Guinea’s Simandou iron exports surge six months after first ore

Exports from Guinea’s Simandou iron-ore project surged in May, six months after the first shipment to China, marking a milestone in the ramp-up of the high-grade mine that has the potential to... 

China’s State buyer seeks scrutiny of new Fortescue iron-ore

China’s State-backed iron-ore buyer has instructed some steel mills to ask questions about Fortescue's new low-grade product as negotiations over a long-term supply contract hit a rough patch.... 

Indonesia advances export control plan despite uncertainty

Indonesia is pushing ahead with plans to centralize exports of key commodities starting June 1, casting a cloud of regulatory uncertainty over natural resource producers. Coal, palm oil and ferro... 

Iron-ore heads for monthly loss as coal spike pressures margins

Iron-ore headed for a monthly loss as a short-lived rally triggered by a fatal steelmaking-coal mine accident in China’s Shanxi province faded, leaving investors focused on mill margins and... 

South Africa set to run coal stations longer as gas projects lag

South Africa is poised to delay the retirement of about a fifth of its coal-fired electricity-generation capacity as gas projects earmarked to replace them remain behind schedule, contrasting a... 

Chinese coal disaster to ripple through steel, power, chemicals

The Shanxi coal disaster is likely to hit Chinese output in the short term, raising costs for steelmakers, power plants and chemicals manufacturers. The explosion at a coking coal mine that killed... 

Codelco, SQM budget $3bn for lithium project in Chile

Chilean mining companies Codelco and SQM are budgeting $3-billion to deploy new extraction technologies at their lithium joint venture in the Atacama Desert. The companies' Novandino Litio... 

SQM boosts lithium guidance as earnings top estimates

Chilean copper miner SQM reported a sharp increase in first-quarter profit and raised its lithium sales forecast, betting that robust demand from battery storage systems will keep the market... 

China’s Jinchuan says $145m missing in Congo mine probe

Jinchuan Group International Resources Co said an independent probe found that nearly $145-million was siphoned from its copper and cobalt operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo through... 

BHP reportedly cuts green push in iron-ore segment, media report says

BHP Group is allegedly pulling back on key decarbonization projects in its Western Australian iron-ore operations, slowing a climate strategy the miner had once positioned as central to its... 

Egypt eyes first aerial survey in 40 years to map mineral riches

Egypt will carry out its first comprehensive aerial mining survey in more than four decades, part of efforts to unlock mineral discoveries and attract foreign investment. Xcalibur Smart Mapping... 

Chalco agrees to build alumina plant in Guinea for $1bn

Aluminum Corp of China, the country’s largest State-owned producer of the lightweight metal, has agreed to invest $1-billion in an alumina plant in Guinea to tap local bauxite resources. Chalco, as... 

EU’s top copper miner KGHM eyes takeovers as global energy shift spurs demand for red metal

KGHM Polska Miedz SA, the EU’s largest copper producer, plans to expand its footprint abroad as the global shift to cleaner technologies fuels appetite for the red metal. Poland-based KGHM wants... 

Copper climbs toward record high as global supply tightens

Copper extended gains above $14 000/t, inching toward a record high seen earlier this year, as supply risks mount on mine disruptions around the world. The red metal rallied for an eighth session... 

Race for critical minerals leaves EU struggling to keep up

For the EU, the fate of a Cold War-era mine near Bratislava is becoming a litmus test for its ambition to break free from China’s chokehold over critical minerals. Sitting in a wooded range of... 

Freeport Indonesia pushes back Grasberg Copper restart by a year

PT Freeport Indonesia pushed back the full restart of its giant Grasberg copper mine by a year, worsening supply constraints that are already impacting the global market for the metal. The complex... 

Myanmar finds giant 11 000 ct ruby in Mandalay Region

Myanmar has announced the discovery of a massive ruby weighing 11 000 ct (2.2 kg), a rare find even for the country’s central gemstone hub of Mogok near Mandalay. The purplish-red stone, found... 

Japan offers energy loan, ammonia technology to South Africa

Japan plans to fast-track talks with South Africa on a yen-denominated energy loan, while promoting its technology to blend ammonia with coal to reduce carbon emissions in a country that still... 

Canada giving $1.1bn to firms hit by US metal tariff rules

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government unveiled measures worth C$1.5-billion, or $1.1-billion, to help Canadian firms hurt by the Trump administration’s changes to US tariffs on imports containing... 

Germany sees US as vulnerable to squeeze on potash supplies

German authorities seeking to map out US supply-chain vulnerabilities as a way to win leverage with President Donald Trump’s administration have identified a key pressure point: potash. The US... 

Canadian miner invested in Cuba says it's asssessing Trump's fresh sanctions

A Canadian mining company that is among Cuba’s largest foreign investors is consulting with advisers and stakeholders after President Donald Trump expanded US sanctions against the struggling... 

Japan’s Sumitomo to divest stake in Madagascar nickel project

Sumitomo Corp plans to sell its majority stake in the Ambatovy nickel project in Madagascar following a review of market conditions. The Japanese trading house said it will divest its 54% interest... 

KoBold starts work on Zambian copper mine

KoBold Metals, the exploration company backed by billionaires including Bill Gates and Sam Altman, officially broke ground on what will be Zambia’s biggest copper mine as the global hunt for... 

China's scant winds allow fossil fuel power to make a comeback

Fossil fuels staged a comeback in China’s power sector last quarter, as weather variations and grid constraints slowed the growth of clean energy. Thermal power output rose 3.7% over the first... 

War squeezes global mining as diesel and acid supplies tighten

From the Australian outback to Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the global mining industry is beginning to feel the effects of disruption caused by the war in Iran. War-driven... 

World’s biggest lithium mine gets downgrade on ‘systemic issues'

Shares in Australian miner IGO tumbled as much as 14% after the company delivered a major downgrade to production guidance for Greenbushes, the world’s biggest hard-rock lithium mine. The company... 

Anglo advances coal business sale after setback with Peabody

Anglo American has at least three potential buyers for its Australian steelmaking coal business after a sale to Peabody Energy Corp was derailed last year following a fire at one of the mines.... 

China revives coal-to-gas projects as energy security frays

A high-profile Chinese coal-to-gas venture that lay dormant for over a decade is set to launch this year, as part of a wave of investments that will allow Beijing to mitigate threats to fuel supply... 

BHP begins review to rank unprofitable Australian coal mines

Australia-headquartered BHP Group and Mitsubishi Development have launched a review process to rank the financial health of their coal mines and assets in Queensland after raising concerns about... 

South Africa steel needs demand not belligerence, regulator says

The key to rescuing South Africa’s ailing steel industry, in which a unit of ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) is feuding with smaller competitors, is by growing demand rather than fixating on... 

LME at record high on aluminum 'black hole' fear

Industrial metals have jumped to a record high on the London Metal Exchange (LME), driven gains in aluminum after the Middle East war disrupted supplies, as well as a recent revival in copper. The... 

Billionaire Gina Rinehart partly loses iron-ore legal battle

Hancock Prospecting, the private company of billionaire Gina Rinehart, has partly lost a decade-long legal battle with Wright Prospecting over royalties, but will retain ownership of a major... 

Asian LNG imports plummet to six-year low on Middle East crisis

Asian liquefied natural gas imports have dropped to the lowest in almost six years as the conflict in the Middle East chokes supplies and forces buyers to curb consumption. The 30-day moving... 

EU, US considering critical minerals deal to combat Chinese control

The European Union and US are nearing an agreement to coordinate on producing and securing critical minerals, as part of a push to break reliance on Chinese supplies. The potential deal would... 

Iron-ore slides after incoming BHP chief sighted in Beijing

Iron-ore slid to its lowest in a month after a report that BHP Group’s incoming CEO had met with Chinese executives in Beijing this week, a possible sign that frosty relations between the mining... 

Barrick willing to shuffle assets as it eyes North American spinoff

Global miner Barrick Mining Corporation plans to reduce its exposure to higher-risk jurisdictions and signaled openness to top-tier acquisitions, as it prepares to spin off its prized North... 

Goldman warns on copper as Iran war threatens global economy

Copper is vulnerable to further declines if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, Goldman Sachs Group warned as metals markets brace for President Donald Trump's deadline for Iran to agree a deal... 

Iran amplifies LNG shortage by blocking passages through Hormuz

Iran has yet to allow a single carrier loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in weeks of war, according to traders involved in the transit, a ban that risks... 

Australia passes law to trade, stock fuel alongside rare earths

(Bloomberg) -- Australia’s parliament passed legislation empowering the country’s export credit agency to physically buy, stockpile and sell fuels alongside critical minerals including rare earths,... 

South African stock index is heading for worst month since 2008

Johannesburg’s benchmark stock index is heading for its worst month in almost two decades, reeling from a double hit as the Iran war saps demand for emerging-market assets while plunging...