Energy Department Offers $500M to Scale Critical Minerals Production
The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $500 million in grants to expand domestic production of critical minerals for advanced batteries, marking its third funding round since 2022. The Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation will fund up to ten projects covering processing, manufacturing, and recycling, with each award ranging from $50 million to $100 million. Recipients must provide at least a 50 percent cost‑share, and the program aims to lift domestic supply by roughly 15 percent by 2030. Applications are due April 24, with a briefing webinar on March 26.
Saudi Maaden Looks to Yanbu for Phosphates Exports
Saudi Arabian phosphate producer Maaden will restart exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu, shifting from its traditional Ras Al‑Khair gateway. The move circumvents the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked since late February. Maaden plans to ship...
Bits, Bytes, Barriers: The State of Digital in Blasting
The article examines how digitalisation is reshaping blasting operations, drawing on insights from industry leaders BME, Enaex, and Orica. It highlights the massive data generated by each blast and the potential of AI, sensors, and edge computing to improve efficiency,...
Energy Storage to Emerge as Demand Driver for Lithium: Liontown CEO
Liontown Resources CEO Tony Ottaviano says large‑scale stationary energy storage is emerging as a second engine for lithium demand, reducing reliance on electric vehicles alone. Fastmarkets forecasts global storage installations will grow ~25% annually, reaching about 800 GWh by 2030 and...
FLS Announces JV in Uzbekistan, Underpinning Its Strategic Focus on Central Asian Mining
FLSmidth announced a joint venture with Uzbek industrial group Texnopark to build a modular service centre in Uzbekistan. The centre will initially support Almalyk MMC’s MOF‑4 copper‑gold‑molybdenum concentrator and later expand as new mines come online. By locating service, spare‑parts...
Zambia Strengthens Sustainable Gold Mining Through Landmark ZCCM-IH and planetGOLD Partnership
Zambia’s state‑owned ZCCM Investments Holdings has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN‑backed planetGOLD Zambia Project to formalize the artisanal and small‑scale gold mining (ASGM) sector. The partnership will create a transparent off‑take system, introduce mercury‑free processing technologies, and...
BOEM Issues Notice of Intent for Offshore Well Stimulation Work
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed update to the Santa Clara Unit Development and Production Plan, which would allow hydraulic fracturing on 16 existing wells...
Uganda: Copper Is the New Oil, but Will Uganda Be Norway or Nigeria?
Global demand for copper and other transition metals is set to triple by 2030, prompting a scramble for new sources. Uganda’s dormant Kilembe copper mine and newly identified mineral belts could supply millions of tonnes of copper and rare‑earth elements....
REalloys’ Breakthrough Could Eliminate Hydrofluoric Acid From Rare‑earth Metallization
REalloys announced a patent‑pending, hydrofluoric‑acid‑free fluorination process that converts rare‑earth oxides into metallization‑grade fluorides. Independent testing showed the product contains only 0.34 wt % oxygen, well under the <1 wt % specification. The HF‑free method removes the need for hazardous HF, cutting safety, regulatory...
New Asian Oil & Gas Explorer Emerges From Triangle Energy’s Spin Out Move
Triangle Energy announced the creation of Tetragon Energy, a spin‑out that will house its Philippine oil and gas assets, including three petroleum service contracts in the Sulu Sea and Cagayan Basin. The Australian firm will inject $1.5 million of seed capital...
A Crisis Forever? How Diamond Miners Are Digging In
The liquidation of Ekapa Mining marks the end of roughly 150 years of diamond extraction in Kimberley and underscores a broader slump that has driven unpolished diamond prices to a 12‑month low. De Beers, pressured by the market decline, cut prices...
JV Article: Trinity Consultants Sees Early Gains Under Ontario’s New Rules
Ontario’s One Project, One Process (1P1P) framework consolidates multiple mining permits into a single, government‑led pathway, aiming to speed approvals for critical‑mineral projects. Frontier Lithium’s PAK lithium project, the first designated under 1P1P, is already seeing benefits such as streamlined...
BHP Submits EIA Application for New Escondida Concentrator
BHP has lodged an Environmental Impact Assessment for a new copper concentrator at Chile’s Escondida mine, targeting a $4.4‑$5.9 billion upgrade that will replace the aging Los Colorados plant. The facility is designed to sustain a total processing capacity of 460,000...
Brazilian Oil & Gas Firm in the Clear for 14-Well Offshore Drilling Campaign
Brazilian oil producer PRIO, formerly PetroRio, secured an Ibaba amendment allowing up to 14 new wells in the Frade field of the Campos basin. The approval follows an operating licence for the Wahoo field, where PRIO will drill six wells—four...
LME Experiences Trading Disruption
On March 16, the London Metal Exchange’s primary electronic matching engine experienced a technical fault, triggering a three‑hour trading halt on its LME Select platform. The inter‑office market stayed operational, and the exchange switched to a backup closing‑price methodology to publish...
Par Panel Asks Govt to Expedite Monetisation Tailings Dumps at Bharat Gold Mines
A parliamentary standing committee has urged the mines ministry to fast‑track the monetisation of roughly 33 million tonnes of gold‑rich tailings at Bharat Gold Mines Ltd (BGML) in Karnataka’s Kolar Gold Fields. The dormant PSU, closed since 2001, received ₹8.75 crore in...
3ME Technology Conducts ArcFlash Testing with Rio & Collaborates with Toshiba on LTO Batteries
3ME Technology, in partnership with Rio Tinto, completed the world’s first DC arc‑flash testing on high‑voltage lithium‑ion battery packs, exposing extreme fault energy that can surpass standard PPE protection. The data will inform faster‑acting protection devices, revised DC arc‑flash calculations,...
BP, Eni Start Gas Production at Angola's Quiluma
BP and Eni’s Azule Energy joint venture has begun gas production at Angola’s Quiluma field, delivering an initial 150 MMcfd with plans to reach 330 MMcfd by year‑end. Quiluma is Angola’s first non‑associated gas project, feeding treated gas to the on‑shore plant...
Eldorado Secures Operating Authorisation for Ormaque Deposit
Eldorado Gold has received operating authorisation from Quebec regulators to mine the high‑grade Ormaque deposit at its Lamaque Complex and ship ore to the nearby Sigma Mill. The permit leverages existing underground access via the Triangle‑Sigma decline, reducing capital outlay...
Haultrax Delivers First Mining Fleet Management System Deployment for Road Trains
Haultrax has completed the first mining‑focused fleet management system (FMS) deployment on prime movers and road trains, extending real‑time visibility beyond traditional pit‑based haul trucks. The company re‑engineered its cycle‑detection algorithm to handle multi‑trailer configurations, dynamic loads, and long‑haul routes....
Transitional Year for Contango Gold & Silver
Contango Ore Inc. entered a transitional 2026, with Manh Choh gold output falling to 40‑45 k ounces as the mine shifts from the North Pit to higher‑grade South Pit ore. Production in 2025 delivered 60,200 gold‑equivalent ounces, including 57,315 ounces of silver,...
Phase One Commissioning Concludes at Almonty’s Sangdong Mine
Almonty Industries has finished phase‑one commissioning at South Korea’s Sangdong Tungsten Mine, restarting production after a 30‑year pause. The operating plant can process 640,000 tonnes of ore per year, delivering roughly 2,300 tonnes of tungsten concentrate. A phase‑two expansion slated...
Malawi: Kenani's Question Sparks Fierce Debate Over Malawi's Mineral Future
Social media activist Onjezani Kenani has sparked a national debate in Malawi by questioning who truly benefits from the Kasiya Rutile‑Graphite Project, one of the country’s largest mineral discoveries. The project’s development hinges on $665 million in foreign capital, with Australian‑listed...
Trafigura Partners with Venezuela’s Minerven to Launch Responsible Gold Sourcing Program
Trafigura has entered a pre‑payment agreement with Venezuela’s state‑run miner Minerven to purchase 650 kg to 1 ton of gold doré under a new responsible sourcing programme. The deal follows a U.S. Treasury licence that lifts sanctions on Minerven’s gold, allowing exports...
Tanzania: Mining Reforms Yield 5.8tri/-
Tanzania's mining reforms are bearing fruit as expanded local refineries have added roughly 5.8 trillion shillings in mineral value. The policy that mandates domestic processing generated 273 jobs, most of them for young people, and spurred 3.8 trillion shillings of procurement from...
Resolution Copper Completes ‘Historic’ Land Exchange with United States Forest Service
Resolution Copper, a Rio Tinto‑BHP joint venture, completed a historic land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service, swapping over 5,400 acres of environmentally sensitive land for 2,400 acres adjacent to the historic Magma copper mine in Superior, Arizona. The exchange...
Seadrill Awarded Contract Extension in Angola
Seadrill’s 50:50 joint venture with a Sonangol affiliate, Sonadrill Holding, has secured a contract extension for the ultra‑deepwater drillship Sonangol Quenguela in Angola. The extension exercises a seven‑well priced option, adding roughly 480 days of operation and stretching the rig’s...
The Iran War Is Roiling Commodities Far Beyond Oil
Since the third Gulf war erupted three weeks ago, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has immobilized roughly 10‑15 % of global oil supply, pushing Brent crude above $106 a barrel. President Donald Trump has ordered the largest-ever strategic reserve...
U.S. Makes Another Rare-Earths Deal. But the Threat of Shortages Persists.
The U.S. Defense Department has signed a new supply agreement with Australian rare‑earths producer Lynas, marking the latest effort to secure critical minerals for national security. The deal is intended to diversify the U.S. supply chain away from China, which...
ACG Metals Hunts Copper Deals to Build Western Supply
London‑listed ACG Metals is actively pursuing up to ten copper‑mine acquisitions, focusing on assets already producing or near production. The company completed its first 2024 deal, buying Turkey's Gediktepe gold‑silver mine for $300 million and plans to start copper output there...
Falcon Seeks $100M From Guinea in World Bank Court
Falcon Energy Materials has lodged a $100 million arbitration claim with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, alleging Guinea illegally expropriated its Lola graphite project. The claim invokes the bilateral investment treaty between Guinea and the United...
NMDC Focus on Technology Helping It Become India’s First 50 Mt a Year Iron Ore Producer
NMDC Ltd announced it will become India’s first miner to produce 50 million tonnes of iron ore in a single financial year, targeting FY 2025‑26. The output surge, from roughly 30 Mt in 2015 to the projected 50 Mt, marks the fastest expansion in...
Botswana Minerals Reports Significant Exploration Progress
Botswana Minerals announced major exploration progress, securing eight copper‑focused prospecting licences covering about 7,000 km² in north‑west Botswana. The licences result from the company’s AI‑driven analysis of its extensive 95,000 km² geoscientific dataset, which includes over 375,000 line‑km of airborne and ground...
Fastmarkets to Launch Three New China Copper Scrap Grades, Increase Frequency
Fastmarkets will shift its CIF China copper scrap price publication from a monthly to a weekly schedule and add three new grades—millberry, cobra and clove—under the GB 38471‑2023 standard. Existing No 1 and No 2 grades retain their definitions, with minimum contract sizes...
Africa’s Critical Minerals Gain Strategic Importance as Global Demand Intensifies
Africa is emerging as a strategic source of rare earths and critical minerals as the United States seeks alternatives to China-dominated processing. The continent hosts vast deposits, including DRC cobalt, Zimbabwe lithium, and new rare‑earth projects in Namibia, Tanzania, and...
Declining Exploration Spending Threatens the Future of South Africa’s Mining Industry
South Africa's mineral exploration spending fell for the seventh consecutive year, dropping 5.3% in 2025 to 738 million rand (about $44 million) at constant 2015 prices. Over the past 30 years, total exploration investment has slumped more than 85%, signaling waning investor confidence....
Rising Fuel Price Could See Box Shipping Face a Bill of up to $35bn
Rising fuel prices linked to the Hormuz crisis could add $30‑35 billion to global container shipping costs if sustained for a year. Sea‑Intelligence estimates an extra $153‑$178 per TEU, potentially pushing freight rates higher. While direct fuel expenses are significant, analysts...
Toubani Begins Construction at Kobada Gold Project
Toubai Resources has broken ground on its Kobada Gold Project in southern Mali, following a board‑approved final investment decision. The initial construction phase targets bulk earthworks for the processing plant, tailings storage, water dam and staff accommodation, with the first...
Zambia to Allocate 8,000 Hectares at Kikonge Gold Site to Over 500 Artisanal Miners in Mufumbwe
Zambia’s Ministry of Mines will allocate roughly 8,000 hectares at the Kikonge gold site to more than 500 artisanal miners, organized into cooperatives. Each cooperative is slated to receive about six hectares, enabling regulated, government‑overseen mining. The move follows a...
Centaurus Inks Glencore Deal for Jaguar Nickel Output
Centaurus Metals secured a five‑year, $450 million off‑take with Glencore for 20,000 tonnes of 32% nickel concentrate annually, covering roughly one‑third of the Jaguar project’s planned output. The agreement ties sales to LME nickel prices and includes copper and cobalt by‑product terms....
Ghana: Parliament Passes Bills On University Charters, Mining Levy Reduction
Ghana’s Parliament approved two bills on Friday: the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill 2025, which makes the six‑year charter requirement optional for private tertiary institutions, and the Growth and Sustainability (Amendment) Bill 2026, which cuts the mining levy from three...
Uncle Sam Goes Mining in the Congo
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, together with Abu Dhabi’s ADQ and New York‑based Orion Resources, signed a non‑binding MOU to acquire a 40% stake in Glencore’s Kamoto and Mutanda cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The move...
Harena Signs Exclusivity Agreement to Acquire US Rare Earth, Uranium Permits
Harena Rare Earths has signed an exclusivity agreement to evaluate buying 100% of Paradigm Critical Minerals, which holds heavy‑rare‑earth and uranium exploration permits in San Bernardino County, California. The assets boast historic drilling that returned up to 2 % total rare‑earth oxide...
Mining Waste Could Be Repurposed as Sustainable Construction Materials
A new review in *Sustainability* evaluates how the 100 billion‑ton global mining waste stream can be transformed into construction inputs such as asphalt fillers, road bases, and concrete additives. Researchers found that mine tailings can replace up to 50 % of natural...
Passive Seismic Imaging of the Orthomagmatic Ore Deposits Using Regional Earthquake Interferometry: A Case Study of the Akanvaara V-Cr-PGE Deposit...
Researchers introduced a passive seismic imaging technique that leverages interferometry of regional Pn‑wave coda to generate empirical Green’s tensors. The approach was applied to the Akanvaara V‑Cr‑PGE ultramafic deposit in northern Finland using a dense network of 771 three‑component stations....
Sandvik Bringing New Levels of Flexibility, Quality and Safety to Underground Resin Injection Applications with HPA20 Pump
Sandvik has launched the HPA20 automatic injection pump, a next‑generation system for underground resin‑based ground support in hard‑rock mining and civil engineering. The pump combines intelligent automation with a flexible architecture, allowing both manual and fully automatic injection of two‑component...
Resource Use, Physical Flows, and Costs of Select Technologies and Facilities in U.S. Chemicals, Cement, Iron and Steel, Food, and...
A new structured dataset characterizes technologies and facilities across U.S. chemicals, cement, iron and steel, food, and non‑manufacturing sectors. It provides facility‑level inventories for six manufacturing sectors and technology options for three non‑manufacturing sectors, harmonizing assumptions, costs, and resource use...
South32 Too Risky for Predators, Says Outgoing CEO
South32 CEO Graham Kerr, who will depart after 12 years, says the Perth‑based miner is too risky for larger acquisition predators. He highlights a strategic pivot toward base metals, targeting 90% of production in that sector within 18 months, with...
Why Use MetalMiner for Metal Price Forecasting?
MetalMiner provides metal price forecasting services tailored to U.S. manufacturers, combining proprietary price indices, market‑signal forecasts, and support/resistance analysis. Its indices aggregate 10‑15 years of data and are normalized to reflect the actual mix of metals bought by U.S. firms....
Indonesia’s Nickel Pig Iron Spigot Reopens
Indonesia’s high‑pressure acid leach (HPAL) plants that produce nickel pig iron (NPI) saw output plunge more than 67% in mid‑February after a processing‑waste landslide disrupted operations near the Morowali Industrial Park. Satellite‑based monitoring by Navigate Commodities shows ore flows rebounding...
