Mining

Gold miners could double even if bullion stalls, says Ninepoint portfolio manager

(Kitco News) - Gold’s historic rally has captured investors’ attention, and now the real opportunity may lie in gold mining equities, according to one portfolio manager

Mar 13, 2026 - 10:49 AM

Cash-starved junior miners poised for next leg of gold equity rally - Crescat’s Kevin Smith

Mar 12, 2026 - 12:09 PM

Kitco Mining Channel

China eases BHP iron ore ban for one week

China will ease a ban on BHP’s Jimblebar fines, an iron ore product, until next week, sources said on Friday, only a day after Beijing expanded restrictions against its third-largest supplier.China Mineral Resources Group, the state-run iron ore buyer, told domestic steel mills that they could take delivery of Jimblebar fines already at ports for around a week, said three sources with the knowledge of the matter on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.The exception will only apply to steelmakers, not traders.

Mar 13, 2026 - 5:32 PM

Glencore raises hope of reviving Rio Tinto deal as coal prices turn

Glencore CEO Gary Nagle is hoping a recent surge in coal prices will help bring Rio Tinto back to the table for a fresh attempt at creating the world’s biggest mining company, three investors said, after meeting with leaders of both companies in Australia this week.The two were locked in talks earlier this ‌year to forge a $240 billion company that would tie together Glencore’s marketing business and copper assets with Rio Tinto’s operational expertise to serve fast-growing demand for the red metal.

Mar 13, 2026 - 5:29 PM

Norsk Hydro says Qatalum aluminum smelter to halt curtailment, operate at 60%

Norsk Hydro said on Thursday its Qatalum aluminum smelter in Qatar was halting the curtailment it began last week and would maintain production at around 60% of capacity with reduced supplies of natural gas.Qatalum, which has smelting capacity of 648,000 metric tons per year, began a controlled shutdown on March 3 after being informed that its gas supply was about to be suspended. State-owned QatarEnergy had announced a day earlier it was halting LNG production after Iranian drone attacks on its facilities.

Mar 12, 2026 - 3:07 PM

Korea Zinc in talks with US tech firms to extract rare earths from data centre waste

Korea Zinc is in talks with major US technology firms to recycle data centre waste and extract rare earths, its chairman said, amid a US push to reduce reliance on Chinese minerals.The firm, one of the world’s largest smelters, also aims to secure battery and solar panel waste containing metals and rare earths needed in fields such as electronics, electric vehicles, energy and defence, chairman Yun B. Choi said in an interview.

Mar 12, 2026 - 3:01 PM

CATL signs MOU with Rio Tinto on electrification, recycling

Chinese battery maker CATL signed a memorandum of understanding with Rio Tinto to deepen cooperation in electrification, supply chains and broader commercial initiatives, according to a statement on CATL’s Chinese social media account on Thursday.The two companies will focus on promoting the electrification of mining operations and exploring battery material recycling and the circular development of key mineral resources.

Mar 12, 2026 - 2:56 PM

Vale more than doubled ore production from waste material in 2025

Brazilian mining company Vale said on Thursday it produced 26.3 million metric tons of iron ore in 2025 from materials previously classified as waste or tailings, more than double the 12.7 million tons produced this way a year earlier.The volume exceeded the company’s initial forecast of some 20 million tons of iron ore from waste materials last year, Vale said.

Mar 12, 2026 - 2:52 PM

Chile Central Bank issues first gold purchase in decades amid global turmoil

Chile’s Central Bank issued its first major gold purchase since at least 2000, adding a “limited portion of gold” into its reserves in order to improve risk diversification in the face of more frequent and complex episodes of external uncertainty, the entity said Thursday.In February, the bank boosted its gold reserves to $1.108 billion, up from $42 million in January, equivalent to 2.2% of total reserves.

Mar 12, 2026 - 2:48 PM

Chile and US eye collaboration on critical minerals

Chile and the United States have signed a joint statement to begin discussions on critical minerals and rare earths, Chile’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.The first meeting will take place within the next two weeks, it added.The Trump administration has been pushing to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals and rare earths, which are used in electric vehicles, semiconductors, defense systems and consumer electronics.Chile is the world’s largest copper producer and second-largest lithium producer.

Mar 12, 2026 - 2:36 PM

Rio Tinto raises Q2 Japan aluminum premium offer

Rio Tinto has raised its aluminum premium offer to Japanese buyers to $350 per metric ton for April-June primary metal shipments, up 79% from the current quarter, due to fears the escalating Middle East crisis will tighten supply, two sources said.The revised offer is 40% higher than Rio’s previous proposal of $250 and, if accepted, would be the highest since the April-June quarter of 2015, when the premium reached $380 a ton.

Mar 11, 2026 - 4:26 PM

South African union vows to fight job cuts at Samancor smelter after energy deal

South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers vowed on Wednesday to fight planned job cuts at ferrochrome smelter Samancor, which could affect 2,400 employees despite a more than 50% electricity price reduction meant to avert job losses.State-owned power utility Eskom announced the price cut for Samancor and Glencore’s joint venture with Merafe Resources late last month after the distressed firms agreed in December to shelve planned job cuts while negotiating with the electricity provider.

Mar 11, 2026 - 4:25 PM

Mercuria to withdraw nearly 100,000t of aluminum from LME

Commodity trader Mercuria plans to withdraw large volumes of aluminum from LME warehouses, according to three sources, as the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz freezes Middle East shipments and further strains supplies in Europe and the United States.The Middle East produces about seven million metric tons of primary aluminum annually or around 9% of the global total.The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israeli war against Iran has stalled aluminum shipments since last week.

Mar 11, 2026 - 4:24 PM

Peru approves environmental study for $3.4B Buenaventura copper project

Peru on Wednesday approved an environmental study for Buenaventura, one of Peru’s largest mining firms, to proceed with its southern Trapiche copper project with an estimated investment of $3.4 billion, the Andean nation’s state certification office said.The environmental certification office SENACE said the evaluation of the detailed environmental impact study “guarantees the development of activities under high sustainability standards” in Peru’s Apurimac region.

Mar 11, 2026 - 4:18 PM

Harmony doubles dividend after gold price rally, flags lower copper output

March 11 (Reuters) - South Africa's Harmony Gold (HARJ.J), on Wednesday said its ‌half-year profit rose 13% as higher bullion prices offset the impact of lower output and grades, allowing the miner to more than double its dividend.Harmony's headline earnings per share - a profit measure - came in at 14.31 rand ($0.8827) in the six months to December 31, from 12.70 rand previously.The biggest gold producer in South Africa declared an interim dividend of 5.30 rand ⁠per share, up from 2.27 rand previously, making a record payment of 3.38 billion rand.

Mar 11, 2026 - 10:40 AM

As high gold prices become the baseline, mining equities are poised to outperform in 2026 – VanEck’s Casanova

(Kitco News) – As gold prices continue to trade near all-time highs above $5,000 per ounce, miners are generating record margins and free cash flow, and with all-in costs below $2,000 per ounce, the sector is positioned to outperform once again this year, according to Imaru Casanova, Portfolio Manager, Gold and Precious Metals at VanEck.In a recent commentary, Casanova said the miners’ latest balance sheets, costs, and margins add up to durable profitability – even if gold prices don’t move higher.

Mar 11, 2026 - 10:33 AM

Mining

Gold miners could double even if bullion stalls, says Ninepoint portfolio manager

Cash-starved junior miners poised for next leg of gold equity rally - Crescat’s Kevin Smith

AbraSilver CEO wins Kitco award as 350Moz Diablillos advances toward 2026 FID

Workers strike at Glencore’s Australia refinery over pay dispute

Partial flight resumptions restore some gold flows from key hub Dubai

India gold discounts hit near-decade high; Mideast tensions lift China demand

Kitco Mining Channel

China eases BHP iron ore ban for one week

Glencore raises hope of reviving Rio Tinto deal as coal prices turn

Norsk Hydro says Qatalum aluminum smelter to halt curtailment, operate at 60%

Korea Zinc in talks with US tech firms to extract rare earths from data centre waste

CATL signs MOU with Rio Tinto on electrification, recycling

Vale more than doubled ore production from waste material in 2025

Chile Central Bank issues first gold purchase in decades amid global turmoil

Chile and US eye collaboration on critical minerals

Rio Tinto raises Q2 Japan aluminum premium offer

South African union vows to fight job cuts at Samancor smelter after energy deal

Mercuria to withdraw nearly 100,000t of aluminum from LME

Peru approves environmental study for $3.4B Buenaventura copper project

Harmony doubles dividend after gold price rally, flags lower copper output

As high gold prices become the baseline, mining equities are poised to outperform in 2026 – VanEck’s Casanova