Zimbabwe: Chinese Mining Firm Launches Tree Planting Drive Amid Environmental Concerns
Chinese-owned Ming Chang Sino‑Africa launched a tree‑planting drive in Shamva on the International Day of Forests, partnering with Mingchang Primary School and the Earth Co‑Existence Initiative. The program is presented as a concrete ESG effort to restore degraded land and signal responsible mining practices. This comes as Chinese firms remain the largest foreign investors in Zimbabwe’s gold, lithium and chrome sectors, amid persistent criticism over river pollution and deforestation. Local officials hailed the initiative as a tangible benefit to community livelihoods and sustainable development.
Ferroglobe May Halt Operations if Not Afforded Reduced Electricity Tariffs
Ferroglobe South Africa warned it could shut all smelters if reduced electricity tariffs are not secured by 1 April. Electricity costs have surged more than 900% since 2007, now exceeding 50% of production expenses and eroding profitability. CEO Marco Levi said...
Aggreko on Energy Security for Mines in Africa & the Strengthening Case for Hybrid Power
Aggreko warns African mine operators that soaring diesel prices, driven by recent Brent crude spikes from $92 to over $113 per barrel, are inflating energy costs and exposing operations to fuel‑price volatility. The company advocates hybrid power—combining solar PV, battery...
History Written as CCS Technology Starts Operating on Board FPSO
Yinson Production has commissioned the world’s first post‑combustion carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit on its FPSO Agogo, operating off Angola. The system, built with Azule Energy and Carbon Circle, runs on the open‑source CESAR1 amine solvent, designed for low‑energy...
Two New Campaigns with Equinor to Keep Reach Subsea’s USV at Work
Norway’s Reach Subsea has landed two additional call‑offs from state‑owned Equinor under their existing frame agreement, deploying its uncrewed surface vessel Reach Remote 1 for gas reservoir monitoring at the Troll field and extensive subsea inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) work...
Geothermal Engineering Tapping Watson-Marlow Peristaltic Pumps for Lithium Project
Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) has deployed Watson‑Marlow 630 and Qdos peristaltic pumps to dose acids, alkalis and transfer lithium brine at its United Downs geothermal‑lithium plant, which began commercial zero‑carbon lithium carbonate production in February 2026. The pumps provide precise,...
Underground Mining Safety: Why Accidents Persist and What Technologies Help
Underground mining fatalities fell to an average of 3.1 per company in 2024, down from 4.3 in 2023, while injury rates also improved modestly. However, safety gains are uneven, with some operators still reporting dozens of deaths and others achieving...
Canada Moves to Save Glencore’s Quebec Copper Smelter
The Canadian and Quebec governments are negotiating to keep Glencore's Horne copper smelter open after the miner threatened closure over new arsenic‑emission rules. Quebec proposed delaying the 15 ng/m³ limit until 2029, while Ottawa is reviewing a roughly C$150 million ($111 million USD)...
Aureka Sends Survey Drones Skyward to Unlock Victorian Gold Potential
Aureka Limited has launched a low‑altitude, high‑resolution drone magnetic survey over its Irvine gold project in Victoria’s Stawell Corridor. The survey, flying at 50 metres with 50‑metre line spacing, aims to deliver a dramatically clearer picture of subsurface structures than the...
Oil-to-CO2 Storage Wells Begin Transformation Journey Offshore Denmark
Denmark’s Greensand Future project is converting legacy North Sea oil wells into carbon‑capture storage wells at the Nini West field, roughly 240 km northwest of Esbjerg. The initiative follows a 2022 permit for up to 15,000 t of CO₂ injection and the...
Congo Deepens China Mining Ties Amid US Rivalry
The Democratic Republic of Congo signed a new agreement with China to deepen cooperation in its mining sector, covering geological data sharing, investment protection, and promotion of local processing. The deal gives Chinese firms priority on the MIFOR iron‑ore project...
Big Oil to Look Beyond Middle East as War Raises Risks
Escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran has damaged Gulf energy infrastructure and closed the Strait of Hormuz, costing the region roughly $1 billion daily in lost export revenue. The heightened geopolitical risk is forcing Western oil majors to reassess...
Greenland Resources Signs Molybdenum Supply Deal with ROGESA
Greenland Resources has signed a memorandum of understanding with ROGESA, the German steel joint venture of Dillinger and Saarstahl, to supply molybdenum products over the long term. The ore will be mined in Greenland and refined in Belgium to meet...
Category 5 Storm Makes Damage to Oil Field Offshore Western Australia
Jadestone Energy reported that Cyclone Narelle, a Category 5 storm with winds over 200 km/h, damaged its Stag offshore oil field in Western Australia. The company shut down the platform on March 23, demobilised it, and discovered damage upon return on March 28. Jadestone...
Liebherr’s R 9100 G8 Mining Excavator Heading for Series Production
Liebherr announced that its new 100‑ton R 9100 G8 mining excavator is now available for purchase and will enter series production in the June quarter for the backhoe version and September for the face shovel. Field validation at PT Madhani...
Metso to Provide Southern Peru Copper with VSF SX-EW Plants for Tia Maria Project
Metso has secured a €100 million ($115 million) contract with Southern Peru Copper to supply VSF® solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX‑EW) plants for the Tia Maria project in Arequipa, Peru. The plant will produce 120,000 tonnes per year of LME‑grade copper cathodes and is...
Locksley Reveals Ultra-Stable Battery Material in US Antimony Push
Locksley Resources, partnering with Rice University, has created an ultra‑stable antimony‑graphite battery material that incorporates up to 20% antimony. The collaboration uses a deep eutectic solvent (DES) process to extract high‑purity antimony without conventional flotation, accelerating a US‑focused mine‑to‑market supply...
West Wits Banks Fuel Supply as SA Gold Project Gears for Grid Power
West Wits Mining has secured 163,000 litres of diesel to cover up to four months of operation at its Qala Shallows gold project while awaiting a grid power connection slated for Q4 2026. The company is adding a 23,000‑litre mobile storage...
Liberia: Liberia Losing Millions in Mining Revenue As $2.7b Trade Gap Raises Smuggling Fears - Report
A new assessment commissioned by Forest Trends finds a $2.7 billion discrepancy between Liberia's reported mining exports and global import data, indicating massive revenue leakage. Mining firms reported $844 million in payments, while import records show $7.8 billion in Liberian minerals, suggesting smuggling,...
Angola: Authorities Arrest 15 Citizens for Alleged Illegal Gold Mining
Angolan police arrested 15 citizens in Ndalatando for suspected illegal gold mining, seizing 38 g of gold, a weighing scale, food supplies, and a Toyota Land Cruiser valued at roughly $500. The operation targeted the Golungo Alto municipality in Cuanza‑Norte, a...
IDTechEx Report Examines Critical Minerals Recycling
IDTechEx’s new report estimates that 21‑34% of the world’s platinum‑group metals (PGMs) come from recycled scrap, driven largely by spent automotive catalysts. Companies such as Umicore, DOWA, Johnson Matthey and Tanaka Precious Metals can recover platinum, palladium and rhodium at purities...
LatAm Has Resource Buffer if Iran War Hurts Growth: BlackRock
BlackRock’s senior strategist says Latin America’s abundant metal reserves give the region a buffer against a potential global slowdown triggered by the Iran‑Israel conflict. The area’s copper, lithium and nickel supplies are essential for the AI‑driven hardware boom, providing a...
ABx Advances Hydrogen Fluoride Pilot Plant as Strategic Importance Grows
ABx Group’s subsidiary ALCORE Limited has lodged an Environmental Effects Report for its hydrogen fluoride pilot plant in Bell Bay, Tasmania, marking a regulatory milestone. Civil design is complete, a building permit has been applied for, and the first equipment...
Bullabulling Results Strengthen Minerals 260’s Gold Footprint
Minerals 260 reported high‑grade drill results from its 100%‑owned Bullabulling gold project, including a 7‑metre intercept grading 7.2 g/t gold with a 2‑metre core of 22.6 g/t. The latest assay data from 22 holes, totalling 5,425 metres, confirm mineralisation beyond the current 4.5‑million‑ounce resource...
DRC, Zambia, and Tanzania Move to Modernize Southern Central Corridor
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Tanzania have signed off on feasibility studies to modernise the southern segment of the Central Corridor, the key trade artery linking Dar es Salaam port to regional mining hubs. The project, backed by...
Uganda’s Merchandise Exports Surge 72% Driven by Gold and Coffee
Uganda’s merchandise exports jumped 72% year‑over‑year, reaching $1.45 billion in January 2026. The surge was driven primarily by a 182% rise in gold shipments, which alone generated $914 million, and strong coffee earnings. The country posted a $147 million trade surplus for the...
Japan’s Long-Term Titanium Push Key to West’s Security Check on China
Japan is accelerating a China‑free titanium strategy, highlighted by Sovereign Metals' off‑take agreement with Mitsui to deliver up to 70,000 tonnes of high‑grade rutile from Malawi each year. The move follows Western supply shocks, including the shutdown of Ukraine’s titanium...
Middle East Tensions Disrupt Zimbabwe’s Gold Exports
Zimbabwe's gold exports are being hit by Middle East tensions that have disrupted key shipping routes. The United Arab Emirates, which accounts for 45% of Zimbabwe's gold export revenue, is affected as the Strait of Hormuz closure forces vessels around...
EGC and Mercuria Partner to Transform Kasulo Into Benchmark for Responsible Cobalt Mining
Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC) and Mercuria Energy Trading have signed a memorandum of understanding to transform the Kasulo artisanal cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo into a global benchmark for responsible mining. The partners will work with...
Reopened Mines Power Economic Recovery in Zambia’s Copperbelt
Zambia’s government has reopened previously closed mines in the Copperbelt, reigniting a sector that drives most of the country’s export earnings. The revival has created thousands of direct jobs and spurred indirect employment in transport, engineering and services, while prompting...
EU Trade Commissioner Discusses Critical Minerals, Tariffs with US
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic confirmed progress on a critical minerals agenda and a resolution of tariff disputes with the United States. Both sides settled on a 15% import tariff for most EU goods, halving the rate previously threatened by...
Seequent Assesses Offshore Data Today to Prepare for Tomorrow
Seequent is launching a unified platform that merges geophysical, geological, and geotechnical offshore data into a cloud‑native environment. The initiative addresses long‑standing data fragmentation that hampers accurate seafloor mapping and risk assessment. By standardizing metadata and applying automated quality checks,...
Daughter of Ifugao Rises to Lead Major Gold Miner
Joan Adaci‑Cattiling, an indigenous Ifugao descendant, became president of OceanaGold Philippines (OGP) in 2024, leading the country’s second‑largest gold and copper producer. Under her guidance, OGP has deepened community ties through a 1% revenue Community Development Fund and a 0.5%...
Drillers See Triple-Digit Crude and Hit the Brakes
Brent crude has surged past $100 a barrel and WTI topped $90, creating a price environment that comfortably exceeds shale breakeven levels. Yet U.S. oil drillers remain hesitant, citing the ongoing Middle East conflict as a major obstacle to investment...
Kemi Badenoch to Call for Oil Drilling to Be Maximised
UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is launching a "get Britain drilling" campaign that proposes ending the moratorium on new oil and gas licences, scrapping the windfall tax on energy profits, and boosting financial support for the fossil‑fuel sector. She argues...
Sponsored Video at PDAC: Prince Silver Targets 100Moz at Nevada Past-Producer
Prince Silver Corp. announced at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference that it aims to define a 100‑million‑ounce silver resource at its Nevada past‑producer property. CEO Derek Iwanaka emphasized the project's existing infrastructure and near‑term drilling plans...
Summit Sold Its Midwest Pipeline as a Carbon Solution. Now, It’ll Be Used for Fossil Fuels.
Summit Carbon Solutions, originally marketing its Midwest CO₂ pipeline as a carbon‑sequestration tool for ethanol plants, has quietly redirected the project toward enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The shift follows expanded federal tax credits that reward CO₂ used in oil production...
The Cushion Is Gone and the Oil Market Is Now Exposed
The global oil market absorbed the shock of the largest supply disruption in history – the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – thanks to pre‑war inventory cushions. For roughly four weeks, prices remained muted as surplus stocks and strategic...
TMC the Metals Company (TMC) Moves Closer to Deep-Sea Mining Approval
TMC the Metals Company announced that NOAA has determined its consolidated deep‑seabed mining application is in substantial compliance with the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act. The approval covers a 65,000‑square‑kilometer area in the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone, estimated to contain about...
Electra Restarts Construction and Reports 2025 Financial Results
Electra Battery Materials announced the restart of construction on its Ontario cobalt sulfate refinery, approving a US$73 million budget and securing US$82 million in financing, including US$20 million from the U.S. Department of War and US$28 million from Canadian government sources. The company completed...
Codelco Expects to Churn Out Slightly More Copper This Year
Codelco, Chile's state‑owned miner, forecasts producing 1.344 million metric tons of copper in 2026, a slight increase from 1.333 million tons in 2025 and within its 1.331‑1.357 million‑ton guidance range. The company is working to recover from a 25‑year low caused by declining...
NOAA Ship Rainier to Map for Critical Mineral Deposits in U.S Pacific Waters
In early April NOAA’s hydrographic survey vessel Rainier will begin a two‑leg expedition to map more than 8,000 square nautical miles of federal waters around Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll. The first leg will deploy multibeam echo‑sounders to capture high‑resolution...
UK DLE Projects Push for Simpler Li Buildouts
Direct lithium extraction (DLE) projects in the UK will only generate cashflow if their process flowsheets are simplified and early engineering is rigorously applied, conference delegates said. Developers face a trade‑off between compressing engineering schedules to meet funding windows and...
Fastmarkets Proposes to Launch US Bismuth, Indium Price Assessments: Pricing Notice
Fastmarkets announced plans to introduce fortnightly price assessments for bismuth and indium on a Delivered‑Duty‑Paid (DDP) US basis starting May 1. The bismuth benchmark will be quoted in USD per pound with a minimum 1‑tonne contract, while indium will be priced...
The Hydrogen Stream: Capacity Outlook Grows, Deals Shift
GlobalData projects global low‑carbon hydrogen capacity could reach 82.3 mtpa by 2030, up from 2.2 mtpa active in early 2026 across 460 projects. Only 2% of that future capacity is operational, with most projects still in feasibility or early stages. Meanwhile, Topsoe...
Slovakia Interested in Gas From Offshore Romanian Neptun Project
Slovakia announced its interest in importing gas from Romania’s Neptun Deep offshore project as its Russian gas deliveries are set to cease by 2027. Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia would use existing infrastructure to purchase gas on a commercial...
China PV Industry Brief: China Adds 32.48 GW Solar as Polysilicon Prices Fall
China’s National Energy Administration reported 32.48 GW of new solar capacity installed in January‑February 2026, a 17.7% year‑on‑year decline, while total generation capacity reached 3.95 TW, with solar climbing to 1.23 TW (+33.2%). Polysilicon prices fell sharply, with weekly drops of up to...
LaFleur Minerals Files PEA Technical Report Supporting Restart of Gold Production at Beacon Gold Mill, Québec
LaFleur Minerals filed an NI 43-101 technical report backing its Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Swanson Gold Deposit and the restart of the fully‑permitted Beacon Gold Mill in Québec. The PEA forecasts a 65% after‑tax IRR and an NPV of...
EnergyX Starts up 250tpa DLE Plant
EnergyX, a privately held lithium developer, has commissioned its 250‑tonne‑per‑year direct lithium extraction (DLE) demonstration plant, Project Lonestar, near Texarkana, Texas. The facility is the first U.S. plant to process lithium‑rich brine from the Smackover formation, using proprietary solvent‑based extraction...
Great Pacific Gold Raising $20 Million From Upsized Financing
Great Pacific Gold Corp. announced it is upsizing its public unit offering to raise approximately $20 million, up from the previously targeted $15 million. The company will issue up to 42.6 million units at 47 cents each, each unit comprising one common share and...
