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:
Are We Ready to Mine the Moon?
Interlune, a lunar‑resource startup, announced that its first customers are ready to purchase helium‑3 extracted from the Moon. Helium‑3 is touted as a fuel for next‑generation nuclear fusion reactors that produce no long‑lived radioactive waste. The company highlights the technical challenges of operating on a body with 250 °C temperature swings and abrasive electrostatic dust. This commercial interest marks a shift from speculative concepts to tangible market demand for extraterrestrial minerals.
CCEM Lands $15.5 M CFI Grant to Boost Canada’s Nano‑characterisation Platform
The Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) has been awarded a $15.5 million grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The funding will expand national nano‑characterisation capabilities, linking atomic‑scale insights to Canada’s critical‑minerals strategy, semiconductor supply chain and electronic‑waste recycling efforts.
RANKED: World’s Top 20 Largest Gold Mines
The latest ranking of the world’s 20 largest gold mines shows Nevada Gold Mines retaining the top spot with 2,595 koz in 2025, while production at several sites shifted dramatically amid market volatility. Gold prices surged to a record $5,600 per...
AngloGold to Call $3.6bn US Project Study in June
AngloGold Ashanti’s Arthur gold project in Nevada has completed a prefeasibility study confirming an average output of 500,000 ounces per year at an all‑in sustaining cost of $954 per ounce. The study, covering a nine‑year mine life, estimates capital expenditures...
Barrick Slows Pakistan Copper Project Amid Rising Conflicts
Barrick Mining Corp. announced it is slowing work on the Reko Diq copper‑and‑gold project in Pakistan due to heightened security concerns in Balochistan and the broader Middle East. The company has extended its comprehensive project review by twelve months, pushing the...
Petrobras Finds Oil in Marlim Sul Field Offshore Brazil
Petrobras announced an oil discovery in the pre‑salt section of the Marlim Sul field, located about 113 km offshore Brazil in the Campos Basin. The find came from well 3‑BRSA‑1397‑RJS drilled in 1,178 meters of water. Petrobras, which holds a 100 % working...
Orezone Completes Quebec Gold Mine Purchase, Tables Q4 Results
Orezone Gold Corp completed its purchase of Hecla Mining’s Casa Berardi gold mine in Quebec, paying $160 million in cash and issuing about 65.8 million shares, with up to $321 million in deferred payments possible. The transaction leaves Casa Berardi’s production out of Orezone’s...
SADC REGIONAL PORTS CONFIRM PARTICIPATION IN LANDLINKED ZAMBIA 2026
Land‑linked Zambia 2026 has secured participation from all six key SADC ports—Beira, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Lobito, Nacala and Walvis Bay—signaling a major push toward multimodal connectivity. Zambia’s goal of producing 3 million metric tonnes of copper by 2031 will place...
Middle East Crisis Underlining Relevance of Supply Strength of South Africa’s Omnia
Omnia, a Johannesburg‑listed group, is leveraging its extensive ammonia‑based emulsion, explosives and fertilizer capabilities to shield South African mines and farms from the current Middle‑East supply‑chain shock. The company runs 200 dedicated rail tankers and large storage assets, giving it...
MacLean & Northern Construction Academy Form Partnership to Further Battery Grader Development
MacLean announced a partnership with Northern Construction Academy to field‑test its GR8 EV Surface Grader on NCA’s Sudbury training property during summer and fall 2026. The collaboration will validate the grader’s performance, duty cycles, and operator interaction, leveraging real‑world feedback...
CNOOC Ltd Achieves New Production Record
CNOOC Ltd reported a record 777.3 million barrels of oil equivalent, equivalent to 2.13 MMboe per day, a 7% increase over the prior year. Crude output rose 5.8% while natural‑gas production surged 11.6%, underpinning profit resilience. Net profit slipped to $17.7 billion amid...
EnviroGold Outlines Rapid Deployment Pathway for NVIRO Tailings Reprocessing Plan
EnviroGold Global unveiled its Rapid Deployment Pathway (RDP), a structured framework that moves tailings reprocessing projects from initial evaluation to commercial deployment faster than traditional mining routes. The RDP combines staged assessments, pilot testing, and industrial demonstrations to de‑risk projects...
Metso Sets Benchmark with Grate Kiln, Delivering Superior Iron Ore Pellet Quality for DR Processes
Metso introduced its Grate Kiln system, a next‑generation pelletising solution designed to meet the stringent demands of direct‑reduction iron (DRI) and low‑carbon steelmaking. The kiln combines rotary technology, independent grate‑kiln‑cooler control, and advanced combustion to deliver pellets with high cold‑crush...
New Asian Block Expands UAE Oil & Gas Player’s Andaman Sea Footprint
UAE‑based Mubadala Energy has secured the Southwest Andaman exploration block off Indonesia, marking its fifth concession in the Andaman Sea. The 100% operated production sharing contract under Indonesia’s Gross Split scheme adds to its multi‑TCF discoveries in the deep‑water basin....
B2Gold Builds Back River Beyond Goose
B2Gold reported 2025 drilling results from its Back River district in Nunavut, highlighting high‑grade intercepts at the Llama, Nuvuyak and Wing targets. Llama drilling returned up to 13.7 m averaging 41.95 g/t Au and other intervals above 13 g/t, supporting a resource upgrade...
SER Receives Two Queensland Exploration Grants
Strategic Energy Resources (SER) secured more than A$400,000 (about $279,000) in Queensland’s Collaboration Exploration Initiative grants to fund drilling at its Diamantina copper‑gold and Bulimba gold projects. The Diamantina grant of A$275,000 will target extensions of mineralisation identified in historic...
Nova Delivers Antimony Mining Equipment
Nova Minerals Ltd. is moving a massive suite of antimony mining and sorting equipment to its Estelle project via a 100‑mile winter ice road in Southcentral Alaska. Unusually cold temperatures allowed crews to construct five‑foot‑thick ice bridges capable of handling...
Diavik Mine Reaches Final Production
Rio Tinto announced on March 26 that the Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories has completed its final production, ending 23 years of operation. The mine extracted more than 150 million carats and generated roughly C$7 billion ($5 billion) in contracts, half of...
Silver47 Joins DOW's Critical Minerals Forum
Silver47 Exploration Corp. announced its membership in the Pentagon‑sponsored Critical Minerals Forum, a coalition aimed at securing domestic supply chains for defense‑critical minerals. The forum provides AI‑driven market intelligence and a project‑clearinghouse that links miners with investors and government agencies....
Chile Clears Codelco-Anglo Copper Mine Venture
Chile’s antitrust regulator has approved the joint mining plan between state copper producer Codelco and Anglo American for the Andina‑Los Bronces project. The venture merges Codelco’s Andina mine with Anglo’s Los Bronces mine and targets at least $5 billion in value...
Mintek’s Drive to Clean, Recover and Reuse Every Drop of Water
South Africa’s research agency Mintek has made water treatment a strategic priority, launching advanced technologies to tackle acid‑mine drainage and contaminated wastewater from the mining sector. Pilot projects such as the SAVMIN process in Randfontein, the cloSURE biological system in...
Pacgold Maps Monster 30km Gold-Antimony Strike in Queensland
Pacgold Limited has mapped a 30‑kilometre gold‑antimony mineralised corridor at its St George project in Far North Queensland, extending the Fence structural zone from Big Watson to the newly defined Limestone prospect. Surface sampling at Limestone returned high‑grade assays, including 18.5 g/t...
Premier Advances Zulu Lithium Flotation Plant: Q2 2026 Commissioning on Track
Premier African Minerals announced that its Xinhai flotation plant at the Zulu Lithium and Tantalum Project is fully installed and moving toward commissioning in the second quarter of 2026. The plant’s flotation cells have been aligned, levelled, and connected under...
Eldorado Gold Names G Mining as Preferred Engineering and Construction Partner to Enhance Project Delivery
Eldorado Gold Corp. signed a Memorandum of Understanding with G Mining Services to create a preferred engineering and construction partnership. The alliance will support Eldorado’s portfolio, including Perama Hill, the Lamaque Complex, Skouries, Olympias, and McIlvenna Bay projects. G Mining...
Mali: Mali Delivers 33 Million Dollars of Mining Revenue to Local Communities
Mali's government transferred $33 million of mining revenue to communities through the Local Mining Development Fund on March 12. The distribution follows the August 2023 Mining Code, which imposes a mandatory 10 % state stake and higher royalties while still permitting 60‑85 % foreign ownership....
Nigeria Fast-Tracks Permits to Revive Idle Oil Wells, Boost Production
Nigeria’s Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has reduced idle‑well permit approvals from weeks to mere hours, aiming to boost output as crude prices hover around $100 a barrel. The fast‑track process has already cleared 500 permits in 2024, encouraging local firms...
Resolution Speeds Ahead with High-Grade Tungsten Revealed in Johnson Creek Stockpiles
Resolution Minerals reported a 1.85% WO3 assay from historic Golden Gate stockpiles at its Johnson Creek mill, far exceeding the typical 0.15‑0.2% grades mined worldwide. Mineralogical analysis identified scheelite as the dominant tungsten mineral with low impurity levels, suggesting a...
BHP Exec Says Energy Shocks Will Stall Climate Action and Strain Supply Chains
Geraldine Slattery, president of BHP’s Australian operations, warned that ongoing energy disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions are pushing nations to prioritize supply security over climate goals. The warning comes as oil prices have surged 35% and BHP faces pressure over...
Tonga and U.S. Sign Deep‑Sea Mineral Exploration Pact, Raising Environmental Alarm
Tonga and the United States have formalised a bilateral agreement to conduct marine scientific research for responsible seabed mineral exploration. While the Tongan prime minister hailed the pact as an "exciting development," environmental advocates warn the nascent industry could damage...
USA Rare Earth Secures $3.1B Funding and $73M Deal, Targets 2028 Production
USA Rare Earth (USAR) closed a $1.6 billion U.S. government grant and $1.5 billion private investment, then agreed to buy Texas Mineral Resources for $73 million. The capital boost aims to bring its rare‑earth processing to market by 2028, fueling a projected $2.6 billion...
Osmond Spotlights Spanish Critical Minerals Play at Swiss Expo
ASX‑listed Osmond Resources highlighted its Orion EU critical minerals project at the Swiss Mining Institute conference in Zurich. The 228‑km² Spanish deposit hosts a three‑metre‑thick seam with high‑grade rutile (up to 18.8%), zircon (up to 11.9%) and rare‑earth‑rich monazite, offering...
Meanwhile, Iron Ore Is Stuffed
Iron ore prices have plunged as the market reacts to ongoing geopolitical conflicts rather than fundamentals of the metal itself. Rising input costs—particularly energy and logistics—are squeezing steel producers, prompting a sharp slowdown in production. This combination has turned the...
DRC Ministry of Mines Revokes Multiple Mining Titles for Non-Compliance
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ministry of Mines has cancelled twelve mining titles that were issued in 2026 after the holders failed to meet legal and financial obligations, chiefly the non‑payment of annual surface fees. The revocations affect a...
Energy Security, Geopolitics, and Critical Minerals Spotlighted
Thanks to @CarlosEPascual and @CERAWeek for a great event to discuss today's energy security, geopolitical, and critical mineral challenges. #ceraweek https://t.co/fu565AXjTT
Mixed Fortunes for DRC Minerals as Copper, Gold, and Tin Prices Decline While Tantalum Gains
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s weekly mineral price bulletin for March 23‑28 2026 shows a broad slide in several key exports, with copper falling to $12,718 per tonne and gold dropping to $164 per kilogram. Zinc, tin, silver and nickel also...
EU Clinches Australian Mineral
Yesterday, the EU struck a trade deal with Australia to secure access to critical minerals, like lithium and aluminum. According to the NYT, US tariffs pushed the deal forward. TRUMP’S TARIFFS = CREATING AMERICAN ENEMIES = PIVOT AWAY FROM UNCLE SAM. https://t.co/Suer5RGrQO
Makor Resources Launches Zambia Expansion with $30 Million Copper Exploration Strategy
Makor Resources announced the launch of its Zambia expansion, committing US$2‑3 million this year and planning US$20‑30 million over the next few years to explore district‑scale copper assets. The portfolio covers five key corridors—Kasempa, Mkushi, Mumbwa, Kitwe and Ndola—aligned with Zambia’s goal...
Rome Resources Reports Strong Tin Intercepts at Kalayi Prospect, Expanding Resource Potential
Rome Resources announced its latest drilling at the Kalayi prospect in the Bisie North project, delivering the widest tin intercept to date. Hole KBDD033 returned a 20‑metre interval averaging 1 % tin, while nearby holes KBDD032 and KBDD025 showed 5 metres at...
As Prices Soar, EPA Greenlights Higher Ethanol Blends in Gasoline
The EPA announced an emergency waiver allowing nationwide summer sales of E15, a gasoline blend containing up to 15% ethanol, as gas prices near $4 per gallon. The move, highlighted at CERAWeek, is framed as a relief measure for consumers...
NSW Targets Fuel Distribution to Support Miners
The New South Wales government announced a coordinated response to diesel distribution gaps that are affecting mining, agriculture and freight. Data from FuelCheck shows 187 stations lack diesel, including 78 in key mining regions, while 32 stations have no fuel...
Johnson Range Resource Upgrade Lifts Forrestania Acquisition Push
Forrestania Resources has moved closer to acquiring the Johnson Range gold project in Western Australia after a new mineral resource estimate confirmed 103,500 ounces of gold, surpassing the 88,000‑ounce threshold set in its acquisition agreement. The estimate, prepared by Newcam...
Massive Geothermal Potential in Millungera Basin Set for Drilling Boost
Sunrise Energy Metals and U.S. tech firm I‑Pulse are investing $5 million to develop geothermal drilling in Queensland’s Millungera Basin, targeting up to an 80% project stake. The basin is estimated to hold over 611,000 PJ of thermal energy—about 600 times Australia’s...
Production Cuts, Cost Pressures Cloud War-Driven Commodity Windfall
Indonesia is seeing a surge in coal and crude palm oil (CPO) prices as the US‑Israeli war on Iran pushes oil to about $100 a barrel, prompting countries to seek cheaper coal and bio‑fuel alternatives. Newcastle coal futures have climbed...
Vault Surges Toward Processing Milestone at King of the Hills
Vault Minerals announced that its Stage 1 upgrade at the King of the Hills gold mine in Western Australia is on schedule and within budget. The new primary crusher and conveyor will begin processing ore on 31 March 2026, boosting annual throughput to...
NORD Delivers Heavy-Duty Industrial Gear Units, Motors, and Controls for Mining Applications
NORD Drivesystems introduced its MAXXDRIVE industrial gear unit series, capable of delivering up to 2,495,900 lb‑in of torque for heavy‑duty mining equipment such as crushers, mills, and conveyors. The units feature a one‑piece UNICASE housing that resists dust, temperature swings, and...
EV Demand Will Outpace Mineral Constraints as Supply Improves
If you're running Indonesia or Nepal and BYD is offering you 100,000 EVs, you're going to buy 100,000 EVs. The critical minerals concentration argument is real. But solar panels today use one-tenth the silver they did ten years ago. The EV...
U.S. Diesel and Jet Fuel Stocks Near Record Lows
Will U.S. diesel and jet fuel inventories decline to historic lows? US Weekly Oil Data: US Inventories, Exports, Imports, and Refinery Utilization (12 Charts). Link: https://t.co/9fNzVH20GN
Cairn Looks to Hire Americans to Build India’s Shale Sector
Cairn Oil & Gas, the Vedanta‑controlled unit, aims to quadruple its daily output to roughly one million barrels per day over the next decade. To achieve this, the company plans to spend up to $5 billion on U.S. oilfield contractors who...
Stranded LNG Cargoes Lose Gas Through Boil‑off Evaporation
@grok There are about 20 LNG cargoes stranded in the Gulf because of the Hormuz crisis, explain to my followers how they lose LNG due to evaporation.
China Prepares for Imminent Hormuz Strait Closure
I said last June-July: China got the message, Hormuz Strait will be closed, and started preparing for it. Read details below.