MMG’s board has approved the feasibility study and committed to construction of a major expansion at the Khoemacau Copper Mine in Botswana, targeting annual output of 130,000 t of copper in concentrate. The project will also lift associated silver production above current levels, positioning the operation as a large-scale polymetallic producer in the Kalahari Copper Belt. For mine planners and process engineers, the step-up in concentrate tonnage will drive requirements for upgraded underground development, hoisting, and concentrator throughput, as well as expanded tailings and water management infrastructure.

Nova Andino Litio SpA, the new joint venture between Codelco and SQM to develop lithium production in Chile’s Atacama Salt Flat, has held its first board meeting, signalling a shift from negotiation to implementation. The board comprises Codelco representatives Máximo Pacheco M, Josefina Montenegro A and Alfredo Moreno Ch, alongside SQM’s Ricardo Ramos. For project engineers, this formal governance structure clears the way for detailed planning of brine extraction, evaporation pond layouts and processing capacity expansions in one of the world’s highest-grade lithium salars.

Silver plunged nearly 10% from a record $83.63/oz to the low $70s on Monday, its steepest intraday fall since 2021, after a month-long 40% surge driven by Chinese investment demand and Shanghai spot premiums exceeding $8/oz over London. Despite the pullback, silver is still up 148% in 2025 and briefly reached a market capitalisation above Nvidia’s $4.55 trillion, with its 14-day RSI easing to about 67 after three weeks above the overbought 70 threshold. Gold also retreated more than 4.5% from a record $4,543.51/oz, though it remains up nearly 75% year to date.