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.

Evolution Mining has exited all gold hedging after delivering the final 18,000 ounces of a 120,000-ounce hedge at $3,284/oz in the June quarter, closing FY26 with record operating cash flow and a net cash position (cash exceeding debt). The company now has 100 per cent of future gold and copper production unhedged, fully exposed to spot prices. For mine planners and project financiers, this shifts risk to price volatility while improving upside leverage for assets such as Cowal and Ernest Henry.

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.