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 surveys, thousands of drill holes and more than 30,000 geochemical samples. Funding exceeds $50 million through early 2027, with plans to expand the target area to 5,000 sq km by year‑end. CEO Kurt House says KoBold is now the largest American investor in the DRC.
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...
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...
Chinese Rare Earth Producer Hikes Q2 Price by 44%
China Northern Rare Earth Group announced a Q2 2026 concentrate price of 38,804 yuan ($5,390) per tonne, a 44.6% jump from the first quarter and more than double the level a year earlier. The price is tied to a formula that...
Deep-Sea Mining Heats up as New Player Challenges Early Mover Advantage
Deep Sea Minerals (CNSX: SEAS), a rebranded Canadian firm, closed an oversubscribed $4.22 million private placement and has applied for a U.S. deep‑seabed exploration license in the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone and the Cook Islands EEZ. The company plans an asset‑light approach, contracting...
Op-Ed: How Gold Became National Security Infrastructure
In April 2026 the Banque de France moved its entire sovereign gold holdings back to French soil, swapping 129 tonnes of legacy bars for compliant bullion and realizing a €12.8 billion (≈ $13.8 billion) gain. France joins Germany, India and other nations in an...
Neo Performance Begins Producing Heavy Rare Earths at Estonia Plant
Neo Performance Materials announced that its solvent‑extraction line at the Silmet facility in Estonia has begun producing heavy rare earth oxides, specifically terbium and dysprosium, at name‑plate capacity. The new line complements Neo’s 2,000‑tonne‑per‑year sintered‑magnet plant in Narva, creating Europe’s...
Nouveau Monde Raises $297M as Italy’s Eni Takes Stake
Nouveau Monde Graphite secured a $297 million equity raise, selling 115.8 million shares at $1.84 each—a 22% discount—to investors that include Italy’s Eni ($70 million for a 12% stake), the Canada Growth Fund ($82 million), Investissement Québec ($61 million) and an $84 million bought‑deal public offering....
Peru Pulls Permit for $1.8B Tia Maria Copper Mine
Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines has revoked Southern Copper's permit for the $1.8 billion Tía María copper project, citing a lack of legal justification and incomplete technical plans such as waste‑dump design. The decision forces a fresh review of a...
Paladin Targets 2027 Uranium Decision on Patterson Lake South
Paladin Energy said it will decide by the end of 2027 whether to fund the Patterson Lake South (PLS) uranium project in Saskatchewan. The high‑grade Triple R deposit is moving through front‑end engineering, design and permitting after receiving provincial environmental approval....
EU, US Near Critical Minerals Pact to Counter China’s Grip
The European Union and the United States are close to finalising a critical‑minerals pact that would coordinate production, pricing and supply‑chain resilience to curb reliance on China. The draft action plan proposes minimum‑price mechanisms, joint standards, and investment projects, while...
US Lithium Miner to Go Public Following $571M SPAC Deal
Australian miner Jindalee Lithium is creating US Elemental through a $571 million SPAC merger with Constellation Acquisition Corp. I, rolling over its 100% stake in HiTech Minerals. The new Nasdaq‑listed entity (ticker ULIT) will control the McDermitt lithium deposit—21.5 million tonnes of...
NioCorp Lines up Traxys as Potential Buyer for Elk Creek’s Planned Output
NioCorp Developments has entered a non‑binding agreement with commodity trader Traxys to serve as the exclusive offtake and marketing partner for the remaining output of its Elk Creek critical‑minerals project in Nebraska for an initial ten‑year term. The deal adds...
G Mining to Buy G2 Goldfields for $2.2B in Guyana Play
Canadian miner G Mining Ventures announced a C$3 billion all‑share acquisition of rival G2 Goldfields, creating a combined Oko district in Guyana. The deal offers G2 shareholders 0.212 G Mining shares per G2 share, a 72% premium, and adds a new...
Barrick Signals Deal Push Amid Strategic Reset
Barrick Gold is reversing a decade‑long expansion strategy by refocusing on acquisitions in low‑risk, tier‑one gold assets and exiting higher‑risk regions. Chairman John Thornton, in his first shareholder letter since the CEO change, said the company believes its shares are...
Uranium Energy Adds Second ISR Operation with Burke Hollow Start
Uranium Energy Corp (UEC) has launched its Burke Hollow in‑situ recovery (ISR) operation in Texas, marking the first new U.S. ISR uranium project in over ten years. The site taps a measured and indicated resource of more than 6.15 million lb of uranium,...
First Quantum Taps IFC for Argentina Copper Push
First Quantum Minerals has teamed with the International Finance Corporation to bring its Taca Taca copper project in Argentina up to IFC’s environmental and social standards. The partnership is designed to unlock debt financing for a $4.2 billion initial investment targeting 40 Mtpa,...
Gold Price Climbs to Three-Week High on US-Iran Ceasefire
Gold surged to a three‑week high on Wednesday, with spot prices climbing over $4,850 per ounce—a 3% jump following the U.S.–Iran two‑week ceasefire. The truce eased fears that Middle‑East conflict‑driven oil spikes would stoke inflation and keep central banks from...
Rock Tech Draws $144M Investment in Ontario Lithium Plant
BMI Group is investing C$200 million ($144 million) as the lead limited partner in Rock Tech Lithium’s proposed lithium‑hydroxide converter plant in northern Ontario. The partnership also earmarks up to C$30 million ($21.6 million) for engineering, permitting and early site work, targeting a final...
AOMC, Odyssey Merge to Build $1B Deep-Sea Miner
American Ocean Minerals Corp. (AOMC) is merging with Odyssey Marine Exploration in an all‑stock reverse takeover, creating a deep‑sea mining entity valued at roughly $1 billion. The deal is backed by more than $150 million of private‑placement financing and a $75 million pre‑public...
Top 50 Mining Companies Power Through Iran War – up $250 Billion in 2026
The MINING.COM Top 50 miners posted a combined market capitalization of $2.41 trillion at the end of Q1 2026, up roughly $250 billion from the start of 2025. Despite the onset of the US‑Iran conflict and a sharp drop in gold and silver prices,...
PH7 Technologies Targets Tough Ores with Cleaner, Closed-Loop Processing
pH7 Technologies is expanding its Vancouver facility to scale recovery of platinum‑group metals and strengthen Canadian critical‑metal supply chains. The company secured up to C$4 million ($2.8 million) in NRC IRAP funding to accelerate its proprietary organo‑electrochemical platform that extracts PGMs without...
‘Phytocapture’ From Kazakhstan Research Institute Helps Trap Airborne Dust Near Gold Mine
China's Zijin Mining will spend $500 million to build a processing plant in Kazakhstan after acquiring RG Gold for $1.2 billion. RG Gold, now part of Zijin, has planted over 100,000 Scots pine trees across 20 hectares to capture dust from its Raygorodok open‑pit...
Barrick Warns of “Significant Increases” To Budget, Timeline for Pakistan Copper Project
Barrick Gold warned that its Reko Diq copper project in Pakistan could see "significant increases" to the previously disclosed capital budget and a delayed timeline. The miner now expects to extend the project review until mid‑2027 due to escalating security...
Atlas Lithium’s Neves Project Selected for Potential Funding Under US-Japan Partnership
Atlas Lithium’s flagship Neves lithium project in Brazil was named in the joint US‑Japan critical minerals fact sheet, making it the sole Brazilian asset under consideration for government funding. The inclusion follows a $30 million strategic investment and off‑take agreement with...
Cerrado Battles Portugal over Stalled Copper-Zinc Project
Toronto‑listed Cerrado Gold reported higher earnings but faces a legal battle in Portugal over its Lagoa Salgada copper‑zinc project. The company filed an injunction against an environmental ruling that cited water‑resource risks, arguing procedural flaws and a shortened consultation period....
Wheaton Lands $4.3B BHP Silver Stream, Enters Australia
Wheaton Precious Metals has signed a $4.3 billion silver streaming agreement with BHP, granting it 33% of silver output from Peru’s Antamina mine until 100 million ounces are delivered, after which the share falls to 22.5%. The company also sealed a $275 million...
Royal Road Eyes Underground Mine as Colombia Drilling Resumes
Royal Road Minerals reported that drilling at its Guintar‑Aleman‑Margaritas project in Colombia intersected significant gold‑silver‑copper mineralization, suggesting the deposit could support a bulk‑tonnage underground mine. Hole GUI‑DD‑028 returned 76 metres grading 2.1 g/t gold, 0.4% copper and 7.9 g/t silver, while other...
Op-Ed: Copper Rally Masks Smelting Power Shift
Copper prices are hovering near historic highs, driven by electrification, AI‑related demand and limited new mine supply. However, treatment and refining charges for smelters have collapsed from about $80 per tonne in 2024 to near‑zero levels, with spot terms expected...
American Rare Earths’ Cowboy State Mine to Provide Feedstock for DoE Research
American Rare Earths (ARR) has been selected to supply feedstock for the DOE’s METALLIC research consortium, leveraging ore from its Cowboy State mine in Wyoming. The mine, part of the Halleck Creek project, was recently estimated to contain 547.5 million...
Benz Drills Bonanza Gold at Australia’s Mt Egerton
Benz Mining announced an ultra‑high‑grade gold intercept at Mt Egerton, Western Australia, returning 7 metres grading 223 g/t gold within an 11‑metre, 144.2 g/t zone beneath the historic Hibernian mine. The hit validates the company’s revised structural model and adds to an existing...
Antimony Resources Hits All-Time High as It Prepares for Initial Resource
Antimony Resources (CSE: ATMY) is advancing its Bald Hill deposit in New Brunswick toward a first‑ever mineral resource estimate, completing a 10,000‑metre drill program with half the holes already finished. The company hired SRK Consultants to perform the estimation, leveraging...
ACG Metals Hunts Copper Deals to Build Western Supply
London‑listed ACG Metals is actively pursuing up to ten copper‑mine acquisitions, focusing on assets already producing or near production. The company completed its first 2024 deal, buying Turkey's Gediktepe gold‑silver mine for $300 million and plans to start copper output there...
Falcon Seeks $100M From Guinea in World Bank Court
Falcon Energy Materials has lodged a $100 million arbitration claim with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, alleging Guinea illegally expropriated its Lola graphite project. The claim invokes the bilateral investment treaty between Guinea and the United...
BHP Wins UK Appeal Ending Case over Brazil Dam Collapse Claims
BHP has won a UK Court of Appeal decision that terminates contempt of court proceedings linked to claims it funded litigation to block Brazilian municipalities from suing over the 2015 Mariana dam disaster. The appeal overturns a prior High Court...
Centaurus Inks Glencore Deal for Jaguar Nickel Output
Centaurus Metals secured a five‑year, $450 million off‑take with Glencore for 20,000 tonnes of 32% nickel concentrate annually, covering roughly one‑third of the Jaguar project’s planned output. The agreement ties sales to LME nickel prices and includes copper and cobalt by‑product terms....
Rio Tinto Slows Quebec Lithium Plant Build, Timeline Intact
Rio Tinto announced it will slow construction of the Nemaska lithium processing plant in Quebec, halving its contractual workforce to manage rising costs. The plant, now about 70% complete, is slated to produce 32,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide annually, with...
Op-Ed: Europe’s Rare Earth Test Begins After Finland’s Drill Hit
European Resources reported its strongest rare‑earth intercept at Finland’s Korsnäs project, logging an average 4,902 ppm TREO over a 31.5‑metre interval. The drill core also showed a high proportion of neodymium‑praseodymium (NdPr), comprising roughly 28‑30% of the total rare‑earth mix. While...
Rio Tinto Produces Low-Carbon Aluminum Rod in Partnership with Prysmian
Rio Tinto and Prysmian have completed an industrial trial producing low‑carbon aluminum rod by blending hydro‑powered metal from the Alma smelter in Quebec with aluminum made using Rio Tinto’s ELYSIS technology, which eliminates direct CO₂ emissions. The trial is part...
Iran War Could Leave Lasting Shock on Commodities: Report
The US‑Israel war against Iran has already rattled global commodity markets, tightening supply chains for oil, fertilizers, chemicals and several metals. BMO Capital Markets notes oil prices spiked toward $120 per barrel before settling near $90, while nitrogen fertilizer costs...
Gold Price Fades on Inflation Concerns, Silver Price Rebounds
Gold slipped to about $5,015 an ounce on Monday, a 3% intraday drop, before regaining most of the loss, as a stronger U.S. dollar and inflation‑driven rate worries kept investors on the sidelines. Silver, by contrast, rose over 2% to...
La Mancha Builds $313M Interest in G Mining
La Mancha Resource Capital purchased 9.3 million G Mining shares for C$427 million, raising its stake to 19.9%. The deal underscores La Mancha’s confidence in G Mining’s expanding asset base, notably the Tocantinzinho ramp‑up and the upcoming Oko West project in Guyana....
Phoenix Copper Fires Chair, CFO over Secret Payments
Phoenix Copper (AIM: PXC) dismissed its executive chairman Marcus Edwards‑Jones and CFO Richard Wilkins after an internal probe revealed undisclosed related‑party payments of about $1.765 million to a firm owned by the chairman and an additional £610,000 in unauthorized bond‑related transfers. The board...
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...
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...
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...
RANKED: Top 20 Automakers by Battery Metals Spending
The global passenger EV market grew 18% YoY in 2025, pushing battery capacity deployment past 1 TWh for the first time. Raw‑material costs for lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt and manganese reached $15.6 billion, an 11% rise over 2024 but still half of...
First Nations Coalition Says Indigenous Equity Key to Faster Mining Approvals in Canada
The First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) is championing Indigenous equity ownership as a catalyst for faster mining and energy project approvals across Canada. By providing technical, regulatory and financial support, the coalition helps First Nations move from consultation to...
Resolute Mining Grows Gold Inventory with Côte D’Ivoire Additions
Resolute Mining announced a 60% increase in its gold resource estimate, now totaling 347 million tonnes at 1.6 g/t gold and over 17.63 million ounces. The boost stems from the $150 million acquisition of the Doropo and ABC projects in Côte d’Ivoire, which added...
Pan American’s Largest Silver Mine Just Got Bigger
Pan American Silver announced the discovery of four new high‑grade veins—Filomena, Nicolasa, Bernardina and Josefina—at its La Colorada mine in Zacatecas, Mexico. Roughly 40% of the recent drill holes returned silver assays above 1,000 g/t, indicating a substantial resource upside. The...
