The progress of several mining projects has prompted Ecuadoran authorities to work on public policies to streamline processes and controls, as well as ensure that royalty funds effectively reach the areas of influence. Process automation, regulatory updates, instructions for loading, packaging, transporting and unloading concentrates, export controls and stricter requirements for obtaining marketing and export licenses are among the measures the authorities are working on. “In 2025, Ecuador will advance toward a safer, more efficient and more transparent mining sector. We are transforming mining management, from small-scale to large-scale mining, ensuring legal clarity, control against organized crime and environmental sustainability,”…
Author: TJ Markle
ACCRA, July 23 (Reuters) – Ghana plans to shorten mining licence durations and mandate direct revenue-sharing with local communities in its most sweeping mining law reforms in nearly two decades, details of which were announced by a government minister on Wednesday. The planned overhaul reflects a broader trend across West Africa, where governments are rewriting mining codes to capture more value from rising commodity prices. Ghanaian Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah said the changes, which include scrapping automatic renewal of some licences – will apply only to future contracts, a departure from the stance in Mali…
A newly ratified treaty to safeguard life at sea is expected to intensify opposition to deep-sea mining at a United Nations climate summit this week in New York, running alongside the leaders’ general assembly. The High Seas Treaty, officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, will enter into force in January next year. This was made possible after Morocco became the 60th nation to ratify it on Friday, crossing the threshold required for UN treaties. Two decades in the making, the pact allows the creation of vast conservation zones in international waters, with the goal of protecting…
Four decrees (décrets) from August 27th, 2025, were published in the Official Gazette on August 28th, 2025, presenting significant changes to the French mining legal framework. The decrees are intended to promote a more sustainable and responsible application of present mining legislation. Notably, the four decrees introduce mandatory considerations for economic, environmental, and social issues, referred to as protected interests (intérêts protégés) under the Mining Code and introduce the requirement of conducting public consultations prior to the granting of permits. In addition, the decrees modify the regime for granting and renewing permits for mining substances, underground storage, geothermal activities and…
American Critical Minerals (OTCQB:APCOF) highlights the significant addition of Potash to the US Geological Survey’s draft Critical Minerals List, a development that could substantially benefit the company’s Green River Project. The USGS estimates that over 92% of US potash consumption relies on imports, primarily from Canada, former Soviet Union, and Middle East. The company emphasizes recent federal funding initiatives in the sector, including a $14 million USDA grant to Sage Potash for a Utah facility and a $3 million DFC commitment to Millennial Potash’s Banio Project. Additionally, the company has engaged Machai Capital for digital marketing services with a $400,000…
Dara Tah said those who work at Mount Ijen are a bunch of ‘incredibly strong people’ You might think your job is tough, but you will probably have a new-found appreciation for it after seeing the peril that some people put themselves in to earn a living. Even daredevil Dara Toh breathed a sigh of relief after clocking off from his trial shift with the sulphur miners who risk their lives at Indonesia’s Mount Ijen day in, day out. The YouTuber has travelled the world to visit the ‘deadliest’, ‘most haunted’ and and ‘most infected’ islands, so his 570,000 subscribers…
The global economy is undergoing a fundamental rewiring. A powerful combination of two megatrends, the mass electrification of everything and the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, is creating a historic surge in electricity consumption. From electrifying the transportation and industrial manufacturing sectors to the growing power needs of data centers, the world’s insatiable appetite for electricity is not a cyclical trend, but a permanent step-change in global energy demand. This demand shock is colliding with a severely outdated electrical grid. The current infrastructure was not designed for such heavy loads or for the efficient long-distance transmission of the electricity required to…
In the realm of materials science, a groundbreaking study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has unveiled a compelling new phenomenon governing the atomic architecture of metallic alloys. For years, the nuanced chemical patterns within metal alloys were deemed either inconsequential or prone to obliteration during traditional manufacturing processes like rolling and heating. Contrary to this longstanding assumption, the MIT team’s innovative research reveals that these subtle chemical orders not only persist but fundamentally influence metal properties in conventionally produced materials. These findings promise to reshape our understanding of metal alloy behavior and open unprecedented avenues for…
BUT ENVIRONMENTAL RESTRICTIONS IN THE U.S. PREVENT THEIR EXTRACTION Rare Earth Elements are some of the most strategically important commodities a country can possess. They are categorized within a group of seventeen chemical elements on the periodic table that have unique properties which are used to make objects that are able to operate in high-heat or low-temperature, with reduced energy-consumption, greater efficiency, higher speed, and greater durability than most other substances – such as submarines, fighter jets, missiles, mobile phones, batteries, lasers, semi-conductors, TV’s, solar panels, batteries, magnets and America’s most technologically advanced weapons of war. The Trump Administration has…
Mining Technology reports from FQM’s Kansanshi mine in Zambia, where Hitachi Construction Machinery’s world-first full battery electric dump truck is undergoing real-world testing. At the edge of the open-pit mine, a massive dump truck rounds the corner. Without stopping, it raises two pantographs and connects seamlessly to the overhead trolley lines, much like a tram, before powering its way uphill under full load. At the crest, it disconnects just as smoothly and continues across the mine, all in one fluid motion. For a machine of its size, it is surprisingly quiet, especially against the constant noise of the surrounding mine…