Northern Graphite will prioritise a US$200 million battery anode material plant at Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, with initial capacity of 25,000 tonnes per year from 2028, supplied by the restarted Okanjande graphite mine in Namibia (planned 31,000 t/y over 10 years at a restart cost of about US$35 million). Partner Al Obeikan will hold 51%, lead local debt raising, and tap the Saudi Industrial Development Fund to cover 50–75% of capex, leveraging fast permitting. Planned 20,000 t/y plants in Baie-Comeau, Quebec and France are now secondary, with CEO Hugues Jacquemin calling the Saudi deal a “wake-up call” for stronger power allocations and incentives.

Wheaton Precious Metals will appoint current president Haytham Hodaly as president and CEO and Board member from 31 March 2026, with long-serving CEO and co‑founder Randy Smallwood moving to non‑executive Chair and current Chair George Brack becoming Lead Independent Director. Hodaly, a mining engineer and former RBC mining analyst, has led over US$11 billion in streaming transactions since joining Wheaton in 2012, shaping its deal pipeline and technical due diligence. The succession keeps strategic continuity at one of the sector’s largest precious metals streaming companies as it targets new gold and silver projects.

Heliostar Metals has poured first gold from the restarted San Agustin open-pit mine in Durango, Mexico, its second producing asset after La Colorada, with remaining reserves expected to yield about 45,000 oz. The company’s 2026 guidance calls for 50,000–55,000 oz of gold, including 30,000–32,700 oz from San Agustin, at an all-in sustaining cost of US$2,000/oz, after restarting the operation on time and on budget. A 10,000–15,000 m drilling campaign is targeting additional oxide mineralisation beyond the current 14‑month mine life based on 7.36 Mt at 0.29 g/t Au (68,000 oz probable reserves).