CNOOC Starts Full Production at Bohai's Kenli Oilfield
China's state‑owned CNOOC announced full production at the Kenli 10‑2 oilfield Phase I in the Bohai Sea, delivering over 20,440 barrels of oil per day. The offshore project, operating at a shallow 20‑meter water depth, is part of a broader push that has lifted Bohai’s cumulative oil‑and‑gas‑equivalent output past 40 million metric tons. CNOOC holds a 100 % stake and plans to drill 79 development wells across a central platform and two unmanned wellhead platforms. Proven geological reserves exceed 100 million metric tons, underscoring the field’s long‑term potential.
Indonesia’s Dive Into Economic Nationalism
Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto announced that all exports of selected raw materials will be funneled through a new state‑owned enterprise under the Danantara holding. The move is pitched as a way to combat under‑invoicing, which the government estimates cost $6.5 billion...
Gas-Based Hydrogen Hopeful Among Shortlisted “Low-Emission” Proposals for Troubled Whyalla Steelworks
Australia’s Whyalla steelworks and the nation’s only manganese smelter are nearing new ownership after a competitive shortlist was announced. M Resources, backed by Hazer Group’s low‑emission hydrogen technology, and India’s Jindal Steel emerged as the two final bidders, while BlueScope...
India, US Aim to Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply Chains With New Framework
India and the United States signed a bilateral framework in New Delhi on May 26 to cooperate on critical minerals and rare‑earth supply chains. The agreement covers mining, processing, recycling, and project financing, and dovetails with a broader Quad initiative that...
Critica Unlocks 14x TREO Concentrate Uplift at Jupiter, Reinforces Low-Cost Beneficiation
Critica’s Jupiter pilot plant achieved a 14‑fold increase in rare‑earth oxide (TREO) concentration, delivering a ~3% TREO intermediate concentrate from a 2,137 ppm feed. The process rejected 95% of the feed mass, concentrating the valuable rare earths into just 5% of...
Minrex Has Path to Gold-Silver Growth Run at Tlamino
Minrex Resources is centering its 2026 growth plan on the Tlamino gold‑silver project in Serbia, launching a fully funded 7,000‑metre drilling campaign to upgrade the Barje resource and explore the adjacent Barje‑Liska corridor. The current NI 43‑101 estimate lists 570,000...
Metal Bank Taps Terra Mining for Work at Seven Leaders Deposit
Metal Bank has engaged Terra Mining to conduct mining and crushing at its Seven Leaders gold deposit in Western Australia. The deposit, part of the broader Whiteheads project, contains roughly 6,300 ounces of gold. Work is slated to begin later...
Barton Gold Delivers High-Grade Assays From Phase 2 Drilling at Tunkillia’s Area 51
Australian explorer Barton Gold reported its first Phase 2 assay results from the Tunkillia project’s Area 51 open pit in South Australia. The 30,000‑metre reverse‑circulation drill returned multiple high‑grade intervals, including a 6.65 g/t Au over 2 m and several 1‑3 g/t Au zones extending...
UNEP Highlights the Need for Sustainable Sand Extraction
The United Nations Environment Programme warned that rising global sand demand is driving unsustainable extraction that threatens rivers, coasts and biodiversity, and called for stricter regulation and alternative materials. In Europe, Recticel Group opened an industrial‑scale recycled polyol plant in...
Marble Powder Strengthens Sustainable Mine Haul Roads
A new Scientific Reports study shows that blending 25% marble‑powder waste with 2% hydrated lime transforms weak, swelling clay into a high‑performance base for mine haul roads. Laboratory tests and PLAXIS 3D simulations recorded a stiffness increase from 23.8 MPa to 164 MPa...
For 44 Years, Australia Has Subsidised Diesel Use. Is It Time to Stop?
Australia’s diesel fuel rebate, introduced in 1982 to cushion farmers, has ballooned into a near‑$5 bn (≈$3.3 bn USD) annual subsidy largely captured by the mining sector. BHP has drawn criticism for spending hundreds of millions on new diesel haul trucks in the...
Peru’s Quellaveco Mine Tied to Water Scarcity, Contamination, Investigation Finds
A joint investigation by Red Muqui and other NGOs alleges that Anglo American’s Quellaveco copper‑molybdenum mine in Peru’s Moquegua region is contaminating water sources with arsenic, mercury, lead and copper, while depleting water supplies for local agriculture. The study cites high...
The Pentagon’s Mineral Reckoning
The U.S. Department of Defense now treats critical minerals as a core component of national security, recognizing that modern weapons systems rely on rare inputs such as rare earths, lithium and cobalt. A widening gap between soaring defense‑related demand and...
Trump’s Iran Signals Send Oil Markets Into Chaos
U.S. President Trump’s tentative framework with Iran and subsequent strikes triggered a dramatic swing in crude markets, with Brent plunging 6% before rebounding to around $100 per barrel. The volatility coincides with a looming Super Niño that could raise LNG demand,...
Rwanda: Trinity Metals Launches Deep Drilling At Nyakabingo Mine
Trinity Metals has launched an advanced deep‑drilling programme at Rwanda’s Nyakabingo mine, targeting depths of about 850 metres to test whether tungsten‑bearing veins extend further underground. The mine currently produces 100‑110 tonnes of wolframite per month, supporting a 1,600‑hectare concession estimated to...
Nevada Sunrise Enters Into Earn-In Option Agreement for the Fivemile Gold Project, Cortez Mining District, Nevada
Nevada Sunrise Metals has signed an earn‑in option to acquire up to a 79% working interest in the 5,496‑acre Fivemile Gold Project, located in Nevada’s prolific Cortez mining district near Barrick’s Fourmile deposit. The agreement lets the company earn the...
Whale Head Minerals Signs PSA over South African Project
Whale Head Minerals, a Kazera Global subsidiary, signed a 50:50 production‑sharing agreement with South African processor Rare Earth Minerals International for the Walviskop heavy mineral sands project. REMI will install a processing plant valued at roughly $1.28 million and contribute about $34,560 per month,...
Copper Fox Metals Reports More Mineralized Intervals at the Van Dyke ISCR Project, Arizona
Copper Fox Metals announced the final analytical results from its 2026 diamond drill core sampling program at the Van Dyke in‑situ copper recovery (ISCR) project in Arizona. Fifteen of the 18 newly analyzed drill holes surpassed the 0.025% total soluble...
Namibian Uranium Production Surges as Chinese Firms Ramp Up Exploration
Namibia’s uranium output rose again in 2025, marking a third consecutive year of growth. State‑owned Chinese nuclear giants China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) and China General Nuclear (CGN) boosted production through their local subsidiaries, while Australian miner Paladin Energy expanded...
Indonesia’s Coal Policy Shifts Test Investor Confidence
Indonesia announced that a new state-owned entity, Danantara Sumber Daya Indonesia (DSI), will handle coal and two other commodity exports, a move that reverses the three‑year RKAB quota system and adds a single‑window reporting requirement from 1 June. The policy aims...
BHP Urged to Assess Rare Earths at Olympic Dam
BHP has signed a revised 78‑page indenture with South Australia that obliges the miner to assess the commercial viability of extracting rare‑earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium from its Olympic Dam complex within two years. The agreement also clears the...
There Is 168 MT Coal Buffer to Meet Summer Demand, Says Coal India
Coal India announced a 168 million tonne (MT) coal buffer to meet India’s summer power demand, combining mine‑head stocks, plant inventories, and coal in transit. As of late May, domestic coal‑based plants held 47.6 MT while CIL’s own mines stored 113.5 MT, a...
China’s Rare Earth Grip Exposes UK Critical Minerals Vulnerabilities
A UK parliamentary economic‑security inquiry highlighted Britain’s heavy reliance on China for rare‑earth elements, noting that over 80% of global supply comes from Beijing. The testimony warned that any disruption in Chinese exports could jeopardise critical‑mineral‑dependent sectors such as defence,...
Mission (Almost) Impossible for BHP at Olympic Dam
BHP is weighing a government request to extract value from the waste dumps at its Olympic Dam operation, where 131 distinct minerals are currently discarded. The initiative, dubbed a "Mission (almost) Impossible," aims to turn tailings into recoverable resources. If successful,...
Haultrax – 100% Growth in Mining Deployments Following New FMS Launch
Haultrax reported a 100% increase in active mining fleet‑management system deployments after unveiling a new commercial model, user interface and HXTag hardware at IMARC 2025. In just four months the company achieved a 24‑fold rise in quarterly customer acquisition, with...
Australia’s Santos to Pursue Papua LNG, Alaska Oil
Australian independent Santos announced a strategic shift to prioritize its most profitable assets, slashing domestic capex by roughly US$198 million and targeting annual savings of about US$99 million after 2027. The company will concentrate on the 80,000 b/d Pikka Phase 1 oil field in...
Contango Launches Kitsault Valley Drilling
Contango Silver & Gold has kicked off a 40,000‑meter drill campaign at its Kitsault Valley project in northern British Columbia to upgrade and expand its silver‑gold resources. The program targets resource and infill holes across the Dolly Varden and Homestake Ridge...
MinRes Commits to Mt Marion Lithium Expansion Including Flotation Plant
Mineral Resources (MinRes) has given the final investment decision to invest about A$490 million (≈US$323 million) in expanding its Mt Marion lithium operation in Western Australia, partnering with Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium. The plan adds a US$158 million flotation plant, underground pre‑production development and ancillary...
Sandvik Launches AutoMine® Aura ‘First-of-Its-Kind’ Automation Platform
Swedish equipment maker Sandvik unveiled AutoMine® Aura, a next‑generation underground mining automation platform. The system adds a 3‑D perception navigation suite that has demonstrated a 15% increase in material moved in a harsh underground mine. Aura integrates with existing mine...
Metso Introduces Advanced Lithium Carbonate Process to Support Battery Materials Production
Metso has launched an upgraded lithium carbonate production process that converts spodumene concentrate into battery‑grade lithium carbonate in a single pass. The technology promises higher yields, lower operating costs and reduced waste, eliminating by‑products such as sodium sulfate. By integrating...
Viking Locks in Driller for Nevada Tungsten Blitz
Viking Mines has contracted US‑based DrilCor to execute a 63‑hole reverse‑circulation drilling campaign at its Linka tungsten project in Nevada, with the rig expected on site in late June. The six‑week program will test three target zones, including 36 holes...
India's Mine Block Operationalisation Picks Up
India’s mines ministry reported a sharp acceleration in mineral block auctions and operationalisation. In fiscal 2025‑26, a record 212 blocks were auctioned and 36 blocks were operationalised, including 28 greenfield sites. Over the past five years, annual auctions have risen...
China’s Zoomlion Introduces Hybrid, Autonomous Mining Tech at Mining Expo
Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology used the 2026 Global Mining Machinery Expo to launch more than 40 new‑energy mining products, including the hybrid ZWL360 loader, ZTE450HEV truck and dual‑engine ZE1650G excavator. The company highlighted its ZM‑i Adaptive Super Energy...
Congo Rebels Want to Sell Critical Minerals to US: Report
Rwanda‑backed M23 rebel group in eastern DRC is courting the United States to become a direct supplier of critical minerals such as tantalum, tin and tungsten. The militia hopes the Trump administration’s drive to diversify away from Chinese sources will...
ARLYX ‘Complete Autonomous Solution’ for Underground Material Handling
ARLYX Technologies unveiled the first fully electric, autonomous material‑handling solution designed specifically for underground mines. The system combines a utility vehicle with an AutoLatch™ module that can transport, load and unload up to 5,000 kg without human presence, even during blasting...
Natural Disasters, Mineral Resources, and Armed Conflict: A Spatial Durbin Model Analysis of the African Great Lakes Region
The study applies a Spatial Durbin Model to panel data from 2000‑2023 across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia, examining how mineral resource dependence and natural disasters affect armed conflict. It finds that reliance on...
BHP Scales Back Once Critical Decarbonisation Plans
BHP has halted its solar‑battery project at the Jimblebar iron ore mine and postponed a 500 MW renewable‑energy and storage system, also scrapping a lower‑emissions processing plant that could have cut 1.7 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. The miner says it...
Guinea Unveils Plan to Curb Bauxite Exports After Surge
Guinea, the world’s largest bauxite producer, will unveil export‑control reforms in June after a 25% surge in shipments to 183 million tonnes in 2025 drove prices down almost 50% from their early‑2024 peak. The government says limiting exports will rebalance supply,...
Why Hasn’t Oil Hit $150?
Oil prices have risen to just over $100 a barrel three months after the Strait of Hormuz was fully closed, far short of the $150 many expected. The restraint is due to unusually high global inventories, floating storage, and OPEC’s...
Brazilian Rare Earths Announces the Alurion Resources Limited Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer
Brazilian Rare Earths Limited (BRE) announced the appointment of Mauricio Noronha as CEO and a seasoned board for its newly formed subsidiary Alurion Resources, which will own the Amargosa Bauxite Project in Bahia, Brazil. The board brings deep expertise from...
HM Exploration Expands Lewis Pilley’s Project to ~60 Km²
HM Exploration Corp. has expanded its Lewis Pilley’s Project in Newfoundland by staking 67 new mineral claims, increasing the land package to roughly 60.25 km² and giving it full control of Pilley’s Island for the first time in recent history. The company...
More Gas for UK: North Sea Wind-Powered Platform Back Online After Five-Year Hiatus
Perenco UK has revived the Davy gas field in the Southern North Sea after a five‑year shutdown, delivering roughly 14 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the Bacton terminal. The restart follows a comprehensive upgrade that simplified the...
BHP Quietly Scrapped Plan to Build Pilbara Plant that Would Have Drastically Cut Emissions
BHP quietly scrapped a planned beneficiation plant at its Jimblebar mine in Western Australia, a project that would have upgraded iron ore quality and cut scope‑three emissions by about 1.7 million tonnes annually. The plant was expected to generate a premium...
Meiteng’s Full-Size Intelligent Coal Dry Separation Plant in Mongolia
Meiteng Technology has operated a full‑size intelligent coal dry‑separation plant in Mongolia’s Gobi region since October 2025. The water‑free system processes 285 t/h, raising coal calorific value by roughly 2,200 kcal/kg while cutting ash by 25‑28%. Leveraging its proprietary TDS® and TGS®...
How to Invest in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is emerging as a strategic source of critical minerals as the West confronts China’s dominance in rare‑earths, tungsten and uranium. The country already supplies 40% of global uranium, 18% of aerospace titanium and is expanding into manganese, gallium and...
Meeka Metals Begins Judy North Underground Development at Murchison Gold Project
Meeka Metals has begun underground development of the Judy North orebody at its Andy Well mine in Western Australia. The orebody contains an initial 96,000 ounces of gold at 5.4 g/t, and work is underway on two levels with three more...
Perpetual Resources Confirms Battery Metals Pegmatites in Brazil’s Lithium Valley
Perpetual Resources confirmed a coherent pegmatite trend at its Mauricio target within Brazil’s Minas Gerais "Lithium Valley" after completing 196 m of trenching across four trenches. The trenching revealed pegmatite continuity over at least 167 m of strike, with thicknesses ranging from 2 m...
Koonenberry Grows District-Scale Potential at Enmore with Queen of Sheba Rock Chips
Koonenberry Gold (ASX:KNB) is fast‑tracking approvals to drill the Queen of Sheba prospect after rock chips delivered a peak assay of 87 g/t gold, with 19 samples exceeding 5 g/t across a 700‑metre strike. The discovery adds a third parallel fault to...
European Gas Storage Can’t Survive 3 More Months of Hormuz
Europe’s gas storage sits at only 35‑37% of capacity, far short of the 50% seasonal norm and the EU’s 80‑90% winter target. A prolonged 1‑3‑month disruption in Hormuz shipping could push Dutch TTF prices to €90/MWh (about $98/MWh), forcing industrial...
3 Rare Earth Stocks That Win No Matter What China Does Next
U.S.–China rare‑earth truce remains fragile, with China still limiting shipments and the agreement set to expire in November 2026. Despite the truce, Washington is pouring billions into domestic producers, creating a price floor and backing projects from Greenland to Texas. Analysts...