Republic of Mining

Blood minerals in DR Congo – by Harriet Marsden (The Week – January 28, 2025)

January 30, 2025

Battle for control of central African nation fuelled by increasing demand for minerals crucial in manufacture of smartphones and laptops

“The source of misery for the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo lies in the vast natural treasures beneath their feet,” said The Times. The region boasts a “dizzying array” of riches, such as gold and diamonds, but the “most coveted are the lesser known”: coltan, cobalt and other minerals “crucial in the production of laptops and smartphones”.

It is “no coincidence” that violence has increased alongside consumer demand for tech. But while the slogan “blood diamonds” helped to ease conflicts elsewhere in Africa, a “similarly murderous hunt for smart-tech minerals” has only intensified in the DRC, displacing seven million and “condemning a region to perpetual chaos”.

Saudi Arabia of lithium: The future of mining in Afghanistan and Pakistan – by Gordon Feller (Canadian Mining Journal – December 19, 2024)

January 30, 2025

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

Afghanistan and Pakistan possess significant mineral resources that have attracted China’s interest. This fact has shaped what China does to grow its broader economic and geopolitical strategy in the region. This article provides a short survey, for both countries, of the mineral deposits, current mining production, and China’s efforts to increase its influence.

Afghanistan’s mineral resources

Afghanistan is estimated to have mineral deposits worth up to US$1 trillion, including vast reserves of copper, iron, gold, lithium, and rare earth elements. Some of the key mineral resources include the following:

Cameco hopes to repeat its 2018 success in fending off Trump uranium tariffs as threat looms once more – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – January 28, 2025)

January 30, 2025

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Canada’s Cameco Corp. fought off U.S. tariffs on uranium during President Donald Trump’s first term and it hopes to do so again as the global uranium heavyweight pushes for cooler heads to prevail in Washington.

After he was elected for a second term last fall, Mr. Trump said he was planning to impose 25-per-cent tariffs on all imports of Canadian goods. On the day he was inaugurated, he said those tariffs could take effect on Saturday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday confirmed that Mr. Trump’s Saturday timeline for tariffs against Canada is still in the cards.

‘World’s largest undeveloped gold mine’ faces legal challenges from Canada and Alaska tribal nations – by Jack Darrell (Alaska Public Media – January 28, 2025)

January 30, 2025

https://alaskapublic.org/

A major Canadian mining prospect upstream from Southeast Alaska is drawing legal challenges from both sides of the border, as tribal groups fear the project could pollute their ancestral waterways.

At the river’s mouth

The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission, or SEITC, is worried about the region’s rivers. The commission represents 15 Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian nations that came together because they believe mining in British Columbia poses a threat to their spawning salmon and hooligan habitats, like the Unuk and Stikine Rivers.

Water for Food voices concerns over coal mining’s impact on ag sector – by Alexandra Noad (Lethbridge Herald – January 30, 2025)

January 30, 2025

https://lethbridgeherald.com/

Southern Alberta is known for its vast farmland, which contributes billions of dollars to the economy and Chris Spearman fears the proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Mine will negatively impact the agri-food sector and southern Alberta.

Spearman, former Lethbridge mayor and a spokesman for the group Water For Food, says he was alarmed at the Dec. 20 announcement and is wondering why the Albertan government would jeopardize the economy for a project that has a limited life span.

M23 rebels in Goma: gains to boost illicit mineral trade through Rwanda, analysts say – by Sonia Rolley and Felix Njini (Reuters – January 28, 2025)

January 30, 2025

https://www.reuters.com/

Jan 28 (Reuters) – A lightning advance in Congo’s mineral-rich eastern borderlands is set to boost the M23 rebellion’s illegal mining revenues, with analysts predicting a further surge in illicit trade in minerals including coltan and gold through neighbouring Rwanda.

The Rwanda-backed insurgency entered Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest city, this week, marking a major turning point in a conflict with government forces that has raised fears of a spillover into a broader regional war.

‘These divide-and-conquer tactics are destroying us’: Matawa First Nations reflect on Doug Ford’s Ring of Fire legacy – by Jon Thompson (Ricochet Media – January 29, 2025)

January 30, 2025

Front

The same day Premier Doug Ford called an early election, his government announced it had reached a $20-million deal with Aroland First Nation that will, “build roads along the entire route to the Ring of Fire.”

The Shared Prosperity Agreement includes $20 million for infrastructure and new energy transmission projects in Aroland. Ontario promises to upgrade existing roads to the community, located 60 kilometres north of Geraldton, and build a road from Aroland northward to Marten Falls First Nation. Ontario also made a vague commitment to support Aroland in vying for a smelter, and it intends to meet further over potential resource-benefit sharing.

First Nation in Ontario signs $20M Ring of Fire deal – by Karyn Pugliese (APTN News – January 28, 2025)

January 28, 2025

Home

Aroland First Nation has signed a deal worth more than $20 million to develop the Ring of Fire, with the money set for community infrastructure projects related to mineral development, business development and community wellness. “Our line is pro-development,” said Chief Sonny Gagnon. “We have an opportunity with my community to attain the skills that we need to be self-sustaining, to get off government funding.”

Nestled in the remote expanse of the James Bay Lowlands, the Ring of Fire is a mineral-rich region, with long-term potential to produce chromite, cobalt, nickel, copper and platinum, critical to Ontario’s expansion into new economic development.

Stay on schedule, show some cash, says Ring of Fire miner and province to Ottawa – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – January 27, 2025)

January 28, 2025

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Province still waiting on feds for matching $1-billion infrastructure commitment as regional study begins

The launch of a federal Regional Assessment of the Ring of Fire has the backing of the region’s leading mine developer and a government in Queen’s Park that’s bullish on resource extraction.

But Wyloo Canada and Ontario’s mines ministry want the assessment process to stay on schedule and expect Ottawa to show a real financial commitment toward development. The Regional Assessment has moved at a snail’s pace since former federal environment minister Jonathan Wilkinson first called for one in February 2020.

NEWS RELEASE: Ontario and Aroland First Nation Sign Historic Agreement Connecting Roads to the Ring of Fire (January 28, 2025)

January 28, 2025

For first time in Province’s history, agreements in place to build roads along the entire route to the Ring of Fire

TORONTO — Today, Premier Doug Ford, Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, and Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon signed a Shared Prosperity Agreement to drive economic growth and build and upgrade infrastructure in Northern Ontario.

This agreement includes support for upgrades to Anaconda and Painter Lake Roads, which are important connections on the road to the Ring of Fire, as well as major new investments in infrastructure and energy transmission in the region. It also builds upon agreements that are in place with other First Nations partners along the entire proposed length of the roads to the Ring of Fire and helps set the stage for further potential partnerships.

Winsome Resources begins permitting for Adina lithium project in northern Quebec – by Staff (Canadian Mining Journal – January 27, 2025)

January 28, 2025

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

Australia-based Winsome Resources (ASX: WR1) – a lithium exploration and development company – has submitted the preliminary information statement for its Adina Lithium Mining project with the proper provincial authorities that oversee mining project developments located in self-governing Indigenous communities in Northern Quebec that are signatories to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA).

Winsome’s filing represents a milestone as it formally commences the provincial regulatory process in the James Bay region associated with permitting the proposed mine at Adina, as well as the proposed modifications to the Renard operation. Indigenous communities in the region refer to the James Bay region as Eeyou Istchee.

Trump’s EV Policy Reversal Threatens Indonesia’s Nickel Industry and Green Energy Transition (Jakarta Globe – January 28, 2025)

January 28, 2025

https://jakartaglobe.id/

Jakarta. A recent executive order by US President Donald Trump rolling back electric vehicle (EV) mandates is likely to disrupt Indonesia’s burgeoning EV ecosystem, according to the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios). The policy could significantly impact demand for critical minerals, foreign investment, and global financing for green energy projects, while strengthening China’s grip on Indonesia’s nickel downstream industry.

Bhima Yudhistira, Executive Director of Celios, said reduced global demand for EV batteries could pressure prices for commodities such as nickel, copper, and bauxite—key components in EV manufacturing.

Uranium price falls as DeepSeek disrupts tech – by Blair McBride (Northern Miner – January 28, 2025)

January 28, 2025

Global mining news

Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek is making a splash in the tech world with downloads surpassing ChatGPT’s, pushing major tech stocks down, while prices of uranium – which could help power the AI revolution – declined 5% Monday night.

The AI chatbot DeepSeek, founded by tech entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng, has rocketed to the top of iPhone’s app downloads list, ahead of ChatGPT, Threads and Google. The chatbot has achieved that even though its AI model, known as R1, was made with leaner resources than other comparable programs. Top AI firms reportedly train their models with supercomputers using as many as 16,000 integrated circuits, while DeepSeek uses only around 2,000 chips from Nvidia’s (NASDAQ: NVDA) H800 series.

De Beers Kept Prices Steady. Now What? – by Joshua Freedman (Rapaport Magazine – January 27, 2025)

January 28, 2025

New Home

The miner faces competing pressures as the focus shifts to negotiations with Botswana.

The news at last week’s De Beers sight was what soccer fans might call “off the pitch.” The sale itself was uneventful. The miner left rough prices unchanged at the first cycle of the year after December’s sharp reductions. It allowed 20% buybacks for all goods — a mechanism that lets sightholders sell the least profitable stones back to the company. Demand was weak, with sales value expected to be low.

But the question on sightholders’ lips was what would happen next. One of the main reasons for the low sales was De Beers’ high prices. The miner’s rough remains significantly more expensive than the tender and auction market.

Nevada’s Lithium Could Help Save the Earth. But What Happens to Nevada? – by Meg Bernhard (New York Times – January 24, 2025)

January 28, 2025

https://www.nytimes.com/

Many climate experts see its deserts as a place to build the green-energy future. For two local activists, the price is too great.

Few Americans follow the nation’s lithium-mining industry as closely as Patrick Donnelly. Since 2021, he has set up 30 or so Google Alerts for variations on the word “lithium,” and he uses the findings to populate an online map of projects across the West. It is so useful that one industry insider has referred to it as “an investor’s handbook.”

This is paradoxical: Donnelly, who works at an environmental nonprofit called the Center for Biological Diversity, is one of the industry’s most vigilant watchdogs. The true spirit of his monitoring and mapping efforts comes through in a Twitter exchange he had with one mining firm, Rover Critical Minerals, a few years ago.