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1) Kenny Ives, took over as the boss of the trading arm of one of China's top miners. After just missing out on succeeding Ivan Glasenberg as head of commodities at Glencore, the 46-year-old Ives is now running IXM - which is a trading arm of CMOC Group. Winning, in IXM's world, means challenging the two giants of metals trading, Glencore and Trafigura. At IXM, more than a fifth of the company's staff have left in the past year while Ives is looking at hiring 40 more, many of which are alumni of Glencore and Trafigura. IXM's parent company, CMOC, has become a major player in the mining industry, as it overtook Glencore as the world's largest cobalt miner, which in turn makes IXM the world's largest cobalt trader. CMOC is also a significant producer of copper, and plans to expand in nickel and lithium, and has a strategic partnership with 25% shareholder Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world's largest battery maker.
2) Dakota Gold has formed a strategic partnership with Orion Mine Finance, resulting in an equity investment of $17 million and further financial backing for the expansion of its South Dakota-based assets. As part of the agreement, Orion will purchase shares in the company, giving them a 7.78% ownership of the company. Orion has alos committed to offering up to $300 million in financing for the construction, development, or acquisition of assets by Dakota Gold. Additionally, Orion will acquire a 1% net smelter returns royalty over specific public land associated with Dakota Gold's projects, which are administered by the US Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. The royalty does not cover private land, where Dakota Gold is currently operating. Dakota Gold's mineral property is focused around the historic Homestead Mine, which they have an option on from Barrick Gold until 2024.