Sandvik will supply 16 AutoMine®-ready surface drills to Vale Base Metals’ Brazilian copper operations, including nine DR416i rotary blasthole rigs, in orders booked mainly across the June and September 2025 quarters with the balance in 2026. The DR416i, typically configured for large-diameter production holes in hard rock benches, is being prepared for future autonomous operation via Sandvik’s AutoMine® platform. For mine planners and drill-and-blast engineers, the deal signals further standardisation around OEM-ready autonomy, with implications for pattern accuracy, shift utilisation and maintenance planning on large open pits.

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.