Oil & Gas
Crude Falls, Fuel Stays High
Oil prices retreat as Iran talks advance, but refining shortages keep gasoline and diesel stubbornly expensive—and Congo just banned cobalt exports.
The Mining, Energy & Technology Wire
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Cover Story · Analysis
Hormuz's Toll Washes Ashore in Oman
A grounded tanker's spreading oil slick threatens a protected whale sanctuary off Oman, laying bare the price of a Hormuz standoff still without an end date.
PhotographA grounded tanker's spreading oil slick threatens a protected whale sanctuary off Oman, laying bare the price of a Hormuz standoff still without an end date.
Mining
Mining Press Roundup: Barrick Shares Crater as Newmont Pays $1.95B to End Nevada Feud
Barrick's stock sank even after Newmont agreed to pay $1.95 billion to settle their Nevada Gold Mines dispute, while White Gold's Yukon study, Largo's Brazilian byproduct pivot, and fresh Pentagon-backed critical minerals loans rounded out a busy Monday for the industry.
Mining
Washington Bets on Scrap, Not New Mines
The US just banned tungsten and battery-waste exports rather than wait for new mines — a tacit admission that America's mineral independence deadline will arrive before the shovels do.
Mining
Congo's Cobalt Ban Hides a Uranium Problem
Kinshasa banned raw copper and cobalt exports just as regulators opened a probe into radioactive contamination in the same supply chain — a collision that is already moving metal prices.
From the Desk
Original Analysis · This Week
Mining
The Staking Report: April 2026
Scout Discoveries Corp led all stakers with 607 new claims. The Staking Report tracks 3,996 new federal mining claims for April 2026, from BLM public records.
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Mining
Trump Summons Mining Chiefs to White House
The president convenes executives from Rio Tinto, BHP, and Freeport-McMoRan today as the administration races to rebuild critical mineral supply chains and cut dependence on China.
ClaimWatch
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Every unpatented mining claim across all twelve BLM states. Leadfile audits, due diligence, site selection, regional prospecting, entity investigations, and AOI monitoring — delivered as complete report packages.
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Going Deeper
Markets & Commodities
Oil & Gas
Weekly Energy Market Recap: Jul 31 - Aug 7, 2026
This week in energy: Iran's parliament advances a plan to restrict Hormuz shipping as ADNOC reports 15 vessel attacks, Libya targets 2 million bpd oil output by the early 2030s, and gold surges to a seven-week high after a shockingly weak US jobs report. Key developments across oil, gas, renewables, and mining sectors.
Oil & Gas
How are natural gas prices determined?
Natural gas prices are determined by the interaction of supply and demand in competitive markets, with prices set through trading at physical and virtual hubs, most notably at Henry Hub in Louisiana, which serves as the primary benchmark for North American natural gas.
Renewables
Australia Bets Big on Solar Rooftops
Canberra will slash commercial solar costs by 20% while forcing data centers to fund their own renewable power—a dual push that could unlock 80 GW of untapped capacity.