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STABILITY PAYS: Eastern Platinum Belt Peace Boosts Mining Output, Investment Confidence
Peace has returned to South Africa’s eastern platinum belt, ending three years of production losses at Northam’s Booysendal mine. From 2023 to 2025 the mine recorded zero output interruptions despite a lingering security incident count. A three‑pronged strategy—enhanced policing, joint community‑development projects, and a monthly CEO forum—has unified six major miners. The collaboration funded a R127 million Steelpoort bridge and a R446 million road upgrade, reinforcing both local economies and investor confidence.
Esperance Shapes up as Major Rare Earths Hub with Broad Mineral Potential
Western Australia’s Esperance region is emerging as a global rare earths hub, with junior explorers uncovering extensive clay‑hosted REE deposits akin to those that have powered China’s dominance. West Cobar Metals’ Salazar project alone hosts 230 Mt of mineralised clay containing...
US Defends Waiver On Russian Oil Sanctions
U.S. officials defended a 30‑day waiver allowing Indian refineries to purchase Russian oil, aiming to ease market pressure as gasoline prices surged amid the Iran conflict. The waiver, announced by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and UN Ambassador Mike Waltz, seeks...
MMG Eyes New Copper Projects in DRC as Global Expansion Strategy Accelerates
MMG Limited is actively scouting advanced copper projects in Africa, with a focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo, to broaden its portfolio amid soaring demand for energy‑transition metals. The miner’s 2025 results showed net profit soaring to $509 million, a...
Crude Oil Spill Draws Large Response at Nation’s Only Deepwater VLCC Port
A mechanical failure at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) on February 26 released roughly 31,500 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico. Federal and state responders have recovered about 27,888 gallons and deployed 464 personnel, 60 vessels, and...
Congolese Geology Team Wins Global Recognition at PDAC 2026
A team of young Congolese geologists from the University of Kinshasa, known as Bana Kongo, earned the Impact and Exploration Award at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2026 Next Generation Explorers competition. Competing against roughly 40 international...
Zambia Ranks Third Most Attractive Mining Investment Destination in Africa
Zambia has risen to become the third‑most attractive mining investment destination in Africa, trailing only Botswana and Morocco, according to the Fraser Institute’s 2025 Annual Survey. Globally, the country improved to 25th place on the Investment Attractiveness Index, up from...
ZIMEC 2026 to Examine Zambia’s Mining and Energy Transition at a Pivotal Moment for Investment and Reform
The 13th Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference (ZIMEC 2026) will convene March 25‑26 in Kitwe, bringing together government officials, financiers, and global mining experts to chart Zambia’s mining and energy transition. With mining accounting for roughly 70% of export...
Second Bulk Carrier Claiming To Be Chinese Passes Through Hormuz
A second bulk carrier, the Liberia‑flagged Sino Ocean, announced Chinese ownership while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, joining Iron Maiden that did the same earlier this week. Both vessels used destination signals like “CHINA OWNER” to seek safe passage amid...
XCMG Signs MoU with Chile’s Copper Mining Giant Codelco
On March 3, Chinese equipment maker XCMG signed a memorandum of understanding with Chile’s state‑run copper miner Codelco, aiming to supply electrified, intelligent mining machinery. The agreement follows a February factory visit by Codelco’s chairman and builds on XCMG’s existing contracts...
Pascale Moehrle Pressed Europe to Take Its Seas Seriously
Pascale Moehrle, who directed Oceana’s European office from 2019 to 2025, died on March 4, 2026. She spent four decades urging EU governments to translate scientific fisheries advice into enforceable policy, curb bottom‑trawling, and make marine protected areas more than “lines on a...
Beyond Mining: Oklahoma Bets on Refining to Anchor US Critical Minerals Supply Chain
U.S. critical‑minerals strategy is shifting from mining to processing, and Oklahoma is positioning itself as a domestic hub for refining, smelting and magnet manufacturing. The state is courting major projects, including a $4 billion aluminum smelter by Emirates Global Aluminium at...
Brazilian Steel Slab Exports Double in February
Brazilian steel slab exports more than doubled in February, reaching 835,327 metric tonnes, up 117% year‑over‑year. The United States and the European Union drove the surge, with U.S. shipments rising 54% despite 50% tariffs and EU imports jumping from 50...
BP Plans For August Maintenance at Central Azeri Platform
BP will conduct an 11‑day scheduled maintenance on the Central Azeri platform in August 2026, targeting only the gas infrastructure while oil output remains uninterrupted. The outage is notably shorter than the typical 19‑day window, thanks to the deployment of...
Thiess Global Summit Visits EACON AHS Retrofitted Trucks at Mulgarrie
Leaders from Thiess, MACA, RTL Mining and Earthworks visited Norton Gold Fields' Mulgarrie site to witness the autonomous trial of two Komatsu HD1500 trucks, Tom and Jerry, retrofitted with EACON’s ORCASTRA® system. These trucks are the world’s first HD1500s equipped...
South Bow Confirms Open Season for New Pipeline to the U.S. Using Legacy Keystone XL Permits
South Bow Corp. has launched an open season for its proposed Prairie Connector pipeline, seeking binding commitments for 450,000 barrels per day of crude transport from Alberta’s Hardisty terminal to U.S. markets. The project will leverage existing Canadian permits originally...
South Korea and the Philippines Expand Ties in Nuclear Energy and Critical Minerals
South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung visited the Philippines on March 3‑4, 2026, marking the 77th anniversary of diplomatic ties and signing ten memoranda of understanding across AI, cybersecurity, defense, and energy. The two leaders pledged deeper cooperation on critical minerals, leveraging...
Environmental Groups Urge Indonesia to Return E-Scrap Shipments
Environmental groups including the Basel Action Network, Nexus3 Foundation and Ecoton have sent an open letter to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto urging the return of 914 containers of suspected illegal electronic waste seized at Batam’s Batu Ampar Port. The letter...
Luca Drills 14g Gold that May Grow Mexico Mine
Luca Mining announced two high‑grade gold intercepts at its Tahuehueto mine, including 14.27 g/t gold over 7.6 m and 6.66 g/t gold over 13.2 m, both drilled just below existing underground workings. The hits occur within 30 m of Level 23, leveraging the mine’s current infrastructure...
Foodservice Packaging Institute Opens Applications for 2026 Foam Recycling Grant Program
The Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) has opened applications for its 2026 Foam Recycling Grant program, offering up to $50,000 to eligible material recovery facilities, curbside programs, and drop‑off sites. Since the program’s launch, more than 15 million residents have gained access...
Next-Gen Rig Simulation: Inside Saipem’s New Drilling Training Centre
Saipem has inaugurated a cutting‑edge Drilling Training Centre equipped with a full‑scale simulator that mirrors offshore rigs. The simulator features a 24‑monitor, eight‑meter screen wall and cyber chairs that replicate real control systems, focusing on deep‑water geological conditions. Accredited by...
Ucore Releases Update on Rare Earths Refining Project
Ucore Rare Metals announced progress on its RapidSX commercial rare‑earth refining facility in Kingston, Ontario, aimed at producing samarium and gadolinium oxides. The project has received conditional approval for up to $36.3 million in Canadian government funding, including $26.3 million from Natural...
Sanmar Delivers Four Electric Tugs to BOTAŞ
Sanmar has delivered four fully electric ElectRA 2500SX tugboats to Turkey’s state‑owned energy company BOTAŞ. The tugs, named BOTAŞ HİLAL, BOTAŞ BAYRAK, BOTAŞ AY and BOTAŞ YILDIZ, will serve the Marmara Ereğlisi LNG Terminal and the Saros FSRU Terminal, providing 70 tons of bollard pull...
Pipeline Gaps and Refinery Shifts Expose California’s Energy Vulnerability
California functions as an “energy island” because it lacks crude‑oil pipelines linking it to major domestic sources such as the Permian Basin. The state now depends on marine imports of heavier Middle‑East crude, which are processed by refineries tuned to...
Can Reshoring and Onshoring Deliver Manufacturing Sustainability Benefits?
U.S. manufacturers are accelerating reshoring and onshoring, with Apple committing over $500 billion and Johnson & Johnson earmarking $55 billion for domestic production through 2029. Companies cite supply‑chain resilience, tariff pressures, and ESG goals as drivers, while surveys show cost remains the dominant factor...
Indonesian Communities Try to Reclaim Lands Following Company Permit Revocations
Indonesia’s government revoked the forest utilization permit of PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) and 27 other firms in January 2026, citing violations that contributed to the deadly 2025 floods and landslides. The revocation affects a 167,927‑ha concession, prompting 29 Indigenous...
Chilean Cobalt Expands District Land Position, Drills NeoRe Rare Earth Project, Chile
Chilean Cobalt Corp. reported that its NeoRe Rare Earth Project in southern Chile has entered an accelerated development phase, adding roughly 2,100 hectares through seven new concessions and identifying more than 20 additional targets. Early drilling has logged about 192...
Samsung Heavy Industries Books French Firm’s Tank Design for New LNG Vessel
Samsung Heavy Industries has contracted French specialist Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) to design the cryogenic tanks for a new LNG carrier. The vessel, slated for delivery in 2028, will feature a 180,000 cubic‑metre capacity and employ GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system....
Minerals Council Suggests Tariff Methodology, Costs as Next Focus for Eskom
The Minerals Council South Africa praised Eskom for achieving a 68.5% energy availability factor, above the 68% target, but warned that the utility’s tariff methodology, legacy diesel contracts, and rising wage costs could push electricity prices beyond inflation. The council...
South32 Hermosa Project Closer to US Federal Approval
South32’s Hermosa zinc‑silver project in Arizona received a Draft Record of Decision and Final Environmental Impact Statement from the U.S. Forest Service, signaling federal approval for key infrastructure on National Forest land. The draft endorses the preferred development alternative, allowing...
MQA Celebrates Its Thirtieth Anniversary
South Africa’s Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) marked its 30th anniversary, highlighting three decades of coordinating training and learnership programmes for the mining sector. Between 2003/4 and 2024/25, the MQA delivered nearly 460,000 beneficiary completions and allocated roughly R12 billion in discretionary...
JSE Censures Mantengu for Not Disclosing 2023 Confidential Information Leak
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has issued a public censure against mining investment firm Mantengu for failing to publish a cautionary announcement after a price‑sensitive acquisition offer was leaked in 2023. The breach stems from WhatsApp messages that revealed the...
South Africa: Government Intensifies Crackdown On Illegal Mining
South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile announced an intensified, intelligence‑driven crackdown on illegal mining in Gauteng, including Operation Vala Umgodi and deployment of the National Defence Force alongside police and regulatory agencies. The government secured funding for a 12‑dimensional National Illicit...
Viridien Launches Charrua 3D Seismic Survey Offshore Uruguay
Viridien has launched the Charrua 3D multi‑client seismic survey offshore Uruguay, deploying the BGP Prospector vessel. The project employs time‑lag full‑waveform inversion (TLFWI) to generate high‑resolution subsurface images. This effort expands Viridien’s data coverage across the southern Atlantic Margin, a region...
New Frontier Finds High Tungsten Levels at Harts Range in Australia
New Frontier Minerals announced substantial tungsten mineralisation at its Harts Range project in Australia after a 27‑hole, 1,803‑metre RC drilling campaign. Surface assays at the Cusp Prospect recorded tungsten‑oxide values between 5,930 ppm and 14,501 ppm, while the Bank Prospect yielded 1,237 ppm...
USAC Secures $27m for Domestic Critical Materials Extraction
USAC secured $27 million from the Department of War under the Defence Production Act to expand domestic antimony extraction. The grant, part of $58.5 million DPA investments this fiscal year, will modernize USAC’s Montana plant and launch new mining operations...
Villagers Resist Police Probe Into Obstruction of Coal Mining Survey
Villagers in Latehar district, Jharkhand, seized a drone and survey materials used by a coal mining firm for the Tubed Coal Mining Project, prompting a police investigation. The community protested, arguing the survey violated the Panchayats Extension to the Scheduled...
Hercules Semi-Sub Rig Lines Up Canada Job Under $170M Deal
SFL Corporation has signed a roughly $170 million contract for its Hercules semi‑submersible rig with an unnamed multinational oil and gas company in Canada. The agreement covers a minimum 400‑day term starting in the first quarter of 2027, with the rig...
CISF to Get Power to Initiate Legal Action Against Illegal Coal Mining
The Indian government will grant the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) legal powers to initiate action against illegal coal mining, mirroring the authority enjoyed by the Railway Protection Force. Currently limited to guarding ten mines, CISF will gain the ability...
Freight Costs Increase Following Military Strikes in the Middle East
Freight rates from the Far East to the U.S. and Europe rose sharply after recent military strikes in the Middle East, according to Xeneta data. Spot prices jumped about 10% on West Coast routes and 9% on East Coast routes,...
NextStar Energy Opens Battery Cell Plant in Canada
NextStar Energy, a joint venture between Stellantis and LG Energy Solution, inaugurated Canada’s first large‑scale battery cell plant in Windsor. The facility began series production in November 2025, manufacturing over one million stationary‑storage cells to date. Stellantis has exited the partnership,...
Intermodal Lags Carloads in Latest U.S. Rail Freight Data
U.S. rail carriers posted a modest 1.6% rise in total traffic for the week ending Feb. 28, reaching 516,729 carloads and intermodal units. Carloads jumped 6.9% driven by a 20% surge in grain shipments, while petroleum, chemicals and metallic ores also...
DELKOR India to Supply Thickener for Arab Potash Expansion Project
DELKOR India has secured a major EPC contract with Arab Potash Company to supply a 50‑meter diameter thickener for the company’s Hot Leach Potash (HLP) capacity expansion. The thickener will be built from superalloy steel, feature a sealed, insulated tank...
Arconic Expands in Iowa
Arconic Corp. announced a $175 million expansion of its Davenport Works casthouse in Iowa, dubbed Pit 10. The project will boost aluminum ingot casting capacity, increase scrap utilization, and improve energy efficiency. It is expected to create 40 new jobs and become...
Multiple Offshore Campaigns on TGS Seismic Vessel’s Agenda
TGS has scheduled multiple acquisition campaigns for its Ramform Vanguard seismic vessel, beginning in mid‑March and extending into the third quarter. The program starts with an oil‑and‑gas site survey before moving to two offshore‑wind contracts, leveraging the vessel’s Ultra High...
China Merchants Unit Orders LNG-Powered Yangtze Bulkers
China Merchants’ subsidiary Changhang Freight has placed an order for two 20,000 dwt LNG‑powered bulk carriers from Jiangxi New Jiangzhou Shipbuilding. The vessels are river‑sea direct bulkers designed for Grade A navigation on the Yangtze River, enabling seamless operation between inland waterways...
NZAOA Adds Transition Targets to Revised Target-Setting Framework
The Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA) has released the fifth edition of its target‑setting framework, introducing explicit transition targets for members. The update tightens expectations on asset managers, requiring disclosure of climate‑solution contributions and more rigorous engagement protocols. By...
Go-Ahead for North Sea Drilling Ops with Odfjell Drilling-Managed Rig
Norway’s regulator Havtil has approved Wellesley Petroleum to drill an exploration well in block 35/10 of the North Sea. The 35/10 16 S well, part of the Carmen appraisal under licence 1148, will be drilled in 365 m water using the Deepsea Yantai...
Gold Digger: Drums of War Have Gold Bugs Calling for US$6000
Gold prices are being pushed higher as Middle East conflict escalates, with Argonaut raising its 12‑month target to $6,000 per ounce and State Street assigning a 35% probability to a bull case of $5,500‑$6,250. Safe‑haven demand has lifted gold ETF...
ARM Confirms Bid to Build Ngqura Manganese Terminal
Rainbow Minerals (ARM) confirmed its participation in a joint‑venture bid with Transnet to build the Ngqura Manganese Ore Export Terminal in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. The proposed facility would handle 16 Mt of manganese annually, with scope to expand to 22 Mt....
