MINEX Forum

Website: Europe.com

  • EU Unveils New Raw-Materials Security Doctrine to Cut Foreign Dependence

    EU Unveils New Raw-Materials Security Doctrine to Cut Foreign Dependence

    The European Union has unveiled a new raw-materials security doctrine that marks a significant shift in its industrial and geopolitical strategy, moving from high-level policy guidance to execution-focused industrial governance.

    The doctrine sets quantified targets to reduce Europe’s reliance on foreign raw-material supplies by 50% within the next decade, acknowledging that full self-sufficiency is unrealistic but stressing the need for redundancy, diversification and domestic capacity. The strategy prioritises critical and strategic materials across extraction, processing and recycling, aligning Europe more closely with approaches taken by the United States and parts of Asia, while accounting for Europe’s stricter environmental and permitting frameworks.

    A central pillar of the doctrine is the recognition that Europe’s main vulnerability lies not only in limited mining, but in weak midstream capabilities. Insufficient refining, metallurgical transformation and component production have left European industry exposed to supply disruptions. The new approach seeks to strengthen these segments through financial incentives for processing plants, expanded recycling infrastructure and the creation of coordinated industrial clusters spanning automotive, aerospace, energy and defence sectors.

    Implementation speed is expected to be decisive. EU institutions acknowledge that lengthy permitting processes, local opposition and regulatory complexity have historically delayed strategic projects. To meet the doctrine’s ambitions, Brussels is expected to prioritise critical-project designation, streamline approvals and deploy stronger investment de-risking tools to accelerate development timelines.

    The doctrine underscores a broader shift in EU thinking, framing raw materials as a frontline industrial and security issue rather than a background commodity concern. By reinforcing domestic processing, recycling and midstream integration, the EU aims to position itself as a more resilient and competitive hub for strategic materials amid an increasingly contested global resource landscape.

  • REsourceEU Puts Europe’s Critical Minerals Strategy Into Action With Early Molybdenum and Lithium Backing

    REsourceEU Puts Europe’s Critical Minerals Strategy Into Action With Early Molybdenum and Lithium Backing

    Europe’s newly launched €3-billion REsourceEU funding package marks a decisive shift in the continent’s approach to securing resilient, competitive supply chains for critical and strategic raw materials. The first wave of support targets a select group of molybdenum and lithium projects, signalling that Brussels is moving beyond policy blueprints toward tangible industrial capacity.

    As reported by euromining.news, these early selections demonstrate that the EU’s critical raw materials agenda is entering an execution phase, focused on easing bottlenecks in alloy production, battery manufacturing and clean-technology deployment.

    Molybdenum moves into the strategic spotlight
    While it attracts far less attention than battery metals, molybdenum is essential to Europe’s industrial backbone. As a key alloying element in high-performance steels, it underpins defence manufacturing, energy infrastructure, petrochemicals and advanced engineering.

    Europe’s heavy reliance on imported molybdenum leaves these sectors exposed to geopolitical risk and price volatility. By prioritising European molybdenum projects under REsourceEU, the Commission is acknowledging that strategic vulnerability extends well beyond lithium and rare earths. Industrial resilience depends on securing the full spectrum of critical alloying materials that modern manufacturing requires.

    Lithium funding reinforces battery-chain ambitions
    Lithium remains central to Europe’s push to build a competitive battery ecosystem. Conversion plants across Germany, France, Portugal and the Nordic region are racing to scale production of battery-grade lithium chemicals, aiming to establish domestic midstream hubs in a market still dominated by fragmented and geopolitically sensitive global supply chains.

    REsourceEU funding is expected to reduce financing risk, unlock delayed investments and accelerate project timelines. This support is arriving at a critical moment, as European gigafactory capacity expands rapidly and automakers seek stable, low-carbon lithium supply.

    From policy vision to industrial reality
    The broader ambition of REsourceEU is to translate Europe’s raw-materials strategy into operational infrastructure. As highlighted in recent euromining.news analysis, long-term industrial competitiveness now hinges on secure, diversified and environmentally responsible material flows.

    By backing early leaders in molybdenum and lithium development, the EU is sending a clear signal: Europe intends to anchor strategic materials production at home rather than rely on volatile external suppliers. The challenge now lies in delivery. Projects must still overcome permitting hurdles, secure long-term offtake agreements and reach commercial scale.

    As construction advances and policy support deepens, euromining.news will continue to track both progress and remaining gaps to assess whether Europe’s strategic-materials ambitions translate into lasting industrial strength.

  • EU Reaches Provisional Deal to Strengthen Foreign Investment Screening Rules

    EU Reaches Provisional Deal to Strengthen Foreign Investment Screening Rules

    The Council of the European Union and representatives of the European Parliament have reached a provisional political agreement to revise the EU’s foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regulation, reinforcing the bloc’s ability to identify and mitigate security and public-order risks linked to foreign investments.

    The updated framework builds on the existing FDI screening system introduced in 2020 and responds to growing geopolitical, technological and supply-chain vulnerabilities. Under the agreement, all EU member states will be required to operate national screening mechanisms with a common minimum scope, ensuring that sensitive investments are assessed consistently across the bloc. Foreign investments made through EU-based subsidiaries will also fall within scope.

    The revised rules target a clearly defined set of sensitive sectors, including dual-use and military items, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors, critical raw materials, energy, transport and digital infrastructure, as well as key elements of electoral and financial market infrastructure. The aim is to harmonise approaches, reduce fragmentation between national regimes and lower administrative burdens for investors, while safeguarding cross-border security interests.

    While cooperation between member states and the European Commission will be strengthened, final decisions on whether to approve, condition or block an investment will remain the exclusive responsibility of the host member state. Where comments or opinions are issued by other member states or the Commission, the host country will be required to explain how these were taken into account.

    Operational improvements include plans for a shared EU database to prevent circumvention of screening rules, an optional single electronic filing portal for investors if requested by at least nine member states, and clearer risk assessment criteria.

    Denmark’s Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Morten Bødskov said the agreement strikes a balance between security and openness, focusing on the most sensitive technologies and infrastructure while keeping Europe attractive to global investors.

    The provisional deal now requires formal endorsement by both the Council and the European Parliament. Once adopted, the revised regulation will apply 18 months after its entry into force.

  • Critical Metals Corp and Romania’s FPCU Form 50:50 JV to Build EU Rare Earth Processing Hub Linked to Tanbreez

    Critical Metals Corp and Romania’s FPCU Form 50:50 JV to Build EU Rare Earth Processing Hub Linked to Tanbreez

    Critical Metals Corp. (Nasdaq: CRML) has executed a term sheet to establish a 50:50 joint venture with Romania’s state-owned Fabrica de Prelucrare a Concentratelor de Uraniu (FPCU), marking a major step toward creating a fully integrated, Western-aligned rare earth supply chain spanning mine to processing.

    Under the agreement, the JV will secure long-term offtake rights to 50% of Tanbreez’s rare earth concentrate production and advance plans to develop a state-of-the-art rare earth processing facility in Romania. The project is designed to supply European industries and defence sectors while reducing reliance on China, which currently controls more than 80% of global rare earth processing capacity.

    The JV structure is notable in that CRML will not issue debt or equity to fund the facility. The company will retain its 50% stake on a carried-interest basis, with no capital expenditure obligations related to construction. The plant is expected to produce a range of high-value outputs, including aerospace- and military-grade rare earth magnets.

    With this agreement, CRML will have 75% of Tanbreez’s future production committed under long-term offtake agreements with allied partners, following earlier deals allocating 10% to UCORE and 15% to ReAlloys. Once mining at Tanbreez is commissioned, CRML will supply half of the project’s concentrate to the Romanian JV for the full life of mine on competitive market terms.

    The partners will now work to finalise the technical and commercial framework for the JV, overseen by a dedicated development committee responsible for plant design, development strategy and commercialisation of processed products. Both CRML and the Romanian government plan to apply for funding under the EU’s recently announced €3.5-billion critical raw materials support package.

    CRML also confirmed it is updating its feasibility study to reflect a redesigned processing flowsheet at Tanbreez. The company is targeting an increase in concentrate grade from 2.2–2.5% to above 3% TREO, which is expected to improve mine-to-metal economics and downstream product quality. An updated feasibility study and revised timelines are expected by Q1 2026.

  • Strickland Metals Delivers 1.2Moz Maiden Gold Resource at Gradina, Lifting Rogozna Project Scale

    Strickland Metals Delivers 1.2Moz Maiden Gold Resource at Gradina, Lifting Rogozna Project Scale

    Strickland Metals has announced a maiden mineral resource estimate of 1.2 million ounces of gold at its Gradina deposit, significantly enhancing the scale and quality of the broader Rogozna project. The resource carries an average grade of 3.0 g/t gold, a level the company says materially upgrades the overall inventory and underscores the high-grade nature of the discovery.

    The maiden resource was delivered at a discovery cost of just US$10 per ounce, representing a strong return on exploration investment. Managing director Paul L’Herpiniere described the result as outstanding, noting that recent drilling returned multiple high-grade, gold-dominant intercepts along the length of the deposit.

    Gradina’s geometry and grade profile make it well suited to long-hole open stoping, a low-cost underground mining method that uses gravity-assisted ore extraction. The deposit hosts an estimated 3,100 ounces of gold per vertical metre, supporting efficient underground development. Potential access via adits from the eastern flank of the project could further simplify mining and ore haulage.

    The resource has already been optimised using an underground mining model based on a US$2,500/oz gold price and a 1.5 g/t cut-off grade, leaving a wide margin at current gold prices, which are trading above US$4,200/oz.

    Mineralisation at Gradina remains open in all directions. Strickland plans further drilling in several priority areas, including a 10 m to 23 m-wide gap zone between two major resource blocks that has seen little or no testing to date. Additional drilling will also target extensions to the north, south and at depth, where mineralisation remains open over an 800 m strike length.

    Drilling continues across the Rogozna project, with two rigs currently focused on the gap zone and three additional rigs testing regional targets. The company’s next milestone is a resource update for its flagship Shanac deposit, expected early next year.

    Strickland remains well funded, reporting $41.8 million in cash and liquid assets at the end of September, providing ample runway to advance exploration and resource development through the coming year.

  • Savannah Resources Highlights Barroso Community as Heart of Europe’s Energy Transition

    Savannah Resources Highlights Barroso Community as Heart of Europe’s Energy Transition

    Savannah Resources has launched a new public messaging initiative framing Portugal’s Barroso region as central to Europe’s clean-energy future, emphasising cultural heritage and community participation as the company advances its controversial lithium project.

    In the campaign titled “The EU’s Energy Independence Starts in Barroso,” the company positions the region not just as a mining location, but as a living cultural landscape shaped by generations of agricultural tradition and collective resilience. Savannah says it aims to integrate the Barroso Lithium Project into this heritage by developing it “responsibly” and ensuring local communities see tangible long-term benefits.

    The company argues that Barroso’s identity, communal strength and deep connection to the land form the foundation of what it calls “The Energy of Barroso.” This concept draws on shared values — mutual support, tradition, and the hope of retaining younger generations — which Savannah says align with Europe’s push toward a more sustainable and independent energy system.

    According to the company, lithium produced in Barroso will contribute to the EU’s ambition of reducing dependence on imported critical minerals and speeding up the green transition. Savannah stresses that the project, once operational, will supply material for millions of European electric vehicles and support regional development.

    The initiative invites the public to follow upcoming stories and updates that showcase community voices and outline how the project is intended to blend cultural preservation with modern industrial progress.

  • GreenRoc Wins 30-Year Licence to Develop High-Grade Amitsoq Graphite Mine in Greenland

    GreenRoc Wins 30-Year Licence to Develop High-Grade Amitsoq Graphite Mine in Greenland

    GreenRoc Mining Plc has secured a 30-year exploitation licence for its Amitsoq graphite project in southern Greenland, clearing a major hurdle on the path to production. The approval, signed by Greenland’s Minister for Business and Mineral Resources Naaja Nathanielsen, marks the third long-term mining permit issued by the territory this year as it seeks to attract responsible investment while managing environmental and community concerns.

    CEO Stefan Bernstein called the licence a “very important milestone” for the company, underscoring the strategic role of graphite in the global energy transition and Europe’s need to establish secure supply chains. GreenRoc’s shares surged as much as 19% on the news, giving the explorer a market value of about £7.5 million.

    Amitsoq, located in the Nanortalik region, hosts one of the world’s highest-grade graphite deposits with a JORC resource of 23 million tonnes at 20.41% graphitic carbon, containing an estimated 4.71 million tonnes of graphite. The site includes a historic mine last operated in 1922. GreenRoc plans to fast-track development and expects annual production of about 80 000 tonnes of graphite concentrate once the mine is operational.

    Earlier this year, the project received “strategic” designation from the European Union for its potential to become a key supplier of graphite, now recognised as a critical raw material. Greenland’s mining sector, long constrained by strict regulations and limited financing, has seen momentum building amid renewed US and European interest in the Arctic territory’s natural resources. In October, GreenRoc secured a €5.2-million loan from Denmark’s export credit agency to support Amitsoq’s advancement.

    Alongside the graphite project, the company also holds ilmenite and iron assets in Greenland, positioning it as a growing player in the region’s critical minerals landscape.

  • Critical Metals Corp Strikes 50:50 JV with Romania’s FPCU to Build EU Rare Earth Processing Hub

    Critical Metals Corp Strikes 50:50 JV with Romania’s FPCU to Build EU Rare Earth Processing Hub

    European Lithium’s US-listed subsidiary, Critical Metals Corp (CRML), has signed a term sheet to form a 50:50 joint venture with Fabrica de Prelucrare a Concentratelor de Uraniu (FPCU), Romania’s state-owned strategic processor of mineral concentrates. The agreement marks one of Europe’s most significant moves yet to establish a Western-aligned rare earths processing base as the EU and NATO seek to reduce reliance on China.

    Under the deal, the JV will secure 50% of the offtake from Greenland’s Tanbreez rare earth project, lifting the total volume under long-term agreements with Western partners to 75%. The partners plan to design, finance and construct a rare earth refinery in Romania to convert Tanbreez concentrate into high-purity metals, salts and military-grade magnet products.

    CRML chair and CEO Tony Sage described the agreement as a “monumental game-changer”, arguing that the partnership positions Europe to claw back strategic independence in rare earths. The facility, he said, will underpin sectors ranging from defence to advanced manufacturing, supplying feedstock sourced entirely from Western-aligned jurisdictions. CRML will retain a 50% stake in the JV on a carried basis and will not contribute capital to construction.

    FPCU CEO Cosmin Ghiță called the initiative a core pillar of Romania’s emerging industrial strategy, aligning with its ten-year plan to modernise strategic materials production. The plant will be located at the Feldioara complex, a site with a long history of refining and hydrometallurgical operations.

    The term sheet also outlines CRML’s intention to upgrade Tanbreez concentrate grades by revising its processing flowsheet, potentially lifting TREO content above 3%. The enhancements will be incorporated into an updated feasibility study to be completed by the end of Q1 2026.

    The announcement comes as the European Commission rolls out up to €3.5 billion in financing to strengthen critical raw materials supply chains under its new Economic Security Strategy. CRML and the Romanian government plan to apply jointly for support under the funding package.

    The JV is expected to serve as a cornerstone of Europe’s rare earth supply chain, processing up to half of Tanbreez’s resource for downstream European industries. Once Tanbreez enters production, CRML will supply the Romanian plant for the life of the mine under competitive, market-based terms.

    Critical Metals Corp currently controls two key assets: the Tanbreez rare earth megadeposit in southern Greenland and the Wolfsberg lithium project in Austria, the first fully permitted lithium mine in Europe. Both are positioned to feed Western supply chains for electrification, defence, and high-tech industries.

  • MINEX Eurasia’25: Kazakhstan Mining Outlook 2026

    MINEX Eurasia’25: Kazakhstan Mining Outlook 2026

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”4 SESSION BRIEF” color=”blue” border_width=”5″ css=””][vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space][vc_raw_html css=””]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjdkaXNwbGF5JTNBYmxvY2slM0JtYXJnaW4lM0FhdXRvJTNCd2lkdGglM0ExMjgwcHglM0JtYXgtd2lkdGglM0ExMDAlMjUlM0Jhc3BlY3QtcmF0aW8lM0ExLjc3MDg4MzA1NDg5MjYwMTMlM0IlMjclMjBzcmMlM0QlMjdodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRmtpbGxlcnBsYXllci5jb20lMkZ3YXRjaCUyRnZpZGVvJTJGMmRiNDQzNjQtZTkwZS00ZGU4LWJlNGItYzFmODM1YmZhMzk3JTI3JTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjIwJTIyJTIwYWxsb3clM0QlMjJhdXRvcGxheSUzQiUyMGd5cm9zY29wZSUzQiUyMHBpY3R1cmUtaW4tcGljdHVyZSUzQiUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_empty_space]At the MINEX Eurasia conference on 1 December in London, industry leaders and government officials painted a picture of Kazakhstan undergoing profound transformation-one driven by comprehensive regulatory reform, unprecedented foreign investment, and the nation’s emergence as a critical player in global supply chains for strategic minerals.

    The session, titled “Kazakhstan Mining Outlook 2026: Reform, Resources and the Road to Value Creation,” brought together mining executives, government representatives, and investment professionals to discuss how the Central Asian nation is positioning itself as a vital alternative source for critical minerals amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.

    Regulatory Overhaul Creates Investment Momentum

    Kazakhstan has embarked on an ambitious restructuring of its mining regulatory framework, with changes that speakers at the London conference described as the most significant in decades. The reforms include opening the entire territory for subsoil use rights, strengthening penalties for illegal mining, and implementing a comprehensive geological mapping program covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometres.

    “Kazakhstan has adopted a new tax code which will come into force on 1st January 2026,” explained Maxim Kononov, First Deputy Executive Director of the Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises of Kazakhstan. The changes include a transition to a royalty-based system for greenfield projects, with rates differentiated by processing level-starting at 13% for ore, 10% for concentrates, and 7% for processed metals.

    Ruslan Baimishev, President of the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines, acknowledged both progress and ongoing challenges. “Our main victory was holding off discussions on a bill initiated by Parliament members aimed at reversing the 2018 reform,” he told attendees, referring to efforts that would have returned the sector to Soviet-era regulatory methods. “The project has now been held, and this is a major victory for democratic Parliament.”

    However, Baimishev noted concerns about new provisions that could affect investment, including expanded government priority rights and increased thresholds for investment agreements—now raised tenfold to $500 million for processing projects.

    Environmental Compliance Becomes Material Cost Factor

    Nargiza Ospanova, Environmental Specialist with SRK Consulting (Kazakhstan), delivered a sobering assessment of how environmental regulations are fundamentally altering project economics. Kazakhstan’s 2021 Environmental Code requires companies to transition to Integrated Environmental Permits and implement Best Available Techniques-or face dramatically escalating pollution payments.

    “The peak of pollution payments comes during the main production period,” Ospanova warned, showing projections indicating that environmental costs could become one of the most significant operational expenses for mining operations. “Environmental, social and legal aspects have become highly material right now in Kazakhstan—much more than before.”

    The presentation highlighted that most pollution payments from mining companies stem from waste disposal, and that companies failing to adopt Best Available Techniques face fees that increase progressively after 2028, with particularly steep escalations for Category 1 facilities-Kazakhstan’s top 50 polluters.

    Major Projects Advance with International Backing

    Several significant mining developments presented at the conference illustrated Kazakhstan’s growing appeal to international investors:

    IG Asia’s Pribrezhniy Copper Project:

    Steven McRobbie, VP Projects Development for IG Asia, described the company’s acquisition of the copper porphyry deposit from Rio Tinto and subsequent advancement through preliminary economic assessment. Located 30 kilometres from Lake Balkhash, the project benefits from exceptional infrastructure including direct rail access and proximity to sulfuric acid supply at under $100 per tonne.

    “We’re looking at 150 million tons per year material movement in early years,” McRobbie said, describing scenarios ranging from fast-track oxide operations requiring $142 million in capital to combined oxide-sulphide operations with NPVs reaching $2.6 billion. The company has launched a 15,000-meter drilling program and is utilising AI to optimise drill spacing and reduce costs.

    Ivanhoe Mines’ Entry:

    Robert Barlow, Corporate Development Analyst at Ivanhoe Mines, talked about the company’s joint venture with Past Resources covering over 16,000 square kilometres-now the largest exploration land package in Kazakhstan. “We’ve launched a massive 17,500-kilometer drill program in our first year,” Barlow said, with potential spending of up to $115 million within four years.

    Ivanhoe, known for discovering and developing the massive Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo, sees similar potential in Kazakhstan’s sediment-hosted copper systems. “Almost everything that should be discovered at surface has been discovered,” Barlow noted. “The big opportunity lies under heavy cover.”

    U.S.-Kazakhstan Tungsten Deal Signals Strategic Realignment

    Perhaps the session’s most significant revelation concerned the recently announced joint venture between Cove Capital and Tau-Ken Samruk for Kazakhstan’s Northern Katpar and Upper Kayrakty tungsten projects-a deal facilitated by direct involvement from U.S. President Donald Trump and Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

    Pini Althaus, Managing Partner of Cove Capital, called it “a generational project” containing over 10% of global tungsten reserves with capacity to produce 15% of annual global supply. “The U.S. has had no tungsten production since 2015,” Althaus explained via video link to the London conference. “Given the wide range of very critical uses that tungsten has in defence applications and industrial applications, this was perhaps the most urgent project the Trump administration has been working on.”

    The deal reflects what Althaus described as “unprecedented” U.S. government support for critical mineral projects, with direct financing assistance, offtake agreements, and price floors. “We’re seeing things that neither Democratic or Republican administrations have done in the past 30 or 40 years since China has essentially taken control of the critical minerals global supply chain.”

    Daniyar Idrissov, Chief Investments and Strategy Officer for Tau-Ken Samruk, emphasised during the panel discussion that the decision was driven by commercial considerations, particularly the secured offtake contract. “Having the supply is not the most critical thing,” Idrissov explained. “One of the most critical things for tungsten is to have the economics work…. This offtake contract will make the economics of the project work very successfully for both parties.”

    Technology and Innovation as Competitive Advantage

    Al-Farabi Ydyryshev, Director General of Kazakhstan’s National Center for Technology Foresight, outlined the country’s strategy for overcoming the challenge of generally lower-grade deposits compared to other mining jurisdictions. “One of the highest points in our agenda is to bring best available technology to Kazakhstan—to mine, to initiate, and to process,” he told the MINEX Eurasia audience.

    Ydyryshev described his organisation’s role as a “think tank” that navigates the complex world of critical minerals and creates recommendations for both government and industry, bridging solution providers with companies operating in Kazakhstan. The centre is building networks across North America, Europe, Asia, and even neighbouring countries like Uzbekistan to access specialised expertise in processing various metals.

    “We’re going to move to midstream and downstream to create maximum added value in Kazakhstan,” Ydyryshev said regarding the tungsten cluster development. “All these critical metals and minerals end up used in the West, in developed countries, in China—and I don’t see any contradiction that we’re going to have the most possible added value chain in Kazakhstan.”

    Outlook: Strategic Positioning in a Multipolar World

    The session concluded with a sense that Kazakhstan has reached an inflection point. The combination of regulatory reform, world-class mineral endowment, existing infrastructure, and geopolitical shifts favouring supply chain diversification has created what several speakers called a “perfect storm” of opportunity.

    “The outlook is only positive,” Idrissov summarised. “Kazakhstan is a very good place. Please come to Kazakhstan and invest. Our job is to attract investors and make the natural resources of Kazakhstan work-first of all for Kazakhstan people, but also as a mutually beneficial partnership for all partners.”

    The country’s “multi-vectoral” foreign policy approach—balancing relationships with China, Russia, the United States, and Europe-appears designed to avoid monopolistic control by any single power while maximising investment from all quarters. As Ydyryshev noted, “We have to secure no monopoly in mining and metallurgy in Kazakhstan. This approach would be similar for any metals.”

    With major international mining companies now actively exploring, junior companies advancing projects, and strategic partnerships forming at the highest levels of government, Kazakhstan’s mining sector appears poised for substantial growth. Whether the regulatory reforms prove durable and the promised infrastructure materializes will determine if the country can fulfil its ambition to become a global leader in critical mineral supply.

    For now, industry participants at the London conference seemed convinced that Kazakhstan represents one of the most significant mining opportunities in the Eurasian region—a jurisdiction where, as one speaker put it, “the economics work very good for very high, capital-intensive projects.”

     

    Shortly after the conference, the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan announced the results of the nationwide geological exploration programme, aiming to expand the area of mapped and studied subsoil from 2.1 million sq. km to 2.2 million sq. km by 2026. According to the Ministry of Industry and Construction, the push is already yielding significant results: exploration work completed in 2024 across 11 sites has led to the identification of promising new deposits of precious, rare and strategic metals.  Read more

  • Tragedy in Ukrainian Mine: Two Miners Killed in Slurry Breach

    Tragedy in Ukrainian Mine: Two Miners Killed in Slurry Breach

    Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine – A devastating slurry breach in a coal mine in the Dnipropetrovsk region has resulted in the tragic loss of two miners’ lives. The rescue operation, which spanned over 14 days at a depth of 410 meters below the surface, concluded with the recovery of the deceased and a thorough assessment of the disaster site.

    According to the State Emergency Service, rescuers faced immense challenges as they battled a massive volume of slurry – a mixture of water and coal dust – following the breach. The team’s efforts were crucial in not only eliminating the immediate consequences of the accident but also locating the bodies of the two miners who were at the epicenter of the rupture. The search and evacuation operation was conducted under extraordinarily difficult conditions.

    “The operation was complicated by the large volume of slurry,” stated the State Emergency Service. “Employees of the plant, miners, and mine rescuers had to perform a colossal amount of work: pumping water from flooded horizons, handling and hauling away the slurry, searching for and evacuating the bodies of the deceased.”

    Investigators are currently working to determine the precise cause of the slurry breach and will focus on bolstering production safety protocols at the mine.