Tantalite Prices Jump to over Two-Decade High on Congo Supply Fears
Tantalite prices have surged to $200‑$210 per pound, the highest level in over twenty years, after a landslide shut the Rubaya mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC, which supplied more than half of global tantalum output in 2025, now faces a significant supply shortfall. Demand remains robust, fueled by AI‑driven data centers and aerospace applications that rely on tantalum‑rich capacitors and super‑alloys. Analysts warn that the disruption could tighten markets and push prices higher throughout the year.
How the Pentagon Is Working to Wriggle Out of China’s Rare-Earths Grip
The Pentagon warned that the United States remains 95% dependent on China for rare‑earth minerals, a vulnerability that threatens national‑security supply chains. In response, the Defense Department has pledged over a billion dollars in direct investments and secured billions in...
Nova Takes Key Step Towards US Antimony Production as Equipment Arrives at Estelle
Nova Minerals has received its first batch of mining and processing equipment at the Estelle project in Alaska, marking a major milestone toward US antimony production. About 95% of the major equipment has been delivered, with roughly 70% already en...
Evolution Recognised Again in S&P Global Sustainability Rankings
Evolution Mining secured a score of 68 in S&P Global’s 2026 Corporate Sustainability Assessment, marking its second consecutive appearance among the high‑ranking mining firms. The CSA evaluated over 9,200 companies, with only 848 earning yearbook membership, highlighting the assessment’s rigor....
BHP Starts Work on Major Port Hedland Car Dumper Project
BHP has broken ground on a sixth car dumper at its Nelson Point terminal, part of the $1.4 billion Port Debottlenecking Project 2. The new CD6 unit will tip two 135‑tonne rail cars at once, delivering up to 16,000 tonnes of iron ore...
Additional LNG Exports From Plaquemines LNG Approved
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright approved a 13% increase in exports at Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG terminal, adding up to 0.45 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) for non‑FTA destinations. The move raises Plaquemines' authorized export capacity to 3.85 Bcf/d, combining both...
Additional LNG Exports From Plaquemines LNG Approved
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright approved a 13% increase in exports from Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG terminal, adding up to 0.45 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) for non‑FTA destinations. The move raises the facility’s authorized capacity to 3.85 Bcf/d, combining both...
CSIRO Farm Trials Point to Low-Frequency Mining Connectivity Potential
CSIRO’s Data61 team is testing sub‑1 GHz low‑frequency signals as a rugged, long‑range communications layer for remote industries. Farm trials with Sharp demonstrated live video and AI‑driven livestock monitoring using a 240 MHz signal at just 0.01 mW. The research shows the spectrum...
EU Doesn’t See Risks to Oil and Gas Supply Yet
EU energy coordinators met on March 12 and concluded there are no immediate oil or gas supply risks despite ongoing Middle East disruptions. Oil inventories remain high and gas storage levels are stable across the bloc. Regulators consider the current framework...
EU Doesn’t See Risks to Oil and Gas Supply Yet
In ad‑hoc meetings on March 12, the EU’s Gas and Oil Coordination Groups reported no immediate security‑of‑supply risks despite ongoing Middle East tensions. Oil inventories across member states remain at elevated levels, while gas storage fill rates are stable and not...
DRC Seeks Stronger Investment Partnerships With Major Mining Companies
The Democratic Republic of the Congo announced a push to deepen partnerships with major miners Glencore, CMOC Group and Ivanhoe Mines. The government aims to spur additional capital spending, modernize facilities and lift mineral output amid copper production above 3 million...
Alphamin Boosts Tin Production to 18,576 Tonnes in 2025
Alphamin Resources reported a 7% rise in tin output for 2025, reaching 18,576 tonnes and aligning with its revised guidance. Despite a March security‑driven shutdown, the miner posted a pro‑forma annualized production rate of roughly 20,000 tonnes. EBITDA surged 25%...
Jubilee Metals Secures $1.8M Copper Feed Deal in Zambia
Jubilee Metals Group has agreed to purchase high‑grade copper ore for its Roan Concentrator in Zambia, a $1.8 million deal settled by issuing 29.76 million new shares at a 14.3% premium. The supplied ore averages 1.65% copper, which should improve recovery rates...
Kristie Batten: Newcomer Green & Gold Hits the Ground Running
Green & Gold Minerals (ASX:GG1) raised just under $5.7 million in its IPO and listed on the ASX in October 2023. Within months the company completed more than 4.8 km of reverse‑circulation and diamond drilling at its Chillagoe gold‑silver project, delivering several...
U.S. Intervention in Venezuela Could Help Solve Colombia’s Energy Crisis
Colombia’s natural‑gas output fell to a multi‑decade low of 683 mmcf/d in January 2026, a 17 % drop year‑over‑year, forcing the government to lean heavily on costly LPG imports that now cover about 30 % of domestic gas demand. The shortfall threatens electricity...
Coal India Aims to Ensure Power at Just Price Amid West Asia Crisis: Official
Coal India Ltd (CIL), which produces about 80% of India’s domestic coal, pledged to keep electricity prices fair amid the West Asia crisis that threatens imported coal costs. The state‑owned firm holds 122 million tonnes of pithead inventory and 53 million tonnes...
DRC Govt Reviews Oil Market Risks With Petroleum Distributors
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Deputy Prime Minister Daniel Mukoko Samba met with the Professional Group of Petroleum Product Distributors on March 10, 2026 to assess global oil market volatility. The discussion focused on the recent Brent crude surge...
Assessing MP Materials (MP) Valuation After 10X Texas Magnet Facility And Government Backing
MP Materials announced a 10X rare‑earth magnet facility in Northlake, Texas, backed by the U.S. government and secured long‑term offtake agreements with General Motors and Apple. The stock fell 4.7% in one day and 5.6% over the past month, despite...
Trump’s Alaska Energy Revival Hits a Wall as Auction Draws Zero Bids
President Trump’s push to revive Alaska’s fossil‑fuel sector hit a setback when the first offshore lease auction in Cook Inlet received no bids. The administration’s 2025 executive order to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and expand LNG projects has faced...
JSW Steel Starts Work on Mozambique Coking Coal Mine
JSW Steel has broken ground on the Minas de Revuboè (MdR) coking‑coal mine in Mozambique’s Moatize basin. The deposit contains 850 million tonnes of reserves, with 250 million tonnes of hard coking coal deemed recoverable, and the first phase aims to deliver...
Fuel Security, Critical Minerals on Agenda for Resources Minister’s Japan Visit
Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King is traveling to Japan for the Indo‑Pacific Energy Security Ministerial, co‑hosted by Japan and the United States. The agenda centers on fuel security for remote mining operations and strengthening critical‑minerals supply chains. King will meet...
Pennsylvania Publishes Long-Awaited Study on Radioactivity in Landfill Runoff
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection released a two‑year study of 49 landfills, including 23 that received oil‑and‑gas waste, and concluded that current landfill leachate poses no immediate radiation risk to human health. The analysis found 11 sites exceeded EPA radium‑226/228...
Data Mining? Old Servers Could Become New Source of Rare Earths
Enterprises are eyeing retired server hardware as a new source of rare earth elements after Korea Zinc entered talks with major U.S. tech firms to recycle data‑center waste. The initiative follows Western Digital’s pilot with Critical Materials Recycling and comes...
How a Texas Oil Belt Became America's Next Lithium Frontier
2026 marks a turning point as Texas’s historic oil belt pivots toward lithium extraction. The Smackover Formation in Northeast Texas is being touted for its high‑purity lithium brine, prompting energy giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron to stake claims and plan...
JV Article: Deloitte Targets Mid-Tier Miners Managing Project Complexity
Deloitte Canada has introduced the Mining Evolution Platform, a subscription‑based ERP solution built on SAP Public Cloud, targeting mid‑tier and junior miners. The platform consolidates financial, operational and supply‑chain data into a single, real‑time view, aiming to replace fragmented legacy...
Small Uranium Producers Face Delivery Risks
Small uranium producers are restarting previously idle mines to capture higher spot prices, but they are encountering production shortfalls and transport bottlenecks. Legacy processing equipment and limited specialized carriers are delaying shipments, forcing some firms to buy uranium on the...
Energy Intelligence Uranium Market Update: Mar. 13, 2026
Energy Intelligence’s March 13 uranium market update highlights rising geopolitical tension and supply‑chain strain. Experts warn a U.S. plan to extract Iran’s highly enriched uranium could set a precedent, while small uranium producers confront heightened delivery risks amid logistics bottlenecks....
Costa Rica’s Head Start May Mask Tougher EUDR Road Ahead
Costa Rica has leveraged its long‑standing sustainability framework to launch a nationwide, deforestation‑free coffee program ahead of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). A pilot with the CoopeTarrazú cooperative in 2024 introduced satellite‑based mapping, AI tools, and due‑diligence training, leading to...
Franco-Nevada May Be the Best Way to Play a Commodity Supercycle
Franco‑Nevada Corp. (FNV) posted a strong fourth‑quarter earnings beat, yet its share price has largely stalled after an initial post‑earnings rally. The royalty‑streaming model lets the company capture upside from gold, silver, platinum‑group metals and a growing portfolio of oil,...
AutoHaul Drives Efficiencies at Rio Tinto in Australia
Rio Tinto’s AutoHaul system now runs up to 53 fully autonomous GoA4 trains, each 240 wagons long, across its 2,000 km Pilbara rail network, moving roughly 326 million tonnes of iron ore per year. The driverless operation, managed from a Perth control...
California Lithium Developer CTR to Go Public in US$4.7 Billion SPAC Deal
Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) will go public through a $4.7 billion SPAC merger with Plum Acquisition, listing on Nasdaq as CTRH. The deal funds the Hell’s Kitchen geothermal‑lithium project in California’s Imperial Valley, starting with 25,000 t/yr lithium carbonate capacity and a...
The Hydrogen Stream: Atome Secures $420 Million Debt for Paraguay Plant
Atome secured a $420 million debt package to fund a $650 million low‑carbon fertilizer plant in Paraguay, targeting 260,000 tonnes of output per year and marking one of the first industrial‑scale green‑hydrogen fertilizer projects outside the EU. Meanwhile, Asahi Kasei began installing a 1 MW...
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Wafer Prices Fall on Weak Demand
The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association reported that polysilicon and wafer prices fell sharply this week, with n‑type re‑feed and dense polysilicon down about 6.4% to CNY 45,200 per tonne. Wafer prices slipped as well, with G10L at CNY 1.03, G12R at...
Forest Advocates Accuse EU Energy Firm of Dutch Biomass Certification Fraud
Forest groups and Dutch authorities allege that energy giant RWE imported Malaysian wood pellets labeled as Category 5 waste but actually sourced from whole trees, violating EU biomass‑certification rules. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service is weighing a criminal investigation after advocacy...
Rio Tinto Slows Quebec Lithium Plant Build, Timeline Intact
Rio Tinto announced it will slow construction of the Nemaska lithium processing plant in Quebec, halving its contractual workforce to manage rising costs. The plant, now about 70% complete, is slated to produce 32,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide annually, with...
Researchers Assess Bioaccessibility of Toxic Elements in Mining Waste
Researchers conducted a meta‑analysis of 23 studies covering 228 mining‑related samples to assess the bioaccessibility of lead and arsenic. They found that total metal concentrations and pH are the strongest predictors of how much of these contaminants become soluble in...
The Impact of U.S.-Venezuela Relations on Ocean Shipping
U.S. sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector are intensifying, combining aggressive enforcement such as tanker seizures with narrowly‑tailored licenses for limited oil and diluent exports. The heightened scrutiny is affecting ocean transportation, with regulators, insurers, and lenders examining vessel movements, charter...
Ivanhoe Electric Gets $58.4 Million Cash Boost From Colombia Sale
Ivanhoe Electric will receive approximately $58.4 million from Cordoba Minerals' cash distribution after Cordoba sold its remaining 50% stake in Colombia's Alacran copper‑gold project for $128 million. The distribution amounts to $1.01 per Cordoba share, with Ivanhoe holding 57.8 million shares. The inflow...
Sky Gold to Drill Evening Star Property, Walker Lane Trend, Nevada
Sky Gold Corp. has hired Titan Drilling to commence a diamond core program at its Evening Star property in Nevada, targeting the High Life copper‑gold porphyry system and the historic CRD‑style hole 70‑1. Recent magnetic, IP and gravity surveys reveal...
Middle East Shipping Disruptions Boost US Position as Top LNG Exporter
Historic shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have halted roughly 20% of global LNG flow, prompting buyers to seek alternatives. The United States, already the world’s largest LNG exporter, is set to nearly double its export capacity by 2031,...
What Is Dictating Solar Module Price Increases?
Solar module price growth is now driven primarily by five cost pillars: silver paste, polysilicon, glass, aluminium, and energy‑water inputs. Silver paste remains the largest single expense, with record‑high silver prices in early 2026 inflating cell costs. Polysilicon, accounting for...
Ongoing Tariffs, Iran War Weigh on Aluminum Prices
U.S. Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and tinplate steel remain at 50%, despite a Supreme Court ruling that struck down broader trade measures. The Midwest Premium for aluminum broke the $1‑per‑pound barrier in January 2026, pushing input costs for metal‑packaging producers...
Vietnam and the Geopolitics of Critical Minerals
Vietnam has tightened restrictions on raw rare‑earth exports to force domestic refining, positioning itself as a niche superpower in critical minerals. Meanwhile, the United States is building a broad coalition of more than 50 partners through initiatives like the Critical...
Lynas, JARE Sign MoU on Rare Earths Value Chain
Australian rare‑earth producer Lynas Rare Earths and Japan Australia Rare Earths (JARE) have signed a non‑binding memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation across the rare‑earths value chain. The MoU follows a revised supply agreement that secures a 5,000‑tonne per annum...
Copper Fox Updates Results From 2025 Program at Schaft Creek, British Columbia
Copper Fox Metals reported the completion of its C$15.8 million 2025 geotechnical, environmental and hydrogeological program at the Schaft Creek joint‑venture in British Columbia. The studies confirmed that existing databases are adequate for scoping‑level designs but identified gaps that must be...
‘Largest and Heaviest’ Part of $5.1B LNG Development Reaches Canadian Shores (Gallery)
Woodfibre LNG received its largest liquefaction module, weighing over 10,800 metric tonnes, at the Squamish‑area project site. The module, the 15th of 19, will cool natural gas to –162 °C using Siemens electric‑drive technology powered by British Columbia’s renewable grid. The...
Mintek Spearheading Rare Earth Elements Recovery From Discard Coal, Fly Ash
South Africa’s state‑owned Mintek is leading a research programme to extract rare‑earth elements and other critical metals from discard coal and coal‑fly‑ash waste. By redesigning its hydrometallurgy process, the team sidesteps the silica‑dissolution issue that previously halted REE recovery. Funding...
Edge Copper Unveils PEA Results for Arizona Project
Edge Copper Corp. released a NI 43-101‑compliant preliminary economic assessment for its 100% owned Zonia Copper Project in Arizona. The PEA outlines an open‑pit, heap‑leach SX‑EW operation with total capital costs of $524.5 million and a projected 10‑year mine life, processing...
Aya Gold & Silver Launches Boumadine Project Feasibility Study, Morocco
Aya Gold & Silver Inc. has initiated a feasibility‑level work program for its Boumadine polymetallic project in Morocco, targeting completion by the second half of 2027. The effort builds on a November 2025 Preliminary Economic Assessment and involves a 360,000‑metre...
JV Q&A: Dundee Sustainable Eases Processing Risk
Dundee Sustainable Technologies is helping miners mitigate processing risk by removing arsenic from sulphide‑bearing concentrates and stabilising it into an inert glass product. ESG scrutiny is pushing regulators and financiers to evaluate processing routes earlier, prompting miners to engage Dundee...
