Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World Media Man

Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World

Mining/Energy/Resources/Culture/Digital Gold: Australia and World

Resources

Markets, Cryptos and Culture

February 18, 2026

Mining For Intel
Sports, Streaming And Headlines Biz
Mid Week Motivation
Biz Disruptors To Step Back Into Cage and Ring
Big Biz Betting On Combat Sport And Pop Culture

Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York

ASX 200 futures up 54 points/0.6%: 8955
AUD +0.2% to US70.89¢
BTC $67,622.29 -1.34%
Dow +0.3%
S&P +0.3%
Nas +0.4%
VIX -1.05 to 20.15
Gold -2% to $US4891.56 an ounce
Silver 73.220 -2.21
Oil -1.7% to $US67.48 a barrel
Iron ore -0.3% to $US96.40 a ton

News

Numbers Double Check

Australian Dollar: $0.7080 USD (up $0.0005 USD)
Iron Ore: $96.40 USD (down $0.40 USD)
Oil Price): $62.35 USD (down $1.38 USD)
Gold Price: $4,875.84 USD (down $117.88 USD)
Copper Price: $5.6740 USD (down $0.0855 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,561.88 (up 60.95 points)

News

Mining rally lifts ASX as BHP beats forecasts

The Australian sharemarket posted a solid gain on Tuesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.2 per cent to close at 8,958.9 points. BHP rose 4.7 per cent to $52.74, JB Hi-Fi was up 8.1 per cent at $89.10 and Baby Bunting advanced 8.6 per cent to end the session at $2.39. However, Reliance Worldwide fell 9.1 per cent to $3.50, WiseTech Global was down 1.6 per cent at $47.34 and Seek finished 3.3 per cent lower at $16.54. (RMS)

News

Mining rally lifts ASX as BHP beats forecasts

News

Profit season off to 'unusually strong start'

Banks and resources stocks have been the key drivers of a strong earnings performance so far in the February reporting season. However, there have been mixed earnings outside of these sectors, which has been reflected in share prices; Cochlear and Temple & Webster are the stocks that fell sharply after their latest financial results were below expectations. Hasan Tevfik from MST Marquee notes that overall, there has not been such a strong start to the earnings season since February 2021, when the market was recovering from the impact of the pandemic. (RMS)

News

Mining and gaming to lead wave of debuts

Foreign companies currently comprise about 10 per cent of stocks listed on the Australian sharemarket. Sixteen overseas-based companies debuted on the ASX in 2025, which is a four-fold increase on the previous year; they included both IPOs and dual listings. Millie Horton from Jarden says more international companies are now recognising the ASX as one of the premium listing venues; indeed, the ASX itself notes that its volume of new listings often exceeds that of New York and London. Resources and gaming companies are tipped to drive future growth in foreign compamies listing in Australia. (RMS)

News

Australian steel tariffs hit China's mills

Industry data shows that China exported a record 119 million tonnes of finished steel in 2025, which is 7.5 per cent higher than previously. Meanwhile, Chinese steel producers' margins have fallen significantly in recent years, and some smaller producers are concerned that the Australian government's move to impose a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese steel imports will have a major impact on their profits. Other countries are also pursuing anti-dumping measures against China's steel industry. (RMS)

News

Cryptos

Bitcoin dips below short-term support

Market Overview

The crypto market cap stood at $2.35 trillion on Tuesday morning, roughly the same as it was yesterday and seven days ago. The leaders in growth among the most liquid coins over the past week are the anonymous Zcash and Cosmos, which are widely involved in the tokenisation of debt assets, adding over 20%. At the same time, the leaders in decline during this period are Ethereum (-1.7%), BNB (-1.5%) and Bitcoin (-1.1%). The decline of the largest coins is an ominous sign for smaller ones, as it may soon pull them down with it at an accelerated pace.

Bitcoin technically fell below the support line that ran through the extreme lows of the first half of February, as another attempt to break above $70K on Monday attracted the interest of sellers, which quickly pushed the price back to $67K. On Tuesday morning, BTC is trading near $68K, where it was the day before, but the former support now looks like local resistance. Confirmation of this trend reversal will be a fall below the recent lows of $67K, with subsequent targets at $65K and $60K. News Background

The current situation is more reminiscent of a change in the global BTC trend than a local correction, according to CryptoQuant. The market has already entered a ‘stress zone’ but has not yet reached the stage of final capitulation. To form a ‘true bottom,’ a peak in loss-taking and a complete exhaustion of selling pressure are necessary.

Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards cited the quantum threat as one of the reasons for the current BTC correction. In contrast, Benchmark considers such fears to be exaggerated, and Blockstream expects supercomputers to appear only in 20-40 years. Growing attention to the threat of quantum computing is beginning to reduce the long-term appeal of Bitcoin compared to gold, said analyst Willy Woo. In his opinion, about 4 million ‘lost’ coins could be dumped on the market after a quantum computer hacks Bitcoin.

Blockstream CEO Adam Back criticised the BIP-110 update aimed at combating ‘spam’ on the Bitcoin network. He called the initiative a threat to the reputation of the first cryptocurrency.

In the fourth quarter, Harvard University's management company withdrew more than 20% of its investments from the Bitcoin ETF, investing in an Ethereum-based ETF for the first time. Despite the partial sale, Bitcoin ETF shares remain the most significant public asset in Harvard's portfolio. (FxPro)

News

Biz/Politics/World

The dollar is not in a rush

EURUSD remains prone to consolidation

The yen is strengthening thanks to capital flows

The US markets, closed for Presidents' Day, brought calm to the Forex market. Traders are not forcing events, awaiting the publication of the January FOMC meeting minutes. This has resulted in EURUSD moving into a narrow trading range. The pair showed no interest in the news that the ECB is ready to offer liquidity to other central banks to prevent tensions in the money markets. This involves an increase in repo operations from the third quarter.

ING believes that the euro's growing global role is positive for EURUSD. The exchange rate is closely linked to capital flows, and their movement from the US to Europe is good news for the regional currency. Christine Lagarde shares this opinion. According to the Frenchwoman, the general mood is currently in favour of the euro, as money is flowing into the region. The head of the ECB prefers incentives to taxes. Therefore, cheap liquidity will accelerate rotation.

However, in the short term, the US dollar has a counterplay. The longer the Fed pauses in the easing cycle, the wider the rate differential will be. The high attractiveness of US assets will prevent investors from rushing to transfer capital to Europe.

Japan is also scoring points with international investors. According to Kazuo Ueda (BoJ Governor), Sanae Takaichi (Prime Minister) did not make any specific requests that would restrict the activities of the central bank. They discussed economic and financial conditions. If the central bank continues to make decisions independently, political stability will play into the hands of the bears on USDJPY. Investors are trying to understand whether the Prime Minister is pressuring the BoJ to stop raising rates, which also increases debt servicing costs.

Gold is trying to find a balance point, treading water around $5,000 per ounce. According to Jefferies, two main macro factors are supporting the precious metal: the depreciation of the US dollar and high inflation. This allows the company to raise its forecast for the end of the year from $4,200 to $5,000. It notes the high risks of a short-term peak in Gold amid growing fears among traders concerned about the collapse in prices at the end of January.

The situation on the silver market is even worse. Backwardation is intensifying, and futures contracts with distant delivery dates are falling in price. This is usually characteristic of perishable goods such as agricultural products. (FxPro)

News

Streaming/Australia

2.5 million Young Australians aged 6-13 watch YouTube

The latest Roy Morgan Young Australian Survey shows that 89% of the 6-13 age group watches YouTube (an estimated 2.5 million people). The leading YouTube video category is Gaming, watched by 1.33 million children aged 6-13 (53% of YouTube watchers in this age group), ahead of 930,000 watching the Animation category (37%), 900,000 watching Comedy (36%), and 850,000 watching the Animals and Music categories (34%). The survey also shows that 67% of boys aged 6-13 watch YouTube, compared with 39% of girls. Boys are also far more likely to watch the Sports category (36% cf. 17%). In contrast, girls show a strong preference over boys for categories such as Animals, Music, Fashion, Unboxing, DIY and Cooking. This research is part of an ongoing programme of research into Young Australian life experiences, preferences, priorities and opinions. This programme has been operating since the early 2000s, with the latest data collection on YouTube between April and December 2025, with a nationwide sample of 1,129 Young Australians aged 6-13. (Roy Morgan)

News

Tech News

Palantir Moves Headquarters from Denver to Miami

The data analytics company, founded in Palo Alto in 2003 by CEO Alex Karp and Peter Thiel, shifted to Denver in 2020 to step away from Silicon Valley. Now, with no official reason stated, it has relocated to Florida—a state without personal income tax that attracts tech firms with business-friendly policies and quality of life. Miami leaders hailed the move as a milestone for the city's tech scene, while critics like Rep. Maxwell Frost and candidate James Fishback raised civil liberties concerns tied to Palantir's government contracts.

News

x News/AI News

xAI Launches Grok 4.2 Beta with Multi-Agent Team

The 4.20 beta, available now to X Premium+ and SuperGrok subscribers on web, iOS, and Android, requires selecting 'Heavy' mode to activate Grok as leader, alongside Harper for research, Benjamin for fact-checking, and Lucas for logic and creativity. Demos show it querying SpaceX-NASA missions and summarizing global news with transparent steps and sources. Early testers praise its unbiased research prowess and rapid learning via weekly updates, though some note glitches like a botched pelican SVG, as xAI refines it through user feedback.

News

Pop Culture/Sports

Ronda Rousey Faces Gina Carano in Netflix MMA Superfight

The bout headlines Netflix's first live MMA event on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, as a five-round pro fight at 145 pounds inside a hexagon cage, promoted by Jake Paul's MVP. Rousey, absent since her 2016 loss to Amanda Nunes, called it the biggest superfight in women's combat sports history, while Carano shared a pumped-up training montage saying she's ready to make the walk again. Though skeptics note their ages—Rousey at 39 and Carano at 44—the legacy showdown has MMA buzzing with excitement ahead of UFC's big card.

News

Pop Culture/Pro Wrestling/WWE/Brands

WWE Partners with DUDE Wipes for In-Ring Branding Deal

WWE announced a multi-year partnership with DUDE Wipes, making the flushable wipes brand its official hygiene product, complete with wrestler gear branding, event sponsorships, and a custom commercial featuring Superstars. Reigning Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio debuted the logo on his bandana ribcage t-shirt during his Monday Night Raw return from injury in a triple-threat match. WWE's Jesse Tomares praised the disruptive integrations, while DUDE Wipes' Ryan Meegan called partnering with 'Dirty Dom' surreal, promising fun and cleanliness amid fan puns and mixed reactions on commercialization.

News

Gaming/Casino/Betting

This 29-year-old is worth $15b and wants you to bet on everything

The co-founder of America’s biggest predictions market on the “wisdom of the crowd”, political polarisation – and the company’s adviser, Donald Trump jnr.

Tarek Mansour believes deeply in prediction markets – or so he tells me again and again. He says they will, variously, play the role of modern oracle, innovative asset, public educator, new journalism and political saviour. At the moment, however, most of the money flowing through them is gambling on American football.

“We’re making the world a little bit smarter about the future, and I think that’s a very valuable thing to build,” Mansour says. “It’s not something that you should take as the Holy Grail truth, but it’s better than the alternatives.”

Mansour is a co-founder and chief executive of prediction market Kalshi, the largest such platform operating in the US. He has chosen to meet me at Serafina, one of a small chain of Italian restaurants, in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District because it is close to Kalshi’s offices and rarely crowded. The sky above New York is a threatening grey, and Kalshi traders are forecasting a 74 per cent chance of rain.

Serafina is empty and, in fact, locked when I arrive at our appointed 11.30am. The waiter unbolts the heavy door and shows me to a corner table at a plush banquette. The walls are of rough brick, and the floors are of unfinished wood. There are a few other small tables and a large bar. A radiant portrait of a woman decorates one wall. The waiter, Angel, turns on dance music that blares just for the two of us.

Mansour, 29, arrives a couple of minutes later, wearing a cream-coloured hoodie and thick glasses, lenses slightly tinted. His hair is dark and curly and falls over one side of his forehead. He is unshaven and says he has not been sleeping well.

“When people talk about, ‘We believe in markets’, what do they actually believe?” Mansour says. “What it means is that you believe that they’re a good way to figure out what the price of something is … And in this case, we’re pricing the future.”

The idea behind prediction markets such as Kalshi is simple and powerful. Participants trade shares of some future event (for example, whether it will rain in New York today). The shares are redeemable for $1 if the event occurs and $0 if it does not. Beforehand, the price (74¢, say) can therefore be read as a probability of the event occurring (74 per cent). Thus, in theory, if large and liquid, these markets quantify and broadcast the “wisdom of the crowd”. (AFR) *Full article and coverage via The Australian Financial Review

Culture

'Welcome To The Blockchain' aka

The Bitcoin Song

Intro

We're now standing on the precipice of a global revolution

Of economics, of politics, and government
Welcome to the blockchain

verse

Power corrupts, money is power

The power to control the money is one that is now
In the hands of those who pretend we can't function without them
So how can we do something about it? (Huh?)
Working hard to get a raise, lifting that wage up
Inflation takes it like a hidden taxation
Manipulated interest rates to give the banks
A way to create money with the loans that they're giving out daily (yup)
That means our money is debt
That we gotta pay back more than a hundred percent
No wonder then why the middle class is going under
When the one's above them gotta cover and come to collect
And many have no access to banking
Making payments, or saving, so more fees are taken
And every day the gatekeepers are trying to stop change
We can not wait, welcome to the blockchain
chorus

Welcome to the blockchain

Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin

verse

Bitcoin is a decentralized ledger

And the currency is its first enterprise ever
Secured by the worldwide incentivized network
Can't be stolen or controlled by any sized effort
You can send it anywhere and instantly
No one can intervene, no third party in between
There's no counterfeiting
Algorithms control the outer limits of how many coins can get released
Programmable money, no government can seize it
Payments can be customized by sender and receiver
Contracts can be written cementing your agreements
With terms that can't be bent once you consent then it completes it
Autonomous businesses are possible
Where profit is distributed amongst those adopting it
Paradigm shift we must adjust to the ending
With the blockchain, bitcoin is just the beginning

chorus

Welcome to the blockchain

Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin

bridge

Now that we got control

We're not gonna let it go
My people all around the globe
We gotta keep building, building, building
Now that we got control
We're not gonna let it go
My people all around the globe
We gotta keep building, building, building
chorus

Welcome to the blockchain

Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin

Writer: Toby Ganger

News

Mining/Energy/Resources/Biz

Rio Tinto dodges merger bullet

Rio Tinto has dodged two 'bullets' due to Glencore's rejection of a merger proposal: a possible BHP takeover bid and a dangerous acquisition. BHP looked closely at whether to bid for Rio Tinto if the latter announced a merger with Glencore. The two companies would make excellent merger partners; amongst others things, their staff and senior people have similar cultures, they are co-operating on future Australian iron ore projects and they are copper joint venture partners in Chile and the US. Meanwhile, there are significance cultural differences between Rio Tinto and Glencore; there is little doubt that Rio Tinto's CEO Simon Trott would have had doubts about a merger once he understood these cultural differences. (RMS)

News/Snapshot

Australian Mining

Global Commodity Rankings

Australia holds some of the world's largest reserves and is a leading producer of several key minerals.

#1 Producer: Iron Ore, Bauxite, Lithium, Rutile, and Zircon.

#1 Reserves: Iron Ore, Gold, Lead, Nickel, Rutile, Uranium, and Zinc.

#2 Producer: Gold, Alumina, and Manganese.

Key Mining Hubs & Major Projects

Western Australia: The nation's "engine room," producing 98% of Australia's iron ore and 60% of its gold. Major sites include the Pilbara (iron ore) and the Super Pit in Kalgoorlie (gold).

Queensland: A global leader in metallurgical coal (Bowen Basin) and silver/lead production (Cannington mine).

South Australia: Home to Olympic Dam, which contains the world's largest single uranium deposit and significant copper and gold reserves.

Major Players

The sector is dominated by several multinational giants and significant domestic players:

BHP: Often ranked as Australia's most valuable company; major interests in iron ore, copper, and coal.

Rio Tinto: A world leader in iron ore (Pilbara) and aluminum.
Fortescue (FMG): Primarily focused on iron ore and rapidly expanding into green energy.

Hancock Prospecting: Australia's largest private mining company, led by Gina Rinehart, the nation's wealthiest person.

South32: Spun out of BHP; manages a diversified portfolio including manganese, silver, and nickel.

2026 Trends & Developments

Critical Minerals Push: The government has introduced a $23 billion package to support domestic processing and manufacturing of critical minerals to reduce global reliance on single-country supply chains.

Uranium Rally: Prices exceeding US$100/lb have sparked renewed interest in Australian prospects like the Kalkaroo project.

M&A Activity: Major merger talks continue between giants like Rio Tinto and Glencore as they seek to consolidate copper exposure for the EV market.

Workforce Challenges: The Minerals Council of Australia is currently calling for migration reforms to address a significant "skills crunch" in the sector.

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Media Man

Cryptocurrency, Finance and World

"Volatility is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael Saylor

"Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme." — Naval Ravikant

"We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error." — Tyler Winklevoss

"You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere, and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust." — John McAfee

"Bitcoin is the most important invention in the history of the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver

"Cryptocurrency is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn governments." — Charles Lee

"In the future, national currencies will become obsolete. Bitcoin will become the single global currency." — Jack Dorsey

"The future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng Zhao

"Crypto offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged." — Elizabeth Stark

"The new frontier of innovation is in decentralization. Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott

"Digital currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter of how long before governments embrace it." — Brad Garlinghouse

Pop Culture

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking

The Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Money INC vs Right To Censor
Santa vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
Lexis King vs NIL's (WWE NXT)
Volk vs Naysayers (UFC: Sydney, Australia)
Brock Lesnar vs Everyone! (WWE Royal Rumble)
Roman Reigns vs CM Punk (WWE WrestleMania)
Green vs The Coal Miners Daughter
AC/DC vs Swifties
Triangle v World Bank
Sarah's Oil vs Big Oil
Mr X vs Mr VOX
Mr X vs Mr Platformer
Mr FOX vs Mr Vice
Fox And The Hound vs The View
The Masked Superstar vs Mr Jones
The Undertaker vs Mankind
UFC Legends vs Father Time
Vinnie Vegas and Oz vs Los Americanos
NXT GM vs The Don
Mr Moneymaker vs Mr Regulator
Mr Blockchain vs Mr EU
WWE Unreal vs The Old Guard
Reality TV vs John Pilger Type Journalism and Docos
Mr Real Deal vs Mr Grifter
Mr Truth vs Mr Shock Jock
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky: Rematch
WWE Wrestlers vs NFL Super Bowl Players
Logan Paul and Bad Bunny vs Jake Paul and The Don - Special ref: Damian Priest
Kelly Gang vs Snow White Clan
BKFC vs PFL vs ONE
Mr Sky vs Mr Vice
Marvel Universe vs DC Universe vs Monster Universe
Logan Paul vs Tom Brady
MMA vs Lucha Libre

Confirmed Matches To Happen:

Rousey vs Carano (Netflix) May 16

Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov (Netflix) April 11

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'Media Services Company Of The Month' award

X wins Media Man 'Platform Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: YouTube and LinkedIn

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award

CAT wins Media Man 'Heavy Industry Brand Of The Month' award

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Month' award

Logan Paul wins Media Man 'Pop Culture Disruptor Of The Month' award

WWE wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promoter Of The Month' award

'Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award

WWE2K16 wins Media Man 'Game Of The Month' award

Claudio's Cafe wins Media Man 'Coffee Brand Of The Month' award

Jim's Mowing wins Media Man 'Australian Business Of The Month' award

Barefoot Investor wins Media Man 'Financial Media Company Of The Month' award

Mining, Energy, Resources, Markets, Biz, Heavy Industry, Blue Collar, Energy, Culture, News

Australia, Asia Pacific And World

January 2026

Heavy Industry Awards

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

Jim's Mowing wins Media Man 'Australian Business Of The Month' award

News

Markets

Jan 8

AUD -0.2% to US67.27¢

Bitcoin $91,371.91 -1.10%

Wall St:
Dow -0.7% S&P -0.2%
Nasdaq +0.3%
VIX +0.24 to 14.99
Gold -0.8% to $US4457.23 an ounce
Brent oil -0.9% to $US60.16 a barrel
Iron ore +2.4% to $US109.00 a ton

10-year yield:
US 4.13%
Australia 4.76%

News

The crypto market has hit the upper limit of its rebound

Market Overview

This week's strengthening of the crypto market has hit local resistance near the $3.2 trillion total capitalisation level. The market recovery in early December also stalled at around these levels, which is why the current level is attracting some cautious sellers. For now, the recovery is being stifled by intense selling pressure, which allows us to remain cautious about the near-term outlook.

The sentiment index has risen sharply over the last two days, buoyed by rising prices, and has returned to neutral territory from the fear zone. Notably, this shift in sentiment has been reflected in altcoins, which have experienced significant price increases since the start of the year.

On Monday and Tuesday, Bitcoin rose to the upper limit of its trading range since mid-November, at $95K, followed by a drop to $91K and a further recovery to $92.6K, where the quotes stand at the time of writing. Clearly, the easy part of the BTC rebound is behind us, and further growth can be seen as a signal of a prolonged recovery, which bears are still strongly resisting.

News Background

The risks of a deep fall in Bitcoin in the current market cycle remain limited, as do the chances of a significant rally. Bitcoin's four-year cycle remains in place, and 2026 is likely to be a period of consolidation and sideways movement, according to VanEck.

Over the past week, the Binance exchange has recorded the most significant inflow of Bitcoin and Ethereum in a month, amounting to nearly $2.4 billion. The inflow of cryptocurrency may be linked to holders' desire to sell their assets, according to CryptoOnchain.

The myth that crypto whales are aggressively buying up Bitcoin is not true. Their activity is overestimated due to distortions associated with the work of crypto exchanges, according to CryptoQuant. Exchanges consolidate funds from many small wallets into a few large ones for regulatory reasons, which leads to the misclassification of such activity.

A rare buy signal has appeared on the weekly Bitcoin chart according to the McMillan Volatility Band indicator, said analyst Lawrence McMillan. In the entire history of BTC, such a signal has appeared only three times, and each time it coincided with successful buying points.

According to Token Terminal, the Ethereum network has set a new record for the volume of stablecoin transfers. The figure in the fourth quarter of last year exceeded $8 trillion — in six months, the volume has almost doubled.

Starting this year, crypto services in 48 countries are required to begin collecting information on cryptocurrency transactions. Member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) intend to exchange this data to increase tax revenues. (FxPro)

News

Old fears about the euro have returned

The resurgence of the political crisis in France is weighing on EURUSD.

The US dollar is rising on expectations of strong labour market statistics.

Buy the rumour, sell the fact. The strengthening of the US dollar is due to expectations of positive labour market statistics, a chance of another easing from the Fed in March fell to 45%, and demand for safe-haven assets in a changing world. Donald Trump does not rule out the seizure of Greenland by force, while Denmark and the rest of Europe are talking about the collapse of NATO, and the US may take control of about 30% of world oil reserves. This allows them to dictate rules to the market.

One way or another, Donald Trump wants to lower rates to 1%, which, given the rapid growth of GDP, contradicts economic theory. However, if the composition of the FOMC changes, everything would be possible. In this regard, the court's verdict in the Lisa Cook case is of fundamental importance. A precedent may be set that gives the president the power to dismiss members of the Federal Reserve.

Donald Trump intends to achieve a further slowdown in inflation. Why not capture the president of Venezuela to accomplish this? Washington is now demanding that Caracas sell it 50 million barrels of oil and cut all ties with Beijing, Moscow, Tehran and Havana.

Deglobalisation is intensifying, and the world is becoming increasingly bipolar. In the short term, the greenback can benefit from growing demand for safe-haven assets.

The fall in EURUSD is also due to the vulnerability of the European economy. Following Italian and French inflation, consumer prices in Germany slowed in December from 2.6% to 2%. If the disinflation process gains momentum, the ECB may start to consider resuming its easing cycle, which is bearish for the euro.

According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, some sectors of the German economy are in critical condition, and the government has not done enough in the eight months since he took office. The French Ministry of Finance announced that the budget deficit would rise to 5.4% if parliament did not compromise. As a result, the risks of a credit rating downgrade increased, and EURUSD moved south.

The strengthening of the US dollar caused gold to retreat. Nevertheless, the precious metal remains in a strong position. This is partly due to the likely increase in central bank activity in the bullion market in a bipolar world. (FxPro)

News

Silver

Extreme silver price moves to persist: Goldman

Stunning swings in the price of silver are “likely” to persist and volatility– averse investors should “remain cautious”, Goldman Sachs commodity strategists Lina Thomas and Daan Struyven said in a note.Silver prices rose 138 per cent in 2025 – the largest annual gain since 1979 when the Hunt brothers famously cornered the silver market – and are now trading in the high $70s, the strategists said.“As long as silver remains dislocated in the US and liquidity in London is not restored with silver from elsewhere, prices could rise even further if investor enthusiasm persists,” they also said.ETF holdings remain below their 2021 peak and are likely to rise further on Fed cuts and a potential ‘diversification’ theme, while net managed money on COMEX is below historical averages – suggesting investor demand is not overstretched despite the 138 per cent rally in 2025. Spot silver fell 3.6 per cent to $US78.13 an ounce at 2.54pm in New York trading on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT).

News

Markets Numbers Double Check

Jan 8

Australian Dollar: $0.6720 USD (down $0.0010 USD)
Iron Ore: $109.00 USD (up $2.45 USD)
Oil Price: $56.20 USD (down $0.69 USD)
Gold Price: $4,457.30 USD (down $27.66 USD)
Copper Price: $5.8480 USD (down 0.2055 USD)
Dow Jones: 48,977.67 (down 484.41 points)

News

ASX rises as inflation slows, miners rally

The Australian sharemarket posted a small gain on Wednesday, in response to a lower-than-expected inflation reading for November. The S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2 per cent to close at 8,695.6 points, while bond traders pared back expectations of an interest rate rise in February. Rio Tinto rose 1.6 per cent to $154.73 and Newmont Corporation was up 2.8 per cent at $155.50. However, Woodside Energy was down 2.8 per cent at $22.86 after President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela will supply the US with up to 50 million barrels of crude oil at market prices. (RMS)

News

As metal prices rip, fundies name top bets

The S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index gained 30 per cent during calendar 2025, which is its best performance since 2016. Sam Berridge from Perennial has identified PC Gold as one of the resources stocks that he expects to perform well in 2026, while Rick Squire from Acorn Capital favours Bellevue Gold. John Forwood from Lowell Resources in turn is upbeat about Alvo Minerals, while Matthew Langsford from Terra Capital likes rare earths miner Lindian Resources. (RMS)

News

BlueScope rejects $13.2bn bid

Directors of BlueScope Steel have formally rejected the $13.2bn takeover bid from SGH Limited and US-based Steel Dynamics, with chair Jane McAloon stating that it drastically undervalues the company. BlueScope has revealed that the two suitors had made the non-binding takeover offer on 12 December. However, the board chose not to diclose the offer to the market and advised the bidders that it would engage with them in mid-January in order to avoid disrupting Christmas for BlueScope's leadership team. BlueScope also recently disclosed that Steel Dynamics had made three previous takeover offers for the company. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

A Kraken lesson to value

The takeover bid for BlueScope Steel raises similar issues to private equity firm Brookfield's failed bid for Origin Energy in 2023. Origin and BlueScope both have unique overseas assets that Australian markets tend to discount. It is important that BlueScope's directors do not make the same mistakes as Origin; its board endorsed Brookfield's bid based on short-term market considerations, rather than the huge long-term potential of assets such as its stake in UK-based Kraken Technologies. Likewise, BlueScope owns a substantial US steel business that appears to have considerable upside potential under the Trump administration. (RMS)

News

ASX miner cheers Trump's 'involvement' in Greenland

Energy Transition Minerals' MD Daniel Mamadou contends that the potential for increased US involvement in Greenland is a "positive", and that it will benefit companies which operate in the Danish self-governed territory. Energy Transition Minerals is engaged in a long-running dispute with the Greenland government over its Kvanefjeld rare earths project; the deposit also contains uranium, and the government banned uranium mining in 2021. Kvanefjeld is estimated to contain up to one billion tonnes of rare earth minerals, including terbium. Energy Transition Minerals' share price rose 44.9 per cent to $0.145 on Wednesday. (RMS)

News

Nickel price offers respite for last few Australian mines

The price of nickel has risen to $US18,785 per tonne in London trading, which is its highest level since October 2024. The rally follows Vale's decision to suspend nickel production in Indonesia until the nation's government approves its annual production plan. Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings subsidiary BMI has downgraded its nickel price forecast for 2026 due to expectations that the global surplus will rise; the firm now expects the nickel price to average $US15,000 per tonne. However, BMI is upbeat about the longer-term price outlook, contending that rising demand for nickel will reduce the glut. (RMS)

News

Japan Inc keeping close eye on Woodside CEO succession

Woodside Energy is widely tipped to select an internal candidate to succeed former CEO Meg O'Neill. However, industry sources claim that Woodside's key LNG buyers in Asia are concerned that some of the potential successors are largely unknown to them. Angus Rodger from Wood Mackenzie says that maintaining Woodside's relationship with its customers in countries such as Japan and South Korea will be a "natural focus" for the new CEO; he notes that expanding the company's gas and LNG operations in North America will also be a top priority. Woodside aims to appoint a new CEO by the end of March. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

The Lead Up

Jan 6

BHP iron ore carrier docks in China after a month in limbo

A BHP spokesman has indicated that it is continuing to negotiate with China Mineral Resources Group regarding a long-running dispute over iron ore shipments. However, one of two bulk carriers was allowed to enter a Chinese port on 31 December, having been moored off the coast of China since late November; the second vessel carrying BHP's Pilbara iron ore has yet to dock at the port of Qingdao, having arrived in Chinese waters in early December. Meanwhile, BHP has declined to comment on whether CMRG is exerting pressure to change the index it uses to price iron ore shipments to China; recent media reports suggest that both Rio Tinto and Fortescue have agreed to do so. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

AI digs out more profits at mining giant BHP

BHP's chief technical officer Johan van Jaarsveld says the resources group aims to generate annual savings and revenue gains of about $250m via the use of artificial intelligence technology. BHP is deploying AI across its operations, but it has had particular success at the Escondida copper mine in Chile. Machine learning technology has been used to help design the blast patterns that are used to break up orebodies at the mine; van Jaarsveld says mill throughout rose by five per cent on the day BHP started using the technology. (RMS)

News

Geologists uncover Earth's largest iron ore deposit ever recorded, worth $5.7 trillion

It was previously thought that the Pilbara Craton's iron ore bodies were formed at least two billion years ago. However, new dating techniques applied at key sites in the Hamersley Basin have concluded that these ore bodies were formed between 1.4 and 1.1 billion years ago; the new age range has been confirmed across multiple ore bodies in the region. The research has also found that the Pilbara Craton may contain about 55 billion metric tonnes of ore; this would be worth more than $5.7trn based on the current price of iron ore.(RMS)

News

Northern Star cops a crusher blow to forecast

Morgans Financial has downgraded its recommendation on Northern Star Resources' stock from 'accumulate' to 'hold' in response to the gold miner's reduced production guidance. Northern Star recently advised that it now expects to produce between 1.6 million and 1.7 million ounces of gold in 2025-26, compared with previous guidance of 1.7 million to 1.85 million ounces. The lower production outlook has been attributed to a series of equipment failures during the December quarter, including the breakdown of the primary crusher at the company's Kalgoorlie operations. (RMS)

News

Coronado halts Queensland production after death

Production at Coronado Global Resources' Mammoth coal mine in Queensland has been put on hold in the wake of a fatal accident. One worker died and another was injured on Friday when a roof collapsed at the underground mine, which is part of Coronado's Curragh mining complex. Resources Safety & Health Queensland will investigate the incident, which is the third fatality at Coronado's Queensland coal operations in recent years. A worker at its Lower War Eagle mine in the US also died in mid-December. (RMS)

News

Australia

Northern Star loses lustre as gold giant cuts production forecasts

Northern Star Resources has blamed a catalogue of equipment failures for slashing the amount of bullion it expects to produce this year, prompting investors to punish its stock.

Australia’s biggest listed gold miner took almost a month to alert the market that the primary crusher at its famed Super Pit mine in Western Australia had broken down in December.

Investors sold down Northern Star stock after the miner said it would produce up to 13 per cent less gold this year than previously forecast. Shares slumped 10 per cent on Friday, when the new estimate was first disclosed, and rose slightly to close at $24.95 on Monday after a call with analysts.

Northern Star, led by managing director Stuart Tonkin, had told investors that it now expected to produce as few as 1.6 million ounces in the year, down from earlier guidance of up to 1.85 million ounces.

“The full-year reduction has been necessary due to a number of isolated operational events late in the December quarter, which have largely now been rectified,” Tonkin told analysts on Monday.

“I’d like to reinforce our confidence in the underlying asset portfolio... Our long-term value creation strategy is sound,” he added.

The miner said the crusher problems at the Super Pit were expected to be resolved by the end of January, but that they were just the tip of the iceberg.

Other technical problems included a slip in the open-cut wall at its South Kalgoorlie mine in October, and a failure at its crushing circuit at Jundee that is twice as bad as previously anticipated, resulting in 20,000 fewer ounces than forecast. Simon Jessop, Northern Star’s chief operating officer, blamed October’s wall slip on heavy rainfall around Kalgoorlie. (AFR) *Full article and coverage via subscription to The Australian Financial Review

News

Australian Mining News

Tragic Incident at Queensland Coal Mine

A worker was found dead following a roof collapse at the Curragh coal mine in central Queensland. The incident occurred on January 2, with the miner trapped underground; search teams recovered the body on January 3-4. This has prompted investigations into safety protocols at the site, operated by Coronado Global Resources.

Acquisitions and Deals

IPD Group (ASX:IPG) acquired Platinum Cables, a key supplier of cables for the mining and resources sector, for $37.5 million. The deal aims to bolster electrification efforts in Australian mining operations.

Ongoing asset sales and agreements, such as Horizon Minerals divesting the Lake Johnston Project to Forrestania Resources for $35 million.

Capricorn Metals is advancing acquisition of the Yalgoo gold project in Western Australia from Tempest Minerals.

Critical Minerals and Future Outlook

Several ASX-listed companies are positioning for growth in critical minerals, with projects expected to ramp up supply in 2026. This includes advancements in rare earths processing (e.g., a new facility in Sydney set for completion) and antimony-gold developments.

Government support continues for domestic processing to reduce reliance on overseas supply chains.Industry Trends and ForecastsGold production remains strong, with high prices driving earnings forecasts to around $60 billion for 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Preparations for 2026 include industry-government alignments in Western Australia for decarbonisation, digital transformation, and critical minerals demand.

Workforce projections indicate over 22,000 new jobs from 96 mining and energy projects by 2030, though challenges like skills shortages persist.

Upcoming events: Future of Mining Australia 2026 conference and potential shareholder votes on major takeovers (e.g., Fortescue's interest in copper projects).

News

Pop Culture News

Landman (Paramount Plus)

(In Case You Missed It)

Plot

Set against the backdrop of the booming West Texas oilfields, Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a crisis manager and landman for an independent oil company. Tommy navigates cutthroat deals, family tensions, and moral dilemmas while trying to keep his business afloat. The story kicks off with an investigation into a fatal accident involving an out-of-town lawyer, weaving in elements of drug cartels.

Landman is an American drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, inspired by Wallace's podcast Boomtown. It explores the high-stakes world of the oil industry in West Texas, blending themes of fortune-seeking, corporate intrigue, and personal drama amid roughnecks, billionaires, and geopolitical shifts.

The series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024, and has been renewed for a second season.

Landman: Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg

"You think you understand how this business works, but you don't." Things are heating up in the final Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025, only on Paramount+.

"Death and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025

"Sins of the Father"
November 23, 2025

"Almost a Home"
November 30, 2025

"Dancing Rainbows"
December 7, 2025

"The Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025

"Dark Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025

"Forever Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025

"Handsome Touched Me"
January 4, 2026

"Plans, Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026

"Tragedy and Flies"
January 18, 2026

News

Gold Movie

Gold is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll, Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance the appeal of the film, character names and story details were changed.

Trailer

Gold (YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0

Gold is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film is inspired by a true story.

News

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

Mining/Energy/Rare Earths/Biz/Culture/Politics: Australia, U.S and World

News

November 2025

Markets

Nov 19

Australian Dollar: $0.6520 USD (up 0.0040 USD)
Iron Ore: $104.45 USD (up $0.20 USD)
Oil: $60.87 USD (up $1.07 USD)
Gold: $4,069.77 USD (up $44.86 USD)
Copper: $4.9775 USD (down $0.0055 USD)
Bitcoin: $93,135.56 USD (up 1.46% in last 24 hours)
Dow Jones: 46,229.59 (down 360.65 points)

Bitcoin: (Near Live) $93,331.83 +1.13%

News

Heavy Industry Awards

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

News

Lithium giant's forecast hikes mining stocks

Chinese media outlet Cailian recently reported that Ganfeng Lithium chairman Li Liangbin has forecast that demand for lithium could rise by 30 per cent in 2026 and boost the price of the battery metal to around 200,000 yuan ($43,000) per tonne. Li's comments at an industry event have prompted a rally in the price of both lithium and the share prices of lithium producers; indeed, Australian lithium miners defied the downward trend on Tuesday, which saw the local bourse shed 1.9 per cent. (RMS)

News

Australian Mining News

Recent Developments (November 2025)

Market Debuts and Conferences: Red Mountain Mining (ASX: RMX) saw shares rise 36% on its OTCQB listing, highlighting US-Australia critical minerals ties. The company presents at the Virtual Investor Conference on November 19, focusing on antimony and rare earths projects.

Tech Advancements: Southern LiDAR's underground mapping tech is gaining traction for safety and efficiency in Australian mines.

Policy and Investment: A global mining giant committed AU$35M to NSW's zero-emissions steel demonstration plant, amid debates on taxpayer funding versus competitiveness against Chinese imports. Meanwhile, the Australian Mines and Services Handbook 2026 booking rush signals optimism.

Broader Discussions: Social media buzz includes critiques of environmental impacts (e.g., highway projects versus mining) and state rivalries, with Western Australia's mineral dominance contrasting Victoria's challenges.

News

Markets

S&P/ASX 200 846 9.10 -1.28%
S&P 500 6617.32 -0.83%
NIKKEI 48702.98 -3.22%
FTSE 9552.30 -1.27%
AUD/USD 65.06 +0.22%
GOLD 4067.32 +0.83%

News

Wyloo bets on nickel future as part of critical minerals boom

Wyloo's financial accounts show that it booked a $377.6m profit in 2024-25, after a massive impairment charge on its nickel assets resulted in a $352.8m loss for the previous financial year. The private company of Andrew and Nicola Forrest is continuing to explore for nickel near its mothballed mines in Western Australia, while it is also considering the construction of a nickel concentrator near Kambalda. Wyloo's CEO Luca Giacovazzi stated in its latest annual report that its future growth is likely to be on mining and selling nickel, while this focus is expected to be expanded to include rare earths. (RMS)

News

Nov 19

US fears, Nvidia nerves wipe $60b from ASX

The Australian sharemarket retreated on Tuesday, recording its biggest one-day fall since the Trump administration's 'liberation day' tariffs in April; the S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.9 per cent to close at 8,469.1 points. Tony Sycamore from IG says the local bourse was hit by a "perfect storm", with investors awaiting the release of Nvidia's latest financial results and US jobs data for September. BHP was down 3.7 per cent at $40.90, TechnologyOne ended the session 17.2 per cent lower at $29.26 and DroneShield fell 5.8 per cent to $2.45. Pilbara Minerals bucked the trend, rising 3.3 per cent to close at $4.09. (RMS)

Nov 18

ASX wipes out $60b in second-worst day this year

The Australian sharemarket suffered its second-biggest drop this year on Tuesday as investors erased $60 billion in value on growing anxiety about chip giant Nvidia’s upcoming results and concerns that interest rates in the US won’t fall soon. Losses accelerated in afternoon trading with the S&P/ASX 200 Index closing down 167.3 points, or 1.9 per cent, to 8469.1, the lowest level since late June. It was the worst session since US President Donald Trump unleashed hefty tariffs early April.

Ownership of 'Solar Energy Systems' is on the rise

(Roy Morgan Summary)

New data from Roy Morgan shows that 32% of Australian households (more than 3.3 million) now have some form of solar energy system, such as a solar hot water system, a solar heated swimming pool or rooftop solar panels with or without battery systems. These figures include 27% of households with solar panels and 5% with both solar panels and storage batteries. Western Australians are leading the way in solar panel ownership (37%) along with South Australian households (also 37%), followed by Queensland (33%). Households in these States are more likely to have solar panels than an average Australian household. Meawhile, households in South Australia and the Northern Territory (Darwin and Alice Springs) have a higher take-up of solar batteries (9% and 7% of households, respectively) compared to the national average (5%). While ownership of solar power storage batteries is at a much lower rate compared to solar panels, the federal government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program is set to boost the future take-up of storage batteries nationwide. (RMS)

Nov 15

Make coal great again or China gets your data: Hanson

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson will release details of the party's energy policy during the last parliamentary sitting week for 2025. However, Hanson contends that amongst other things Australia must withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and extend the operating lives of the nation's existing fleet of coal-fired power stations. Hansen has emphasised the importance of coal-fired power generation to data centres in Australia, warning that they will not be able to compete with China. Hanson adds that it "frightens the hell out of me" that China will dominate global data storage due to its lower electricity prices, which will be at least partly due to coal imported from Australia. (RMS)

News

Former Rio boss called to Mongolian probe

A Mongolian parliamentary inquiry into cost blowouts at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine was announced in September, with public hearings due to be held between December 8 and 12. Slated to be one of the world's top-five producers of copper by the end of the decade, the Oyu Tolgoi mine cost almost $US1.7 billion more than planned and took almost two years longer than expected to build. Former Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques is one of close to 300 witnesses called to appear before the inquiry, with Jacques having been CEO of Rio from 2016 to 2020. (Roy Morgan Summary)

Nov 14

BHP to learn class action fate for $72b Brazil dam disaster

The UK's High Court will shortly issue a ruling on whether BHP is legally for an iron ore tailings dam disaster in Brazil which killed 19 people and caused massive environmental damage in November 2015. The tailing dam was owned by the Samarco joint venture between BHP and iron ore rival Vale. Should BHP be found to be legally liable, individual claimants' eligibility for compensation and the size of any payouts will be determined in the next stage of the long-running case. BHP and Vale have already paid billions in compensation to people who were affected by the disaster. (RMS)

News

Fresh probe launched into MinRes, Ellison

It has been revealed that the Australian Taxation Office has launched a new investigation into Mineral Resources and its billionaire founder Chris Ellison. News of the investigation was revealed in a request sent by the ATO to the Federal Court in October for access to previously sealed documents that had been filed in the unfair dismissal case brought by MinRes' former procurement manager Steve Pigozzo in 2022. The new investigation will focus on how MinRes and Ellison calculated income and fringe benefit taxes, with the revelation regarding the new probe coming as MinRes prepares to hold its AGM next week, at which shareholders will be asked to approve a lucrative share options package for new chairman Malcolm Bundey. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Rio ends two-decade Serbia lithium mining dream as cost cuts bite

Rio Tinto has advised that its Jadar lithium project in Serbia has put in 'care and maintenance' mode. The company will cease undertaking environmental, heritage and geological surveys at the site in the Jadar Valley, four years after revealing plans to invest $US2.4bn ($3.7bn) on developing what it claimed would be the biggest lithium mine in Europe. There is growing competition for capital within Rio Tinto's lithium division, and its $10bn deal to acquire Arcadium Lithium earlier in 2025 added several mines that are already in production to its lithium portfolio. (RMS)

News

American activist claims IperionX more dud than minerals gem

Trading in the shares of Australian-listed IperionX were halted on Thursday, following the release of a report into the company by New York hedge fund Spruce Point Capital Management, which specialises in short-selling. With the US-based IperionX seeking to develop titanium extraction technology and having been backed by the Trump administration as part of its bid to secure domestic production of critical minerals, Spruce Point's report sought to raise doubt about IperionX's prospects. (RMS)

News

Biotech gets $20m in critical minerals push

US-based biotechnology firm Endolith has raised $US13.5m ($20.6m) via its initial round of venture funding, while it aims to raise an additional $3m in a second tranche. The start-up is developing technology that can be used to extract critical minerals such as copper from low-grade ore and waste rock that would be unprofitable to process using traditional methods. Endolith's technology uses microbes and artifical intelligence, and the company aims to commence real-world trials at a mine site within 6-12 months. (RMS)

News

Oversupply of oil could create glut of 4m barrels a day, says energy watchdog

The International Energy Agency has stated in its latest monthly report that the world is producing more oil than it needs, and that there could be a glut of 4m excess barrels a day entering the market by 2026. The IEA's warning has come in the same week that it issued its latest energy outlook report, which included a controversial scenario in which global oil demand would continue to grow until 2050. It had dropped the scenario in 2020 after it was accused of repeatedly criticised for underestimating the growth of renewable energy in its annual report, but returned the scenario to its outlook this year after calls from the White House to present a more optimistic view for the future of oil. (RMS)

News Lead Up

News

The cryptocurrency market is stagnating, lagging its competitors

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market capitalisation has changed little over the past day, fluctuating around $3.5 trillion. The cryptocurrency fear index has fallen to 15, its lowest level since 4 March. Notably, the cryptocurrency market has been left out of the recent rally in precious metals and stock indices. If this is not an attempt by whales to lock in profits from the rally since April or even from the growth of the last two years, then it is an alarming signal of deep-seated risk aversion that is about to manifest itself in larger markets.

Bitcoin continues to struggle to remain within the bull market on weekly timeframes, trying to stay above the 50-week moving average. Last week's close was on the edge and attempts to develop an offensive this week are running into sell-offs, despite the favourable external backdrop. The previous such transition occurred at the end of 2021, and so far, everything aligns with the 4-year halving cycles that many were quick to dismiss.

News Background

Over the past three months, a clear break has occurred in the correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market. The S&P 500 stock index has risen 7% during this time, while BTC has lost 15%. Judging by four years of close correlation, it can be argued that Bitcoin is currently undervalued, according to Santiment.

Jan3 founder Samson Mow attributes Bitcoin's decline to a massive sell-off by investors who bought it over the past 12 to 18 months. They are rushing to lock in profits amid rumours of an imminent bearish trend in the crypto market.

The crypto market's growth phase is nearing its end, so it is time for investors to consider locking in profits and reducing the share of crypto assets in their portfolios, according to Morgan Stanley, which cites a four-year cycle that the cryptocurrency market has consistently followed since 2009.

The bitcoin mining industry is facing a difficult period due to growing competition and declining profitability, said MARA CEO Fred Thiel. According to him, only those miners who have access to cheap energy or new business models will survive.

According to SoSoValue, spot Solana ETFs in the US have attracted more than $350 million in 11 trading sessions. The steady inflow of funds into new SOL ETFs came as a surprise to the market. The results significantly exceeded initial conservative forecasts, according to LVRG Research.

Visa has unveiled a pilot project called Visa Direct, which allows US customers to make direct cross-border payments in USDC stablecoin to recipients' wallets. The initiative is aimed at content creators and freelancers.

The crypto industry is entering a new phase of capital raising. The launch of Coinbase's ICO platform is expected to be a key event in this trend, according to Bitwise. The exchange will select and launch one verified project per month. (FxPro)

News

The dollar emerging from the data fog

• The US government shutdown is over. • Central bank policy convergence helps EURUSD. • Political scandal causes the pound to fall. • Japan's currency interventions are ineffective The House of Representatives voted 222 to 209 to resume government operations. The president immediately signed the document. The record-long shutdown is over. This fact promises that the Fed and investors will soon begin to exit their positions. The president immediately signed the document. The record-breaking shutdown is over. This fact suggests that the Fed and investors will quickly start to emerge from the fog once statistics are published again, allowing them to make data-driven decisions. But will they like what they see when the picture becomes clearer?
Alternative sources show a slowdown in the US GDP. The IMF forecasts a decline in its growth rate from 2.8% to 2% in 2025. The eurozone, on the other hand, is expected to accelerate from 0.9% to 1.2%. At the same time, the Bank of France plans to raise its estimates for the country, despite the ongoing political turmoil. The narrowing divergence in economic growth argues in favour of maintaining the upward trend for EURUSD. The same can be said about monetary policy. The ECB has most likely ended its easing cycle, barring any major shocks. The federal funds rate is likely to continue falling amid a cooling US labour market and economy. The euro has advantages over the dollar. However, in the short term, mixed data could lead to mixed movements in EURUSD.

The conflict on Downing Street has allowed GBPUSD bears to launch a new attack. When Labour came to power in Britain in 2024, the pound gained preference thanks to hopes for political stability after constant ministerial changes under the Conservatives. However, since then, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ratings have been falling. Rumours of a plot to replace the leader have made investors nervous and prompted them to sell sterling. Doubts about the effectiveness of potential currency interventions continue to push the USDJPY pair higher. The current conditions differ from those of last year. Back then, Tokyo intervened in the FOREX market before raising the overnight rate. Now, Sanae Takaichi is sticking to a policy of fiscal and monetary stimulus. Any purchase of the yen will only have short-term success. In addition, it will require the expenditure of foreign exchange reserves. These are needed to make the investments in the US economy promised to Donald Trump. (FxPro)

News

Heavy Industry Awards

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

News

Media

Google Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The Month' award; Runner-up: Yahoo! Finance

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award; YouTube and Paramount Plus are runner-ups! Strong mention: Tubi

News

Pop Culture News

Landman (Paramount Plus)

Plot

The series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024, and has been renewed for a second season.

Landman: Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg

"You think you understand how this business works, but you don't." Things are heating up in the final Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025, only on Paramount+.

"Death and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025

"Sins of the Father"
November 23, 2025

"Almost a Home"
November 30, 2025

"Dancing Rainbows"
December 7, 2025

"The Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025

"Dark Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025

"Forever Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025

"Handsome Touched Me"
January 4, 2026

"Plans, Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026

"Tragedy and Flies"
January 18, 2026

News

Gold Movie

Trailer

Gold (YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0

News

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

All That Glitters Mid Week Edition Under The Media Man Watercooler

Nov 10, 2025

ASX futures up 23 points or 0.3% to 8794 on Saturday

Wall Street: S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow Jones: +0.2%, Nasdaq -0.2%
Europe: Stoxx 50 -0.8%, FTSE -0.6%, DAX -0.7%, CAC -0.2%
Australian dollar at US64.88 cents at 7.05am AEDT
Bitcoin +3% to $US104,999 on Bitstamp at 7.06am AEDT
Spot gold +0.6% to $US4001.26 per ounce on Saturday
US oil +0.5% to $US59.75 a barrel on Saturday
Brent crude +0.4% to $US63.63 a barrel on Saturday
Iron ore -2.4% to $US101.45 per tonne (Singapore 62% grade)
10-year yield: US 4.10% Australia 4.35% Germany 2.66%

Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World

October 2025

October 17, 2025

(New York, Wall St)

Mining Stocks: (Near Live)

BHP Group Ltd $43.60 -0.17 -0.39%
Fortescue Ltd $20.18 +0.37 +1.87%
Rio Tinto $130.88 +1.61 +1.25%
Northern Star $26.05 +0.59 +2.32%
Evolution Mining Ltd $11.67 +0.22 +1.92%
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd $19.24 -1.16 -5.69%
Mineral Resources Ltd $41.77 -0.72 -1.69%

News

Gold Bulls have no choice but to push

Gold's rally to record highs above $4,300 per ounce resulted from a debasement trade. Governments cannot cope with budget deficits, are accumulating debt and demanding that central banks cut interest rates, as in the US, or keep them low, as in Japan. As a result, investors are losing confidence in government bonds and currencies. They are looking for alternatives and turning their attention to precious metals.

As a result, gold has been gaining for the last nine weeks, the fifth time in the history of free currency conversion since the 1970s. However, there has never been a 10-week consecutive growth period. The gap from the 200-week moving average also shows the excessiveness of the rally. The spot price at its peak exceeded this line by 90%. There has only been one larger gap once before, in 1980. At the very least, the market needs a technical respite. But historically, its beginning could be the start of a significant multi-year reversal. Now, we are on the side of the bears, but at the same time, we understand that the bulls simply have no choice but to push the price further up, as stopping would ruin the whole game.

Each time, gold finds a new driver of growth. In the summer, there were expectations of a resumption of the Fed's easing cycle. To be cont... (FxPro)

News

Rare earths strategy

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should tell President Donald Trump at their meeting next week that Australia can solve the western world's heavy rare earths crisis. He must also outline eight steps that will help to counter China's dominance of the heavy rare earths market, particularly terbium and dysprosium. Amongst other things, Haoma Mining's pilot plant for its Elazac process - which is currently extracting gold and platinum from Bamboo Creek tailings - should be expanded more rapidly; Elazac can also extract terbium and dysprosium concentrate, which can then be shipped to Iluka Resources' Eneabba plant or the US for refining. Haoma also has a major area of prospective heavy rare earth ore in the Bamboo Creek Valley; analysis of bulk samples suggests that these terbium grades are much higher than other Australian mines. (RMS)

News

Rinehart's rare earths shares top $3.5b as Trump needles China

Hancock Prospecting has increased its exposure to the rare earths sector after participating in St George Mining's $72.5m capital raising. The latter had initially sought to raise $40m, but increased this to $50m in response to strong demand from institutional investors. St George subsequently also agreed to issue Hancock with $22.5m worth of shares, lifting the Gina Rinehart-controlled company's stake to around six per cent. St George will use the proceeds of the capital raising to expand its Araxa project in Brazil. Hancock's other investments in the sector include Lynas Rare Earths, Arafura Rare Earths and US-based MP Materials. (RMS)

News

PM has his work cut out striking rare earths deal with Trump

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is hoping to secure a deal with US President Donald Trump regarding the US getting access to Australia's rare earths, but it may not be as easy as Albanese might hope. The Trump administration is seen as being divided into two camps on the issue, namely the resource nationalists and the economic rationalists, and the first one is currently holding sway. They believe the US should create an end-to-end critical mineral supply chain, and it was probably behind the recent US government investments and equity stakes in US critical minerals mining firms Lithium Americas and MP Materials. The economic rationalists camp believes the US needs the help of its allies to meet its critical mineral needs, at least in the short term, with it being noted it can take more than 20 years to open a new mine in the US. (RMS)

News

'Lethal warming' from Woodside gas mega-project

A study published in Nature journal Climate Action claims the emissions caused by Woodside Energy's Scarborough gas project will increase global warming to the extent that it will cause an additional 484 heat-related deaths in Europe. The study was partly financed by the Minderoo Foundation, a philanthropic foundation established by Andrew Forrest, who has a long history of criticising Woodside and its CEO Meg O'Neill. Located off the coast of Western Australia, the $19.5 billion Scarborough project is due to begin exporting LNG late next year. (RMS)

News

Minerals/Politics

Stockpile of critical metals urgent: miners

The federal government aims to establish its $1.2bn critical minerals strategic reserve by late 2026. However, the mining industry has warned the government that it must act more quickly to build the minerals stockpile, contending that another mining nation could potentially trump Australia and become a supplier of choice to defence partners such as the US and Japan. Meanwhile, the industry is believed to have been told that the government may use contracts for difference to set a 'floor price' for critical minerals. The strategic reserve is expected to a priority when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets US President Donald Trump at the White House next week. (RMS)

News

Australian/Asia Pacific News

Rio set to shutter Tomago smelter

The Tomago aluminium smelter's coal-fired power supply contract with AGL Energy is set to expire in 2028, and it faces the prospect of a massive increase in power costs under any new supply agreement. This makes it highly likely that Rio Tinto and its partners in Tomago will permanently shut down the NSW smelter in 2028, unless investment in renewable energy in the state is ramped up significantly in the next few years. The cost of electricity is also a major threat to the future of Rio Tinto's Bell Bay aluminium smelter in Tasmania, with its current supply deal to expire at the end of this year. The Tomago smelter employs more than 1,000 people. (RMS)

News

Ellison loses key ally in MinRes board exodus

Iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources has appointed Colin Moorhead and Susan Ferrier as non-executive directors. Their recruitment follows the departure of six members of Mineral Resources' board in recent months; this includes Zimi Meka, whose resignation was announced on Friday. The recent departures mean that only three of the nine MinRes directors who attended its 2024 AGM will front shareholders at this year's meeting; they include embattled MD Chris Ellison, who has previously committed to stepping down by mid-2026. (RMS)

News

Forrests sell out of magnet maker as China ups rare earths heat

Wyloo Metals has sold its near 19.9 per cent stake in Neo Performance Materials, with Wyloo being the Forrest family's private mining company. With Neo being one of the few Western companies using rare earths to produce permanent magnets, Wyloo sought to take advantage in a jump in its share price that has resulted from the trade spat between China and the US over the supply of rare earths and permanent magnets, with Wyloo selling its stake in Neo for total proceeds of around $182 million. (RMS)

News

Rare earths market splits into light and medium-heavy segments

There are increasing signs that the rare earths market is splitting into two distinct segments, namely light elements such as as neodymium and praseodymium, and medium-heavy elements such as dysprosium and terbium. The Shanghai Metal Market suggests that while demand for light elements remains stable, demand for medium-heavy elements is weak, and procurement teams need to differentiate between these segments when negotiating contracts. US buyers need to cultivate relationships with non-Chinese suppliers, as well as keeping an eye on government equity moves, as Washington's willingness to take direct stakes in projects like Tanbreez suggests future deals are likely.

News

Rio, Japanese in Pilbara mine deal

Rio Tinto has secured state and federal government approvals to develop new iron ore deposits at the West Angelas hub in the Pilbara. Rio Tinto and its Robe River joint venture partners, Mitsui and Nippon Steel, will invest $US733m ($1.1bn) to expand the West Angelas mine, with Rio Tinto to contribute $US389m. The expansion of West Angelas will maintain its annual production capacity of 35 million tonnes. Rio Tinto launched its Western Range iron ore joint venture with China-based Baowu in June, as part of its ongoing commitment to the Pilbara. (RMS)

News

Loophole use in $2.4b gold deal leads to reform calls

Shares in gold miner Predictive Discovery have rallied in the wake of a proposed merger with Toronto-listed Robex. Predictive's shareholders will control 51 per cent of the merged group, although they will not be given a vote on the deal. In contrast, the merger will need to be approved by at least two-thirds of Robex shareholders. The proposed merger has prompted renewed scrutiny of the ASX's listing rules, which allow companies to waive the requirement for a shareholder vote under certain circumstances. Simon Mawhinney from Allan Gray Australia has likened the Predictive deal to James Hardie's merger with Azek earlier this year. (RMS)

News

Gold Mining News

Gold prices continue their record-breaking rally, hitting a new high of $3,949.71 per ounce amid central bank buying, geopolitical tensions, and expectations of further U.S. interest rate cuts. This surge is boosting the sector, with miners' stocks outperforming AI-driven chip rallies—gold equities up 135% year-to-date, led by heavyweights like Newmont and Agnico Eagle, whose shares have more than doubled. However, analysts warn of a potential production "cliff" after 2025, with global output peaking at ~3,250 tonnes (105 million oz.) next year before a decline due to dwindling reserves and limited new projects.

News

GoldMining Inc. launches 2025 exploration at São Jorge, Brazil

Comprehensive program targets copper-gold zones; recent drilling hit 2.79 g/t AuEq over 79m, including antimony mineralization. Company also expands land package and updates mineral resource estimates.

News

Nevada Gold Mines deploys autonomous haul trucks

Fleet of 300- and 230-tonne trucks automated using Komatsu's FrontRunner system across U.S. surface operations for efficiency gains.

News

Calls for uranium listing as US goes all out on nuclear power

Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan says White House officials emphasised during his recent visit to the US thart a secure supply of uranium is a priority for the Trump administration. Tehan contends that the federal government should therefore add uranium to its critical minerals list, and include it in any deal with the US for an exemption from its reciprocal tariffs regime. Australia accounts for about one-third of the world's known reserves, although the nation's exports of unenriched uranium comprises just 10 per cent of global supply at present. Tehan recently reiterated that nuclear power will remain part of the Coalition's energy policy. (RMS)

News

BHP salutes Japan 'trust'

BHP's president of its Australian operations, Geraldine Slattery, addressed an Australia-Japan business conference on Monday. She declined to comment on unconfirmed reports that China has banned the resources group's Pilbara iron ore shipments. Instead, she emphasised BHP's "deep" relationship with Japan and the free-trade relations between the two nations. Slattery highlighted the level of trust and transparency in the relationship between Australia and Japan. (RMS)

News

MinRes appoints company secretary

Iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources has appointed Sarah Standish as its joint company secretary. Standish will replace CFO Mark Wilson in the role, which she will share with Derek Oelofse. Mineral Resources has released a statement in which it notes that Standish has 20 years of experience in legal, governance, risk and compliance functions at both ASX-listed and international companies in the mining and energy sectors. Her appointment has coincided with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission investigation into corporate governance issues at Mineral Resources. (RMS)

News

Upstart glisters among surging gold miners

The gold price has risen by almost 50 per cent in US dollar terms so far in 2025. This has in turn boosted the share prices of Australian gold producers; Northern Star Resources' market capitalisation has increased by 60 per cent so far in 2025, reaching a record high of $35bn last week. Meanwhile, Westgold Resources' share price rose by 24 per cent last week, lifting its market capitalisation from $4bn to $5.1bn; this followed its announcement of plans to lift gold production by 45 per cent to 470,000 ounces over the next three years. (RMS)

News

Lynas revisited: Can it reclaim its crown in rare earths?

Lynas Rare Earths is one of the few players in the sector outside China with genuine scale, but it is now at a critical juncture. A vertically integrated business model allows Lynas to produce a range of refined products, particularly neodymium and praseodymium. However, its product mix has leaned heavily toward light rare earths, leaving it exposed to pricing volatility. The most notable development in 2025 has been Lynas's breakthrough into heavy rare earths; the company announced its first production of dysprosium oxide in May, followed by terbium oxide at its Malaysian plant in June. This milestone currently makes Lynas the only commercial-scale producer of separated heavy rare earths outside China. Potential risks for Lynas include cost inflation, the ongoing threat of competition from China and uncertainty regarding the future of its licence in Malaysia. (RMS)

News

MinRes scores legal win on port levies

The Supreme Court of Western Australia has ruled that Mineral Resources and its lawyers should be allowed to see details of a controversial agreement between the state government and Chevron. The state-owned Pilbara Ports Authority had sought to block access to the agreement, which requires MinRes to pay a levy for using a cargo wharf and part of a shipping channel that had been dredged by Chevron for its Wheatstone LNG project. Chevron also built the Port of Ashburton, which MinRes now uses to export iron ore from its Onslow Iron project. (RMS)

News

Rare earth magnets have become the new battleground for global power

The unique properties of rare earth magnets have resulted in them becoming strategic assets, and supply chain control is increasingly being viewed as a matter of national security. China dominates the global production and supply of rare earth magnets, and this dependence on China was underlined earlier this year when the nation imposed export controls. Four rare earth magnet factories are currently under construction in the US, but China has been investing in rare earths processing for decades; it also manufactures most of the world's refining equipment and employs most of the specialised technicians, so ending China's dominance is likely to take years. (RMS)

News

BHP Faces Chinese Iron Ore Ban Amid Pricing Dispute:

Reports emerged that China's state-run iron ore buyers have instructed steelmakers to halt purchases of dollar-denominated cargoes from BHP, causing the company's shares to drop 1.8%. This escalates a broader pricing row, with BHP's stock closing at A$41.91 (down 0.73%). Analysts warn of potential supply chain disruptions for Australia's largest exporter.

Rio Tinto Eyes Early Closure of Queensland's Largest Coal Power Station:

The mining giant notified the Australian Energy Market Operator of a potential shutdown of its 1,000 MW coal-fired plant at the Tarong site as early as March 2029—six years ahead of schedule. This aligns with Rio's decarbonization push but raises concerns over energy reliability in coal-dependent Queensland.

Alcoa Permanently Closes Kwinana Alumina Refinery:

The U.S.-based firm confirmed the shutdown of its Western Australian facility after 60 years, citing high energy costs and global oversupply. This impacts 400 jobs and underscores aluminium sector struggles, with WA's government exploring support for affected workers.

Coal Royalty Pressures Lead to Job Cuts:

BHP's closure of the Saraji South mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin will eliminate 750 jobs, blamed on royalties eight times higher than 2024 profits.

Anglo American announced further redundancies at its Grosvenor mine and Brisbane office (potentially 1,000+ roles). Queensland's government offers fee relief but resists royalty cuts.

Gold Sector Booms on Bullish Forecasts:

ASX gold stocks rallied after UBS and Citi hiked 2026 price targets to US$3,800–$3,825/oz.

Westgold Resources reported a 24% resource increase to 16.3 million ounces in WA.

Genesis Minerals surged 13%, Northern Star 8%, and Evolution Mining 6%.

Critical Minerals Momentum Builds:

Liontown Resources achieved break-even cash flow in its first lithium production year despite low prices.

Mineral Resources (MinRes) acquired assets from Resource Development Group and is refinancing US$700M in debt.

Impact Minerals partnered with Kuniko on a NSW gold-silver-copper project;

Cloudbreak Discovery optioned the Paterson project near Telfer mine.

Northern Minerals' Browns Range rare earths study forecasts an 11-year life at A$592M capex, targeting premiums over Chinese supply.

Fortescue's Green Energy Push:

Andrew Forrest's firm acquired Spanish wind tech company Nabrawind to advance decarbonization. However, a new report doubts full electric haulage by 2030, with diesel emissions persisting until 2035. Joint CEOs could earn up to A$7.5M each in 2025–26 via performance rights.

Santos Takeover Bid Collapses:

A US$36.4B offer from an ADNOC-led consortium failed due to due diligence issues and FIRB hurdles, potentially pushing Santos toward a demerger or merger with Woodside.

Geopolitical Flashpoint:

Trump Stake Proposal Draws Backlash:

Discussions of granting U.S. President Donald Trump stakes in Australian critical minerals firms have sparked outrage, with critics calling it a "disaster" and potentially illegal under foreign investment rules.

Upcoming Events

The sector gears up for major gatherings focusing on innovation and investment:

WA Mining Conference & Exhibition: October 8–9, Perth Convention Centre—spotlighting future tech, sustainability, and critical minerals. Expected to draw thousands for networking and demos.

International Mining & Resources Conference (IMARC): October 21–23, Sydney—featuring leaders from 120+ countries, including Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King. Themes include global investment and decarbonization.

Asia-Pacific International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX):

September 23–25, Adelaide (ongoing as of early October)—showcasing automation and safety, with the Australian Mining Prospect Awards at Adelaide Oval.

News Flashback

Trump seeks equity stakes in critical mineral producers

The US Department of Defense bought $US400m ($607m) worth of shares in rare earths producer MP Materials earlier in 2025. The Trump administration is said to be looking at buying equity-like stakes in other producers of critical minerals, according to executives of Australian mining companies who recently held talks with officials from various US government agencies. Amongst other things, the government is said to be interested in buying stock warrants, which would grant it the right to buy shares in a mining company. The US aims to reduce its reliance on China for minerals that are crucial for defence technology and the energy transition. (RMS)

News

Argonaut tips gold to hit $US4500, lithium revival as supply tightens

The gold price has risen by 45 per cent so far in 2025, and it is currently trading above $US3,800 per ounce. Perth-based stockbroker Argonaut is bullish about the outlook for bullion, lifting its peak price forecast to US$4,500. Argonaut's executive chairman and co-founder Eddie Rigg also anticipates further consolidation in the gold sector. Meanwhile, Rigg expects the lithium price to rebound, arguing that proposed new projects in South America and Africa are unlikely to proceed in the near-term; he notes that they will be capital-intensive, while many are in volatile jurisdictions. (RMS)

News

News Flashback

Profile

Hancock Prospecting

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd is an Australian-owned mining and agricultural business run by Executive Chairwoman Gina Rinehart and CEO Garry Korte. At various stages of its trading history, the company has been known as Hancock Prospecting Ltd, Hancock Resources Ltd, Hanwright Pty Ltd, Hancock & Wright Ltd, and Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd.

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd is owned by Rinehart (76.6%) and the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust (23.4%).

The company was founded in 1955 by Rinehart's father, the late Lang Hancock. Hancock Prospecting holds the mineral rights to some of the largest Crown land leases in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Gina Rinehart has disputed accusations that she is an heiress. Through Rinehart's spokesperson and chief financial officer at Hancock Prospecting, Jay Newby, Rinehart has claimed that upon assuming the role of the Executive Chairwoman, she took over a company that was in a perilous financial position with significant debt and major assets mortgages and under threat of seizure.

Projects:

Balfour Downs Station Manganese Operation, northeast of Newman, a joint venture with Mineral Resources

Hope Downs mine, northwest of Newman, a joint venture with Rio Tinto

Roy Hill project, south of Port Hedland, a joint venture between Hancock Prospecting (70%), Marubeni (15%), POSCO (12.5%), and China Steel Corporation (2.5%)

Alpha Coal project, Galilee Basin in Central Queensland

Kevin's Corner coal project, Galilee Basin in Central Queensland

Nicholas Downs mine, northwest of Newman, a joint venture with Mineral Resources

(Developing profile/news). To be cont ...

News

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

September 2025

News

September 3, 2025

High-grade threat to Australian iron ore

Australia exported about $120 billion worth of iron ore from the Pilbara during 2024-25. However, Vale executive Rogerio Nogueira contends that Brazil has a key advantage over Australia because its iron ore is better suited to beneficiation; this process removes contaminants such as silicon or alumina to produce the higher-grade ore that will be needed to make steel using natural gas or hyrogen instead of coal. Australia's iron ore miners are already facing the problem of decline ore grades in the Pilbara. (RMS)

South32 chief in blast over green tape

Diversified miner South32 battled the bureaucracy for more than seven years to secure approval to continue operating its Worley bauxite and alumina business in Western Australia. Meanwhile, difficulty in gaining approval for an extension to the Dendrobium coal mine in the Illawarra region of NSW prompted South32 to sell the asset in 2024. South32 CEO Graham Kerr says the Trump administration has made it much easier to gain environmental approval for US mining projects compared with Australia. The company is on track to gain all approvals for its Hermosa critical minerals project in less than four years; it was the first project to be added to the FAST-41 list. (RMS)

News

September 3, 2025

Medals/Rare Earths News

Gold may be targeting $4,500, silver $50

Precious metals have returned to active growth, pushing the spot price of gold to $3,490—just $10 below its historic high of 22 April. Meanwhile, silver has decisively moved above $40, its highest level in 14 years.

The news agenda continues to favour metals, with reports that India is now actively selling US government bonds, building up its gold reserves. China did the same before, and Russia even earlier. However, this may turn out to be nothing more than a glimpse into the past, cleverly picked up by the global media. It should also be remembered that years of net sales of gold reserves did not initially prevent gold from rallying. This could also work in the opposite direction: the actions of finance ministers and central banks may not have a very noticeable long-term effect.

The lack of progress on a peaceful settlement between Russia and Ukraine also helps gold. After months of virtually empty promises, hopes are gradually fading.

A more visible but at the same time short-term factor is the growing expectation of a Fed key rate cut in September from 75% on 21 August (before Powell's speech) to 87% now. This leaves room for the rate to rise by another 10-13 percentage points, which is negative for the dollar and positive for commodities.

However, we recommend paying more attention to the technical picture now. The gold market has been in a prolonged sideways trend since reaching highs in April. At the same time, the bullish scenario is supported by sluggish resistance from bears in recent days and a series of higher local lows.

Silver has been under less pressure from local profit-taking, gaining in each of the last four months. Platinum and palladium seem to be ending their corrective decline, having risen sharply in early September. This behaviour of precious metals indicates that traders are serious about this direction, sharply increasing the chances of new historical highs soon.

Nevertheless, we urge caution when joining the gold rally in the coming days. First, reaching historic highs could trigger widespread selling in gold, as we saw in April and as is happening with Bitcoin.

If the breakout above $3,500 does not trigger a sell-off, as was the case earlier this year, the potential target is $4,500, close to which the 161.8% Fibonacci extension level is located.

In silver, it appears that the bulls are targeting the area of historical highs near $50.

Platinum also looks rested and ready to renew its multi-year highs after a corrective pullback. Its technical growth potential suggests a rise above $1,800, to the highs of 2011. However, such ambitious growth will only become the main scenario if the recent highs are exceeded and the price rises above $1,500. (FxPro)

News

Gold News

August 29, 2025

Gold approached the upper limit of the 4-month trading range

Gold is trading above $3,400 again at the end of the week. The upper limit of the trading range, within which the price has been fluctuating since April, is close to $3,430. Jerome Powell's signals about a rate cut, unprecedented pressure from the White House on the Fed, and the continuing high level of geopolitical risks have brought the price back to this level.

Washington's introduction of 50% tariffs against India risks further deepening the divide between the West and the East, as well as the associated processes of de-dollarisation and diversification of gold and foreign exchange reserves by central banks in favour of precious metals.

For the first time since 1996, central banks hold more gold (about 25%) than US government bonds (about 20%) in their gold and foreign exchange reserves. For comparison, between 2008 and 2015, this ratio fluctuated between 10% and 30%, respectively.

Gold bulls are drawing strength from the dynamics of the US yield curve. Yields on 2- and 10-year Treasuries are falling. The market is painting a stagflationary backdrop, which is the best food for gold bugs.

Gold's ability to break through the resistance zone above $3,430 will be an important signal of the market's readiness to return to a rally after four months of tug-of-war. But it is worth being cautious with early bullish bets at these levels. Formally, there is now a greater chance of another pullback to the lower end of the range at $3,300-3,315.

At the same time, investors should remember that whichever way the breakout occurs, the subsequent movement could be very strong, given how long the gold market has been gathering strength while remaining in a sideways trend. (FxPro)

News

Australian Mining: Overview

Economic Impact: Mining accounts for around 13.6% of Australia's GDP (2023) and nearly 70% of total export revenue. It generated $356.6 billion in company tax and royalties over the past decade. Iron ore, coal, lithium, gold, and bauxite are among the top exports, with Australia being the world’s largest producer of lithium, iron ore, and bauxite, and a top-five producer of gold, lead, zinc, and nickel.

Key Regions and Resources:
Western Australia (WA): The epicenter of Australian mining, hosting major iron ore, gold, lithium, and nickel projects. It employed 134,871 full-time-equivalent workers in 2023-24, with iron ore (62,950 FTEs), gold (31,884 FTEs), and lithium (11,386 FTEs) leading employment.

Queensland (QLD): Contributes $75 billion annually to the economy and employs over 50,000 people, with high-grade graphite and rhenium deposits.
New South Wales (NSW): Rich in coal, gold, and copper, with the Cowal gold mine as the largest. It provides 40,000 jobs and nearly $2 billion in royalties.

Northern Territory (NT): Home to the world’s largest manganese mine and one-third of Australia’s uranium reserves, valued at over $4 billion.

Victoria (VIC): Known for gold, antimony, and brown coal, with a strong mining equipment and technology sector.

Tasmania (TAS): A century-long mineral producer with diverse geology.

Critical Minerals and Innovation: Australia is a global leader in critical minerals like lithium, rare earths, and manganese, essential for renewable energy and defense. The industry is adopting automation (e.g., driverless trucks), AI, and blue hydrogen to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. The government’s $1 billion Value-Adding in Resources Fund aims to enhance domestic processing.

Environmental and Social Challenges: Mining faces scrutiny for environmental impacts, including land destruction, water pollution, and carbon emissions from fossil fuel production. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) concerns and commodity price uncertainty are top risks for 2024. The industry is criticized for low tax contributions relative to profits (6% of federal revenue) and benefits from subsidies like the $3.5 billion Fuel Tax Credit Scheme.

Employment and Ownership: The sector employs about 229,500 people (2% of the workforce), with high median earnings ($2,649/week). However, it’s 86% foreign-owned, with major players like BHP (76% foreign-owned) and Rio Tinto (83% foreign-owned) dominating.

Future Outlook: With 80% of Australia’s mineral potential unexplored, the industry is poised for growth, particularly in critical minerals for electric vehicles and renewable energy. However, regulatory changes, climate goals, and community expectations for fairer taxation and environmental stewardship pose challenges. (Grok)

News

September 1, 2025

BHP call to voters in coal tax fight

BHP's BMA coking coal joint venture in Queensland paid an effective tax rate of about 67 per cent in 2024-25. BHP CEO Mike Henry has warned that some of the joint venture's mines may need to be shut down due to the impact of low coal prices and the state's coal royalty regime. Meanwhile, BMA's head of operations Mariette Bylsma says Queensland has one of the world's highest coal royalty regimes, which is making the state less competitive and less predictable for investment. Bylsma adds that the "unsustainable" coal tax is having a real impact on regional jobs and communities, and she has urged the general public to raise the issue with their local MP. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

MinRes takeover of miner run by Ellison's brother faces backlash

Resource Development Group's administrator McGrathNicol recently advised that it had received seven non-binding offers to acquire the failed garnet miner. However, the firm decided to recommend the offer from RDG's majority shareholder, Mineral Resources, as it would result in the highest return to shareholders. However, minority investors in RDG claim that they are not being treated fairly, and allege that Mineral Resources is hastening the takeover without allowing time for other bids to emerge. RDG's former MD Andrew Ellison is the brother of Mineral Resources' founder and MD Chris Ellison. (RMS)

News

Sunday truck crash adds to MinRes woes

Mineral Resources is under renewed scrutiny following another incident on the private road that is used to transport iron ore to port facilities at Onslow in Western Australia. There has been a rear-end collision between one of the company's road trains and a truck that was being driven by a contractor; it is believed that nobody was injured in yesterday's incident and both trucks sustained only minor damage. However, there have been a series of incidents on the 150km road since it was opened in 2024, including a road train rollover last week. Mineral Resources has also spent $230m on repairing damage to the road caused by cyclones in early 2025. (RMS)

News

Gas industry frays over future of LNG as lobbying intensifies

Australia's east gas market is facing a supply crisis that could hit NSW and Victoria as early as 2029, with the nation's $90 billion liquefied natural gas sector at odds as to which of its participants should face the burden of addressing the looming crisis. With the federal government having announced a review of the LNG sector earlier in the year, Australia Pacific LNG and Santos, which is the operator of the Gladstone LNG project, are both actively lobbying the federal government as to their views as to how the two ventures believe the sector should be reformed. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Bitcoin Mining News

Industry Challenges and Hashrate Records: Bitcoin mining difficulty recently hit an all-time high of 126.9 trillion on May 31, 2025, before slightly dropping to 126.4 trillion. The network hashrate crossed 1 zetahash per second (ZH/s) in April 2025, reflecting intense competition. Miners face financial pressures from the April 2024 halving, which reduced block rewards, coupled with rising operational costs. Despite this, companies like MARA (mined 950 BTC in May 2025, holding 49,179 BTC) and CleanSpark (mined 694 BTC, holding 12,502 BTC) are expanding and retaining BTC as a treasury asset.

Shift to AI and Energy Competition: Bitcoin miners are increasingly competing with AI data centers for cheap energy, prompting some to pivot into AI infrastructure. For instance, Bitmain plans to open a U.S.-based BTC mining hardware facility by late 2025, and TeraWulf has secured Google as its largest shareholder, validating its AI-integrated strategy. This shift is driven by the need to monetize power, with executives noting that energy, not just hashrate, is now the critical factor.

Environmental and Regulatory Concerns: A Harvard study revealed that Bitcoin mining exposes 1.9 million Americans to harmful PM2.5 air pollution, primarily from fossil fuel-powered plants. The study highlights a "cross-state domino effect," urging federal regulation. Meanwhile, rural U.S. communities, like Dresden, NY, report noise pollution from mining operations, sparking local backlash despite support from some pro-crypto policies under the current administration.

Centralization Risks: Posts on X have raised alarms about mining centralization, with two pools controlling over 51% of the network’s hash power, potentially enabling a 51% attack. This has sparked debate about Bitcoin’s decentralization, though these claims remain inconclusive without further evidence.

Innovations and Expansions: Companies like Cipher Mining launched a 150MW Bitcoin mining site in Texas (Black Pearl), aiming for 300MW, and BitFuFu reported a record 34.1 EH/s hashrate, mining 400 BTC in May 2025. Block introduced Proto Rig, a modular, repairable miner, and Proto Fleet, an open-source software to enhance mining efficiency.

Profitability Struggles: Mining a single Bitcoin now costs approximately $137,000 in electricity, exceeding its market value of around $95,000-$104,000, rendering traditional mining unprofitable for many. Miners are adapting by holding BTC or diversifying into other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum.

Song

Welcome To The Blockchain (Song lyrics)

We're now standing on the precipice of a global revolution

Of economics, of politics, and government

Welcome to the blockchain

verse

Power corrupts, money is power

The power to control the money is one that is now

In the hands of those who pretend we can't function without them

So how can we do something about it? (Huh?)

Working hard to get a raise, lifting that wage up

Inflation takes it like a hidden taxation

Manipulated interest rates to give the banks

A way to create money with the loans that they're giving out daily (yup)

That means our money is debt

That we gotta pay back more than a hundred percent

No wonder then why the middle class is going under

When the one's above them gotta cover and come to collect

And many have no access to banking

Making payments, or saving, so more fees are taken

And every day the gatekeepers are trying to stop change

We can not wait, welcome to the blockchain

chorus

Welcome to the blockchain

Things are about to change

Open up the gates

Systems get replaced

Bitcoin

Decentralize the trust

Security, transparency

The network's run by us

Bitcoin

verse

Bitcoin is a decentralized ledger

And the currency is its first enterprise ever

Secured by the worldwide incentivized network

Can't be stolen or controlled by any sized effort

You can send it anywhere and instantly

No one can intervene, no third party in between

There's no counterfeiting

Algorithms control the outer limits of how many coins can get released

Programmable money, no government can seize it

Payments can be customized by sender and receiver

Contracts can be written cementing your agreements

With terms that can't be bent once you consent then it completes it

Autonomous businesses are possible

Where profit is distributed amongst those adopting it

Paradigm shift we must adjust to the ending

With the blockchain, bitcoin is just the beginning

chorus

Welcome to the blockchain

Things are about to change

Open up the gates

Systems get replaced

Bitcoin

Decentralize the trust

Security, transparency

The network's run by us

Bitcoin

bridge

Now that we got control

We're not gonna let it go

My people all around the globe

We gotta keep building, building, building

Now that we got control

We're not gonna let it go

My people all around the globe

We gotta keep building, building, building

chorus

Welcome to the blockchain

Things are about to change

Open up the gates

Systems get replaced

Bitcoin

Decentralize the trust

Security, transparency

The network's run by us

Bitcoin

By di DECAP, Toby / Toby Ganger

News

Working Man: Sony Lyrics

It's a working man l am And I've been down under ground And I swear to God if l ever see the sun Or for any length of time I can hold it in my mind I never again will go down under ground

At the age of sixteen years Oh, he quarrels with his peers Who vowed they'd never see another one In the dark recess of the mines Where you age before your time And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs

It's a working man l am And I've been down under ground And I swear to God if l ever see the sun Or for any length of time I can hold it in my mind I never again will go down under ground

At the age of sixty four Oh, he'll greet you at the door And he'll gently lead you by the arm

Through the dark recess of the mines

Oh, he'll take you back in time And he'll tell you of the hardships that were had

It's a working man l am And I've been down under ground

And I swear to God if l ever see the sun Or for any length of time I can hold it in my mind I never again will go down under ground

It's a working man l am And I've been down under ground

And I swear to God if l ever see the sun Or for any length of time I can hold it in my mind I never again will go down under ground

It's a working man l am And I've been down under ground

And I swear to God if l ever see the sun

Or for any length of time I can hold it in my mind I never again will go down under ground

God, I never again will go down under ground

By Rita Macneil

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

News

News Bonus

Gold by Spandau Ballet Producers: Steve Jolley & Tony Swain

Music Video: Gold
https://youtube.com/watch?v=VQ4qrcHyYj4

[Verse 1]

Thank you for coming home Sorry that the chairs are all worn I left them here I could have sworn

These are my salad days Slowly being eaten away Just another play for today

Oh, but I'm proud of you, but I'm proud of you

Nothing left to make me feel small Luck has left me standing so tall

[Chorus] Gold (gold)

Always believe in your soul You've got the power to know You're indestructible, always believing

You are gold (gold) Glad that you're bound to return

There's something I could have learned

You're indestructible, always believing

[Verse 2]

After the rush has gone I hope you find a little more time
Remember we were partners in crime

It's only two years ago
The man with the suit and the face
You knew that he was there on the case
Now he's in love with you, he's in love with you

And love is like a high prison wall And you could leave me standing so tall

[Chorus]

Gold (gold) Always believe in your soul You've got the power to know You're indestructible, always believing You are gold (gold) Glad that you're bound to return Something I could have learned You're indestructible, always believing

[Bridge]

Love is like a high prison wall
You could leave me standing so tall

[Chorus]

Gold (gold) Always believe in your soul
You got the power to know
You're indestructible, always believing
You are gold (gold)
Glad that you're bound to return

Something I could have learned

You're indestructible, always believing (You are, gold) Always believe in your soul
You've got the power to know
You're indestructible, always believing
'Cause you are gold (gold)
I'm glad that you're bound to return
Something I could have learned
You're indestructible, always believing (gold)

[Verse 1]

Thank you for coming home Sorry that the chairs are all worn I left them here I could have sworn

These are my salad days Slowly being eaten away Just another play for today Oh, but I'm proud of you, but I'm proud of you

Nothing left to make me feel small Luck has left me standing so tall

[Chorus]

Gold (gold) Always believe in your soul

You've got the power to know You're indestructible, always believing

You are gold (gold) Glad that you're bound to return

There's something I could have learned You're indestructible, always believing

[Verse 2]

After the rush has gone I hope you find a little more time Remember we were partners in crime

It's only two years ago The man with the suit and the face You knew that he was there on the case

Now he's in love with you, he's in love with you And love is like a high prison wall

And you could leave me standing so tall

News

September 3, 2025

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6520 USD (down 0.0029 USD)

Iron Ore: $102.50 USD (up $0.85 USD)

Oil: $65.62 USD (up $1.01 USD)

Gold: $3,533.67 USD (up $57.39 USD)

Copper: $4.6410 USD (up 0.0685 USD)

Bitcoin: $111,312.79 USD (up 2.81%)

Dow Jones: 45,295.81 (down 249.07 points)

News

How the Australian Mining Sector Has Been Impacted by Covid-19

Just like the rest of the world, Australia has not been spared from the Covid-19 pandemic. After the first case was identified on 25th January in Victoria, the virus spread rapidly to other areas which prompted all industries providing non-essential services to shut down. Although many mining sites and operations are located in remote locations, they were not spared either, and had to rethink the way they operate. Additionally, they had to adapt to the safety precautions put in place to prevent the spread of the virus. Finally, they had to find ways to recover after things started getting back to normal.

Mining Key to Economic Recovery

After the declaration of a public health emergency in many parts of Australia, many businesses had to close. However, state, territory and national resources ministers across Australia deemed mining, construction and retail businesses as key to economic recovery. Because of this, mining was placed on the list of essential sectors which saw it roar back to life and continue functioning.
The mining industry employs so many people in Queensland and so the government pledged to put measures in place to ensure people kept their livelihoods and that they were protected from the virus to stop its spread.

Hiring New Talent

Responding to the pandemic in March, Australian mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP put in place programmes that would support Australia's mining industry.

BHP hired 1500 employees to work in coal, iron ore and copper production. These new employees were given six-month contracts and their jobs covered several areas where BHP needed skilled labour.

Some of the roles handed out include ancillary equipment drivers, diesel mechanics, trade assistants, electricians, excavator operators and many others. The people given these roles would work in various mines located in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.

At the same time, Rio Tinto was recruiting graduates, skilled apprentices and aboriginal trainees. These new workers would fill positions in the Pilbara region in West Australia. Rio Tinto has already said it will invest over A$10 billion in the region in the next three years.

According to Rio Tinto, they have hired a much more diverse workforce in 2020 and the number of graduates they have employed has grown by over 25%.

Rio Pinto Put Up Safety Measures

Rio Pinto, a massive Anglo-Australian company, has already slowed down operations in Africa and Canada. However, their operations in Australia have continued uninterrupted.

Rio Tinto has put measures in place to protect those who continue to work for them in the Pilbara region. Some of these include health checks at the airport to ensure any workers coming from the big cities are properly screened and healthy enough, plus an alternating two-week work schedule for all its 1200 employees in the region.

Rio Tinto has also put measures in place to keep productivity high while ensuring the safety of its employees. These include questionnaires to help with screenings and hotlines to help employees get medical assessments from advisors.

Australian Miners Allowed to Source Equipment

On 27th April 2020, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission gave interim authorisation for the Australian Aluminium Council, Minerals Council of Australia and State resource bodies to source safety equipment under a joint effort.

This paved the way for 280 companies to work together on the issues of getting the right working and safety equipment so that miners could continue to work safely without risking their lives due to working in the middle of a pandemic.

This gave a reprieve to companies that supply mining equipment such as Sandvik surface Drill Rigs or Sandvik Surface drill rig parts. Companies like Complete Field Maintenance that sell these Sandvik parts and rigs could now work with mining companies. Complete Field Maintenance supports the Australian mining industry by supplying quality mining parts and rigs for all different mining arrangements and situations.

The commissions would later clarify that working with other players in the mining sector was important, and if they did not take the steps to support these suppliers of parts and services, they would not be able to support the families, jobs, communities and small businesses that rely on the mining industry.

Roadmap for post-Covid-19 Recovery

In May 2020, the Mineral Council of Australia asked the federal government to put in place measures that would help with the recovery of the sector once the pandemic is over.
After this request went through, the Mineral Council of Australia put forth a document called 'Immediate Reform Priorities to Accelerate Economic Recovery'. This document has measures to help the sector recover including lower tax rates, flexible workplaces, mining reforms and faster project approvals.

One example of the proposed measures included the lowering of the company tax rate of 30% which is deemed too high by many of the players in the industry. Additionally, they say this tax rate hampers their ability to remain internationally competitive.