Mining News: Commodities, Resources Media Man

Mining News

Commodities, Resources, Elements

News

Mining Cafe News

Mining Industry News

Blogs

Media Man Business Blog

Media Man News Blog

Factored Websites

The Australian Financial Review: Mining

The Australian Mining Review

FOX Business FOX News - US Economy

Daily Updates via Media Man Int X

Mining/Energy/Resources/Culture: Australia and World

2025

News

Landman

Oil and Gas Industry: A landman is a professional who negotiates and manages land and mineral rights for oil, gas, or energy companies. They research property titles, negotiate leases with landowners, ensure compliance with regulations, and handle contracts. Landmen can be in-house (working directly for a company) or independent field landmen (contractors who research records and negotiate on behalf of companies).

Certifications like Registered Landman (RL) or Certified Professional Landman (CPL) are offered by the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL). Their role is critical in securing rights for exploration and production, often requiring legal knowledge, negotiation skills, and courthouse research.

Cultural References: "Landman" is also the title of a Paramount+ TV series (premiering 2024, with Season 2 set for November 16, 2025), starring Billy Bob Thornton as a West Texas oil worker. The show, created by Taylor Sheridan, portrays the oil industry and has gained attention for its authenticity and strong performances.

Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World

October 2025

October 3

Mining Stocks

BHP Group Ltd $42.12 +0.18 +0.43%
Fortescue Ltd $19.33 +0.13 +0.70%
Rio Tinto $124.88 +0.83 +0.67%
Northern Star $24.41 -0.42 -1.69%
Evolution Mining Ltd $10.98 -0.18 -1.57%
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd $18.02 +0.50 +2.88%

Gold Price: $3,856.37 USD (down $9.29 USD)

News

Australia close to minerals carve-out

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April which could allow the US to impose tariffs and other trade restrictions on imports of processed critical minerals. The federal government and executives of some Australian producers of critical minerals are increasingly optimistic that Trump will agree to exempt the nation from a tariff on such minerals. Arafura Rare Earths CEO Darryl Cuzzubbo says it is clear that the US wants multiple sources of rare earths and "they want them now". Details of the critical minerals tariff are expected to be announced later in October, around the time when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House. (RMS)

Biz

News: Australia

Optus rings up no tax as miners and banks support the budget

The Australian Taxation Office's latest corporate tax report shows that the nation's largest private and public companies had combined income of $3.3trn in 2023-24. Tax receipts of $95.7bn were slightly lower than the record high of the previous financial year. The mining and energy sector accounted for $48.7bn of the tax take; Rio Tinto topped the list of corporate taxpayers, contributing $6.3bn to government coffers from total income of $52.8bn. Meanwhile, 28 per cent of large companies did not pay any tax in 2023-24; they include Optus, Netflix, JBS and Tabcorp. (RMS)

News

BHP keeps shipping despite China deadlock

BHP has declined to comment on reports that China has imposed a ban on its iron ore shipments from the Pilbara, citing commercial confidentiality. The fact that BHP has not released an ASX announcement on the issue suggests that the resources giant is not unduly concerned, given that listing rules require it to disclose anything that could have a material impact on its shares. Meanwhile, data from marine tracking websites show that bulk carriers loaded with BHP's iron ore and bound for China have continued to leave Port Hedland since reports of the ban emerged on Tuesday. (RMS)

News

New owner should 'sweat' mothballed BHP assets: opposition

Glencore is said to be among the potential buyers of BHP's nickel assets in Western Australia, while Wyloo Metals is believed to have expressed interest in some of them. Glencore currently owns one of the two nickel mines in WA that are still operating; Wyloo in turn suspended production at its nickel mines near Kambalda in 2024, in response to the downturn in the nickel price that prompted BHP to put its Nickel West mines, smelter and refinery in 'care and maintenance' mode. The federal Coalition contends that selling the assets may be the 'next best option' for BHP, and shadow resources minister Susan McDonald says a potential new owner should be encouraged to make better use of the Nickel West infrastructure. (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)

Newsfeed

October 2

Mining Stocks

BHP Group Ltd $41.47 -1.06 -2.49%
Fortescue Ltd $18.94 +0.26 +1.39%
Rio Tinto $122.58 +0.55 +0.45%

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.

October 1

BHP stays silent on China's iron ore ban

State-run iron ore trader China Mineral Resources Group is said to have imposed a temporary ban on BHP's shipments of the steel input due to an ongoing dispute over the renewal of long-term supply contracts. The dispute began in mid-September, when CMRG instructed steel mills not to accept delivery of a BHP product known as Jimblebar blend fines or to buy such shipments on the spot market; the ban has now been extended to all BHP iron ore shipments, according to Bloomberg. CMRG was established in 2022 to improve China's ability to negotiate with iron ore miners, and it now represents more than half of China's steelmakers in contract discussions. BHP has declined to comment on the import ban. (RMS)

News

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

Gold rush to the exit at two top miners

Newmont Corporation has advised that president and chief operating officer Natascha Viljoen will succeed CEO Tom Palmer at the end of 2025. Palmer will become a strategic adviser to Newmont before retiring in March 2026. he says it is time to step down after nearly 40 years in the mining industry, including 12 at Newmont; Palmer has been the gold miner's CEO since 2019. Meanwhile, Mark Bristow has resigned as CEO of rival Barrick Gold; Mark Hill has been appointed as interim president and CEO while the company recruits a permanent successor. (RMS)

News

Beetaloo gas to hit market in 2026 with NT pilot project

Tamboran Resources has advised that it will undertake a five-well pilot program at its Beetaloo Basin gas project in the Northern Territory. Tamboran has secured a $179.8m project finance facility from Alpha Wave Global and Macquarie Group, with the NT government to underwrite $75m of this loan. The government has also agreed to buy 40 terajoules of gas per day from the pilot program from mid-2026; gas from the Beetaloo Basin could also eventually be shipped to the eastern states to address looming supply concerns.

Development of the Beetaloo Basin has been opposed by environmentalists and some traditional owners, due to the need to extract gas via fracking. (RMS)

News

News Flashback

Profile Snapshot:

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 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."

Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World

October 2025

October 2

Mining Stocks

BHP Group Ltd $41.47 -1.06 -2.49%
Fortescue Ltd $18.94 +0.26 +1.39%
Rio Tinto $122.58 +0.55 +0.45%

News

BHP Faces Chinese Iron Ore Ban Amid Pricing Dispute:

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

Alcoa Permanently Closes Kwinana Alumina Refinery:

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:

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:

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.

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.

October 1

BHP stays silent on China's iron ore ban

News

Trump seeks equity stakes in critical mineral producers

News

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

News

Gold rush to the exit at two top miners

News

Beetaloo gas to hit market in 2026 with NT pilot project
Tamboran Resources has advised that it will undertake a five-well pilot program at its Beetaloo Basin gas project in the Northern Territory. Tamboran has secured a $179.8m project finance facility from Alpha Wave Global and Macquarie Group, with the NT government to underwrite $75m of this loan. The government has also agreed to buy 40 terajoules of gas per day from the pilot program from mid-2026; gas from the Beetaloo Basin could also eventually be shipped to the eastern states to address looming supply concerns. Development of the Beetaloo Basin has been opposed by environmentalists and some traditional owners, due to the need to extract gas via fracking. (RMS)

News

News Flashback

Profile Snapshot:

Hancock Prospecting

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

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 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."

Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World

September 2025

News

September 30, 2025

Mining Stocks: (Near Live)

BHP Group Ltd $41.91 -0.31 -0.73%
Fortescue Ltd $18.73 -0.40 -2.09%
Rio Tinto $121.25 -1.95 -1.58%

News

Australian Mining News

Australia's mining sector continues to navigate a mix of challenges and opportunities in September 2025, with coal operations facing job cuts and royalty pressures, while critical minerals and gold projects show promise amid rising global demand.

Iron ore and lithium markets remain volatile, influenced by Chinese demand and energy transition goals.

BHP Closes Queensland Coal Mine Amid Royalty Backlash:

BHP announced the closure of its Saraji South coal mine in the Bowen Basin, putting 750 jobs at risk. The decision stems from falling coal prices and what BHP calls an unsustainable tax and royalty burden—eight times higher than profits in 2024.

CEO Mike Henry criticized Queensland's regime as a "crisis point" for the industry, prompting urgent talks with Premier David Crisafulli.

Anglo American followed with undisclosed job cuts at its Brisbane office and Grosvenor mine, potentially adding over 1,000 redundancies in the region. Treasurer David Janetzki ruled out royalty changes but hinted at relief via faster approvals and fee reductions.

Fortescue Acquires Spanish Wind Tech Firm: Mining billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest's Fortescue completed its purchase of Nabrawind, a self-lifting wind tower engineering company, to bolster its green energy pivot. This aligns with Fortescue's decarbonization goals, though a new Climate Change Authority report questions the feasibility of fully electric haulage trucks by 2030, estimating diesel still dominates emissions (14% of sector total) until 2035.

Gold Miners Rally on Bullish Forecasts: ASX gold stocks surged after UBS and Citi raised 2026 price targets to US$3,825–$3,800/oz (around A$6,000/oz). Genesis Minerals jumped 13%, Northern Star 8%, and Evolution Mining 6%. Westgold Resources reported a 24% resource increase to 16.3 million ounces in Western Australia.

Critical Minerals Deals and Funding:

Liontown Resources achieved break-even cash flow in its first lithium production year despite low prices. Mineral Resources (MinRes) signed a binding deal to acquire assets from Resource Development Group and is negotiating a US$700 million debt refinance to extend maturities into the next decade.

Impact Minerals farmed out a gold-silver-copper project in NSW to Kuniko Limited, while Cloudbreak Discovery optioned the Paterson gold-copper-molybdenum project near Greatland Gold's Telfer mine.

Northern Minerals' Browns Range rare earths feasibility study projects an 11-year mine life at A$592 million capex, targeting premiums over Chinese supply (up to US$138/kg for key elements like neodymium).

Santos Takeover Collapses: A US$36.4 billion bid for Santos by an ADNOC-led consortium fell through just before the deadline, citing due diligence issues and a tough letter from Santos demanding FIRB approval upfront. Analysts speculate this could pressure Santos toward a demerger or merger with peers like Woodside.

Other Notable Updates:

Auric Mining wrapped up its Jeffreys Find gold project, netting A$14.5 million in profits.
Brightstar Resources gained approvals for its Lord Byron open-pit gold mine near Laverton, WA, with development slated for 2026.
Ghana's Lands Minister pitched investment opportunities at an Australian mining conference, highlighting global ties.
Unions pushed BHP for a new enterprise agreement covering 400+ Port Hedland workers, amid broader retrenchments.

News

Two top Fortescue executives in quest for $7.5m pay

A resolution to issue 342,254 performance rights shares to each of Fortescue's joint CEOs will be put to investors at its AGM in October. Dino Otranto heads the group's mining arm, while Agustin Pichot is in charge of its growth and energy assets. Their fixed remuneration packages will be $2.08m in 2025-26, but the performance rights could potentially boost their earnings for the financial year to around $7.5m apiece. The number of shares they will ultimately receive will be based on performance targets that are set by Fortescue's board. (RMS)

News

MinRes completes $230 million upgrade of trouble-plagued Pilbara iron ore haul road

Mineral Resources' Onslow Iron project shipped 3.2 million tonnes of iron ore in August, and the company says it remains on track to reach annual nameplate capacity of 35 million tonnes. MD Chris Ellison says Onslow Iron is a "cash generative, low-cost asset" that continued to perform strongly during a now-completed upgrade of the 150-kilometre private road that is used to transport ore from the Ken's Bore mine to the port at Ashburton. There have been seven road train accidents on the private road since it opened in October 2024, prompting a $230m repair program and a Worksafe investigation. (RMS)

News

Canberra to shake up gas export rules

Sources have indicated that the federal government may require LNG producers to supply a certain amount of gas to the domestic market before they receive approval to supply overseas buyers. The proposed model is said to be one of the preferred options by the government, and industry insiders have indicated that they expect Labor to make a formal announcement on it before the end of 2025. The scheme would benefit the Australia Pacific LNG and Queensland Curtis LNG ventures, which both produce more gas than their ship overseas. In contrast, the Santos-backed Gladstone LNG project currently purchases gas from third parties to fulfill its export contracts. (RMS)

News

September 30

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6576 USD (up $0.0028 USD) Iron Ore: $103.25 USD (down $0.40 USD) Oil: $63.13 USD (down $2.59 USD) Gold: $3,833.89 USD (up $74.03 USD) Copper: $4.9045 USD (up 0.1400 USD) Bitcoin: $114,376.31 USD (up 3.16%) Dow Jones: 46,316.07 (up 68.78 points)

News

News Flashback

Profile Snapshot:

Hancock Prospecting

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

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 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."

Business/Markets/Comms/Mining/Energy: Australia and World

News

September 2026

Sydney, Australia

Markets

Sept 26

Australian Dollar: $0.6540 USD (down $0.0040 USD)
Iron Ore: $105.95 USD (down $0.20 USD)
Oil (WTI): $65.22 USD (up $0.41 USD)
Gold: $3,749.38 USD (up $13.29 USD)
Copper: $4.7885 USD (down 0.0390 USD)
Bitcoin: $109,185.00 USD (down 3.88%)
Dow Jones: 45,947.32

News

Bitcoin: (Near Live)
$109,713.74 -0.05%

News

Mining Stocks: (Near Live)
New York

Sept 26

BHP Group $42.22 +0.55 +1.32%
Rio Tinto Ltd $123.20 +1.43 +1.17%
Fortescue Ltd $19.13 -0.010 -0.052%

News

Mining/Energy

Liontown eyes rebound after loss triples

Liontown Resources has booked a 2024-25 post-tax of $193m, following a loss of $65m for the previous financial year. The lithium producer last made a profit in 2022, when the price of the battery metal was near its peak. CEO Tony Ottaviano says a statutory loss was to be expected during a commissioning year, and stresses that Liontown's underlying performance was positive and cash neutral. Production of spodumene concentrate commenced at the company's Kathleen Valley mine during 2024-25; the federal government's National Reconstruction Fund recently invested $50m in Liontown via the company's capital raising. (RMS)

News

Rare earths: The 'picks and shovels' powering a $20 trillion AI gold rush

The development of humanoid robots is likely to be the next phase of the artificial intelligence boom. This will in turn result in rising demand for rare earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. These rare earths are used to make the magnets that are critical to the multitude of electric motors in the humanoid robots that may eventually replace or complement jobs in a range of sectors. US companies such as MP Materials are set to benefit from the growing demand for rare earth magnets; the Pentagon recently announced a $US400m investment in MP Materials, whose Mountain Pass mine in California is currently the only active rare earths project in North America. (RMS)

'North West Shelf rules risk Browse'

A 60 per cent reduction in the North West Shelf LNG project's emissions by 2030 was a key condition for the federal government's approval for a 45-year extension of its operating life. However, analysts suggest that Woodside Energy may need to decommission another two of the project's five LNG production trains in order to comply with this requirement. The three oldest production trains were built in the 1980s, and one of them was recently decommissioned. Macquarie Research analysts also believe that the emission requirements will make the Browse LNG project less likely to proceed. (RMS)

News

'Sue me': Forrest says Trump is telling lies about climate change

Fortescue's founder Andrew Forrest has responded to US President Donald Trump's comments on climate change in his controversial United Nations General Assembly speech. Amongst other things, Trump claimed that climate change is a 'con job' and that investing in renewable energy is destroying Western nations. Forrest has told a climate conference in New York that the Trump administration is propagating the myth that global warming is not happening. Forrest also said he is prepared to put Trump in a court witness box when he leaves office if the President pursues legal action against him. (RMS)

News

Australia takes AI risks as big tech scoops rewards

The University Technology Sydney's Human Technology Institute has released a report which urges the federal government to take a proactive approach to regulating artificial intelligence technology. The head of the HTI, Ed Santow, contends that regulation must ensure that Australia gains the economic benefits of AI, rather than large technology companies that are based overseas. Andrew Charlton, the assistant minister for the digital economy, will shortly begin a consultation process for Australia's national AI capability. (RMS)

News

Miners buoy ASX amid a broader sell-off

The Australian sharemarket posted a small gain on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.1 per cent to close at 8,773 points. BHP rose 3.6 per cent to $41.67, Capstone Copper advanced 10.8 per cent to $12.47 and Woodside Energy was up 2.5 per cent at $23.45. However, Northern Star Resources was down two per cent at $22.66, Fisher & Paykel shed five per cent to end the session at $31.87 and Myer Holdings fell 3.2 per cent to $0.46. (RMS)

News

Race against time for machines to keep power 'heartbeat' on

Global Power Energy's CEO Greg Elkin has warned that the operating life of the Eraring coal-fired power station may need to be extended again. Eraring had originally been slated to close this year, but Origin Energy struck a deal with the NSW government in 2024 to keep the plant operational for an additional two years. However, Elkins warns that Transgrid may not receive the first synchronous condensers (syncons) before Eraring's revised closure date of August 2027. These machines provide stability to the electricity grid, and they will be essential as coal-fired stations are shut down. However, it typically takes 2-3 years for a syncon to be delivered. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

News Flashback

Profile Snapshot:

Hancock Prospecting

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

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

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."

Mining/Energy/Resources/Markets: Australia and World

September 2025

Sept 23

BHP Group $40.61 +0.58 +1.45%
Rio Tinto Ltd $119.66 +2.74 +2.34%
Fortescue Ltd $19.39 +0.080 +0.41%

News

MinRes' US debt deal a critical confidence test

Mineral Resources is looking to replace $US700 million ($1062 million) in high-yield bonds that are due to mature in early 2027, and is hoping to do so by the end of this week. It is aiming to replace them with bonds that will take MinRes into the next decade, while it is expected its new bonds will be slightly cheaper than its current ones. The debt replacement deal is seen as a test of confidence in new chairman Malcolm Bundey, while MinRes' long-term challenge revolves around improving its balance sheet. (RMS)

News

Gold miners surge amid gaming-changing forecast

Shares in Australian gold miners surged on Monday after Wall Street banks Citi and UBS released their latest predictions for the precious metal. With UBS upgrading its 2026 gold price forecast to $US3,825 per ounce or around $A6,000 per ounce, and Citi announcing a near-term target of $US3,800 per ounce, Genesis Minerals rose by 13 percent, while Northern Star was up eight per cent. Evolution Mining climbed by six per cent, while Newmont was up five per cent. (RMS)

News

'Stiffed' mine investors try to put heat on Albanese

Investors in NuCoal Resources hope to draw their plight to the attention of President Donald Trump with a mobile billboard campaign in New York and Washington DC. The campaign has been timed to coincide with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's official visit to the US. The former NSW government had cancelled NuCoal's licence for the Doyles Creek coal mine in 2014, following a ruling that corruption had been involved in the awarding of the licence to the mine's previous owner. NuCoal chairman Gordon Galt says the federal government should force NSW to compensate the company's investors as part of negotiations with the US for an exemption from the Trump administration's tariffs regime. (RMS)

News

Coal royalties out as state tries to aid miners

Queensland's Treasurer David Janetzki has ruled out any changes to the state's controversial coal royalty regime, He says the state government is providing certainty for the coal industry with faster decisions, streamlined approvals and a stable royalty regime, in line with its pre-election commitment. However, the government is widely tipped to provide the state's coal mining sector with some form of financial relief amid an ongoing downturn in coal prices. BHP, Anglo American and QCoal recently announced job cuts at their Queensland coal mines. (RMS)

Sept 22

Mining Stocks

BHP Group $40.11 +0.47 +1.19%
Rio Tinto Ltd $116.79 +2.79 +2.45%
Fortescue Ltd $19.32 +0.60 +3.21%

News

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6586 USD (down $0.0025 USD) Iron Ore: $106.60 USD (up $1.00 USD) Oil: $62.68 USD (down $0.96 USD) Gold: $3,685.78 USD (up $41.42 USD) Copper: $4.6305 USD (up 0.0305 USD) Bitcoin: $115,367.59 USD (down 0.39%) Dow Jones: 46,315.27 (up 172.85 points)

News

Jobs in the balance as PM snubs Glencore amid copper crisis

Glencore recently advised that its copper smelter and refinery in Queensland are expected to post a cumulative loss of $2.2bn over the next seven years. Sources have claimed that Glencore is seeking taxpayer assistance of about $600m over three years as part of ongoing negotiations with the federal and state governments to keep the copper facilities open. The federal government is said to have urged its state counterpart to increase its contribution to the joint rescue package. Glencore has previously delayed a decision on the future of the copper operations until mid-September. (RMS)

BHP exec dusts Crisafulli vision

BHP's president of its Australian operations, Geraldine Slattery, has criticised the Queensland government's controversial coal royalty regime. Slattery argues that the resources sector has helped underwrite Australia's prosperity. However, she has warned that Queensland's coal industry is reaching a crisis point, which is a risk to the nation's future prosperity. She has called for "courage and vision" to encourage investment in Queensland, particularly the Bowen Basin. Media reports in the UK have suggested that Slattery is now the leading contender to eventually succeed CEO Mike Henry. (RMS)

News

China orders steel mills to stop using some BHP iron ore

China Mineral Resources Group has told Chinese steel mills to suspend purchases of BHP's Jimblebar blend fines, with CMRG being China's state-run iron ore trader. It is understood that CRMG's actions were in response to a breakdown in talks in regard to long-term action, with its actions having the support of the China Iron and Steel Association. Jimblebar is one of BHP's main mines in Western Australia, and it supplies ores with around 60 per cent iron content that are extensively used in Chinese sintering blends, while a BHP spokesperson said it would not comment on commercial arrangements. (RMS)

News

Sept 20

Rio Tinto expected to join corporate culling season

Rio Tinto has declined to comment on speculation that it plans to make further job cuts at management level. The resources group has already sacked Sinead Kaufman and Kellie Parker as part of a restructuring under new CEO Simon Trott, which reduced its commodity group from four to three. Rio Tinto is now tipped to slash the number of managing directors at the level below its nine-person executive committee, amid suggestions that about one-third of these roles could be abolished. BHP, Anglo American and QCoal have recently announced job cuts. (RMS)

News

Emissions report pokes holes in Forrest's green mine truck dream

Fortescue aims to fully decarbonise its fleet of iron ore haulage trucks by 2030; BHP and Rio Tinto in turn have backed down on their initial targets for transitioning their haulage fleets to 'green' fuel sources. Meanwhile, a report from the Climate Change Authority has concluded that iron ore and coal miners are only likely to begin replacing diesel trucks with battery electric or hydrogen alternatives between 2030 and 2035. The Climate Change Authority estimates that diesel trucks account for 14 per cent of the resources sector's emissions. (RMS)

News

Billionaire family feud takes a new twist in litigation

The lengthy dispute between the children of Peter Wright, who helped unlock the iron ore wealth of Western Australia's Pilbara region with business partner Lang Hancock, is again back in court. Julian Wright had claimed his older siblings Angela and Michael, who along with him were heirs to their father's billion-dollar iron ore fortune, had cheated him out of his stake in the family company Wright Prospecting. The WA Supreme Court would decide in 2020 that Julian Wright had proven his case in regard to his allegations against his siblings, but lawyers for his sister Angela are now trying to find out who funded Julian Wright's case against she and her brother Michael. (RMS)

News

A 100-fold return marks end of line for $3.7bn miner

Gold Road Resources' shareholders are expected to approve South Africa-baed Gold Fields's $3.7 billion takeover bid today. The deal values Gold Road's shares at about $3.40 apiece, compared with just $0.03 in mid-2013, which is the year in which it discovered a gold deposit in Western Australia that became the Gruyere mine. Gold Fields paid $350m for a 50 per cent stake in the then-undeveloped project in 2019. Meanwhile, Gold Road held a 17.3 per cent stake in De Grey Mining prior to the latter's acquisition by Northern Star Resources earlier this year, and Paul Hissey from Moelis Australia says this deal may have prompted Gold Fields to make a move on its joint venture partner.

Top

Mitsui says 2035 climate target bolsters case for gas expansions

Takashi Yamamura, the new head of Australia for Japan-based Mitsui says his nation's demand for gas will rise in the medium-term. Yamamura says gas can play a role in the energy transition, both in terms of bolstering electricity supply during periods when wind and solar generation wane, as well as helping to facilitate the shutdown of coal-fired power stations. He says he understands the need for Australian gas producers to supply domestic markets, but that supplying offshore markets is also important. (RMS)

News Flashback

Sept 19

WA court keeps lid on explosive MinRes papers

The Federal Court has rejected Nine Publishing's application to lift suppression orders that have prevented the release of key documents in a legal dispute at Mineral Resources. The documents in question relate to the falling-out between MinRes founder Chris Ellison and the miner's former head of procurement, Steven Pigozzo; they had filed claims and counter-claims against each other before settling the dispute last year. However, the court has also ruled that more than a dozen MinRes documents should be redacted and released. (RMS)

News

Santos runs out of friends

Santos chairman Keith Spence is upbeat about the oil and gas group's outlook, despite the XRG consortium's decision to abandon a takeover bid just days before it was required to make a binding offer. Spence has noted amongst other things that Santos's unit production costs are set to fall over time, while the Barossa LNG project and the first phase of the Pikka oil project in Alaska will boost output. Santos has also held merger talks with Woodside Energy and Harbour Energy in the past decade; some analysts believe that the latest failed deal may put pressure on its board to a restructuring, which could potentially include a demerger. (RMS)

News

Santos and XRG: The letter that killed the deal

XRG indicated that a "combination of factors" contributed to the decision to withdraw its takeover bid for Santos. Sources have indicated that a letter from Santos that XRG received two days before pulling out of the deal had been a key factor. Santos made a number of demands in the letter, including the requirement that the XRG consortium must make a binding offer by the agreed dealine of 19 September, with the due diligence period having already been extended several times. Santos also wanted XRG to secure the Foreign Investment Review Board's approval for the deal before putting it to shareholders, while a tax liability in Papua New Guinea was another major sticking point. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Markets

Sept 19

Australian Dollar: $0.6611 USD (down $0.0039 USD) Iron Ore: $105.60 USD (down $0.25 USD) Oil: $63.64 USD (down $0.33 USD) Gold: $3,644.36 USD (down $15.57 USD) Copper: $4.6000 USD (down 0.0155 USD) Bitcoin: $117,484.61 USD (up 1.73%) Dow Jones: 46,142.42 (up 124.10 points)

Mining Stocks

BHP Group $39.58 -0.39 -0.98%
Rio Tinto Ltd $114.10 -1.44 - 1.25%
Fortescue Ltd $18.65 -0.10 -0.53%

Sept 18

News

BHP called 'un-Australian' over job cuts

BHP has advised that it will close down its Saraji South coal mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin, with the loss of 750 jobs. BHP has attributed the move to factors such as falling coal prices and the impact of the state's coal royalty regime. CEO Mike Henry had recently warned that the coal royalty burden could result in job losses and mine closures. BHP's coal asset president Adam Lancey has stated that the group's Queensland coal division paid eight times more in taxes and royalties in 2024 than it made in profits; he adds that this is not sustainable, and some "difficult but necessary decisions" had to be made. BHP has also indicated that it may close the FutureFit skills and training academy. (RMS)

News

Unions drag BHP to the negotiating table at Port Hedland

BHP has agreed to hold negotiations for a new enterprise agreement that may cover more than 400 workers at its iron ore port in Western Australia. The Australian Workers Union says that 74 per cent of its members at BHP's Port Hedland export facility have signed a petition to bargain for a new enterprise agreement. The Electrical Trades Union and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union are also pursuing a workplace agreement for BHP's maintenance and electrical workers at Port Hedland. BHP may seek to consolidate the separate union bargaining actions into one enterprise agreement covering its maintenance and production workers at Port Hedland. (RMS)

News

Coal miner Anglo American confirms job cuts in Brisbane, Bowen Basin

The Isaac Regional Council's mayor Kelly Vea Vea claims that more than 1,000 jobs will be lost in the latest round of redundancies in Queensland's coal mining sector. Anglo American has advised that it will shed an undisclosed number of jobs at its Brisbane office and the Grosvenor coking coal mine, which has yet to resume production in the wake of an underground fire in mid-2024. Ben Mansour from Anglo American Australia says the job cuts are necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the company's coal operations in the state. BHP has also revealed plans to retrench 750 workers at its Saraji South coal mine. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Massive $36.4b Santos takeover deal collapses as ADNOC walks away

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company-led consortium has withdrawn its takeover bid for Santos just days before the deadline for submitting a binding offer. ADNOC subidiary XRG has advised that while the consortium retains a positive view of the Santos business, a combination of factor have impacted the assessment of its indicative offer of $US5.76 per share; the consortium had increased its offer several times since making its first offer at $US5.04 per share in March. Saul Kavonic from MST Marquee says the market is now likely to raise questions about Santos's valuation. (RMS)

News

Markets

September 18

Australian Dollar: $0.6650 USD (down $0.0030 USD) Iron Ore: $105.85 USD (down $0.45 USD) Oil: $63.97 USD (down $0.58 USD) Gold: $3,659.93 USD (down $26.90 USD) Copper: $4.6155 USD (down 0.0835 USD) Bitcoin: $115,850.80 USD (down 0.71%) Dow Jones: 46,018.32 (up 260.42 points)

News

Aussie Mining Stocks: Losing modest shine leading into Friday; Play The Long Game! (Media Man Group)

BHP Group $39.97 -0.34 -0.84%
Rio Tinto Ltd $115.54 -0.79 -0.68%
Fortescue Ltd $18.75 -0.13 -0.69%

News Flashback

September 17

Miners boost ASX; Super Retail, CSL drop

The Australian sharemarket posted a solid gain on Tuesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.3 per cent to close at 8,877.7 points. Rio Tinto was up 1.9 per cent at $117.49, Bellevue Gold rose 6.3 per cent to $1.01 and New Hope Corporation finished 5.1 per cent higher at $4.58. However, Super Retail Group was down 4.3 per cent at $16.52 and CSL shed 1.3 per cent to end the session at $201.91. (RMS)

News

ASX stocks to fire as Fed kicks off cuts

Bond traders have fully priced in a 25 basis point interest rate cut at the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting this week. They are expect at least another four rate cuts over the next year, although David Bassanese from BetaShares and Sebastian Mullins from Schroders contend that the central bank will be less aggressive in reducing monetary policy. Meanwhile, Australian stocks are widely tipped to rally if the Federal Reserve does reduce the cast rate; Jun Bei Liu from Ten Cap says James Hardie Industries stands to benefit the most, given its exposure to the US housing market. (RMS)

News

Multi-year rally tipped for energy sector

Mark Taylor from Morningstar is bullish about the long-term outlook for the crude oil price, forecasting that it will trade within a range of $US60 to around $US75 a barrel until 2035. He expects demand for oil to then fall by 15 per cent over the following 15 years, although this will be offset by a 20 per cent decline in supply. Taylor is also upbeat about Australian-listed oil and gas producers, increasing his fair-value estimates for Santos, Woodside Energy, Beach Energy and Karoon Energy. Tom Allen from UBS in turn has a 'buy' rating on Santos, and a 'neutral' rating on Woodside and Beach (RMS)

News

Northern Minerals bets on non-China premium

Northern Minerals has released the definitive feasibility study for its Browns Range rare earths project in Western Australia. It estimates that the project will cost about $592 million and have a mine life of 11 years. Browns Range will produce rare earths such as dysprosium, terbium, neodymium and praseodymium. The latter two are currently fetching about $US70 per kilogram, but Northern Minerals says it hopes to receive about $US107/kg for the rare earths it produces at Browns Range; it adds that prices could potentially rise to around $US138/kg if the world moves to aggressively decouple from Chinese supply chains. (RMS)

News

China has a 'chokehold' on the rare earth supply chain. Could Australia offer an alternative?

Magnetic rare earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium are critical for the energy transition, defence industries and electric vehicles. Extracting and refining rare earths can be costly, complex and environmentally challenging, and China controls around 90 per cent of global processing capacity. However, federal Resources Minister Madeleine King says Australia could become the world's alternative supplier of refined rare earths. Iluka Resources is currently building a rare earths refinery at Eneabba in Western Australia; the project is being supported via a $1.65 billion loan from the federal government, which also plans to establish a Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve. (RMS)

Mining/Energy/Resources/Markets: Australia and World

September 2025

Sept 19

WA court keeps lid on explosive MinRes papers

News

Santos runs out of friends

News

Santos and XRG: The letter that killed the deal

News

Markets

Sept 19

Australian Dollar: $0.6611 USD (down $0.0039 USD)
Iron Ore: $105.60 USD (down $0.25 USD)
Oil: $63.64 USD (down $0.33 USD)
Gold: $3,644.36 USD (down $15.57 USD)
Copper: $4.6000 USD (down 0.0155 USD)
Bitcoin: $117,484.61 USD (up 1.73%)
Dow Jones: 46,142.42 (up 124.10 points)

Mining Stocks

BHP Group $39.58 -0.39 -0.98%
Rio Tinto Ltd $114.10 -1.44 - 1.25%
Fortescue Ltd $18.65 -0.10 -0.53%

Sept 18

News

BHP called 'un-Australian' over job cuts

News

Unions drag BHP to the negotiating table at Port Hedland

News

Coal miner Anglo American confirms job cuts in Brisbane, Bowen Basin

News

Massive $36.4b Santos takeover deal collapses as ADNOC walks away

News

Markets

September 18

News

Aussie Mining Stocks: Losing modest shine leading into Friday; Play The Long Game! (Media Man Group)

BHP Group $39.97 -0.34 -0.84%
Rio Tinto Ltd $115.54 -0.79 -0.68%
Fortescue Ltd $18.75 -0.13 -0.69%

News Flashback

September 17

Miners boost ASX; Super Retail, CSL drop

News

ASX stocks to fire as Fed kicks off cuts

News

Multi-year rally tipped for energy sector

News

Northern Minerals bets on non-China premium

News

China has a 'chokehold' on the rare earth supply chain. Could Australia offer an alternative?

News Flashback

Sept 17

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6680 USD (up $0.0011 USD)
Iron Ore: $106.30 USD (up $0.60 USD)
Oil: $64.55 USD (up $1.28 USD)
Gold: $3,689.83 USD (up $10.92 USD)
Copper: $4.6990 USD (down 0.0205 USD)
Bitcoin: $116,694.08 USD (up 1.06%)
Dow Jones: 45,757.90 (down 125.55 points)

News

Mining Stocks

BHP Group $40.36 -0.41 -1.01%
Rio Tinto Ltd $116.92 -0.57 -0.49%
Fortescue Ltd $18.91 -0.21 -1.10%

News

Profile Snapshot:

Hancock Prospecting

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

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

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."

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

September 2025

Newsfeed

Sept 9

Gold rallies to new record as US rate cut bets surge

The gold price has risen to a new record high of more than $US3,604 an ounce. The latest spike in the price of the precious metal has been driven by factors such as the latest US payrolls and unemployment data, which have heightened expectations of further interest rate cutsin 2025. The price of gold has more than doubled over the last three years, and Goldman Sachs recently forecast that it could reach $US5,000 an ounce if the Trump administration's move to sack Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook is upheld by a court. (RMS)

News

Sept 8

Guinea pressures Rio to build ore refinery

Guinea's minister of planning and international co-operation, Ismael Nabe, says his nation wants companies that are mining its resources to build refineries to process those resources in his country. These companies include Rio Tinto, which is behind the $US23.2 billion ($35.5 billion) Simandou iron ore project; it includes a 650-kilometre rail network and port infrastructure to service two new mines. Nabe's comments come just two months before Rio and its Simandou partners ship their first ore from the mine in November. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Sept 5

MinRes drivers 'asked to fill out false timesheets'

A former employee of Mineral Resources has told Western Australia's WorkSafe that the iron ore miner is not complying with safety rules on its 148km private haulage road. The ex-employee contends that truck drivers are being asked to work 12-hour shifts in order to meet Mineral Resources' targets for transporting iron ore from the Ken's Bore mine in the Pilbara to its export facility. It has also been alleged that drivers have been "coerced" into falsifying their timesheets. The company has spent more than $200m on repairing the road, while there have been a number of truck crashes and rollovers since the road opened. (RMS)

News

Shell plots exit from North West Shelf

Sources have indicated that energy giant Shell is considering the sale of its 16.67 per cent stake in the North West Shelf LNG project. Shell previously decided to withdraw from the $US30bn ($46bn) Browse LNG project, which is likely to supply gas to the processing plant at Karratha in Western Australia to replace the declining NWS gas fields. Woodside Energy has a 50 per cent stake in the NWS project, and Shell's potential exit would allow it to either increase its own stake or bring new partners into the venture. (RMS)

News

LNG export blow as US, Qatar to flood market

Investment bank Goldman Sachs has forecast that the LNG price willl fall $US7.35 per million British thermal units in calendar 2027. This is 42 per cent lower than in the current quarter. Goldman Sachs notes that global LNG supply is expected to rise by 50 per cent to a record 200 million tonnes by the end of this decade, amid increased production in the US and Qatar. Australia currently exports about 81 million tonnes of LNG a year, but the US appears to be on track to ship about 110 million tonnes in 2025; Qatar is aiming to ramp its LNG output to a similar level. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Bass Strait partners Mitsui, Woodside, ExxonMobil in $300m feud

The Federal Court is to hear a dispute involving Mitsui, Woodside Energy and ExxonMobil. It involves Mitsui being asked for a payment of $156.3 million from ExxonMobil and $141.6 million from Woodside. The latter two companies are of the view that Mitsui should make a greater contribution to the petroleum resource rent tax payable to the federal government for gas extracted from the Kipper gas field in Bass Strait. The dispute is linked to a demand from the Australian Taxation Office for greater payments of the tax for the period between 2013 and 2017. Mitsui, which acquired Santos's 35 per cent stake in the Kipper field in 2016, does not believe it should be liable for those debts. (RMS)

News

Sept 3

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 Flashback

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 Flashback

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."

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

September 2025

Newsfeed

Sept 5

MinRes drivers 'asked to fill out false timesheets'

News

Shell plots exit from North West Shelf

News

LNG export blow as US, Qatar to flood market

News

Bass Strait partners Mitsui, Woodside, ExxonMobil in $300m feud

News

Sept 3

High-grade threat to Australian iron ore

South32 chief in blast over green tape

News Flashback

September 3, 2025

Medals/Rare Earths News

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.

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.

News

Gold News

August 29, 2025

News

Australian Mining: Overview

Key Regions and Resources:

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.

News Flashback

September 1, 2025

BHP call to voters in coal tax fight

News

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

News

Sunday truck crash adds to MinRes woes

News

Gas industry frays over future of LNG as lobbying intensifies

News

Bitcoin Mining News

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 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

August 23, 2025

The tedious seesaw for gold is about to end Gold's hopes for an aggressive cut in the Fed's federal funds rate, the associated decline in Treasury bond yields, and the weakening of the US dollar have not yet materialised. The Fed is likely to ease monetary policy in September. However, it may then pause again. Its slowness is bringing investors' interest back to the greenback.
Clouds are gathering over the precious metal due to Donald Trump's efforts to end the armed conflict in Ukraine. The start of hostilities, followed by the West's freezing of Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves, was the starting point for the Gold’s rally. Since February 2022, gold has risen 1.7x and reached a record high of more than $3,500 per ounce in April. The rally was driven by de-dollarisation, active buying of bullion by central banks, and increased demand for ETFs.
In the second quarter, central bank activity in the precious metals market declined significantly, and capital flows into specialised exchange-traded funds slowed. Without these advantages, XAUUSD can forget about recovering the upward trend. However, the favourable external background in the form of monetary stimulus from the Fed, lower Treasury yields, and a weaker US dollar in the medium term will give gold a boost.
The gold chart clearly shows consolidation since April, with the price right in the middle of the 12% range from peak to correction lows. This tedious five-month movement to the right is likely to end in the coming weeks, as August often marks the start of major trends in gold. The duration of consolidation is often directly proportional to the strength of the breakout.
From a technical analysis perspective, given the accumulated overbought condition, the downside potential is huge – up to $3000 or even $2200 per ounce. However, the upside potential is no less impressive: $4600 in an extreme bullish scenario, including the Fed switching to a mode of absolute softness. (FxPro)

News

August 26, 2025

Forrest's miner rejects free ride

Iluka Resources is getting $1.65 billion in taxpayer support to construct a rare earths refinery at Eneabba in Western Australia, while the federal government is backing Arafura Rare Earths to the tune of almost $1.2 billion. Wyloo Metals, which controls the half-built Yangibana rare earths project in WA and which is Andrew Forrest's private mining company, contends that while it is good that the government wants to support a domestic rare earths sector, it should avoid trying to "pick winners" and subsidise their losses. (RMS)

News

PLS confident on lithium despite loss

Pilbara Minerals has posted a 2024-25 statutory loss of $196m, compared with a $257m for the previous financial year. The result was marred by a sharp fall in the price of lithium, which reached a low of $US575 per tonne in June; the battery metal had peaked at more than $US8,000 per tonne in 2023. The price has rebounded by about 70 per cent since June, and Pilbara Minerals CEO Dale Henderson is optimistic that the company can ride out the turmoil until demand for lithium recovers. Pilbara Minerals' revenue was 40 per cent lower than previously at $769m. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

'Fake' mining firm to be wound up

Tom Peever and his wife Kirsten are the subject of allegations in the Federal Court that they created a fake mining operation in order to claim research and development tax breaks and GST refunds worth $200 million. The allegations are linked to around 30 companies, including one called Elution Metals. That company is now in the process of being wound up, while there are claims that the Peevers breached freezing orders imposed on them by the Australian Taxation Office. (RMS)

News

August 25, 2025

Death at Rio mine darkens transition

Rio Tinto's new CEO Simon Trott has issued a statement in which he emphasises that the safety of every employee is its main priority. He will visit Guinea to spend time with the company's workforce at the Simandou iron ore project, which has been rocked by the death of a worker. Safety standards at Simandou have previously come under scrutiny following the deaths of six people who were building the project's associated port and rail infrastructure. Trott will formally succeed Jakob Stausholm today. Production at Simandou is scheduled to commence by the end of 2025. (RMS)

News

BHP puts WA nickel assets on the block

Western Australia's Premier Roger Cook says BHP's decision to seek a buyer from its nickel assets in the state is disappointing. BHP will open a data room for potential buyers of the WA Nickel business, which was formerly known as Nickel West and includes mines, a smelter and refinery. BHP will also spend some $450m per annum on preparing the nickel operations for a potential restart; the nickel assets were mothballed in 2024 in response to a global oversupply as China-backed production of the battery metal in Indonesia ramped up. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Santos suitor heard union pitch

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company executive Mohamed Al Aryani recently held talks with the Australian Workers Union's national secretary Paul Farrow. Al Aryani is the president of international gas at ADNOC subsidiary XRG, which is heading the $30bn takeover bid for Santos. He also met with Santos executives as part of the due diligence process. Farrow has criticised LNG producers for selling gas from Queensland to overseas buyers without restriction, with Santos purchasing third-party gas to fulfil its export contracts. The AWU has also released a list of new demands, including a domestic gas reservation scheme. (RMS)

News

Australian Mining

Mergers and acquisitions are active, with companies like Mantle Minerals selling assets to Northern Star Resources for $13.5 million. Labor challenges persist, with union disputes and job cuts reported at companies like BHP. Despite these hurdles, the industry remains a global leader, with innovation in automation and green technologies shaping its future.

The Australian mining industry is a cornerstone of the nation’s economy, contributing significantly to export income, employment, and GDP. In the 2022-23 financial year, it generated a record $455 billion in export revenue, driven by commodities like iron ore, coal, gold, and emerging critical minerals such as lithium, copper, and rare earths.

Australia is the world’s largest producer of iron ore and bauxite, and a major player in gold, lithium, and uranium, with Western Australia hosting some of the largest mines globally.

Recent developments highlight a focus on sustainability and technology. Data and AI are transforming mine rehabilitation, improving efficiency and environmental outcomes.

Companies like BHP and Rio Tinto are advancing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives, with BHP collaborating on biodiversity projects at Olympic Dam and Rio Tinto enhancing transparency on tailings facilities.

Meanwhile, the industry faces challenges from stricter regulations, such as Western Australia’s 2022 Work, Health, and Safety Regulations, and a global push for net-zero emissions, which pressures coal production.

Critical minerals are gaining prominence due to demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy. Queensland and Western Australia are key regions for lithium, nickel, and rare earths, with projects like Magnetite Mines reporting high-grade rare earth finds.

However, the industry grapples with declining productivity in some sectors, high energy costs, and foreign competition, particularly from China in nickel and lithium processing. (Grok)

Gold Mining News

Recent developments in gold mining highlight a mix of exploration, production advancements, and market dynamics:

Exploration and Discoveries:

In Uganda, a massive 31 million metric tonnes of gold ore, containing over 320,000 tonnes of refined gold worth approximately $12 trillion, was uncovered, potentially positioning the country as a top global gold producer.

In India, geologists confirmed significant gold deposits across 100 hectares in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

Production and Operations:

Navoi Mining in Uzbekistan is expanding its Muruntau gold deposit, one of the world’s largest opencast mines. Nevada Gold Mines in the U.S. is automating its haul truck fleet with Komatsu’s autonomous system.

B2Gold Corp. received approval for underground operations at Mali’s Fekola Mine. In Australia, Mandalay Resources and Betolar Plc are developing a cementless rockfill solution for the Costerfield gold-antimony mine.

Market Performance:

Gold prices have recently hit record highs, with futures rising over 14% since January 2025, boosting miners like Australia’s largest gold producer, which benefited from the bullion price surge.

Newmont, the world’s largest gold producer, reported a 120% increase in its all-in sustaining cost margin to $1,727 per ounce in Q2 2025. Senior gold stocks, including AngloGold, Kinross, and Agnico Eagle, have shown strong performance, with the GDX index hitting multi-year highs.

Revived Projects:

In Western Australia, old mines like Youanmi and Sandstone are being revived due to high gold prices, with companies like Rox Resources and Brightstar Resources planning production restarts by 2027 and 2028, respectively.

Challenges and Concerns:

In Venezuela, a pit gold mine collapse reportedly buried over 100 people, and U.S. sanctions were reinstated against the state-owned gold mining company due to political issues. Ghana’s Kwame Pianim called for a temporary freeze on non-industrial gold mining to address environmental threats from illegal operations.

News

Bitcoin Mining

Bitcoin mining is the process by which new bitcoins are created and transactions are verified on the Bitcoin network. Miners use specialized hardware to solve complex mathematical puzzles, which secures the network and earns them rewards in the form of newly minted bitcoins and transaction fees.

Key Points:

Purpose: Validates transactions and prevents double-spending by adding them to the blockchain, a decentralized ledger.

Process: Miners compete to solve cryptographic puzzles (Proof of Work) to create a new block. The first to solve it broadcasts the block to the network for verification.

Hardware: Modern mining uses Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) for efficiency, as GPUs and CPUs are no longer competitive.

Rewards: As of August 2025, the block reward is 3.125 BTC (halved from 6.25 BTC in April 2024). Rewards halve every 210,000 blocks (roughly every 4 years).

Energy Use: Mining is energy-intensive, often requiring significant electricity, leading to debates about environmental impact.

Difficulty: Adjusts every 2,016 blocks (about every two weeks) to maintain a 10-minute block time, increasing as more miners join.

Profitability: Depends on electricity costs, hardware efficiency, Bitcoin price, and network difficulty. Many miners join pools to share rewards and reduce variance.

Geographic Trends: Miners often locate in areas with cheap electricity, like parts of the U.S., China, or regions with renewable energy.

Current Context (August 2025):

Market Dynamics: Recent X posts suggest mining remains profitable for some, with firms like Marathon Digital expanding operations (e.g., acquiring a 200 MW data center). However, smaller miners face challenges due to rising difficulty and energy costs.

Energy Debate: There's ongoing discussion about Bitcoin mining's environmental impact, with some miners adopting renewables or flared gas to mitigate criticism.

Halving Impact: The 2024 halving reduced rewards, pushing less efficient miners out and increasing competition among larger players.

News

Digital Gold

Recommendation: If you’re interested in digital gold as a gold investment, research trusted platforms like MMTC-PAMP or SafeGold and understand the terms, fees, and storage policies. For cryptocurrencies, consider your risk tolerance due to their volatility.The term "digital gold" can have different meanings depending on the context. Based on the information available, here are the two primary interpretations:

Digital Gold as a Form of Gold Investment:
Definition: Digital gold refers to an investment in 24-karat, 99.9% pure gold purchased online through digital platforms without the need to physically own or store the metal. The gold is stored in secure, insured vaults by providers on behalf of the investor. Each unit of digital gold is backed by an equivalent amount of physical gold, ensuring its value tracks the market price of gold.

How It Works: Investors can buy, sell, or hold digital gold via apps or websites like Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe, or Tanishq, often in small denominations starting as low as ?1 or ?100. The gold is stored by trusted providers like MMTC-PAMP, Augmont Goldtech, or SafeGold.
Investors can also convert digital gold into physical gold (e.g., coins, bars, or jewelry) or sell it at real-time market prices, with proceeds credited to their bank accounts.

Benefits: Convenience: Buy, sell, or track gold prices anytime via digital platforms.

No Storage Hassle: Eliminates the need for physical storage, reducing risks of theft or loss and avoiding locker or insurance costs.

Purity and Transparency: Guarantees 24K gold with real-time pricing and no making charges (unlike jewelry).
Liquidity: Easily convertible to cash or physical gold, with high flexibility for small investments.

Accessibility: Low entry points make it affordable for a wide range of investors.

Risks:

Regulatory Gaps: Digital gold is not directly regulated by SEBI or RBI, which introduces some risk.

Platform Dependency: Investors rely on the platform’s security and solvency.

Price Volatility: Value fluctuates with global gold prices.
GST and Fees: A 3% GST applies, and some platforms may charge management or delivery fees.

Where to Buy: In India, digital gold is offered by platforms like Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe, Tanishq, and Bajaj Finserv, partnered with providers like MMTC-PAMP, Augmont, or SafeGold.

Digital Gold as Cryptocurrency (e.g., Bitcoin):

Definition: In some contexts, "digital gold" refers to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum, seen as modern equivalents to gold due to their limited supply, decentralized nature, and potential as a store of value. This analogy emphasizes their role as a hedge against inflation or economic instability, similar to physical gold.

How It Works: These cryptocurrencies operate on blockchain technology, providing a secure, transparent ledger for transactions. Unlike physical gold, they are purely digital and not backed by physical assets unless specifically designed as gold-backed tokens.

Sentiment on X: Posts on X often compare Bitcoin to "digital gold," highlighting its scarcity and independence from traditional financial systems. However, some argue gold’s supply can expand with demand, unlike Bitcoin’s fixed supply, sparking debates about their relative value. Risks: Cryptocurrencies face higher volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and technological risks compared to physical or vaulted digital gold. They also lack universal acceptance and are subject to market speculation.

Digital Gold Currency (DGC):

Definition: A less common meaning, DGC is an electronic currency backed by physical gold reserves held in vaults by private entities. Each unit represents a specific amount of gold (e.g., grams or troy ounces). Examples include historical systems like E-Gold or modern ones like Zimbabwe’s ZiG token.

How It Works: DGCs allow users to transact in gold-backed digital units, with 100% of client funds held as physical gold. They aim to combine gold’s stability with digital convenience but face challenges like limited acceptance and management risks.

Risks: Lack of universal acceptance, potential for fraud, and operational risks (e.g., poor management or security breaches) make DGCs less mainstream. Historical examples like E-Gold failed due to regulatory issues and fraud.

Key Distinctions: Digital Gold (Vaulted) is a direct investment in physical gold stored securely, offering simplicity and low entry points, ideal for traditional gold investors.

Cryptocurrency as Digital Gold is a metaphorical comparison, emphasizing scarcity and decentralization but with higher risk and no physical backing.

DGC is a niche system blending gold’s value with digital transactions, less common due to practical and regulatory challenges.

Why Invest in Digital Gold?

For vaulted digital gold, it’s a convenient, cost-effective way to invest in gold without physical ownership, suitable for portfolio diversification or small-scale investments, especially in markets like India.

For cryptocurrencies, some investors see them as a modern alternative to gold, though with greater volatility and speculative risk. DGCs appeal to those seeking gold-backed digital transactions, but their use is limited.

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

Gold Price News

As of August 21, 2025, gold prices have experienced a slight decline, with the spot price falling to $3,342.75 per troy ounce, down 0.07% from the previous day, according to Trading Economics.

Over the past month, gold prices have dropped by 2.58%, though they remain 34.38% higher than a year ago. The price movement is influenced by several factors, including a stronger U.S. dollar and reduced expectations for a significant Federal Reserve rate cut in September, prompted by hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data and a drop in jobless claims.

Recent market sentiment, as reflected on X, indicates volatility, with some posts noting a sharp rise in gold prices earlier in August, reaching around $3,500 per ounce, driven by factors like U.S. tariff uncertainties and strong safe-haven demand. However, prices pulled back after clarifications that tariffs would not be imposed on gold bar imports.

In India, gold prices have also softened, with 24-karat gold priced at ?10,074 per gram and 22-karat at ?9,234 per gram as of August 20, 2025. The Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) reported October gold futures trading at ?99,240 per 10 grams, down 0.16%, amid easing geopolitical tensions and focus on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium.

News

Best Quotes

"All that glitters is not gold"

News

Gold Price: (Near Live)

3,358.43 USD -14.21 -0.42%

Bitcoin Price (Near Live)

$109,924.14 USD -3.09%

News

Google Finance wins Media Man 'Business Website Of The Month' award
https://www.google.com/finance/

Runner-up:
Yahoo! Finance
https://finance.yahoo.com/

Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World

Thank God It's Friday Edition

All That Glitters ...

News

August 22, 2025

Northern Star ups dividend by 37pc as profit approaches record

Northern Star Resources has posted a 2024-25 net profit of $1.34bn, which is more than 100 per cent higher than previously. The result was boosted by a rally in the gold price, which began the financial year at $3,600 an ounce in Australian dollar terms and peaked at about $5,400 an ounce. Northern Star Resources' shareholders will receive a record full-year dividend of $0.55 per share. Meanwhile, the company expects gold production for 2025-26 to be within a range of 1.7 million to 1.85 million ounces, after output for the last financial year of 1.6 million ounces; this was in line with its downwardly revised guidance. (RMS)

News

Lithium's wild rally may be running out of gas

The lithium price has gained more than 30 per cent over the last month, and spodumene - the type of lithium that is mined in Australia - has risen by 70 per cent since reaching a low in June. The rally has in turn boosted the shares of Australian-listed producers of the battery metal, with Mineral Resources up 98 per cent since June and Pilbara Minerals rising 90 per cent. Morgan Stanley has an 'overweight' recommendation on both stocks, but Citi is cautious about the near-term outlook for the price of lithium. (Roy Morgan Resources)

News

Whitehaven blasts royalties as jobs at risk in cost cuts

Whitehaven Coal has booked a 2024-25 underlying net profit of $319m, which is 57 per cent lower than previously. It has posted an underlying loss of $9m for the second half, following a sharp fall in the coal price during the final quarter. However, MD Paul Flynn say the price of both coking and thermal coal appears to have recovered. He has flagged plans to reduce Whitehaven's cost by up to $80m in 2025-26, and warns that job cuts cannot be ruled out. Flynn adds that Queensland's current coal royalty regime is not sustainable, and he hopes that reducing it will be on the state government's policy agenda for the next election. (RMS)

News

Australian Mining

Australia is the world’s largest producer of iron ore and bauxite, and a major player in gold, lithium, and uranium, with Western Australia hosting some of the largest mines globally.

Recent developments highlight a focus on sustainability and technology. Data and AI are transforming mine rehabilitation, improving efficiency and environmental outcomes.

However, the industry grapples with declining productivity in some sectors, high energy costs, and foreign competition, particularly from China in nickel and lithium processing. (Grok)

Gold Mining News

Recent developments in gold mining highlight a mix of exploration, production advancements, and market dynamics:

Exploration and Discoveries:

In India, geologists confirmed significant gold deposits across 100 hectares in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

Production and Operations:

Market Performance:

Gold prices have recently hit record highs, with futures rising over 14% since January 2025, boosting miners like Australia’s largest gold producer, which benefited from the bullion price surge.

Revived Projects:

Challenges and Concerns: