper extraction. The study, published in Nature Geoscience, shows that tiny amounts of silver destabilize the mineral’s surface, boosting recovery rates. This insight...
Iran Reverts to State-Controlled Oil Export Model
⚾️I have no idea about the implications... but one thing is clear, they know things that we don't. ⚾️Please share your thought if you are familiar with these issues. 🛟Iran ends intermediary oil sales, returns to state-controlled export model...
Robots Become Modern Miners, Extracting Gold From E-Waste
California was started by gold miners who dug gold out of the ground. Today I met Sina who is digging gold out of old electronics with robots. Video will be up tomorrow. Turns out there is a lot of gold (and...
DEScycle Technology Being Tested by Cisco
London‑based DEScycle announced that Cisco will trial its modular metals‑recovery platform on printed‑circuit‑board scrap at DEScycle’s demonstration plant in Wilton, UK. The pilot will process large‑batch PCB feedstock to generate recovery data, assess cost‑benefit and evaluate integration into Cisco’s reverse‑supply...
New Lithium Finds Slash Battery Costs, Accelerate 100% Renewable Shift
With the discovery of 30% more world lithium resources in one year, battery-electric vehicle and stationary battery storage prices should continue to drop rapidly, facilitating world electrification and the inevitable transition to 100% WindWaterSolar across all energy sectors.
IMF Adds Olive Oil to Its Commodity Basket.
I just realized the IMF has expanded the basket of commodities it tracks, adding olive oil (among others). I think my job is done here.
15 Charts that Explain Why the Strait of Hormuz Shutdown Matters for the Global Economy
The United States announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on April 12, effectively shutting down one of the world’s most vital commodity corridors. The closure halts exports of crude oil, LNG, jet fuel, diesel, ammonia, sulfur, helium and...
Explorers Podcast: GoldArc Targets Big Leonora Find as Production Nears
GoldArc Resources is accelerating drilling across its Leonora North and South projects in Western Australia while forging mining partnerships to generate cash flow from existing assets such as Mount Stirling and Stirling Well. The company plans to launch a campaign‑style...