Miners that dig up a mix of metals rather than just one — often producing zinc, nickel, lead and more from the same operations.
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Pan African Resources Posts Record Gold Output, 114% Revenue Jump to $1.1 Billion
Pan African Resources PLC reported record gold production of just under 275,000 ounces for its 2026 fiscal year, up about 40% year-on-year, with a second-half annualized run-rate near 290,000 ounces. Revenue rose 114% to $1.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA climbed 169%, and headline earnings surged 207% to $358 million, or $0.1764 per share, as the average US dollar gold price received rose 55% and the group remained unhedged throughout the year. The company ended the year debt-free with $246 million in cash and short-term investments and $79 million in undrawn facilities, after repaying $149 million including $119 million voluntarily. The board proposed a record final dividend of ZAR0.65 per share plus a maiden interim dividend of ZAR0.12, for a total of ZAR0.77 per share, up 108% and worth roughly $113 million, and approved a share buyback of up to ZAR500 million, about $30 million, commencing October 2026. For FY27, the company guided production to 280,000 to just over 300,000 ounces, skewed to the second half, with group capital spending of approximately $330 million.
Glencore Executive Urged Radiant World to 'Say Nothing on Email'
A suspended senior Glencore Plc executive urged counterparts at Radiant World not to communicate by email, according to WhatsApp messages seen by Bloomberg News. Peter Hill, Glencore's head of iron ore, wrote "Say nothing on email" in one WhatsApp message in early April 2025, and in other messages dating from 2023 to 2025 highlighted Glencore's role as an important backer of the Radiant World group of companies while suggesting he was the ultimate decision maker for various aspects of Radiant World's trading. Hill was suspended from his duties pending the outcome of a review into Glencore's dealings with Radiant World. The messages raise questions about the depth of Glencore's involvement with the Radiant World network, a relationship that has ended in acrimony in recent weeks with Glencore publicly accusing the Radiant World group of fraud while Radiant World, Sapphire Minmetals and several related companies filed a $2 billion lawsuit against Glencore in Singapore this week. Glencore has cut ties with the group and taken a $480 million provision on its outstanding exposure to it, which includes Sapphire Minmetals, a closely connected but legally separate trading company; Radiant World has denied wrongdoing.
Factorial Energy jumps 14.4% on Mitsui Kinzoku solid-state battery deal
Factorial Energy shares jumped 14.4% in Thursday's trading after the company said it will partner with Japan's Mitsui Kinzoku to accelerate the global scale-up of its Solstice all-solid-state battery platform. Mitsui Kinzoku produces sulfide-based solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries and is one of few companies worldwide with foundational technology in this space, Factorial said. The Japanese company also produces ultra-thin copper foil and holds an estimated 90% share of the semiconductor market for that foil. Mitsui Kinzoku Senior Executive Officer Kiyotaka Yasuda said the two companies aim to accelerate the realization of next-generation batteries by combining Mitsui Kinzoku's long-established expertise in materials and manufacturing technologies with Factorial's advanced technological capabilities. Factorial Energy shares began trading on Nasdaq in June following the completion of its business combination with Cartesian Growth Corporation III.
American Battery Technology Posts FY Non-GAAP EPS of $1.70 on $21.7M Revenue
American Battery Technology reported fiscal-year non-GAAP earnings of $1.70 per share and revenue of $21.7 million, according to the company's press release. The results were issued as part of the company's earnings disclosure. No further financial detail was provided in the release.
American Battery Technology Posts First Adjusted Gross Profit as Federal Black Mass Export Ban Looms
American Battery Technology Company reported its first-ever adjusted gross profit on its fiscal year 2026 earnings call on September 14, even as CEO Ryan Melsert disclosed a federal directive that effectively bans exports of black mass unless the company obtains a specific exception. Revenue at its flagship recycling facility jumped more than 400% year over year to $21.7 million, while cost of goods sold rose only 67% and operating cash spend fell 16%, pushing adjusted gross profit to $1.7 million from a $6.2 million loss a year earlier. Cash climbed to $49.5 million as of June 30, 2026, total assets reached $133 million, and the company erased all long-term debt. A second recycling facility planned for the Southeast U.S., designed to process 100,000 tons of batteries a year, is backed by a $150 million Department of Energy grant, and a separate $10 million DOE grant funds three next-generation recycling technologies; the Bureau of Land Management also certified the plan of operations for the Tonopah lithium project in Nevada, which holds 21.3 million tons of lithium hydroxide including 2.7 million tons of proven and probable reserves. American Battery Technology has submitted a request for the black mass export exception but had received no formal response from the Department of Commerce as of the call, and short interest sits at 16.38% of the float against a forward P/E of 37.74 as of September 16.
Rio Tinto Signs Winu Copper Gold Mine Agreement With Nyangumarta Warrarn
Rio Tinto Group has signed a co-designed project agreement with the Nyangumarta Warrarn Aboriginal Corporation for the proposed Winu copper gold mine in Western Australia. The miner also entered an Interim Modernised Agreement with the Ngarlawangga Aboriginal Corporation that updates earlier terms for its activities on Ngarlawangga country, tightening its social licence on two fronts and setting clearer processes for co-management of cultural heritage, environmental impacts and mine life planning. Separately, Rio Tinto has begun a joint development partnership with Graphene Manufacturing Group to pursue advanced graphene battery technology for potential commercial use, an effort still at the research and development stage. The next test for that battery work is whether GCELL data and trials at the Battery Innovation Center convert into defined commercial pilots, with a clear marker being Rio Tinto committing to a first targeted use case and timeline for deployment in its own operations or with customers. Rio Tinto Group is a £122.0 billion metals and mining business.
Pan African Resources Posts Record Year as Gold Output Jumps Nearly 40%
Pan African Resources PLC has reported a record year, with gold production up almost 40%, earnings nearly tripled, and a proposed record final dividend. European Green Transition PLC called its first half a transformational period after completing its Wind Services acquisition, with its repowering orderbook now representing a potential £126 million opportunity. Helix Exploration PLC has spudded the Ollie #1 well at its Rudyard helium field in Montana, targeting the same formations that have already produced commercial-grade helium nearby. Rockfire Resources PLC recorded its highest-ever silver reading at the Molaoi deposit in Greece, with one zone returning nearly 560 grams per tonne, a record for the project. ATOME PLC has secured options over more than 4,000 hectares in Paraguay for its planned solar plant and opened a new front in Brazil exploring a second green fertiliser project, while Quadrise PLC said partner Valkor Technologies has begun drilling two new pilot wells at its Asphalt Ridge project in Utah, with an eight-well programme set to follow targeting around 1,000 barrels a day in 2027.
BHP Board Urges Vote Against Stephen Mayne's AGM Director Bid
BHP Group's board has urged shareholders to vote against the election of shareholder-nominated director candidate Stephen Mayne at the upcoming annual general meeting. Mayne self-nominated after publicly raising concerns about shareholder disenfranchisement tied to BHP's use of hybrid AGMs, setting up a governance-focused contest centered on shareholder engagement and board composition. The board's recommendation signals how tightly it intends to control the governance agenda, and the shareholder vote at the AGM will be the clearest gauge of how much backing Mayne's concerns actually have. A close result, strong turnout or a significant protest vote against board recommendations would give a concrete read on wider investor sentiment toward BHP's current governance approach. BHP Group operates a large global metals and mining portfolio across Australia, Asia, the Americas and Europe, and its A$301.2 billion scale means decisions about how the board is shaped and how AGMs are run can influence how a wide base of investors engage with the company.
Great Western Mining Reports 92.98% Tungsten Recovery from Defender Bulk Sample
Great Western Mining Corporation PLC announced highly encouraging initial metallurgical results from bench-scale flotation test work on run-of-mine material from its Defender Tungsten Project in Nevada, USA. Testing recovered 92.98% of the tungsten from pre-treated material into a rougher concentrate grading 7.21% WO3, compared with a starting bulk sample grade of 0.35% WO3. The work was carried out by Eriez Flotation Division of Pennsylvania on a 750 kg representative bulk sample collected across approximately 1 km of strike between the Defender Mine in the east and the Dough God and Pine Crow mines in the west. An initial sulphide flotation stage removed sulphide contaminants into a float stream representing just 3.97% of total mass while retaining 99.46% of the tungsten, after which the primary recovery stage pulled only 4.55% of total mass while recovering 92.98% of the remaining tungsten. CEO Ed Loye called the results an excellent early milestone, noting very low levels of deleterious elements such as molybdenum, and said the clean, low-volume rougher concentrate will serve as feed for cleaner circuit optimisation tests aimed at reaching potential marketable product specifications.
BHP Iron Ore Port Union to Seek Arbitration After Wage Talks Collapse
At BHP's Port Hedland iron ore operations in Western Australia, labor negotiations over the terms of a new wage agreement have failed to reach consensus, and the BHP Ports Labor Union Alliance has announced it will seek arbitration. Port Hedland is one of the world's largest iron ore export ports and serves as the main shipping hub for BHP's Pilbara operations. The union's arbitration filing, representing about 450 operators and maintenance workers, would allow the Fair Work Commission, the regulator, to determine the terms of the agreement. The union and the company have been negotiating for more than nine months, meeting almost weekly in recent months under the mediation of the Fair Work Commission to discuss a four-year wage agreement. In August, workers held a two-day strike, the largest labor dispute at the site in a quarter century. In a statement, the union criticized BHP for being unwilling to negotiate an agreement that reflects the professional skills, harsh working conditions, and significant personal sacrifices of the people who generated more than 13 billion dollars in profit for the company this year. A BHP spokesperson said the company remains focused on achieving a fair and reasonable agreement. BHP has offered most workers a 17 percent pay increase over the four-year term of the agreement, including a 25,000 Australian dollar transition payment paid over two years and increased shift allowances. The union argues that under this proposal, about 40 percent of workers would be worse off than they are now.
Electra Battery Materials Gets Nasdaq Extension to March 2027 to Regain $1.00 Bid Compliance
Electra Battery Materials Corporation said it has received notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC that it is eligible for an additional 180-calendar-day period, or until March 15, 2027, to regain compliance with Nasdaq's $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing. The extension has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the company's common shares on Nasdaq, and Electra said its operations are not affected. Nasdaq's determination was based on the company meeting the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, other than the minimum bid price requirement, together with Electra's written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split if necessary. If at any time before March 15, 2027 the closing bid price of the shares is at or above US$1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Electra will be eligible to regain compliance, subject to Nasdaq's discretion to require a longer compliance period. The extension does not affect the listing of the shares on the TSX Venture Exchange.
BHP Port Hedland Unions Seek Arbitration After Wage Deal Talks Fail
The Combined BHP Ports Unions said Tuesday that workers at BHP's Port Hedland facility in Australia will pursue arbitration after the two sides failed to reach terms on a new wage deal, according to Reuters. The union, which represents about 450 operators and maintenance workers at Port Hedland, will apply for an intractable bargaining declaration, which allows Australia's Fair Work Commission to set terms for the agreement. BHP has offered a 17% pay increase for most workers over the four years of the agreement, which will include a A$25K transition payment over two years, as well as an increase to roster allowances, but the union argues that about 40% of the workforce would be worse off under the company's proposal. The union said BHP is unwilling to negotiate an agreement that reflects the specialized skills, extreme conditions and significant personal sacrifices of the people who generated the company more than $13 billion in profit this year. Port Hedland is the world's largest iron ore export hub and the main shipping gateway for BHP's Pilbara operations.
Tungsten West has announced plans to restart operations at the Hemerdon mine in Devon, England, with full-scale production targeted for the first quarter of 2027. The company is installing six TOMRA Mining XRT ore sorters equipped with OBTAIN Deep Learning technology as part of a redesigned processing plant at the mine, which was shut down in 2018 and acquired in 2019. The six sorters, split between COM Tertiary XRT and COM XRT 2.0 units to handle material fractions ranging from 10mm to 80mm, are scheduled for installation completion in the fourth quarter of 2026. Approximately 30% of the processed material, containing mineralised tungsten, will be sent for further concentration and tin recovery, while the remaining 70% will be made available as a by-product aggregate for the construction industry. The Hemerdon project is set to provide a substantial source of tungsten for European markets outside China, whose roughly 80% share of global tungsten concentrate production faces export restrictions and reduced domestic output, and Hemerdon's reserves could contribute around 4.1% of global production. Last month, the UK's National Wealth Fund announced an investment of up to $95.74m (£71m) in Tungsten West to support the restart.
Almonty signs binding tungsten partnership with Rwanda Government
Almonty Industries has signed a binding agreement with the Government of Rwanda to form a new tungsten-focused partnership, under which Rwanda will obtain a 25% interest in a new platform, Almonty Rwanda, while Almonty retains the remaining 75% stake. The platform aims to collect and export tungsten ore, pre-concentrate and panning tailings sourced from small-scale licence holders in Rwanda, with Rwanda contributing the Shyorongi exploration concession and a mineral processing licence to the project. A mobile processing unit is planned to upgrade these materials, and the partnership intends to export products until a collection and processing plant is built in the country, with the Government of Rwanda assisting Almonty Rwanda in acquiring material from local mine operators, landowners and licence holders. The initiative follows an introduction by the US Department of State under the 2025 US-Rwanda Framework for Shared Economic Prosperity, and both parties view the transaction as a first stage towards a broader investment framework covering future development and the construction of a centralised processing facility in Rwanda. The block, which encompasses around 32km² at Shyorongi, is designed to access near-term production from the existing output of the sector, and the new partnership comes as forthcoming US defence procurement regulations will require greater traceability of tungsten ore and feedstock from 2027.
Thor Explorations Reports High-Grade Gold Hits from Maiden Marahui Drilling in Côte d'Ivoire
Thor Explorations Ltd. announced encouraging maiden reverse circulation drilling results from its Marahui Gold Project in northeastern Côte d'Ivoire, highlighted by 6 metres at 6.20 grams per tonne gold from 74 metres in hole MRRC26-115, 6 metres at 5.60 g/t gold from 129 metres in MRRC26-008 and 9 metres at 5.40 g/t gold from 40 metres in MRRC26-012. The company has completed 18,439 metres of its budgeted 25,000-metre RC program across 171 drillholes, with assays still pending for a number of holes. Mineralisation occurs in a subvertical, en-echelon vein array within a north-westerly-trending shear corridor roughly 200 metres wide and extending more than 4 kilometres along strike, with individual veins showing apparent strike continuity of up to 700 metres and estimated true widths of up to about 7 metres. Drilling has tested only approximately 30% of the overall geological trend, and additional geochemical anomalies have been identified for drill testing in the coming months. President and CEO Segun Lawson said the results reinforce confidence in the licence and open up a material new exploration opportunity for Thor's Côte d'Ivoire portfolio, which also includes the 100% owned Guitry Gold Exploration Project and an option to earn up to an 80% interest in the Boundiali Exploration Permit.
Orosur Mining Hits 61.35m at 0.93g/t Gold in First El Cedro Hole
Orosur Mining Inc. announced a grassroots discovery at its El Cedro prospect within the Anzá Project in Colombia, where the first hole ever drilled on the target intersected a broad zone of gold mineralization from surface. Hole CED001 returned a composite intersection of 61.35m at 0.93g/t Au from surface, including 42.15m at 1.02g/t Au from 19m, with the final sample of the assayed interval returning 1.25g/t Au. The hole, which is currently at 130m and planned to extend to 500m by the end of the month, also entered a wide zone of polymetallic veining at roughly 99m downhole, containing pyrrhotite, pyrite, galena, sphalerite and locally chalcopyrite, with assays pending. El Cedro is one of three prospects at Anzá, alongside Pepas and APTA, and lies roughly 4km south of the APTA base camp within the Mid-Cauca gold belt west of Medellín. Samples from 61.3m to 86m were submitted for assay this week, and two more holes are planned from the same pad once CED001 is complete. CEO Brad George said real grassroots discoveries have become very rare in modern times, and that the company possibly has two so far.
Huayou Cobalt Completes Issuance of 1 Billion Yuan Green Sci-Tech Innovation Bond
Huayou Cobalt announced that the company has completed the issuance of its eleventh tranche of green sci-tech innovation bonds for 2026, with an issuance amount of 1 billion yuan, a term of two years, a par value of 100 yuan per unit, and a coupon rate of 2.20 percent. The bond is abbreviated as 26 Huayou Cobalt GN011 Sci-Tech Innovation Bond, with China CITIC Bank, China Merchants Bank, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Bank of China, Industrial Bank, BOC International, and China Bohai Bank serving as lead underwriters. It was publicly issued in the national interbank bond market through bookbuilding and centralized placement. The proceeds will be used to replace procurement expenditures incurred by subsidiaries within three months for the recycling of used power batteries and their dismantled materials, as well as for raw material procurement for battery-grade lithium salt product manufacturing projects. The announcement shows that the company's 2025 annual shareholders' meeting has approved a proposal for the company and its subsidiaries to issue debt financing instruments of non-financial enterprises in 2026, with issuance methods including public offering and non-public targeted issuance.
USA Rare Earth Completes $2.8 Billion Serra Verde Acquisition
USA Rare Earth has completed its $2.8 billion acquisition of Serra Verde, a Brazil-based mining company that is the only scaled producer of the core four rare-earth elements in the Western Hemisphere. The company projects that the newly integrated Serra Verde business will achieve an annualized run rate for EBITDA between $550 million and $650 million by the end of next year, and that its combined businesses will reach approximately $1.8 billion in adjusted EBITDA in 2030, up from just $5.8 million in second-quarter revenue and a $46.3 million operating loss. The U.S. government holds a roughly 10% equity position in USA Rare Earth that could rise to as much as 16% through stock warrants, and the Department of Defense provided $750 million in direct investment in a special-purpose vehicle that also included a $500 million credit facility from a Tier-1 institutional bank and a five-year purchase agreement for rare earth valued at least $300 million. Serra Verde had already announced a 15-year offtake agreement with multiple U.S. government agencies and private companies, securing access to 100% of its Phase I production of magnetic rare earth and guaranteed pricing floors for dysprosium and terbium. By contrast, TMC The Metals Company, which extracts polymetallic nodules from the seabed, has seen its expected NOAA certification pushed out to October and no longer expects to have its permit by the first quarter of 2027, though it still aims to begin commercial vessel commissioning in next year's fourth quarter.
Largo Restructures Debt With Caixa, Starts Copper-PGM Concentrate Sales
Largo Inc. announced a debt-restructuring agreement with Caixa Econômica Federal and its first sales of copper-platinum group metals concentrate. The definitive agreement with Caixa Econômica Federal was signed on September 11, 2026, following the binding term sheet announced on August 20, and Largo expects to enter similar agreements with its remaining Brazilian bank lenders. Separately, Largo extended the maturity of a $6.0 million promissory note with ARG International AG to February 2028 from February 2027, subject to a fee equal to 1% of the principal amount. The initial copper-PGM concentrate sales, made through agreements with two trading companies and a European smelter, are expected to generate approximately $4.7 million in cash proceeds during September 2026, while the first shipment under Largo's contract with the US Defense Logistics Agency is expected to arrive at a US port in late September. Largo also said its 2026 vanadium production is now expected to be at the lower end of its previously announced guidance range as it temporarily reduces mining activity and processes existing stockpiles, and it announced that Jim Bannantine will lead its commercial department while Francesco D'Alessio leaves to take a chief executive position elsewhere.
Rio Tinto to Acquire Aurukun Bauxite Project from Glencore and Mitsubishi
Rio Tinto Group has agreed to acquire the Aurukun Bauxite Project in Western Cape York, Queensland, from a joint venture between Glencore and Mitsubishi Development. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the transaction remains subject to approval from the Queensland government and other Australian regulators. The acquisition would expand Rio Tinto's existing bauxite operations in the region, although Aurukun is still held under a Mineral Development License and has yet to receive a Mining Lease. Glencore said the joint venture had invested significantly in advancing the project's design, development and approvals and concluded that Rio Tinto's existing regional bauxite operations gave it the best opportunity to develop the resource. Traditional Owners, the Wik Waya people, have raised concerns about the adequacy of consultation, adding another potential hurdle to development. Rio Tinto shares were down about 0.7% at A$176.17 when Reuters reported the deal.
Integra Resources Posts Record Florida Canyon Output as Costs Surge
Integra Resources reported second-quarter results on August 11 that showed record mining volume at its Florida Canyon mine alongside sharply higher costs. Gold production rose 30% from the first quarter to 16,379 ounces, revenue climbed to $70.8 million from $61.1 million a year earlier, and free cash flow reached $9.3 million, or $0.05 per share, up from $2.1 million, or $0.01 per share, a year earlier. The company kept its full-year guidance of 70,000 to 75,000 ounces intact, but cash costs averaged $2,495 per ounce and mine site all-in sustaining costs averaged $3,371 per ounce, both well above the $1,849 and $2,641 per ounce reported a year earlier, prompting Integra to raise full-year cost guidance to $2,300 to $2,500 per ounce for cash costs and $3,300 to $3,500 per ounce for AISC. Recovery rates slipped to 57.8% from 60.5%, and mine operating earnings of $23.4 million came in below the $25.2 million recorded a year earlier. An updated feasibility study for Florida Canyon outlined an eight-year mine life, a 74% increase in proven and probable reserves, and $601 million in after-tax net present value, while a separate feasibility study on the DeLamar project put its after-tax net present value at $774 million using base case gold and silver prices of $3,000 and $35 an ounce, with the DeLamar environmental review not expected to produce a final decision until the second half of 2027.
Standard Lithium Clears DOE Review and Final Construction Contracts Ahead of FID
Standard Lithium reported second-quarter results on August 10 and said it has cleared two of the four requirements it set before reaching a Final Investment Decision on its flagship South West Arkansas project. The US Department of Energy concluded its National Environmental Policy Act review of the project during the quarter and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact with no added mitigation measures or conditions, tied to the $225 million grant Standard Lithium received in January 2025 from the DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation. The company also locked in its last two construction vendor contracts: an engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning agreement with S&B Engineers and Constructors, supported by Hatch Ltd, covering the Central Processing Facility, and an engineering, procurement and construction management agreement with Wood Group USA covering the upstream well field, both carrying a Limited Notice to Proceed. Operationally, the Arkansas demonstration plant processed 1 million barrels of real brine and completed more than 15,000 direct lithium extraction cycles during the quarter, and Standard Lithium closed the quarter with $137.3 million in cash, $137.1 million in working capital and no term or revolving debt. Customer offtake agreements are still being negotiated with a target of closing by the third quarter, and project financing depends on those deals, so FID remains a target rather than a done deal, with first commercial production of battery-quality lithium carbonate not expected until 2029.
Dazhong Mining completes 400 million yuan buyback plan after repurchasing 14.5036 million shares
Dazhong Mining announced on September 11 that as of September 9, the company had repurchased a total of 14.5036 million shares through a dedicated securities account using centralized bidding, accounting for 0.95% of its current total share capital, with a transaction amount of approximately 400 million yuan. This share repurchase has been completed in accordance with the established plan. Previously, on July 2, the company held the 27th meeting of its sixth board of directors, which reviewed and approved the share repurchase plan, agreeing to use its own funds and special loan funds for share repurchases through centralized bidding, for employee stock ownership plans, equity incentives, or conversion of convertible corporate bonds issued by the company. The plan set the total repurchase amount at no less than 400 million yuan and no more than 800 million yuan, with a repurchase price not exceeding 53 yuan per share, and a repurchase period of 12 months from the date the board approved the plan. In the actual repurchase, the highest transaction price was 30.27 yuan per share and the lowest was 24.71 yuan per share.
Brazilian Judge Suspends Sigma Lithium's Grota do Cirilo Licenses
A Brazilian federal judge ordered the immediate suspension of all environmental licenses held by Sigma Mineração S.A., the operating subsidiary of Sigma Lithium Corporation, for the Grota do Cirilo project, halting mining activities under a September 4 preliminary order following a civil action by the Federation of Quilombola Communities of Minas Gerais. The dispute centers on whether the project lies within the area of influence of the Baú Quilombola Community and therefore required free, prior and informed consultation, with the judge citing studies placing the community's territory approximately 2.7 kilometers from the project's directly affected area, within the 8-kilometer presumptive regulatory impact radius under Interministerial Ordinance No. 60/2015. The court ordered independent georeferencing and barred Minas Gerais and its environmental agency from issuing new licenses, amendments or corrective approvals until community-protection requirements are completed. The suspension is material because Grota do Cirilo is Sigma Lithium's only productive asset, with annualized nameplate capacity of approximately 330,000 metric tons of lithium oxide concentrate, and the company is targeting 240,000 metric tons over 12 months and 330,000 metric tons in fiscal 2027. Local reporting said the court-appointed expert would have 45 days to submit the mapping, and the order follows a July operational pause that ended only after an August state agreement with Minas Gerais.
Copper Miners Tumble as White House Tariff Doubt Halts Record Rally
Copper mining stocks reversed a record rally in a single session after reports cast doubt on White House tariffs covering refined copper. Freeport-McMoRan fell 8% to $70.43, Southern Copper dropped 7% to $195.66, and Teck Resources slid 7% to $65.08, while the Global X Copper Miners ETF lost 7% as its three largest U.S.-listed constituents led the decline. Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange fell 3.1% to $14,312 per metric ton after touching a record $14,875 earlier in the same session, as officials weighed how higher prices would feed into manufacturing costs. Despite the slide, Freeport-McMoRan remains up 40% year to date, Southern Copper 42%, and Teck Resources 36%. Freeport is the most copper-levered name in the peer set and still carries an operational overhang from the September 2025 mud-rush at Grasberg in Indonesia, while Teck is midway through a pending combination with Anglo American targeting $800 million in annual pre-tax synergies.
Eramet says PT Weda Bay Nickel restarts mining after four-month halt
Eramet announced that mining operations at PT Weda Bay Nickel are restarting after receiving authorization from the Indonesian authorities, following four months of Care and Maintenance. The restart is progressive and is being carried out by PT WBN with the support of its contractors, with safety remaining the top priority throughout the process. The timing of the ramp-up will depend on PT WBN's capacity to remobilize contractors and equipment, redesign its yearly mining plan, and finalize the relevant administrative work. At this stage, PT WBN said it is not in a position to provide a reliable estimate of nickel ore production and sales volumes, or the grades it can achieve for the remainder of 2026, and Eramet will provide an update of its 2026 guidance for external nickel ore sales in due course. PT WBN said it continues its constructive dialogue with the Indonesian authorities and remains committed to the responsible and sustainable development of its operations in Indonesia and to its long-term contribution to the economy of North Maluku.
Rio Tinto wins Indigenous approval to advance Winu mine, targets 2030 production
Rio Tinto has secured consent from the Nyangumarta people for the development of the Winu copper and gold project in Western Australia, with the company aiming to bring the mine into production by 2030. The Winu project is located about 300 kilometres south of Broome, in the Great Sandy Desert, and is Rio Tinto's most advanced new copper mine project, as well as a key part of the company's copper expansion strategy. Rio Tinto and the Nyangumarta Warrarn Aboriginal Corporation have signed a project agreement that sets out how the Nyangumarta people will take part in planning and developing the project, including measures to protect the environment and Indigenous cultural heritage. However, the project still requires regulatory and other approvals, as well as a final investment decision. Rio Tinto will develop and operate the Winu mine, holding a 70% stake in the joint venture, while Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining holds the remaining 30%.
Rio Tinto and Nyangumarta Warrarn Aboriginal Corporation Sign Winu Project Agreement
The Nyangumarta Warrarn Aboriginal Corporation and Rio Tinto have signed a Project Agreement for the proposed Winu copper-gold mine on Nyangumarta Country in Western Australia. The co-designed agreement, which builds on a Project Planning Agreement signed in 2023, sets out how Nyangumarta knowledge, priorities and perspectives will inform planning and implementation, including how potential impacts on the environment and Aboriginal cultural heritage will be avoided and minimised. Through the agreement, Nyangumarta People have given their consent for the proposed Winu mine and associated infrastructure, though the project remains subject to regulatory and other required approvals and a final investment decision. Winu is Rio Tinto's most advanced near-term greenfield copper project and is located in Western Australia's Great Sandy Desert, approximately 300 kilometres south of Broome, and is a joint venture with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co in which Rio Tinto holds a 70 per cent interest and SMM holds a 30 per cent interest. Rio Tinto Copper Chief Executive Katie Jackson said the signing is an important step forward in advancing Winu towards first copper by 2030.
Hunan Gold's share issuance to acquire two targets receives approval from Hunan SASAC
Hunan Gold Company Limited announced that its plan to issue shares to purchase assets and raise matching funds has received approval from the Hunan Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. The Hunan SASAC approved in principle the company's acquisition, through share issuance, of 100% equity in Hunan Gold Tianyue Mining Company Limited and 100% equity in Hunan Zhongnan Gold Smelting Company Limited, at a purchase price no lower than the filed asset appraisal value, and approved a non-public share issuance to raise matching funds of no more than 1.05 billion yuan. The transaction is expected to constitute a major asset restructuring and a related-party transaction, but not a reverse merger, and remains subject to shareholder review and other necessary approvals.
Hunan Gold's major asset restructuring receives approval from Hunan Provincial SASAC, shares hit daily limit up
Hunan Gold's major asset restructuring has received approval from the Hunan Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and the company's shares hit the daily limit up on September 9. According to the announcement, the Hunan Provincial SASAC has agreed in principle for the company to acquire 100% equity in Huangjin Tianyue and 100% equity in Zhongnan Smelting through the issuance of shares, with the purchase price not lower than the filed asset appraisal value, and has also agreed to raise supporting funds through a non-public share issuance of no more than 1.05 billion yuan. The total transaction consideration for the restructuring target assets is 4.334 billion yuan, of which Huangjin Tianyue is valued at 3.502 billion yuan and Zhongnan Smelting at 832 million yuan. After the transaction is completed, the company will integrate gold mining, ore dressing, and smelting operations, enhancing resource reserves and control over the industrial chain. In the first half of 2026, the company achieved operating revenue of 32.029 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.63%, and net profit attributable to the parent company of 957 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 46.01%. This transaction still requires review by the shareholders' meeting and other relevant approvals, and there is uncertainty.
American Battery Technology's Nevada Lithium Project Accepted by BLM
American Battery Technology's shares rose 1.8% in Tuesday's trading after the U.S. Bureau of Land Management completed its review and accepted the company's mine and refinery plan of operations for the Tonopah Flats lithium project in Nevada. The project, spanning 10.7K acres of public land in Esmeralda and Nye counties, is designed to bolster domestic production of critical minerals for grid-scale battery storage, data centers, AI, electric vehicles, and consumer electronics. Tonopah Flats has received significant federal support, including a FAST-41 designation, a $58M grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the initial 5K tons-per-year processing train, and a $900M letter of interest from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to expand capacity to 30K tons per year. The company's next step is the publication of a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement, as it continues through federal, state, and local permitting.
Rio Tinto to Acquire Aurukun Bauxite Project from Glencore-Mitsubishi JV
Rio Tinto has announced plans to take over the Aurukun Bauxite Project in Western Cape York, Queensland, Australia, from a joint venture of Glencore and Mitsubishi Development. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the transaction remains subject to approvals from the Government of Queensland and other Australian regulators. The asset would extend Rio Tinto's existing bauxite operations in the region, though Aurukun is held under a mineral development licence and has yet to be granted a mining lease. Glencore said the partnership had invested substantial resources into Aurukun over several years, including design work and development activity, but concluded that Rio Tinto's ownership offers the best opportunity for future development given its regional operations. In a separate development, Rio Tinto and the Ngarlawangga Aboriginal Corporation have reached an interim modernised agreement to strengthen their partnership and deliver long-term benefits for the Ngarlawangga People, building on a 2011 Participation Agreement with a jointly designed co-management approach.
UST completes majority takeover of Italdesign from Audi
US technology company UST has completed its purchase of a majority stake in Italian design and engineering firm Italdesign from Audi Group, part of Germany's Volkswagen. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, was signed in December 2025. Following completion, UST now has majority control and operational oversight of Italdesign, which employs more than 1,300 people across ten sites worldwide. UST, headquartered in California, plans to back Italdesign's growth across its international footprint spanning over 30 countries. Lamborghini, Audi's performance-vehicle arm and formerly Italdesign's parent, retains a significant stake and remains within the Audi Group, while Audi will continue to work with Italdesign as a client and strategic partner. The combined offering will span from concept and design to hardware and software development and production systems, leveraging UST's expertise in digital engineering, AI, and technology transformation.
USA Rare Earth (NASDAQ: USAR) stock recorded strong double-digit gains in August, with its share price climbing 19.2% according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, outperforming the S&P 500's 2.6% rise and the Nasdaq Composite's 3.9% gain. The surge was driven by the company's announcement on August 24 of the finalization of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) deal with the U.S. Department of War, which included a $750 million direct investment, a $500 million debt facility, and a five-year purchasing contract worth at least $300 million, all contingent on the completion of the Serra Verde acquisition. The company's second-quarter results, reported on August 10, showed an adjusted loss of $0.15 per share on sales of $5.82 million, missing Wall Street expectations, but the SPV news overshadowed that disappointment. On September 4, USA Rare Earth completed its roughly $2.8 billion acquisition of Serra Verde, a Brazilian rare-earth mining specialist, which is expected to generate annualized EBITDA by the end of 2027 and contribute to a combined EBITDA of roughly $1.8 billion by 2030.
Sigma Lithium Shares Fall After Court Halts Grota do Cirilo
Sigma Lithium shares fell nearly 12.0% in premarket trading after a Brazilian federal court ordered the suspension of environmental permits and mining operations at its Grota do Cirilo complex in Minas Gerais. The injunction, issued by Judge Antonio Lucio Tulio de Oliveira Barbosa, stems from a civil lawsuit by the Federation of Quilombola Communities of Minas Gerais, which argues that the mine lies within an 8-kilometre consultation zone for the Baú Quilombola Community. The court also barred state regulators from issuing new permits and nullified an August agreement that had allowed operations to resume after a July embargo. This marks the third operational halt at Grota do Cirilo in four months, and since it is Sigma's only producing mine with a nameplate capacity of about 330,000 tonnes of lithium oxide concentrate annually, the suspension directly impacts production. The company's shares fell during a broader market decline, with the S&P 500 down 0.3%, the Dow Jones down 0.8%, and the Nasdaq down 0.1%.
American Eagle Closes Top-Up Investment from South32
American Eagle Gold Corp. has closed its top-up investment from South32 Limited, issuing 660,000 common shares at C$1.09 per share for gross proceeds of C$719,400. The shares were issued under South32's top-up right to maintain its 19.9% equity interest, and following the offering, South32 holds 40,991,069 shares, representing approximately 19.9% of the company's issued shares. Proceeds will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes. The offering received conditional acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange and remains subject to final acceptance, with shares subject to a statutory hold period expiring four months and one day from closing.
China Orders Steel Mills to Slow Rio Tinto Ore Purchases, Pressuring Contract Talks
Bloomberg News reported, citing insiders, that China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG), a state-owned iron ore purchasing entity, has instructed domestic steel mills to delay purchases of Pilbara Blend iron ore from Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, as sales contract agreements are at a critical juncture. The directive prohibits mills from opening negotiations with Rio Tinto at this time, and no details of contract terms or negotiation timelines have been disclosed. CMRG was established in 2022 to centralize China's iron ore purchasing power and enhance bargaining power over upstream raw material prices as the world's largest consumer. This suspension of orders is thus aimed at directly pressuring Rio Tinto, which last year relied on the Chinese market for nearly 60% of its total revenue. This standoff mirrors situations with other Australian miners, as BHP Group recently reached a one-year contract agreement (effective until June 2027) with CMRG after prolonged negotiations, which included accepting more yuan-denominated payment terms. Fortescue also saw reduced sales to China during its negotiations with CMRG. On the same day, Rio Tinto reached an agreement to acquire the Arakun bauxite mining project on Cape York Peninsula in Queensland from Glencore and Mitsubishi Development, with the transaction value undisclosed. The project is still in development and has not yet received a mining lease, and requires approval from the Queensland state government and Australian regulators. While the Arakun project would bolster Rio Tinto's long-term bauxite reserves near its existing operations, the company's immediate priority remains accelerating a deal with China's government purchasing agent.
Rio Tinto to Acquire Aurukun Bauxite Project from Glencore and Mitsubishi
Rio Tinto has agreed to acquire the Aurukun bauxite project in Australia's northeast from Glencore and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd., according to a statement from the global miner. The acquisition price is undisclosed and remains subject to relevant Queensland Government and other Australian regulatory approvals. Under the plans advanced by Glencore and Mitsubishi, the project would produce up to 15 million tonnes per annum of run-of-mine bauxite ore, which would equate to up to 8 million dry tonnes per annum of product bauxite for export.
Brazilian judge suspends Sigma Lithium mine licences and operations
A Brazilian judge has ordered the suspension of mining operations and environmental licences at Sigma Lithium's Grota do Cirilo mine in Minas Gerais, following a civil lawsuit by the Federation of Quilombola Communities of Minas Gerais. The court found sufficient evidence that the Bau Quilombola Community, a protected traditional community, falls within the mine's direct area of influence, triggering requirements for free, prior and informed consultation. The judge cited risks from blasting and earth-moving operations located a few kilometres from the Bau territory, which is about 2.7km from the mine's directly affected area, within the 8km threshold requiring more extensive licensing. The ruling suspends all current environmental licences, prevents the state from issuing new ones, and sets a fine if operations continue. Grota do Cirilo is Sigma's only active mine, with a nameplate capacity of 330,000 tonnes per annum of lithium oxide concentrate; phase one, which began in 2023, produces 270,000tpa, and a second phase under construction aims to nearly double output.
JCHX Mining Management Board Unanimously Approves H-Share Issuance and Main Board Listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
JCHX Mining Management Company Limited, stock code 603979.SH, convened the fifth meeting of its sixth board of directors on September 7, 2026, and unanimously approved the proposal to issue overseas listed foreign shares, or H shares, and list on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company intends to use this offering to meet business development needs, strengthen its capital base, and enhance overall competitiveness. The issuance and listing remain subject to filing or approval by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, as well as review by the company's shareholders' meeting.