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.

Aeris Resources has secured New South Wales Department of Planning approval for its Constellation copper project, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for development alongside the existing Tritton underground operation near Nyngan. The approval covers surface infrastructure and underground mine development to access the Constellation deposit, envisaged as a new ore source to extend Tritton’s processing life and copper output. Geotechnical and mine planning teams can now advance detailed designs for decline access, ground support and tailings/storage expansions under the approved conditions.

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.