Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In
Built byBoxcut Studio

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects

    Copper output misses: implications for mine planning and supply modelling

    April 18, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Copper output misses: implications for mine planning and supply modelling

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reports that 2025 copper production deviated sharply from company guidance, with CMOC beating its target by 111,000 tonnes while Zijin Mining missed by 65,000 tonnes due to delays at the Julong expansion and weaker African output. The analysis explicitly separates stated guidance from realised tonnages, showing that most copper supply models still treat guidance as production. For mine planners and market modellers, the data signal that project delays and operational volatility can materially distort supply curves if guidance is used unadjusted.

    Technical Brief

    • The dataset disaggregates performance by company, allowing mine planners to assign producer-specific variance factors to guidance.
    • For copper market models, incorporating historical guidance-to-output error bands becomes as critical as grade and recovery assumptions.

    Our Take

    Benchmark Mineral Intelligence also underpins recent analysis of US copper supply–demand balance and concentrate exports, so forecast misses in this new copper output work will likely feed directly into reassessments of US smelting/refining bottlenecks rather than mine capacity alone.

    CMOC and Zijin feature prominently in Democratic Republic of Congo copper and cobalt supply articles in our database, so any systematic underperformance versus 2025 copper production targets at their African assets would have knock-on implications for US–DRC strategic supply arrangements highlighted in those pieces.

    With copper and other critical minerals already appearing in hundreds of tagged items in our coverage, persistent forecast errors for assets such as Julong or Chilean operations like Lomas Bayas suggest planners should treat long-range supply curves for energy-transition metals as scenario ranges rather than point estimates when structuring offtake or financing terms.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Minnova’s C$76M PL gold mine restart: economics and strip risks for engineers
    Mining
    about 13 hours ago

    Minnova’s C$76M PL gold mine restart: economics and strip risks for engineers

    Minnova plans a C$76.2 million restart of the brownfield PL gold mine near Sherridon, Manitoba, targeting 62,200 oz per year over 10 years from a high‑grade open pit feeding an existing 1,000 t/d plant, which is slated to double to 2,000 t/d in year two. The September resource stands at 3.76 million measured and indicated tonnes at 4.98 g/t Au (601,158 oz) plus 1.67 million inferred tonnes at 3.78 g/t (202,810 oz), with open pits carrying a high 21:1 waste‑to‑ore strip ratio. At US$3,000/oz gold, the PEA projects an after‑tax NPV5 of US$180.6 million, 111% IRR, eight‑month payback and all‑in sustaining costs of US$2,288/oz, but value falls sharply at lower prices, underlining cost and strip sensitivity.

    Mining
    about 13 hours ago

    Caterpillar Resource Industries leadership shift: fleet and autonomy cues for miners

    Caterpillar has confirmed that Denise Johnson, Group President of Resource Industries since 2016 and a key figure in expanding autonomous haulage and large mining truck platforms, will retire on 1 February 2027. Derrick York, currently President of Solar Turbines and a Caterpillar Senior Vice President overseeing industrial gas turbines and compressor sets, will become Group President of Resource Industries on 1 November 2026, with Johnson shifting to an advisory role. The handover timetable gives miners nearly a year of overlap to align major fleet, autonomy and support contracts with the incoming leadership.

    Anglo American copper scarcity and tech tie-ups: key takeaways for mine planners
    Mining
    about 13 hours ago

    Anglo American copper scarcity and tech tie-ups: key takeaways for mine planners

    Tech companies are in talks to buy equity in Anglo American to secure long-term copper and other data centre metals, as Comex copper trades near $6.52/lb and LME cash copper recently hit a record $14,822/t. Anglo’s planned merger with Teck Resources would create a roughly $90 billion group producing about 1.2 million tonnes of copper per year, controlling around 5% of global supply, but is still awaiting Chinese antitrust clearance tied to concentrate flows to local smelters. Wanblad also warned Anglo may close its Brazilian nickel operations at Codemin and Barro Alto if the EU blocks the $500 million sale to MMG despite proposed long-term European ferronickel supply commitments.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental