Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Simplified.

© 2025 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy
    Projects

    Rio Tinto $10B asset selloff: portfolio, capex and cost reset for mine planners

    December 4, 2025|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Rio Tinto $10B asset selloff: portfolio, capex and cost reset for mine planners

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Rio Tinto chief executive Simon Trott is targeting $5–10 billion from divestments and productivity gains by 2030, narrowing the portfolio to iron ore, copper, aluminium and lithium while cutting annual group capex to below $10 billion from 2028 and trimming decarbonisation spend to $1–2 billion through 2030. Non-core assets on the block include titanium dioxide, borates, land, infrastructure and processing facilities, with unit costs targeted to fall 4% between 2024 and 2030. Copper output is forecast at 860,000–875,000 tonnes in 2025, rising toward a 1 Mtpa target by 2030, while Simandou’s ramp-up is now guided at only 5–10 Mt of iron ore sales in 2026.

    Technical Brief

    • Leadership ranks have already been reduced, with associated restructuring expected to yield about $650 million annual productivity gains.
    • Capital will be withdrawn from projects where third‑party funding is below Rio Tinto’s cost of capital threshold.
    • Spending on BioIron and the Jadar lithium project in Serbia is currently paused pending portfolio and returns review.
    • Non‑core disposals explicitly target titanium dioxide and borates businesses, plus selected land, infrastructure and processing assets.
    • Governance constraints on share buybacks are being negotiated with major shareholder Chinalco to enable more flexible capital returns.
    • Unit operating costs across the group are planned to fall by 4% between 2024 and 2030 via efficiency programmes.

    Our Take

    With Rio Tinto signalling $5–10 billion of divestments while BHP is pursuing large-scale M&A around Anglo American and Teck Resources in our recent coverage, the competitive gap may widen between Rio’s balance-sheet ‘tidying’ and BHP’s push for copper and iron ore growth optionality.

    The reduced decarbonisation spend (from a previously flagged $5–6 billion down to $1–2 billion through 2030) suggests that lower-return abatement projects at assets such as Pilbara iron ore and aluminium/bauxite operations could be deferred, which may leave Rio more exposed if carbon pricing tightens in Australia, Canada or the EU.

    Rio’s plan to cap group capex below $10 billion per year from 2028, even as Simandou and Oyu Tolgoi copper ramp up, implies that non-core growth options in commodities like borates, titanium dioxide and antimony-gold (Hillgrove) are more likely to be shelved or sold rather than advanced to construction.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Northern Star gold hubs: deep extensions and design takeaways for mine planners
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Northern Star gold hubs: deep extensions and design takeaways for mine planners

    Northern Star Resources reports strong exploration results across its Australian hubs, with deep extensions and high‑grade gold intercepts at operations including Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines in Western Australia. Drilling has identified mineralisation continuing at depth beneath existing workings, with multiple emerging zones that could support life‑of‑mine extensions and higher‑grade feed to existing mills. For mine planners and geotechs, the focus now shifts to underground access design, ground support in deeper stress regimes, and sequencing to integrate new stopes into current production.

    Regis WA exploration pipeline: mine life and design takeaways for planners
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Regis WA exploration pipeline: mine life and design takeaways for planners

    Regis Resources is flagging a “significant pipeline” of near-mine and regional exploration targets across its Duketon and Tropicana gold operations in Western Australia, aiming to extend mine life and lift mill feed quality. The company is focusing on brownfields drilling around existing open pits and underground workings, plus greenfields prospects along under-tested shear zones within its Duketon belt and the Tropicana joint venture corridor. For geotechs and mine planners, the message is to expect ongoing resource definition drilling, updated pit shells and potential underground studies rather than major new project footprints.

    Harmony Eva copper project: Metso contract design implications for mine engineers
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Harmony Eva copper project: Metso contract design implications for mine engineers

    Harmony Gold has advanced its Eva copper project in Queensland by awarding Metso a major equipment contract as the greenfield mine moves towards site construction. The deal covers key comminution and processing plant components, with Metso to supply crushing and grinding equipment sized for large-scale copper throughput at one of Australia’s biggest planned copper developments. The contract signals design lock-in for the process flowsheet and allows detailed engineering, foundation design and construction scheduling to proceed on a firmer basis.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.