Codelco’s Ministro Hales Division in Chile has secured unanimous approval from Antofagasta’s COEVA for its Future Development EIA, extending mine life from 2026 to 2054 on a planned investment of US$2.8 billion and enabling higher copper production. The long-life plan will require expanded open pit and underground works, new waste and tailings handling capacity, and upgrades to existing concentrator and smelting circuits. Geotechnical and environmental teams now face multi-decade commitments on pit slope stability, tailings stewardship and water management under tighter Chilean regulatory scrutiny.

BHP and Rio Tinto plan a joint Pilbara iron ore development targeting up to 200 million tonnes of production, signalling rare cooperation between the two dominant operators in Western Australia’s main export region. The venture is expected to leverage existing rail and port infrastructure at Port Hedland and Cape Lambert, potentially reducing unit costs compared with standalone greenfield expansions. For mine planners and geotechs, shared pit designs, haulage networks and waste dump layouts across adjoining tenements could drive standardised geotechnical models and common slope design criteria.

South Australia’s copper exports exceeded $3 billion over the past 12 months as record copper prices boosted output from major operations including BHP’s Olympic Dam. The state’s copper sector, which also draws on large open-pit operations in the Gawler Craton and integrated smelting capacity at Olympic Dam, is now a central contributor to South Australia’s export power. For miners and project developers, the revenue surge strengthens the case for new sulphide expansions, brownfield resource drilling and fast-tracking processing debottlenecking across existing plants.