International oil prices pulled back sharply, with WTI falling to US$69.14 a barrel and Brent to US$72.35, taking both benchmarks below key psychological levels. The drop comes as US-Iran talks show progress and tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz rebound to 14 ships a day. Weak demand signals from China added pressure after May crude imports came in at 7.82 million barrels per day, the lowest since 2018 and 38% below February. ASX energy shares also retreated, with Woodside and Santos each down nearly 15% over the past month.

New Murchison Gold Ltd (ASX: NMG) said the Mineral Resource Estimate at its Garden Gully Gold Project in Western Australia rose 47% to 359,000 ounces, with 71% classified as Measured and Indicated. The update reflects new drilling results and revised structural interpretation, including a 39,000-ounce Measured resource at the Crown Prince Open Pit deposit. The company’s update came as the gold price briefly slipped below US$4,000 per ounce and the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Gold Index fell 3.9%.

Nickel Industries said it will pay US$169 million for a 17.5% interest in Indonesia’s TMI HPAL project, securing battery-grade nickel supply of about 6,775 tonnes a year from September 2027. The company said the project comes with cost and schedule protections, including a construction guarantee tied to delivering nameplate capacity by September 2027. Nickel Industries said it will fund the investment from existing cash and operating cash flow.

Santos (ASX: STO) said its Pikka Phase 1 oil project in Alaska has begun continuous production, with output expected to build toward a plateau of about 80,000 barrels per day in the third quarter of this year. The company said the Barossa project is also ramping up, and the two developments are expected to materially increase free cash flow. Santos shares are up 21.6% this year including dividends, and the stock trades on a 4.8% trailing dividend yield. Management has targeted allocating at least 60% of free cash flow to shareholder returns and reducing net debt by $2.5 billion by 2030.

Catalyst Metals Ltd (ASX: CYL) updated the mineral resource estimate for its Trident underground gold project, lifting indicated resources by 20% to 633,000 ounces at an average grade of 6.3g/t, supporting a roughly 10-year steady-state mine plan. The company is progressing underground development and expects first production in the first half of calendar year 2027. The update strengthened expectations around project economics and delivery, alongside a firmer gold price and a modestly higher ASX 200, with CYL shares up 3.6%.

Aeris Resources has acquired Peel Mining, gaining the Mallee Bull and Wirlong copper projects with a combined 197kt of contained copper. Added to Tritton’s existing base, Aeris’ total copper resource in the Cobar region rises to 511kt. Bell Potter kept a Buy rating and a A$0.90 target price, implying 120% upside from the stock’s 40.2 cents level, according to the broker.

Iran re-closed the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, abruptly disrupting roughly 20% of global seaborne oil exports. The move came only days after the US and Iran signed an interim peace deal, sending Brent crude sharply higher after it had slipped to US$79.38 a barrel. The confirmed physical supply interruption delivered an immediate shock to energy markets, driving volatility in ASX-listed Woodside, Santos and Beach Energy, with Beach reacting most sharply due to its greater oil-price sensitivity.

Northern Star Resources（ASX: NST）股价周一微涨1.2%至21.12澳元，受金价上涨0.8%及霍尔木兹海峡再遭封锁的地缘情绪带动。但公司已预警2026财年产量下降、成本上升，叠加项目执行不力，导致其股价年内下跌13.5%，显著跑输ASX 200指数。美国激进投资者Elliott持股超10亿澳元并要求董事会重组及战略审查，分析师维持卖出评级。

Barton Gold Holdings (ASX: BGD) has launched a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for its Tunkillia Gold Project in South Australia, appointing GR Engineering to lead the work, with completion expected in the first quarter of calendar year 2027. An earlier Optimised Scoping Study indicated the project could produce 120,000 ounces of gold and 260,000 ounces of silver a year, and model about $1.75 billion in operating profit over the first 27 months at current prices. The company is also running 60,000 metres of reverse circulation drilling and 3,000m of diamond drilling, scheduled to finish in September 2026 to support JORC Resource upgrades. The move marks a key step in Barton’s transition from explorer to producer.