US regulators have approved federal mining plans for Warrior Met Coal’s Mine No. 4 and Blue Creek Mine No. 1 in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, authorising recovery of more than 53 million tons of federal metallurgical coal under an adopted BLM environmental impact statement. Mine No. 4 will extract about 16.9 million tons, extending operations seven years to 2046 with roughly 425 jobs, while Blue Creek Mine No. 1 will recover about 36.3 million tons, extending 14 years to 2067 with around 500 jobs. The projects are expected to generate over $400m in average annual economic output and are framed as supporting steelmaking supply chains for US allies.

Exploration activity across Australia’s resources sector this week includes Magmatic Resources commencing diamond drilling at its Myall copper–gold project in New South Wales, targeting deeper porphyry-style mineralisation beneath previous RC intercepts. Parallel campaigns involve new drill programmes and project development steps at multiple sites, signalling continued spend on brownfield extensions and greenfield targets despite cost pressures. Geotechs and mine planners should watch for updated resource models and potential shifts in pit-shells or underground designs as deeper porphyry and structurally controlled zones are tested.

High-grade gold intercepts from Ora Banda Mining’s Golden Pole deposit are boosting the underground potential of the Waihi project near Kalgoorlie, with targeted follow-up drilling extending mineralisation along strike and at depth. The company is focusing on narrow, high-grade lodes accessible from existing underground development, aiming to convert recent hits into JORC-compliant resources and near-term ore feed for the Davyhurst processing plant. For geotechs and mine planners, the results point to deeper stoping fronts, tighter ground control requirements and potential schedule changes for underground access development.