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Gold’s jump of more than 2% on Friday to about $4,353/oz, after US payrolls unexpectedly fell by 23,000 in July, triggered one of the strongest weekly moves in years for gold equities. The VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) surged 21.09% to $89.73 and the Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) 22.42% to $116.78, while Agnico Eagle, Newmont and Barrick each gained around 20% over five days. Junior-heavy TSX Venture names and the GDXJ outperformance underline how higher-cost producers’ operational leverage can rapidly reprice reserves and project pipelines.

NGEx Minerals will spin out its 1,090 sq. km Valle Ancho copper-gold district in the Maricunga belt into a new TSX Venture–listed company, with shareholders receiving 0.2 Spinco shares per NGEx share and funding provided for at least 12 months of exploration. Valle Ancho, fully owned since 2022, has porphyry copper-gold mineralisation confirmed by 2022 drilling and multiple drill-ready targets, yet contributes only about 1% (C$75 million) of NGEx’s estimated NAV. CEO Wojtek Wodzicki will lead Spinco, while NGEx refocuses on its Lunahuasi and Los Helados projects near the Chile-Argentina border.

B2Gold has secured the Menankoto exploitation permit for its Fekola Regional project in Mali, enabling pre-stripping and integration of regional ore with the existing Fekola complex, which is now expected to produce more than 150,000 oz. per year from 2028 into the mid‑2030s under a 65:35 ownership split with the state. The permit delay forced a cut to 2026 group guidance to 820,000–920,000 oz., while a fire‑damaged crushing circuit at the Goose mine has pushed all‑in sustaining costs there to $6,390/oz as B2Gold relies on mobile crushers ahead of restoring 4,000 t/d capacity. Despite lower guidance, group Q2 output of 203,648 oz. and AISC of $2,356/oz beat several bank forecasts, and the end of 264,768 oz. of gold prepayment deliveries should materially lift free cash flow from H2 2026.

Glomar Minerals has sent its UK Seabed Resources vessel RV Tangaroa on a 67‑day campaign to the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone, surveying two UK‑sponsored licence areas totalling about 133,000 sq. km for polymetallic nodules rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earths. CEO Chris Williams is targeting first processing of nodules before the end of Donald Trump’s current term via Project Infinity, a modular US refinery with Cobalt Blue designed for 200,000 tonnes of nodules and 7,500 tonnes of terrestrial cobalt hydroxide per year. The company is actively exploring regulatory pathways outside the ISA and positioning for staged scale‑up from a sub‑full‑vessel operation.

Cummins has announced upgrades to its QSK60 high-horsepower mining engine alongside new capabilities for its PrevenTech remote monitoring platform, targeting better fuel efficiency, uptime and total lifecycle cost in large haul trucks and shovels. The QSK60 updates focus on combustion optimisation, extended overhaul intervals and improved parts commonality, while PrevenTech adds enhanced fault diagnostics, predictive maintenance analytics and fleet-wide performance benchmarking. For mine operators, the package aims to cut unplanned downtime, stabilise engine performance in high-altitude and high-dust environments, and support longer rebuild cycles.

Kaishan is expanding its intelligent mining drill rig line-up in China, adding automation and digital control to both surface and underground blasthole drilling systems. New rigs integrate features such as remote operation, data logging and optimised drilling parameter control, positioning them alongside Chinese advances in autonomous haul trucks and battery-electric or hybrid powertrains. For mine operators, the move signals growing domestic options for integrated autonomous fleets, with drill–blast data increasingly available for real-time optimisation of fragmentation, cycle times and energy use.

Glencore Technology will install its Albion Process oxidative leaching circuit at Rox Resources’ Youanmi gold project in Western Australia to treat refractory and semi-refractory ores that are not amenable to conventional cyanidation. The fine-grinding plus oxygenated leach system is designed to oxidise sulphide-hosted gold at atmospheric pressure, offering a lower-capex alternative to pressure oxidation or roasting for “next generation” deposits. For process and geomet teams, this signals growing commercial acceptance of Albion flowsheets for challenging gold mineralogies in Australian hard-rock operations.

Newmont has commissioned a Cat 6040 next generation hydraulic mining shovel at its Ahafo South gold mine in Ghana, its first deployment of the 400 t-class unit and one of only three mine sites globally using this model. The 6040, designed for large-scale hard rock operations, pairs with ultra-class haul trucks and incorporates Caterpillar’s latest cab ergonomics, hydraulics and machine health monitoring. For Ahafo South, the shovel is expected to lift loading productivity and reduce exposure around highwall and pit-floor digging zones.

Barton Gold has completed a 39,000m phase 2 drilling campaign at the Tunkillia gold project in South Australia, comprising 38,760m of reverse circulation and diamond drilling across 311 holes over five months. The work targets upgrades to JORC resource classifications ahead of a pre-feasibility study, focusing on better definition of existing mineralisation rather than pure step-out exploration. For mine planners and geotechnical teams, the expanded diamond core dataset should materially improve structural, geometallurgical and rock mass characterisation for pit design and scheduling.

AIC Mines has reported one of its highest-grade gold intersections at the Eloise South prospect in north Queensland, with diamond drilling returning 3.2m at 92.5g/t gold, including a 1.2m interval at 249g/t, just two kilometres south of the operating Eloise copper mine. The intercept lies within the broader Eloise tenement package, where existing underground infrastructure and services for copper provide potential synergies for future gold development. For resource geologists and mine planners, the narrow but ultra-high-grade zone raises questions on continuity, stope geometry, and ground support design in a mixed copper–gold setting.

Austral Resources has secured a $15 million non-dilutive royalty investment from Queensland Investment Corporation’s Queensland Critical Minerals Fund to expand its Rocklands copper processing facility in north-west Queensland from 3Mtpa to between 4.5Mtpa and 6Mtpa. The funding supports plant upgrades aimed at restarting the Rocklands operation and lifting copper output beyond the current heap leach–SX-EW production at Lady Annie. For engineers, the step-change in throughput will drive higher ore handling, tailings, and power demand, requiring corresponding expansions in materials handling, water management, and geotechnical infrastructure.

Tivan Limited has appointed ICA Natural Resources as debt finance adviser for its Speewah fluorite project in Western Australia, progressing funding for what is planned as a major fluorite supply source for Japanese offtake. ICA has been engaged by Japan Australia Fluorite Associates (JAFA) to lead transaction planning, structuring and execution of project debt, signalling a move towards bankable terms. For engineers, the mandate suggests upcoming definition of capital cost envelopes, project finance covenants and schedule constraints that will shape final mine, plant and infrastructure design.

Major works have started on Artemis Gold’s Blackwater EP2 growth project in British Columbia, with the first concrete pour for the new ball mill foundations completed ahead of schedule. Early works, initiated in January 2026, are close to completion, and engineering and procurement for EP2 are now well advanced. Lycopodium has been appointed EPCM contractor, signalling a move into full-scale construction that will affect mill layout, civils sequencing and tie-ins to the existing Blackwater processing infrastructure.

Metso has produced its 200th HRC™8 high pressure roll crusher at its Alwar, Rajasthan factory, signalling strong global uptake of the compact unit for manufactured sand and aggregates. The HRC™8 is engineered to process challenging feed materials and waste streams into saleable fine aggregates, using high-pressure interparticle crushing rather than conventional cone or impact crushing. For mine and quarry operators, the technology offers a route to increase fines production from marginal or waste rock, potentially reducing reliance on natural sand sources.

Aramine has launched ARAMAC, a standalone company focused on designing, manufacturing and distributing underground mining equipment and complementary solutions, formalising a new structure after more than 50 years in the sector. The move separates OEM activities from Aramine’s existing parts, service and rebuild business, giving a distinct brand to its battery-electric loaders, narrow-vein mining machines and other underground fleets. For mine operators, the change signals a clearer product roadmap and potentially faster support for equipment customisation, electrification upgrades and fleet standardisation in constrained underground environments.

Predictive and generative AI are being deployed in mineral processing circuits to forecast maintenance issues from historical sensor data and to optimise plant set-points in real time as ore feed characteristics change, tightening short-interval control. Autonomous haulage and drilling fleets are increasingly coupled with AI agents that coordinate dispatch, reroute trucks around blocked ramps, and adjust drill patterns on the fly based on blast-hole geophysics. For engineers, the shift is from static control logic to continuously learning agents that sit on top of existing fleet management and DCS/SCADA systems.

Thiess is expanding its Asset Services business through a strategic partnership with Mechatronix to deploy bonded carbon fibre composite and steel reinforcement systems on heavy mining, rail and civil equipment. The technology is aimed at strengthening high-stress structural members on assets such as haul trucks, excavators and rail wagons, targeting improved fatigue performance, reduced unplanned downtime and lower weld repair frequency. For geomechanics and operations teams, this offers an alternative to major component replacement, potentially extending fleet life within existing pit geometries and haul profiles.

Processing plants, sulphuric acid supply and logistics, rather than ore reserves, are identified by GEM Mining Consulting as the most likely triggers of the next critical mineral supply shock, with about 3.6 Mt/y of copper produced via acid-leach routes and roughly half of seaborne sulphur trade transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Stress tests suggest a 90‑day sulphuric acid disruption could expose 111,000 t of copper output and a one‑year disruption up to 947,000 t, while a 28% N‑1 inventory buffer would still leave about 60% of ex‑China battery‑grade graphite demand uncovered after 60 days. Planned diversification of rare-earth magnet capacity is also vulnerable, with one‑ to two‑year delays on 25–50% of an 18,000 t pipeline potentially deferring 4,500–18,000 capacity‑years, pointing operators towards route‑specific risk mapping of processing, chemical and infrastructure nodes rather than mine sites alone.

Equinox Gold has approved a $436 million Phase 2 expansion of the Valentine mine in central Newfoundland, lifting processing capacity to about 13,700 tonnes per day and targeting average annual output of roughly 223,000 oz of gold. The budget includes a $54 million contingency, with $50–60 million of growth capital earmarked in the company’s 2026 guidance and construction scheduled for completion in late 2028. Following its merger with Orla Mining, Equinox now targets total annual production of 1.1 million oz, positioning Valentine as a key Canadian growth asset.

Japanese telecommunications firm NTT Docomo Business is testing its IOWN All-Photonics Network at Codelco’s El Teniente, linking the underground mine to a remote operations centre in Rancagua about 1,500 km away to run heavy equipment and high-definition video over a high-capacity, low-latency optical network. The ministry-backed proof of concept targets remote operation, consolidation of control rooms and reduced underground exposure amid Codelco’s heightened focus on seismic risk after deeper Andes Norte studies revealed higher-than-expected hazards. If performance is proven, NTT plans to roll out IOWN-based remote operation models to other mining and energy projects globally.

Florence in-situ copper recovery mine in Arizona must triple output in H2 2026 to reach Trekor Metals’ 30–35 million lb annual target, after producing 6.7 million lb in the first half from about 110 wells. The operation is adding roughly 26 new wells this month, plans 80–100 wells per year towards 600–700 in total, with wells drilled to 245–275 m and current wellfield flows around 12,000 L/min at 1.6 g/L Cu. Cash costs at Florence were US$4.72/lb in Q2 versus a long-term target of about US$1.30/lb, supported by Gibraltar’s 110–115 million lb/y output at US$2.41/lb.

Gold held at $4,301/oz on the Comex December contract in New York after weaker US ADP jobs data (44,000 vs c.70,000 expected) and easing Middle East tensions cut the odds of a September Federal Reserve rate hike, following a 4% rally on Wednesday. Bullion is up about 25% year-on-year but still 23% below its late-January record near $5,600, while global Q2 gold demand fell to 942 tonnes as ETFs shed 45 tonnes and investment demand roughly halved. Central banks partly offset this with 289 tonnes of purchases, 1.6 times last year’s pace, supporting prices and lifting majors Agnico Eagle, Newmont and Barrick modestly.

Lupaka Gold has received about $49.4 million from Peru, equal to 70% of a roughly $70.6 million ICSID arbitration award over 2018 community road blockades that shut its Invicta gold project, 120 km north of Lima. Peru has committed to pay the remaining ~$21.2 million by 31 December 2026, with interest accruing on any delay, while Lupaka suspends enforcement and asset-attachment actions in multiple jurisdictions. The company will first repay arbitration funder Bench Walk Advisors, then make two contingent value rights distributions, retaining up to C$8 million for working capital.

New drilling at Luca Mining’s 2,500 t/d Campo Morado underground polymetallic mine in Guerrero, Mexico, is intersecting long, near-surface sulphide intervals in unmined zones adjacent to existing workings. Standout hole CMUG-26-50 at Largo Norte cut ~184 m from 3.6 m depth grading 1.18 g/t Au, 72.42 g/t Ag, 0.39% Cu, 0.45% Pb and 1.67% Zn, including 18 m at 2.64 g/t Au and 152.34 g/t Ag, while Naranjo hole CMNJ-26-02 returned 9.6 m at 4.05 g/t Au, 241.09 g/t Ag and 0.90% Cu from 175.3 m. With C$34 million budgeted for 80,000 m of drilling across Campo Morado and Tahuehueto and 16.6 Mt already in measured and indicated resources, these near-infrastructure intercepts point to incremental tonnes and mine-life extension ahead of a year-end expansion technical update.