Massive Chinese State iron-ore buyer still an unknown quantity

A year after China set up a company that’s expected to become the world’s biggest iron-ore buyer, the firm and how it will operate remains shrouded in mystery. China Mineral Resources Group was... 

In the race to mine the seabed, China takes a hard line

In an international showdown that is pitting China against dozens of other nations, one company’s quest to strip-mine the seabed for valuable metals has hit a roadblock. Friday marked the... 

Botswana, South Africa seek funds for $230m minerals line

State-owned rail companies from Botswana and South Africa are seeking funding for a three-billion pula ($230-million) railway line between the two countries to transport commodities including coal.... 

Southern Copper is getting more optimistic on stalled Peru mine

Southern Copper is growing more optimistic about being able to build a fiercely contested copper mine in the coastal mountains of Peru as sociopolitical tensions ease. The company has been trying... 

Saudi metals deal to test Canada's new foreign investor rules

Canada’s vow to curb foreign investment in its critical minerals sector will face its first major test with Saudi Arabia’s deal to buy into some of the country’s largest nickel mines. Prime... 

The mining world turns to Saudi cash for critical metal supply

A $2.6-billion deal announced last week has set the stage for a potentially landmark shift in the metal and mining investment landscape: the arrival of Saudi Arabia as a pivotal player. The... 

Glencore in advanced talks for Argentina copper stake

Glencore is in advanced talks to buy out its partner in Argentina’s Mara copper project as the commodity trader and miner seeks increased exposure to the metal, according to people familiar with... 

India house amends mining rules to open lithium to private firms

India’s lower house of parliament approved changes to the country’s mining rules to boost exploration, including allowing private miners to search for some critical minerals like lithium. The main... 

Pentagon seeks supply of chip-mineral gallium after China curbs exports

The Pentagon plans to issue a first-time contract to US or Canadian companies by year-end to recover gallium, a mineral used in semiconductors and military radar systems, after China curbed exports... 

Iron-ore looks set for a tumble as major stimulus hopes fade

Iron-ore’s rally over the last couple of months is looking increasingly brittle as hopes fade for the type of big-bang, infrastructure-heavy stimulus that China used to deploy. Authorities have... 

JPMorgan sees gold charging to records in 2024 as Fed cuts rates

JPMorgan Chase & Co. sees an opportunity in gold ahead of a likely US recession, predicting prices will push past $2 000 an ounce by year-end and hit fresh records in 2024 as interest rates start... 

Petro names engineer to lead Colombia away from fossil fuels

President Gustavo Petro is tasking electrical engineer Andrés Camacho to lead Colombia’s transition away from fossil fuels as his new Mines and Energy Minister. He will replace Irene Vélez, who... 

Deep-sea mining authority targets 2025 for regulations

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) on Friday reached an agreement that gives the United Nations-affiliated regulator breathing room to finish rules for strip-mining deep ocean ecosystems for... 

Tycoon Jindal’s JSW Steel scouts for global coal mining assets

JSW Steel is on the lookout for coal assets globally as the tycoon Sajjan Jindal-led mill seeks to tie up raw material supplies for its expansions in India. India’s top producer of the alloy has... 

Chevron considers lithium production in latest EV bet by big oil

Chevron is considering opportunities to produce lithium that would be used in electric vehicle batteries, CEO Mike Wirth said in a Bloomberg interview. Extracting lithium fits with the “core... 

Smaller miners' hunger for cash grows as copper prices fall, sparking M&A bets

A fall in copper prices is having an outsized impact on small and mid-sized miners, forcing many to cut output, and some are now open to raising funds from new investors to ride out the current... 

116 mines shut, people evacuated due to flooding in north-east China

China’s northeastern province of Liaoning has ordered mines to shut and evacuated 5 590 residents due to flooding, with rainfall expected to continue over the next two days. Some 116 non-coal... 

Chile wants to boost local copper smelting capacity to rely less on Asian plants

Chile, the top copper-mining nation, is moving forward with a strategy to grow local processing capacity in a bid to reduce its dependence on Asian smelters and make shipping cleaner. The Mining... 

Nickel’s at a crossroads as supply boom hits LME, Macquarie says

The nickel market is at a “turning point” with a wave of supply of the battery metal about to hit the London Metal Exchange and push down prices, according to strategists at Macquarie Group. The... 

At international deep sea mining meeting, debate moves behind closed doors

Delegates to the UN-affiliated organization that regulates seabed mining cut a livestream of their negotiations Wednesday and retreated behind closed doors in an attempt to resolve a dilemma the... 

China’s first-ever lithium futures tumble on trading debut

China’s first-ever futures for lithium — an essential ingredient for electric vehicle batteries — got off to a rocky start in their first day of trading. Lithium carbonate on the Guangzhou Futures... 

Trafigura-led group to spend $555m on Angola rail project

A group of investors led by commodity trader Trafigura Group plans to invest as much as $555-million in a railway project that will link the Angolan port of Lobito to neighboring Democratic... 

How Chile's progressive new plan to mine lithium faces Indigenous hurdles

 Chile's millennial president, Gabriel Boric, promised to mine differently. He would turn the world's largest copper producer and second largest lithium miner into a country that focused on... 

Elon Musk relieved that lithium prices are no longer insane

After complaining last year about surging prices for lithium, a metal used in electric vehicle batteries, Elon Musk says he’s now seeing “deflationary pressures” in commodities. The Tesla CEO made... 

China swallows record flows of Russian oil and coal as war drags

China’s imports of key energy commodities from Russia surged to all-time highs last month, highlighting the growing interdependence of the two nations as the war in Ukraine drags on well into its... 

Indian gold miner soars to 15-year high after asset-buying spree

India’s Deccan Gold Mines has rallied to its highest share price since 2008 after it went on a global buying spree following a struggle to mine locally. Stock in Deccan has jumped more than 40% in... 

Zimbabwe's $1bn lithium plan faces setback as Chinese partner cuts stake

South Africa’s Moti Group said a Chinese company with which it planned to develop a $1-billion lithium processing plant in Zimbabwe was halving its stake in the venture, dealing the project a... 

Alcoa sees lower costs ahead after second-quarter profit miss

 Alcoa expects its production costs will start to decline in the months ahead, which will help to buoy the largest US aluminum producer after lower prices meant the company reported... 

It’s carmakers against miners in battle over China-funded metals

US policymakers, eager to foster the country’s own electric-car supply chain, mostly agree Chinese raw materials shouldn’t play a prominent role in tomorrow’s American-made EVs. But what about... 

UAE delegation signs $1.9bn mining partnership with Congo

A delegation of United Arab Emirates officials signed a $1.9-billion partnership to develop several mines in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The deal was signed Monday with state miner... 

Vedanta a step closer to regaining control over Zambia copper assets

Vedanta Resources, owned by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, said it’s in an “advanced stage” of talks to regain control of a Zambian copper mining complex, four years after it was seized by the... 

India’s JSW Steel said to mull bid for stake in Teck coal unit

JSW Steel, India’s largest producer, is considering a bid for as much as a 20% stake in Teck Resources' steelmaking coal business, people with knowledge of the matter said. JSW has expressed... 

Canada to speed up critical minerals permits in bid to erode China’s dominance

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government hopes to unveil a plan by the end of this year to streamline permitting for mining projects as the US and its allies push to accelerate the production of... 

Canadian wildfires burn a record 25 million acres with no end in sight

Canadian wildfires have scorched more than 10-million hectares this summer, an area about the size of Iceland, with no end to the burning expected anytime soon. About 900 active fires were reported... 

De Beers deal is boon for Botswana’s economy, President says

A new deal Botswana signed this month with De Beers that will give it access to more diamonds mined within the country will be a major boost for the economy, President Mokgweetsi Masisi said in an... 

Miners join South Africa in R27bn water plan

Some of the world’s biggest mining companies are working with South Africa’s government on a R27-billion water project to supply major platinum and chrome operations and several hundred thousand... 

South Korea’s $751bn fund under new pressure over coal

South Korea’s National Pension Service is being challenged by climate groups demanding the retirement fund, one of the world’s largest, discloses details of discussions over limiting investments in... 

EU working on e-bus for lithium deal with Latin American nations

European Union officials are working on a plan that can help provide electric buses to Latin American nations in exchange for lithium supplies, as they seek to curtail the bloc’s reliance on China... 

German coal plants follow steps of large miners to clean image

Germany’s coal companies are following large multinational miners in cleaning up their image, with critics concerned that restructuring plans may set the stage for emissions to rise further. The... 

Exxon to buy Denbury for $4.9bn in CO2 pipeline push

Exxon Mobil agreed to buy Denbury for $4.9-billion, its biggest acquisition in six years, in a deal that will provide the oil giant the largest network of carbon dioxide pipelines in the US. The...