For years, world energy politics had been centred around crude oil and the actions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). But in recent decades, as the world shifts from fossil fuel to cleaner energy, the geopolitical balance is shifting from the oil wells to the mineral mines. And the most severe geopolitical tug-of-war is now taking place over key metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, which play a vital role in electric vehicle (EV) battery pr