Tag Archives: Mining

January 21, 2026 · 17:34

The Australian play

That is what I am seeing and it comes from Discovery Alert. We are given (at https://discoveryalert.com.au/gina-rinehart-saudi-arabia-exploration-2026/) we are given ‘Gina Rinehart Saudi Arabia Gold Exploration Joint Venture Unveiled’ and as I see it, it is good news for Australia. You see, she is as big as they come. By some estimates she is worth billions and she is listed as one of the 100 most powerful women. (They say that is nice). What is said is that she makes Rio Tinto look like the local grocery shop. I cannot say how that plays out because mining is not my cup of tea (neither is tea for that matter). What does matter that she can forward Australian mining interests and get the Australians to do that work. The article gives us “The global mining industry stands at a critical inflection point where traditional resource-rich nations face increasing pressure to diversify both geographically and strategically. Furthermore, the Gina Rinehart Saudi Arabia exploration play exemplifies how established operators navigate emerging markets that present compelling opportunities for companies willing to tackle complex regulatory landscapes and geopolitical considerations.” So whilst President Trump is making some play for Greenland, the short and sweet of it, that any mining operation will lack staff member (those who can operate a pick).

For the IT people really grasping in the dark on the subject, the image of such a device is shown above. It slightly resembles what you see in Minecraft. And when you consider how Saudi Arabia is diversifying, the quote “Saudi Arabia’s transformation into a major mining destination represents more than economic diversification. The Kingdom’s systematic approach to mineral exploration significance through Vision 2030 creates unprecedented opportunities for international partnerships, particularly with operators possessing proven track records in large-scale project delivery.” As I see it, the Australian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (most likely in Riyadh) will be dancing in his office because Australia is likely to set the table with a large place setting for Australia. As such there is reason (for Australians) to be joyful. In a time where we are all hindered by American politics and the setting that we see through bully tactics is one that is all about America, but here Australia has the advantage. So whilst we are setting the stage through “The convergence of several macroeconomic forces creates compelling incentives for Australian mining companies to expand into Middle Eastern markets. Saudi Arabia’s mineral endowment remains largely untapped, with geological surveys indicating substantial gold, copper, zinc, and rare earth deposits across the Arabian Shield formation. Vision 2030’s economic diversification mandate allocates significant capital toward mining infrastructure development. Consequently, this creates favourable conditions for international operators. The Kingdom’s commitment to reducing oil dependency drives aggressive timelines for mineral exploration and production.” I would like to ‘translate’ this into In Saudi Arabia, when looking for the settings of Gold and Copper (other minerals too), Australia is the one party to talk to and as I see it, Gina Rinehart made that happen. No American required. Come to think if it, what drove these Americans away from such an opportunity? I get that Mrs Rinehart is in her ‘element’ but there are plenty of others who are that too. Is American (lack of) diplomacy now starting to annoy too many people? I actually don’t know and as my ‘geology’ lessons are basically limited to Minecraft, I have no idea how the moves of Mrs. Rinehart were. So in a time where everyone seems to be digging for rare earths, Australia is making its marker in Saudi Arabia. So we (read: Australians) have plenty to be happy about. 

And whilst the article also gives us:

  • Proximity to major consumer markets in Europe, Asia, and Africa
  • Government-backed infrastructure investment reducing project capital requirements
  • Competitive licensing frameworks offering exploration rights across large territorial blocks
  • Strategic partnerships with state enterprises providing regulatory stability
  • Technology transfer incentives aligning with long-term market positioning

As such there are plenty of reasons to be happy in these trying days and whilst people lacking geology knowledge (including me) do not see the advantage of: 

What Makes the Nabita Ad-Duwayhi Gold Belt Commercially Attractive?

“The Arabian Shield represents one of Earth’s oldest continental formations, containing Archean and Proterozoic geological structures with documented gold mineralisation.
The Nabita Ad-Duwayhi Gold Belt specifically exhibits structural controls consistent with world-class orogenic gold deposits.”

And as I see it, the message to America becomes “You snooze, you lose” which is something that Mrs. Rinehart wasn’t doing as she is now involved in the Joint Venture with Saudi Arabia.

You know it feels good to write positive things, things I had no control or influence over. I am just a happy writer making you aware that (as I personally see it) Mrs. Rinehart will be needing a lot of miners in the near future. 

So you all have a great day and it is almost time to make myself a plate with pasta, as much I am shutting down for the evening.

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January 17, 2026 · 21:22

The other direction

I have been upset for a few days as President Trump keeps on his bully horse and started to claim yesterday that those who oppose the annexation of Greenland will face tariffs. I don’t agree and I don’t accept that. But who am I? I am a nobody, my word doesn’t count. But I do have a sharp mind and I suddenly realized that there is another path for miners. You see, at present Discovery Alert gave us yesterday ‘Saudi Arabia Mining Investment: $110 Billion Plan Transforms Economy’, that I a noble setting and it allows miners who don’t like the Trump approach to Greenland to select another path. A nation that is using 110,000 million, is likely to have need for miners. The article (at https://discoveryalert.com.au/saudi-arabia-mining-investment-2026-critical-minerals/) gives us “The convergence of artificial intelligence expansion, renewable energy infrastructure, and digital transformation creates extraordinary pressure on mineral resources that were previously considered secondary commodities. This supply-demand imbalance fundamentally reshapes investment priorities, with institutional capital increasingly flowing toward jurisdictions that can deliver both resource security and operational efficiency. Against this backdrop, Saudi Arabia mining investment has emerged as a focal point for international attention, positioning the Kingdom as a strategic alternative to traditional mining powerhouses” also gives us “Geological surveys across the Arabian Peninsula reveal substantial untapped mineral deposits spanning multiple commodity classes. The Arabian Shield region, covering approximately 650,000 square kilometres, contains significant concentrations of both traditional mining commodities and critical minerals essential for energy transition technologies. These formations represent billions of years of geological activity that concentrated valuable mineral deposits across diverse terrains.

Recent exploration campaigns have identified promising zones for copper, gold, zinc, and rare earth elements. The geological diversity extends from volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits to sediment-hosted copper systems, providing multiple exploration targets across different mineralisation styles. This geological complexity creates opportunities for diversified mining portfolios rather than single-commodity developments.” When you are mining over 650,000 Sq/km there is probably a need for more than a dozen miners and that is where these people not too savvy on Greenland as a destination, to select the warm beaches of Saudi Arabia (they have really large beaches). So when we see mentions like ‘Mining Diversification Strategy’ I reckon that they will need manpower before too long and doesn’t that suck for President Trump? A setting where people get to chose where to work. Its a brand new day. And this is in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they don’t need to share anything with the USA, it is all for the kingdom. 

So while some people will ‘like’ to work and get into the good graces of President Trump. I foresee a larger play, especially when he is no longer in office (in 1099 days). I foresee a witch-hunt that we haven’t seen since Joseph McCarthy (1950) and this time it will be the democrats, so if you have a MAGA hat, you better play duck and cover, because it will be an uneasy time for any of these MAGA people, but beside that, all who catered to the needs of President Trump will be held under a loop and very precisely looked at. I don’t think that is right, but I get the sentiment behind this. So anyone with a different option would be in a decent place to accept whatever they can. And it is not just Saudi Arabia who is digging for rare earths, but they are the people with the coin and the area to explore. 

And that is not the only setting, as I see it, Saudi Arabia also has plans in the “Aluminium production, which requires reliable bauxite supplies and substantial energy inputs for smelting operations. Saudi Arabian bauxite resources combined with competitive energy costs create advantages for integrated aluminium production. This vertical integration captures value across the complete supply chain. Processing facility development emphasises environmental best practices and energy efficiency to maintain competitive positioning. Advanced smelting technologies reduce energy consumption while minimising environmental impacts. These improvements support long-term operational sustainability.” So as I see it, they will need more than miners. I reckon that plenty of jobs can be done by local Saudis, but some of the specialized people have a chance and they also need to train local population, so that comes (as I see it) with a second pay check, so in a time where the economy is bristling with dangers, Saudi Arabia could holding the better paycheck for people to consider. 

As I see it, the other direction is a lot more appealing in the long run, because as I see it, the American Administration doesn’t really think of the long run and I proved that with the previous article. 

So have a great day and I am almost at Sunday (a mere 150 minutes away). So enjoy today and if you are in Toronto, its almost Saturday Brekkie time, as such I wouldn’t mind being there and have another brekkie (then return to Sydney for a second breakfast).

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January 16, 2026 · 18:40

Consideration or realisation?

That is at times the question, because I was ‘informed’ of something I didn’t know (mostly because I don’t care) but it does set a different tone to other matters. We already knew that China is ‘market’ leader here, Some might have seen quotes no unlike this one “By the early 2020s, China accounted for roughly 70 percent of global rare-earth mining and more than 90 percent of processing and finished metal” some have seen this before and I am not vying for accuracy on this. I’ll accept it as is. So as America is so on the ball towards Greenland, the news I saw today has me stumped. We get from Discovery Alert (at https://discoveryalert.com.au/rare-earth-processing-saudi-arabia-2026-strategic-partnerships/) less than 12 hours ago ‘Saudi Arabia’s $1.5 Billion Rare Earth Processing Joint Venture’ with the added “The global rare earth elements sector stands at a critical juncture where supply chain concentration has created strategic vulnerabilities for advanced manufacturing industries worldwide. As dependencies on single-source processing capabilities intensify across defense, aerospace, and renewable energy sectors, alternative processing hubs have emerged as essential infrastructure for maintaining technological sovereignty. This analysis examines how new joint venture in Saudi Arabia for rare earth processing initiatives are reshaping market dynamics through strategic partnerships that leverage regional industrial advantages while addressing critical minerals energy transition needs.” Why would President Trump want to wage a losing war on the EU over Greenland? It is not national security, it seemingly is not about the rare earths, depending on what Greenland has and it does have diamonds there, but how much of that 3D carbon structure is there, I don’t know. And when the article comes to ‘Key Partnership Structures in Saudi Rare Earth Development’ we might get a clue. The agreement gives us: 

  • Equal stake joint venture arrangements with established industrial conglomerates
  • Long-term off-take agreements securing 25% of concentrate production from Greenland’s Tanbreez Project
  • Strategic alignment with U.S. defense procurement requirements
  • Integration with Saudi Vision 2030 economic diversification objectives

So is that it? You can see the roundup at https://www.criticalmetalscorp.com/projects/project-tanbreez/ and it gives us “The Tanbreez Rare Earth Project is an advanced, permitted asset poised to become a cornerstone in the global supply of rare earth elements (REEs) for North America and Europe. Positioned to deliver a sustainable, reliable, and long-term supply, this world-class project is set to meet the surging demand for critical minerals essential to national security, advanced technologies, defense systems, and the green energy transition.” Would it be THAT simple? The United States doesn’t want to share and doesn’t want Europe involved, so it does this? It gives my “America is broke” setting additional value, but does any nation want to go to war over this? It is an unspoken setting towards governmental greed and as far as I can tell the media is seemingly completely stumped on this. Now if these two sources are bogus, so is the mindset on this, but the second source has a whole range of ‘likable’ people completely with LinkedIn settings. As such how could the media have failed us all to this degree?

The second setting is Discovery Alert, if they are on the up and up or not. And it would be a fair question to ask this, but I have no idea and something this juicy I set in my blog. There is always the setting that they are the bamboozlers as such they can deal with the fallout that the Saudi government gives them as well as the Department of Justice. I am pretty sure that the White House is detesting to be used as a punching bag for any kind of media. 

But what if it is all true, how defining are these two documents on how broke The USA really is? Well first there was the debacle about the 51st state (Canada) and how great America’s healthcare really is (I still haven’t stop howling on that one as Canada’s healthcare is vastly superior), we then get all kinds of other reasons and Canada merely looks around and makes larger deals with Mexico, Seemingly the UAE, Europe and now China. So as I see it, Canada is coming out on top and the USA has a dwindling revenue setting. Then we get the Venezuela oil setting where the oil tycoon’s in the Unknown Settings of Avarice are bailing out as they don’t have the stomach to do this over there. I was of the mind to set up the refineries in Texas and ship all the crude to Texas for processing. It gives Texas the jobs, it gives America the revenue and you merely waste 2-3 tankers which will require intense scrubbing, but that is my oversimplified setting here. And after that we get the Greenland setting where ABC reported 10 hours ago ‘European troops won’t change Trump’s ambition for Greenland, says White House’, as such the question becomes is America that broke or is there something else going on? The two settings clash as I see it and as I see it, there is an unknown factor in the works, because no one is so mentally so unstable to take on Europe, especially as Europe is holding significant amounts of U.S. Treasury bonds (over $3 trillion in total debt, including the UK), viewing them initially as safe investments, but recent geopolitical tensions, especially regarding potential U.S. trade or foreign policy shifts and when Europe dumps those treasury bonds, the US debt rises to well over 40 trillion, because they cannot survive that setting. It will result in Japan and China dumping their bonds as well and the economy that the White House thought they had evaporates like snowflakes in a volcano. You can see that in action in Iceland, and they have a few other examples where snow evaporates really quickly. So I have to wonder as a non-economist, what am I not seeing? What more is there and what is the media keeping hidden (through embargo or other means). I wonder because I just saw a part being raised that I never considered before. I always keep in mind that I am missing something, but this is something the media should have reported on and I am not seeing anything on this. And come to think of this, why would someone mess with what is called “to deliver a sustainable, reliable, and long-term supply” I am grasping at straws here at present, because no-one wants a war with America, they won’t win but I have friends I Europe and It might be nice if they outlived me. And for that matter, my financial setting will not improve if the US dollar collapses because that is now also in the works.

Have a great day, it is almost Saturday brekkie time (in about 13 hours), so see you all for my next blog.

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December 29, 2025 · 17:07

When it goes beyond oil

That is the setting that Australian Mining dot com dot au gives us (at https://mining.com.au/saudi-arabias-trillion-dollar-push-future-minerals-forum/). We think that we are given ‘Saudi Arabia’s trillion-dollar push: Future Minerals Forum’, but we are given so much more. You think that the headline gives the goods, but the start gives us “Saudi Arabia’s mining sector is shifting from a long-term ambition to a near-term investment hot-spot, underpinned by mineral potential estimated at US$2.5 trillion ($3.75 trillion), as reported by the Future Minerals Forum (FMF).” A setting where some see the blatant debatable truths that America hands us all that they are doing so well in that place, whilst Saudi Arabia quietly sets the setting of over 2 trillion dollars. And the entrepreneurs are not to be trifled with as you can see that originally “According to FMF, the number of licensed mining companies operating in Saudi Arabia has grown from six in 2019 to more than 150, while exploration expenditure reached SAR$1.33 billion between 2019 and 2023.” A growth of 2,500% (in 5 years) with an exploration expenditure of well over a billion Saudi Riyals. So as we are given “EEP, run by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in partnership with the Ministry of Investment, allocated SAR$70.6 million in its first batch of funding to support lithium, copper, gold, and base metal projects. The funding enabled 440,000m of drilling, 57,000 geochemical samples being collected, and the creation of more than 50 technical roles.” This is the stuff that mining dreams are made of, well beyond the setting of the old American gold rush a setting that could make Saudi Arabia the most industrious nation this century, because the goods when found will need cleaning, melting and all sorts of actions and it will all be done in Saudi Arabia. So whilst we are given “Countries are collaborating on mineral development and recognise cross-border cooperation can meet global demand, whereas the other meaning represents minerals are positions as engines for jobs, industrialisation, and long-term economic transformation in supplier countries.” As I see it, they all want ‘cross border collaboration’ but this is a Saudi party, A Muslim setting and as I see it, Saudi Arabia sets the terms, not Wall Street and they are fighting over there on Greenland and Canadian goods, Venezuelan oil, all whilst Saudi Arabia has untapped settings. I think that Aaliyah Rogan said it best when she ended the article with “As global miners are looking to diversify geographically and secure future supply, Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a credible third pillar of its economy, alongside energy and petrochemicals.” So as I see it, there is every chance that whatever America is vying for (Canada or Greenland) it comes with a lack of manpower, because as I see it, miners might not like the stage of political grievances whilst they can get a safe secure setting in Saudi Arabia for some time to come (at least 10 to 15 years). So whilst we are considering that the “Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in partnership with the Ministry of Investment, allocated SAR$70.6 million in its first batch of funding to support lithium, copper, gold, and base metal projects.” Consider the manpower they would need for this and I reckon any miner will be putting their name in the hat for such an amazing opportunity.

A setting that quietly walked passed a lot of people looked at the Greenland setting with “Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand affirmed support for Denmark, as Washington again says it wants to annex the country’s self-governing territory of Greenland. Anand spoke Tuesday with her Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen, and she wrote on social media that she conveyed to him “Canada’s support for the fundamental importance of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”” (Source: Cast Net) and whilst that (for lack of a better term) RomCom is going on, Saudi Arabia is making a move for its treasures and getting the resources to mine it properly.

Isn’t it a great moment when you learn that something happened in the background and you learn of this whilst most western papers will not report on it? So, have a great day all, My Monday is almost at an end whilst Toronto is merely starting today, Vancouver joins us in less than 2 hours.

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April 28, 2025 · 12:09

Is it reality?

That is the question I am faced with as I saw the article at CBC which I cannot continue as CBC screwed up its site giving us advertisements every inch of the article, as such Brodie Fenlon clean up your freaking site, and fire the idiot responsible for this. Yet the BBC came to the rescue and gives us (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2v37z333lo) ‘Trump deep sea mining order violates law, China says’ in earnest, that article is three days old and I preferred the CBC article as it shows a little more clearly how desperate America has become for funds. I reckon that the interest on 36 trillion of debt is gnawing on the bones of America, more prevalent that gnawing has gone beyond the bones as it is starting on the bowels of America. The BBC article gives us “Donald Trump has signed a controversial executive order aimed at stepping up deep-sea mining within US and in international waters. The move to allow exploration outside its national waters has been met by condemnation from China which said it “violates” international law.” I tend to agree with China, but merely as it allows a setting where the desperate poor countries who cannot counter America and these nations are left with baubles. A setting they learned from the slave traders around 1768. You have to hand it to trump. He is giving the old scriptures a chance to prove themselves. The issue I partially have a problem with is “The administration estimates that deep-sea mining could boost the country’s GDP by $300bn (£225bn) over 10 years and create 100,000 jobs”, in the first there is no clear setting for the $300,000,000,000 revenue. If they ‘mine’ in a few wrong sports, the price if mining and the revenue of staff will cost them an easy $50,000,000,000 which implies a lost revenue base of 16%, the second part is that these jobs are mostly given to people they just evicted. Only the higher levels will get a nice dime, the rest will be done by Americans who didn’t want the job anyway and that breeds errors and often mistakes. A non-committed employee screws up the daily routine a lot more than you are happy with and that will be dozens of people. The part that I never gave the right attention is seen in ““The harm caused by deep-sea mining isn’t restricted to the ocean floor: it will impact the entire water column, top to bottom, and everyone and everything relying on it,” he added in a statement released on Friday.” The he in that quote is Jeff Watters of Ocean Conservancy, a US-based environmental group. The fact that Jeff merely got one quote implies that he has a whole lot more to say and I wonder if we will ever see that part of the equation. The larger setting is that America is now ready to start bullying its way through international waters. So what will they call those who want to intervene on their waters (or too close to it), will they suddenly be branded pirates? A larger setting that America has lost the plot and I warned for this a decade ago. Deal with your debt unless it deals with you and that seemingly seems to be happening now. It also opens a new setting. These little nations will now be ready to side with China, which is another headache for America. And that setting will give China (as a protector or these nations) an options to scuttle these miners. So $300 billion largely lost and American lives lost (at present no one cares about those). Now we get the added cost of these mining platforms and as such America gets into deeper waters. 

So the end of the BBC article gives us “A recent paper published by the Natural History Museum and the National Oceanography Centre looked at the long term impacts of deep sea mining from a test carried out in the 1970s. It concluded that some sediment-dwelling creatures were able to recolonise the site and recover from the test, but larger animals appeared not to have returned.

The scientists concluded this could have been because there were no more nodules for them to live on. The polymetallic nodules where the minerals are found take millions of years to form and therefore cannot easily be replaced.” As such we have a (non proven) stage for the desperation of Americans. This was shown half a century ago. And the fact that America is willing to ignore “larger animals appeared not to have returned” as well as “polymetallic nodules where the minerals are found take millions of years to form and therefore cannot easily be replaced”. As I personally see it, to ignore these two facts implies that America doesn’t care (or cares less) about marine life and that it will act like a carrion eater in regards to the ocean floor and take now what needs millions of years to form whispers (to me) that America is decently beyond broke and it falls to President Trump to default the larger part of 36 trillion of debt. I’m pretty sure that I made mention of that chance in the past and as I am likely proven right yet again, the question becomes why didn’t economics signal clear levels of dangers? The news now, as the Times writer (and American economist) Irwin Stelzer gives us that the economy of America is in rather good shape. So is it really? Please give us the goods on how America is doing well? It might be that the America Economy is seemingly hanging tough, but they lost billions of revenue all over the field from retail to defense contracts. They might be in denial, bit as I see it only two years ago we would never have seen ‘Italian defence and aerospace giant Leonardo has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’ a mere three months old. So how much did America lose here? I cannot set the valuer of that contract, but the quote “multiple areas of collaboration to include space industry, airframe MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul), localisation of electronic warfare systems and radars and assembly of helicopters, a focus on Combat Air and Cross-Domain Integration fields, industrialisation processes and human capital development, national supply chain in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the country’s role for Leonardo in the region as well as the global value chain.” (Source: www.leonardo.com) leaves me to believe that it is a serious amount of money, now add the new European slices and with the tariffs the loss of America is now on a threshold to fuel a larger recession than ever speculated on before, the larger players (read: Bloomberg) set this chance at the moment at 40%, as America scuttled their own retail houses (like Walmart) of cheaper goods, they need to continue without the goods, you might think it is nothing, yet 1% of the American population works there, now take out the thousands of shoppers (read: immigrants) and that 2025 revenue of US$680.99 billion will topple by at least 10%, 30% if they are not careful and what remains of that Net revenue of US$19.436 billion? You see, they either fire a whole lot of them or lose close to 40% of their business. These are personally considered numbers, so I might be wrong here to the amount of loss, but not the intention of loss and this is merely Walmart. There are several other chains facing this setting. So how good is that shape of the economy? 

I wrote a few years ago that we need to see where all these bonds are, no serious journalist ever looked into that matter it was the time around the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in 2023. I wondered how the could have happened and it was a much bigger thing. The acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS gave me pause to ponder, I figured that several banks had over swallowed on bonds which left them not dissolvent, but left their funds largely frozen as such I speculated that Credit Suisse and SVB had too many bonds and at that time the loss of value of these bonds were crippling them. At present no one really looked at this, even to debunk my train of thought and now we also see some are selling their debt of the US. The BBC touched on that on April 10th (at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yrr0e7499o), so feel free to think I am crazy (always a decent stance to have) but there is ruffling in the economic oceans and the stage that the economic times are decently horrendous is not a bad thing. 

I just thought of something, did America rename the Gulf of Mexico for mining purposes? Now a bad stance, if it not for the tiny fact that the Bermuda Triangle is there too, as such how many mining platforms will operate in that region and what remains a few weeks later is anyones guess. Just me having fun with the situation. 😛

Have a great day and feel free to enjoy a coffee, it leaves you with a warmer feeling than a US bond at present will. 

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July 2, 2021 · 21:03

Mercy on stupid people?

In this age when we have 8,000,000,000 people walking around, should we show mercy on stupid people? I am not talking about people with some mental disorder, I am not talking about people with a speech impediment or people with a physical disorder. No, I am talking about people with a  greed disorder, a mental stage of everything is for free. Should we allow them to be alive? It is a serious question. You see, the BBC gives us ‘How hackers are using gamers to become crypto-rich’ (at https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57601631) and the BBC adds to the stupidity to put a picture of a nice girl there, although these transgressions are most likely done by well over 90% males. The list “Versions of Grand Theft Auto V, NBA 2K19, and Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 are being given away free in forums” implies that. You see NOTHING is for free, and nowadays, the sun might be (for now) the only thing that comes for free, but air is close to no longer free. In the last decades we wasted air quality to such a degree that more and more need oxygen and that stuff is not free and not cheap. So when I see “hidden inside the code of these games is a piece of crypto-mining malware called Crackonosh, which secretly generates digital money once the game has been downloaded. Criminals have made more than $2m (£1.4m) with the scam, researchers say.” I reckon that this goes far beyond the UK borders and as such the revenue will be a lot higher, in addition, the stupid person thinking that they are getting a free game are using electricity like there is no tomorrow. So any gamer having anything from a 750W Corsair to a 1200W Asus Thor will be donating $0.50 – $0.75 a day per PC to that criminal group. And that is the best news theory, if they leave the computer on and unattended the price could go up by 200%-400% a day, which means that this free game is costing you a lot more, optionally buying that game in the story will cost you $48 at Amazon, implying that you will pay for the game more than once after 15 days, if you are lucky after 20 days. So how free was that game? You might not pay for the electricity yourself but it will reflect in the bill and mom and dad will hold your PC up for ransom if you do not pay the electricity bill. 

So far two places out of a lot more gives us: 

United States: 11,856 victims
United Kingdom: 8,946 victims

As such the $2m is delusionally optimistic, the damage is more than likely a lot higher, especially when we see 

When Crackonosh is installed, it takes actions to protect itself including:

disabling Windows Updates
uninstalling all security software

And that was merely the better news, when you consider elements like

computer slowing down
wearing out components through overuse

You end up with the short end of the stick, and you better believe that it is a lot shorter than you hope it is. So should I feel mercy when a stupid act degrades a persons PC, sets the cost of living a lot higher per week, but that does not matter, does it? You got a free game out of it!

There is one side that bothers me, it is the quote “Tracking the hackers’ digital wallets has revealed the scam has yielded over $2m in the cryptocurrency Monero, Avast says”, it is the part ‘hackers’ digital wallets’, wallets is plural, as such there is every chance not everything has been found and there is even a much larger chance that they will find one group and have several groups walk away, because they were never spotted, and they were optionally a little more clever than the other players. The damage I a lot worse, yet when it comes to stupid people, I do not mind, more game time, more original game time for me. And this is merely the first setting, you see, I took notice because it flushes the one element out into the open. I touched on this with “I believe that it is a first step in the overly effective phishing attacks we face, Facebook might not be part to that, but I reckon the phishing industry got access to data that is not normally collected and I personally believe that Facebook is part of that problem, I also believe that this will turn from bad to worse with all the ‘via browser gaming apps’ we are currently being offered. I believe that these dedicated non console gaming ‘solutions’ will make things worse, it might be about money for players like Epic (Fortnite), but the data collected in this will cater to a much larger and optionally fairly darker player in this, I just haven’t found any direct evidence proving this, in my defence, I had no way of seeing the weakness that SolarWinds introduced. It does not surprise me, because there is always someone smarter and any firm that has a revenue and a cost issue will find a cheaper way, opening the door for all the nefarious characters surfing the life of IoT, there was never any doubt in this.” I wrote it in ‘Not for minors’ in December 2020 (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2020/12/18/not-for-minors/) and anyone (read: Epic) with claims that they will stop this, would be lying to you. Criminals are massively intelligent and their opponents (police and FBI) are not equipped to deal with this, that is beside the manpower shortage they would face. So when you get to slide between stupid kids and greed driven short sighted IT solutions, the people are about to lose a bundle, for the tech criminals it will be Christmas for them 340 days a year (with 25 very well paid holidays).

And that was just the beginning, how long until these easy virtue characters offer games with even more powerful ways to mine? A version of some merge 3 game but now utilising 95% of your processor 100% of the time? It will not interfere with receiving calls, it will not interfere with laptop, tablet and other device, but you become the pawn in a need to mine and it will cost you a lot more than you think. How long until someone combines screensavers and locked screens with the old SETI program and let devices mine the truckloads out of massive data files and we all contribute for every downtime minute every day? That was the danger that greed driven Epic contributed to (as I personally see it), that is the danger that we all face, and it gets worse. You see Yahoo told us ‘Epic is deliberately keeping ‘Fortnite’ off Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Game service’, isn’t that interesting? The cloud is their competitor, so they want to open up all the markets for THEM, but they are not that eager to hand their game to a streamer where they cannot collect as much. As I personally see it, it is about their margins, it always was and as such I personally consider their case to be a bogus one, but they opened a door, a door criminals will be eager to use, so how long until they offer Fortnite cheats, Fortnite chests with weekly prices, hardware and skins? It will be the gateway to more systems and the law is not ready and the makers of games will find out too late that the floodgates had been opened. That is how these events usually go, but in the end it will not cost them anything, because they will cover all third party solutions and it will be up to the gamer (and their parents) to pay that price. 

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