Boliden is in talks to buy Votorantim’s 64.7% controlling stake in zinc producer Nexa Resources, a deal flagged at about 7 billion reais ($1.4 billion) that would expand Boliden’s base metals portfolio into Brazil and Peru. Nexa operates five polymetallic mines, including Cerro Lindo in Peru, and three smelters, giving Boliden potential access to integrated zinc, lead and by-product capacity across two key Latin American jurisdictions. Nexa’s shares rose 2.8% in after-hours trading, valuing the company at roughly $1.8 billion, but both parties warn there is no certainty of completion.

BHP is seeking to restart the Cerro Colorado copper mine in Chile with a $1.5 billion plan centred on a new environmental permit and a 20‑year mine life. The proposal replaces contested groundwater use with leaching technologies supplied by treated wastewater pumped over more than 100 km from Alto Hospicio via a dedicated pipeline across the Atacama Desert. For engineers, the key issues will be permitting risk, long-distance water pipeline design in hyper‑arid terrain, and integration of seawater-desalination and wastewater streams into heap leach circuits.

Volvo Autonomous Solutions has signed a Letter of Intent with Jokkmokk Iron Mines AB to develop an autonomous haulage fleet for the planned Kallak/Gállok iron ore project north of the Arctic Circle, targeting operation in sub-zero, snow and ice conditions. The partners will test downsized, purpose-built autonomous vehicles rather than conventional 220–300 t trucks, aiming to optimise haul profiles, ramp geometry and energy use for a relatively compact open pit. For engineers, the project offers an early Arctic testbed for integrating autonomy with mine design, traffic management and winter road maintenance strategies.