Iraq Turns to Risky Overland Routes as Oil Exports Collapse
Iraq’s oil exports have slumped about 80 % to roughly 1.2‑1.3 million barrels per day after the Strait of Hormuz became effectively closed. The government, which depends on oil for up to 95 % of its budget, is confronting a severe fiscal shortfall. To keep crude flowing, Iraq reopened the Rabia‑Yarubiyah border crossing with Syria, allowing trucks to transport oil to Mediterranean ports. However, overland trucking is costly, logistically strained, and vulnerable to security threats, making it a temporary fix rather than a long‑term solution.
Apatite Interaction Enables Rapid Phosphate Removal in Estuaries
A massive 800 million‑liter discharge of phosphate‑laden stack water from the Piney Point gypstack entered Tampa Bay in 2021. Researchers tracking the plume found that pre‑existing apatite in estuarine sediments adsorbed and precipitated most of the dissolved phosphate within the first...
New Treaty to End the Fossil Fuel Era Is Needed More than Ever (Commentary)
A coalition of more than 50 nations will convene in Santa Marta, Colombia, to launch the first International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, aiming to lay groundwork for a global Fossil Fuel Treaty. The conference follows soaring oil prices—over...
Gina Rinehart-Backed Miner Achieves Remarkable 95.7 Pct Renewable Share in March Quarter, Slashing Diesel Costs
Australian rare‑earth miner Lynas Rare Earths reported that its off‑grid Mt Weld operation ran on 95.7 % renewable electricity in the March quarter, far above the 70 % target. The hybrid system—7 MW solar, 24 MW wind and a 12 MW/12 MWh battery—allowed the site to...
Has Global Gold Production Really Peaked — Or Is a New Supply Cycle Beginning?
Gold prices have surged above $5,500 per ounce in 2026 while mine production has barely risen, creating a structural supply gap. Global mine output grew from 3,516 metric tons in 2016 to a record 3,672 metric tons in 2025, far short of...
Qatar LNG Disruption Triggers Power Crisis in Pakistan
Pakistan’s power grid is under severe strain after QatarEnergy halted LNG production following Iranian strikes. LNG imports fell 67%, forcing daily load‑shedding and factory shutdowns, while hydro, nuclear and gas outputs also slipped. The government faces a trade‑off between costly...
I Get Byro with a Little Help From My Friends – How Science Could Unlock a WA Rare Earths Monster
Octava Minerals is advancing a bio‑leaching pilot at its Byro project in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region to extract rare earth elements, lithium and vanadium from black‑shale deposits. Recent test work with CSIRO cultures delivered recoveries of up to 68 % for...
Volt Carbon Receives Third U.S. Patent Allowance for Dry Separation Tech
Volt Carbon Technologies announced the allowance of its third U.S. patent covering a proprietary dry‑separation process for graphite. The water‑free method preserves the crystalline structure of graphite, improving yields for battery‑grade material, expandable graphite and graphene while cutting processing time...
Independent Testing Where Tesla’s Lithium Refinery Discharges Wastewater Found Toxic Metals
Independent testing by Eurofins found hexavalent chromium and arsenic in wastewater from Tesla's $1 billion lithium‑refinery near Corpus Christi, contaminants not covered by the plant’s state permit. Texas regulators previously reported compliance but did not test for heavy metals, creating a...
Argentina Lithium Gets $100M to Advance Rincon West
Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. secured US$100 million from Chinese partner Xi’an Lanshen to advance the Rincon West brine project in Salta. The funding is staged: pilot‑scale direct lithium extraction for pre‑feasibility, engineering and permitting, then construction of a commercial plant....
Copper Leads Weekly Surge in Global Commodity Prices as DRC Mining Products Show Mixed Trends
Copper prices climbed to $12,836 per ton in the week of April 20‑25, up $688 from the prior week, extending a multi‑week rally. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) also projected gains for gold, tin, wolframite and silver ore, while...
DRC Govt Cracks Down on Illegal Gold Mining in Ituri Amid Major Sector Reform Push
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining ministry launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal gold mining in Ituri Province, ordering the closure of several unlicensed sites and seizing heavy equipment. Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba led field missions in Mahagi...
Emerson Releases New Software for Remote Operations
Emerson announced DeltaV Live Enterprise View, a new software that extends real‑time control system visualization to secure web browsers. The solution offers read‑only, role‑based access to live plant displays without modifying existing control systems. By leveraging the DeltaV Edge Environment,...
Benefiting From Rising Lithium Prices, Ganfeng Lithium Expects Q1 Return to Profitability
Ganfeng Lithium said its Q1 2026 net profit will hit ¥1.6‑2.1 bn ($220‑290 million), a 550‑690% jump from a year earlier, with adjusted profit of ¥1.25‑1.75 bn ($174‑243 million). The surge stems from soaring battery‑grade lithium carbonate prices, now around ¥150,000 per ton ($21,000),...
Komatsu Commissions 1,000 Autonomous Ultra-Class Trucks
Komatsu has commissioned its 1,000th autonomous ultra‑class haul truck, a 930E‑5AT deployed at Barrick’s Nevada Gold Mines, making it the first OEM to reach this milestone. Roughly 52% of the fleet are 930E models, with 830E and 980E each accounting...
Ultrabulk Handymax Makes First Transatlantic Biomass Delivery
Ultra Yorkshire, an Ultrabulk handymax carrier, completed its first transatlantic voyage delivering 29,000 tonnes of biomass pellets from Baton Rouge to Liverpool for Drax Power Station. The trip used B100 biofuel, cutting CO₂ emissions by roughly 90 % versus conventional marine fuel....
DRC’s Economic Rise Gains Momentum as Mining Boom and Currency Reforms Reshape Growth
The International Monetary Fund projects the Democratic Republic of Congo’s GDP to reach roughly $123 billion in 2026, positioning it as the fifth‑largest economy in Sub‑Saharan Africa. Growth is driven by a mining boom that now contributes about 25% of GDP...
Stakeholder Discusses Ballarat Phase 1 Exploration Program
Stakeholder Gold Corp announced a 2,000‑meter exploration drilling program at its 100% owned Ballarat Gold‑Copper Project in the Yukon, slated to begin around May 1, 2026. The campaign will test four greenfield targets—Skye Gold, Loki Copper, East and Northwest Zones—using shallow diamond...
Boonray Signs Cooperation Deal with Vale Indonesia Following Successful Electric Mining Truck Trial
Shanghai Boonray Intelligent Technology and PT Vale Indonesia have signed a strategic cooperation agreement after a successful trial of Boonray’s all‑electric mining trucks. The trial demonstrated stable operation and more than 50% reduction in energy costs, prompting Vale to become...
Alcoa Adding Aluminum Capacity to Offset War Outages
Alcoa Corp is rapidly adding primary‑aluminum smelting capacity at plants in Portland, Australia, Brazil, Norway and Spain to capture price premiums sparked by war‑driven supply cuts in the Middle East. CEO Bill Oplinger said the higher regional premiums in North...
Bring Back the Helium Reserve—Before the Next Shock Hits
Iran-linked attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex in March shut down a facility that supplies roughly one‑third of the world’s helium, sending prices soaring and tightening supplies for high‑tech sectors. Helium’s unique physical properties make long‑term stockpiling difficult, and the United...
Magnetite Mines Initiates Drilling at Ironback Hill
Magnetite Mines has begun a 2,000‑metre air‑core drilling campaign at its Ironback Hill rare‑earth element (REE) project in north‑east South Australia after rain‑induced access delays. The program targets clay‑hosted, near‑surface REE mineralisation identified from re‑examined 2011‑12 iron‑ore drill cores. Permits...
Viscount Mining Drilling Kate Silver Deposit at Silver Cliff Project, Colorado
Viscount Mining has launched a 2026 drilling campaign at the Kate Silver deposit, the core of its 100%-owned Silver Cliff Project in Colorado. The 10‑hole, 1,000‑metre program aims to expand the existing NI 43‑101 resource, which currently stands at roughly...
Macmahon to Carry Out Contract Works at Central Tanami Gold Project
Macmahon Holdings’ subsidiary, Macmahon Underground, has been appointed preferred contractor for the Groundrush exploration decline at the Central Tanami Gold Project in the Northern Territory. The A$38 million (≈US$27 million) contract covers portal, ventilation and about 3,500 m of underground decline development, with...
NavPrakriti to Invest over ₹100 Cr in Critical Minerals Refining Facility in Odisha
NavPrakriti, a lithium‑ion battery recycling firm, announced a investment of over ₹100 crore (approximately $12 million) to build a critical‑minerals refining facility in Odisha. The plant, slated to start operations in FY 2028‑29, will process up to 5,000 metric tonnes of end‑of‑life batteries each...
Copper Fox Metals Updates Van Dyke ISCR Project, Arizona
Copper Fox Metals reported progress on its Van Dyke ISCR copper project in Arizona, where a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) and a 3‑D groundwater flow model are advancing. The project targets 85 million pounds of 99.99% pure copper cathode per year...
Nigeria: Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Illegal Mining
Niger State officials arrested two Chinese nationals conducting unauthorised mining at the Zuzungi site in Minna. The detainees were transferred to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and possible prosecution. Commissioner Alhaji Muhammad Qasim Danjuma highlighted a zero‑tolerance stance...
Rio Tinto Copper Surge Offsets Iron Ore Disruption
Rio Tinto reported a 9% year‑over‑year rise in first‑quarter copper output to 229,000 tonnes, driven by the Oyu Tolgoi underground ramp‑up in Mongolia. The gain offset a 13% increase in Pilbara iron‑ore production that was marred by cyclone‑related shipment delays. Ongoing...
Vaalco Reports Strong Gabon Well Results, Baobab FPSO Restart On Track
Vaalco Energy announced that its Etame 14H development well offshore Gabon delivered an initial 4,850 barrels of oil per day gross, equating to 2,850 net BOPD, after intersecting 325 metres of high‑quality sand. The company has also begun drilling the EEBOM‑5H sidetrack...
G Mining Ventures Reports Q1 2026 Preliminary Gold Production of 31,846 Oz
G Mining Ventures reported preliminary Q1 2026 results from its 100% owned Tocantinzinho Gold Mine in Pará, Brazil. The operation produced 31,846 oz of gold and sold 33,776 oz, processing 11,811 tpd with a 90.3% recovery rate. The quarter emphasized accelerated waste stripping and...
Oceaneering Pilots ROV on Brazilian Offshore Drilling Rig From Land
Oceaneering successfully piloted a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) on a Petrobras drilling rig offshore Brazil from its on‑shore Remote Operations Centre (OROC) in Macaé. The test marks the first land‑based control of an offshore ROV in the region, building on...
Liberty Star Acquires 13 New Arizona Mining Permits
Liberty Star Minerals announced the acquisition of 13 new mineral exploration permits in Arizona’s Tombstone Mining District, expanding its holdings to roughly 45 square miles. The latest permits add about 11 square miles and incorporate the Earp Ridge and Red...
How the US Is Bankrolling a Worldwide Tungsten Network
Washington is orchestrating a coordinated tungsten strategy that blends Export‑Import Bank (EXIM) and Development Finance Corporation (DFC) loans, Pentagon funding, and strategic stockpiling to curb dependence on China. The approach funds overseas projects in Kazakhstan, Australia, the UK and Rwanda...
Fortescue Launches Ad Campaign Against Billion-Dollar Diesel Tax ‘Handouts’ to Miners
Mining giant Fortescue launched a national TV and radio campaign demanding the removal of diesel tax credits that it calls a billion‑dollar handout to the sector. The company, which claimed A$308 million (≈US$203 million) in credits for 600 million litres of diesel in...
Norway's March Oil, Gas Output Tops Forecast
Norway’s offshore sector delivered 0.691 million standard cubic metres per day in March, equating to 4.35 million barrels of oil equivalent, surpassing the regulator’s forecast by 2.8%. Crude‑oil output jumped 8.1% year‑on‑year to 1.94 million barrels per day, outpacing the 1.80 million‑bpd estimate. Natural‑gas...
Rio Tinto Considers Options to Exit RBM
Rio Tinto announced it is evaluating options to exit its Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) titanium operation while also testing the market for its borates business. Production of titanium‑dioxide slag fell 2% to 218,000 tonnes in Q1, and the company now...
New Framework Could Turn Mining Waste Into Low Carbon Building Material
Researchers at Heriot‑Watt University have unveiled a mineral‑based framework that systematically classifies mine tailings for reuse in cement and other construction materials. The method draws on a meta‑analysis of more than 5,000 studies, using each material’s mineral fingerprint to predict...
Can Lab-Grown Diamonds Win the Long-Game on Ethics?
Consumer indifference to diamond origins persists despite growing demand for ethical products, with less than 0.5% of buyers caring about provenance. The $100 billion global diamond market, including $30 billion flowing through Surat, India, remains plagued by opaque supply chains and labor...
'Price of Red Diesel Is Putting Us in the Red'
UK farmers are grappling with a steep rise in red diesel, the off‑road fuel used for tractors, which jumped from about £0.78 per litre ($1.00) before the Middle‑East conflict to £1.38 ($1.75) on Monday – a 56% increase. The price...
Cummins Reaches 100-Year Milestone in Global Mining Operations
Cummins is celebrating a century of supplying power to the global mining sector, marking its first involvement in rope shovels and excavators in the 1920s. Over the decades the company has expanded from basic diesel engines to high‑horsepower platforms, turbocharging,...
Aurum Rigs Roar as Thick High-Grade Gold Hits Stack up in West Africa
Aurum Resources reported a series of thick, high‑grade gold intercepts at its Boundiali BDT2 deposit in Côte d’Ivoire, highlighted by a 36‑metre, 1.99 g/t interval that includes a 27.97 g/t spike. The 40‑hole, 12,000‑metre drill campaign is expanding the known mineralised envelope...
Luis Yanza, Campaigner Who Battled Big Oil in the Amazon Rainforest
Luis Yanza, the grassroots organizer who linked more than 80 Amazon villages to the multibillion‑dollar Chevron lawsuit, died on March 27, 2026. He helped build the legal strategy that led to a 2012 Ecuadorian court ordering Chevron to pay billions...
Rio Tinto Reports Manufacturing-Linked Output Growth in Q1 on Copper and Aluminium Strength
Rio Tinto reported a 9% year‑on‑year rise in copper equivalent production for Q1 2026, driven by higher output at the Oyu Tolgoi mine and a solid aluminium segment that posted a 1% increase in primary aluminium and a 6% rise in alumina....
Cold War Echoes of Great Power Minerals Strategy
China and the United States are accelerating strategies to dominate critical mineral supply chains, echoing Cold War‑era resource competition. Beijing has embedded mineral security in its 14th Five‑Year Plan, introduced licensing rules and consolidated rare‑earth producers under state‑backed groups. Washington...
Circular Water Recovery Transforms Mining Waste Streams
A new study of Poland’s hard‑coal sector reveals that roughly 200 million m³ of mine water—carrying about 1.5 million Mg of dissolved salts—are discharged each year, creating severe ecological pressure. By applying circular‑economy principles, researchers show that desalination and mineral crystallization can turn this...
Goldman Prize Winner Alannah Hurley Fights Pebble Mine “From a Place of Love”
Alannah Hurley, executive director of the United Tribes of Bristol Bay, received the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize for leading the successful opposition to the Pebble Mine project in Alaska. The EPA’s 2023 veto of the copper‑gold mine, citing unacceptable impacts...
Why Coal Is Surging
Coal is experiencing a notable resurgence, driven by renewed demand across multiple regions. The article highlights coal’s historic role in powering industrialization and electrification, then points to a contemporary uptick in production and consumption. Recent data show global output climbing...
Why Defense & Energy Needs Are Repricing Critical Minerals
Steve Schoffstall of Sprott Asset Management highlighted that soaring global defense spending—now exceeding $2.6 trillion—is reshaping demand for critical minerals such as uranium, copper, and lithium. The shift expands the traditional electric‑vehicle narrative to include military applications, creating tailwinds for Sprott’s...
EU to Widen Iran Sanctions to Those Who Block Hormuz
The European Union announced it will broaden its Iran sanctions regime to target individuals and entities that block the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s self‑imposed closure of the strait has cut roughly one‑fifth of global oil and LNG supplies, disrupting markets....
Chile Targets Faster Permits to Unlock $100B Pipeline
Chile’s Economy and Mining Minister Daniel Mas announced a fast‑track permitting plan to unlock more than $100 billion of mining investment. The new sectoral framework will simplify roughly 200 procedures and shave processing times by about 30% while keeping environmental standards...