Welcome back to your weekly mining news recap, where we catch you up on some of the news you may have missed. This week’s headlines include Barrick advancing plans to spin out its North American gold assets, a nickel project in B.C. launching an environmental assessment process, and final regulatory approval for Skeena Resources’ Eskay Creek project.

Rio Tinto and Glencore have ended merger talks that could have created the world’s largest mining company, citing disagreements over pricing and control of the combined company, The Globe and Mail reported. Discussions over a proposed US$75 billion transaction unravelled several weeks after the companies acknowledged the latest merger discussions, adding to a series of failed attempts to combine the rivals.

This week, Eldorado Gold announced its acquisition of Foran Mining in a $3.8 billion deal. Pending shareholder approval of the transaction, Eldorado would expand its copper asset base and add Foran’s McIlvenna Bay copper-zinc project in Saskatchewan to its portfolio. Construction at McIlvenna Bay is nearing completion, with commercial production targeted for mid-2026.

Alamos Gold has released an expansion study for its Island Gold District operation in Ontario, which is comprised of the adjacent Island Gold and Magino mines. The study outlines plans to increase the Magino mill’s capacity to 20,000 tonnes per day and boost average annual production to about 534,000 ounces annually post-expansion. Last year, the operation produced 250,400 ounces. Alamos expects the project will cost US$542 million.

Barrick Mining announced plans this week to advance an initial public offering (IPO) of its North American gold assets, while also appointing interim leader Mark Hill as CEO and president of the company, Reuters reported. The IPO, which is expected to be completed later this year, would include Barrick’s joint venture interests in Nevada Gold Mines in the U.S. and Pueblo Viejo in the Dominican Republic, as well as its Fourmile gold discovery in Nevada.

FPX Nickel launched the environmental assessment process for its Baptiste nickel project in British Columbia after its initial project description was accepted by provincial and federal regulators. The proposed open-pit mine would operate for 28 years and produce low-cost, low-carbon nickel. Baptiste was the first project selected for B.C.’s critical minerals office concierge service in 2024, aimed at expediting permitting for priority projects.

Skeena Resources has now secured the provincial Environmental Management Act permit for its Eskay Creek gold-silver project in British Columbia, completing all regulatory approvals. The decision follows last week’s environmental assessment approval and the issuance of a B.C. Mines Act permit. First production is targeted for 2027.

Wesdome Gold Mines has received an updated certificate of authorization and a mining lease for the Presqu’île zone at its Kiena gold mine in Val-d’Or, Quebec. Once fully ramped up, Presqu’île is projected to add 250 to 400 tonnes per day of additional ore to Kiena’s mill.

More than 200 people were killed when a landslide collapsed the Rubaya coltan mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Jan. 28, Al Jazeera reported. The unregulated site produces around 15 per cent of the world’s coltan, or columbite-tantalite, a niobium- and tantalum-bearing ore, and has been controlled by the M23 rebel group since 2024. A similar landslide struck the Rubaya complex in June 2025, with estimates of fatalities ranging from dozens to hundreds of people.

The Trump administration plans to launch “Project Vault,” a roughly US$12 billion strategic stockpile of rare earths and other critical minerals to counter China’s market dominance, The Globe and Mail reported. Backed by a US$10 billion EXIM Bank loan and private funding, the initiative would stockpile minerals needed for U.S. automakers, technology companies and more.

The U.S. government has also proposed forming a critical minerals trading bloc with allies to counter China’s dominance, which would use coordinated tariffs and price floors to stabilize supply chains vital to defence and electrification, The Associated Press reported. Representatives from more than 50 countries attended talks in Washington on Wednesday. Canada participated but any decision to join will be considered only within broader Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement negotiations.

Two Canadian junior miners, Crystallex and Rusoro, are nearing potential payouts worth billions tied to Venezuela’s seizure of gold deposits and nationalization of its gold mining industry in 2011 under former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, The Globe and Mail reported. Their long-running arbitration claims now hinge on a U.S. court-supervised sale of Venezuela-owned oil refiner CITGO, part of a larger set of claims by private resource and industrial companies seeking compensation from Venezuela. Court filings suggest the sale could close later this year if appeals fail.

An impact benefit agreement (IBA) between NexGen Energy and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan for NexGen’s Rook I uranium project is considered to be the largest IBA of its kind in Canada, uniting seven communities under a rare “One Voice” negotiating model, I, Ashley Fish-Robertson, reported for CIM Magazine. The agreement gives local Métis communities a long-term role in economic development, employment, training and environmental oversight throughout the project’s life cycle, setting a new benchmark for Indigenous participation in large-scale resource projects.

Embracing robotic mining is essential for Canada’s competitiveness and long-term prosperity, argued Gregory R. Baiden, founder of Penguin Automated Systems, in CIM Magazine. He outlined how robotics can transform operations by improving safety, efficiency and sustainability, while helping to establish Canada as a reliable supplier of critical minerals.

That’s all for this week. If you’ve got feedback, you can always reach us at editor@cim.org. If you’ve got something to add, why not join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram pages?