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📰 In The News
The Brutal Economics of EV Battery Lithium
- Lithium prices have collapsed from record highs, forcing major miner SQM to cut 5% of its Chilean workforce, as oversupply, weak EV demand, and low prices continue to weigh on the once-booming battery metal market.
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There Might Not Be a Map for That: Budget Cuts Threaten Geological Surveys
- Uncertainty over federal funding and proposed deep budget cuts threaten to stall vital geological mapping across states like Idaho, which geologists warn could severely hamper mineral exploration and energy projects for years to come.
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Exploring the Circular Economy Opportunity for Critical Minerals
- Meeting surging demand for critical minerals will require redesigning current systems with circular economy strategies — including reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling — to reduce reliance on virgin materials, lower environmental impacts, and build secure, resilient supply chains for the clean energy transition.
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G7 Releases Critical Minerals Action Plan on the Heels of IEA’s 2025 Critical Minerals Outlook
- The IEA’s 2025 Global Critical Minerals Outlook warns that while demand for key energy minerals like lithium and copper is surging, supply remains vulnerable due to price drops, geopolitical risks, and high concentration in refining — highlighting the urgent need for diversified supply chains, new technologies, and stronger international partnerships.
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New Microscopic Mineral Discovered That Could Revolutionize Geological Exploration
- A tiny new mineral called ehrigite — a rare bismuth telluride discovered in Canada — could help geologists trace hidden tellurium deposits critical for green technologies, and its study shows how atomic-scale imaging and data-driven models can guide more efficient, lower-impact mineral exploration and processing.
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✉️ On The Rocks
What if the solution to the global copper shortage has been right under our noses for billions of years? In this episode of On the Rocks Masterclass, we explore the fascinating world of biomining with
Liz Dennett, Founder & CEO of
Endolith, who's harnessing Earth's oldest miners – microbes – to revolutionize copper extraction.
Liz's journey from NASA astrobiology research to founding a biotech mining company is as unique as her approach to solving one of mining's biggest challenges. With copper demand soaring for electrification and renewables, traditional mining methods are struggling to keep up. Enter biological intelligence: AI-optimized microbes that can extract more copper from low-grade ore than conventional methods ever could.
In this masterclass, Liz breaks down the science behind biomining, explains how AI fine-tunes microbial performance in real-time, and shares insights from pilot deployments with major mining companies like BHP and Rio Tinto. We explore how this approach works within existing heap leach infrastructure, requires no toxic chemicals, and could turn mining waste into valuable resource streams..
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Our weekly blog and newsletter, "The Nugget," offers readers an inside look at commodity prices, current events in the mining and commodities industries, and the latest 43-101 Reports published to the Prospector Portal.
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