Mining

Equinox Gold acquires Orla Mining in $5.1 billion consolidation, backed by Pierre Lassonde

(Kitco News) - The gold sector's highly anticipated wave of consolidation has arrived. Equinox Gold Corp. has struck a definitive agreement to acquire Orla Mining Ltd. in a $5.1 billion transaction, forging a new North American powerhouse capable of producing 1.1 million ounces of gold annually.

May 13, 2026 - 11:40 AM

Pierre Lassonde says the $40 trillion U.S. debt crisis is paving the way for gold to reach $17,250 an ounce

May 12, 2026 - 10:28 AM

Kitco Mining Channel

Arafura approves $1.6 billion rare earth project

Arafura Rare Earths said on Thursday it had approved the development of its $1.6 billion Nolans project in Australia’s Northern Territory, which is set to be the country’s third-biggest rare earths operation by the end of the decade.The project is designed to deliver 4,440 metric tons of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide annually, targeting markets outside China amid growing demand for rare earths used in electric vehicles and wind turbines.

May 21, 2026 - 4:01 PM

Moody’s warns Indonesia commodity export plan a risk for miners, may distort market

Moody’s Ratings said on Thursday that it views Indonesia’s centralization plan for commodity exports as credit negative for miners and the plan raises risks of market distortion.It said the move could support foreign exchange inflows and the rupiah currency, but it may also weigh on investor sentiment on the broader policy environment.(By Gayatri Suroyo and Ananda Teresia; Editing by Martin Petty)

May 21, 2026 - 3:59 PM

US moves closer to prohibitive tariffs on Russian palladium

The United States has moved closer to slapping prohibitive tariffs on imports of Russian palladium after the Department of Commerce made a final determination on a countervailing duty of 109.1%.In April 2026, it also issued a final ruling setting an anti-dumping duty on Russian palladium at 132.83%.The duties will take effect if a parallel investigation conducted by the independent International Trade Commission determines that the US industry has suffered harm.

May 21, 2026 - 3:57 PM

Zambia’s Konkola reopens Chingola copper mine after 18-year shutdown

Zambia’s Konkola Copper Mines resumed mining at its Chingola “B” Mine on Thursday, 18 years after operations ceased, as Africa’s second-largest copper producing nation pushes to more than triple its annual output to 3 million tons by 2031.The mine, part of the Nchanga mining complex, is projected to produce more than 200,000 tons of ore per month, KCM chief executive Deshnee Naidoo said in a statement.The mine produced about 60,000 tons per month at an average grade of 2.5% between 1980 and 2003.

May 21, 2026 - 3:54 PM

Russia is concerned by US, EU rare earth activity in Central Asia, media reports

Russia is concerned by US and European Union efforts to secure access to rare earths and critical minerals in Central Asia, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia newspaper.In an attempt to diversify from China, which dominates rare earths supply chains vital for technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and defence systems, the G7 nations, including the US and EU, have been exploring alternative markets and support tools to reduce their dependence on Beijing.

May 20, 2026 - 1:46 PM

Gulf aluminum April output tumbles to lowest in a over a decade due to Iran war

Primary aluminum in the Gulf tumbled in April to its weakest in more than a decade due to the impact of the Iran war on smelters in the region, the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) said on Wednesday.Production in the Gulf was 330,000 metric tons last month, down 35% from the same month in 2025, according to preliminary IAI data. The region accounts for about 8% of global primary aluminum production, but supplies 28% of Japanese imports and 21% of US imports.

May 20, 2026 - 1:44 PM

Europe must break China's grip on rare earths pricing to spur investment, sector body says

BRUSSELS, May 20 (Reuters) - Europe must build its own pricing system for specialty metals and rare earths to reduce reliance on China and unlock investment in mining and processing, industry expert Bernd Schaefer of the EIT told Reuters on ‌Wednesday.China dominates critical mineral supply chains and sets prices through opaque domestic markets, leaving Western developers without clear benchmarks, complicating investment decisions and delaying already higher-cost projects in Europe.

May 20, 2026 - 1:40 PM

Brokerages stay bullish on gold price despite near-term pressure

Brokerages remain constructive on gold’s long-term outlook despite recent price weakness, as rising bond yields, inflation concerns and a stronger dollar have pressured prices in the near term.While several banks have trimmed near-term forecasts due to softer investor demand and elevated rate expectations, most analysts still expect prices to recover through 2026.On Sunday, JPMorgan lowered its 2026 average gold price forecast to $5,243 per ounce from $5,708, citing softer near-term demand for the metal as investor client interest has “dried to a trickle.”

May 19, 2026 - 5:45 PM

India’s top copper producers oppose inclusion of scrap-based rods in standards

India’s top copper producers, including Adani, Vedanta and Hindalco, are opposing plans to make copper wire made by secondary refiners acceptable under government quality standards, saying products made from scrap pose safety risks.The dispute has triggered a months-long standoff between large primary producers and smaller refiners over fire-refined high conductivity (FRHC) copper rods, which are mainly used in electrical applications such as transformers, power cables and wires.

May 19, 2026 - 4:35 PM

Russia to impose duties on some diamond exports this year

Russia plans to introduce some diamond export duties this year to support the struggling domestic diamond-cutting industry, a deputy finance minister said on Tuesday.Alexei Moiseev said the finance ministry was discussing its proposed “lenient” export tariff scheme with Russian diamond miner and exporter Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond producer by carat.“If we wait a little longer, we will simply lose the (diamond-cutting) expertise we still have,” he said, adding that the tariffs would only apply to stones that are cost-effective to cut in Russia.

May 19, 2026 - 4:33 PM

Cochilco raises 2026 copper price forecast

Chilean copper commission Cochilco raised its average copper price forecast for 2026 to $5.55 per pound and said it expects prices to remain elevated in 2027 at $5.10 per pound, citing firm global demand and tight supply.The updated outlook, published in Cochilco’s first-quarter copper market trends report on Tuesday, points to continued support from the global energy transition, electric vehicles, new technologies and artificial intelligence, even as supply risks persist.

May 19, 2026 - 4:25 PM

Ghana lease uncertainties threaten mining investment, mines chamber says

Ghana’s mining investment climate risks being undermined by lease revocations, renewal delays and policy uncertainty, adding to cost pressures for miners, the head of the industry group has said.Kenneth Ashigbey, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, told Reuters on Thursday that the revocation of some leases held by local miner Adamus Resources over alleged illegalities, along with uncertainty over Gold Fields’ lease renewal, risk creating the impression that “security of tenure in Ghana is not guaranteed,” potentially hurting investment.

May 15, 2026 - 3:58 PM

Zambia state investment firm keen to boost stakes in mines, CEO says

Zambia’s state investment company ZCCM Investments Holdings is keen to raise its minority stakes in mining assets, but any such increases would be on commercial terms and not through forced sales, CEO Kakenenwa Muyangwa said.African nations are taking steps to capture a greater share of revenue from the region’s resources, particularly as global demand for critical minerals drives new investment.

May 15, 2026 - 3:57 PM

Foreign buyers fuel illegal mineral trade in Nigeria, watchdogs warn

Nigeria is losing vast mineral revenues to a web of illegal trading networks dominated by foreign buyers, shell companies and armed criminal groups, a joint government-civil society report said, highlighting the scale of illicit activity in the sector.The report, produced by Nigeria’s extractive industries watchdog NEITI and the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) with UK government funding, found that illicit financial flows in the mining sector occur through commercial manipulation, illegal mining, corruption among officials and cross-border smuggling.

May 15, 2026 - 3:54 PM

Mining

Equinox Gold acquires Orla Mining in $5.1 billion consolidation, backed by Pierre Lassonde

Pierre Lassonde says the $40 trillion U.S. debt crisis is paving the way for gold to reach $17,250 an ounce

Chalco plans to build a 1.2Mt alumina project in Guinea

China squeezes Japan over rare earths in repeat of 2010 showdown

Hindalco misses profit estimates as Novelis disruptions weigh

Indonesia coal export shake-up rattles miners, traders

Kitco Mining Channel

Arafura approves $1.6 billion rare earth project

Moody’s warns Indonesia commodity export plan a risk for miners, may distort market

US moves closer to prohibitive tariffs on Russian palladium

Zambia’s Konkola reopens Chingola copper mine after 18-year shutdown

Russia is concerned by US, EU rare earth activity in Central Asia, media reports

Gulf aluminum April output tumbles to lowest in a over a decade due to Iran war

Europe must break China's grip on rare earths pricing to spur investment, sector body says

Brokerages stay bullish on gold price despite near-term pressure

India’s top copper producers oppose inclusion of scrap-based rods in standards

Russia to impose duties on some diamond exports this year

Cochilco raises 2026 copper price forecast

Ghana lease uncertainties threaten mining investment, mines chamber says

Zambia state investment firm keen to boost stakes in mines, CEO says

Foreign buyers fuel illegal mineral trade in Nigeria, watchdogs warn