Epiroc has secured a large order to supply a fleet of Pit Viper 351 surface blasthole drill rigs to a major Peruvian copper mine operated by a consortium of leading Chinese investment firms and an Australia-headquartered global miner. The Pit Viper 351 units, typically configured for large-diameter production holes and high bench heights, will be deployed to support a mine expansion phase. For drill and blast engineers, the standardisation on a single large-rig platform signals higher bench productivity and tighter control of fragmentation and blast patterns.

Copper demand is projected to surge over coming decades as electrification, large-scale renewables, AI workloads and hyperscale data centres drive intensive use of copper-heavy power electronics and modern grid infrastructure. Adelaide’s Copper to the World conference and exhibition will focus on this demand profile, linking new transmission build-out, electric vehicle charging networks and high-capacity data centre cabling to long-term red metal consumption. For miners and project developers, the event signals sustained interest in copper supply pipelines, processing capacity and exploration portfolios.

Core Lithium has begun mining at the Grants open pit within the Finniss Lithium Operation in the Northern Territory, with the pit expected to deliver about 784,000 tonnes of lithium ore. The company remains on schedule for its first shipment of newly produced SC5 spodumene concentrate in the second quarter of 2026, signalling a move from development into early production. For geotechnical and mine planners, the ramp-up at Grants sets the reference geometry, pit wall performance and ore scheduling parameters for subsequent Finniss pits.