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Charles Pitts is the publisher of Skillings Mining Review, the trade journal that has covered mining since 1912. He writes on the macro forces behind metal prices: commodity cycles, sovereign capital and the shifting sources of demand. His current work argues that hyperscale AI, and the gigawatt-scale power its data centres need, is becoming a buyer of lithium and copper in its own right, competing with the automotive supply chain for tier-one reserves.
China’s lithium carbonate futures fell sharply after a revised inventory estimate more than doubled reported stocks, prompting traders to reassess supply, demand and the reliability of…
Gold bullion stored inside an industrial refinery vault. The U.S. Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday, lifting the federal…
At least 60 artisanal gold miners were killed after interconnected shafts collapsed at a mine in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, survivors and monitoring groups said, with…
Nickel Industries’ Excelsior project is being developed in Central Sulawesi’s Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. Nickel Industries has halted the ramp-up of its Excelsior Nickel Cobalt facility…
Copper busbars used in power infrastructure. Copper’s move toward $14,000 per tonne is testing whether supply relief expected in 2026 can keep pace with demand from…
The lithium market is entering 2026 with a more complicated balance sheet than headline supply-and-demand figures suggest. Reported inventories have risen sharply after methodology changes in…
Gold near $4,300 an ounce and silver around $63 have strengthened mine economics, but higher rates, a firm dollar, rising operating costs and long project timelines…
An arid mineral exploration site representing the geological setting of Saudi Arabia’s Madinah region. Saudi Arabia has reported an estimated 110 million tonnes of uranium-bearing ore…
Brazilian mining tailings and waste-rock facilities with visible containment, drainage and monitoring infrastructure. For mining companies, ESG compliance in 2026 is becoming less about broad commitments…
Autonomous mining technology is moving beyond pilot fleets, but the electric-haulage story requires more precision than headline deployment numbers suggest. EACON Mining Technology says its autonomous…
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