Why is mining of the deep sea being proposed? What could be mined in the deep sea? The three main deposit types of interest, which form in different ways: Polymetallic nodules. The composition of nodules varies with location, but may contain manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt in addition to rare-earth metals. Seafloor massive sulfides (SMS, associated with hydrothermal vents)). These are deposits that may contain copper, zinc, silver, and gold. Cobalt-rich crusts. These crusts contain cobalt, manganese, copper, and nickel. Other deposits that could be exploited include rare earth element rich muds. Similar to nodules, SMS and crusts, these can take millions of years to…
Author: TJ Markle
NUUK — Greenland’s harsh environment, lack of key infrastructure and difficult geology have so far prevented anyone from building a mine to extract the sought-after rare earth elements that many high-tech products require. Even if U.S. President Donald Trump prevails in his effort to take control of the Arctic island, those challenges won’t go away. Trump has prioritized breaking China’s stranglehold on the global supply of rare earths ever since the world’s number two economy sharply restricted who could buy them after the United States imposed widespread tariffs last spring. The Trump administration has invested hundreds of millions of dollars…
Critical minerals dominated headlines in 2025 as vulnerabilities across their supply chains became increasingly apparent amid rising global trade tensions. At the same time, precious metals—gold and silver—both raced to record highs as their safe-haven appeal intensified. Those narratives have carried into the new year, with geopolitical tensions, resource nationalism and persistent supply bottlenecks all keeping the metals market firmly in the global spotlight. With that in mind, analysts at Sprott have identified some of the biggest themes investors should watch for this year: Deglobalization In 2026, deglobalization is expected to deepen and broaden across economic, geopolitical and investment landscapes as the…
State’s review could set precedent for first new uranium mine in 40 years, environmental lawyer says The company seeking to build a new uranium mine near Mount Taylor announced a significant milestone this week, completing an operations plan that one environmental lawyer said indicates the company is serious about extracting the first load of uranium from the state in decades. Laramide Resources, Inc. issued a notice Monday alerting the public it had submitted a complete Mining Operations and Reclamation Plan to the state regarding the Jara Mesa uranium mine project about 10 miles north of Grants. The state’s Mining and…
Africa’s top gold producer, Ghana is reshaping its mining landscape as soaring global gold prices trigger a shake-up in long-term contracts. The government has canceled several long-term mining agreements and raised royalties on gold production, signaling a new strategy to capture a larger share of the windfall from rising commodity prices. The changes mark a significant shift in how the West African nation manages its mineral wealth, balancing investor confidence with stronger fiscal and local‑content demands as global gold prices trade around record highs of about $4,590 per ounce. The stability and development agreements in Ghana traditionally lock in tax and royalty…
A fresh copper bull cycle is being “born” that should fuel further consolidation within the mining industry, Blackrock, the world’s largest asset management group, has predicted. The boom in artificial intelligence and the energy transition have created “a big new demand source” that is not being met by supply after a decade of underinvestment in new copper projects, according to Evy Hambro, chief investment officer of Blackrock’s natural resources team and global head of thematic and sector investing. The “complexity and risk of adding new capacity in the resources space, and the time that it takes to do so”, could…
Mineral prices, policies, and perceptions draw gaze North. As gold and silver prices climbed into uncharted territory, the energy and tech sectors demanded unprecedented quantities of minerals, and securing domestic supplies of those minerals was elevated to a national priority – mining companies, investors, and Washington lawmakers looked north to Alaska’s unmatched mineral potential in 2025. “Strategically, Alaska is one of the most important states for our nation, with its location, minerals, land, and natural resource assets,” Congressman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) said during an August tour of Alaska with colleagues from the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. Long known for…
LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) – The tin market has kicked off the new year in explosive form, prices racing to all-time nominal highs on both the London and Shanghai markets. The rally is “unreasonable”, according to the state-backed China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA). It warned all parties last month to “avoid blindly following the trend”. Beijing’s admonition hasn’t in any way deterred Chinese investors from doing just that and chasing the price ever higher. The volume of trading on the Shanghai Futures Exchange’s (ShFE) tin contract exceeded a million metric tons on Thursday. That’s more than twice the world’s…
Italian financial authorities have detained a cargo ship in the port of Brindisi on suspicion of violating European Union sanctions targeting Russia, according to ANSA on January 17. The vessel, flying the flag of a small Pacific island nation—reportedly Tuvalu—was carrying more than 33,000 metric tons of black metal when it entered Brindisi. The Italian Financial Police launched an inspection upon arrival, prompted by irregularities detected in the ship’s import declaration. Though authorities did not officially name the vessel, Opinion Agency reported that tracking data strongly suggest it was the HIZIR REIS, a bulk carrier owned by Turkey’s Emiroglu Shipping. The ship is the only cargo vessel in port…
The US is exploring the possibility of forming a rare earths partnership with Brazil, as Washington steps up efforts to reduce the nation’s reliance on mineral supplies from China, the Financial Times reported. Officials from both countries have held preliminary meetings that include government representatives, industry stakeholders and financial institutions, the FT reported early on Sunday, citing officials involved in recent discussions. “There’s nothing but opportunity here,” one official told the British paper. “Brazil’s government is open to a deal on critical minerals.” Some diplomats and lobbyists see a “chance of a deal” materializing, following a tentative rapprochement between US President Donald Trump and his…