Ottawa’s Critical Minerals Push Will only Be as Successful as the Infrastructure Behind It
Canada’s government aims to boost its critical mineral output to as much as 14% of global supply by 2040, up from the current 2% share. To achieve this, Ottawa has launched the First and Last Mile Fund, committing up to $1.5 billion through 2030 for mining and related infrastructure. The article highlights fast‑tracked projects like the Red Chris expansion and McIlvenna Bay, emphasizing the need for new transmission lines, rail capacity, and port upgrades such as the Port of Churchill. Without coordinated trade‑enabling infrastructure, exploration investment remains flat and the strategy risks falling short.
‘The Water Is No Longer Our Friend’: How Dredging Is Pushing Lagos Lagoon Towards Ecosystem Collapse – Photo Essay
Sand dredging in Lagos Lagoon has carved out deep channels, eroding the seabed by nearly 6 metres over a 5 km stretch. The unregulated extraction, driven by a construction boom, has turned the water turbid, destroyed fish breeding grounds and pushed local...
Shielding Performance: Hydraulic Protection in Mining
Mining equipment operates in dust, moisture and abrasive conditions that quickly degrade hydraulic cylinders, rods and seals. Without protection, a mid‑size excavator cylinder can cost $5,000‑$15,000 to reseal or replace, and downtime adds further expense. Fluid Control Services’ Seal Saver...
PolarX Expands High-Grade Copper in Alaska
PolarX Ltd. reported a series of high‑grade copper intercepts at its Caribou Dome deposit in Alaska, including a 2.5‑metre zone grading 10.82% copper. The 2025 drilling program added over 2,100 m of holes that extended mineralization to deeper levels and confirmed...
Metallium Completes Phase I SBIR Contract Within Six Months
Metallium Ltd’s Texas subsidiary, Flash Metals USA, finished Phase I of a Department of Defense SBIR contract in six months, half the usual timeframe. The program demonstrated the company’s Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology can extract gallium and other strategic metals...
France Leads 15-Country Effort to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
France is heading a coalition of about fifteen countries to restart commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after a U.S.-Iran cease‑fire was announced. The strait moves roughly one‑fifth of global oil, about five million barrels daily, making its reopening...
Time Slipping Away to Develop One of Norway’s Largest Untapped Gas Discoveries
Norway’s Offshore Directorate (NOD) has commissioned Terra Stream Energy to study the Gro discovery, one of the largest undeveloped gas finds on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The well, first drilled by Shell in 2009, is estimated to contain about 52 billion...
Titanium Emerges as a Vanadium Alternative for Redox Flow Batteries
A Japanese‑Chinese research team unveiled a titanium molten‑salt redox‑flow battery (TMSRB) that uses abundant Ti ions and high‑conductivity molten salts for grid‑scale energy storage. The prototype delivers over 97% coulombic efficiency, stable cycling at 300‑450 °C, and a theoretical cell voltage...
Ultrasonic Wind Sensor Shows Strong Promise for Deep Mine Ventilation
A portable ultrasonic wind sensor with a reflective transducer layout was tested in a Chinese coal mine, showing dramatically higher accuracy than traditional mechanical anemometers. Laboratory wind‑tunnel trials (0.5‑5 m/s) and field validation at Gaojialiang Mine reduced average measurement error by...
Oil & Gas Duo Join Forces to Find Rig for Drilling Campaigns in Southeast Asia
SundaGas Banda Unipessoal, a subsidiary of UK‑listed Sunda Energy, has signed a letter of intent with Finder Energy’s Timor‑Leste arm to jointly secure a semi‑submersible drilling rig for offshore campaigns. The collaboration targets the Chuditch‑2 appraisal well and three development...
Richmond Hill to Acquire Bartlett Mining Claims
Richmond Hill Resources has signed a conditional agreement to acquire the Bartlett mining claims in Ontario, adjacent to its Martello Gold Project. The acquisition covers 29 claims spanning roughly 871.5 hectares in the Kawashegamuk Lake and Tabor Lake areas. Richmond...
St George Signs MoU with Técnicas Reunidas for Araxá Rare Earths
St George Mining of Australia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spain’s Técnicas Reunidas to test rare‑earth processing on samples from Brazil’s Araxá deposit, the largest hard‑rock REE resource in South America. The MoU will deploy Técnicas Reunidas’ RARETECH technology to produce...
Resources Top 5: Antimony Hopeful Resolution Surges 75pc on US Fast-Track Inclusion
Resolution Minerals saw its shares surge about 72% after its Antimony Ridge project in Idaho was selected for the U.S. government’s FAST‑41 Permitting Transparency Program. The FAST‑41 designation fast‑tracks permitting for projects deemed critical to national security, positioning Antimony Ridge...
Osmond Targets First Rare Earths Production in EU
Osmond Resources is accelerating its Orión EU critical minerals project in Andalucía, Spain, aiming to become the European Union’s first producer of rare earths, titanium, zirconium and hafnium. The company has defined 2 million‑tonne‑per‑year processing modules and expanded its drilling program...
Perenti’s Barminco Wins A$180 Million Contract Extension at Regis Resources’ Duketon Operations
Perenti’s Barminco unit secured a contract extension with Regis Resources worth about A$180 million ($127 million). The agreement prolongs underground mining services at the Duketon Operations in Western Australia until at least March 30 2029. The extension builds on a three‑year alliance launched in...
AngloGold Ashanti Begins Operating Normet SmartDrive Battery Electric Concrete Mixer at Cuiabá Gold Mine
AngloGold Ashanti has started using the Normet SmartDrive battery‑electric Utimec LF 600 Transmixer SD, the first electric concrete mixer operating underground in Brazil. The 5.6 m³ mixer runs on Li‑ion batteries, offers fast CCS charging and energy‑recuperation, and eliminates diesel exhaust in...
Zenith Targets High-Grade WA Gold Uplift with New Drilling Blitz
Zenith Minerals has launched a 1,350‑metre reverse‑circulation drilling campaign at its Consolidated Dulcie gold project in Western Australia, aiming to boost the recently defined inferred resource of 21.3 Mt at 1.0 g/t (675,000 oz). The eight‑hole program targets high‑grade extensions at Dulcie South...
Weir Upgrades Eastern Cape Heavy Bay Foundry to Meet Global Demand
Weir is dramatically expanding its Heavy Bay Foundry in Gqeberha, doubling capacity to 600 tonnes of heavy castings over 500 kg and targeting 1,000 tonnes as upgrades continue. The project adds 4‑tonne and 6‑tonne induction furnaces, new heat‑treatment lines, automated grinding and painting...
Orica Launches Next-Gen Groundprobe Geohazard Monitoring Platform
Orica has unveiled the next‑generation Groundprobe SSR‑XT, a geotechnical monitoring platform rebuilt from the ground up. The redesign focuses on operational continuity, with an updated engine‑mounting system that isolates vibrations and cuts noise. Enhanced sensor suites deliver real‑time geohazard data,...
Orica Digital Solutions Launches Next-Generation GroundProbe Solution for Safer, Faster Geotech Monitoring
Orica Digital Solutions has unveiled a next‑generation GroundProbe geotechnical monitoring suite aimed at improving safety and decision speed in mining operations. The offering combines three hardware models—SSR‑XT, SSR‑FX and SSR‑Omni—with the new MonitorIQ® Next software platform for streamlined, low‑touch deployment....
The Commodities Feed: Oil Slumps Below $100 After US, Iran Agree to Two-Week Ceasefire
Oil prices slipped below $100 per barrel after the United States and Iran announced a two‑week ceasefire, easing fears of prolonged supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent settled around $94/bbl and WTI near $96/bbl, marking the steepest decline...
Macarthur Lands Mining Heavyweight to Cornerstone WA Iron Ore Dreams
Macarthur Minerals announced that mining services veteran Steve Wyatt, through his Destec Holdings, has become a cornerstone shareholder after a $1.25 million capital raise. The funds will be used to keep the company’s tenements in good standing and provide working capital...
Fortescue Adds Another Electric Excavator, Says It Is Saving a Million Litres of Diesel per Unit
Fortescue Metals Group has deployed its 15th electric excavator in the Pilbara, claiming each unit saves about one million litres of diesel per year. The company now reports moving 100 million tonnes of ore with electric equipment and plans to install...
Alaska Placer Mining 101 Guidebook Debuts
The Placer Mining Resource Network (PMRN) launched the Alaska Placer Mining 101 Guidebook, a 72‑page resource aimed at helping placer gold miners navigate planning, design, and permitting in Alaska. Developed with input from miners and industry groups, the guide covers...
Resolution Minerals Advances US Critical Minerals Strategy with Antimony Ridge FAST-41 Designation
Resolution Minerals’ Antimony Ridge project in Idaho has been selected for the U.S. government’s FAST‑41 program, a fast‑track framework that accelerates permitting and federal oversight. The designation clears the way for bulk sampling and a 250‑hole, 13,700‑metre drilling campaign to...
Barminco Extends Its Stay at Duketon
Barminco has secured a 12‑month extension to its underground mining contract at Regis Resources' Duketon operation in Western Australia. The extension, announced in April 2024, is projected to add roughly AUD 180 million – about USD 118 million – to Barminco’s revenue. The deal...
Recycled Steel Prices Stay Afloat Amidst Latest Storm
U.S. steel mills increased output in early April, lifting raw‑steel production by 8.2% year‑over‑year to 1.83 million tons and pushing capacity utilization to 79.1%. Despite higher domestic supply, recycled‑steel prices remained flat in March, with benchmark grades holding gains made over...
G50 Corp Validates Golconda Gallium Metallurgy as Potential US Critical Mineral Supply Source
G50 Corp announced that metallurgical testing on its Golconda project in Arizona successfully concentrated gallium up to 70% and silver up to 97% using low‑cost screening and flotation methods. The same processes yielded a gold‑silver concentrate grading as high as...
Hot Chili Drilling Campaign Extends High-Grade Core at La Verde Copper-Gold Project
Hot Chili (ASX:HCH) announced a major down‑dip extension of the high‑grade core at its La Verde copper‑gold project in Chile, adding roughly 200 m of mineralisation. Drill hole DKD039 intersected 62 m at 1.03% copper equivalent (CuEq) within a broader 725 m zone...
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan Strengthen Collaboration on Critical Minerals
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan launched a joint working group in Astana to coordinate prospecting, technology exchange, and extraction of critical minerals and rare earths. Both governments pledged to attract foreign investment and streamline cooperation. The initiative aligns with a U.S. push,...
Pacific Islands Resist Trump’s Push to Mine Their Ocean
The Trump administration has accelerated a federal push to lease U.S. Pacific territories for deep‑sea mining of critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese. The Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and American Samoa face proposals that could disturb seamount...
The Global Energy Supply in a Decade ‘Is Not a World We’re Going to Recognize’
A panel of energy experts warned that the United States’ war on Iran could cripple the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil conduit, and reshape global energy consumption patterns. Their new report, Global Energy Outlook 2026, argues that the world has...
Qld Premier Says Federal Government Should Fast-Track Oil Projects
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli urged the federal government to fast‑track approvals for oil projects in the Taroom Trough, a 750‑square‑kilometre exploration area in central Queensland. He argues the development is essential for national fuel security and could shave years off...
Massive Increase in Oil Transport Through Danish Waters
Geopolitical shifts have driven a dramatic surge in oil shipments through Danish waters, with nearly five million barrels passing daily. In the first half of 2025, the Great Belt and the Sound moved as much oil as the Suez Canal,...
US Senators Investigate $370 Million IRS Payout to Cheniere Energy
Seven Democratic senators have opened a Senate inquiry into a $370 million alternative‑fuel tax credit paid by the IRS to Cheniere Energy. The credit, originally designed for motor vehicles and small motorboats, was applied to LNG‑fuelled export tankers that are typically...
‘Spectacular’ Widths and High Grades Propel St George as Next Niobium Producer
St George Mining reported spectacular drill results from its Araxá project in Brazil, including a 178.7 m interval from surface grading 4.34% total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 0.75% niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), with ultra‑high assays up to 28% TREO and 6.5%...
War-Driven Supply Squeeze Could Boost US Resins Exports in 2026
U.S. resin exporters are poised for another strong year in 2026 as the war in the Middle East tightens global feedstock supplies. Damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG plant and the shutdown of Iran’s South Pars gas field have curtailed ethane and...
Ghana Picks E&P to Run Damang Gold Mine
Ghana’s Minerals Commission has awarded the Damang gold mine to local services firm Engineers & Planners Ltd (E&P) after a competitive tender. The decision follows the government’s refusal to extend Gold Fields’ lease, opening a potential $1 billion asset revival. E&P...
ASX Copper Players Step Into Action as Supply Shortage Looms
Copper prices surged to a record US$14,500 per tonne in January before easing below US$13,000, reflecting both short‑term disruptions and a long‑term supply deficit. The International Energy Agency warns of a 30% global copper shortfall by 2035 as ore grades...
Indigenous Leaders Say, ‘Secure Forest Financing with Us, Not for Us’ (Commentary)
Indigenous, Afro‑descendant, and traditional forest leaders warn that expanding jurisdictional REDD+ programs must be built with, not for, their communities. They cite Brazil, Costa Rica, and Ecuador examples where meaningful participation and clear benefit‑sharing frameworks improved trust and credibility. The...
Barrick to Slow Development at Reko Diq
Barrick Mining announced it will slow development of its Reko Diq copper‑gold project in Pakistan, extending the review period to mid‑2027. The pause follows preliminary findings and heightened security incidents in Balochistan, a region bordering Afghanistan and Iran. While capital spending...
PDAC Video: FPX Starts Baptiste Review, Eyes 2028 Study
FPX Nickel has launched the environmental assessment for its Baptiste project in central British Columbia while evaluating market routes for an awaruite product that can serve stainless‑steel mills and electric‑vehicle batteries. The company plans to issue a detailed project description...
The Iran War Is Disrupting More Than Oil. Here’s What Could Get Expensive Next
The Iran‑Israel conflict is rippling through global commodity markets, pushing aluminum, helium, fertilizer, sulfur and plastics into shortage zones. Since February, aluminum has risen about 12% to $3,411 per metric ton after attacks on Middle‑East smelters, while helium supplies are...
Russia’s Scrap Sector Grapples with Export Ban Concerns, Demand Changes
Russia’s scrap metal industry is embroiled in a debate over a proposed export ban, with officials warning it could curb competition and lift domestic prices. At the same time, leading steel producers such as Magnitogorsk and Severstal are sharply reducing...
EIA: Brent Crude to Reach $115/Bbl in Second-Quarter 2026
The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects Brent crude will climb to about $115 per barrel in the second quarter of 2026, up from a March average of $103. The rise reflects a sharp tightening in supply as Gulf producers curtail...
Epiroc’s New-Generation PowerROC T25 MKII Drill Rig Streamlines Control on Quarries
Epiroc has launched the PowerROC T25 MKII, a new‑generation surface drill rig aimed at quarry and aggregate producers. The rig features a Volvo 129 kW diesel engine available in Tier 3 and Tier 4 Final/Stage V configurations, and a next‑generation PowerROC control system that...
Federal Court Upholds Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium Mine Permit, Clearing Path to Construction
A federal judge in Nevada upheld the Bureau of Land Management’s permit for ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium‑Boron Project, rejecting a lawsuit that claimed the mine would endanger the rare Tiehm’s buckwheat. The ruling found the agencies complied with the Endangered...
Eskom Granted Two More Days to Land High Stakes Power Deal
Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture has agreed to extend Eskom’s deadline for a new five‑year power tariff to 9 April 2026, marking the fifth postponement of the deal. The proposed tariff of 62 cents per kilowatt‑hour, a steep discount from an earlier 87 cents, is intended...
Recovering the Cost of Battery-Electric Vehicles: Volvo
Volvo’s latest analysis addresses the primary concern of miners shifting to battery‑electric equipment: how quickly the higher upfront price can be recouped. The company highlights that while electric excavators such as the EC230 carry a premium, savings in diesel fuel,...
Pilot Crushtec Targets European Growth at Hillhead with Stage V TwisterTrac
Pilot Crushtec will showcase its new TwisterTrac VS350E Stage V mobile crusher at the Hillhead exhibition in the UK from June 23-25, 2026. The machine complies with the EU’s stringent Stage V emissions rules and features a dual‑power system that...
