Sandvik has launched the DD423i automated twin-boom development drill rig, built on the DD422i platform but engineered for higher drilling accuracy, automation readiness and data integration in underground hard-rock mines. The rig is designed for multi-face development with intelligent drilling controls, compatibility with Sandvik’s AutoMine and OptiMine systems, and upgraded onboard diagnostics to reduce unplanned downtime. For mine engineers, the DD423i targets tighter drill-and-blast control, improved overbreak management and more consistent advance per blast in high-cost development headings.

St George Mining has signed an MoU with Boston Metal to trial molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) for niobium production at St George’s 100%-owned Araxá niobium-rare earths project in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The joint project will test MOE’s ability to improve niobium recovery and processing efficiency compared with conventional pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical routes. For mine developers and metallurgists, the trial will indicate whether MOE can offer a lower-emission, potentially lower-cost flowsheet option for future niobium and REE concentrate processing at Araxá-scale deposits.

Core Lithium has awarded NRW Pty Ltd a circa A$50 million surface mining services contract for open-pit mining at the Grants deposit within the wholly owned Finniss Lithium Operation in Australia’s Northern Territory. The package covers all key activities required to deliver ore from the Grants pit, including drill-and-blast, load-and-haul, and associated mine services for the spodumene-bearing pegmatite. For geotechnical and mine planners, the award signals continued development of Finniss as a conventional truck-and-shovel open pit rather than an early shift to underground methods.