Today's Mining Pulse
Indonesia grants export monopoly to state trader DSI, targeting $66bn in resource revenues
Indonesia’s employers association and major mining cartels have endorsed President Prabowo Subianto’s new export monopoly, giving exclusive rights to state‑controlled PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia. The policy seeks to capture roughly $66.13 billion in annual resource revenues—about 23.4% of exports—and to curb $908 billion in historic tax leakage.
Also developing:
Surprisingly Simple, Sustainable Lithium Extraction
Researchers at Princeton unveiled two low‑impact lithium extraction techniques that could dramatically accelerate supply growth. The porous‑string method uses capillary‑wicking cotton fibers to concentrate lithium chloride up to 6% in a process up to twenty times faster than conventional evaporation, while requiring minimal land and water. The humid‑air slag‑column passes moist air through mining residues, extracting up to 96% of the lithium and producing a 97,000 ppm LiCl solution—nearly twice the typical industry grade. Both approaches aim to tap unconventional brines and waste streams, offering a simpler, energy‑light alternative to existing DLE technologies.
Bunker Fuel Shortages in Asia at Tipping Point as War Disruption Continues
Asian ocean carriers are currently managing bunker fuel supplies, but tightening inventories signal a looming shortage if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. Global fuel suppliers warn that prolonged closure could trigger worldwide deficits. To cushion the impact, operators are...
Oman/Dubai Crude Plunges $45, Defying Brent Rally
CHART OF THE DAY: The idea was that Brent/WTI was going to catch up higher towards where Oman/Dubai crude was trading (>$150 a barrel) Instead, we are witnessing Oman/Dubai crude plunging >$45 a barrel in a single day to ~$110 a...
Italian Looks to Receive LNG From Algeria, Strengthen Energy Cooperation
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced plans to deepen energy cooperation with Algeria during a visit to Algiers, aiming to increase LNG supplies to Italy. The move comes as Italy grapples with prolonged disruptions in Qatar LNG deliveries, which previously...
MP Materials Announces $1.25 Billion U.S. Rare‑Earth Magnet Campus
MP Materials said it will invest $1.25 billion to develop a rare‑earth magnet manufacturing campus in the United States, a move intended to strengthen domestic supply chains and reduce dependence on Chinese imports.
Open Consultation on Annual Methodology Review for Manganese Ore Indices
Fastmarkets has opened a public consultation, running until April 27 2026, to review the methodology behind three of its manganese ore price indices – a high‑grade CIF Tianjin benchmark and two 36.5% Mn semi‑carbonate indices (CIF Tianjin and FOB Port Elizabeth). The review...
Russian Baltic Port Halts Crude Loading as Drones Cause Fire
Ukraine launched a massive drone strike on Russia’s Ust‑Luga Baltic port, igniting storage tanks at Novatek’s oil‑product facilities and forcing a halt to crude loadings of roughly 450,000 barrels per day. Russian defenses intercepted 389 drones, the highest number recorded...
Teck Defers US$1.9B Zafranal
Teck Resources has postponed the construction decision for its Zafranal copper project in Arequipa, Peru, a venture valued at roughly US$1.9 billion. The company is instead directing capital toward expanding its existing Quebrada Blanca mine in Chile. The deferment underscores ongoing...
Baker Hughes to Supply Tech for Offshore LNG Project in Texas
Baker Hughes has been awarded a contract to provide gas compression and power generation equipment for ST LNG’s proposed 8.4 million‑tonne‑per‑annum offshore export terminal off Matagorda, Texas. The deal includes two LM6000PF turbine‑driven centrifugal compressor trains and three NovaLT16 turbine generator...
Constellation Reports Strong 2025 Results, Targets Further Growth in Brazil
Constellation Oil Services posted adjusted EBITDA of $233 million for 2025, beating its guidance by 37%, driven by high fleet utilization and stronger contract economics. Net revenue rose 6% to $597 million, while the EBITDA margin held at 39%. The firm ended...
Precipitate Gold Drilling New Target at Pueblo Grande Project, Dominican Republic
Precipitate Gold Corp. has begun a diamond‑drilling campaign at the Pueblo Grande Norte zone in the Dominican Republic. The program consists of four holes averaging about 450 metres each, for a total of roughly 2,000 metres, aimed at a newly identified cluster...
Will the Iran War Revive Russia’s Power of Siberia 2 Pipeline?
The Iran‑Israel war has shut the Strait of Hormuz, driving up Asian LNG prices and prompting Beijing to reconsider its heavy reliance on maritime energy imports. Analysts say the disruption revives interest in the stalled Power of Siberia‑2 pipeline, a...
Rising Costs of War: Gulf Energy Infrastructure Stares Down $25B Repair Bill
The Middle East war has generated at least $25 billion in repair and restoration costs for Gulf oil and gas infrastructure, according to Rystad Energy. Damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG complex has cut output by 17%, equivalent to 12.8 million tonnes per...
American Tungsten Extends Strike of Tungsten Mineralization at IMA Mine, Idaho
American Tungsten Corp. announced initial assay results from its second underground drill station on the D‑Level of the historic IMA Mine in Idaho. Intercepts across three holes returned 0.33‑0.80% WO3 and 1.0‑1.9 oz/ton silver, confirming the vein system’s continuity up‑dip...
Harmony Gold Seeks End to 18-Year PNG Deadlock
Harmony Gold is seeking mediation to break an 18‑year impasse over its Wafi‑Golpu gold‑copper project in Papua New Guinea. A 2023 MOU with Newmont set the stage for a special mining lease, but the lease remains stalled, pushing first production...
Margin Call Crushed Hunt Brothers' Silver Corner
On this day, March 25, 1980 the Hunt brothers received a massive margin call that helped trigger one of the biggest commodity crashes in history. Texas billionaires Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt had cornered nearly one third of the...
Hexagon Vehicle Intervention System ‘First & only’ Open-Pit Level 9 Solution to Pass UP Safety Test
Hexagon announced that its latest Vehicle Intervention System (VIS) became the first open-pit Level 9 solution to pass the University of Pretoria’s TRL‑4 Collision Prevention System test. Level 9 represents full automatic intervention, where the system can slow or stop equipment if...
RI Urged to Honor Contracts, Keep Doors Open in Mineral Tug-of-War
Indonesia stands at a crossroads as the United States and European allies push to onshore critical‑mineral supply chains, challenging China’s dominance in the archipelago’s mining sector. The recently signed US‑Indonesia Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) could deepen Western ties, but...
The West Has Long Characterized Iran’s Oil As A Prize To Be Claimed
The article traces how Western powers have long portrayed Iran’s oil as a coveted prize, beginning with the 1908 discovery that birthed the Anglo‑Persian Oil Company, later BP. It shows how BP’s interwar advertising turned Iran into an exotic backdrop...
Toogood Gold Posts 76.89 G/T Gold and Defines 8.5-km High-Grade Gold Trend at Toogood Gold Project, Newfoundland
Toogood Gold Corp announced Phase 2 results that confirmed a 76.89 g/t gold intercept and an 8.5‑km high‑grade shoreline trend, alongside new kilometre‑scale corridors in the NE Block. Over 650 rock and soil samples refined the geological model and identified multiple high‑priority...
US Stockpiles Keep $5 Corn From Surpassing 2022 Peak
$5 Corn May Mark a 2026 Peak Alongside $120 Crude - The December corn future (Dec26) stretch to $4.99 a bushel around the onset of the Iran war on March 9 may have peak inklings akin to Dec22's $7.66 apex...
Selkirk Widens Minto Copper Footprint
Selkirk Copper Mines announced fresh drill results from four zones at the Minto copper‑gold‑silver mine, expanding both underground and near‑surface mineralization as its 50,000‑meter Phase 1 program nears completion. Assays revealed high‑grade copper intervals, including 2.45% Cu over 5.8 m at Minto...
Geopolitics Sidelining Climate Goals, Says BHP’s Slattery
BHP’s Australian operations chief Geraldine Slattery warned that recent geopolitical upheavals are pushing energy security ahead of climate objectives, reshaping policy priorities in major economies. She cited Middle East conflicts and disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz as catalysts for...
Polestar Switches to Batteries with 50% Recycled Cobalt
Polestar announced that the batteries in its Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 models now contain at least 50 percent recycled cobalt and will use refurbished modules for any replacements. The move is part of a broader circular‑economy strategy that aims to extend battery...
Critical Minerals, Critical Moment: Geopolitics, Vulnerabilities and Lessons Learned From a High-Risk Sector
The OECD Global Anti‑Corruption & Integrity Forum 2026 highlighted critical minerals as a flashpoint for corruption amid soaring demand for clean‑energy technologies. Experts warned that complex, multi‑jurisdictional supply chains expose the sector to bribery, human‑rights abuses and environmental damage. The...
Airborne Laser Technology Reveals Untapped Critical Resources in Abandoned Mines
Researchers at the University of Malaga unveiled REMINLASER, a drone‑mounted laser system that delivers high‑density geochemical maps of mining waste. The technology captures elemental spectra from laser pulses, enabling rapid, contact‑free identification of critical raw materials across complex terrains. Field...
Tanzania: Tanzania Seals Strategic Minerals Deal
Tanzania has signed a suite of agreements with US‑owned Panda Hill Tanzania Limited to develop a niobium mine, beneficiation plant and ferroniobium smelter in Mbeya. The project aims to produce about 100,000 tonnes of niobium annually, representing roughly 4% of...
Glencore Merafe Confirms Counter Proposal to Eskom’s ‘Unworkable’ 62c/kWh Conditions
Glencore Merafe has lodged a final counter‑proposal to Eskom over the utility’s 62 c/kWh (≈ $0.03/kWh) tariff, labeling the attached conditions as commercially unworkable. The venture highlighted that the proposed five‑year contract, dividend restrictions, and take‑or‑pay clauses would jeopardise the viability of...
Africa Needs to Build an Economic Architecture that Renders It Immune to US Extortion
A leaked U.S. State Department memo threatens to cut HIV aid for roughly 1.3 million Zambians unless the government grants American firms access to its copper, lithium and cobalt mines. The document frames the move as a direct “America First” extortion...
China's Copper Overcapacity Pressures U.S. Market as Investment Lags
China's state‑backed surge in copper smelting and fabrication now accounts for roughly 80% of new global capacity, tightening markets as the United States lags in domestic investment. The imbalance has prompted 50% Section 232 tariffs and renewed calls for export...
Liberia: Liberian Diamond Sector Under Global Scrutiny
Liberia is hosting its first Kimberley Process compliance review since 2013, marking a pivotal test of reforms aimed at eliminating conflict diamonds. The government has introduced digital licensing, tighter export controls, and awareness campaigns, yet artisanal mining and cross‑border smuggling...
China Lithium Prices Surge, Inventories Decline, 3× June Lows
While most eyes are focused on hydrocarbons in the Middle East, keep an eye on #Lithium in China as well... Some data providers flagged a weekly reduction in inventories, and prices have bounced over the past few days. We seem...
North Sea Oil Discovery Adds Low-Cost Barrels for OKEA with Resource Estimate Boost
OKEA increased its recoverable resource estimate for the Talisker West discovery near its Brage field from 19 to 28 million barrels of oil equivalents. The combined recoverable volumes from the Statfjord and Cook formations now range between 23 and 44 mmboe, with...
Canada Invests $1m Into Mining Exploration on Indigenous Land
The Canadian federal government has allocated C$1.5 million ($1.1 million) to the Tłı̨chǫ Nation for a three‑year mineral exploration program in the Northwest Territories. The initiative, run with the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, targets lithium, cesium and tantalum in partnership with...
Bridging the Gap: How One Partnership Is Building Research the Mining Industry Needs
Global demand for critical minerals is surging, prompting a need for research that links real‑world mining operations with academic rigor. A new partnership sees a seasoned industry professional return to a university setting, co‑leading studies on tailings management, water use,...
From Discovery to Decisions: Data, AI and the Future of Mining
BHP’s digital chief Mikko Tepponen says mining faces declining discovery rates, deeper ore bodies and heightened safety, sustainability and efficiency expectations. To meet these pressures, BHP is standardising decades‑long geological and operational data on a Central Data Platform and deploying...
Aben Explores Tungsten Potential at Justin
Aben Gold Corp. announced a new 2026 exploration program to evaluate high‑grade tungsten alongside gold at its Justin project in southeastern Yukon. Recent re‑analysis of 2014 drill holes revealed tungsten mineralization up to 0.39% WO₃, with concurrent gold grades above...
Sandvik Receives AutoMine Orders From Byrnecut for Five Underground Mine Sites
Sandvik announced five new AutoMine orders from Byrnecut, covering four Australian mines and Namibia's Navachab site. The contracts include AutoMine Multi‑Lite systems, allowing a single operator to remotely control up to three loaders. Byrnecut now runs AutoMine on the majority...
Blue Moon Apex Deal Underscores Gallium, Germanium Supply Push, Refining Gap
Blue Moon Metals completed its acquisition of the Apex mine, a former U.S. producer of gallium, germanium and copper, to re‑establish domestic supply of these critical metals. The deal includes a 0.5% net smelter return royalty for Teck and positions...
Rio Tinto Eyes Arizona Copper Mine by Mid-2030s
Rio Tinto has won a lengthy legal battle, gaining control of the land needed for its Resolution Copper project in Arizona. The miner launched a $500 million drilling program to explore the remaining 30% of the deposit that was previously inaccessible....
Ukraine Targets Ust-Luga
Ukraine’s armed forces escalated their campaign against Russian energy infrastructure by launching drone strikes on the Baltic Sea port of Ust‑Luga. The attack sparked a large fire and video footage released by the Leningrad region governor shows significant damage to...
SLN Secures Funding, Yet New Caledonia Nickel Remains Risky
SLN stabilised with fresh funding, but New Caledonia nickel supply still faces deep structural risks. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/new-caledonia-nickel-supply-gains-time.html
Hormuz Crisis Threatens Europe, Fuels US Inventory Uncertainty
🚨Hormuz Crisis goes global: Europe is heading for energy shortages, massive price spikes, and deeper reliance on Russian energy. 🚨What is next for US commercial crude inventories after the SPR release? Daily Energy Report https://t.co/W33F3aHN9V
Kavango Extends Nara Gold Project Acquisition Deadline as Parties Finalize Legal Formalities
London-listed Kavango Resources has pushed the closing date for its 100% acquisition of the Nara Gold Project to March 2026, marking a second delay as legal paperwork is finalized. The Nara asset comprises 45 contiguous gold claims in Matabeleland South,...
Gold and Miners Face Upside Gaps to Fill
"There are a couple gaps on the upside that need to be filled... that might have been a decent low for a period of time here in gold and the gold miners." 🎙️@GuyAdami | $GLD $GDX https://t.co/ZVXyArkxOD
Royal Road Drills Gold‑copper‑silver Project in Colombia
@RYR_RoyalRoad is drilling at its Güíntar-Aleman-Margaritas gold-copper-silver project in Antioquia Province, Colombia. Tim Coughlin spoke to Mining Stock Daily this week. https://t.co/WkV56EiiWe https://t.co/oyKbSYxeEN
Copper Slumps, Gold Soars: Recession vs Fear
Copper down 10% this month. Gold at $4,550+. Same planet. Completely different signals. One screams recession. One screams fear. $CPER $GLD https://t.co/kChEJn36lH
Trump’s Oil Moves Undone by Zelensky’s Strikes
🛑So let me get this straight: President Trump waived sanctions on Russian oil at sea and released millions of barrels from the SPR to bring oil prices down. Then Zelensky struck Russian oil ports and terminals, tightening oil supply and pushing...
Oil and Gas: Backbone of Modern Manufacturing Economy
Many people don't understand how important oil and gas are to the wider manufacturing economy...
Sparkies Vote Strike at BHP Pilbara, Risk Union Wave
Sparkies vote to strike at BHP’s Pilbara mines in ‘dangerous’ move that could ignite mass union onslaught https://t.co/e5jqcNDvKE