In today's episode of The Mining Insider, Logan Ore covers four major developments shaping the global mining industry: 1. China's Worst Coal Disaster in 16 Years — A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province kills at least 90 miners, with 9 still missing. The mine had been flagged by China's National Mine Safety Administration for severe safety hazards, including elevated gas levels. President Xi Jinping ordered a thorough investigation and strict accountability. 2. Copper Clos...
May 23, 2026•10 min
May 22, 2026 | Host: Logan Ore | Runtime: ~12 minutes Today on The Mining Insider: 1. EXIM BANK $2.9B IDAHO ANTIMONY LOAN — Export-Import Bank unanimously approves 13-year senior secured loan to Perpetua Resources (Nasdaq: PPTA) for Stibnite gold-antimony project in Valley County, Idaho. Structure: $2.4B upfront facility + capitalized interest + exposure fee = $2.9B total. Rate: long-dated Treasury + 100bps, fixed at first drawdown. Repayments begin 2030. Docs expected H2/2026. Stibnite is the U...
May 22, 2026•11 min
May 21, 2026 | Host: Logan Ore | Runtime: ~11 minutes Today on The Mining Insider: 1. SOUTH CROFTY FINANCING SECURED — Cornish Metals (AIM: TIN) announces £52M credit facilities from National Wealth Fund (28.45% shareholder, £35M) and Vision Blue Resources (29.08% shareholder, US$22.75M). Six-month term, 13% p.a. interest compounding daily. Up to £16M earmarked for bond escrow required as condition of issuance of US$210M Nordic bond (placed May 7). Remainder funds underground development, shaft ...
May 21, 2026•11 min
May 20, 2026 | Host: Logan Ore | Runtime: ~11 minutes Today on The Mining Insider: 1. CORE LITHIUM RESTARTS FINNISS — Core Lithium resumes blasting and excavation at its Finniss project in the Northern Territory, 90 km south of Darwin, after a two-year price-driven shutdown. The restart is backed by a $170M initial investment and a planned $120M equity raise. Lithium prices are at ~$4,200/tonne. First ore processing targeted for September quarter; first spodumene concentrate shipment in December...
May 20, 2026•11 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Agnico Eagle this morning formally approved the Hope Bay investment decision — the largest gold mine development in Nunavut's history. Development capital: approximately $2.4 billion. Expected annual gold production: 400,000 to 435,000 ounces. Initial mine life: 11 years, with approximately 4.5 million ounces total. Production targeted from 2030; full design throughput of 6,000 tpd reached in 2032. Average grade: 6.50 g/t gold; 94% metallurgical recovery. Average AIS...
May 19, 2026•9 min
Today on The Mining Insider: J.P. Morgan revised its 2026 average gold price forecast sharply lower on Monday, cutting from $5,708/oz to $5,243 — a reduction of $465/oz. The bank cited low COMEX futures open interest, contracted trading volume, subdued managed fund positions, and limited ETF inflows. Gold has fallen 14% since the onset of the US-Iran conflict in late February. The sequence: the Hormuz disruption initially drove gold to near all-time highs, but oil above $100/bbl fed US CPI to 3....
May 18, 2026•11 min
Today on The Mining Insider: President Trump wrapped up his two-day summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday and departed without a confirmed rare earth agreement. China's export controls on rare earths, heavy rare earth processing, and battery mineral precursors — imposed in early April as trade leverage — remain in place. A short-term bilateral arrangement was reportedly "still in effect" as of May 10, but it was not renewed or formalized at the summit. Rare earth processing remains more ...
May 17, 2026•10 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Gold fell sharply on Friday, dropping more than 3% to $4,530 per ounce — its lowest since mid-March — as April US consumer prices rose 3.8% year-over-year, wholesale inflation hit its fastest pace since 2022, and bond yields surged globally. Markets have now fully priced out Fed rate cuts in 2026 and are placing better than 50% probability on a rate hike by January. The Trump-Xi Beijing summit yielded no breakthrough on the Strait of Hormuz, where the US-Iran conflic...
May 16, 2026•10 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Argentina's government approved two major mining projects under its RIGI large-investment incentive program on Thursday. The Cauchari-Olaroz lithium expansion, backed by China's Ganfeng Lithium Group and Lithium Argentina AG, will invest $1.24 billion to add 45,000 tonnes per year of lithium carbonate equivalent capacity. The San Jorge copper project in Mendoza will invest $891 million — the first large metal mine in Argentina's wine country. RIGI now has 16 approved...
May 15, 2026•9 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Agnico Eagle has announced a C$14 billion (~US$10 billion) investment in Ontario gold operations by 2030, including C$2 billion for the Detour Lake underground expansion and the Upper Beaver gold-copper project. It is one of the largest private sector mining capital commitments in Ontario's history. The Metals Company signed a commercial agreement with Dutch offshore contractor Allseas to design and deploy the first commercial deep-sea nodule recovery system in the C...
May 14, 2026•8 min
Today on The Mining Insider: The April Consumer Price Index came in at 3.8 percent year-over-year — one tenth above consensus — driven by energy costs surging 17.9 percent annually. Gold fell below $4,700 an ounce after the release and Fed rate hike odds climbed to roughly 30 percent by year-end per CME Group. For miners, the print confirms input cost pressures are not easing. Copper briefly touched $14,000 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange on Monday, within 3.5 percent of the January all-t...
May 13, 2026•9 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Fertilizer giant Mosaic has pulled nearly two million tonnes of US phosphate production off the market and withdrawn its full-year output forecast, citing runaway input costs driven by the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The company posted a Q1 net loss of $258 million — well below the $71.5 million profit analysts had expected. Meanwhile, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases April CPI at 8:30 AM Eastern today. Markets are pricing in a 3.7 percent year...
May 12, 2026•8 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Barrick Mining released Q1 2026 results before market open — one of its strongest quarters on record. Gold production of 719,000 oz beat guidance of 640,000–680,000 oz by 5.7%. Three drivers: Nevada Gold Mines strong underground performance, Veladero higher throughput/grades, and Loulo-Gounkoto in Mali ramping faster than guided. Revenue $5.22B (+67% YoY). Adjusted EPS $0.98 (consensus was $0.74 — 32% beat). Operating cash flow $2.55B. Attributable free cash flow $1....
May 11, 2026•9 min
Today on The Mining Insider: The week ended with Iran still reviewing a 14-point US peace proposal submitted through Pakistani intermediaries. Trump said Friday the conflict "is not over yet" and the US Navy fired on Iranian ships attempting to breach the Hormuz blockade, pushing oil prices higher. Gold closed above $4,700/oz and silver above $80/troy oz. For miners, the equation is direct: Hormuz closed means diesel +30-70%, LNG +30%, freight +40%, and Gold Fields put a $40-50/oz AISC hit at $1...
May 10, 2026•10 min
Today on The Mining Insider: PT Freeport Indonesia has confirmed the full restart of the Grasberg Block Cave copper mine in Central Papua has been pushed to early 2028 — a full year later than prior guidance. Operations are currently running at 40-50% of capacity. The company is targeting 65% in H2 2026, 80% by mid-2027, near-full by end-2027, and full capacity in early 2028. 2026 copper guidance for Grasberg has been cut from 1 billion pounds to 700,000 pounds. The September 2025 mudflow that k...
May 09, 2026•10 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Cornish Metals has closed a $210 million Nordic bond offering to fund construction of South Crofty in Cornwall, England — the highest-grade undeveloped tin deposit in the world. The six-year bonds carry a 13.5% fixed coupon and were significantly oversubscribed. CEO Don Turvey says the company expects to be fully funded and to announce a final investment decision this summer, with first tin concentrate production targeted for mid-2028. The project would be potentiall...
May 08, 2026•9 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Ivanhoe Mines released its Q1 2026 financial results after market close on Wednesday. Kamoa-Kakula delivered $862 million in revenue and $397 million in EBITDA — a 46% EBITDA margin — and beat the low end of its C1 cash cost guidance at $2.58 per pound, compared with guidance of $2.60 to $3.00. The headline net loss of $2 million was driven entirely by a $183 million DRC tax settlement, not operating performance. Kipushi produced a record 65,044 tonnes of zinc in Q1....
May 07, 2026•10 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Sibanye-Stillwater launched tender offers on May 6 to retire all $675 million outstanding of its 4% senior notes due 2026 — a full any-and-all offer — and up to $75 million of its 4.5% notes due 2029 at $962.50 per $1,000, funded by a new dollar-denominated bond issuance. The 2026 notes are set to settle May 15. The move is part of Sibanye's multi-year restructuring following the collapse of platinum group metal prices and comes one week after the fatal Kloof 8 shaft...
May 06, 2026•10 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Regis Resources and Vault Minerals announced a 100% all-scrip merger creating a combined company with a pro forma market cap of approximately A$10.7 billion (US$7.67 billion) — Australia's third-largest primary ASX-listed gold producer. The merged group will produce over 700,000 ounces per year from five Western Australian assets, entering life debt-free with A$1.9 billion in cash and projected annual free cash flow of A$1.7 billion. CEO Jim Beyer of Regis will lead ...
May 05, 2026•10 min
Today on The Mining Insider: The Asian Development Bank launched its Critical Minerals-to-Manufacturing Financing Partnership Facility at its 59th annual meeting in Samarkand on May 3. Korea Eximbank and the Korean Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) each signed $500 million memoranda as founding partners, alongside $20 million from Japan and $1.6 million from the UK as seed grants. ADB President Masato Kanda said Asia and the Pacific should capture more than raw material exports. Separately, t...
May 04, 2026•9 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Work on the IPO of Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company — Uzbekistan's state-owned gold miner and the world's fourth-largest gold producer — has been paused, with the Uzbek government weighing the right moment to list. The company produced 3.2 million ounces of gold in 2025, with revenue of $10.8 billion and pre-tax profit of $6.1 billion. Separately, a structural milestone in copper mining economics: Southern Copper and Vale both reported negative net cash costs f...
May 03, 2026•9 min
Today on The Mining Insider: Mercuria Energy Group and Heeney Capital announced May 1 that they had secured White House-backed offtake agreements for Venezuelan bulk commodities and gold, projected to generate $2.2 billion in annual mineral export value — with aluminum, nickel, and ferrous metals negotiations ongoing that could add another $3 billion. NOAA certified on May 1 that TMC the Metals Company's consolidated application for a deep-seabed exploration license and commercial recovery permi...
May 02, 2026•10 min
Today on The Mining Insider: China's ban on sulphuric acid exports takes effect today, May 1 — a structural disruption that threatens roughly a fifth of Chile's copper output and has pushed Copperbelt acid prices near all-time highs of $700 to $800 per tonne in the DRC. First Quantum Minerals reported Q1 2026 results on April 28, posting a net loss of $196 million as Sentinel and Kansanshi both came in below the prior quarter — but raised its 2026 copper production guidance to 405,000 to 475,000...
May 01, 2026•11 min
Today on The Mining Insider: First Quantum Minerals released its first quarter 2026 financial and operating results on April 28, with Sentinel's ball mill constraints remaining a drag and Kansanshi's S3 expansion continuing its ramp. Separately, Fortescue is moving toward a long-term iron ore supply deal with China Mineral Resources Group following BHP's recent settlement. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa has unveiled a $100 million US- and UAE-backed paramilitary mining security fo...
Apr 28, 2026•13 min
China's CMOC Group signed a $1.7 billion mining contract with Ecuador on April 27 for the Los Cangrejos gold-silver project in El Oro province, developed through local subsidiary ODIN Mining del Ecuador. Structure: state receives 50% of project value; $54M advance royalties ($34M on signing, balance at construction milestones). Projected state revenues: $4.39B. Ecuador's only two large-scale operations — Mirador copper and Fruta del Norte gold — both reached production in 2019. Los Cangrejos wou...
Apr 28, 2026•9 min
Brazil's Rede Sustentabilidade party petitioned the country's Supreme Court on April 25 to suspend the $2.8 billion acquisition of Serra Verde Group by USA Rare Earth Inc. (NASDAQ: USAR). The party argued Brazilian legislation lacks constitutional safeguards over strategic mineral assets. Serra Verde's Pela Ema operation in Goiás produces ~100 metric tons of rare earth oxides/year, targeting 6,400 tonnes/year by end-2027. Deal structure: $300M cash + 126.9M new shares, backed by $565M DFC facili...
Apr 27, 2026•9 min
The 830-kilometer Lobito Corridor railway — the biggest new build in Zambia since the 1970s — secured $1.32 billion in committed financing at a Nairobi conference on April 24. Africa Finance Corp. ($500M), African Development Bank ($500M), and Italy ($320M) committed the funds. Total project cost is up to $5 billion. EPC bids are due in May, contractor selection targeted by July-August, groundbreaking before year-end 2026 or early 2027, financial close in Q4 2027, completion in 2030. The railway...
Apr 26, 2026•10 min
The United States and European Union formalized the US-EU Action Plan for Critical Minerals Supply Chain Resilience on April 24, announced by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. The plan establishes border-adjusted price floors as the primary trade mechanism to prevent Chinese producers from undercutting allied producers in rare earths, battery materials, and mineral processing. The Office of the USTR and the European Commission's Directorate-General ...
Apr 25, 2026•9 min
Freeport-McMoRan reported Q1 2026 earnings Thursday, beating profit estimates but shocking the market with a significant downgrade to the Grasberg mine ramp-up timeline. After last September's fatal mud-rush, the company now expects the world's second-largest copper mine to reach only 65% of capacity in the second half of 2026 — down from the 85% target outlined in January. Full recovery is pushed to mid-2027. Full-year 2026 copper guidance was cut from 3.4 billion pounds to 3.1 billion; gold gu...
Apr 24, 2026•8 min
Newmont's Record Quarter, Ghana's New Gold Royalty, and Copper Holds Above $6 Newmont Q1 2026: record net income $3.3B, FCF $3.1B, avg realized gold $4,900/oz, AISC $1,029/oz, production 1.30M oz (down 16% YoY due to Australian bushfires/rainfall + planned maintenance), $6B buyback authorized, full-year guidance maintained at 5.26M oz. CEO Natascha Viljoen: "all-time record $3.1 billion in quarterly free cash flow." Ghana new sliding gold royalty (5-12% by gold price, enacted March 10, 2026): $1...
Apr 24, 2026•9 min
