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:
Russia’s Scrap Sector Grapples with Export Ban Concerns, Demand Changes
Russia’s scrap metal industry is embroiled in a debate over a proposed export ban, with officials warning it could curb competition and lift domestic prices. At the same time, leading steel producers such as Magnitogorsk and Severstal are sharply reducing scrap usage, turning to iron ore and hot‑briquetted iron. Although the country still generates over 50 million tonnes of scrap annually, more than half of collection sites have closed, tightening supply chains. Smaller mills now account for less than 7 million tonnes of scrap demand, limiting total consumption to around 15 million tonnes.
EIA: Brent Crude to Reach $115/Bbl in Second-Quarter 2026
The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects Brent crude will climb to about $115 per barrel in the second quarter of 2026, up from a March average of $103. The rise reflects a sharp tightening in supply as Gulf producers curtail...
Epiroc’s New-Generation PowerROC T25 MKII Drill Rig Streamlines Control on Quarries
Epiroc has launched the PowerROC T25 MKII, a new‑generation surface drill rig aimed at quarry and aggregate producers. The rig features a Volvo 129 kW diesel engine available in Tier 3 and Tier 4 Final/Stage V configurations, and a next‑generation PowerROC control system that...
Clarity Before Commitment: Why Capital Is Failing the Resource Equation
The article argues that trillions of dollars of capital are being deployed under outdated assumptions about global supply chains, ignoring a growing capacity gap in physical resources. A shift from cost‑efficiency to resilience has left mining, energy and critical‑mineral supply...
Digging Deep: Mining Giant BHP’s New Jansen Potash Mine in Saskatchewan Is a Test Case for Canada in How to...
Australian mining giant BHP is investing $18 billion to build the Jansen potash mine in Saskatchewan, a 1,000‑metre deep underground operation that will run for a century. The project will ship product via a 2,000‑km rail corridor to a British Columbia...
Vale Base Metals Bets on Sudbury and Existing Mines to Drive Copper Output – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business –...
Vale Base Metals announced at its Toronto Investor Day that it will double copper production to 700,000 tons annually by 2035, relying on existing operations rather than acquisitions. The Sudbury basin in Ontario is central to this plan, with cost‑cutting and...
The California Lake Billed as the ‘Saudi Arabia of Lithium’ – by Soumya Karlamangla (New York Times – April 6,...
Governor Gavin Newsom called the Salton Sea “the Saudi Arabia of lithium,” citing an estimated $500 billion lithium reserve beneath the lake. The resource could spark a mining boom, delivering jobs and tax revenue to the struggling Imperial County. However, the...
From Endowment to Dependence: Why Canada Still Ships Its Future Offshore – by Sander Grieve and Andrew Disipio (Canadian Mining...
Canada sits atop a broad endowment of critical minerals, covering all 34 items on the federal list and ranking among the top five global producers for ten of them. While the government has introduced the Critical Minerals Exploration Tax Credit...
Rio Tinto’s Matt Holcz Is on a $20b, Two-Decade Mine Opening Treadmill – by Mark Wembridge (Australian Financial Review –...
Rio Tinto’s head of iron ore, Matt Holcz, is steering a $20 billion, two‑decade development plan for the Simandou high‑grade mine in Guinea while still overseeing the Pilbara operation that produces roughly 330 million tonnes of iron ore each year. The Simandou project, slated...
Are Gold & Silver Now "On Sale"? | Andy Schectman
Precious‑metals analyst Andy Schectman says gold and silver are effectively on sale after steep price corrections, even amid the ongoing Middle‑East conflict. COMEX data show record physical deliveries in March—over 1.45 million ounces of gold and 4.66 million ounces of silver—indicating robust...
Federal Court Upholds Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium Mine Permit, Clearing Path to Construction
A federal judge in Nevada upheld the Bureau of Land Management’s permit for ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium‑Boron Project, rejecting a lawsuit that claimed the mine would endanger the rare Tiehm’s buckwheat. The ruling found the agencies complied with the Endangered...
Eskom Granted Two More Days to Land High Stakes Power Deal
Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture has agreed to extend Eskom’s deadline for a new five‑year power tariff to 9 April 2026, marking the fifth postponement of the deal. The proposed tariff of 62 cents per kilowatt‑hour, a steep discount from an earlier 87 cents, is intended...
InvestorTalk Alert: Jack Lifton to Host Mark Tory of Defense Metals Corp. On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 4:05 PM...
InvestorNews.com will host an InvestorTalk on April 8, 2026, featuring Defense Metals Corp. President and CEO Mark Tory. Defense Metals, which develops the Wicheeda rare‑earth project in British Columbia, recently received conditional approval for up to C$1.88 million (≈$1.4 million USD) to fund power‑line...
InvestorTalk Alert: Stephen Gray From Fox Tungsten Ltd. To Host on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 9:00 AM EST
InvestorNews announced an InvestorTalk on April 8, 2026 featuring Stephen Gray, CEO of Fox Tungsten Ltd. The company recently completed a C$11.1 million (~US$8.2 million) bought‑deal private placement led by Stifel Nicolaus Canada and PowerOne Capital Markets. Proceeds will fund an expanded 2026 drill program...
Recovering the Cost of Battery-Electric Vehicles: Volvo
Volvo’s latest analysis addresses the primary concern of miners shifting to battery‑electric equipment: how quickly the higher upfront price can be recouped. The company highlights that while electric excavators such as the EC230 carry a premium, savings in diesel fuel,...
Pilot Crushtec Targets European Growth at Hillhead with Stage V TwisterTrac
Pilot Crushtec will showcase its new TwisterTrac VS350E Stage V mobile crusher at the Hillhead exhibition in the UK from June 23-25, 2026. The machine complies with the EU’s stringent Stage V emissions rules and features a dual‑power system that...
Soybean Speculators’ Long Stance Fueled by Rising Crude
Bullish Soybean Specs May Depend on Higher Crude At about 19% of open interest, soybean complex managed money (hedge fund) positions are the most net long in roughly three years. Are speculators too optimistic despite a supply glut from Brazil? My...
Corn Speculators Near Peak Longs as Prices Hover $5
Corn Revisits $5 With Specs Long, Gas Falling At about 15% of futures open interest, net-long corn speculators may be overly optimistic for higher prices. My graphic shows spec longs approaching last year's 1Q peak near 18% -- about when the...
Delayed Publication of Nickel, Cobalt MHP Payable Indicators Cif China, Japan and South Korea
Fastmarkets announced that the publication of its nickel and cobalt mixed‑hydroxide precipitate (MHP) payable indicators on a CIF China, Japan and South Korea basis was delayed on April 2 due to a reporter error. The affected assessments – MB‑NIO‑0004 for nickel...
Current Price of Oil as of April 7, 2026
Oil’s benchmark Brent crude rose to $113.40 a barrel on April 7, 2026, up $2.15 from the previous day and roughly 75% higher than a year ago. The price jumped 33.85% over the past month, reflecting tighter supply and renewed geopolitical...
Oil Prices Rise as Hormuz Stays Shut Ahead of Trump Deadline, Strikes on Iran Intensify
Oil prices jumped as the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, with Brent at $111.16 a barrel and U.S. WTI nearing $116, creating a rare WTI premium over Brent. President Trump gave Iran until midnight GMT to reopen the strait, threatening...
THE PRE-POSITIONING IMPERATIVE FOR THE EVENTUAL IRAN WAR CEASE-FIRE: Why the Inevitable Repricing of Oil and the U.S. Dollar Lower...
The United States has given Iran a Tuesday night deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, prompting intense diplomatic efforts for a 45‑day cease‑fire. Analysts expect the cease‑fire to lift the oil supply shock, triggering a rapid drop in crude...
War in Iran Drives Russian Oil Prices to a 13-Year High
Russian Urals crude surged to $116.05 a barrel on April 2, the highest level in over 13 years, as the Iran‑linked oil rally lifts global prices. The price far exceeds the $59 per barrel budget assumption, delivering a windfall that eases Kremlin...
First Quantum Could Process Cobre Panama Stockpiles
First Quantum Minerals is seeking Panamanian government approval to extract and process millions of tonnes of copper ore stockpiled at the Cobre Panama mine. The paperwork, if finalized, would allow the company to move the ore, generate substantial tax payments,...
More Renewable Power for South Africa’s Platinum, Iron-Ore, Diamond Mines
Anglo American and EDF, through their Envusa joint venture, have brought 380 MW of renewable capacity online in South Africa with the Umsobomvu wind farm and Mooi Plaats solar project, and a third 140 MW wind farm, Hartebeesthoek, is slated for June...
Lachlan Star Starts Drilling at New Waverley Project, WA
Australian junior Lachlan Star has begun a 1,000‑metre diamond drilling program at its newly acquired New Waverley Gold Project in Western Australia’s Norseman district. The campaign will test historic high‑grade quartz reef intercepts, including 4.1 m at 12.53 g/t and a 0.65 m...
Middle East Crisis Is Repricing Uranium From Canada’s Athabasca
Rising oil prices above $100 per barrel have widened the cost gap between fossil‑fuel generation and nuclear power, with oil‑fired electricity costing roughly $185/MWh versus $4.6/MWh for uranium‑based fuel. Even cheap North American natural gas at $3.80/MMBtu translates to about...
MEGA Resources Mobilises to Tumblegum South Project
MEGA Resources has mobilised workers to Star Minerals’ Tumblegum South Gold Project in Western Australia, initiating site preparations such as topsoil removal, stockpiling and the installation of offices and communications infrastructure. A blast‑hole drill rig is slated to arrive in...
Greenland Set to Reject Kvanefjeld Rare Earth Licence
Greenland’s government has issued a draft decision to refuse renewal of the exploration licence for the Kvanefjeld rare‑earth project, invoking the 2021 ban on uranium mining. The move targets Energy Transition Minerals’ (ETM) application to extend its permit for a...
Liberia: Government Sends Mining Team to Nimba County to Investigate Reported Gold Discovery
Liberia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has deployed a team of engineers and geologists to Tappita in Nimba County to investigate circulating reports of a gold rush. Led by Assistant Minister Emmanuel Vaye, the mission will verify the existence of...
Circulate Capital Secures $220 Million to Boost Asian Recycling, Cutting Demand for Virgin Minerals
Circulate Capital closed the first round of its Asia Fund II with $220 million, surpassing 70% of its $300 million goal. The fund will finance up to two million tonnes of new recycling capacity in South and Southeast Asia, aiming to curb...
Australian Coal Prices Surge 30% as Asia Shifts From Gas
AUSTRALIA’s coal export prices have risen by around 25-30% compared with the start of the year. Front-month Newcastle coal futures have averaged $137 per tonne so far in April up from $108 in January. Electricity generators across South and East...
Dolphin Drilling Nears Deal for North Sea Harsh-Environment Rig
Dolphin Drilling, the Oslo‑listed offshore contractor, signed a letter of intent to extend the contract for its Paul B. Loyd Jr. semi‑submersible rig through August 2030, potentially adding up to five more years of work. The rig, a 600‑metre water‑depth, harsh‑environment platform,...
Antimony Resources Begins Studies for Bald Hill Project
Antimony Resources (ATMY) has launched technical and environmental studies to secure permits for its Bald Hill antimony project in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The firm engaged GEMTEC Consulting Engineers and Scientists to draft a regulatory roadmap, with baseline environmental surveys...
Fast Breeders Unlock India's Thorium and U‑238 Potential
Have been reading about this for a while now. India has a specifically important need for Fast Breeders. The control of uranium is with other countries and India has too little - and what it has, the real fissile stuff...
Chinese Sulphur Prices Surge, 24 of 26 Days Up
Sulphur in China is up every day since this tweet. Chinese Sulphur has had two down days since the beginning of the war on February 28th (24/26 days positive). https://t.co/yyTujRfjYK
South Africa: Kholo Capital and Tensai Private Equity Back Isambane Mining MBO
Kholo Capital’s Mezzanine Debt Fund I and Tensai Private Equity are providing R275 million (≈ $16.4 million) in mezzanine financing to back a management buy‑out of Isambane Mining, a mid‑tier South African mining contractor. The package is split with R200 million (≈ $11.9 million) from Kholo...
Build Global Energy Corridors to Bypass Hormuz, Says Hochstein
".... The only long-term solution is new infrastructure—making a massive, internationally coordinated investment in energy corridors that bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely... " -- @amoshochstein https://t.co/hvu4ACTwok
Futures
The oil futures market continues to price a big TACO. Physical oil quotes are sky high, but futures imply a significant improvement in supply in a few weeks. If the market moves to priced a much longer disruption — and see below...
Sandvik Launches DD423i Next-Generation Development Drill Rig
Sandvik has launched the DD423i, a next‑generation automated development drill that builds on the decade‑long success of the DD422i. The new rig delivers 34.5% more drilling coverage and 48% better cross‑cut performance, while offering automatic boom movements and collision‑avoidance technology....
EIA Predicts Prolonged Persian Gulf Crude Production Disruption
The US Energy Information Administration (@EIAgov) is now forecasting a rather long disruption to crude oil production in the Persian Gulf. (Note this is wellhead production rather than flows via Strait of Hormuz. It doesn't appear to include natural gas liquids,...
Lower Cut‑off Grade Could Boost Kate Deposit Silver
.@ViscountMining $VML.V $VLMGF to re-analyze Kate Deposit in Colorado. With silver prices now ~$73/oz a lower cut-off grade could significantly boost contained silver ounces in this near-surface epithermal system. fully funded 2026 drill program.
CPC Oil Exports via Black Sea Stable After Attack Reports
Kazakhstan’s deputy energy minister confirmed that oil shipments through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) remain stable despite Russian claims of a Ukrainian attack on loading facilities in Novorossiysk. The CPC terminal, which moves about 80% of Kazakhstan’s crude, saw export...
Aris Mining Q1 Gold Production Surges, Targets 500k Oz
.@ArisMining $aris Q1 gold production: 74.3 koz up 6% QoQ and sharply higher YoY, driven by Segovia performance and Marmato output. Gold sales revenue topped $360M at a realized price of >$4,860/oz! 2026 guidance: 300-350 koz (H2 weighted), on track toward...
Energy Transition Minerals Faces Likely Greenland Licence Rejection
Australia's Energy Transition Minerals faces likely licence renewal rejection for Greenland rare earths project - https://t.co/kKkXGXMcAO
Caledonia Mining Strengthens Blanket Mine Outlook with Deep Drilling Success
Caledonia Mining Corp announced that its deep‑level drilling program at Zimbabwe’s Blanket Mine has confirmed the continuity of the main ore bodies and identified the new BLK7 high‑grade zone. The 10,312 metres of drilling, completed through December 2025, showed grades and...
CATL Panics as Lepidolite and Sodium‑ion Fail
As I said on the last podcast episode, @catl_official is in a mild panic about their #lithium vulnerability. Lepidolite & sodium-ion announcements didn’t get the job done. https://t.co/wzVN70Tt6r
US Reliant on Chinese Minerals; Trump Misreads Oil Leverage
The US needs critical minerals that China controls @gbrew24 Trump has consistently failed to understand that oil leverage is equal or greater He’s very bad at the art of the deal https://t.co/kB0Qw5QWR4
China’s Coal‑Based Urea Shields It From Fertiliser Price Spikes
China produces ~80% of its urea from coal rather than (as most other nations do) natural gas. The method is insulating Beijing from rising nitrogen fertiliser prices. I wrote ⤵️ this @Opinion column about the Chinese coal-to-chemicals industry last June. https://t.co/TQg6HHD3J8
War‑Driven Food Prices Shift Slightly, Crisis Not Imminent
Key food commodity prices since US-Iran war started: 🍚 Rice: ⬇️ -6.3% 🌾 Wheat: ⬇️ -0.5% 🥫 Soybean: ⬆️ +0.6% 🌽 Corn: ...