The Rock Wrangler - The Rock Wrangler

Why stable jurisdictions, faster permits and clear rules are winning the global mining investment race

The annual temperature check from the Fraser Institute has landed — and while the rocks haven’t moved, capital certainly has.

By Jamie Wade on February 28, 2026
Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, ESG, Regulatory Adherence, Environmental Permits, Legislative Updates, Stakeholder Communication, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Exploration
Australia, North America, United States, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Canada, Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Africa, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Botswana, Mali, Europe, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Oceania, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Asia, China
Strategic Minerals, Precious Metals, Base Metals, Rare Earth Elements

Gold fever, tin whispers and rare earth reality checks

If you wanted a temperature check on Western Australia’s exploration sector last week, you didn’t need a feasibility study.

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.

Drilling gets smart as on-rig analysis turns drill rigs into mobile labs powering Australia’s critical-minerals boom

If you think the most exciting innovations in critical-minerals exploration are happening in labs or boardrooms, you might want to take another look at the drill pad.

Smart rocks and sharper minds how Australia’s data-driven explorers are redefining rare earth and vanadium discovery for the clean energy future

If you thought mining was all about brute force and big rigs, think again.

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.

When dirt looks the same data decides how geochemistry and machine learning are revealing hidden rare earth riches beneath Western Australia’s surface

If you think spotting a rare earth deposit is tough, try identifying one when it looks exactly like barren dirt.

Cracking the clay code as CSIRO’s multiscale mineralogy reveals how rare earths hide in WA sands and why smart mineralogy is the new exploration edge

When it comes to rare earths, the real magic isn’t in the elements, it’s in the minerals that host them.

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.