Thanks, Trump! — Here’s What Happens when the World Runs Low on Helium
The article explains how the United States’ decision under the Trump administration to sell off its federal helium reserve has accelerated a global helium shortage. With Qatar supplying roughly a third of the world’s supply and the U.S. reserve now depleted, prices for liquid helium have surged, driving up costs for MRI scanners, semiconductor manufacturing, and scientific research. The piece outlines the technical uniqueness of helium as the only coolant that can reach 4.2 K, and warns that prolonged scarcity could slow medical diagnostics and high‑tech innovation. It also notes emerging efforts to recycle helium and develop alternative cooling technologies.
CHINA TO BAN SULFURIC ACID EXPORTS: Copper and Uranium Mining Impacted, Bullish and Bearish Catalyst, Who Loses, & This Mining...
China announced it will halt exports of byproduct sulfuric acid starting in May 2026. The acid is a core reagent for heap‑leaching copper and uranium ores, so the ban threatens to raise input costs and curb output in mining hubs...
FireFox Gold – Mustajärvi Drill Results: Expanding the East Zone & Connecting High-Grade Discoveries
FireFox Gold announced drill results from Finland's Mustajärvi Project, highlighting systematic expansion of the East Zone with 22 holes drilled using a fence‑drilling approach. The company reported high‑grade intercepts, including 13 meters at 6.29 g/t gold and 10 meters at 3.5 g/t gold, bolstering...
Dig, Baby, Dig: What It Means for Canada to Build the Mines Its ‘Clean’ Future Depends on – by Falice...
Canada’s clean‑energy ambitions hinge on dramatically expanding domestic mining for critical minerals such as lithium, nickel and rare earths. The article argues that the real bottleneck in the energy transition is supply‑side infrastructure, not demand, and that scaling mining, processing...
Boundary Divide: Beneath the Minnesota Wilderness Lies Untouched Deposits of Critical Minerals. A Town Near the Canadian Border Confronts What...
The U.S. Senate is poised to decide whether to lift the mining ban in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, a region that sits atop the massive Duluth Complex. This undeveloped deposit holds roughly a third of the nation’s copper, 88 % of its...
Fujimori Leads Peru Presidential Vote as Mining Risks Rise – by Cecilia Jamasmie – April 13, 2026)
Keiko Fujimori topped Peru’s first‑round presidential vote with 17.17%, narrowly ahead of former Lima mayor Rafael López Aliaga’s 16.97%, triggering a June 7 runoff. Fujimori positions herself as pro‑U.S. and investor‑friendly, promising clearer mining regulations to attract foreign capital. The election comes...
Prolonged Hormuz Strait Closure Would Have ‘Profound’ Impact on Mining: Friedland – by Frederic Tomesco (Northern Miner – April 13,...
Ivanhoe Mines co‑chairman Robert Friedland warned that a prolonged shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz would sharply tighten global sulfur markets, cutting roughly half of the seaborne sulfur supply. With about 20% of worldwide copper production dependent on sulfuric‑acid leaching,...
Forty Years After Chernobyl, Uranium Market Rebounds but Fragility Persists – by Aurel Sèdjro Houenou (Ecofin Agency – April 12,...
Forty years after the Chernobyl disaster, the uranium market has rebounded, with spot prices climbing to $101 per pound in early 2026. The surge reflects renewed global interest in civil nuclear power as part of the broader energy transition. Higher...
“Rotten Eggs”: The Hidden Role of Sulfur in the Global Economy – by Amanda Van Dyke (Substack – April 13,...
Sulfur, the element behind the smell of rotten eggs, underpins food production, metal refining, battery manufacturing, and data‑center cooling. Most elemental sulfur today is recovered as a by‑product of sour oil and gas refining through the Claus process, feeding the...
‘Energy Dominance’ Agenda Sidelines Tribes – by Anna V. Smith (High Country News – April 13, 2026)
The federal government granted the Velvet‑Wood uranium mine in Utah a permit through a newly created 14‑day NEPA “emergency” review, slashing the usual months‑long environmental analysis. Tribal governments received only a seven‑day window to comment, and the standard public comment...
Tom Peters Was the Grandfather of Regreening in Greater Sudbury – by Dieter K Buse (Sudbury Star – March 31,...
Tom Peters, an Inco agriculturalist, is credited with pioneering the use of farming techniques on the company’s mine‑tailing slag piles in Greater Sudbury during the early 1970s. His work sparked the first wave of regreening that turned barren, black mounds...
Summer School on Managing Africa’s Extractive Future in the Energy Transition
The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), backed by NRGI, will host the 2026 AFREIKH Summer School on extractive‑industry governance in Accra, Ghana, from August 18‑28. The intensive week‑long program targets civil‑society, media, and government professionals from Anglophone Africa, offering...
Gold Deliveries Rise 8.2% in First Quarter as March Slump Exposes Policy Fallout
Zimbabwe’s gold deliveries rose 8.2% year‑on‑year in Q1 2026, reaching 9,311.92 kg, but March volumes dropped 16.4% to 2,854 kg. The sharp March decline stemmed from the short‑lived 10% ZiG retention policy and payment disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. Small‑scale...
MINEX 2026 Marks Turning Point in Funding Access for Small-Scale Miners – YMF
The MINEX 2026 conference in Zimbabwe placed financing for artisanal and small‑scale miners at the forefront, with the Young Miners Foundation calling the event a breakthrough for unlocking capital. For the first time, a sizable cohort of commercial banks and financiers...
Canada Nickel Company: Navigating the Lassonde Trough Towards Construction
Canada Nickel Company (CNC) remains in the “Lassonde trough,” the gap between feasibility studies and construction for its Crawford nickel project. The company faces a CAD 29.7 million (≈US $21.7 million) bridge loan maturing in May 2026, offset by about CAD 13.8 million (≈US $10 million) in cash. Visibility...
Zero Entry: The Next Frontier of Mining Robotics and Automation
Jake Harris’s latest column introduces "zero entry" mining, a vision where underground operations run entirely without human presence. He outlines how advances in autonomous drilling rigs, AI‑driven fleet management, and sensor‑rich environments are converging to make human‑free production zones feasible....
Weekly Video (4/12/2026)
In the April 12 2026 weekly video, market analyst John Doe dissected two junior precious‑metal stocks—Abrasilver Resources and Americas Gold & Silver. Abrasilver reported a 15% rise in Q1 silver output, driven by higher spot prices and new mining permits in Mexico....
Iron Ore Waits on the War
Iron ore markets are in a holding pattern as improving peace prospects in the Gulf reduce geopolitical risk, but the broader ferrous complex remains weak. Steel prices have resumed their decline, reflecting lingering demand concerns. Port inventories have risen to...
Critical Minerals Report (04.12.2026): The Iran War, China’s Chemical Leverage & The Real Supply Chain Constraint
The critical‑minerals market is hitting a new bottleneck: processing chemicals, not ore. Disruptions to sulfur flows from the Iran‑Hormuz conflict and China’s export curbs on ammonium and magnesium sulfate are tightening supplies of sulfuric acid, a key reagent for rare‑earth...
Global Free Float Of Silver Remains Tight While Chinese Silver Premium Remains Above 12%
The latest free‑float data shows global silver available to market has climbed to 190.8 million ounces, up from 157 million ounces a month earlier. London’s free‑float rose after exchange‑traded‑fund holdings fell by 14 million ounces, while New York’s COMEX registered vault stock remains a...
Metal Shock: Gulf's Largest Aluminum Producer Declares Force Majeure
Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA), the Gulf’s largest aluminium producer, has declared force majeure on portions of its contract book after Iranian missile and drone strikes damaged its Al Taweelah smelter, forcing a shutdown. The outage removes roughly 4% of global aluminium...
Platinum Under Pressure as Middle East Tensions Trigger ETF Outflows and Market Volatility
Platinum’s safe‑haven appeal is waning as Middle East geopolitical tensions and rising U.S. interest‑rate expectations trigger sizable outflows from platinum‑backed ETFs. The World Platinum Investment Council reports March ETF withdrawals of 224,000 ounces, while the region accounts for roughly 200,000...
THE CASH FLOW GUSHER: How $3,000+ Gold Margins and ~$60 Silver Margins Are Forcing Institutional Capital Into the Miners as...
Gold miners are now earning roughly $3,000 of profit per ounce above all‑in sustaining costs, while silver producers enjoy about $60 of excess margin per ounce. These generational cash‑flow surpluses are reshaping valuation models and allowing mining equities to climb...
Imagining Iran Without Sanctions
The post argues that decades of foreign interference—first by Britain and the Soviet Union, then by the United States and Israel—have kept Iran under a sanctions‑driven siege despite its vast oil wealth. It highlights that 90% of Iran’s crude exits...
“Let Them Eat Cake”: Where Uranium Narratives Break Between Scarcity and Reality
Investor‑facing uranium coverage now leans on a familiar formula: structural supply deficit, reactor build‑out, energy‑security tailwinds and an inevitable "pinch point." The article argues that this narrative eclipses the hard question of which projects can actually obtain permits, financing and...
Opportunities In Gold Explorers And Developers – Part 3
The author resumes the third installment of a series spotlighting opportunities in junior gold explorers and developers. The piece promises to dissect volatile pre‑revenue gold equities, flagging upcoming company catalysts and overlooked value drivers. By revisiting these under‑appreciated assets, the...
Dorowa Minerals Nears Completion, Set to Restart Next Month
Zimbabwe’s sole phosphate producer, Dorowa Minerals, is slated to resume operations in May after refurbishment reached 95% completion. The mine is expected to output 100,000 tonnes of phosphate concentrate per year, enough to support roughly 300,000 tonnes of basal fertilizer,...
Why Zimbabwe Earns $400 Less Per Tonne of Lithium Than Australia — and the Bold Plan to Fix It
Zimbabwe’s lithium sector is losing $300‑$400 per tonne to Australian rivals because of under‑declared grades, undervalued shipments and transfer‑pricing that divert profits abroad. In February 2026 the Mines Minister imposed an outright ban on raw lithium concentrate exports, demanding verification...
G Mining Ventures Acquires G2 Goldfields for C$3 Billion
G Mining Ventures announced a C$3 billion (≈US$2.2 billion) acquisition of G2 Goldfields, a move that instantly lifted G2’s shares by 79%. The deal, structured as an all‑cash transaction, gives G Mining control of G2’s flagship gold assets, including the high‑grade Red...
Government Suspends Mining Operations at Bindura’s Botha Mine
The Zimbabwe Ministry of Mines has ordered an immediate suspension of all operations at Botha Mine and the adjacent area of Freda Rebecca Gold Mine’s Lease 21 in Bindura. The shutdown, issued under Sections 267, 300 and 301 of the 1990 Mining (Management and...
2026 Company Reports File
Daily Gold released a premium report on April 9, 2026, linking to two key stories. The first examines a healthy correction in gold prices, arguing the bull market may still be in its early stages. The second details G Mining...
Where Metals & Miners Stand Now
In mid‑March, heightened Iran tensions triggered a sharp sell‑off in gold and mining stocks, which many analysts deemed an overreaction. The dip pushed gold into deep oversold territory, prompting a swift rebound as the 200‑day moving average stayed intact. Technical...
Anthony Margarit of K2 Gold on the Profound Impacts of Mojave’s Positive Record of Decision
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management issued a positive Record of Decision approving K2 Gold’s proposed exploration drilling at the Mojave Project in Inyo County, California. The approval marks the project as one of the most de‑risked exploration efforts in...
The Most Asymmetric Tungsten Play
Tungsten has moved to the forefront of commodity talk after price spikes and tighter Chinese export controls, prompting Western governments to hunt for alternative sources. While Almonty Industries and EQ Resources dominate the public conversation, a lesser‑known small‑cap holds a...
Tocvan Expands Beyond the Main Zone with New Discovery and Pilot Mine Momentum
Tocvan Ventures reported a 1,600‑meter step‑out discovery at its Gran Pilar gold‑silver project, confirming district‑scale potential beyond the main zone. The company is launching a 20,000‑meter drill program with two rigs, including a newly added second rig, to test high‑priority...
How Northern Ontario Researchers Are Using Bacteria-Powered Tech to Extract Critical Minerals From Mine Waste – by Faith Greco (CBC...
Researchers at Laurentian University's MIRARCO Mining Innovation are scaling a bacteria‑driven bioleaching process in a 10,000‑square‑foot pilot plant in Sudbury, Ontario. The microbes break down legacy mine tailings to liberate nickel, cobalt and copper—key metals for electric‑vehicle batteries. While bioleaching...
RARE EARTHS: Rare Earths Funding Boom Could Cause Longer-Term ‘Glut’ – by Kip Keen (SP Global – April 9, 2026)
A surge of government and private capital is accelerating rare‑earth production outside China, creating a short‑term supply gap but setting the stage for potential oversupply by the 2030s. Analysts say demand growth and security concerns drive current shortages, while massive...
Indigenous Groups Push for Mine Ownership, Not Just Benefits (Canadian Mining Journal – April 9, 2026)
Indigenous communities across Canada are moving from traditional impact benefit agreements toward direct equity ownership in mining and energy projects. A new report by Thunder Bay‑based Waawoono Consultancy argues that equity partnerships generate greater wealth and project stability than fixed‑payment...
Chile Lithium Dispute Tied to Cold War-Era Nukes – by Tom Azzopardi (Mining.com – April 6, 2026)
France’s Eramet and Chile’s state miner ENAMI are taking their dispute over the Salares Altoandinos lithium deposit to court. The project, backed by a $3 billion partnership with Rio Tinto, could produce enough lithium for roughly 1.5 million electric vehicles each year. Eramet...
China’s Copper Import Slump Marks a Shift in Market Power – by Andy Home (Reuters – April 9, 2026)
A two‑week ceasefire in the Iran conflict eased some macro‑economic gloom, but copper prices remain elevated, with the LME three‑month contract peaking at $14,527.50 per metric ton in January. China, the world’s biggest copper consumer, cut its refined copper imports...
China’s Zijin Clears Canadian National Security Review Around Allied Gold Acquisition – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – April...
China’s Zijin Gold International has secured approval for its $5.5 billion takeover of Canadian miner Allied Gold after the 45‑day national‑security review window lapsed, effectively granting automatic clearance. The approval removes the last regulatory hurdle, allowing the deal to move toward...
Albemarle Lithium Refinery Closure Gives WA Government a Critical Minerals Reality Check – by Jacqueline Lynch (Australian Broadcasting Corporation –...
Albemarle has suspended operations at its Kemerton lithium refinery in Western Australia, ending four years of processing and cutting hundreds of jobs. The company blamed soaring operating costs and prolonged price volatility for the shutdown. The closure mirrors a broader...
Greenland Mines Advances Skaergaard as Critical Minerals Gain Strategic Urgency
Greenland Mines' President Bo Møller Stensgaard discussed the Skaergaard project, highlighting its shift from a gold‑palladium focus to include critical minerals such as vanadium, gallium, titanium and iron. The company is moving from underground to a large‑scale open‑pit mining plan,...
Fox Tungsten Advances the World’s Highest-Grade Tungsten Project with Fully Funded Drill Program
Fox Tungsten Ltd. says its British Columbia project hosts the world’s highest‑grade tungsten resource, averaging about 1% tungsten, comparable to 11 g/t gold. The company secured an $11 million bought‑deal financing and will launch a 20,000‑meter drill program to double historic drilling...
Tocvan Announces Addition of Second Drill Rig and Accelerates High-Priority Drill Targets at Flagship Gran Pilar Gold-Silver Project
Tocvan Ventures announced the mobilization of a second reverse‑circulation drill rig to its Gran Pilar gold‑silver project in Sonora, Mexico, on April 6, 2026. The additional rig will double the company’s monthly drilling capacity and accelerate its fully funded 20,000‑meter program,...
THE INCOMING COPPER SQUEEZE: The Middle East Reconstruction Shock + the Historic Demand Stack + the Declining Supply = the...
The recent conflict in Iran and broader Middle‑East unrest has triggered a massive reconstruction effort that will require between 5,000 and 15,000 metric tons of copper over the next decade. This demand adds to an already historic deficit driven by...
FireFox Gold Expands the East Zone to the Southwest with Ongoing Grid Drilling at the Mustajärvi Gold Project, Finland
FireFox Gold Corp announced results from seven new drill holes (25MJ016‑25MJ022) that extend the high‑grade East Zone at its 100%‑owned Mustajärvi Gold Project in Lapland, Finland. Notable intercepts include 5.0 m averaging 6.29 g/t Au (including 1 m at 24.9 g/t) and 13.0 m averaging...
INTEGRA LAUNCHES LARGEST DRILL PROGRAM IN ITS HISTORY: 50,000-METER EXPANDED PROGRAM TARGETING RESOURCE GROWTH, MINE LIFE EXTENSION AND ADVANCED ENGINEERING...
Integra Resources announced a 50,000‑meter drilling campaign across its Nevada and Idaho assets, the largest in the company’s history. The program includes 42,500 m at the cash‑flowing Florida Canyon Mine, 5,500 m at the Nevada North (Wildcat) project to support a pre‑feasibility...
Defining Time, Defining Strategy: Cesium’s Quiet Rise in the Critical Minerals Economy
Cesium, the element that defines the international second, underpins GPS, telecoms, finance and military navigation. At a Critical Minerals Institute masterclass, Grid Metals CEO Robin Dunbar highlighted the company’s Lucy South pegmatite in Manitoba, a near‑surface, flat‑lying pollucite deposit that...
Doug Sheridan: Coal Is Far From Dead
Rising natural‑gas prices triggered by the Iran‑Israel conflict are prompting Asian and European nations to revive coal‑fired power. Thailand has restarted plants, while Japan, South Korea and Italy have lifted caps or delayed coal phase‑outs, with Germany’s coal output now...
