Raglan Mine in Nunavik, Quebec, has reached a key automation milestone, with the first autonomous haul truck at the new Anuri underground nickel mine completing an autonomous ramp climb and successfully discharging ore at surface. The Glencore-owned complex now runs autonomous haulage alongside existing high-grade underground operations at Qakimajurq and Kikialik, signalling progressive automation across multiple orebodies. For mine planners and engineers, the achievement validates autonomous truck navigation on ramp profiles typical of deep Arctic underground operations, with implications for traffic management, communications and ramp design in similar cold-climate mines.

Curtin University and Victory Metals have formed an “industry–academia powerhouse” partnership to accelerate development of Victory’s rare earths project in Western Australia, combining Curtin’s Western Australian School of Mines expertise with the company’s exploration and processing plans. The collaboration will focus on metallurgical testwork, process flowsheet optimisation and resource characterisation to improve recovery of rare earth elements from the project’s ore. For mining engineers and metallurgists, the tie-up signals early integration of research-grade mineral processing and geometallurgy into project design rather than post-feasibility optimisation.

Ark Mines has secured a Queensland mining lease for its Sandy Mitchell rare earths project, marking a key move from exploration to planned production. The licence positions the company to advance mine planning and approvals for heavy and light rare earth extraction in northern Queensland, a region already targeted for critical minerals development. Geotechnical and mine design teams can now progress detailed pit designs, waste storage layouts and haul road alignments under a defined tenure framework.