Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources ( Semarnat ) is working on creating a National Catalog of Mining Units to provide a comprehensive registry that will allow for more accurate monitoring of the country’s mining and metallurgical operations, said Luz Mariana Pérez, director of the Mining and Metallurgical Industry at the Directorate General for the Comprehensive Management of Hazardous Materials and Activities (DGGIMAR). The new catalog will include information not only on existing tailings dams, but also on other mining deposits, such as dumps and leach pads, which until now have not been systematically documented. “Today, we are working on a…
Author: TJ Markle
A new report has revealed that Australia can overtake the US to become the world’s second-largest producer of rare earth elements (REEs), after China. Used for renewable energy and technology components, REEs are expected to grow in demand beyond capacity as these sectors continue to boom. For example, renewable energy accounted for 92.5 percent of new power capacity worldwide last year, while the consumer electronics market is projected to reach $18 trillion by 2032. The report, by global intelligence and analysis platform Earth Rarest, has analysed Australia’s rare earth mining landscape, including global production data and multiple Australian REE projects…
A recent study in Resources explored the evolving landscape of mining practices within the European Project Mine.io. The aim was to establish standard protocols that define the functional and non-functional needs of diverse mining sites, supporting sustainable development and digital transformation. By proposing a framework for integrating Industry 4.0 principles into mining operations, researchers lay the foundation for future-ready and environmentally responsible mining. Integrating Smart Technologies in Mining Operations Mining has long played a critical role in industrial development, providing the raw materials needed for infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing. However, the industry is under growing pressure to meet sustainability targets and reduce its…
Top miners are advancing their decarbonization goals despite heightened geopolitical volatility. US President Donald Trump has actively opposed efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, and his government has sought to eliminate emissions-cutting measures from US policy. But while the US is one of the largest buyers of metals, it is not a major producer. Miners that face pressure from the EU, Australia, Canada and other governments to get off fossil fuels have pushed ahead with measures to reduce their carbon footprints. “When we are talking to the big mining houses, we get a sense that they are still very much full-on on these [emissions…
BHP (ASX: BHP), the world’s largest miner, is considering reopening four long-closed copper mines in Arizona, the centre of the copper industry in the United States. Chief executive officer Mike Henry said that policy changes introduced by president Donald Trump encouraged BHP to expand its exploration efforts and review dormant assets in the state. The potential restart would focus on the Globe–Miami region, where BHP also intends to reprocess tailings from the shuttered operations. Among the sites is the Magma mine, acquired through BHP’s 1996 purchase of Magma Copper. The mine was later shut down, with its surface area converted into the…
The global metals and mining industry posted one of its strongest financial performances in two decades last year, earning $700 billion in profits despite a 6% drop in revenue, according to McKinsey’s newly released Global Materials Perspective 2025. The report highlights that while profitability remains robust, the sector faces mounting challenges from declining ore grades, complex mining conditions, and stricter environmental and labour standards. All of these factors are driving up costs and squeezing margins, McKinsey said, noting that sustained investment in technology, electrification and digital tools will be crucial to maintaining productivity gains. Profit pools have shifted from coal and steel…
Silver fell more than 6% in its biggest drop in six months as the broad precious metals group retreated following a furious rally this week. The pullback came as concerns eased over credit quality in the US and trade frictions between China and the US, which is denting haven demand for gold and silver. A historic squeeze in the silver market in London also showed signs of easing, prompting some profit-taking by investors. “The London shortage is alleviating somewhat from extreme levels and the more regional dislocations smooth out, there could be pressure and profit-taking,” said Nicky Shiels, head of…
United States Antimony Corp. (NYSE-A: UAMY) says it has begun exploration and bulk sampling operations on the former Stibnite Hill mine in Montana, having secured the necessary permits from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The Stibnite Hill mine is situated next to USAC’s Thompson Falls smelter, which it uses to process third-party ore into various forms of antimony products as well as precious metals. According to the company, this facility is one of two smelters in North America — both owned by USAC — with a long-standing capacity to process the metal. On its website, it noted that the…
KATHMANDU — When the monsoon arrives in Jhumlabang village in Nepal’s far west, 35-year-old Til Kumari B.K. spends hours in the community forest harvesting mushrooms. The rest of the year, she goes there to collect bark from the allo plant (Girardinia diversifolia), or Himalayan nettle, which is processed into a fiber for weaving fabric. During the dry season, Til Kumari also tends her farm. “The farm feeds my family, while money from the mushrooms and fibers help pay for books and pens for my four children,” she says. But all that could soon change, with her once sleepy village now in the…
Brazil’s National Congress in Brasília, lawmakers, Indigenous leaders and civil society representatives gathered to present a global parliamentary investigation into the effort to phase out fossil fuels in the Amazon. The investigation, led by Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Future, a network of more than 900 lawmakers from 96 countries, resulted in a report, which documents the impacts of fossil fuel activities in the Amazon, including deforestation, pollution and social conflicts, and proposes how to move toward a fossil-free Amazon. Prior to presenting the report, parliamentarians from Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador put forward bills in their national legislatures to stop fossil fuel expansion…