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:
Perenti’s Barminco Wins A$180 Million Contract Extension at Regis Resources’ Duketon Operations
Perenti’s Barminco unit secured a contract extension with Regis Resources worth about A$180 million ($127 million). The agreement prolongs underground mining services at the Duketon Operations in Western Australia until at least March 30 2029. The extension builds on a three‑year alliance launched in April 2024 and underscores the partners’ focus on safety and reliable production. Both companies highlighted the collaborative framework that delivers planning certainty and long‑term value.
AngloGold Ashanti Begins Operating Normet SmartDrive Battery Electric Concrete Mixer at Cuiabá Gold Mine
AngloGold Ashanti has started using the Normet SmartDrive battery‑electric Utimec LF 600 Transmixer SD, the first electric concrete mixer operating underground in Brazil. The 5.6 m³ mixer runs on Li‑ion batteries, offers fast CCS charging and energy‑recuperation, and eliminates diesel exhaust in...
Zenith Targets High-Grade WA Gold Uplift with New Drilling Blitz
Zenith Minerals has launched a 1,350‑metre reverse‑circulation drilling campaign at its Consolidated Dulcie gold project in Western Australia, aiming to boost the recently defined inferred resource of 21.3 Mt at 1.0 g/t (675,000 oz). The eight‑hole program targets high‑grade extensions at Dulcie South...
Weir Upgrades Eastern Cape Heavy Bay Foundry to Meet Global Demand
Weir is dramatically expanding its Heavy Bay Foundry in Gqeberha, doubling capacity to 600 tonnes of heavy castings over 500 kg and targeting 1,000 tonnes as upgrades continue. The project adds 4‑tonne and 6‑tonne induction furnaces, new heat‑treatment lines, automated grinding and painting...
Orica Launches Next-Gen Groundprobe Geohazard Monitoring Platform
Orica has unveiled the next‑generation Groundprobe SSR‑XT, a geotechnical monitoring platform rebuilt from the ground up. The redesign focuses on operational continuity, with an updated engine‑mounting system that isolates vibrations and cuts noise. Enhanced sensor suites deliver real‑time geohazard data,...
Orica Digital Solutions Launches Next-Generation GroundProbe Solution for Safer, Faster Geotech Monitoring
Orica Digital Solutions has unveiled a next‑generation GroundProbe geotechnical monitoring suite aimed at improving safety and decision speed in mining operations. The offering combines three hardware models—SSR‑XT, SSR‑FX and SSR‑Omni—with the new MonitorIQ® Next software platform for streamlined, low‑touch deployment....
The Commodities Feed: Oil Slumps Below $100 After US, Iran Agree to Two-Week Ceasefire
Oil prices slipped below $100 per barrel after the United States and Iran announced a two‑week ceasefire, easing fears of prolonged supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent settled around $94/bbl and WTI near $96/bbl, marking the steepest decline...
Macarthur Lands Mining Heavyweight to Cornerstone WA Iron Ore Dreams
Macarthur Minerals announced that mining services veteran Steve Wyatt, through his Destec Holdings, has become a cornerstone shareholder after a $1.25 million capital raise. The funds will be used to keep the company’s tenements in good standing and provide working capital...
Fortescue Adds Another Electric Excavator, Says It Is Saving a Million Litres of Diesel per Unit
Fortescue Metals Group has deployed its 15th electric excavator in the Pilbara, claiming each unit saves about one million litres of diesel per year. The company now reports moving 100 million tonnes of ore with electric equipment and plans to install...
Alaska Placer Mining 101 Guidebook Debuts
The Placer Mining Resource Network (PMRN) launched the Alaska Placer Mining 101 Guidebook, a 72‑page resource aimed at helping placer gold miners navigate planning, design, and permitting in Alaska. Developed with input from miners and industry groups, the guide covers...
Supra Secures $2M to Recycle Gallium, Scandium for US Supply
Supra launched with $2mn to develop gallium and scandium waste recovery technology for US critical mineral supply. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/gallium-and-scandium-waste-recovery.html
Kipushi Zinc to Boost US Critical Minerals Stockpile
Ivanhoe’s Kipushi zinc concentrate could support US critical minerals stockpiling through a proposed Mercuria and Gécamines deal. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/kipushi-zinc-concentrate-could-link-drc.html
Resolution Minerals Advances US Critical Minerals Strategy with Antimony Ridge FAST-41 Designation
Resolution Minerals’ Antimony Ridge project in Idaho has been selected for the U.S. government’s FAST‑41 program, a fast‑track framework that accelerates permitting and federal oversight. The designation clears the way for bulk sampling and a 250‑hole, 13,700‑metre drilling campaign to...
Energy Prices Plunge Despite Uncertain Hormuz Reopening
Brent crude oil: -15% TTF nat gas: -18% German power: -5% (and below pre-war) Asian coal: -1% (And yes, the Strait of Hormuz has yet to actually reopen, and we don’t know for sure what the ceasefire means in practical terms for SoH energy...
Military Spending Spurs Defense and Rare Earth Investment Boom
Regal Partners boss tips defence stocks, rare earths as military trillions fuel next investment super cycle https://t.co/6ahsU0eU1G
Barminco Extends Its Stay at Duketon
Barminco has secured a 12‑month extension to its underground mining contract at Regis Resources' Duketon operation in Western Australia. The extension, announced in April 2024, is projected to add roughly AUD 180 million – about USD 118 million – to Barminco’s revenue. The deal...
Albemarle Cuts Staff as Kemerton Refinery Goes Idle
Albemarle down to skeleton staff as Kemerton lithium hydroxide refinery shifts to care and maintenance https://t.co/xAP16KM6t1
Recycled Steel Prices Stay Afloat Amidst Latest Storm
U.S. steel mills increased output in early April, lifting raw‑steel production by 8.2% year‑over‑year to 1.83 million tons and pushing capacity utilization to 79.1%. Despite higher domestic supply, recycled‑steel prices remained flat in March, with benchmark grades holding gains made over...
CATL Taps Zijin Founder for Mining Expansion
Chinese EV‑battery leader CATL appointed former Zijin Mining founder Chen Jinghe as a senior adviser to its mining arm, aiming to deepen control over lithium, nickel, cobalt and other critical resources. Chen, a geologist who grew Zijin into a $120 billion...
G50 Corp Validates Golconda Gallium Metallurgy as Potential US Critical Mineral Supply Source
G50 Corp announced that metallurgical testing on its Golconda project in Arizona successfully concentrated gallium up to 70% and silver up to 97% using low‑cost screening and flotation methods. The same processes yielded a gold‑silver concentrate grading as high as...
Colorado River Drought Endangers Lithium Mining and Farming in Imperial Valley
Imperial Irrigation District officials say a historic drought on the Colorado River could cripple the valley’s agriculture and emerging lithium mining projects, which rely on more than a million gallons of water per minute. The water shortfall, down nearly 33%...
Hot Chili Drilling Campaign Extends High-Grade Core at La Verde Copper-Gold Project
Hot Chili (ASX:HCH) announced a major down‑dip extension of the high‑grade core at its La Verde copper‑gold project in Chile, adding roughly 200 m of mineralisation. Drill hole DKD039 intersected 62 m at 1.03% copper equivalent (CuEq) within a broader 725 m zone...
The Roadmap For Silver
Silver has entered the early phase of a secular bull market after breaking a multi‑decade cup‑and‑handle pattern in November. The breakout pushed the metal above its historic $50 resistance, which now serves as a solid support floor. Analysts project a...
Copper Valued at 4% of Global Debt, Highly Undervalued
Very intriguing chart. The copper market sits at roughly 4% of global debt — still multiples below prior peaks. A simple way to frame just how undervalued the metal is relative to today’s macro imbalances. Now layer in the structural demand tailwinds. Game on. https://t.co/wv1i1hARmY
VanEck's Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF Gains 125% as Critical Mineral Demand Surges
VanEck's Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) has risen more than 125% over the past year, with a 0.42% gain on the latest trading day. The fund’s 0.58% expense ratio and 34‑stock portfolio, many of which are foreign, underscore...
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan Strengthen Collaboration on Critical Minerals
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan launched a joint working group in Astana to coordinate prospecting, technology exchange, and extraction of critical minerals and rare earths. Both governments pledged to attract foreign investment and streamline cooperation. The initiative aligns with a U.S. push,...
Pacific Islands Resist Trump’s Push to Mine Their Ocean
The Trump administration has accelerated a federal push to lease U.S. Pacific territories for deep‑sea mining of critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese. The Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and American Samoa face proposals that could disturb seamount...
Iran's Oil Pressure Backfires, Trump Gains From Ceasefire
Iran’s strategy all along has been to impose an unbearable economic cost on the US if Trump continued the war via oil and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Now, oil is down ~20% well below $100 a barrel. From...
The Global Energy Supply in a Decade ‘Is Not a World We’re Going to Recognize’
A panel of energy experts warned that the United States’ war on Iran could cripple the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil conduit, and reshape global energy consumption patterns. Their new report, Global Energy Outlook 2026, argues that the world has...
Qld Premier Says Federal Government Should Fast-Track Oil Projects
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli urged the federal government to fast‑track approvals for oil projects in the Taroom Trough, a 750‑square‑kilometre exploration area in central Queensland. He argues the development is essential for national fuel security and could shave years off...
Massive Increase in Oil Transport Through Danish Waters
Geopolitical shifts have driven a dramatic surge in oil shipments through Danish waters, with nearly five million barrels passing daily. In the first half of 2025, the Great Belt and the Sound moved as much oil as the Suez Canal,...
US Senators Investigate $370 Million IRS Payout to Cheniere Energy
Seven Democratic senators have opened a Senate inquiry into a $370 million alternative‑fuel tax credit paid by the IRS to Cheniere Energy. The credit, originally designed for motor vehicles and small motorboats, was applied to LNG‑fuelled export tankers that are typically...
Zimbabwe Lost US$400 Million in Unreported Caesium, Tantalum From Lithium Exports, NUST Lecturer Reveals
A National University of Science and Technology lecturer calculated that Zimbabwe lost roughly US$400 million in unreported caesium and tantalum embedded in 1.52 million tonnes of lithium concentrate exported before the raw‑mineral export ban took effect. The analysis estimates about 8,500 tonnes of...
MIPF Chief to Showcase Zimbabwe’s Miners Welfare Model at Ghana Conference
The Mining Industry Pension Fund (MIPF) chief executive, Anymore Taruvinga, will speak at Ghana’s Mining Health, Safety and Environmental (MHSS) Series 2026 to showcase Zimbabwe’s miners‑welfare model. Zimbabwe’s fund provides a dedicated post‑employment safety net for miners, a feature absent from...
How Mine Targets 36% Throughput Surge as Expansion Stays on Track
How Mine, the flagship asset of Nasdaq‑listed Namib Minerals, is on track to boost its milling capacity by 36%, raising throughput from 40,500 to 55,000 tonnes per month by late 2026. The 2025 fiscal year saw production dip to roughly...
Muriel Mine’s Dump Retreatment Drives Output 425% as Exploration Extends Life of Mine
Pan African’s Muriel Mine has boosted gold output from 3,600 ounces in 2023 to 15,000 ounces in 2024 and projects 20,000 ounces in 2025, driven entirely by a hydrosluicing dump‑retreatment operation. Cash costs have remained near US$1,000 per ounce despite...
‘Spectacular’ Widths and High Grades Propel St George as Next Niobium Producer
St George Mining reported spectacular drill results from its Araxá project in Brazil, including a 178.7 m interval from surface grading 4.34% total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 0.75% niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), with ultra‑high assays up to 28% TREO and 6.5%...
DON'T PANIC, POSITION: Gold Miners Are Generating Historic Cash Flows Despite the Energy Shock and Why the Market's Fear of...
Gold miners are posting historic free cash flow despite a recent oil price surge from $70 to $110 per barrel and diesel costs doubling since February. A BMO study shows a $10 oil move raises mining costs by less than...
War-Driven Supply Squeeze Could Boost US Resins Exports in 2026
U.S. resin exporters are poised for another strong year in 2026 as the war in the Middle East tightens global feedstock supplies. Damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG plant and the shutdown of Iran’s South Pars gas field have curtailed ethane and...
Ghana Picks E&P to Run Damang Gold Mine
Ghana’s Minerals Commission has awarded the Damang gold mine to local services firm Engineers & Planners Ltd (E&P) after a competitive tender. The decision follows the government’s refusal to extend Gold Fields’ lease, opening a potential $1 billion asset revival. E&P...
ASX Copper Players Step Into Action as Supply Shortage Looms
Copper prices surged to a record US$14,500 per tonne in January before easing below US$13,000, reflecting both short‑term disruptions and a long‑term supply deficit. The International Energy Agency warns of a 30% global copper shortfall by 2035 as ore grades...
Indigenous Leaders Say, ‘Secure Forest Financing with Us, Not for Us’ (Commentary)
Indigenous, Afro‑descendant, and traditional forest leaders warn that expanding jurisdictional REDD+ programs must be built with, not for, their communities. They cite Brazil, Costa Rica, and Ecuador examples where meaningful participation and clear benefit‑sharing frameworks improved trust and credibility. The...
Sudbury’s Mining Sector Drives Call for New Funding Model: Mayor – Take Our Poll – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury...
Mayor Paul Lefebvre urged Ontario and the federal government to label Greater Sudbury a special economic zone, citing its role as a critical‑mineral powerhouse. He highlighted that Sudbury produces and refines nickel, copper and other strategic metals that feed Canadian...
North America’s First Lithium Hydroxide Plant Goes Live In Texas, Reducing Reliance On China – by Bethany Blankley (Dallas Express...
Tesla’s North American lithium‑hydroxide refinery in Robstown, Texas began full‑scale operations in January 2026, marking the continent’s first battery‑grade plant of its kind. The project, broken ground in May 2023 by Governor Greg Abbott, Elon Musk and state officials, aims...
Paraíba Tourmaline: The Gemstone Outpacing Gold and Inflation – by Adam Edwards (Financial Times – January 22, 2026)
Paraíba tourmaline, one of the planet’s rarest gemstones, has seen prices surge more than 15 times faster than gold, propelled by luxury fashion demand, pandemic‑induced supply shocks, and regional instability. A Mozambican mine that supplies the stone was crippled by...
Barrick to Slow Development at Reko Diq
Barrick Mining announced it will slow development of its Reko Diq copper‑gold project in Pakistan, extending the review period to mid‑2027. The pause follows preliminary findings and heightened security incidents in Balochistan, a region bordering Afghanistan and Iran. While capital spending...
PDAC Video: FPX Starts Baptiste Review, Eyes 2028 Study
FPX Nickel has launched the environmental assessment for its Baptiste project in central British Columbia while evaluating market routes for an awaruite product that can serve stainless‑steel mills and electric‑vehicle batteries. The company plans to issue a detailed project description...
General Caine Warns Iran Could Block Vital Hormuz Strait
MUST READ: “General Caine […] also flagged the enormous difficulty of securing the Strait of Hormuz and the risks of Iran blocking it. Mr. Trump had dismissed that possibility on the assumption that the regime would capitulate before it came...
The Iran War Is Disrupting More Than Oil. Here’s What Could Get Expensive Next
The Iran‑Israel conflict is rippling through global commodity markets, pushing aluminum, helium, fertilizer, sulfur and plastics into shortage zones. Since February, aluminum has risen about 12% to $3,411 per metric ton after attacks on Middle‑East smelters, while helium supplies are...
Infill Drills Boost Confidence in Cuiú Cuiú Oxide Feed
Measure twice before mining once—that’s the message from @Cabral_Gold today, infill drill results that improve confidence in the oxide material that will feed the first year of mining at Cuiú Cuiú. See how this #gold stock falls in the coveted...