• Vladimir Putin offered the U.S. the opportunity for joint exploration of the country's rare earth metals deposits, as well as the supply of aluminium to the U.S. domestic market, under a future economic deal (Reuters)

• Aluminium has kept flowing to the US with buyers set to bear Trump’s recent tariffs (Bloomberg)

• The DRC, the world's top cobalt producer said it has temporarily halted the metal's exports to limit its flow on the market because of over-supply (Reuters)

• Production declines at three of Gold Fields’ four WA mines in CY2024 (West)

• Perseus boss Jeff Quartermaine confirmed M&A interest but baulked on price (Australian)

• Jules Pemberton’s NRW Holdings revealed as the major creditor to Gupta’s Whyalla steel works (AFR)

• Sibanye-Stillwater is still in the red, as lower costs and higher gold prices failed to outweigh the effects of stubbornly low PGM prices (MNN)

• Shares in Perenti lose 16% as investors fret about weak cash generation despite CEO’s assurances (West)

• BP's chief executive will scrap a target to increase renewable generation 20-fold by 2030, returning the focus to fossil fuels, following activist pressure (Reuters)

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said a deal with the US over any mineral rights must include a military guarantee (Bloomberg)

• Ampol says fuel demand has hit a record high in Australia, countering expectations of a rapid rise of EVs (Australian)

• Gold Road remains coy on De Grey plans (BN)

• Amplats said it had halted operations at its Tumela mine in South Africa on Thursday after excessive rains caused flooding, though the company maintained its production forecast (Reuters)

• Taxpayers on the hook as mid-west mineral sands miner Strandline falls into administration (West, Australian)

• Palliser Capital again urged Rio to allow the company's Australian shareholders to vote on a resolution that seeks an independent review of its dual-listing status (Reuters)

• Greenbushes Lithium Mine is proposing to expand its footprint across the South Western highway & build an over or underpass to a new waster rock facility (BN)

• Fenix has agreed to acquire CZR Resources in an all-scrip deal implied ar $0.26/sh uplifting to $0.30/sh if 75% acceptance by 21 March (FEX) analogous to the recent FMG-RHK deal structure but more conditional and achieving 75% less certain given Creasy holding is 52.2% only

  • Completely unrelated, CZR shares were up from 16.5c to 24c in the two trading days pre-announcement… (CZR ASX Query)

• Equinox Gold and Calibre Mining are set to merge in a ~C$7.7bn nil-premium, all-scrip deal to create an Americas-focused, ~1Moz gold producer this year (EQX.TO) Additionally Calibre will issue US$75m in convertible notes… but “fully funded eh?”

• Black Cat has agreed a deal with Westgold to acquire the 1.2Mtpa Lakewood processing facility for $85m ($70m in staged cash payments over 9 months, $15m in stock). The deal aims at expediating its Kal East projects, while it stated payments would be made from existing cash & future earnings (BC8)

• With $1.8bn on hand, Yancoal weighs its options, M&A on the cards within and maybe outside the coal space (MNN)

• Orezone Gold announced a C$35m bought deal offering to fund Stage II hard rock expansion and additional exploration at its Bomboré gold mine and working capital (ORE.TSX, AFR Street Talk)

• Celsius Resources advised their Philippine affiliate Makilala Mining signed a binding term sheet with Maharlika Investment Corporation for a bridge loan facility of up to US$76.4m to fund the company’s MCB copper-gold project (CLA)

• Dart Mining received firm commitment to raise $3m to fund diamond drilling at its Triumph gold project (DTM)

• It’s been over two months since Northern Star announced it would be acquiring De Grey and the consensus seems to be that no interloper is coming to spoil the deal around town

• Something we have heard though is that Northern Star are likely to come to market with a proposed 700kozpa+ plan, substantially higher than the ~500kozpa scenario chosen in Hemi’s DFS

• Let’s see what happens here in due course

• Parental leave shaming prompts Macmahon baby steps (AFR’s Rear Window)

• Dryblower: How Trumps’ dollar crash threat could supercharge gold (MNN)

• The time is ripe for copper’s biggest takeover deal (Bloomberg op-ed) “The moment is ripe for BHP to bid for… Freeport”

• Navigating the new world order in global trade (Livewire)

• Why do most mines fail - a current perspective (LinkedIn) A great post worthy of a read

• Australia prepares for a lonelier, harsher world (Economist)

• Battery metal rout set to force unprofitable miners to cut costs (Bloomberg)

• What is the performance of gold telling us? (Livewire)

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