Southern Cross Gold has reported its highest-grade shallow gold intersection to date at the Apollo prospect, part of its Sunday Creek project in Victoria, signalling further upside in near-surface mineralisation. The result comes from ongoing diamond drilling targeting epizonal gold–antimony veins, with Apollo sitting along strike from the Rising Sun and Christina prospects within the same structural corridor. For mine planners and geotechs, the shallow, high-grade nature of the intercept strengthens the case for potential open-pit starter scenarios and tighter geotechnical characterisation of vein-hosted ground conditions.

Loop Hydrometallurgy has unveiled a new copper processing technology aimed at replacing parts of conventional smelting–refining flowsheets with a hydrometallurgical route, targeting lower-temperature leaching and electrowinning rather than high-energy flash smelting. The process is designed to treat complex copper concentrates and potentially higher-arsenic feeds that challenge traditional smelters, using closed-loop reagent recovery to cut reagent consumption and waste volumes. For mine operators and project designers, this signals growing scope to permit smaller-footprint plants and reconsider concentrate transport versus on-site refining economics.

Nominations for the 2025 Women in Industry Awards are closing soon, with categories spanning mining, engineering, transport, manufacturing and resources, and open to roles from site-based operators to senior executives. The awards, run by Prime Creative Media and supported by Australian Mining, recognise technical innovation, safety leadership, operational excellence and mentoring, rather than purely corporate or HR achievements. Mining and civil leaders are being urged to nominate women leading projects such as mine expansion programmes, process-plant upgrades, automation deployments or geotechnical risk initiatives before the final deadline.