KoBold Metals raises $537M for AI-driven mining

I analyzed every historic mining project in NSW by analyzing reports from DIGS, grouped each project by its primary commodity, and tallied the distribution. The goal wasn’t to measure production value, but to see where exploration attention has historically gone. Does the distribution make sense? Broadly, yes. It mirrors NSW’s metallogenic story—Lachlan Fold Belt gold and base metals, Broken Hill lead-zinc-silver, and long-running gemstone fields. Report counts reflect exploration activity and record-keeping, not today’s mine output. Metals dominate: Base metals outnumber precious metals, which fits large, data-intensive base-metal programs (geophysics, drilling) and the sheer number of prospects. Examples: Base metals ≈ 10,907 reports; Precious metals ≈ 5,890. Gemstones are prominent: NSW opal and sapphire districts drove many small, discrete projects, inflating report counts. Example: Gemstones ≈ 2,169. Critical minerals show up: Non-REE battery/tech metals (e.g., Ni, Co, Mn, Sc) appear at moderate levels, reflecting early groundwork ahead of today’s demand. Example: Battery & tech (non-REE) ≈ 1,673. Unexpected (and interesting) patterns Coal is lower than intuition suggests despite its economic weight. Likely causes: exploration is concentrated in a few basins (fewer distinct “projects”), historical filing under other categories, and different reporting conventions. Example: Coal ≈ 221. Industrial minerals aren’t negligible: Heavy mineral sands and silica/quartz show meaningful footprints—steady, utilitarian exploration that’s easy to overlook. Examples: HMS ≈ 692; Silica/Quartz ≈ 316. Policy fingerprints: Uranium appears despite NSW’s ban, capturing earlier exploration cycles. Example: Uranium ≈ 137. Energy transition breadcrumbs: A small but notable Renewables/Carbon bucket suggests geothermal and storage assessments surfaced in legacy data. Example: Renewables/Carbon ≈ 39. Stark contrast within “battery minerals”: Non-REEs are present, but lithium and graphite barely register—evidence that NSW’s lithium/graphite push is very recent and geologically limited. Examples: Lithium ≈ 4; Graphite/Anode ≈ 27. What do you see? Does this exploration-weighted distribution fit your experience across NSW districts? Where might reporting practice, era bias, or category leakage be shaping the picture? Which commodities feel under- or over-represented, and why?

A Quiet Revolution is Unfolding in the Mining Sector. 🌍⚡ The energy transition demands a massive supply of copper and critical metals. But can the mining industry deliver? The challenges are profound: falling ore grades, fewer discoveries, and decade-long development timelines. The solution? A radical shift towards efficiency and sustainability in one of the world's oldest industries. This isn't just about new mines; it's about working smarter with what we already have. Here’s how innovation is leading the charge: ♻ 1. Turning Waste into Wealth: A stunning 100 million metric tons of copper from the last century never reached market—it’s sitting in tailings ponds. Companies are now seeing this not as waste, but as a resource. • Rio Tinto is successfully extracting scandium and tellurium from waste streams. • Hudbay Minerals is evaluating re-mining nearly a century's worth of tailings in Flin Flon, Canada. • Hindustan Zinc is investing $438 million to process 10 million tons of tailings annually at its Rampura Agucha mine. ⚙ 2. Producing Less Waste from the Start: The industry generates over 7 billion tons of tailings a year. Incremental improvements and breakthrough tech are changing this. • Glencore Technology’s Albion Process can lift copper recovery to over 99% and cut costs by a third. • Bio-ingenuity company Allonnia is using microbes (D-Solve tech) to purify concentrates, with a new pilot at the Eagle nickel mine aiming to boost nickel grades by 18%. 🤖 3. The AI Power-Up: Artificial Intelligence is the unifying force making everything more efficient. • Rio Tinto and BHP use AI for autonomous haulage and predictive maintenance. • At BHP’s Escondida mine, Generative AI and a "digital twin" inform blasting strategies and mill control. • The results are tangible: Freeport-McMoRan’s trial of AI at its Baghdad mine in Arizona led to a 5-10% production increase. Rolling this out across its US ops is equivalent to building a brand new $1.5 billion processing plant—but faster and without the capital outlay. The Bottom Line: Public antipathy often stems from mining's legacy as a dirty and inefficient business. But this quiet revolution in bio-engineering, processing, and data is paving the way for a cleaner, more efficient sector. This modernization is crucial. It means the world might just be able to secure the critical metals it needs to decarbonize. #Mining #Innovation #Sustainability #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EnergyTransition #Copper #CriticalMinerals #Technology #FutureOfMining Source: Andy Home, Reuters (Opinion Column)

A Quiet Revolution is Unfolding in the Mining Sector. 🌍⚡ The energy transition demands a massive supply of copper and critical metals. But can the mining industry deliver? The challenges are profound: falling ore grades, fewer discoveries, and decade-long development timelines. The solution? A radical shift towards efficiency and sustainability in one of the world's oldest industries. This isn't just about new mines; it's about working smarter with what we already have. Here’s how innovation is leading the charge: ♻ 1. Turning Waste into Wealth: A stunning 100 million metric tons of copper from the last century never reached market—it’s sitting in tailings ponds. Companies are now seeing this not as waste, but as a resource. • Rio Tinto is successfully extracting scandium and tellurium from waste streams. • Hudbay Minerals is evaluating re-mining nearly a century's worth of tailings in Flin Flon, Canada. • Hindustan Zinc is investing $438 million to process 10 million tons of tailings annually at its Rampura Agucha mine. ⚙ 2. Producing Less Waste from the Start: The industry generates over 7 billion tons of tailings a year. Incremental improvements and breakthrough tech are changing this. • Glencore Technology’s Albion Process can lift copper recovery to over 99% and cut costs by a third. • Bio-ingenuity company Allonnia is using microbes (D-Solve tech) to purify concentrates, with a new pilot at the Eagle nickel mine aiming to boost nickel grades by 18%. 🤖 3. The AI Power-Up: Artificial Intelligence is the unifying force making everything more efficient. • Rio Tinto and BHP use AI for autonomous haulage and predictive maintenance. • At BHP’s Escondida mine, Generative AI and a "digital twin" inform blasting strategies and mill control. • The results are tangible: Freeport-McMoRan’s trial of AI at its Baghdad mine in Arizona led to a 5-10% production increase. Rolling this out across its US ops is equivalent to building a brand new $1.5 billion processing plant—but faster and without the capital outlay. The Bottom Line: Public antipathy often stems from mining's legacy as a dirty and inefficient business. But this quiet revolution in bio-engineering, processing, and data is paving the way for a cleaner, more efficient sector. This modernization is crucial. It means the world might just be able to secure the critical metals it needs to decarbonize. #Mining #Innovation #Sustainability #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EnergyTransition #Copper #CriticalMinerals #Technology #FutureOfMining Source: Andy Home, Reuters (Opinion Column)

Giant Mining is advancing its copper exploration strategy at the Majuba Hill Project in Nevada through innovative AI-powered targeting techniques. The company's Phase 2 exploration program leverages cutting-edge geophysical modeling to identify promising mineralization zones across the 9,684-acre property. Using ExploreTech's proprietary AI system, Giant Mining has successfully mapped multiple breccia zones with significant copper potential. The recent drill hole MHB-36 confirmed the effectiveness of this approach, intersecting several copper-mineralized intervals within rhyolite porphyry and metasediment formations. Key findings include a 1.5-foot section containing 1.21% copper and the identification of chalcopyrite-rich zones in the Southern Resistivity Anomaly. These results underscore the project's promise in supporting domestic critical mineral supply chains and contributing to America's sustainable energy infrastructure. Located in a top-ranked mining jurisdiction, Majuba Hill offers strategic advantages with existing infrastructure and demonstrated expansion potential. The project represents a significant step toward meeting growing global demand for copper in renewable energy and advanced manufacturing sectors.

“The problem, explained Elizabeth Holley, associate professor of mining engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and lead author of the study, is that these resources are not being recovered. Instead, minerals such as cobalt, lithium, gallium, and rare earth elements, including neodymium and yttrium, are being discarded in the waste streams of other mining operations, such as those for gold and zinc. “ ‘The challenge lies in recovery,’ Holley said. ‘It’s like getting salt out of bread dough – we need to do a lot more research, development, and policy to make the recovery of these critical minerals economically feasible.’ “ (continued) #energy #energyindustry #minerals #mining #REE #rareearth #battery #batterytech #batterypower https://lnkd.in/gtH3S5fb

Mining Magazine posted an article about Conservaco, LLC, #TheIgniteAgency client, GACW (Global Air Cylinder Wheels), today titled, "’The wheel of the future’ gains traction.” The article written by editor Beth McLoughlin spotlights GACW and the potential of its #AirSuspensionWheel (ASW) technology. This concept is described as poised to disrupt the mining industry by addressing long-standing challenges associated with wheels and #tires. I have provided a link below, but unfortunately, it is hidden by a paywall. However, I have secured a copy of the article. Below are four key highlights: - Innovation for Mining – Global Air Cylinder Wheels’ Air Suspension Wheel is a non-pneumatic, mostly steel wheel with built-in suspension and nitrogen-filled cylinders, designed to replace failure-prone rubber tires. - Cost & Time Savings – The ASW can last the full life of a mining vehicle (10–15 years), potentially reducing tyre replacement costs by up to 60% and cutting maintenance downtime from eight hours to minutes with its replaceable treads. - Sustainability Impact – By eliminating rubber waste and reducing emissions, the technology helps lower landfill impact while providing a safer, more durable alternative for heavy-duty mining operations. - Momentum and Growth – With $6M in anticipated purchase orders and a growing pipeline of mining partners, GACW is positioning its “wheel of the future” to become the industry standard. Harmen van Kamp, co-founder and CEO of GACW, was also quoted extensively in the piece from the company's recent press release, focusing on how its ASW technology reduces tire waste, cuts mining costs, and landfill impact in tackling a billion-dollar problem. Published by Aspermont Media (UK-based) under the Mining IQ brand, Mining Magazine (https://lnkd.in/gRKrWrPY ) covers breaking news, world/regional mining developments, feature reporting, and in-depth “Expert-led Insights” into ESG, digitalization, automation, exploration, and future fleet strategies. Its past circulation reached 80,000 print readers retained after transitioning behind a paywall, plus over 7,000 tablet readers as of 2016. No updated figures are publicly available. Publishes the annual Mining Magazine Awards (13 categories like Innovation, Safety Excellence, Exploration, Woman of the Year, etc.), with winners featured in its November 2025 print edition and online promotions. You can check out GACW’s equity crowdfunding campaign on #StartEngine, here: (https://lnkd.in/gfMkayZM). Stay tuned for more company news. #miningindustry #tireindustry #autoindustry #investment #investors #greentech #MiningMagazine https://lnkd.in/gibb2tbV

Revex is helping mining companies by reprocessing mine waste, recovering critical minerals, accelerating permitting, reducing costs of tailings storage facilities (TSFs) and mitigating acidic sulfides. Hard-rock / critical mineral mines (N. America): Legacy mines: ~20–30% have acidic sulfides (≈80k–150k). Current mines: ~40–60% have acidic sulfides (≈300–550). U.S. Department of the Interior Nena Shaw Adam G. Suess Doug Burgum Jamey Jones MS, MPA, CHMM, SEA Darcy McPhee Nadine Piatak Katharine MacGregor Julia Ubowski Colorado School of Mines Danielle Montgomery Emil Michael John Tenaglia Adam Burstein https://lnkd.in/g2siQptp

Mining is a clear testament to human ingenuity. It shows that when society needs resources, we innovate our way there: better machines, smarter logistics, cleaner energy, improved community partnerships. Mining is not just extraction. It is invention, adaptation, and measurable social impact. On social platforms mining becomes relevant when you link it to trends people already care about: sustainability, green tech, resource security, or fresh mineral finds. Leverage trend jacking around resource scarcity, climate policy shifts, or breakthroughs in battery tech to get mining into mainstream conversations without watering it down - Pinagare Mogodi does an exceptional job in creating such awareness. Storytelling wins. Real-world narratives about miners, engineers, and local communities cut through corporate speak. Behind-the-scenes vids that show machinery, safety tech, and reclamation work humanize the sector and build trust. Use concise formats for max reach: - short vids and reels - carousel posts with step-by-step visuals - clear infographics mapping minerals to everyday tech - first-person interviews with site staff and community leaders Make content interactive and sharable. Run polls that test common assumptions about minerals. Deploy light quizzes that teach people what components in phones, EVs, and solar panels come from which mines. Meme moments are useful when they’re smart and topical. Invite user-generated content: ask followers to post photos or stories about a product they use that depends on mined materials and tag your page. Be explicit about responsibility. Address environmental impacts, ethical sourcing, and community welfare head-on. Showcase partnerships with NGOs, universities, or local councils. Post before-and-after visuals of land restoration and explain the practices behind the change. Responsibility is not an aside. It is central to credibility. Amplify with credible voices. Collaborate with industry experts, geoscientists, and local leaders for explainers and live panels such as SAIMM - The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Bring in public figures selectively to expand reach around themes like tech, energy transition, and regional development. Timing matters. React to policy moves, mineral discoveries, or big tech announcements quickly. Host live Q&A sessions during major industry events and run concise Twitter threads or LinkedIn live takeaways for real-time engagement. Reframe mining as a metaphor for progress: persistent, curious, and focused on solutions. Share your best mining-related post idea or a story about how minerals matter in your life. Tag a colleague, contribute a photo, or connect if you want to co-create content that pushes the sector toward sustainability and better public understanding.

Livium has signed a term sheet with the University of Melbourne to secure exclusive global rights to use microwave technology in rare earths element (REE) extraction. #mining #rareearths #technology

Elizabeth Holley, Associate Professor of Mining Engineering at Mines, led a new study showing the U.S. already mines most critical minerals needed for clean energy, but discards them as waste. Her research, highlighted here by New Scientist, explains how recovering these materials could strengthen supply chains and make mining more sustainable. https://lnkd.in/gkKZb_WT