Canadian Farmers Pinched by Iran War as Cost of Key Fertilizer Ingredient Climbs – by Darius Snieckus (National Observer –...
Canadian farmers face looming fertilizer shortages as the U.S.-Iran war chokes the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for phosphate and sulphur shipments. Canada imports over 2.6 million tonnes of phosphate annually, with roughly 80% coming via the United States, which itself sources most of its raw material from North Africa. The blockade threatens half of the world’s sulphur supply used in phosphate processing, potentially driving up fertilizer prices and tightening supply for Canadian agriculture. Arianne Phosphate’s planned Lac à Paul igneous project could offer a domestic alternative if realized.
New Brunswick Seeks Antimony Mine Partners – by Joseph Quesnel (Canadian Mining Journal – March 26, 2026)
The New Brunswick government issued a March 24 call for private partners to explore the historic Lake George antimony mine, located 30 km southwest of Fredericton. The site contains known antimony deposits and prospective tungsten and molybdenum resources. Officials cite growing global demand...
South Korea Shifts From Aid to Minerals in Africa – by Liam Cowan (East Asia Forum – March 26, 2026)
South Korea’s new president Lee Jae‑myung slashed official development assistance by 24 % in the 2025 budget, abandoning former President Yoon Suk‑yeol’s pledge to double aid to Africa by 2030. The policy shift reflects a strategic pivot toward securing African minerals...
Billionaire Robert Friedland’s Ivanhoe Ships First Copper Through Lobito Corridor – by Mfonobong Nsehe (Billionaires Africa – March 24, 2026)
Ivanhoe Mines shipped its first batch of low‑carbon copper anodes from the Kamoa Kakula complex in the DRC through Angola’s Lobito Corridor to the Atlantic port of Lobito, where Germany’s Aurubis AG will refine them. The anodes are 99.7% pure and among...
Gold Demand Just Broke a Record. Supply Can’t Keep Up
A Reuters poll predicts gold will set another record in 2026 as central banks, 95% of those surveyed, plan to increase holdings to historic levels. U.S. demand surged 140% in 2025 to 679 tonnes, while ETF inflows added 437 tonnes,...
THE ROBOT REVOLUTION IS HERE: Why the Robotics and A.I. Booms and Ensuing Historic Metals Demand Will Trigger the Greatest...
Humanoid robot maker Unipath is already deploying kitchen‑grade robots in Chinese homes, marking the first large‑scale consumer rollout of AI‑driven robotics. The article warns that within the next two to three years billions of such machines will be built, creating...
New Report Finds The Metals Company Own Analysis Shows Project “Cannot Be Profitable”
An independent review of The Metals Company’s pre‑feasibility study finds the deep‑sea mining project would generate zero profit and exhaust its mineral reserves in roughly eight years. The analysis highlights that the model relies on overly optimistic metal prices, no...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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 Buying Prices in Zimbabwe per Gram/ Ounce, 25 March 2026
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) published its Zimbabwean gold buying rates on 25 March 2026, listing prices per gram and per ounce for several purity grades. The top tier (SG 90% and above) commands $134.03 per gram ($4,168.80 per ounce), while the fire‑assay cash price...
Why IRMA Prioritizes Government Engagement and Robust Legal Frameworks
IRMA stresses that governments must set and enforce mining laws, embedding this principle in its Responsible Mining Standard. The Standard requires operators to meet all host‑country legal requirements and then exceed them with best‑practice measures. IRMA reinforces its legal focus...
Rick Rule on Goliath: “A Really, Really Interesting Target”
Rick Rule, the veteran mining investor, told Rule Investment Media that Goliath Resources is a "really, really interesting target." The comment came during a brief interview and highlighted Goliath’s copper‑gold exploration assets in Nevada. Although the interview provided few specifics,...
InvestorTalk Alert: Brett Marsh From Spartan Metals Corp. To Host on Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Spartan Metals Corp. will host an InvestorTalk with CEO Brett Marsh on March 25, 2026. The company announced it has secured an option to earn 100 % of the Victorio Tungsten‑Molybdenum Project, the largest historic tungsten resource in the United States. The deal...
Homerun Resources Inc. Announces Binding Distribution Agreement with Cristal Sand Group, Securing First Commercial Sales of High-Purity Industrial Silica Sand...
Homerun Resources Inc. has signed a binding 12‑month exclusive sales distribution contract with Cristal Sand Group for high‑purity industrial silica sand from the Santa Maria Eterna district in Bahia, Brazil. The agreement secures the company’s first commercial volumes, with a...
Beyond the Slump: Why the 2026 EV Slowdown Could Favour Zimbabwe’s Lithium Strategy
Global passenger EV sales slipped 6% year‑on‑year in January 2026, with battery deployments plunging 42% month‑on‑month. Despite the volume decline, average battery capacity rose 8%, pushing lithium intensity up to 21.4 kg per pack. Zimbabwe’s new ban on raw lithium concentrate...
Sheepmeat Export Update February 2026
Australian sheepmeat exports slipped 10% year‑on‑year in February to 46,890 tonnes, yet remained 12% above the five‑year February average. China stayed the top buyer with 9,325 tonnes, but its shipments fell 26% YoY, while the United States imported 8,079 tonnes, down 16% YoY...
The $826 Billion Shift: Why Metal ETFs Are Reshaping — and Distorting — the Future of Supply
Metal and mining exchange‑traded funds now control roughly $826 billion, with 84% allocated to physical metal ETFs—gold alone accounts for about $577 billion. By contrast, funds that own mining equities represent just over 12% of assets, leaving critical‑mineral ETFs at a modest...
InvestorTalk Alert: Kevin Keough From Oreterra Metals Corp. To Host on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9:00 AM EST
Oreterra Metals Corp. will host an InvestorTalk on March 24, 2026, featuring CEO Kevin Keough. The company recently closed a $9.7 million (≈ $7.2 million USD) oversubscribed private placement, fully funding a two‑phase, ~10,000‑metre drill program at its flagship Trek South copper‑gold prospect in British...
Excelsior: Metals Market Mash-Up – Navigating The Turbulent Seas
The metals sector has been rattled by sharp price swings throughout 2026, leaving investors uncertain. In this context, junior miner Silver Viper announced an 11.70‑million‑ounce resource estimate featuring high‑grade intersections of 9.18 g/t gold and 352 g/t silver. The company is simultaneously...
Spotlight: “She’ll Be ‘Right, Mate” – Can Your Robot Pass the Turing Test?
Ben Miller argues that autonomous earth‑moving equipment should be judged by a mining‑industry version of the Turing Test – can seasoned operators tell a machine from a human driver? He notes that even the most mature autonomous haulage systems from...
How Caledonia Mining Slashed Diesel Reliance to 2% Amid Global Fuel Volatility
Caledonia Mining Corporation has cut diesel use for power generation to just 2% of its electricity mix in 2025, down from 8% in 2020. Solar installations now provide roughly 20% of the Blanket Mine’s power, while the remainder comes from...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Wired for Conflict
Panda Perspectives releases a comprehensive 2026 update on aluminium and copper, noting copper’s intraday peak of $14,527 per tonne and a current level near $12,250, while aluminium has risen 34% YTD to $3,342 per tonne. The rally is driven by...
The Forest Service’s Proposed Rule on Locatable Minerals: Clearer Thresholds, Streamlined Review—What It Means for Idaho and the West
On Feb. 20, 2026 the U.S. Forest Service released a proposed rule that replaces the 1974 subjective “significant disturbance” test with objective, acreage‑based thresholds for locatable‑mineral activities on National Forest lands. The rule creates a new Operating Notice track for...
‘Critical Minerals Corridor’ Seen Linking Mines, Markets – by Frederic Tomesco (Northern Miner – March 20, 2026)
Canadian developer BMI Group has assembled five former industrial sites in Ontario and Quebec into a “Critical Minerals Corridor” aimed at bolstering the North American battery supply chain. The repurposed pulp and paper mills now serve as deployment‑ready hubs equipped...
As the Price of Lithium Tripled, so Did This Billionaire’s Wealth – by Hannah Tattersall (Australian Financial Review – March...
Australian‑born entrepreneur Nick Wakim saw his wealth triple to nearly US$3 billion as lithium prices surged three‑fold, propelling Phoenix Lithium to a US$5.5 billion valuation. The rapid price increase lifted Wakim 80 places on the 2026 Rich List. Despite analysts warning of...
"I LOVE HATE": Rick Rule's Playbook and the Case for Gold Miners at the Rock-Bottom Sentiment of 3%!
Gold miners’ Bullish Percent Index plunged to a near‑record 3.7, signaling extreme bearish sentiment. Despite the panic, gold prices hover around $4,500 per ounce and geopolitical tensions remain high. The Federal Reserve has completed its aggressive tightening cycle, removing a...
Scottie Resources– Final 2025 Drill Results, Planning A Fully-Funded 50,000 Metre 2026 Drill Program
Scottie Resources Corp. released the final results of its 2025 drill campaign at the Blueberry Contact Zone, part of the Scottie Gold Mine Project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle. The company announced a fully‑funded 50,000‑metre drill program for 2026, aimed...
Fork Deposit Could Become Next Mining Front at Red Lake’s Madsen Mine – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business –...
West Red Lake Gold Mines is initiating early design work for the Fork deposit, an untapped high‑grade gold zone near its Madsen underground mine in Red Lake. Recent infill drilling released encouraging grades and vein continuity, prompting the engineering team to...
Australian Mining Billionaire Sues Canada for $2 Billion – by Andrew Nikiforuk (The Tyee – March 20, 2026)
Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s Northback Holdings has filed a $2 billion claim against the Canadian government under the CPTPP’s investor‑state dispute settlement mechanism. The claim arises from Canada’s refusal to approve the Grassy Mountain metallurgical‑coal project, which Rinehart says violates...
Gold Buying Prices in Zimbabwe per Gram/ Ounce, 20 March 2026
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) released its official gold buying rates for Zimbabwe on March 20 2026. The list prices range from $134.20 per gram for small samples (5‑9 g) up to $141.66 per gram for fire‑assay cash transactions on gold above 100 g. SG‑90 %+...
NGM Saga Continues; Enter Stage Left: The Royalty Nobody Talked About
Fourmile, a high‑grade, long‑life gold discovery in Nevada’s Carlin belt, has become a cornerstone of Barrick’s planned North American spin‑out. The find sits on premium infrastructure and promises substantial ounces, but Teck holds a 10‑15% net‑profits royalty on a significant...
Bob Moriarty: “End of the American Empire” Will Drive Gold and Silver Higher
Bob Moriarty, founder of 321Gold, warned that a perceived “end of the American empire” could trigger a historic market shift. He cites escalating geopolitical tensions, energy‑price shocks and mounting financial strain as catalysts eroding confidence in fiat systems. In his interview...
Marcy Kiesman Highlights Quantum Critical Metals’ Babine South Silver and Mica-Based Gallium Extraction at PDAC 2026
Quantum Critical Metals highlighted its Babine South project at PDAC 2026, noting historic silver production dating back to the 1920s. Recent 2025 surface sampling returned silver grades from 10.9 ppm to 1,150 ppm, with independent re‑assays confirming up to 308 oz/t, alongside notable zinc...
Zim Government Urged to Support Women Miners in Makaha
Over 30 women’s mining syndicates in Makaha have been allocated blocks but remain non‑productive, prompting Senator Appolinia Munzverengwi to demand technical assistance from the Ministry of Mines. The government has announced a plan to establish mining offices in every district...
Zimbabwe’s New Energy Laws Set to Transform Mining Power Supply
Zimbabwe’s cabinet approved a comprehensive energy governance framework that formalises captive power generation for mines through the Own‑Consumption Licensing Regulations 2026. The rules give legal certainty, set quality standards for solar installations, and require large consumers to monitor and report...
Gold Falls to Monthly Low as Inflation Pressures and Policy Uncertainty Rattle Investors
Gold fell below the $5,000‑per‑ounce threshold, reaching $4,836, its lowest level since mid‑February, as inflation worries dampened expectations of U.S. rate cuts. Spot gold slipped 3 % while silver also dropped about 3 %, reflecting broader risk aversion. Rising energy costs tied...
John Slaven of MineSense on Turning Every Shovel Into a Data Engine
At PDAC 2026, MineSense CEO John Slaven unveiled a sensor system that mounts on mining shovels to deliver instant copper grade readings as material is loaded onto trucks. The real‑time ore intelligence lets operators immediately route ore to the mill or...
Guardian Metal Resources (GMTL) IPO Deck
Guardian Metal Resources (GMTL) filed an IPO deck outlining its strategy to explore and develop tungsten and polymetallic critical‑mineral projects in Nevada. The company positions tungsten as essential to U.S. national and economic security, leveraging recent policy focus on domestic...
Strait of Hormuz Is Chokepoint for Sulphuric Acid and Critical Metal Processing
The Strait of Hormuz channels about 50% of the world’s sulphur, a key feedstock for sulphuric acid used in nickel, copper and cobalt processing. Indonesia, which produces over half of global nickel, imports roughly 75% of its sulphur from the...
Early Ventilation Planning Key to Cost Avoidance Mining – Dr Chikande
The Mine Ventilation Society of Zimbabwe warns that treating ventilation as an afterthought is costing miners millions in retrofits, production downtime, and safety incidents. Early Life‑of‑Mine ventilation planning embeds airflow requirements into design, aligning capital investment with production growth. Dr Tonderai...
Mapinga Mine to Energy Park Project Stalls as Investor Backs Out
Zimbabwe’s $13 billion Mapinga Mine‑to‑Energy Industrial Park has collapsed after the sole investor pulled out, citing reduced land allocation and insufficient financial capacity. The government cut the requested 5,000‑hectare parcel to 500 hectares, a move that, combined with existing farmer and...
Zimbabwe Targets End of 2026 for Mzarabani Oil Project Finalisation
Zimbabwe’s government announced it will finalize the Petroleum Production Sharing Agreement with Australian explorer Invictus Energy by the end of 2026, extending earlier timelines. The PPSA is the legal cornerstone that will allow Invictus to move its Cabora Bassa project...
