Epiroc AB has acquired the business of Eventspec Proprietary Limited, a Johannesburg-based mining aftermarket specialist manufacturing parts for drill rigs, mine trucks and loaders. Eventspec, with more than 20 years’ experience, also delivers component rebuilds, structural repairs and full machine service packages for underground and surface fleets. The deal expands Epiroc’s in-country capability for non-OEM and OEM-equivalent parts and workshop support, reducing lead times and import dependence for South African and regional mines.

Cove Kaz Capital Group has appointed DRA Global, ERM and Knight Piésold to deliver a definitive feasibility study for the Northern Katpar tungsten project in Kazakhstan, held by Severniy Katpar LLP in which Cove Kaz holds an interest. DRA Global will lead process plant and mine design, ERM will focus on environmental and social impact assessment, and Knight Piésold will cover tailings, water management and geotechnical engineering. The DFS mandate signals movement towards detailed design of tungsten concentrator flowsheets, TSF layouts and permitting packages in a critical minerals jurisdiction.

Explosives and blasting suppliers are rolling out remote and automated systems to keep personnel away from the underground face and surface bench during loading and initiation. Technologies include tele-remote blast-hole charging units, wireless electronic detonators with encrypted bidirectional communication, and blast management platforms that sequence shots from control rooms. For geotechnical and mining engineers, this shift changes blast design constraints, demands more precise timing and burden control, and requires closer integration of drilling data, fragmentation modelling, and ground control plans.