Zambia and France Deepen Mining Sector Cooperation
Zambia and France have agreed to deepen cooperation in the mining sector, focusing on sustainable development and transparency. The French delegation, led by Thomas Rossignol, pledged technical support to strengthen Zambia’s Minerals Regulation Commission, including modern monitoring and enforcement technologies. The partnership aligns with Zambia’s 2024 Minerals Regulation Commission Act reforms and includes potential financing for priority projects, especially in the manganese sub‑sector. Both governments aim to combat illegal mining and enhance regulatory accountability.
Blackrock Silver Launches Drilling Campaign at Tonopah West in US
Blackrock Silver has launched a fully funded 17,100‑meter drilling campaign at its Tonopah West project in Nevada, employing a hybrid approach that combines reverse‑circulation pre‑collar drilling with core tail drilling. The effort is split into an Eastern Expansion Programme targeting...
Tudor Gold Begins PEA for Treaty Creek in Canada
Tudor Gold has commissioned a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Goldstorm Deposit at its Treaty Creek Project in British Columbia’s Golden Triangle. Fuse Advisors will evaluate an underground operation capable of processing up to 10,000 tonnes per day and...
Fire Horse Freight Frenzy: VLCC Markets Smash Records in Supertanker Anniversary Year
The 2026 Year of the Fire Horse marks the 60th anniversary of the world’s first VLCC, Idemitsu Maru, and has sparked a surge in supertanker charter rates, with spot prices topping $200,000 per day and rumors of a one‑year deal...
Zijin Gold Ridge Adds Five SANY SET150S Hybrid Mining Trucks at Akyem
Zijin Golden Ridge Limited has taken delivery of five SANY SET150S off‑highway hybrid mining trucks at its Akyem gold mine in Ghana. The diesel‑electric trucks are designed to reduce fuel consumption, lower operating costs, and cut carbon emissions, aligning with...
Fleet Space Delivers for Lundin Gold
Fleet Space Technologies supplied a satellite‑based IoT network to Lundin Gold’s Fruta del Norte mine in Ecuador, enabling the company to map previously undetectable, or “blind,” mineral systems. The real‑time data stream allowed more precise drilling, cutting exploration costs by...
Weekly Newsletter 26 February 2026
The weekly newsletter spotlights a new testing hub at a former quarry in Neerabup, Perth, where Imdex, Jevons Robotics and the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation are trialing METS autonomous mining equipment. The collaboration brings together advanced robotics, mining technology and...
Waste Not, Want Not: DRDGold’s R2.7bn Bonanza
DRDGold has surged from a marginal waste‑dump miner to a R47.6bn market‑cap company, driven by soaring gold prices and a shift to unhedged cash flow. In the six months to December 2025 the firm posted R2.7bn operating profit on R5bn...
Black Cat Begins Processing Fingals and Majestic Ore
Black Cat Syndicate has begun feeding ore from its Fingals open‑pit and Majical underground gold mines into the Lakewood processing plant. The facility is slated for an expansion that will lift throughput to 1.5 million tonnes per annum. This marks the...
Victory Minerals on Notice Again over Unauthorised Ballarat Works
Victoria-based gold producer Victory Minerals has been placed on notice again by Resources Victoria after regulators discovered unauthorised works inside an existing pit at its Ballarat mine. The breach follows a previous compliance warning earlier this year for similar activities....
Lucas Birdsall on the Impact of Copper and Silver Production on COMEX Futures
Venture capitalist Lucas Birdsall highlights how surging demand for copper and silver—driven by electric vehicles, renewable energy and electronics—is outpacing production capacity. S&P Global projects copper consumption could rise to 42 million metric tons by 2040, while silver’s photovoltaic share sits...
CMB.TECH Seals Five-Year Capesize Charters
Belgian shipowner CMB.TECH has secured five five‑year charters for its capesize bulkers, adding $304 million in revenue and lifting its contract backlog to roughly $3.05 billion. The deals, which start in the coming months, include vessels built between 2014 and 2018 and...
Mont Royal Resources Scores Conditional C$2.6m Funding Extension for Ashram Access Road
Mont Royal Resources has secured a conditional extension of up to C$2.6 million from Natural Resources Canada’s Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund to fund the planning and pre‑construction of a 300‑km access road linking its Ashram rare‑earth and fluorspar project to Schefferville....
Moonlight Steps up Leo Grande Drilling to Fast-Track Maiden Gold Resource
Moonlight Resources (ASX:ML8) has launched Phase 2 reverse‑circulation drilling at its Leo Grande prospect within the 268 km² Clermont project in Queensland. The program will drill approximately 5,000 metres in about 70 holes to extend the shallow gold mineralisation that yielded up to...
Queensland Startup Receives ARENA Backing for Critical Minerals Innovation
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing up to $5 million to Queensland‑based Banks Minerals to develop a pilot plant for its electro‑chemical copper extraction technology. The funding, delivered through the Advancing Renewables Program over three years, aims to de‑risk the...
Nepal Signs Major Carbon Deal but Community Access Remains Challenging
On Jan. 23 Nepal became the first Asian nation to sign a carbon‑finance agreement with the LEAF Coalition, unlocking up to $55 million for forest‑dependent communities. The deal covers emissions reductions in Gandaki, Bagmati and Lumbini provinces and splits credit sales across...
5 European Oil Stocks To Buy As Iran Risk Premium Boosts Oil Prices
Geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran have added a sizable risk premium to oil, pushing Brent into the low‑70s and sparking forecasts of $100 per barrel if conflict escalates. The surge has lifted the STOXX Europe 600 Oil...
Minister Backs Progress Towards Mt Lyell Restart
Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King announced government backing for the restart of Tasmania's Mount Lyell copper‑gold mine, now in care and maintenance since 2014. Sibanye‑Stillwater has finished a feasibility study and expects a board decision this year. The mine holds a...
Golden Grove Powers 29Metals Back to Profit
29Metals reported a decisive financial turnaround in 2025, swinging back to profitability after a $178 million net loss in 2024. Revenue rose 3% to $567 million while cost of sales fell 14%, lifting EBITDA to $176 million and delivering a $24 million net profit....
Yancoal Hits Stride with Record Coal Production
Yancoal posted record 2025 coal production, lifting run‑of‑mine output to 67 million tonnes and saleable production to 50.8 Mt, despite a 13% revenue decline driven by lower coal prices. Operating EBITDA reached $1.44 billion, delivering a 24% margin, while cash operating costs fell...
Cat on How Field Experience Is Powering the Future of Electrification
Caterpillar’s Electrification + Energy Solutions Division has created a Product Support Field Engineering team to back its first‑generation battery‑electric mining equipment. The team troubleshoots hardware in real‑world sites, trains dealers on high‑voltage safety, and channels field observations back to engineers....
Austin Gold Corp (AUST) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Royal Gold reported record 2025 results, with annual revenue of $1 billion, a 43% increase, and operating cash flow of $705 million, up 33%. Net income rose 40% to $466 million, while adjusted net income hit $510 million, boosted by strong gold prices and...
Turkey and BP Reshape the Balance of Power in Northern Iraq
Turkey’s state‑owned TPAO and Britain’s BP have signed a comprehensive oil and gas cooperation agreement targeting Iraq’s Kirkuk basin. TPAO aims to lift 500,000 barrels per day by 2028, while BP’s initial target is 328,000 barrels per day, with plans...
Compania De Minas Buenaventura SAA (BVN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Compania de Minas Buenaventura reported Q2 2025 EBITDA of $130 million and net income of $91 million, driven by a 28% rise in copper output while silver and gold fell 11% and 17% respectively. The San Gabriel project reached 88% completion with $82 million CapEx...
Northern Territory Hails Record Gold Production Amid Exploration Push
The Northern Territory recorded a $1.7 billion gold output in 2024/25, aiming for a $2 billion target. Mining Minister Gerard Maley stressed that the region remains under‑explored and called for intensified prospecting to sustain future projects. The government also seeks to broaden...
Greenland Resources Expands Exploration Footprint at Malmbjerg Moly Project
Greenland Resources secured an exclusive special exploration licence covering 1,147.76 km² in the Semersooq region, encircling its existing molybdenum‑magnesium exploitation permit. The new area adds a dominant mineral‑licence position on Greenland’s east coast and will be explored with hyperspectral surveys. Molybdenum...
Lundin Turns to Space Tech to Find More Gold in Ecuador
Lundin Gold is investing $100 million in 2026 to deepen exploration at Ecuador’s Fruta del Norte mine, aiming to extend its life amid robust gold prices. The Canadian miner has partnered with Australian firm Fleet Space Technologies, using the ExoSphere platform...
Saskatchewan Premier Heads to India for Trade Talks
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is leading a week‑long trade mission to India, concentrating on agriculture, potash and uranium. The trip coincides with the Raisina Dialogue and runs alongside Prime Minister Mark Carney’s meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Moe aims...
Codelco Using Kinamics Robot to Survey New Mining Fronts at El Teniente
Codelco has launched the Kinamics Arkytas MU-2.1 robot at its El Teniente mine to map newly blasted tunnel fronts. The remote‑controlled unit creates 3‑D photogrammetric models from 22 photos, allowing engineers to assess terrain without entering hazardous zones. Beyond imaging,...
CSA to Invest in Future Lunar Mining and Power Infrastructure
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has launched the Lunar Surface Exploration Initiative (LSEI) Architecture Studies to shape Canada’s contributions to NASA’s Artemis program. The agency will fund up to two contracts per focus area—mining and in‑situ resource utilization (ISRU) and...
Delayed Publication of Spodumene Min 6% Li2O, Contract Price, Cif China
Fastmarkets announced that the contract price for spodumene min 6% Li2O CIF China was published 2 hours 36 minutes later than scheduled. The price is part of Fastmarkets' industrial minerals package and serves as a benchmark for global lithium‑ion supply...
New Afton’s Digital Transformation with Ambra-Deployed LTE/5G Network
New Gold’s New Afton mine is installing a private LTE/5G network from Ambra Solutions, using an Athonet core and Ericsson radios. The rollout began in March 2024 and follows a three‑phase plan covering remote operations, underground coverage, and surface communications....
Fastmarkets Proposes to Amend NCM/NCA Black Mass Methodology Specifications
Fastmarkets announced a consultation to revise its black‑mass pricing methodology after China lifted its import ban and imposed stricter metal‑content rules. The new specifications require nickel‑cobalt‑manganese (NCM) black mass to contain 20‑25% nickel, 3‑10% cobalt and 3‑4.5% lithium, with total...
Moody’s: Port Import Gains From Supreme Court Tariff Ruling May Prove Fleeting
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, potentially unlocking refunds on more than $90 billion of duties and lowering landed costs for importers. Moody’s expects a short‑term surge in cargo volumes at major...
Can Project Vault Fortify the US Industrial Base Against Mineral Chokepoints?
In February 2026 the U.S. Air Force faced F‑35 radar delays because gallium supplies were blocked by China, prompting the launch of Project Vault, a $12 billion strategic critical‑mineral reserve backed by the Export‑Import Bank and private investors. Unlike the historic...
Capital Awarded New Waste Stripping Contract at AngloGold’s Sukari
Capital Mining Services announced three major contract wins that reinforce its growth trajectory. An 18‑month waste‑stripping cut‑back contract at AngloGold Ashanti’s Sukari mine will start in Q1 2026, using existing equipment and newly acquired trucks. The company also secured a five‑year...
Metso‑Loesche Launch VRM Dry Grinding Tech
Metso and Loesche have formed an exclusive partnership to launch Metso Loesche VRM dry grinding technology for minerals processing. The solution merges Metso’s end‑to‑end processing portfolio with Loesche’s vertical roller mill (VRM) design, aiming to replace HPGR, horizontal and stirred mills....
Eidesvik Wins PSV Extension From Aker BP
Eidesvik Offshore has secured an additional contract extension from Aker BP for its 2012-built platform supply vessel Viking Prince. The extension adds roughly two months to the vessel’s hire, pushing the end‑date to the end of April 2026. This follows...
Bahri Charters Five Supertankers as Rates Approach $200K/Day
Saudi Arabia’s largest oil shipper, Bahri, provisionally chartered five very large crude carriers as daily charter rates neared $200,000, the highest level since 2020. The vessels are slated to move Saudi crude to Asian markets, chiefly China, in the coming...
Surge Battery Metals Drills 116 Meters of 3,752 Ppm Lithium at Nevada North Lithium Project, Nevada
Surge Battery Metals, together with Evolution Mining, released the final assay results from its 2025 core drilling program at Nevada North Lithium Project. Infill drilling returned a 116‑metre interval averaging 3,752 ppm lithium, including a 32.1‑metre zone grading 4,521 ppm, confirming a...
U.S. Treasury Sanctions 12 Tankers in Iran’s Shadow Fleet
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on 12 tankers and their owners that have shipped hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products. The designations also include nine individuals and entities in Iran,...
SA Mining Baffled as Godongwana Fails to Address Energy Tariffs
South Africa’s Minerals Council criticised the 2024 budget for omitting any reduction in electricity tariffs for the ferroalloys sector, despite industrial power costs soaring over 900% since 2008. The omission threatens the ferrochrome industry, which supports more than 20,000 jobs,...
After 2019 Flood, Arkansas Port Gets $8M for Rebuild
The Arkansas River port, devastated by the 2019 flood, secured an $8.1 million federal grant to modernize its facilities and expand rail capacity. Operator Five Rivers Distribution will construct three 30,000‑square‑foot warehouses to handle freight arriving by rail. The city’s port...
VanadiumCorp Begins Staged Technical Program Toward NI 43-101 Report for Lac Laura Gold-Copper Property, Quebec
VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. announced it is moving forward with a staged, gated technical program to produce an NI 43‑101 compliant report for its Lac Laura gold‑copper property in Quebec. The company is selecting independent geological and engineering consultants to execute Phase 1...
FLSmidth – Toni Laaksonen
FLSmidth announced that Toni Laaksonen will assume the role of chief executive officer, while temporarily retaining his duties as president of the service business line. He succeeds Mikko Keto, who has stepped down after a tenure marked by strategic realignment. The appointment...
Crédit Agricole Appoints Quentin Guerineau as Chief Sustainability and Impact Officer
Crédit Agricole has appointed former French cabinet minister Quentin Guerineau as its Chief Sustainability and Impact Officer, succeeding Eric Campos. Guerineau joins the bank’s Management Committee and will report to Gregory Erphelin, head of the newly formed Transformation, Human Resources...
Global Tailings Management Institute – Ed Toms
The Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI) announced Ed Toms as its new chief executive officer. Toms, a veteran of the mining sector, will steer GTMI’s mission to improve tailings safety and sustainability worldwide. The appointment comes amid heightened scrutiny of...
U.S. Department of Labor – Wayne D. Palmer
The U.S. Department of Labor has sworn in Wayne D. Palmer as the 12th assistant secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) after his Senate confirmation in October. Palmer previously served as acting and deputy assistant secretary at...
Eskay Mining – Clinton Smyth
Clinton Smyth has been hired as chief geologist for Eskay Mining Corp., bringing a 25‑year mining pedigree from Anglo American and Minorco. He previously served as vice‑president of exploration, overseeing the discovery of the 2‑million‑ounce Buzwagi gold deposit in Tanzania...
Highland Copper – Dr. Wynand Van Dyk
Highland Copper announced that Project Director Dr. Wynand van Dyk is leaving the company to become an associate professor at the University of Stellenbosch. He will stay on a consulting basis to finish the integrated mine plan review. The firm...