Indonesia has reclaimed more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres, about the size of Switzerland) of land nationwide that had been used for plantations, mining or other activities inside areas officially designated as forest, according to the government. The ongoing crackdown — the country’s most sweeping enforcement drive to date against illegal activities in forest areas — is being carried out by a task force established by President Prabowo Subianto in January 2025, involving the military, police, prosecutors and multiple ministries. Officials say the task force initially targeted 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of land to seize in 2025, and…
Author: TJ Markle
Mining stocks are riding the AI wave to new heights: The MSCI Metals and Mining Index has notched a nearly 90% gain since the start of 2025, significantly outperforming semiconductors, global banks, and the Magnificent Seven. Demand for metals is increasingly decoupling from traditional economic cycles, driven instead by the boom in AI, EVs and robotics, according to Bloomberg. Copper leads the charge: Copper has increased 50% over the same period, while analysts are also bullish on aluminum, silver, nickel, and platinum. Copper is increasingly viewed as a strategic asset, with JP Morgan forecasting a refined copper deficit of roughly…
Brazilian mining firm Vale SA said it is investigating an overflow of water with sediment in a pit at the Fabrica mine in Minas Gerais state. The water reached some areas of Pires, a unit of competitor CSN Mineração. A warehouse, internal access areas, a mechanical workshop and loading areas were affected, CSN Mineração said in a statement. Vale said its output won’t be affected. CSN Mineração didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The incident doesn’t involve a dam, Vale said, adding that the community in the region wasn’t affected. Seven years ago, the Brumadinho dam collapse in Minas…
The Metals Co on Thursday became the first deep-sea miner to seek Washington’s approval to mine the international seabed under a streamlined permitting process introduced earlier this week. Deep-sea mining has the potential to provide large amounts of the minerals needed for electric vehicles and the energy transition, but debate over the environmental damage it may cause has dragged on for decades and prevented licenses being issued. The US Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday said it would consolidate the licensing and permitting process into a single and ostensibly shorter review. “Those amended regulations pave a pathway for…
Global mining started 2026 the way it ended 2025 – with a huge rally. Gold now looks to have $5,000 in sight, silver’s wild swings are getting wilder, and copper is hitting all time highs with regularity. Mining stocks have duly responded, and after a blowout 2026, the Top 50 biggest mining stocks’ collective value now sits comfortably above the $2 trillion level reached at the end of last year. You have to scour the corners of the mining world to find something that’s down and titanium and silicon are not exactly pillars of the industry. While the metal and mineral price rally is…
The US government plans to acquire a 10% stake in USA Rare Earth (NASDAQ: USAR) as part of a $1.6 billion investment package to support the company’s development of a domestic mine-to-magnet supply chain, according to reports. Under the agreement, as first reported by the Financial Times on Saturday, Washington would receive 16.1 million shares of USAR and warrants to purchase another 17.6 million shares, both priced at $17.17 a share. The price represents a near 25% discount to USAR’s closing price of $22.71 in New York on Friday. The Oklahoma-based rare earth miner has a market capitalization of about $3.4 billion. Separately,…
Global mining stocks have shot to the top of fund managers’ must-have list, as soaring metals demand and tight supplies of key minerals hint at a new supercycle in the sector. With a nearly 90% gain since the start of 2025, MSCI’s Metals and Mining Index has beaten semiconductors, global banks and the Magnificent Seven cohort of technology stocks by a wide margin. And the rally shows no sign of stalling, as the boom in robotics, electric vehicles and AI data centers spurs metals prices to ever new highs. That’s particularly true of copper, which is key to the energy transition and…
By The Daily Guardian Bahrain’s effort to present itself as a destination for advanced industrial investment is encountering renewed attention as foreign court filings shed light on long-running disputes involving the financing and ownership structure of the Bahrain Titanium project. The disclosures arise primarily from proceedings in the United States, where publicly filed materials describe allegations surrounding the global titanium trade and the role of entities said to be connected to Igor Raykhelson, the businessman publicly associated with the Bahrain venture and allegedly the ultimate beneficial owner of the Interlink companies that appear throughout the record. While no allegations have…
Czechia last deep coal mines close this month, reshaping the labor, energy, and industrial landscapes. Czechia’s last deep coal mine, the ČSM shaft in Stonava, is set to close by the end of January, bringing more than 250 years of coal mining in the country to an end. Once the backbone of the Moravian-Silesian industrial heartland, the mine’s closure marks the conclusion of an era that powered regional steel production and heavy industry. The end of hard coal mining signals a shift in energy, employment, and the environment in a region long associated with underground mining. OKD, the state-owned company…
The Chemical Revolution Transforming Mineral Extraction Mining operations worldwide face mounting pressure to reimagine their relationship with chemical processes. Traditional extractive methods, developed during eras when environmental considerations held secondary importance, now confront regulatory frameworks demanding fundamental operational restructuring. The implementation of green chemistry in mining extends beyond mere compliance, representing a strategic pivot toward sustainable mining transformation that balances operational efficiency with ecological stewardship. The convergence of technological innovation, regulatory evolution, and stakeholder expectations has created unprecedented momentum for green chemistry adoption across the mining value chain. From uranium processing facilities in remote locations to copper extraction operations in water-stressed regions, mining companies…