Magnetite Mines has started air core drilling at its Ironback Hill prospect in South Australia to test for rare earth element (REE) mineralisation alongside its existing magnetite iron ore resource. The program targets REE-bearing horizons identified in previous surface geochemistry and geophysics within the broader Razorback iron project area, where the company is already advancing high-grade magnetite concentrates for green steel feed. Any defined REE inventory could materially change project economics and mine planning, adding a critical minerals stream to the planned iron ore operation.

US recycler Amermin and Ulterra Drilling Technologies are extending their critical minerals recycling partnership to handle Ulterra’s waste streams from Argentina and Canada, on top of existing US volumes. The Texas-based firms already process more than 21 waste streams, including tungsten, cobalt, nickel, manganese, blast media, and synthetic and industrial diamond, and recycled over 1.4 million pounds of Ulterra material in 2025. Amermin is using an $11.5 million US Department of Energy grant to scale processing so end-of-life drilling and tooling inputs can be returned as manufacturing-grade feedstock.

PNG Industrial and Mining Resources Exhibition and Conference (PNG Expo) has confirmed the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) as an association partner for its 2026 event in Port Moresby. The partnership is expected to expand Australian supplier and contractor participation across mine development, processing plants and supporting civil works, particularly in PNG’s gold, copper and LNG-linked infrastructure projects. For geotechnical and mining engineers, this signals stronger cross-border collaboration on equipment standards, contractor capability and project pipelines in Papua New Guinea.