Applications have opened for South Australia’s latest Plan for Accelerating Exploration (PACE) Minerals program, offering co‑funding grants for drilling, geophysics and other greenfields exploration across the state. The scheme targets early‑stage work to advance prospects in copper, critical minerals and other commodities, with explorers able to offset direct exploration costs rather than tenure or corporate expenses. The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) has backed the move, signalling stronger state support for high‑risk drilling campaigns and geophysical surveys.

Caterpillar has opened the 17,000-square-foot (1,579 m²) Black Hills Engineering Design Center as a global hub for virtual reality and advanced visualisation in mining equipment development. Engineers can now design, test and refine machines in immersive VR environments before any physical prototype is built, shortening iteration cycles and exposing operators and maintainers to realistic training scenarios earlier in the design process. The centre supports Caterpillar teams worldwide across multiple machine platforms, enabling remote collaboration on ergonomics, sightlines and service access.

Copper trading around $6.27/lb (just over $13,800/t) is, in Macquarie Strategy’s view, running ahead of fundamentals, with visible stocks up more than 870,000 t since early 2025 and LME inventories at eight-year highs plus an estimated 550,000 t off-exchange in the US. The bank now sees a 262,000 t surplus in 2026 and surpluses above 700,000 t/y in 2027–28, even after allowing for disruptions at Kamoa-Kakula, Grasberg and a delayed Cobre Panama restart to Q2 2027. Macquarie has lifted its 2026 price forecast to $13,165/t but expects a correction towards an $11,000/t floor by Q3 2027.