BHP’s relationship with its Western Australian nickel operations has been something of an on-and-off affair. In 2014, Melbourne-based BHP excluded Nickel West from its South32 spin-off, created to house the company’s non-core assets. Today South32 is worth $9.5 billion, 50% more than on its debut, and senior management in Perth may well feel that in […]
Battery Metals
Gold bulls delight in Jackson Hole as Powell juices price rally
Gold’s record-setting rally above $2,500 an ounce looks to have further to run as the Federal Reserve prepares to chop rates, traditional drivers such as lower yields return, and Western investors pile back in. “Everybody thought the Fed was going to be the last to cut, but now they’re getting in line,” said Jay Hatfield, […]
Global refined copper surplus swells in first half of 2024 — report
The world’s surplus of refined copper quadrupled in the first half of 2024 compared to a year ago following a growth in production and recovery in mine output, preliminary data from the International Copper Study Group (ICSG) shows. According to the group’s August 2024 bulletin, global mine production grew 3.1% during the January-June period, benefiting a […]
Lundin copper miners accept new offer, ending Chile strike
Lundin Mining Corp. workers in Chile accepted a new wage proposal in voting Saturday, spelling the end of an almost two-week strike that had disrupted production. About 90% of members of one of three unions at the Caserones mine voted in favor of the new three-year contract after the two negotiating teams reached a preliminary […]
Hedge funds boost bullish wagers on gold to four-year high
Money managers’ bullish wagers on gold jumped to the highest in more than four years on expectations for earlier, deeper monetary easing by the Federal Reserve to bolster the economy. Hedge funds and other large speculators boosted net-long positions by 7.8% to 236,749 as of Aug. 20, the highest since early 2020, weekly US government […]
US inks critical minerals cooperation deal with Argentina
United States and Argentina have signed an agreement that aims to strengthen their cooperation regarding critical minerals, the US State Department said on Thursday, following a signing ceremony in Buenos Aires. “The Memorandum (of Understanding) sets the direction for further collaboration in critical mineral resource sector governance, investment, and global supply chain security,” it said […]
Researchers make game-changing battery discovery with potential to revolutionize modern technology: ‘This type of fundamental research is important’
The batteries that power our electronics may be getting a powerful glow-up after researchers made a game-changing discovery to prevent deterioration in metal cells. In July, Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology announced that its breakthrough with metal electrodes could pave the way for electric cars with longer ranges and even more electric aircraft. Currently, lithium-ion […]
Want to capitalize on all-time high gold price? You could be in business by 2040!
The gold price set a fresh all-time peak at the open on Monday, hitting an intra-day high of $2,549.90 an ounce in Chicago. The precious metal has gained more than 20% year to date with the latest gap up coming on the back of bad-news-is-good-news news from the US last week. Sign Up for the […]
US gives Electra $20 million to build cobalt plant
Canada’s Electra Battery Materials Corp. has received a $20 million award from the US government to build a cobalt plant close to North America’s automotive heartland. The funds will support construction of a cobalt sulfate facility in Ontario that will be North America’s only refinery for the material used in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, […]
World’s biggest steel producer warns of ‘severe’ industry crisis
The world’s biggest steel producer sounded the alarm about an industry crisis in China that carries the potential to ripple around the globe and plunge the sector into a deeper downturn. Conditions in China’s steel sector are like a “harsh winter” that will be “longer, colder and more difficult to endure than we expected,” China […]
