Aker BP Picks up Clearance for Oil & Gas Drilling Ops with Noble Rig
Norwegian authorities have granted Aker BP permission to conduct production drilling on the Valhall Flanke Vest area of the North Sea using the Noble Integrator jack‑up rig. The 2014‑built rig can operate in 492‑foot water depths and drill up to 40,000 feet, supporting Aker BP’s plan to extend Valhall’s life beyond 2028. Valhall, producing since 1982, is targeting an additional 40 years of output, with the $6.6 billion PWP‑Fenris development under construction. The clearance follows renewed frame agreements with Maersk Drilling and a 2023 alliance with Noble, Odfjell and Halliburton.
China’s Five-Year Plan Focuses on Oil Stability, Gas and Reserves Growth
China’s 2026‑2030 Five‑Year Plan caps oil output at 200 million metric tons (about 4 million barrels per day), a level already exceeded last year but below the 216 million‑ton record. The plan shifts focus from expanding production to maintaining output while expanding undisclosed...
Epiroc Explores Solutions to Grid Challenges and Ways to Accelerate the Transition to Electrified Mining Operations
Epiroc’s latest whitepaper examines how electric surface drill rigs interact with weak, remote, and capacity‑constrained power grids as mining electrifies. It highlights smart power management as a multi‑tool solution to balance peak power demand, renewable intermittency, and capital spending. The...
Canstar Signs LoI to Acquire Three Exploration Licences in Sweden
Canstar Resources signed a non‑binding letter of intent with LithOps to acquire full ownership of three exploration licences in Sweden’s Skellefte district, covering about 310 km². The deal provides LithOps with 15 million common shares, $150,000 cash and a 2.5% net smelter...
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Impacts 4% of Global Dry Bulk Trade
BIMCO analysis shows bulk‑carrier transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell about 70% week‑over‑week, affecting roughly 4% of global dry‑bulk volumes. Arrow Shipbroking data indicate 1.9% of Capesize, 5.6% of Panamax and 5.7% of Supramax/Handymax demand passed the strait in...
Moroccan Rail Freight Growth Carried by Phosphates
Moroccan rail freight volumes rose 8% year‑on‑year in 2025, reaching 23 million tonnes and generating roughly €181 million in revenue. The surge is driven largely by phosphate transportation, as the country’s exports of the mineral jumped 21% in the first seven months,...
Africa: All of Africa Today - March 5, 2026
Across Africa, a deadly landslide at the Democratic Republic of Congo's Rubaya coltan mine killed over 200 people, raising concerns for the global tantalum supply chain. Sudan announced it is cholera‑free but faces rising dengue, malaria and measles cases, while...
Rio Tinto Signs Mining Electrification MoU with CATL
Rio Tinto and battery giant CATL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate electrification across mining operations. The partnership will develop strategies for battery‑powered equipment, supply‑chain integration, and circular‑economy initiatives such as battery material recycling. CATL will contribute its...
Congo-Kinshasa: Over 200 Feared Dead in DR Congo Coltan Mine Landslide
A massive landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in North Kivu, eastern DRC, has left more than 200 people dead, including around 70 children, according to the Ministry of Mines. Rebel leader Fanny Kaj of the M23 group disputed the...
1,000 Kg of Venezuelan Gold Headed for US Markets? Report Reveals Massive Deal Brokered by Trump Officials
Venezuelan state miner Minerven has signed a deal with the Trump administration to supply between 650 and 1,000 kg of 98 % pure gold dore bars to commodities trader Trafigura for the U.S. market. The agreement follows President Donald Trump’s recent removal...
Implats Doubles up on Interim Payout as Cash Surges
Implats announced a R3.7bn interim payout of R4.10 per share, double its stated dividend policy and backed by R12.1bn free cash flow for the six months to December. Despite the generous payout, Johannesburg‑listed shares fell 8% as analysts flagged the...
Forrest Says AI the Stuff of Nightmares, but Also Critical to Fortescue’s Push to Real Zero
Mining and clean‑energy giant Fortescue is leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate its decarbonisation agenda, deploying over 200 autonomous haul trucks and using AI to manage a 500 km renewable grid. AI simulations recently produced 2,650 scenarios to inform a six‑year green‑steel...
Peregrine Pushes on with Multi-Layered Gold and Iron Ore Hunt in WA’s Pilbara
Peregrine Gold is accelerating both gold and iron‑ore exploration across several Pilbara projects, moving priority targets toward drilling. The company is launching a rock‑sampling program at Pilgangoora North, securing heritage licences for the Newman Peninsula prospect, and expanding the Rocklea...
Greenwave Raises Revenue but Loses Money in Q2 2025
Greenwave Technology Solutions reported a 39% quarter‑on‑quarter revenue increase in Q2 2025, yet posted a $4.9 million loss attributable to shareholders, slightly better than the $7.3 million loss a year earlier. Payroll and depreciation expenses surged by roughly 50% and 40% respectively, while...
Power Minerals Moves to Add High-Grade Rare Earths Project to Brazilian Portfolio
Power Minerals (ASX:PNN) has signed an agreement to acquire the Morro do Ferro rare‑earth project in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a high‑grade deposit that has returned multiple drill hits exceeding 5% total rare‑earth oxides (TREO). The acquisition is being funded by...
Recycled Steel Prices Hold Steady
Recycled steel prices in the United States have remained near the high end of this decade's range as March buying begins, buoyed by strong demand from electric‑arc‑furnace (EAF) mills and steady export orders. Weather disruptions in February and lingering freight...
The US Is Unlikely to Curtail China’s Critical Minerals Dominance
The United States convened a critical‑minerals summit to curb China’s overwhelming role in battery and electric‑vehicle supply chains, but China still controls over 80 percent of global lithium‑ion battery production and 90 percent of grid‑scale storage. Washington has taken minority stakes in...
Oil Companies Reject Trump Administration's Alaska Offshore Auction
The Trump administration auctioned more than 400,000 acres in Alaska's Cook Inlet, yet no oil or gas companies submitted bids. The sale was part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which obliges six offshore auctions through 2032 to boost...
Fastmarkets Proposes to Change Mexico Non-Ferrous Scrap Units
Fastmarkets announced it will convert its Mexico non‑ferrous scrap price assessments from peso per pound to peso per kilogram. The change aligns the pricing units with the kilogram‑based invoicing and contract norms used by most suppliers, processors and buyers in...
TPM26: Europe’s Persistent Port Congestion Won’t Be Remedied by Short-Term Fixes
Europe’s main import gateways suffer from chronic buffer‑capacity shortages, turning port congestion into a persistent bottleneck rather than a fleeting disruption. Industry leaders warn that the lack of short‑term remedies will continue to erode vessel schedule reliability and strain inventory...
Is Myanmar’s Military Government Planning Airstrikes on Rare Earth Mines?
A potential supply shock emerged as Myanmar's junta reportedly plans airstrikes on rare‑earth mines in the Kachin‑controlled Pang War region. Chinese mining firms responded by raising national flags on sites and ordering bomb‑shelter construction to signal locations to aircraft. China...
Middle East War Slows Trans-Pacific Service Contract Talks Further
Container carriers are pausing or slowing 2026‑27 trans‑Pacific service contract negotiations as they gauge the fallout from the Middle East war. The conflict has immobilized an estimated 2 %‑10 % of global container tonnage, tightening available capacity. Simultaneously, soaring bunker fuel prices...
Tanzania: Barrick, UDSM Build New Generation of Mining Professionals
Barrick Mining Corporation has launched a specialised capacity‑building programme at the University of Dar es Salaam to turn final‑year geology students into industry‑ready professionals. The curriculum blends academic theory with hands‑on field work, covering geothermal studies, petrology and advanced underground...
EU Unveils Maritime Industrial and Ports Strategies to Boost Shipbuilding, Security, and Decarbonization
The European Commission unveiled two coordinated initiatives—the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy and the EU Ports Strategy—to reinforce Europe’s shipbuilding capacity, secure port operations, and accelerate the sector’s shift to clean energy. Key measures include a Maritime Value Chains Alliance, a...
Qatar LNG Shutdown Sends Global Gas Markets Into Turmoil
Qatar Energy declared force majeure on its LNG exports, halting production at the Ras Laffan plant amid the escalating U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The shutdown, which affects roughly 20% of global liquefied natural gas, is expected to last at least...
Defense Metals Conditionally Approved for Canadian Infrastructure Funding
Defense Metals received conditional approval for C$1.88 million from Canada’s Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund to build a 60‑km transmission line delivering up to 35 MW of hydroelectric power to its Wicheeda rare‑earth project in British Columbia. The Wicheeda deposit holds 25.5 million tonnes...
Tajiri Extends Trench-16 at Yono Project and Intersects 32m @ 1.1g/t Gold Within 50m @ 0.7g/t Gold, Bordered by G...
Tajiri Resources announced that trench YTR16 at its Yono project in Guyana has been extended to 100 m, delivering a 32 m interval grading 1.1 g/t Au and including a high‑grade 2 m section of 7.3 g/t Au. The broader intercept spans 50 m at 0.7 g/t...
Michelin North America Introduces XHA3 Tyre at CONEXPO 2026
Michelin North America unveiled the XHA3 earthmover tyre at CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026, positioning it as the next evolution of its XHA2 line. The new tyre delivers higher load capacity, improved tonne‑per‑hour performance and a redesigned tread engineered for modern loaders and...
Critical Conversations with Dave Larimer
Dave Larimer, president of the Alaska Miners Association, argues that Alaska’s vast and geologically diverse mineral endowment is a strategic national asset for critical‑mineral supply chains. He stresses that beyond mining, building mid‑stream processing, reliable power, and transportation infrastructure is...
Kongsberg Maritime, Seadrill, Hanwha Drilling to Develop Remote Dynamic Positioning Technology
Kongsberg Maritime, Seadrill and Hanwha Drilling have formed a strategic alliance to create next‑generation remote Dynamic Positioning (DP) technology for offshore rigs. The partnership will blend Kongsberg’s automation and communications platforms with Seadrill’s and Hanwha’s operational expertise. It aims to...
Diana Rolls Panamax Bulker Into Improved SwissMarine Fixture
Greek dry‑bulk carrier Diana Shipping has secured a new time charter for its 77,525 dwt panamax vessel Crystalia. The ship will sail for SwissMarine at $16,200 per day, minus 5% commission, from mid‑March 2026 through early 2027. This rate exceeds the...
Canada, Brazil Launch AI Push to Find Nickel Deposits
Canada and Brazil have signed a technical cooperation agreement to apply artificial intelligence to nickel exploration. The Geological Survey of Canada and Brazil’s Geological Survey will merge geology, geochemistry, geophysics and remote‑sensing data into a shared AI‑driven modelling platform. Initial...
Gobalsamy Says Omnia May Build Plants in the US
Omnia Holdings is accelerating its shift toward mining explosives, with BME now contributing over half of net earnings. The CEO says the group may build a production plant in the United States to mitigate tariff exposure and serve the North...
Miners Urged to Improve Balance Between Being a ‘Great’ Company and an Attractive ...
Boston Consulting Group’s new report argues miners must balance being a strong operator with delivering attractive shareholder returns. Over the past decade, mining firms have doubled free‑cash‑flow to $80‑90 billion, cut net‑debt to 9 % and shifted capital from capex to dividends....
Americore Resources Updates Activities at Trinity Silver Project, Nevada
Americore Resources reported completion of a 350 line‑km drone‑magnetometer survey at its 100% owned Trinity Silver Project in Nevada. Campbell and Walker Geophysics will interpret the new data alongside historic geophysics. The company has begun permitting for a Q2 2026 drill...
Avalon Strengthens Nechalacho Mine Team
Avalon Advanced Materials has rehired former COO Dave Marsh to lead a new preliminary economic assessment and refresh the feasibility study for its underground Nechalacho rare‑earths‑zirconium project in the Northwest Territories. The deposit contains 61.9 million metric tons of measured and...
CHC Helicopter Wins Equinor’s Crew Change Contract for Brazilian Field
CHC Helicopter’s Brazil unit has won Equinor’s crew‑change contract for the ultra‑deepwater Bacalhau field, commencing in February 2026. The agreement deploys an S‑92A helicopter from CHC’s Jacarepaguá base to transport personnel 185 km offshore. CHC highlights its local infrastructure, fleet upgrades,...
Kobrea Exploration Expands Phase 1 Drill Program at El Perdido Porphyry System, Argentina
Kobrea Exploration Corp. has drilled 1,739 metres in three Phase 1 diamond holes at the El Perdido porphyry copper‑gold‑molybdenum prospect in Mendoza, Argentina, and has added a fourth hole 220 m east of the original pad. The initial holes reached depths of 603 m,...
Afrimat Cements Its Turnaround Strategy
Afrimat posted a strong interim 2026 rebound after a 90% profit plunge in 2025, with revenue rising 29.9% to R5.3 billion and operating profit up 29.8% to R380 million. Earnings per share jumped 92.3% to 101.9 cents, pushing the stock to a 20‑times...
Next Step in a Peaceful 10-Hour Truck Driver Rest Period: Lithium Batteries
Dragonfly Energy showcased its lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery‑powered auxiliary power unit (APU) at the Truckload Carriers Association meeting, targeting the 10‑hour mandatory rest period for drivers. The battery, charged by the truck’s alternator, can run the sleeper‑cab’s heating, cooling and electricity without...
Cameco Signs $2.6B Uranium Supply Deal with India
Cameco announced a $2.6 billion agreement to supply uranium to India’s nuclear program, marking one of the largest contracts in its history. The deal, reportedly spanning several years, will deliver up to 5,000 metric tonnes of uranium to support India’s ambitious...
QatarEnergy Stops LNG, Some Downstream Production
QatarEnergy announced an immediate halt to LNG output and several downstream products after military attacks damaged its Ras Laffan and Mesaieed facilities. The shutdown triggered a more than 40% surge in natural‑gas prices and a 52% jump in Europe’s TTF...
Hong Kong Sees First LNG Ship-to-Ship Bunkering for Very Large Crude Carrier
CNOOC International Marine Clean Energy and CLPe completed Hong Kong’s first LNG ship‑to‑ship bunkering for a very large crude carrier. The operation on the 2023‑built VLCC Maran Dione transferred about 4,700 cubic metres of LNG in roughly seven hours at...
Dana Petroleum Puts IKM Testing UK on FPSO Shutdown Duty in North Sea
IKM Testing UK has secured a three‑year offshore shutdown contract with Dana Petroleum for the FPSO Triton operating in the UK Central North Sea. The agreement covers shutdown support across eight fields, including vessel entries, valve replacements and engineering modifications,...
Legal Fight over Propane Terminal Clouds Canada's Energy Export Push
AltaGas and Royal Vopak’s $1.35 billion REEF propane terminal, now 70 % complete at the Port of Prince Rupert, would add roughly 20 percent of Canada’s propane and butane export capacity. The Metlakatla First Nation has withdrawn its support and filed a lawsuit...
Nanjing Tanker Orders Trio of Chemical Carriers
Nanjing Tanker, a Shanghai‑listed subsidiary of China Merchants Group, has signed a contract for three 6,600 dwt stainless‑steel chemical carriers with Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard. The $71 million deal, including tax, targets delivery in the first half of 2028 and adds to the...
Maronan Metals Secures MDL for Silver Project in Australia
Maronan Metals has secured Mineral Development Licence (MDL) 2028 from the Queensland Government for its Maronan Silver Project, permitting a box‑cut and a 200‑metre decline for bulk sampling and resource validation. The licence was granted in less than 12 months, highlighting...
Cooperation, Cost Cuts, and New Tech Keys to Unlock Oil & Gas From Tight Reservoirs
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) reports that roughly 90 tight‑reservoir discoveries on the Norwegian Continental Shelf remain undeveloped. It argues that stronger cooperation among operators, aggressive cost reductions, and the deployment of proven technologies such as hydraulic fracturing, slim‑hole drilling,...
Global Air Cylinder Wheels Ready to Go Commercial with Air Suspension Wheel
Global Air Cylinder Wheels (GACW) announced that its patented Air Suspension Wheel (ASW) has cleared extreme‑cold field trials in Minnesota, proving performance at temperatures down to –40 °C under full haul‑truck loads. The non‑pneumatic, steel‑based wheel demonstrated reliable suspension, tread, and...
Four More UK-Made ROVs to Join DOF’s Fleet
DOF Group has placed an order for four XLX EVO III work‑class remotely operated vehicles from the UK‑based Forum Energy Technologies. Deliveries are slated for April, June, July and August 2026, with the first two units mobilised in Singapore. The ROVs...