Geomechanics.io

Perpetua Resources has signed an agreement with Idaho National Laboratory, operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, to host, commission and run a flexible, modular pilot plant to recover critical and defence-related minerals, including antimony, from Perpetua’s orebodies. The pilot is expected to test flowsheets for selective antimony recovery alongside other strategic elements, using containerised process modules that can be reconfigured for different ore types and chemistries. Outcomes will inform full‑scale processing design for the Stibnite Gold Project and potential US domestic supply chains for military‑grade antimony products.

Aurecon has been appointed Engineering Program Partner for Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s Sustaining Capital teams in Western Australia from October 2025 to October 2028, extending its long-running role on Pilbara brownfield projects. The mandate covers multi‑disciplinary engineering for fixed plant, rail and port assets across RTIO’s iron ore network, including structural upgrades, materials handling improvements and life‑extension works on existing processing infrastructure. For geotechnical and civil teams, the partnership signals continued demand for staged upgrades, brownfield tie‑ins and asset integrity assessments rather than major greenfield expansions.

Iron Mine Contracting has secured a 39‑month mining services contract with Covalent Lithium to deliver drill, blast, load and haul, and run‑of‑mine management at the Mt Holland hard‑rock lithium operation in Western Australia’s Goldfields. The scope covers full open‑pit production support for Covalent’s Mt Holland mine and concentrator, which will feed spodumene concentrate to the company’s Kwinana Refinery now in commissioning. The deal signals long‑term third‑party involvement in both production drilling and material movement at one of Western Australia’s key lithium projects.

Wärtsilä will supply engines, controls and auxiliary systems for a new 120 MW flexible engine power plant in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, to expand power for Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM), owned by Northern Star Resources. The contract, placed by independent power producer Zenith Energy Operations, adds dedicated generation capacity for one of Australia’s largest open-pit gold operations. For mine operators, the project signals continued reliance on high-availability, engine-based thermal power in remote gold districts, complementing but not replacing on-site renewables and storage.

Metso has opened a new engineering hub in Pittsburgh, USA, focused on bulk material handling and port solutions to support mines and terminals across North America. The office will concentrate expertise in conveyors, shiploaders, stacker-reclaimers and related wear parts and services, integrating with Metso’s existing grinding, pyro and smelting service lines led by Senior Vice President Jonathan Allen. Closer regional design and troubleshooting support should shorten turnaround for upgrades to high-capacity loading systems and brownfield materials handling retrofits.

Allison Transmission is expanding its Indian mining presence with automatic transmissions deployed on Shar Projects’ new XCMG haul truck fleet, supporting the government’s Make in India and industrial modernisation programmes. The move extends Allison’s propulsion solutions from defence and on‑highway commercial vehicles into heavy mining applications, pairing its fully automatic gearboxes with XCMG’s large-capacity trucks for overburden and ore haulage. For mine operators, the combination targets smoother torque delivery, reduced driveline shock and lower operator fatigue compared with manual or automated manual transmissions.

Thiess has secured a five-year alliance agreement with Harmony to deliver bulk earthworks, workshop construction and mining services at the greenfield Eva Copper Mine Project in the Cloncurry region of Queensland, with the mining scope valued at about A$700 million. The contract covers establishment of mine support infrastructure and initial material movement, positioning Thiess to manage both early-stage civil works and ongoing production mining. For geotechnical and civil teams, the deal signals imminent large-scale earthworks and workshop foundation construction on a previously undeveloped copper site.

Critical Metals has signed a term sheet to form a 50:50 carried-interest joint venture with Romanian state-owned processor FPCU, securing long-term offtake rights for 50% of concentrate from the Tanbreez heavy and medium rare earth project in Greenland with no capex, debt or equity issuance required for the new plant. The JV will design, finance, build and operate a rare earth processing facility in Romania, supplying NATO-aligned feedstock to EU advanced manufacturing, electrification and defence sectors. This deal follows an October letter of intent with US processor REalloys for a 10-year offtake covering a further 15% of Tanbreez production.

Wildcat Resources has extended its Bolt Cutter Central lithium discovery in Western Australia, with new drilling indicating a larger mineralised system than initially defined. Recent reverse circulation and diamond holes have expanded the strike and depth continuity of spodumene-bearing pegmatites, suggesting potential to grow the existing resource footprint. For mine planners and geotechs, the results point to a more substantial open-pit or potential underground scenario, with further infill and step-out drilling likely to refine geometry, grade distribution and pit shell economics.

Thiess has secured a $700 million alliance agreement with Harmony Gold Mining to deliver multiple work packages for the Eva copper project in north-west Queensland. The contract covers mine development and operations support at the planned open-pit operation, including drill-and-blast, load-and-haul, and associated mining services over a multi-year term. The deal signals continued contractor-led development of large-scale copper assets in the Mount Isa–Cloncurry district, with Thiess likely to deploy its existing large truck–shovel fleet and technical services teams already active in the region.

A new $25,000 scholarship package is targeting Whitsundays school leavers to study science and environmental disciplines at James Cook University’s Townsville campus, building a local pipeline of skills for mining and resources projects in North Queensland. The funding is structured to support undergraduate study in areas such as environmental science, geology and related STEM fields that directly feed into mine planning, rehabilitation and water management roles. For operators in the Bowen and Galilee basins, this signals a stronger regional talent base for environmental approvals, closure planning and ESG reporting.

Liontown Resources has signed a new spodumene concentrate offtake agreement with Chinese cathode producer Canmax Technologies, shortly after running its first online auction for product from the 3Mtpa Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia. The deal adds a major long-term buyer alongside existing contracts with Tesla and LG Energy Solution, diversifying sales away from purely fixed-price arrangements. For miners, the move signals growing use of auction platforms and mixed pricing structures to manage spodumene price volatility and counterparty risk.

BHP has entered a $US2 billion ($A3 billion) agreement with Global Infrastructure Partners, part of BlackRock, to inject new capital into its Pilbara iron ore operations centred on Port Hedland. The deal targets brownfield infrastructure such as export terminals, rail links and associated materials handling assets that move more than 280 million tonnes per annum of iron ore from inland mines to deepwater berths. For geotechnical and civil contractors, the structure signals sustained demand for port dredging, rail formation upgrades and heavy-duty pavement and foundation works in the Pilbara.

Madison Technologies is deploying industrial-grade networking to keep remote, renewable microgrids online at Australian mine sites exposed to heat, dust and vibration that routinely defeat standard IT hardware. Its solutions combine hardened Ethernet switches, fibre backbones and wireless links to connect pit operations, processing plants and accommodation villages into a single operational technology network. For engineers, the focus is on deterministic communications for SCADA, power management and condition monitoring, with designs that tolerate brownouts, electrical noise and long cable runs typical of large open-cut operations.

Fluor Corporation has secured the engineering, procurement and integrated construction management (EPCM) contract for Teck Resources’ Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension (HVC MLE) project near Logan Lake, British Columbia. The undisclosed-value award, booked in Fluor’s third-quarter results, covers brownfield works to sustain one of Canada’s largest open-pit copper-molybdenum operations beyond its current mine plan. Geotechnical and civil scopes are expected to centre on pit pushbacks, tailings and water management upgrades, and plant debottlenecking to support extended ore throughput.

Komatsu has launched the PC950-11 hydraulic excavator for large-scale earthmoving, pairing a high-capacity front shovel with a Tier 4 Final/Stage V-compliant engine to cut fuel burn against previous PC-series models. The machine targets ultra-class truck loading with an operating weight in the 90–100-tonne class and a bucket size suited to 40–65-tonne haul trucks, aiming to shorten cycle times on bulk overburden and ore movement. Komatsu is also pushing operator-focused design, with upgraded cab ergonomics, digital monitoring and optimised hydraulic controls for smoother, more precise digging.

Sandfire’s MATSA complex in Huelva, south‑western Spain, runs a 4.7 Mt/y central processing plant fed by three underground polymetallic mines: Aguas Teñidas, Magdalena and Sotiel. The operation in the Iberian Pyrite Belt is deploying new technology across this hub‑and‑spoke layout, integrating underground production with the concentrator to optimise ore flow and metal recovery. For geotechnical and mining teams, the scale and multi‑mine feed emphasise ground control, backfill management and precise grade control to keep the plant at nameplate capacity.

Anglo American and Teck shareholders have approved a nil‑premium, all‑stock US$53 billion merger that will create “Anglo Teck”, a Canada‑headquartered group with more than 70% revenue exposure to copper. Analysts estimate combining Anglo’s Collahuasi operation with Teck’s Quebrada Blanca in Chile could deliver over 1 million tonnes of copper per year by the early 2030s, potentially overtaking BHP’s Escondida. The deal now hinges on multi‑jurisdictional regulatory approvals, including in Canada, following BHP’s short‑lived takeover approach to Anglo last month.

Rio2 is buying a 99.1% interest in Peru’s Condestable underground copper mine from Southern Peaks Mining for a total transaction value of $241 million, including $180 million upfront and assumption of $24 million debt, funded via $65 million vendor debt and an upsized $120 million equity raise at C$2.22 per receipt. Condestable, 90 km south of Lima, has an 8,400 tpd plant producing clean concentrate with scope to lift underground capacity to 12,000 tpd and add open pits, targeting about 27,000 tpa copper-equivalent and $110–145 million annual cash flow over five years. Rio2 plans to use this cash to expand Condestable and its Fenix Gold project in Chile, with combined output expected at 180,000 oz gold-equivalent per year and a potential pathway to 380,000 oz with a Phase 2 expansion at Fenix.

Tronox Holdings’ share price jumped over 32% in New York after the US Export-Import Bank and Export Finance Australia issued coordinated support letters for up to $600 million in financing. The funding would back mine extensions, infrastructure and a new cracking and leaching facility in Western Australia designed to produce mixed rare earth carbonate from monazite-bearing tailings, capturing “multiples more value” from its existing mineral sands operations. The move sits within the US-Australia Critical Minerals Framework and EFA’s $4 billion Critical Mineral Facility mandate.

Silver prices jumped 3.6% on Tuesday to a record $60.46/oz, extending a two‑month rally that has doubled the metal’s value this year and outpaced gold’s 60% gain. The move is driven by a lingering supply squeeze following an October London market crunch, with Chinese inventories at their lowest in a decade and thin holiday liquidity in London’s OTC trade amplifying volatility. Traders are also pricing in a near‑certain 25 bp US Federal Reserve rate cut, boosting safe‑haven demand and complicating cost forecasts for silver‑exposed projects.

Lundin Gold expects Fruta del Norte in southeast Ecuador to hold steady at 475,000–525,000 oz. gold per year from 2026–2028 at an average head grade of 8.3 g/t, while cash costs rise to $900–$960/oz and AISC to $1,110–$1,170/oz on a $4,000/oz gold price assumption. The underground mine, currently permitted for 5,500 t/d, will see decisions in 2026 on developing the South zone and a potential throughput expansion that could alter 2028 output. A record US$85 million exploration budget will fund 133,000 m of drilling, including 100,000 m of near-mine work targeting high-grade epithermal systems and a porphyry corridor.

Greenland has issued a 30-year exploitation licence for GreenRoc Mining’s Amitsoq graphite project in the Nanortalik region, its third mining permit this year, supporting a policy push for “responsible” investment under minister Naaja Nathanielsen. Amitsoq hosts a JORC resource of 23 million tonnes at 20.41% graphitic carbon (4.71 million tonnes contained), with plans to fast-track an 80,000 t/y graphite concentrate operation on the site of a historic open-cut mine last worked in 1922. The EU has granted the project “strategic” status and Denmark’s export credit agency has provided a €5.2 million loan, signalling strong European backing for this high-grade Arctic deposit.

Boart Longyear has launched the Stingray™ DHM/full face diamond bit, a US‑designed bit engineered specifically for downhole motor and full-face drilling in exploration applications. The bit uses a new crown geometry combined with Boart Longyear’s durable diamond technology to increase penetration rates compared with conventional diamond bits. For drill contractors, the design targets faster advance per hour and reduced bit trips, particularly in hard, abrasive ground where DHM systems are already favoured for directional control and high rotary speeds.

Aurora Innovation has signed a commercial deal with Detmar Logistics to run autonomous haulage of frac sand proppants 24/7 for a major multinational oil and gas operator in the US shale sector. Aurora’s Level 4 self-driving freight platform will be integrated into Detmar’s existing dry bulk truck fleet, targeting continuous shuttle runs between sand mines, transload terminals and well pads. For mine and wellsite operators, the move signals accelerating deployment of autonomy on repetitive, high-mileage proppant corridors where driver availability and cycle-time variability are chronic constraints.

Scania and LKAB have deployed a new fully electric 8×4 heavy tipper with two steerable front axles into underground haulage at LKAB’s Malmberget iron ore mine in northern Sweden, the first truck of this configuration in Scania’s global fleet. The unit, nicknamed “Sleipner”, is being trialled in production conditions to handle heavy ore and waste movements on ramp and level haul routes traditionally served by diesel trucks. The collaboration is intended to validate battery-electric performance, charging logistics and driveline durability in deep, confined mining environments.

Modern quarry sites are being forced to overhaul operational management as rising diesel and lubricant prices, escalating maintenance on large haul fleets and crushers, and persistent labour shortages erode already tight margins. Operators are turning to tighter fuel burn monitoring on 50–100 t rigid dump trucks, predictive maintenance on primary jaw and cone crushers, and closer cycle-time analysis on loading–hauling circuits to cut idle time. Stricter blasting, dust and traffic-safety regulations are also driving more formalised traffic management plans and data-led risk assessments across benches, haul roads and processing areas.

Henkel Australia is using AIMEX to showcase LOCTITE protective coatings, structural adhesives and rapid repair compounds designed to extend service life of high-wear mining assets such as chutes, pumps and conveyors. The polymer-ceramic coatings and epoxy-based rebuild systems target abrasion, impact and chemical attack on steel and concrete, aiming to reduce unplanned shutdowns and rebuild frequency. For maintenance and reliability engineers, the focus is on in-situ application, shorter cure times and compatibility with typical iron ore and coal handling conditions.

Brightstar Resources’ latest reverse circulation drilling at the Sandstone gold project in Western Australia has intersected new mineralised zones that could extend the current JORC mineral resource envelope. Step-out holes along strike and at depth from existing pits indicate continuity of gold-bearing structures beyond previously modelled limits, with multiple intercepts logged in fresh and transitional rock. Any resource growth at Sandstone would directly impact mine planning options for open-pit cutbacks and potential underground access in the Yilgarn greenstone belt.

Metal prices are forecast to keep rising into 2026 as a new Australian Mining report links continued price growth to stabilised global markets and resilient demand for iron ore, copper and battery metals. Analysts point to Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron ore supply, ongoing Chinese steel production and constrained new project pipelines as key supports for higher benchmark prices. For mine planners and project financiers, the outlook favours bringing shovel‑ready brownfield expansions forward while stress‑testing new developments against stronger-for-longer input and capital costs.

Liontown Limited has signed a 150,000 wmtpa offtake agreement for 2027–28 spodumene concentrate supply from its Kathleen Valley project in Western Australia with Canmax Technologies, with pricing tied to global spodumene concentrate indices. The deal follows Liontown’s first digitalised spodumene auction on 19 November, which drew more than 50 qualified buyers from nine countries and cleared SC6.0-equivalent product at $1892/dmt (US$1254/dmt). Liontown, which already has offtakes with LG Energy Solution, Tesla and Ford, saw its share price jump nearly 20% over the weekend.

Total procurement spend with Indigenous-owned businesses has reached $5.83 billion, with mining and resources now the largest single driver of demand for Supply Nation–registered suppliers. The State of the Indigenous Business report points to major contracts in mine site services, civil works and haulage as key growth areas, with Tier 1 miners increasingly using mandated Indigenous participation targets in procurement panels. For engineers and project managers, this signals more joint ventures, Indigenous subcontracting on bulk earthworks and haul road construction, and tighter reporting on Indigenous spend.

Australian Power Equipment is designing mine-wide electrical ecosystems for underground electrification, supplying modular substations, flameproof switchgear and high-voltage distribution tailored to remote, hot and dusty headings. Co-directors Andrew Cockbain and Abby Crawford emphasise integration of variable-speed drives, soft starters and real-time protection relays to manage high inrush currents from battery-electric loaders and jumbo chargers. The approach focuses on IEC-compliant, arc-fault-contained enclosures and condition monitoring to cut unplanned outages and support staged transition from diesel to fully electric fleets.

A new report on Australia’s battery supply chain positions graphite as a strategic material for lithium‑ion anodes, noting that graphite makes up most of the active material in current EV battery chemistries. The analysis points to Australia’s existing natural graphite resources and emerging synthetic graphite projects as a way to reduce reliance on Chinese processing capacity, which currently dominates anode production. For miners and processors, the report signals growing scrutiny of flake size distribution, impurity control and downstream spherical graphite and coating capacity as key value drivers.

Rio Tinto’s first Pilbara-made iron ore rail car has rolled off the production line in Karratha, built under a local manufacturing partnership with Gemco Rail. The project aims to replace imported rolling stock for Rio’s 1,700km Pilbara heavy-haul network, which routinely runs 2–3km-long, 30,000+ tonne trains from inland mines to coastal ports. Local fabrication is expected to shorten maintenance and refurbishment lead times for high-axle-load wagons and create a regional supply chain for wear components and structural repairs.

Metso has launched its Grande Series of high-performance mining screens, engineered for heavy-duty classification in large-capacity crushing and screening circuits. The range targets high-throughput operations with optimised stroke, speed and deck configurations to increase screening efficiency and uptime compared with conventional units. For plant designers and process engineers, the new series offers a standardised yet scalable platform aimed at simplifying flowsheet design, reducing maintenance intervals and improving overall circuit performance in hard-rock and ore applications.

Gold Royalty has agreed to buy BlackRock World Mining Trust’s royalty over BHP’s Pedra Branca copper-gold mine in Pará, Brazil, for $70 million cash, adding a 25% net smelter return on gold and 2% NSR on copper and other products across the Pedra Branca East and West deposits. The royalty generated about $7.9 million over the 12 months to 30 June, equivalent to roughly 2,800 gold-equivalent ounces at an average gold price of $2,811/oz, from ore grading 1.41–1.68% copper and 0.40–0.47 g/t gold. Gold Royalty will fully fund the deal via a $70 million bought equity financing of 17.5 million shares at $4.00, taking its portfolio to eight cash-flowing assets and over 250 royalty and streaming interests.

Huawei is rapidly expanding mining connectivity projects in South America and Africa, deploying unified networks that integrate 4G/5G, Wi-Fi 6 and industrial optical fibre across entire mine lifecycles. Its “single network, multiple services” architecture is being used to support autonomous haulage fleets, high‑definition pit‑to‑plant video, and real‑time fleet management in remote open pits and underground operations. For engineers, the key shift is moving from fragmented, site‑by‑site comms to a converged backbone designed to carry OT traffic, safety systems and corporate IT on one managed platform.

The US “One Big Beautiful Bill” allocates US$7.5 billion to critical minerals and is backed by a further US$1 billion in Department of Energy funding for lithium, nickel, rare earths, gallium and graphite, but the impact will hinge on directing money to mid‑chain extraction, refining and processing rather than simply expanding mining. Arizona holds 71% of US copper reserves, yet in 2024 the country consumed 52,000 tonnes of graphite while importing about 60,000 tonnes, with zero domestic production and 90% of rare earth refining controlled by China. Emerging projects such as Ucore’s rare earth facility in Louisiana, USA Rare Earth’s LCM metallisation and strip‑casting assets, and Idaho plants processing Sheep Creek ore show where funding tied to energy‑efficient refining, digital ore characterisation and circular recovery could materially de‑risk grid and storage supply chains.

Aura Minerals has lifted its long-term production outlook to 600,000 oz gold-equivalent per year, driven by a new feasibility study for the Era Dorada underground project in Guatemala plus ramp-up and expansion at Borborema, Almas, Matupá and the MSG turnaround. Era Dorada, formerly Cerro Blanco, is now scoped as a 17-year underground mine producing 1.75 million oz gold-equivalent, with initial capex of $382 million, AISC of $1,178/oz and an after-tax NPV of $1.34 billion at $3,177/oz gold. The project retains existing licences and avoids the open-pit plan that previously stalled government approvals.

Drilling at Omai Gold Mines’ Wenot deposit in Guyana has defined a new high‑grade zone east of the historical pit, with hole 25ODD‑142 cutting 14.7 metres at 11.07 g/t gold from 304 metres, including 4.3 metres at 34.31 g/t, and 25ODD‑145W in Central Wenot returning 13.3 metres at 13.54 g/t from 398 metres. The 35,300 metres of 2025 diamond drilling across 79 holes suggest the central contact and quartz feldspar porphyry may dip south in the east, with implications for pit geometry and strip ratio in the upcoming PEA. Omai, already hosting 2.12 million oz indicated at 2.07 g/t and 4.38 million oz inferred at 1.95 g/t, is targeting resource growth and conversion that could support a “very robust” open pit mine plan.

Contango Ore has agreed an all-share acquisition of Dolly Varden Silver, valuing the combined Contango Silver & Gold at about $812 million, with $100 million cash, $15 million debt and cash flow from the high‑grade Manh Choh open pit mine in Alaska (30% Contango, 70% Kinross). The deal secures Dolly Varden’s Kitsault Valley project, hosting 3.4 million indicated tonnes at 299.8 g/t Ag (32.9 Moz) plus 1.2 million inferred tonnes at 277 g/t Ag (11.4 Moz), and the Homestake Ridge deposit with 736,000 indicated tonnes at 74.8 g/t Ag and 7.02 g/t Au. Completion, targeted for late February or early March, requires two‑thirds approval from Dolly Varden shareholders and a majority from Contango holders, with a reciprocal $15 million break fee.

Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange rose 1.3% to a fresh record of $11,771/t as US stockpiling ahead of expanded tariffs and China’s pledge to maintain a “proactive” 2026 fiscal stance tightened the supply–demand balance. Citic Securities estimates a refined copper shortfall of about 450,000 t in 2026 and says prices must average above $12,000/t to justify new mine capacity. For project developers, the 34% LME price gain this year, driven by data centres and EV demand plus mine outages, strengthens the case for advancing brownfield expansions and higher-grade projects.

Vale, Caterpillar and dealer Sotreq have agreed to expand the fleet of autonomous haul trucks at Vale’s Northern System iron ore operations in the Carajás region of Pará, Brazil, building on trials already under way with Cat Command for hauling. The deal, flagged earlier by Caterpillar Resource Industries President Denise Johnson at an Investor Day, signals a larger deployment of OEM-autonomy rather than retrofit kits in one of the world’s highest-grade iron ore districts. For mine planners, this points to increased focus on haul road design, traffic management and maintenance regimes optimised for fully autonomous Cat fleets.

OCP Green Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of OCP Group, has commissioned the first phase of its renewables programme, adding 202 MWp of solar capacity now fully operational across three Moroccan sites linked to its phosphate mining operations. The utility-scale PV plants are designed to feed mine and beneficiation loads, cutting grid dependence and exposure to fuel price volatility. For mine planners and process engineers, the new capacity enables higher electrification of pit equipment, conveyors and slurry pumping, and supports future integration of large-scale storage.

BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit, projects most mineral and metal prices will edge higher in 2026 as net‑zero demand, tight supply and an intensifying race for copper, lithium and rare earths outweigh Mainland China’s weak property sector. Industrial policy in the US and EU will focus on domestic mining/processing plus overseas offtake deals, while Beijing accelerates exploration, expands battery and rare earth capacity and uses tariffs and export controls to reinforce value‑chain dominance. Strong M&A, phased brownfield capex and tougher fiscal terms in African frontier markets will shape where mining capital goes next.

Metso has signed a contract to supply a compact travelling grate iron ore pellet plant to Greta Energy Limited’s Chandrapur project in Maharashtra, India, its second such compact plant order in the country after a similar deal announced in November 2025. The plant will use Metso’s travelling grate induration technology, tailored for smaller-scale pelletising compared with conventional large-capacity units. For Indian iron ore producers, compact plants of this type can be integrated into constrained brownfield sites and support incremental pellet capacity without the footprint of full-scale installations.

EACON Mining Technology is rolling out a next‑generation autonomous haulage system in China built around on‑board perception, integrating lidar, millimetre‑wave radar and camera fusion directly on 60–100 t class trucks from Tonly, NHL and Yutong. Field deployments span a large open‑pit mine and a quarry operation, with mixed fleets running driverless haul on existing benches and ramps rather than purpose‑built AHS roads. The focus on vehicle‑centric sensing over fixed roadside infrastructure has implications for retrofitting brownfield pits and managing variable geotechnical conditions and visibility.

Anglo American has withdrawn a contentious proposal to guarantee 62.5% vesting of 2024–25 share awards for executive directors tied solely to completion of its proposed $53 billion merger with Teck Resources, after opposition from investors and proxy adviser ISS. The shareholder vote on 9 December will now focus only on authorising new share issuance, with at least two-thirds approval needed from both Anglo and Teck investors. If cleared and subsequently approved by regulators, the combined group would become a top-five copper producer with about 1.35 Mt/year output and a new headquarters in Canada.

Glencore Technology has partnered with XPS in Falconbridge, Ontario, to expand Jameson Cell flotation test work coverage across North America, using XPS’s piloting facilities and state-of-the-art mineral processing laboratories. The multidisciplinary XPS team will run laboratory and pilot-scale campaigns for operations and projects, integrating metallurgical test work with consulting and flowsheet development. For concentrator engineers, this should simplify scale-up of Jameson Cell applications in brownfield and greenfield plants, potentially shortening test programmes and de-risking circuit design changes.