The Rock Wrangler - The Rock Wrangler

Betting the deep as polymetallic nodules emerge as a billion dollar play to fuel batteries steelmaking and the critical minerals transition

It takes a certain type of confidence to suggest the future of clean energy metals might lie four kilometres below the Pacific Ocean – confidence, and perhaps a streak of stubbornness.

By Jamie Wade on March 7, 2026
ESG, Environmental Impact Assessments, Regulatory Adherence, Sustainable Practices, Extraction, Mineral Extraction, Resource Sustainability, Reserve Estimation, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Collaboration with Research Institutions, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages
North America, United States, Oceania, Asia, Indonesia, Japan
Base Metals, Copper, Nickel, Manganese, Cobalt

Mining just got complicated – diggers are now diplomats data wranglers and nation builders whether they like it or not

There was a time when mining’s job was simple: dig it up, ship it out, repeat.

Contractors strike gold as profit sharing reshapes the rules of mining and turns service providers into project partners

Australia’s contract mining sector is undergoing a quiet revolution—one that could fundamentally reshape the relationship between contractors and mine owners.

Brazil beats WA as PLS boss warns mining crowd Australia risks losing its lithium edge despite record output and global expansion

When PLS chief executive Dale Henderson told the WA Mining Club’s November luncheon that it’s “easier to get things done in Brazil than in Western Australia,” the room went quiet for a moment.

Vanadium steps into the spotlight as Queensland’s Lindfield Project fuels Australia’s clean energy charge with geology logistics and battery power to match

When it comes to the energy transition, not all batteries come wrapped in lithium.

Data reveals what drilling can’t: How Geoscience Australia is mapping the hidden rare earth riches buried beneath Australia’s ancient landscapes

It’s not often a map redraws itself — but that’s exactly what’s happening to Australia’s rare earths landscape.

From data to drill rigs: how Jupiter became Australia’s biggest clay rare earth discovery and a model for finding the next generation of critical minerals

When a geologist looks at a gravity anomaly and sees the future of Australia’s critical minerals, it’s worth paying attention.

Bioleaching transforms coal waste into safe material while producing high purity ferrous sulphate proving mine liabilities can become valuable resources

A new study has shown that bioleaching can strip more than 90% of sulphur and iron from coal waste, neutralising its acid-generating potential and creating a saleable by-product.

Underground leaching method reduces costs and rock movement, unlocking low-grade copper with in-place recovery and advanced blasting

The pursuit of critical minerals is pushing miners deeper underground, where innovation—not just excavation—is becoming the key to unlocking value.

Mining in the age of mayhem as global shifts, power plays and policy whiplash redraw the map for critical minerals and Australia’s next move

When global power plays, policy whiplash and economic shocks collide, opportunity hides in the chaos — and for Australia’s critical minerals sector, survival now depends on strategy as much as supply.

Reset Your Password

sustainable mining