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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.
The global copper market in 2026 is navigating a complex convergence of structural supply constraints, aggressive trade policy maneuvers, and an unprecedented demand shock driven by…
Mining ESG compliance 2026 has officially crossed the threshold from voluntary corporate social responsibility to mandatory, audit-grade financial reporting. For decades, sustainability disclosures across the global…
Gold exploration and development activity in Western Australia. Photo: Skillings editorial image. Byline: Mo Shine Mining M&A deals in 2026 are showing how quickly strategic value…
Mining ESG compliance 2026 is moving beyond sustainability reporting. Across major mining jurisdictions, environmental, social and governance controls are becoming conditions for permitting, construction, production, market…
Autonomous mining technology 2026 has crossed a critical threshold, transitioning from isolated proof-of-concept trials into the foundational architecture of global mineral extraction. For over a decade,…
An autonomous robot performs hazardous blasting-related work on an open-pit mine bench. Autonomous mining technology is moving from driverless truck demonstrations to coordinated, mine-wide operating systems.…
The architecture of global resource security is undergoing its most aggressive structural realignment in decades. Across Washington and allied capitals, policymakers are confronting a stark operational…
Rare earth processing equipment at a US industrial mill. The US critical minerals supply chain is moving from broad policy commitments toward a more demanding test:…
Copper mine and processing infrastructure in a large-scale operating region. Byline: Penny Langford Copper has entered the second half of 2026 with a market structure that…
An iron ore lake freighter loads at a Great Lakes industrial terminal. Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes rose slightly in July from a year…
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