A large South American copper mine has increased crusher availability to production by 2.2% after switching the bushing gear oil to a formulation supplied by Lubrication Engineers. The change also cut lubricant consumption by 83%, delivering direct cost savings alongside reduced handling and storage requirements. For reliability engineers, the case underlines the impact of lubricant selection on crusher uptime without major mechanical modifications.

ACG Metals has reported sustained improvement in gold recovery at the Gediktepe mine in Türkiye after introducing a proprietary heap leaching process, already patented locally and in progress across 35 other jurisdictions. The new metallurgical approach is applied as an additional product within the existing recovery circuit rather than a full plant redesign, targeting higher extraction from oxide ore heaps. For engineers, the key point is a process-intensification route to lift recoveries on current pads, potentially deferring major capital for new leach infrastructure.

Sierra Gorda, the Chilean open-pit copper mine in which South32 holds a 45% interest, has approved construction of a fourth grinding line following a completed feasibility study. The brownfield plant expansion is designed to lift processing capacity by about 25%, debottlenecking the existing concentrator rather than adding new mining fronts. For process and geotechnical teams, the project signals higher mill throughput demands on existing tailings and water circuits, with scope for re-optimising grinding media, liner wear strategies and cyclone classification.