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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.
Copper has moved to a record intraday level near US$14,533 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange, while gold and silver have weakened as stronger August…
Indonesia’s decision to cut its 2026 nickel ore quota to roughly 260 million to 270 million wet metric tonnes has tightened a market that many analysts…
Silver enters a rate-hike test near $65–$66 an ounce while the physical market remains in a sixth consecutive annual deficit. Silver’s 2026 outlook is being pulled…
The Nevada Gold Mines settlement brings Fourmile, Fiberline and Mike into a single joint-venture structure. The latest mining M&A deals 2026 provide a clear view of…
Grota do Cirilo has become a test of how Brazil balances critical-minerals development with community consultation and environmental safeguards. A Brazilian federal judge’s order suspending environmental…
An exploration drill rig works across Nevada’s arid Carlin Trend. A US$23.15 million transaction between Ridgeline Minerals and Nevada Gold Mines shows how a junior explorer…
USA Rare Earth’s planned acquisition of Brazil’s Serra Verde is more than a mining transaction. It is an attempt to connect a non-Asian rare-earth resource with…
Arizona copper operations increasingly depend on the design, cost and durability of their water systems. Arizona’s copper expansion is entering a more demanding phase in 2026.…
Albemarle has named BHP executive Ragnar “Rag” Udd as its next president and chief executive officer, placing a mining operator with experience across copper, potash, logistics…
Pilbara iron ore operation in Western Australia. China Baowu Steel Group is exploring an investment in a minority stake of between 15% and 25% in BHP’s…
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