Thirteen Chilean copper projects worth $14.8 billion are targeting key 2026 milestones, with seven operations including Collahuasi’s C20+ life-extension, Codelco’s Rajo Inca and Capstone’s Mantos Blancos expected to add almost 500,000 tonnes/year of new capacity. A further six projects, such as BHP’s Spence and Capstone’s Santo Domingo, plan to start construction within a $7.7 billion pipeline that Cochilco says could lift national output to about 5.6 Mt, against a forecast 2026 deficit of 150,000–330,000 tonnes. José Antonio Kast’s incoming government is expected to streamline permitting and environmental approvals, but unresolved community opposition and potential legal challenges remain the main execution risk.

Larvotto Resources has begun underground development at its Hillgrove antimony–gold project in New South Wales, re‑opening historical workings to access high‑grade antimony and refractory gold mineralisation. The restart involves rehabilitating existing declines and levels, upgrading ground support, and re‑establishing services to support modern mechanised mining fleets. For geotechnical and mining teams, early focus will be on re‑assessing legacy excavation stability, water inflows and ventilation capacity to safely transition Hillgrove back into sustained underground production.

Fortescue has signed a technology development agreement with Taiyuan Iron and Steel (TISCO), a subsidiary of China Baowu, to jointly explore green iron production routes using Fortescue’s ore and TISCO’s low‑carbon steelmaking capability. The partnership centres on piloting and scaling technologies such as hydrogen‑based direct reduction and renewable‑powered electric furnaces within Baowu’s existing integrated steel complexes. For miners and steel producers, the move signals growing demand for ore specifications, beneficiation strategies and process control tailored to low‑carbon ironmaking flowsheets in China.