[SMM Coal Flash] Kuzbass Coal Production Falls 2.6% in Jan–Jul 2026

Russian coal exports to China by rail fell to 8.6 million tonnes in January–July 2026, down 2.7 million tonnes or 23.7% year on year, as weak demand from Chinese utilities and industrial users, competition from domestic coal supply and weather-related disruptions weighed on cross-border trade. Heavy rainfall since May disrupted logistics and industrial activity, contributing to softer coal consumption and lower domestic prices in China.

Stillwater Critical Minerals has reported a major resource expansion at its Stillwater West nickel-copper-PGM project in Montana, establishing an initial indicated resource of 29.4 million tonnes grading 0.18% nickel, 0.09% copper and 0.02% cobalt, containing 119 million lb of nickel, 59 million lb of copper and 11 million lb of cobalt. The updated inferred resource has expanded to 805.1 million tonnes, containing around 3 billion lb of nickel, 1.5 billion lb of copper and 283 million lb of cobalt, with nickel nearly tripling and copper and cobalt more than tripling compared with the 2023 estimate; it also contains 2.8 million oz of platinum and 3.9 million oz of palladium.

Canada-based Anfield Energy plans to raise at least US$50 million over the coming months to refurbish and restart its Shootaring Canyon uranium mill in Utah, one of only three licensed, permitted and constructed uranium mills in the US. The company could initially focus solely on uranium processing for about US$50 million, while a broader refurbishment including a new vanadium circuit is estimated at US$80.1 million.