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:
As De Beers Bid Deadline Looms, Botswana Pushes for Control
Botswana, which currently owns 15% of diamond giant De Beers, is moving to increase its stake to a controlling majority as the company’s bid deadline approaches. The government aims to acquire more than 50% of the firm, a deal that would significantly expand its influence over the global diamond supply chain. Analysts estimate De Beers’ valuation at roughly $20 billion, meaning a half‑stake would cost about $10 billion. The push comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and a tightening diamond market.
Anglo Cuts 2026 Copper Outlook Amid Lower Collahuasi Grades
Anglo cut 2026 copper guidance as lower ore grades at Collahuasi weaken Chilean production expectations. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/anglo-2026-copper-guidance-falls-as.html
Natural Hydrogen Is Real, Commercialization Is Not
Natural hydrogen is scientifically confirmed, but the sector has yet to prove commercial‑scale reserves. While geologists identify generation mechanisms such as serpentinization and radiolysis, accumulation faces leakage, microbial loss, and sealing challenges. Current projects—Mali’s Bourakébougou field, Spain’s Helios Aragón, Australia’s...
ExxonMobil, Empire Petroleum Sued for $194 Million Alleged Well‑liability Fraud in New Mexico
A New Mexico district court case accuses ExxonMobil subsidiary XTO Energy and Empire Petroleum of undervaluing $194 million in well‑cleanup liabilities tied to a 2021 sale of hundreds of old wells. Plaintiffs say the alleged fraud could saddle the state with nearly...
‘That’ll Be the End’: Actor Sam Neill Joins Fight to Stop Controversial Goldmine Near His New Zealand Vineyard
Actor‑winemaker Sam Neill is leading a campaign against Santana Minerals' proposed Bendigo‑Ophir open‑cast gold mine in Central Otago, a region famed for its pinot noir and tourism. The company has applied for fast‑track consent to extract an estimated $6.75 bn NZD...
THE CASH FLOW GUSHER: How $3,000+ Gold Margins and ~$60 Silver Margins Are Forcing Institutional Capital Into the Miners as...
Gold miners are now earning roughly $3,000 of profit per ounce above all‑in sustaining costs, while silver producers enjoy about $60 of excess margin per ounce. These generational cash‑flow surpluses are reshaping valuation models and allowing mining equities to climb...
New Woe Besets BC’s Two Biggest Gold Projects
Seabridge Gold’s KSM project, a $6.4 billion (≈$6.5 bn USD) capex venture and the world’s largest undeveloped gold resource, has hit a new roadblock as British Columbia will not issue the remaining tunnel permits until its court dispute with neighbour Tudor Gold is...
US and French Rare Earth Companies Partner in Bid to Catch up with China
USA Rare Earth is taking a 12.5% stake in France’s Carester to accelerate rare‑earth separation capabilities in both the United States and Europe. Carester will use its expertise to scale a Colorado‑based process and to fund a commercial‑scale plant in...
Study Reveals Why Kermadec Island Arc Holds Exceptional Gold Levels
An international team of scientists has identified high‑temperature hydrous melting and repeated mantle remelting as the drivers of unusually high gold concentrations in the Kermadec Island Arc. Analyzing 66 seafloor glass samples, the study quantifies gold at six nanograms per...
India’s Nuclear Bet Is Starting To Pay Off
India’s 500‑megawatt fast‑breeder reactor in Tamil Nadu reached criticality this month, becoming self‑sustaining and only the world’s second commercial breeder plant. The milestone advances India’s ambition to expand nuclear capacity from roughly 9 GW today to 100 GW by 2047, bolstering its clean‑energy...
Strait of Hormuz Constraints Keep Oil Prices Elevated
Oil prices hover near $100 per barrel despite the U.S.–Iran cease‑fire, because the Strait of Hormuz remains tightly controlled by Iran’s IRGC. Traffic through the chokepoint is limited to managed routes, preventing a return to normal commercial shipping. Analysts from...
Mammoet Delivers for BHP Jansen in Headframe Expansion Project
Heavy‑lift specialist Mammoet helped Ledcor upgrade BHP’s Jansen potash mine headframe in Saskatchewan, replacing a 796‑ton unit with a 2,090‑ton structure to support the mine’s planned 8.5 Mt/year output. The project used modular construction, with components built in Edmonton and shipped...
Imagining Iran Without Sanctions
The post argues that decades of foreign interference—first by Britain and the Soviet Union, then by the United States and Israel—have kept Iran under a sanctions‑driven siege despite its vast oil wealth. It highlights that 90% of Iran’s crude exits...
Scientists Discovered the Secret Behind Earth’s “Gold Kitchen”
A new study of volcanic island arcs, focusing on glass samples from the Kermadec Island Arc and Havre Trough, reveals why these regions concentrate gold. Researchers found gold levels up to six times higher than those in mid‑ocean ridge basalts,...
Vinyl Institute Reports PVC Recycling Increase in US, Canada
The Vinyl Institute’s 2024 report shows North America recycled more than 1.1 billion pounds of PVC, surpassing 2019 levels by over 45 million pounds. Post‑industrial recycling grew 10% to 1.056 billion pounds, while post‑consumer recovery slipped to 71.3 million pounds, missing its 2020 target...
Chang’e-7’s Water-Ice Hunt Could Redraw the Map of Lunar Resource Politics
China’s Chang’e‑7 mission, slated for a 2026 launch, will deploy a hopping probe equipped with the Lunar Soil Water Molecule Analyzer to drill into permanently shadowed craters near the lunar south pole. A positive detection of usable water‑ice would turn...
Businesses, Industries Urge US Government to Apply Export Controls on Tungsten
A coalition of U.S. manufacturers led by critical‑minerals recycler Amermin sent a March 18 letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging export controls on tungsten, especially scrap and mill‑ready material. The group warns that China supplies more than 80%...
UAE’s IRH Expands Presence in DRC Copper and Cobalt Sector Amid Strategic Mining Deals
International Resources Holding (IRH), the UAE‑backed mining arm of International Holding Company, is being linked to new copper and cobalt projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lualaba province. The Kabulungu deposit is now run by a 60‑40 joint venture...
24 New Deep‑Sea Species Discovered in Pacific Abyss, Raising Stakes for Battery‑Metal Mining
Scientists led by Tammy Horton and Anna Jażdżewska described 24 previously unknown amphipod species from the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone, a 6‑million‑km² seabed rich in nickel, cobalt and copper. The find coincides with The Metals Company’s 65,000‑km² mining application, heightening scrutiny of...
US Considers Extending Russian Oil Waiver as Prices Spike During Iran Conflict
The Trump administration is poised to extend a 30‑day waiver that lets countries purchase sanctioned Russian oil at sea, a measure that currently expires on April 11. The waiver would free roughly 100 million barrels—about one day of global output—as oil prices...
Selkirk Copper Raising $30 Million From Upsized Bought Deal
Selkirk Copper Mines Inc. has upsized its bought‑deal private placement, now targeting just over $30 million CAD (about $22 million USD) to fund the restart and redevelopment of the Minto copper‑gold‑silver mine in Yukon. The offering comprises 4.41 million flow‑through shares at C$1.70...
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Polysilicon Prices Extend Decline
State-owned CECEP issued 29.5 million convertible bonds, raising ¥2.95 bn ($432 million) to fund six photovoltaic plants and storage projects totaling 900 MW. The total project outlay is about ¥4.57 bn ($670 million). Meanwhile, China’s polysilicon market saw its seventh consecutive weekly price drop, with N‑type...
Q-Gold Resources Posts Maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment for Quartz Mountain Gold Project
Q‑Gold Resources released a Preliminary Economic Assessment for its Quartz Mountain gold project in Oregon, showing an after‑tax NPV of $1.71 billion and a 55.2% IRR based on a $3,265/oz gold price. The study projects a 14‑year mine life with average...
Turkey Launches Deep Sea Drilling Mission in Somalia
Turkey’s deep‑sea drilling vessel Cagri Bey arrived off Mogadishu to launch the country’s first overseas deep‑sea oil exploration. The planned well will reach 7,500 metres, placing it among the world’s deepest offshore drills. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar hailed the project...
Neo Performance Begins Producing Heavy Rare Earths at Estonia Plant
Neo Performance Materials announced that its solvent‑extraction line at the Silmet facility in Estonia has begun producing heavy rare earth oxides, specifically terbium and dysprosium, at name‑plate capacity. The new line complements Neo’s 2,000‑tonne‑per‑year sintered‑magnet plant in Narva, creating Europe’s...
Copper Claws Higher to Three-Week Peak as Investors Balance Iran with Chinese Demand
Copper prices on the London Metal Exchange rose to $12,845 a metric ton, the highest level since March 17, as investors weighed stronger demand in China against a fragile cease‑fire in the Iran conflict. The benchmark three‑month contract gained 0.6%...
SA Platinum Exports Surge but Miners Face War Inflation
South Africa’s platinum‑group‑metal (PGM) exports jumped 13% in the first two months of 2026, driven by strong demand in China and Europe, according to UBS. At the same time, the ongoing Middle‑East conflict is raising diesel prices, adding roughly 80...
“Let Them Eat Cake”: Where Uranium Narratives Break Between Scarcity and Reality
Investor‑facing uranium coverage now leans on a familiar formula: structural supply deficit, reactor build‑out, energy‑security tailwinds and an inevitable "pinch point." The article argues that this narrative eclipses the hard question of which projects can actually obtain permits, financing and...
2026 European Gas Shock Pales Beside 2022 Crisis
CHART OF THE DAY: The European natural gas crisis of 2022 vs the 2026 (so far) mini-shock. The chart starts in July (both for 2021 and 2025) and tracks prices over 2022 and YTD 2026. Of course, full caveat: the Persian...
Vanguard Mining Files Maiden NI 43-101 Technical Report for Brussels Creek Project, British Columbia
Vanguard Mining Corp. has filed its maiden NI 43-101 Technical Report for the 100%-owned Brussels Creek Project in British Columbia, establishing a formal technical foundation for the gold‑copper prospect. The report, prepared by qualified geologist Jeremy Hanson, highlights a porphyry‑epithermal...
Peru Pulls Permit for $1.8B Tia Maria Copper Mine
Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines has revoked Southern Copper's permit for the $1.8 billion Tía María copper project, citing a lack of legal justification and incomplete technical plans such as waste‑dump design. The decision forces a fresh review of a...
Sky Robots Showcases Integrated Drone Security Model for Mines, Other High-Value Assets
Sky Robots unveiled an integrated drone security platform aimed at mines and other high‑value assets, combining VTOL fixed‑wing aircraft for persistent surveillance with rapid‑response multi‑rotor drones. The solution bundles remote piloting, ROIP communications, AI‑driven flight safety, and a full suite...
Drillship Comes to Africa for Türkiye’s First Deepwater Drilling Foray Abroad
Turkey’s Ministry of Energy confirmed that the seventh‑generation ultra‑deepwater drillship Çağrı Bey has arrived in Somalia to launch the country’s first deep‑sea exploration drilling operation abroad. The vessel will target the CURAD‑1 well, slated to reach a total depth of 7,500 m—potentially...
US Minerals Deal Helps Congo Raise $1.25bn in Maiden Bond
The Democratic Republic of Congo completed its inaugural sovereign Eurobond, raising $1.25 bn. The issue comprised $600 m of 2032 notes at an 8.75% yield and $650 m of 2037 notes at 9.50%, with order books reaching $2 bn and $2.8 bn respectively, allowing tighter...
Saudi Arabia Maintains Oil Exports From Key Red Sea Port for Now
Saudi Arabia’s east‑west pipeline, which feeds Red Sea export terminals, suffered a drone strike that knocked out one pumping station and cut capacity by about 700,000 barrels per day. The reduction won’t affect Yanbu’s shipments immediately because oil already in...
Ventura Offshore’s Sixth-Gen Drillship Picks up 135-Day Extension in Brazil
Ventura Offshore announced a 135‑day extension for its DS Carolina ultra‑deepwater drillship, pushing the contract through September 2026 and adding roughly $29 million to its backlog. The delay shifts the next campaign on the Sepia‑Atapu field to January 2027, but otherwise leaves the terms...
AMLM Poised for Rebound as Technicals Cool
Disseminated on Behalf of American Lithium Minerals Inc $AMLM $AMLM has been actively announcing acquisitions to build a diversified portfolio (Lithium, REE, Gold, Silver, Copper) in mining-friendly areas. It's also mentioned interest in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization for its projects (gold,...
Solid Spikes Lead to Mine Water Treatment Failure
A new review in *Separations* highlights that treating mine water with high suspended solids (HSS) demands system stability more than peak separation efficiency. The authors analyze two decades of research on hydrocyclone‑filtration integration, showing typical cyclone efficiencies of 85‑95% but...
Coal Miner Secures 6% Debt, yet Equity Multiples Stagnant
And just like that as we enter the final year of the price contingent window...we see the debt termed out another ~5 years Obviously coal price dependent but the Koala definitely feels like it doesn't own enough Whitehaven $WHC.AX Take a bow...
Global Oil Trade Hits Record Amid Saudi Disruptions
🇺🇸US crude oil exports to increase to highest on record 🇮🇳India's Imports from Russia are Near Record High 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia's damaged oil facilities: What is the impact? Daily Energy Report https://t.co/pyGKWXbmpg
WBullion Gold Concludes Drilling at Quebec’s Langlade Project
Bullion Gold Resources has finished a 1,771‑metre diamond drilling program at its Langlade project in Quebec, completing 11 holes. Core analysis identified chalcopyrite and sphalerite mineralisation, with scapolite alteration suggesting strong hydrothermal activity. The company’s geophysical interpretation points to east‑west...
Platinum Surges 7%—Could Breach $2,300, Eye $3k
Platinum $PLAT. Monthly. +7.2%. Inflation returns ... and it begs the question: 'Will Platinum take out $2,300/oz resistance and head back higher toward $3K?" https://t.co/Oi2arghgMa
China Stops Sulfur Exports, Contradicts Global Good Claims
china halting sulfur exports? but i was told they would willingly provide global public goods 😂😂 https://t.co/h4gJRvtg3m
Goldstorm Raising $4.0 Million for Golden Triangle Exploration
Goldstorm Metals Corp. announced a non‑brokered private placement expected to raise roughly $3.0 million USD (CAD $4 million). The offering comprises HD units at $0.20, flow‑through (FT) units at $0.24, and Charity FT units at $0.31, each bundling a share and half a...
Silver Miners Poised to Outpace Upcoming Price Rally
Silver Miners $SILJ vs Price of Silver $SLV. Are Silver stocks coiling ahead of their next advance? https://t.co/euKkgG5sKP
Deep Dive Into Rio Silver's Pure-Play Potential
Don Durrett & John Feneck Take a Closer Look at Rio Silver’s $RYO.V | $RYOOF Pure-Play Silver Story (Check it out at 10 min mark, RYO CEO Chris Verrico) https://t.co/z8B41tz2dy
Horm
VIDEO COLUMN (2): The Hormuz question. What's happening in the world's most important oil and LNG chokepoint? Let me explain the situation in the strait, and how its shipping lines (and status) are changing, perhaps for ever. @Opinion #Hormuz #IranWar ...
Lithium Corp Rebounds Off Support, Signaling Sector Lift
Lithium Corp $LTUM +11%. Big picture: retraced to support and starting to reverse. Elevator going up? Lithium, Graphite, REEs, Neodymium, Fluorspar ... https://t.co/5lg7wi0KvS
Uranium Stock Shows Strong Cup‑Handle Breakout, Awaiting Peace‑Talk Fallout
$UUUU Daily. Strong open for uranium/rare earths play with massive "handle" on cup & handle pattern which may as well be the Big Dipper. Could get traction next week if peace talks fall apart. https://t.co/SWvjRhH1Of
OPEC+ Supply Chains Crippled, US Fuels Global Allies
So, the oil and gas infrastructure of major OPEC+ producers in the Gulf and Russia is being blocked, disrupted, and damaged... While China is forced to halt exports of petroleum products, and the US is supplying fuel to satellite countries like...