BHP’s quarterly copper output slipped 5% to 491.9 kt, with FY26 production down to 1.95 Mt and FY27 guidance cut further to 1,650–1,800 kt as Escondida’s concentrator feed grade falls to 0.90% and Pampa Norte moves into deeper, more complex ore. The miner is pursuing a US$5 billion concentrator at Escondida to hold processing at 460,000 t/d, a potential US$1.5 billion chloride-leach restart at Cerro Colorado, and a Spence–Sierra Gorda processing MoU to counter Chilean grade decline. Copper price strength (US$6.53/lb in Q4, up 47% year-on-year) is currently offsetting weaker volumes.

Glencore Technology is promoting the Jameson Cell as a key enabler for AI-driven advanced process control (APC), arguing that flotation circuit hardware must be reconfigured, not just overlaid with new software. The company points to the cell’s short residence time, small footprint and consistent froth conditions as features that generate cleaner, higher-frequency data streams for machine-learning control platforms. For plant designers and metallurgists, this shifts APC discussions towards circuit layout, sensor placement and retrofit strategies around Jameson Cells to stabilise and optimise flotation performance.

AECI Mining Explosives has marked 20 years of continuous operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at DRC Mining Week 2026 in Lubumbashi, emphasising its role as a long-term strategic partner to local copper and cobalt producers rather than a transactional explosives supplier. Over two decades the company has embedded blasting services, on-site technical support and supply-chain capability into major operations, adapting its product mix to changing pit geometries and higher stripping ratios. The anniversary signals sustained demand for integrated drill-and-blast solutions and stable emulsion supply in one of the world’s most active open-pit mining regions.