Rio Tinto has strengthened its share structure as major institutional investors signal support for a potential merger with Glencore, positioning the combined group as a dominant player in iron ore, copper and aluminium. A deal would consolidate Rio’s Pilbara iron ore system and Oyu Tolgoi copper interests with Glencore’s large thermal coal, cobalt and zinc portfolios, concentrating ownership of several Tier 1 orebodies. For geotechnical and mining engineers, such consolidation could accelerate portfolio-level decisions on mine life extensions, brownfield expansions and closure schedules across multiple continents.

Leveraging mining tyre management for cost and emissions gains, Kal Tire argues that optimising haul truck tyres can materially cut both fuel burn and tyre spend in open-pit operations where loading and haulage already account for roughly 50–60 per cent of operating costs. The company points to better inflation control, haul-road maintenance and tyre selection for specific pit profiles as levers to reduce rolling resistance and extend tyre life on 200–400 t class trucks. For engineers, the message is that tyre data, road design and maintenance planning should be integrated into mine planning, not treated as a consumables issue.

Australia’s Federal Government has released an Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus detailing 49 mining projects and 29 midstream processing proposals across commodities such as lithium, rare earths and high-purity alumina. The prospectus is aimed at attracting offshore capital into upstream deposits and midstream plants, including projects like Iluka Resources’ Eneabba monazite operation in Western Australia, to build domestic separation, refining and value-adding capacity. For engineers and project developers, the document signals a pipeline of greenfield and brownfield work spanning mine development, concentrators and chemical processing infrastructure.