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:
Thungela Slides Into Full Year Loss After R8.8bn Asset Impairment
Thungela Resources reported a full‑year loss of R7.1 billion (≈$374 million) after taking an R8.8 billion (≈$463 million) asset impairment tied to a steep drop in thermal‑coal prices. South African export coal fell 20% to $89.53 per ton and Australian Ensham prices slipped 17% to $105.37 per ton, pressuring earnings. Despite the price slump, the miner increased South African salesable production by 1.9% to 13.85 Mt and kept a R2 per‑share dividend while remaining cash‑negative in the second half. The company is reshaping its portfolio with new South African collieries and a coal‑bed methane project, aiming to stabilise cash flow amid volatile markets.
The Helium Factsheet
Helium, the second‑most abundant element in the universe, has become a strategic commodity because it underpins MRI scanners, semiconductor fabs, and aerospace applications. In 2025 global production reached roughly 190 million cubic metres, with the United States supplying 42% and Qatar...
Lindian Workers Camp Goes Live at Malawian Rare Earths Project
Lindian Resources announced that its Tipume accommodation camp at the Kangankunde rare‑earth project in Malawi is now fully operational. The camp includes 65 rooms with 38 staff already on site and will expand to house up to 90 workers by...
Macmahon Prepping for Mount Carlton Gold Mine Restart as Part of Wolfram LoI
Macmahon Holdings has signed a Letter of Intent with Wolfram Limited, a Bumi Resources subsidiary, to restart the Mount Carlton Gold Mine in north Queensland. The scope covers surface and underground mining as well as civil infrastructure services, with an...
How Zimbabwe’s Muriel Mine Turned “Waste” Into a 20,000oz Gold Success Story
Pan African’s Muriel Mine in Zimbabwe has turned former waste dumps into a gold‑producing operation using high‑pressure hydrosluicing, tailings retreatment and aggressive exploration. The mine processed 1.166 million tonnes of tailings in 2025, delivering 20,000 ounces of gold and extending its life...
Flexco System Prevents Costly Conveyor Failure at Cemex
Flexco installed its Elevate belt‑rip detection system at Cemex UK’s Dove Holes Quarry, where it automatically shut down a conveyor after detecting a fallen steel plate in April 2025. The rapid shutdown within 12 metres averted a catastrophic belt rupture and prevented weeks...
Urea Under Pressure: History Says Brace for Impact
Urea prices have surged, pushing the urea‑to‑wheat ratio to 1.83, a 97th‑percentile level that compresses farmer margins. Historical analysis of five major spikes since the 1970s shows elevations lasting from six months to nearly five years, depending on whether the...
Felix Gold Receives Nod for Treasure Creek Antimony Bulk Sampling
Felix Gold secured Alaska DNR approval to bulk sample 1,450 tonnes of antimony ore at the NW Array prospect, part of its Treasure Creek Antimony Project. Testwork shows over 89% antimony‑bearing stibnite veins, with drill hits exceeding 12% Sb and a...
Rio Tinto “Farms Out” Smelter Repowering as Decarbonisation Division Gets the Axe
Rio Tinto has dismantled its dedicated decarbonisation division, moving responsibility for the $1 billion repowering of the Tomago aluminium smelter to its aluminium and lithium team. The shift follows a budget cut that reduced the company’s 2021‑2030 decarbonisation spend to US$1‑2 billion,...
Purus Adds to Samsung Heavy LNG Series
Singapore‑based gas owner Purus has exercised an option for an additional LNG carrier with Samsung Heavy Industries, pricing the contract at KRW 377.9 bn (about $252 m) and targeting delivery in Q2 2029. The newbuild follows a prior $503 m order for two 174,000‑cu m vessels...
Will It Be Onwards and Upwards for the Dry Bulk Market in 2026?
Dry bulk freight surged in Q1 2026, with the Baltic Dry Index hitting 1,906 points—more than double the same period in 2025. Strong Chinese iron‑ore imports, record‑high Pilbara throughput, and a seasonal bauxite peak lifted capesize demand, while limited new...
Thorium Key to India’s Energy Self-Reliance Amid LPG Concerns: Expert
Amid escalating West‑Asia tensions that threaten LPG supplies, India faces heightened energy security risks, prompting experts to spotlight thorium as a long‑term solution. The country possesses roughly 25‑30% of the world’s thorium reserves, offering a domestic, low‑cost fuel for power...
Copper Falls to Three-Month Low as Global Growth Concerns Rise
Copper slipped to its lowest level in over three months, falling 1.8% on the London Metal Exchange after a 6.7% plunge last week. The decline was triggered by heightened risk aversion stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict, which pushed...
Verity Strengthens Case for Larger Gold System at Monument
Verity Resources announced that drilling across its Monument gold project in Western Australia has confirmed mineralisation along a 7‑kilometre strike length. Results from the Perseverance and Triton prospects extend the known Banded Iron Formation (BIF) corridor beyond the existing Korong...
Alligator Energy Begins Uranium Extraction in Samphire Field Recovery Trial
Alligator Energy has initiated uranium extraction at its Samphire project in South Australia as part of a four‑month field recovery trial. Detectable uranium concentrations have been confirmed in the lixiviant, though target extraction rates remain unmet. The trial will generate...
Glitch Shuts Australia's Biggest Maker Of Vital Fertilizer Input For 2 Months At Worst Possible Time
Australia’s largest ammonia producer, Yara’s Pilbara plant, will be offline for roughly two months after a power outage damaged equipment. The facility accounts for about 5% of the world’s traded ammonia, a key feedstock for urea fertilizer and ammonium nitrate...
Renascor Hits Cobalt-Copper Mineralisation at Bulloo Creek
Renascor Resources announced that its 13‑hole, 2,340‑metre reverse‑circulation drill program at the Bulloo Creek prospect intersected significant cobalt and copper mineralisation across both eastern and western magnetic anomalies. The eastern anomaly returned a 16‑metre interval averaging 901 ppm cobalt, including a...
Curtin Geoscience Hub Aims to Boost Critical Minerals Exploration
Curtin University has launched the Curtin Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions (CFIGS) to accelerate critical minerals exploration in Western Australia. The institute links government, industry and academia through a Geo Shopfront platform that delivers tailored geoscience services. Backed by Curtin’s world‑class...
Precious‑Metal Miners Squeezed by Rising Oil Prices as SSR Mining Secures $1.5B Sale
SSR Mining announced a $1.5 billion cash sale of its Çöpler stake and a $300 million buyback, while junior TRX Gold posted a 42% share surge. At the same time, soaring oil prices have pushed major gold producers down 15%‑17%, underscoring a...
Push for AI Trial to Speed up Environmental Approvals
The Minerals Council of Australia is seeking a $13 million, three‑year AI pilot to modernise environmental approvals under the EPBC Act. The council argues that decision times have jumped 60 % to 3.8 years, stalling projects worth billions. If successful, the initiative could...
Critical Mineral Push as Kalgoorlie Project Noted in US-Japan Meeting
Ardea Resources' Kalgoorlie nickel project was highlighted in the recent US‑Japan summit on critical minerals, underscoring its strategic role in the Goongarrie Hub. The project, backed by Japanese partners Sumitomo Metal Mining and Mitsubishi Corporation, has secured up to $1 billion...
Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (CMCL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Coeur Mining reported a record 2025 with gold production soaring 723% YoY and silver up 5%, driven by the Rochester expansion and the Silvercrest acquisition. Full‑year EBITDA more than doubled to over $1 billion and free cash flow swung to $666 million,...
LONG READ: Coal Is Back.
Coal is re‑emerging as a key fallback fuel after the Iran‑triggered Operation Epic Fury disrupted global gas supplies. The International Energy Agency now projects 2026 coal demand at a record 8.85 bn tonnes, a 0.5% rise, while thermal‑coal prices have jumped...
Alabama Regulator Limits Methane Plans to Oak Grove Mine After 2024 Explosion
Alabama Surface Mining Commission director Kathy Love announced that only the Oak Grove coal mine will be required to submit updated methane‑monitoring plans, rolling back a statewide mandate imposed after the March 2024 fatal explosion. The decision, made at the...
Can You Dig It? SA Dubbed Australia’s Top Mining Jurisdiction
South Australia has been crowned Australia’s most attractive mining jurisdiction in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 survey, leaping to fourth place globally and overtaking Western Australia. The state’s Investment Attractiveness Index rose by 26.04 points, while its Best Practices Mineral Potential...
Can India Afford to Quit Coal?
India remains heavily dependent on coal, which supplies roughly three‑quarters of its power, even as the economy expands at 7.5% annually and electricity demand surges. Solar capacity has exploded from 4 GW to 140 GW in a decade, putting the country on...
Insufficient Source Data to Report on U.S.-China Rare‑earth Mining Story
The eight supplied source documents do not include information on U.S.-China rare‑earth tensions, MP Materials, USA Rare Earth, or related market activity, preventing a factual news report.
Pan African Pays Its Way Out of Aussie Gold Penalty
Pan African Resources bought Australian miner Tennant Consolidated Mining Group for $54.2 million and now projects 46,000‑48,000 ounces of gold from the Nobles project in FY 2026, with a long‑term target of 100,000 ounces. To remove costly JV penalties, the company is...
The Oil Shell Game: Peeling Away the Bluster of the Latest Oil Announcements
The Trump Administration announced temporary licenses to allow Iranian and Russian crude to move and offered 86 million barrels from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Experts argue the licensing is largely symbolic, as sanctions, insurance gaps, and financing constraints keep...
The Surprising Parallels Between Junior Miners and Tech Startups
The article argues that junior mining companies function as the original version of today’s tech startups, using exploration as a form of research and development. Both sectors share high‑risk, pre‑revenue models, cash‑burn dynamics, and reliance on visionary founders to attract...
Govt to Launch Bid for 7th Tranche of Critical Mineral Blocks on March 23
India will launch its seventh tranche of critical mineral auctions on March 23, 2026, offering 19 blocks across multiple states. The blocks contain lithium, graphite, rare‑earth elements, tungsten, vanadium and titanium, essential for electric vehicles, renewables, fertilizers and defence. The...
ASX 200 Hits Four‑Month Low as Mining Shares Slip 1.5% Amid Oil Volatility
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,428.40, down 0.82%, after the materials sector fell about 1.5% on Friday. The slide reflects a perfect storm of Middle‑East oil shocks, rising inflation expectations and fears of further Reserve Bank of Australia rate...
Greenland Resources Secures Long-Term Mo Supply for GMH
Greenland Resources to supply Mo to GMH Group under a long-term MOU linked to the Malmbjerg project. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/greenland-resources-to-supply-mo-to-gmh.html
Iran Rakes $2.5B From Oil Amid War
Aside the relaxation of US sanctions on Iranian oil, for Tehran the big win is the fact that >20 days into the war, it’s still exporting oil via Hormuz. At ~1.5m b/d (and assuming $85 a barrel) that’s a ~$2.5...
Coal Imports Likely to Remain Subdued in Near Term
India’s coal imports slipped 4.2% to 213.1 million tonnes in the April‑January window, with non‑coking imports falling to 127.8 MT while coking imports rose modestly to 50.4 MT. The decline reflects a deliberate push toward self‑reliance as domestic output expands. Seaborne coal prices...
USA Rare Earth Launches French REE Plant with Caremag Partnership
USA Rare Earth to build REE plant in France, co-located with Caremag oxide output and backed by C31V credits. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/usa-rare-earth-to-build-ree-plant-in.html
US Gains Massive Advantage From Hormuz Strait Closure
The US benefits from the closing of the Hormuz Strait are 'tremendous,' expert says https://t.co/KX4da2Twrp
Copper Intelligence Launches Drilling Program at Butembo Copper Project in DRC
Copper Intelligence, formerly African Discovery Group, has deployed an XY‑44 drill rig to begin a drilling campaign at its Butembo copper project in eastern DRC. The program, partnered with South Africa’s Gemdrill, targets depths up to 1,000 m to test the...
Early Helium Alerts Now Gaining Wider Attention
I told you about Helium since day one of the Hormuz crisis… now people are catching up to it !
Waiving Restrictions Lets Putin Sell Oil at 2022‑level Prices
By what? Giving waver to Putin to sell his oil freely at prices we have not see since 2022? 😉
Zambia Launches Major Environmental Remediation at Sino-Metals After Tailings Dam Collapse
Zambia’s government has inaugurated a comprehensive environmental remediation program at Sino-Metals Leach Ltd following the February 2025 collapse of Tailings Dam No. 15, which polluted the Chambeshi, Mwambashi and Kafue rivers with acidic, heavy‑metal‑laden waste. A joint task force comprising ZEMA,...
Region Supplies Huge Share of Key Global Commodities
22% of the world’s traded urea, 24% of its aluminium, a third of its helium and 45% of its sulphur come from the region
China’s Rare Earth Dominance Fuels Global Mineral War
China's Rare Earth Weapon: Inside the "Mineral War" with Tomasz Nadrowski. Read more and sign up to my newsletter here: https://t.co/uDfSXat1Xl https://t.co/MXFQAofK9T
President Hichilema Warns Against Fuel Hoarding Amid Global Energy Crisis
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema warned oil‑marketing firms that hoarding fuel creates artificial shortages, despite the country holding 30‑60 days of reserves. He linked the issue to the broader Middle East conflict that is tightening global energy supplies. The administration announced...
Middle East Sulfur Reliance Fuels Fertilizer Supply Shock
"Fertilizer Shock Escalates as New Supply Risks Emerge" https://t.co/lgfrgMYRFg "almost half of the world’s supply of sulfur—which is turned into sulfuric acid for the processing of phosphate fertilizer—comes from countries in the Middle East" And US tariffs are making things worse:
Oil, Rare Earths, and Microchips: Modern Power Weapons
The New Weapons of Global Power Are Oil, Rare Earths and Microchips This is a classic WSJ story, very well executed concept, good insights. Good read. https://t.co/OLjtrroo6Y
Assessing Lunar Resource Availability for Mass Driver Construction
In relation to the mass driver idea on the moon, for anyone that has a deep understanding of materials needed for such a satellite, can most of it be sourced from the lunar surface? Interesting to know what percentage can...
Opening Hormuz Won’t Instantly Resolve Iran‑Trump Tensions
If Iran—facing threats from President Trump—now announces that the Strait of Hormuz is OPEN, would that immediately end the crisis and get ships moving through it again? Why or why not?
Iran War Costs Will Eclipse Biden’s Ukraine Loan
The hard truth: the Iran war will dwarf the cost of Biden *loaning* Ukraine weapons, and having @ZelenskyyUa pay us back in the rare earths (a deal that Trump deftly negotiated) Looks like $200b at a minimum
Brazil Rejects US Critical Minerals Deal Amid Trump Tensions
Brazil is now RESISTING a critical minerals agreement with the US. FORGET THE ART OF THE DEAL. TRUMP = MASTERCLASS AT MAKING ENEMIES. https://t.co/jmtqeFKoVb