Is This a New Era for Platinum? Its Miners Think So
Platinum prices have surged to about $2,800 an ounce, roughly double 2023 levels, driven by renewed automotive demand for hybrids and internal‑combustion engines and new uses such as ruthenium in data centres. South Africa, which supplies 70% of global platinum, sees miners shifting from capex to dividend payouts, with Implats and Valterra issuing special dividends worth roughly $279 m and $263 m respectively. Analysts forecast the 3E basket could double by 2027, keeping platinum near $3,000 per ounce, while supply growth remains limited. Geopolitical tensions and a slowdown in BEV adoption pose risks but the medium‑term outlook stays bullish.
Local Private Firm to Deliver SURF EPCI for Indonesian Gas Project
West Natuna Exploration Limited, a Conrad Asia Energy subsidiary, awarded Indonesian contractor Timas Suplindo an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract for the subsea umbilical, flowline and riser (SURF) scope of the Mako gas project in the Natuna Sea....
Silver Storm Mobilises Contractors at La Parrilla Mine
Silver Storm Mining announced that it has mobilised Mexican contractors MINPRO and Constructora Mexgeo to begin underground development at its fully owned La Parrilla silver mine in Durango, Mexico. The mobilisation effort is slated for completion by May 2026, paving the way...
American Pacific Unveils Assay Results From Madison Project
American Pacific Mining released underground assay results from its Madison Copper‑Gold Project in Montana, revealing copper concentrations as high as 25%, gold up to 3.19 g/t and silver up to 27.2 g/t. The sampling covered a newly identified breccia pipe and the...
EU Russian Arctic LNG Imports Hit $4.4bn Record Despite Sanctions Measures
EU imports of Russian Arctic Yamal LNG surged to a record 6.69 million metric tonnes in the first four months of 2026, a 17.2% increase from a year earlier. At current Dutch TTF prices, European buyers paid roughly $4.4 billion for the...
Loadquip Salt Harvester for Mardie
Loadquip, an Australian OEM, has delivered a 1,500‑tonne‑per‑hour salt harvester to BCI Mineral for its Mardie operation on the Pilbara coast. The machine moves across salt ponds, scoops bulk salt and directly loads it onto trailers, automating a task traditionally...
Loadquip Salt Harvester for Mardie
Loadquip, a Queensland OEM, has engineered a 1,500‑tonne‑per‑hour salt harvester for BCI Mineral’s Mardie operation on the Pilbara coast. The mobile system traverses evaporation ponds, scoops salt, and directly loads it onto trailers, streamlining the logistics chain. Designed for continuous...
Altitude Pinpoints Three Priority Copper-Gold Targets at Byrock Ahead of Drilling
Altitude Minerals announced three priority copper‑gold porphyry targets at its Byrock project in New South Wales, identified through new gravity, passive seismic, 2025 magnetics and alteration studies. The company has secured drill permits and an RC rig, with drilling slated...
US LNG Exports Burning Bright
The United States has emerged as the de facto leading LNG exporter after recent attacks crippled Middle‑East liquefaction capacity, said Jeff Wilson of Howden at the Marine Insurance Greece conference. U.S. liquefaction capacity has risen from virtually zero in 2012 to...
How Electrification Is Driving Copper Demand>
Electrification is turning copper into a cornerstone of the global energy transition, boosting demand across electric vehicles, renewable power, and data centers. Grid expansion and infrastructure upgrades embed copper in capital‑intensive projects, tying its consumption to long‑term capex cycles rather...
Earl Grey Environmental Approval Brewing
Covalent Lithium has submitted an expansion proposal for its Earl Grey lithium project in Western Australia, prompting the EPA to release a report to the state environment minister. The agency has opened a three‑week public appeal period for stakeholders to...
Zodiac Targets Ammonia Shipping with Hanwha Deal
London‑based Zodiac Maritime, controlled by Eyal Ofer, has placed an order for three very large ammonia carriers (VLACs) with South Korean builder Hanwha Ocean, with options for two additional ships. The contract, valued at roughly $575 million overall and $345 million for...
Fastmarkets Proposes to Raise Frequency of Normalization Coefficient for Daily Iron Ore Indices: Pricing Notice
Fastmarkets has proposed moving the normalization coefficient for its Iron ore 61% Fe fines and 62% Fe fines CFR Qingdao indices from a monthly to a daily update cycle. The change is intended to better mirror rapid intra‑month price movements...
US and South Africa Hold Talks on Mining Deals After Year of Tensions
U.S. officials and South African mineral authorities met in Washington to revive mining partnerships after a year of diplomatic friction. The talks focused on joint ventures in platinum‑group metals, lithium and copper, with U.S. firms such as Freeport‑McMoRan and Newmont...
Woodsmith Activity Continues to Ramp Back up as Fluor Awarded Feasibility Study Services Contract
Fluor Corporation has been selected to conduct the feasibility study for Anglo American’s Woodsmith polyhalite mining project in North Yorkshire. The underground mine will extract up to 13 million tonnes of low‑carbon fertilizer per year and transport it via a 37‑km...
Monsters of Rock: Albemarle Rides Lithium Turnaround to Print Cash in March Quarter
Albemarle posted a 670% year‑over‑year profit surge in the March quarter, propelled by a dramatic rebound in lithium prices and higher production volumes. Spodumene prices have risen above $2,750 per tonne, with UBS forecasting a peak of $4,250 per tonne...
Govt Says 101 Mineral Blocks Started Operations Since Auction Regime Began in 2015
The Ministry of Mines reported that 101 mineral blocks have been operational since India introduced the auction regime in 2015. The figure reflects coordinated efforts between the centre and states to fast‑track statutory clearances and production start‑ups. Odisha leads with...
Lula Urges US Firms to Invest in Brazil’s Rare Earths
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula publicly urged U.S. companies to invest in Brazil’s nascent rare‑earth sector after a recent meeting with former President Donald Trump. Lula highlighted Brazil’s estimated 20 percent share of global rare‑earth reserves and the country’s ambition to become a...
BW Offshore Secures Firmer Timeline for UK North Sea FPSO
BW Offshore has renegotiated the contract for its UK North Sea FPSO, BW Catcher, replacing the previous extension clauses with a fixed term that runs to December 31, 2030, plus or minus six months. The amendment, effective retroactively from February 1, 2026, adds roughly $490 million...
West Coast Outlines Pathway to Potential Near-Term Development at Elizabeth Hill Following Maiden Silver MRE
West Coast Silver (ASX:WCE) announced a development roadmap for its Elizabeth Hill silver project in Western Australia after releasing a maiden resource estimate of 2.8 Moz contained silver (141,000 t at 617 g/t). The plan focuses on rapid de‑risking, low‑capital open‑pit mining and...
Asara Resources Raises $60m to Fast-Track Kada Gold Project Exploration
Asara Resources secured a $60 million institutional placement to accelerate exploration at its flagship Kada Gold Project in Guinea. The funding, issued at $0.125 per share in two tranches, will support resource extension, infill drilling and broader regional programs, with $50 million...
Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc (AMR) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Alpha Metallurgical Resources reported Q4 adjusted EBITDA of $28.5 million, a 32% drop from the prior quarter, driven by lower tonnage and reduced coal inventory values. The company shipped 3.8 million tons and saw modest improvements in weighted average metallurgical...
Anglogold Ashanti PLC (AU) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
IAMGOLD reported a strong Q1 2026, producing 183,600 attributable ounces of gold and generating over $1 billion in revenue. Mine‑site free cash flow reached $525 million, allowing $260 million of share buybacks and a $100 million debt repayment, moving the company to a net‑cash...
Aurum Keeps Piling on the Ounces at Giant Côte D’Ivoire Gold Play
Aurum Resources reported a series of robust gold intercepts from its Boundiali project in northern Côte d’Ivoire, highlighted by a 40.6‑metre interval averaging 1.06 g/t gold and a high‑grade spike of 2 metres at 12.82 g/t. The BDT2 deposit now hosts an estimated...
US Rare Earths Champion Views Iran War as Demand ‘Accelerant’
MP Materials Corp., the Pentagon‑backed U.S. rare‑earth producer, said the Iran‑Israel conflict has acted as an accelerant for demand of rare‑earth magnets used in drones and robots. CEO James Litinsky noted that while the strategic importance of the supply chain...
South Korea Could Be Asia’s Green Ammonia Hub
South Korea’s Lotte Fine Chemical completed the world’s first commercial cross‑border import of green ammonia, sourced from Envision’s Chifeng Net Zero Industrial Park in Inner Mongolia. The ammonia was stored at Ulsan’s largest terminal and used in the first ammonia...
Aussie Miners Get Inside Track Into US Defence Supply Chain with DIBC Listing
The U.S. Department of Defense launched the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) in 2024 to fast‑track defence‑critical research and reduce reliance on foreign critical minerals. Membership, now 1,755 strong, has been opened to Australian, Canadian and UK firms, giving them...
Australian State Vote May Allow Uranium Mining for First Time in 40 Years
New South Wales passed the Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill, overturning the 1986 ban on uranium extraction and nuclear facilities. The measure now moves to the lower house for final approval, positioning NSW alongside South Australia and...
B2Gold Beats Output, Cost Expectations
B2Gold reported first‑quarter gold output of 237,763 ounces, driven by a 25% production jump at its flagship Fekola mine in Mali and strong early results from the newly‑commercial Goose mine in Canada. Net income reached US$205.5 million, with adjusted earnings of...
Moonlight Extends Leo Grande Mineralised Trend with Broad, Shallow Gold Hits
Moonlight Resources reported broad, shallow gold intercepts from phase‑2 RC drilling along the Leo Grande trend at its Clermont project in Queensland. Highlights include 42 m at 1.01 g/t Au from surface in the south‑eastern extension and 18 m at 1.55 g/t Au from...
'Like a Microscopic Predator': Chinese Scientists Create Tiny Robotic Vacuum to Hunt Radioactive Pollution and Clean the World's Oceans
Chinese researchers at the Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes have created 2‑micron micromotors that self‑propel using hydrogen peroxide and light to capture uranium ions from seawater, achieving up to 406 mg of uranium per gram of material. The robots move about...
Plant-Based Mining Recovers Rare Earth Elements Sustainably
Researchers have demonstrated that hyperaccumulator plants such as Dicranopteris linearis and Phytolacca americana can extract rare‑earth elements (REEs) from soils and mine tailings, achieving recovery efficiencies near 89%. The biomass is processed via hydrometallurgical methods to produce high‑purity rare‑earth oxides,...
Allmineral and Separation Suites
allmineral, a global leader in mineral processing, launched the allsort XRT sensor‑based dry sorting system, extending its portfolio beyond traditional wet jigging. The company now delivers turnkey plants that combine crushing, jigging, dense media separation (DMS), flotation (allflot) and magnetic...
West Africa: Nigeria's Mining Sector Attracted $2.6bn FDI in 30 Months - Shettima
Nigeria’s vice president Kashim Shettima announced that the mining sector has attracted roughly $2.6 billion in foreign direct investment over the past 30 months, a direct result of recent reforms. The Tinubu administration has de‑risked the industry and made local value‑addition a licensing...
Iran Reduces Oil Production by 400,000 Bpd, Further Cut Back Expected
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Iran has already cut oil output by about 400,000 barrels per day and may trim it further as domestic storage fills. A naval blockade has sharply reduced Iranian crude exports, leaving tankers stranded and...
Oil Shock Far From Over: Energy Giants Warn Global Fuel Supplies May Stay Tight for Months After Iran Deal
Oil supplies will continue to tighten in the coming weeks even if a U.S.-Iran peace deal ends the conflict, because it will take weeks for shipments to resume from the Gulf and for inventories to rebuild. Executives from TotalEnergies, Equinor...
U.S. Sanctions Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister Over Alleged Iranian Oil Scheme
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister Ali Maarij Al‑Bahadly and several militia‑linked firms for allegedly channeling Iraqi crude into networks that blend it with Iranian oil. The move is part of the Trump...
Diversified Energy, Carlyle Partner in $1.175-billion Acquisition in Oklahoma's Anadarko Basin
Diversified Energy and private‑equity firm Carlyle have agreed to buy a portfolio of oil and natural‑gas assets in Oklahoma’s Anadarko basin for $1.175 billion. The deal adds roughly 300 MMcfed of production—about 51,000 boe/d—for the next year and includes 101,000 acres of SCOOP/STACK/MERGE...
Petrus Resources Ltd. (PRQ:CA) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Petrus Resources reported Q1 2026 results amid heightened oil‑price volatility driven by a Middle‑East supply shock and rising inflation. Production increased 8% to roughly 12,000 boe/d, while revenue rose 15% to $210 million. The company narrowed its net loss to $45 million and...
Eni's New Indonesia Find Will Anchor Third Regional Gas Hub
Eni announced plans to fast‑track a third gas production hub in Indonesia’s Kutei Basin after a successful drill test at its newly discovered Geliga field. The hub will become part of the Eni‑Petronas Searah regional satellite, leveraging existing infrastructure. The...
Bernreuter: Daqo Sales Slump Reveals ‘Irrational’ Polysilicon Market Dynamics
Chinese polysilicon giant Daqo New Energy reported an 88.3% plunge in Q1 2026 sales even as output ticked up to 43,402 metric tons, up from 42,181 MT a quarter earlier. The stark mismatch, highlighted by Bernreuter Research head Johannes Bernreuter, signals a market where...
Drilling 17g Shines Westhaven Gold’s Shovelnose Crown
Westhaven Gold reported high‑grade drilling results from its Shovelnose South Zone, including a 23‑metre interval with 17 g/t gold and 111 g/t silver. The data supports a 35,000‑metre resource update ahead of a prefeasibility study slated for the second half of 2027....
Flexicon Showcases Mobile Bag Dumping Station for Dust-Free Material Transfer
Flexicon unveiled a mobile bag dumping station that transfers bulk material from hand‑held sacks to elevated equipment without dust exposure. The self‑contained unit combines a glove‑box enclosure, bag compactor and a flexible screw conveyor, all mounted on a frame with...
Brokk Introduces Battery-Powered EL500 Mini Loader to North American Market
Brokk has launched the battery‑powered EL500 mini loader in North America, expanding its emission‑free construction equipment portfolio. The compact loader lifts up to 1,110 pounds and runs a full shift on a single 9.6 kWh AGM battery, offering lower operating and...
EU: Airlines Should Pay Passengers for Cancelations Due to Fuel Price Surge
European airlines face a sharp rise in jet‑fuel costs, with prices topping $200 per barrel and Lufthansa alone estimating a $2 billion hit this year. EU Sustainable Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told the Financial Times that fuel price spikes do not...
Murphy Oil Avoids Gambling on Current Volatility
Murphy Oil Corp reported Q1 2026 net income of $53 million, down from a year earlier, but adjusted earnings per share of $0.32 beat estimates. Production increased 10% year‑over‑year to 180,053 boepd, driven by higher U.S. onshore output and progress on...
Standard Uranium Returns to Flagship Project; Locks in Drill-Ready Targets at Davidson River
Standard Uranium announced the final planning stage of its 2026 drill program at the flagship Davidson River Project in Saskatchewan’s southwest Athabasca Basin. The company has locked in high‑confidence drill targets across the Warrior, Bronco and Thunderbird corridors using the...
Orica Launches Next-Generation GroundProbe Monitoring System for Mining Operations
Orica has unveiled a next‑generation GroundProbe geotechnical monitoring system designed for mining sites that demand faster deployment and more reliable safety data. The platform introduces three purpose‑built hardware models—SSR‑XT, SSR‑FX and SSR‑Omni—paired with the MonitorIQ Next software suite to streamline...
Gold M&A: Denarius Scraps Emerita Takeover in Spain
Denarius Metals withdrew its all‑share offer for Spain‑focused Emerita Resources after the target declined to engage in substantive talks. The revised bid, announced on April 21, valued Emerita at roughly $134 million—a 73% premium to its April 10 price. The deal fell apart...
USA Considers Tapping Oil Under Military Bases to Refill SPR
The Trump administration is evaluating the possibility of drilling for oil beneath U.S. military bases and other Department of War sites to help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which is projected to hit its lowest level since 1982. The...