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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 battery supply chain is facing an unforeseen "invisible" bottleneck that is rapidly redrawing the cost curves for critical minerals. While much of the industry’s…
For decades, silver has operated under the shadow of its more expensive sibling, gold. While gold remains the ultimate sovereign reserve asset, the silver market is…
Subhead: A mid-year briefing on capital discipline, policy risk, and the commodity signals that matter most to operators, investors, and decision-makers. Macro Summary: Investment trends and…
The global mining sector is currently navigating a paradox. While the demand for critical minerals: copper, lithium, and uranium: is forecasted to reach unprecedented levels by…
The global mining sector enters the second half of 2026 facing a paradox: commodity demand forecasts for the energy transition remain at historic highs, yet a…
Market Valuations, The Royalty Pivot, and the Nuclear-Copper Nexus Macro Summary The global mining sector is navigating a period of profound structural realignment. As we move…
JOHANNESBURG : Petra Diamonds has announced the immediate closure of its Finsch diamond mine in South Africa, placing the asset into a formal "business rescue" process…
The global mining industry has reached a critical inflection point in 2026. What was once the exclusive domain of Tier-1 majors in the Pilbara or the…
The gold mining sector enters mid-2026 in a state of unprecedented paradox. While spot gold prices have consistently tested the $4,500/oz threshold: driven by central bank…
The uranium sector has transitioned from a decade of post-Fukushima stagnation into a structural bull market defined by scarcity. As we enter 2026, the narrative has…
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