War-Driven Fuel Costs Add New Twist to Trans-Pacific Service Contract Talks
The war in Iran has caused bunker fuel prices to double across key global hubs, prompting container lines to shift refueling operations to Europe as Singapore’s supply tightens. This surge in fuel costs is being passed to shippers through higher bunker adjustment factors and emergency surcharges, inflating spot rates for trans‑Pacific shipments. As a result, negotiations between U.S. importers and carriers on annual service contracts are slowing, with parties seeking clearer cost‑pass‑through limits. The uncertainty adds a new layer of complexity to an already volatile freight market.
Copper Outlook Strengthens as Long-Term Assumptions Climb
Long‑term copper price assumptions in mining feasibility studies have jumped about 60% since 2020, moving from roughly $3.00 per pound to an average of $4.80 per pound in early 2026. Even after stripping inflation, the real assumptions are about 28%...
Indonesia's Reefs Face Increased Threat From Mining
Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, a world‑renowned dive destination, has seen a 109% rise in fish biomass within its ten marine protected areas since 2007. Yet the government recently approved new nickel‑mining concessions on three northern islands, including sites inside a UNESCO...
NATO Allies Refuse to Join U.S. Hormuz Blockade, Deepening Rift With Trump
NATO allies publicly declined President Donald Trump's proposal to block maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, insisting they will only act after hostilities with Iran cease. The United States scheduled the blockade for 1400 GMT, targeting vessels bound for Iranian...
Clarification of Rhenium APR Catalytic Grade Price Assessment Specification: Pricing Notice
Fastmarkets announced that its MB-RE-0001 rhenium APR catalytic grade price assessment will be quoted in US dollars per kilogram of rhenium (USD/kg Re) rather than per kilogram of material. The product name will be updated to reflect this unit change, while...
Sego Resources Intersects 100 Metres of 0.626 Gpt Gold, Including 24.37 Metres of 0.958 Gpt Gold
Sego Resources announced intersecting 100 m of 0.626 g/t gold, including a 24.37 m sub‑interval grading 0.958 g/t, in drill hole DDH25‑69 within the Southern Gold Zone of its Miner Mountain copper‑gold project near Princeton, BC. The same hole also returned 19 m at 0.85 g/t...
M&A: Denarius Targets Emerita in Spain’s Zinc-Copper Belt
Denarius Metals has tabled a non‑binding all‑share offer for Emerita Resources, pricing the deal at a 15% premium to Emerita’s April 10 close. The transaction would value Emerita between $25 million and $29 million, depending on its fully diluted share count, and...
KoBold Launches AI-Driven Lithium Push in DRC
KoBold Metals, backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has launched the largest lithium exploration campaign ever, covering 13 licences and over 3,000 sq km in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mineral‑rich Manono region. The effort uses artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, airborne...
PTM Mulling Partnerships with Furnace Operators to Process Waterberg Concentrate
Platinum Group Metals (PTM) is evaluating collaborations with smaller South African furnace operators to process concentrate from its Waterberg project in the Bushveld Complex. The company may stage smelting capacity, beginning with T‑Zone mining before expanding to the larger F‑Central...
BEML Secures $36.38 Million Export Order From West Asia Region
BEML Limited announced a $36.38 million export contract with customers in West Asia for heavy‑earth‑moving equipment that has been re‑engineered for high‑intensity infrastructure projects. The deal also bundles a comprehensive maintenance and lifecycle‑support package, ensuring long‑term equipment availability. This win lifts...
Silverco Tables PEA Results for Cusi Mine in Mexico
Silverco Mining released a preliminary economic assessment for its Cusi mine in northern Mexico, indicating a low‑capital restart that could produce 2.5 million ounces of silver per year. The PEA projects an after‑tax net present value of $104 million, an internal rate...
Hormuz, Trump, & The Carbon Paradox
The analysis quantifies how the March‑April 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis suppressed fossil‑fuel demand, producing a net avoidance of roughly 10 million tonnes of CO₂ across aviation, road transport, shipping and natural‑gas sectors. Aviation saw the largest cut, with about 4.7 Mt...
Beyond Line of Sight: How Private 5G Powers Remote Mining at Scale
Newmont has teamed with Ericsson to roll out private 5G networks across its Tier One mines, replacing unreliable Wi‑Fi with a single, low‑latency cellular platform. Early pilots on Lihir Island and at Peñasquito demonstrated that a handful of strategically placed towers...
Aluminum Hits 4-Year High on Trump’s Blockade of Hormuz
Aluminum prices surged to a four‑year peak on the London Metal Exchange, reaching $3,570 a ton after President Donald Trump announced a blockade of Iranian ports. The spot‑cash spread widened to $95.50 a ton, the strongest backwardation since 2007, reflecting...
Chinese Miner Boosts Rare Earth Prices
China Northern Rare Earth Group, the world’s largest producer of light rare earths, announced a sharp increase in concentrate prices for the second quarter of 2026. The company lifted prices for 50% rare earth oxide concentrates, signaling tighter supply in...
India Rises as China Slows in Mineral Demand Shift
Vale is accelerating iron ore shipments to India as the country’s steel production is projected to double by 2030, signaling a pivot away from China’s once‑dominant demand base. Chinese steel output has plateaued around 1 billion tonnes, while India’s broader industrial...
Prairie's Saskatchewan DLE Plant Nears Completion
Prairie Lithium announced that its commercial‑scale direct lithium extraction (DLE) plant in Saskatchewan is nearing construction completion. The ASX‑listed firm expects to commence its first lithium production in the fourth quarter of 2026. The facility will process lithium‑rich brine using...
Hogan Lovells Expands Ukrainian Mandate
Law firm Hogan Lovells has broadened its Ukrainian engagement to include a 50/50 partnership that will develop critical mineral and energy projects under the newly launched US‑Ukrainian Investment Fund. The firm’s mandate now spans the Ministry of Economy, the Agency for...
Wah Kwong Unit Lines up Green Methanol Supply Deal
Wah Kwong’s fuel subsidiary Venture Energy has signed a supply agreement with Shanghai Shenji Energy to import ISCC‑certified green methanol, with first deliveries slated for the first half of 2026. The methanol, derived from municipal waste, crop residues and livestock...
Coal Stock Adequate for 90 Days Available: Union Coal Minister Kishan Reddy
India’s coal reserves have risen to over 200 million tonnes, enough to power the nation for about 90 days. This marks a jump from the previous 21‑25‑day buffer and follows a second consecutive year of hitting 1 billion tonnes of coal production....
Eni Invests $70MM in Canadian Battery Feedstock Project
Italian energy giant Eni is injecting $70 million USD in equity into Quebec‑based Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) and will purchase up to 15,000 tonnes per year of graphite concentrate from the second phase of NMG’s Matawinie Mine. The deal gives Eni an...
Lithium Ionic Confirms Valid Title to Mineral Claims in Brazil
Lithium Ionic Corp. confirmed it holds valid, registered title to its Brazilian mineral claims, including the flagship Bandeira Project. The company cited independent legal opinions and records from Brazil’s National Mining Agency to refute speculation of prior ownership. Lithium Ionic...
Liberia: Bea Mountain Produces $1.65 Billion in Gold a Year. Its Contract Gives Liberia 3 Percent
Vice President Jeremiah Koung toured Bea Mountain Mining’s New Liberty Gold Mine, which now processes about 30,000 tons of rock monthly to produce roughly 900 kg of gold, generating an estimated $1.65 billion in annual revenue. The operation has moved from open‑pit to...
Zambia Positions Itself as a Strategic Hub for Global Copper Investment
Zambia’s ambassador to China urged global investors to help the country reach its goal of producing 3 million tonnes of copper annually by 2030. The appeal was made at the 21st Copper Industry Conference and Expo 2026, highlighting Zambia’s high‑grade reserves, stable,...
Lloyds Metals & Energy to Use Metso for Iron Plant Expansion
Lloyds Metals & Energy (LMEL), an Indian iron miner and steelmaker, has contracted Metso to deliver ten Larox fast‑opening filter presses for its iron beneficiation plants. The equipment will support LMEL's ongoing expansion of its pellet production capacity, though the...
Friedland Warns About Strait of Hormuz Impact on Copper Mining
Ivanhoe Mines Co‑Chairman Robert Friedland warned that the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens sulfur supplies essential for copper leaching, potentially curbing global copper output. He noted that roughly 20% of worldwide copper production depends on sulfuric‑acid leaching,...
Chalice Taps Cutifani’s Firm for WA Palladium Push
Chalice Mining has hired Odin Partnership, led by former Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani, as a strategic adviser for its Gonneville palladium‑nickel‑copper project in Western Australia. The advisory team, which also includes ex‑Anglo director Tony O’Neill and former Bank of...
CoBank Commodity Report Flags Rising Input Cost Pressures
CoBank’s latest Knowledge Exchange report warns that soaring diesel and fertilizer costs are outpacing gains in grain prices, tightening budgets for U.S. farmers and rural businesses. Diesel spikes could add roughly $2,000 per farmer, while fertilizer inputs have risen 20‑40%...
From Indaba to the Budget: Will Fiscal Policy Unlock Mining-Led Growth?
South Africa’s mining sector, responsible for roughly 6% of GDP and about R440 billion ($23 billion) in annual output, is hampered by chronic freight bottlenecks. At the February Mining Indaba, industry leaders called for policy certainty and reliable logistics, prompting Finance Minister...
Africa: Ecocide in Venezuela - Oil, Mining and the Risks of Foreign Investment
Western oil and mining firms are re‑entering Venezuela after U.S. sanctions licences, but satellite data shows a surge in oil spills, toxic flaring and deforestation. In Lake Maracaibo alone, 504 slicks covering 10,428 km² have been identified, while the Orinoco Belt’s flare...
The Future of Uranium Enrichment Is Being Developed Today
Uranium enrichment, a longstanding U.S. vulnerability, is seeing a shift from traditional gas‑centrifuge plants to next‑generation laser technologies. Centrus Energy secured a $900 million DOE contract to expand HALEU and LEU capacity at its Ohio facility, while laser firms Silex/Global Laser...
Uncertainty Clouds Jubilee’s Copper Ambitions
Jubilee Metals posted strong interim numbers driven by its Roan processing plant, which delivered 1,246 t of copper and pushed revenue up 70 % to $14.1 million, but the business remains dominated by low‑margin third‑party feedstock. The company’s 72 % stake in the Molefe...
Asian LNG Imports Plummet to Six-Year Low on Middle East Crisis
Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports have slumped to the lowest level since June 2020, with the 30‑day moving average falling below 600,000 tons. The decline follows the escalation of the Middle East conflict, which has cut roughly 20% of global LNG...
Liberia: Bea Mountain CEO Announces Expansion Will Provide Over 2,000 Employment Opportunities for Liberians
Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) announced a major expansion that will double its gold processing capacity from four to eight million tons per year. The project is projected to raise the workforce from 9,000 to over 11,000, adding more than...
Iran-Linked Tankers Sail Through Hormuz Before US Blockade
Two tankers tied to Iran slipped through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, exiting the Gulf just before the United States initiates a blockade of Iranian ports and coastal facilities. The vessel Auroura was loaded with Iranian oil products, while...
Floatel Seals Equinor Vessel Deal in Brazil
Floatel International has turned a letter of intent into a three‑month contract for its semisubmersible accommodation vessel Floatel Victory at Equinor’s Bacalhau field in Brazil. The work, scheduled to start mid‑2026 after completing the current Karoon campaign, includes options to...
FPSO Goes Back Into Operation Mode in Eastern Mediterranean
London‑based Energean has brought its FPSO Energean Power back online off Israel’s coast after a 48‑hour restart authorized by the Ministry of Energy. The vessel’s return follows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed during the U.S.–Israel attack...
Oil Tycoon Funds Far-Right Candidate Challenging Texas Oilfield Regulator
Incumbent Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, who led the first major overhaul of Texas oilfield waste rules in four decades, faced a strong primary challenge from Bo French, a far‑right candidate backed by billionaire oil tycoon Tim Dunn and fellow magnate...
How High-Performance Lubrication Cools Costs and Extends Gear Life in Copper Mining
Bel‑Ray replaced a high‑viscosity greased open‑gear lubricant in a South American copper mine’s ball mill with its synthetic Clear Gear lubricant. The new fluid eliminated metal‑to‑metal contact, dropping pinion temperatures and cutting friction‑related energy use. The change delivered a 5.61%...
Borr Drilling Anticipates Step-Up in Rig Contracting Game
Borr Drilling, the Bermuda‑based offshore driller, announced that its four rigs operating in the Middle East – Arabia III, Groa, Arabia II and Forseti – are set to resume work in April 2026 after recent geopolitical disruptions. The company’s Odin jack‑up, delayed by...
Metso to Deliver State-of-the-Art Filtration Tech to Lloyds Metals & Energy Operations
Metso has secured an order to deliver ten fully automatic Larox FFP 3512 filters for Lloyds Metals & Energy’s iron‑ore concentrate filtration plants in Ghugus, Manikgarh and Konsari, Maharashtra. The filters employ advanced membrane technology and hole‑less filter cloths to boost moisture...
Metals Exploration Secures Four La India Concessions
Metals Exploration has been granted four exploration concessions covering roughly 64,400 hectares adjacent to its La India Gold Project in Nicaragua, each with a 25‑year term. The licences carry a 3% government royalty and surface‑rights fees that rise from $0.25...
Hormuz Crisis Signals New Era of Risk for Gulf Energy
The six‑week Iran‑Israel‑U.S. war culminated in Iran’s unprecedented closure of the Strait of Hormuz, halting roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil supply. The shutdown and missile strikes knocked out about 11 million barrels per day of regional production, including Saudi Arabia’s...
China, the Iran War and the Chemical Suddenly Stoking Global Supply Fears
China announced an abrupt halt to sulphuric acid exports, a key input for fertilizer and mining industries worldwide. The decision coincides with renewed tensions in the Iran‑U.S. conflict, where failed peace talks have heightened geopolitical risk. Analysts warn that reduced...
Oman Offers 5 Oil and Gas Leases
Oman's Energy and Minerals Ministry announced the opening of bidding for five new oil and gas concession areas, covering more than 53,000 square kilometres across the Greater Barik, Sharqiyah Sands Basin, and Eastern Flank provinces. The blocks—12, 16, 42, 45,...
TotalEnergies Finds More Hydrocarbons Offshore Congo
TotalEnergies EP Congo announced a new hydrocarbon discovery on the Moho license offshore Congo, where the MHNM‑6 NFW well intersected a 160‑metre column of high‑quality Albian oil and gas. The find sits near the existing Moho production infrastructure, allowing a...
Critical Fires up Hunt for Hidden Lithium in Canada
Critical Resources is launching a focused lithium exploration program across a five‑kilometre corridor at its Corona pegmatite field in Ontario. The campaign aims to uncover concealed spodumene systems that could expand the flagship Mavis Lake deposit, which already hosts 8 million...
Resources Top 5: Gas Drills, Tungsten Targets and Approvals Lift Small Caps
The latest Resources Top 5 roundup highlights three small‑cap catalysts. Invictus Energy secured a renewed environmental impact assessment in Zimbabwe, clearing the path for high‑impact gas drilling at Cabora Bassa. Viking Mines listed on the US OTC market, expanding access for North‑American...
How Westgold More than Halved Its Diesel Use
Westgold Resources, an Australian gold miner, used the COVID‑19 pandemic as a catalyst to overhaul its supply chain and fuel strategy. By adopting electric haulage, on‑site solar generation, and tighter logistics, the company cut diesel consumption by more than half....
Kale, Thallium and the Prospect of 'Phytomining'
Researchers at the University of Queensland have shown that kale can accumulate thallium, a toxic heavy metal, from contaminated soils. The study demonstrates that leafy vegetables could serve as low‑cost bio‑extractors, opening a pathway for phytomining of thallium. Phytomining could...