Fortescue shipped a record 201.3 million tonnes of iron ore in FY26, breaking the 200Mt mark for the first time on the back of a 52.7Mt June quarter from its Pilbara operations. The miner framed this “operational excellence” as the production base for its Real Zero pathway, integrating green energy initiatives across Western Australian sites rather than relying solely on offsets. For engineers, the scale and consistency of >50Mt/quarter output signal continued demand for high-availability haulage, processing and port infrastructure while low‑carbon power systems are phased in.

Artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance and real-time process monitoring are being deployed across copper mines to lift throughput and recoveries from existing concentrators rather than relying solely on new greenfield projects. Vendors showcased tools such as advanced analytics platforms that stabilise SAG and ball mill circuits in real time, and sensor suites that track crusher and conveyor health to schedule maintenance before critical failures. For geometallurgists and plant engineers, the shift is towards data-driven control loops and condition-based maintenance to squeeze extra tonnes from current ore bodies.

IMC Rare Earths has begun trading on NYSE American under the ticker ‘IMC’ after a US$20 million IPO priced at US$5.00 per share to fund its Itarantim ionic adsorption clay project in Bahia and Minas Gerais, Brazil. Itarantim hosts an inferred mineral resource of about 1.1 billion tonnes, described as one of the largest high‑grade dysprosium and terbium deposits outside China and Myanmar, targeting magnet applications in AI, robotics, advanced electronics and defence. The listing signals a potential new non‑Chinese supply centre for heavy rare earths to the Americas and Europe.