Geomechanics.io

Higher efficiency vibratory screening in mines is being driven by optimised mesh selection, correct vibrator sizing, and improved access to screen vibrators as critical wear parts. Martin Engineering’s Susie O. Bartoli stresses matching vibration frequency and amplitude to particle size distribution and moisture content, along with using appropriate wire diameters and aperture geometries to reduce blinding and carryover. Ergonomic maintenance access to vibrator assemblies and tensioning systems is framed as essential to cut downtime and manual handling risks on multi-deck screening stations.

Collaboration between Western Australian mining industry bodies and local government is being strengthened ahead of 2026 to manage shifting regulatory, workforce and infrastructure demands. Stakeholders are aligning on issues such as approvals timeframes for new pits and tailings facilities, skills pipelines for autonomous haulage and remote operations centres, and long-term planning for regional roads and power networks servicing major iron ore and lithium hubs. For engineers, closer coordination could mean clearer permitting pathways, more predictable infrastructure funding, and earlier input into standards affecting pit design, waste storage and closure obligations.

Indonesia, which produced 2.2 million tonnes of nickel in 2024, is proposing a 34% cut to 250 million tonnes of ore in its 2026 Work Plan and Budget, a move Macquarie says could trim global supply by 35% and push prices back towards US$18,000–20,000 per tonne from today’s US$14,376. Despite this, BMO’s Helen Amos still projects a 240,000-tonne surplus next year, while Nornickel forecasts 275,000 tonnes, signalling continued oversupply. Falling laterite grades and rising environmental constraints in Indonesia and the Philippines point to higher costs and potentially stronger long-term positioning for lower-footprint sulphide projects such as Canada Nickel’s Crawford deposit.

Copper is heading into a structural deficit from 2026, with BloombergNEF projecting energy-transition demand to triple by 2045 and a potential 19‑million‑tonne shortfall by 2050 without new mines or major scrap gains, as disruptions at Quebrada Blanca, El Teniente, Grasberg, Las Bambas and Constancia constrain supply. Copper prices are already up 35% this year, driving renewed capex and M&A across Anglo American, BHP, Glencore, Rio Tinto, Vale and Zijin as miners prioritise brownfield expansions, faster permitting and recycling. Parallel outlooks show graphite moving into technical deficit by 2032, while lithium capacity could reach 4.4 Mt LCE by 2035 amid persistent Chinese midstream dominance.

Global coal demand is forecast by the IEA to rise 0.5% in 2025 to a record 8.85 billion tonnes, with US coal use jumping 8% after 15 years of roughly 6% annual declines as higher gas prices, slower coal plant retirements and federal policy support lift output. Weak wind conditions in Europe are also sustaining coal burn, while surging electricity demand in China, India and other fast-growing economies keeps global consumption elevated. The IEA expects demand to plateau and then edge down only slowly through 2030, leaving long-term decarbonisation pathways under pressure.

Artemis Gold has approved a C$1.44 billion Phase 2 (EP2) expansion at the Blackwater mine in British Columbia, adding a new 13 mtpa processing plant beside the existing facility to lift total capacity from 6 mtpa today to 21 mtpa by 2028. The staged build, including the Phase 1A vertical mill due by end-2026, targets 500,000–525,000 oz/year over the first 10 full years at all-in sustaining costs of $800–$1,100/oz, with mine life extended to 2043. Front-end engineering is complete, major works are scheduled for Q3 2026–Q3 2028, and peak construction will require about 1,500 direct workers.

Tiernan Gold is set to list on the TSX Venture Exchange, backed by a flagship gold project in Chile and Hochschild Mining as its largest shareholder. The Chilean asset gives Tiernan exposure to a mature Andean gold belt with established infrastructure and permitting regimes, positioning it for drill-focused resource growth rather than greenfield discovery. For mining engineers and project developers, the combination of TSXV access and a strategic shareholder with operating experience in Latin American epithermal systems signals potential for near- to medium-term project advancement.

Spot silver surged as much as 4% to a record $66.50 per ounce, breaking its previous all‑time high and extending a sharp rally in precious metals. The move tightens margins for primary silver producers with high strip ratios and energy‑intensive underground operations, while boosting project economics for polymetallic deposits where silver is a by‑product credit. Developers of marginal resources and tailings reprocessing projects may now find previously uneconomic ore grades viable, potentially accelerating feasibility studies and reserve reclassification.

Vermeer has released the VermeerOne™ mobile app for iOS and Android, giving surface miner fleets smartphone and tablet access to operator manuals, warranty data, machine locations and performance metrics. The app connects directly to Vermeer’s equipment management ecosystem, allowing owners and supervisors to monitor machines remotely rather than relying solely on office-based telematics portals. For mine operators running multiple surface miners or trenchers across large pits or linear projects, this supports quicker fault diagnosis, better utilisation tracking and more responsive maintenance planning.

Macmahon Holdings has executed a three-year, A$792 million contract to continue open cut mining services at QCoal’s Byerwen coking coal mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. The scope covers load-and-haul operations and crusher feed across the existing pits, extending Macmahon’s current role on site beyond the initial Notice of Award announced to the ASX on 10 April 2025. For mine planners and contractors, the deal signals sustained large-scale truck–shovel and processing interface work at one of the region’s key hard coking coal producers.

Perkins Engines Company Ltd has appointed Lubumbashi-based Katanga Engineering SAS as an authorised Perkins distributor in the Democratic Republic of Congo, effective 1 January 2026. The deal targets support for high-hour diesel engines on mining haul trucks, gensets and auxiliary plant across copper and cobalt operations in Katanga and other provinces, leveraging Katanga Engineering’s existing field service teams and parts logistics. For mine operators, the move should shorten engine overhaul lead times and improve availability of OEM spares and diagnostics within the DRC rather than relying on cross-border support.

Hypex Bio has signed a long-term group agreement for Franzefoss Minerals AS to adopt its hydrogen peroxide-based explosive solutions across multiple quarry and limestone operations in Norway. The emulsion system replaces conventional ANFO and nitrate-based products, aiming to cut CO₂ and NOx emissions at the blast face and reduce residual nitrates in groundwater around benches and pit walls. For drill-and-blast engineers, the shift may require recalibrating charge design, sleep times, and initiation sequences to match the different energy profile and gas volumes of peroxide-based formulations.

FUCHS Lubricants has launched RENOLIN XTREME TEMP 46, a high-performance hydraulic oil formulated with next-generation API Group III base oils and premium additive packages for hard-rock mining and heavy-duty earthmoving fleets. The fluid is designed to maintain viscosity and film strength across wide temperature ranges, targeting reduced component wear, longer drain intervals and lower unplanned downtime on high-pressure systems such as shovels, loaders and haul trucks. FUCHS also claims measurable gains in fuel economy and overall hydraulic efficiency, supporting lower operating costs per tonne moved.

Midlands crane hire specialist Dewsbury & Proud has taken delivery of a 90‑tonne Liebherr LTM 1090‑4.2 all‑terrain crane, the first of a six‑unit order that also includes two LTM 1040‑2.1, two 60‑tonne LTM 1060‑3.1 and a five‑axle LTM 1150‑5.4 for delivery through 2026–27. The four‑axle LTM 1090‑4.2 carries a 60 m main boom plus 9.5–16 m double swingaway fly jib, giving 76 m hook height and 62 m radius, and can road with its full 22.5‑tonne counterweight under STGO rules. The investment follows Dewsbury & Proud’s October acquisition of Ellis Crane Hire, extending coverage into Gloucestershire and boosting heavy lift capacity for regional civils and industrial projects.

A 184-panel rooftop solar array on York Minster has generated over 42,000kWh in six months, meeting more than 80% of the cathedral’s peak demand, saving nearly £20,000 in electricity costs and offsetting eight tonnes of CO₂. Specialist installer Associated Clean Technologies used SolarEdge DC-Optimised Inverters with S‑Series Power Optimizers so each module operates independently around shading from pinnacles and towers. Fire risk on the historic structure is managed via SafeDC rapid DC voltage reduction, Sense Connect hotspot detection and a Firefighter Gateway linked to the Minster’s alarm system for full-array shutdown.

Leyton Orient Football Club has appointed stadium specialist Populous, designer of Wembley, Emirates Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to lead planning and design of a new ground and multi-sport campus in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The scheme will accommodate Leyton Orient’s men’s and women’s teams plus a London American Football side in the European Football Alliance, with integrated retail, hospitality and leisure space to support year-round operation. Populous will develop a mixed-use, digitally enabled venue, with supporter and community consultations shaping emerging designs over the coming months.

One in three Scottish plumbing firms plans to stop taking apprentices over the next three years, with a SNIPEF survey citing limited funding support (67%), high wage costs (65%) and supervision costs (47%) as key barriers. SNIPEF’s Apprenticeships Under Pressure report warns this could leave Scotland short of plumbing and heating skills needed for public safety and building decarbonisation work. The move contrasts with England’s new £725m package for 50,000 extra apprenticeships and removal of the 5% co-investment for SMEs training under‑25s.

A newly built breeze block retaining wall collapsed into a deep excavation on Old Coast Guard’s Road, Poole, crushing 69-year-old steel-fixer Patrick Grant and prompting a £100,000 fine for principal contractor Matrod Frampton Limited. HSE found the wall had been backfilled before the mortar had set, there was no temporary works design for the wall or other structures, and no temporary works co-ordinator or supervisor had been appointed despite a safety report warning eight days earlier. Rescue was further delayed by reliance on an unstable ladder and the absence of an excavation emergency plan.

Government proposals to revise the National Planning Policy Framework include a presumption in favour of housing near railway stations, support for high-rise residential blocks in urban areas, and widening the Building Safety Levy exemption from schemes of 10 homes to 50 homes (or from 30 to 120 student bed spaces). Smaller sites would be exempt from biodiversity net gain rules, and “swift bricks” for nesting swifts are set to be embedded in policy. The 123‑page consultation, posing 225 questions and running to 10 March 2026, keeps national policy non-statutory, prompting mixed views on planning certainty.

South32 will place its Mozal aluminium smelter in Mozambique into care and maintenance from about March 2026, citing sustained low aluminium prices and high energy costs. The 580,000‑tonne‑per‑year smelter, which uses imported alumina and relies heavily on power from the 2,075MW Cahora Bassa hydro scheme, will wind down operations over the next two years while South32 reviews long‑term options. The move affects a major regional offtaker of bauxite and alumina logistics, and contractors tied to potline maintenance, anode supply and port handling at Maputo.

A more than 90 per cent increase in recoverable coal reserves at the Blackwater mine in Queensland has significantly extended Whitehaven Coal’s production horizon following its acquisition of the asset from BHP Mitsubishi Alliance and Mitsubishi Development. The enlarged JORC-compliant reserve base at this long-life open-cut operation, which feeds the Blackwater coal handling and preparation plant and uses rail links to the Port of Gladstone, gives Whitehaven greater flexibility in mine planning, strip sequencing and capital allocation across its metallurgical coal portfolio.

Pilbara Minerals is ramping up its P1000 expansion at the Pilgangoora lithium operation, targeting 1Mtpa spodumene concentrate capacity from the current P680 base while integrating a six‑megawatt solar farm into site power. Chief executive Dale Henderson details staged debottlenecking of crushing and processing circuits and incremental upgrades to tailings and water management to support higher throughput. For engineers, the project signals continued demand for pit development, haul road upgrades and process plant optimisation in the Pilbara hard‑rock lithium sector.

Major iron ore developments in regions outside Western Australia, including South Australia’s Braemar province and Queensland’s emerging magnetite hubs, are positioning themselves to supply higher-grade feedstock for green iron and direct reduced iron (DRI) routes. Projects targeting >67% Fe magnetite concentrates and low-impurity ores are being designed around renewable power, proximity to existing rail and deepwater ports, and potential hydrogen-based processing. For geotechnical and civil teams, the shift implies more complex tailings and water management for fine-grained magnetite, plus new infrastructure corridors in previously undeveloped terrains.

Almonty Industries has begun active mining at the Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon, South Korea, with the first truckload of ore delivered and crushing, milling and flotation circuits already operating ahead of commercial production. The deposit holds proven and probable reserves of 7.9 million tonnes at an average grade of 0.47% WO₃, equating to 3.7 million contained metric ton units, making it one of the world’s largest and highest-grade tungsten resources. Sangdong is positioned as a core non-Chinese supply source for defence, semiconductor, AI hardware and aerospace sectors, targeting diversification from China’s >80% share of the tungsten supply chain.