Boliden’s Aitik open-pit copper mine has secured a renewed environmental permit from Sweden’s Land and Environment Court, authorising continued production of up to 45 Mt of ore per year. The decision also approves specified methods for staged tailings dam raising and revised water management practices, giving regulatory backing to Aitik’s long-term waste storage and process water handling strategy. For geotechnical and process engineers, the ruling provides clarity on allowable dam construction techniques and water balance controls for one of Europe’s largest copper operations.

Ucore Rare Metals has signed a framework agreement with Sumitomo Corp. to secure rare earth feedstock and offtake for Ucore’s Louisiana strategic metals complex (SMC) at England Airpark, Alexandria, which broke ground in May 2025 and will produce high-purity rare earth oxides from multiple global concentrate sources. The deal pairs Ucore’s RapidSX separation technology with Sumitomo’s sourcing, logistics and Japanese market access, with Sumitomo acting as distribution partner for selected middle and heavy rare earths for high-performance magnet and advanced materials users. Ucore also plans to integrate its 100%-controlled Bokan-Dotson Ridge heavy rare earth project in Alaska into this supply chain over the longer term.

AbraSilver Resource has reported its best intercept to date at the Teck-funded La Coipita copper-gold porphyry in San Juan, with hole DDH-LC26-010 cutting 747.5 m at 0.69% Cu, 0.06 g/t Au and 142 ppm Mo from 396 m, including 108 m at 1.06% Cu. A second mineralised centre at Yaretas Sur, 1.9 km south, returned 42 m at 1.03% Cu, 0.63 g/t Au and 41 g/t Ag from 264 m, supported by a new magnetotelluric survey suggesting southern extensions. Teck has now drilled 11,270 m in 19 holes and spent about US$23 million, exceeding the US$20 million earn-in threshold toward an 80–20 JV.