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Mineral Resources (MinRes) has broken ground at its Lamb Creek iron ore project in the Pilbara, signalling the next phase of its onshore iron ore growth alongside existing hubs such as Iron Valley and Koolyanobbing. The project is expected to leverage MinRes’ integrated model of mine-to-port logistics, including its privately operated haulage and transhipping infrastructure, to move ore efficiently from remote deposits to coastal export points. For geotechnical and civil teams, early works will centre on pit development, haul road construction and foundation preparation for crushing and screening facilities in a cyclonic, high-temperature environment.

Argentina is being framed as the “Chile of 50 years ago”, with the same Andean porphyry copper belt that hosts Chile’s giant copper-gold systems but almost no large-scale development due to decades of political and economic instability. President Javier Milei’s post‑2023 austerity reforms have cut inflation, lifted bond prices and lowered the country‑risk index to a five‑year low, triggering renewed interest from majors. BHP’s multi‑billion‑dollar move on Filo Mining and Glencore’s review of two copper projects totalling about US$13.5 billion signal a step‑change in exploration and project pipeline risk for Argentina.

British Columbia’s Court of Appeal has ruled in Gitxaala v. British Columbia that the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) incorporates UNDRIP and creates legally enforceable obligations, overturning a 2023 Supreme Court finding that DRIPA was not justiciable. The court held that B.C.’s automatic online mineral claim-staking system under the Mineral Tenure Act, used to grant claims on Banks Island between 2018 and 2020, is inconsistent with UNDRIP because it provides no opportunity for prior consultation. All B.C. mining-related statutes and regulations must now be interpreted as consistent with UNDRIP, signalling tighter consultation requirements at the mineral claims stage.

Australia’s first Cat 793 XE Early Learner battery-electric haul trucks have arrived at BHP’s Jimblebar iron ore mine in the Pilbara, where BHP and Rio Tinto will jointly test Caterpillar’s BEV heavy haulage platform under production conditions. The two 220‑t class trucks, supplied under an industry‑first shared development agreement, will be evaluated on typical Pilbara duty cycles, ramp profiles and ambient temperatures. Data from Jimblebar will feed into Caterpillar’s commercial 793 BEV design, with direct implications for trolley, charging and pit power infrastructure planning across large open pits.

Registration has opened for PDAC 2026, scheduled for 1–4 March 2026 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, positioning Toronto again as the main global hub for mineral exploration and mining deal-making. The four-day event will bring together exploration geologists, mine developers, investors, governments, students and Indigenous communities, with a programme typically spanning technical sessions on drilling, resource estimation and project finance alongside a large core shack and trade show. For engineers and project owners, early registration is key to securing meetings with equipment suppliers, drilling contractors and potential JV or offtake partners.

Boliden is accelerating deployment of “green fleets” across its European copper, nickel and zinc operations, building on its position as the continent’s largest copper and nickel producer. The miner is pushing mine electrification with battery-electric mobile equipment and trolley-assist haulage to cut diesel use and associated ventilation demand in deep underground workings. As a Miner Partner sponsor for International Mining’s Electric Mine events, Boliden is using field data from Scandinavian sites to refine charging strategies, power infrastructure design and fleet selection for cold-climate, high-latitude operations.

Sandvik has broken ground on an C$85 million, state-of-the-art facility at 2555 Maley Drive in Greater Sudbury, with construction formally launched at a ceremony on 5 December 2025. The project, backed by up to C$4 million in provincial grant funding, will consolidate and expand Sandvik’s Canadian operations hub for underground mining equipment and services. For mine operators in the Sudbury Basin and across Canada, the site is expected to shorten supply chains for OEM parts and support, and increase local capacity for equipment rebuilds and technology upgrades.

Haver & Boecker has marked 50 years in Brazil, with Sales Manager for Mineral Processing Equipment Denilson Moreno outlining at Exposibram 2025 how the company is expanding its Latinoamericana footprint in screening, washing and pelletising systems for iron ore and other bulk commodities. He points to Brazilian demand for high-capacity vibrating screens and modular screening media tailored to wet, abrasive ores, plus local manufacture of key components to cut lead times. For plant designers, the message is tighter integration of classification, dewatering and pellet feed preparation to stabilise throughput and product quality.

Metso has launched its Grande Series™ of high-capacity stationary screens, introducing three new types – GLH, GMF and GFF – for demanding mining and aggregates applications. The range targets high-throughput, multi-deck screening duties where conventional units struggle with capacity, blinding or large feed size. For plant designers and process engineers, the new models expand options for fixed crushing and screening circuits needing greater tonnage and sharper separation without moving to multiple parallel screens.

National Grid has appointed consultancy Dalcour Maclaren to deliver land and property services for the proposed Cross Border Connection, a new 400kV electricity transmission link between Scotland and north‑west England. The role will cover route safeguarding, landowner negotiations and access rights along the cross‑border corridor, a critical step before detailed design and consenting. For civil and geotechnical teams, the appointment signals early progression towards corridor definition, ground investigation access and future construction compounds for this high‑voltage reinforcement of the GB grid.

Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure has commissioned mapping specialist Gaist to deliver a network-wide digital stock-take of its road assets using AI-based condition assessment. High-resolution imaging and machine-learning classification will be used to catalogue carriageway defects, drainage features and street furniture, creating a georeferenced inventory to support maintenance planning amid a mounting roads backlog. For asset managers and pavement engineers, the move signals a shift towards data-driven prioritisation of resurfacing, patching and drainage interventions across the regional network.

Capacity concerns around the UK Infrastructure Pipeline are shifting from labour shortages to whether suppliers can deliver standardised, factory-made components at scale for major road, rail and water schemes. The commentary argues for a product-based approach using platform design, repeatable bridge and tunnel elements, and offsite-manufactured M&E modules, rather than bespoke, project-by-project solutions. For engineers and contractors, this signals growing pressure to adopt design-for-manufacture, common specifications and long-term framework agreements with Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers.

Ed Miliband has confirmed the government will deliver a full implementation plan within three months for the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce’s recent review recommendations, signalling a rapid timetable for regulatory change across the UK nuclear programme. The taskforce’s work is expected to affect licensing and consenting pathways for new large-scale reactors and small modular reactors, with direct implications for design approvals, site investigations and construction sequencing. Civil and geotechnical teams on nuclear projects should anticipate tighter programme constraints and potential revisions to safety case documentation and regulatory interfaces in early 2026.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has expanded its Cyber Runway Critical National Infrastructure programme with innovation accelerator Plexal to bring more cybersecurity SMEs into protecting UK energy, transport, water and digital networks. The scheme targets operational technology and industrial control systems used in assets such as substations, treatment works and tunnels, where legacy SCADA and remote monitoring are increasingly exposed to cyber-physical attacks. For civil and infrastructure engineers, this signals closer integration of cyber risk into asset design, condition monitoring and resilience planning.

London Gatwick has become the first airport globally to achieve PAS 2080:2023 certification for carbon management across its buildings and infrastructure assets. The BSI-verified standard requires quantified whole-life carbon baselines, option appraisal and reduction pathways for capital works, including terminals, piers, pavements and associated civil engineering. For designers and contractors working at Gatwick, future schemes will need to evidence embodied and operational carbon performance alongside cost, influencing material choices, construction methods and asset renewal strategies.

BHP and Rio Tinto have begun joint trials of two Caterpillar Early Learner 793 XE battery-electric haul trucks at BHP’s Jimblebar iron ore mine in the Pilbara, testing whether fully electric haulage can handle large-scale iron ore operations across 18 Rio Tinto mines and BHP’s Western Australia portfolio. The programme focuses on validating truck battery performance, high-capacity charging infrastructure and associated supply chains under Pilbara duty cycles. Results will determine whether the miners progress to broader trials or fleet integration as they target net zero operational emissions by 2050.

Capitan Silver’s Cruz de Plata project in Durango has increased inferred contained metal at the Capitan Hill deposit to 39.8 million tonnes grading 0.41 g/t gold (525,000 oz) and 3.3 g/t silver (4.2 million oz), a 72% gold and 129% silver gain over the 2020 resource. The pit-constrained update uses a 0.18 g/t gold cut-off and a C$3,465/oz gold price, based on 12,209 metres of RC drilling in 49 holes. An expanded 15,000‑metre RC programme, two-thirds complete, is now targeting down-dip extensions of the Jesus Maria silver trend and other high-grade zones.

Pan American Silver has acquired 18.75 million units of Galleon Gold at C$0.60 per unit via private placement, giving it a 14.7% non-diluted stake and potential 29.7% ownership on a partially diluted basis through 9.38 million warrants at C$0.75 exercisable to December 2027. The move consolidates Pan American’s exposure to Galleon’s West Cache gold project near Timmins, Ontario, without immediately triggering control status. A standstill limits conversion of an existing unsecured convertible debenture and warrant exercise above 19.9% unless Galleon shareholders approve Pan American as a control person.

Uranium explorer DevEx Resources has installed former Rio Tinto battery materials chief Marnie Finlayson as managing director and, on her first day, agreed a A$7.5 million deal to acquire Alligator Energy’s Northern Territory uranium portfolio. Together with ground bought from Rio Tinto last month, DevEx now controls a contiguous 9,200km² position in the Alligator Rivers Uranium Province, which has historically yielded more than 700Mlb U₃O₈ at operations such as Ranger and Jabiluka. A A$32 million placement at 14.5c, plus a planned A$3 million SPP, will fund an expanded 2026 drilling campaign on McArthur River Basin and Alligator Rivers targets.

Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange jumped 2.2% to a record $11,705/t on Friday as Citigroup forecast a copper deficit driven by US stockpiling and predicted prices could reach $13,000/t in Q2 2026. Citi, led by analyst Max Layton, expects global end-use demand to rise 2.5% in 2026 on lower interest rates, US fiscal expansion, European rearmament and energy-transition spending, while inventories on global exchanges have climbed to 656,000 t, about 60% in Comex warehouses. Goldman Sachs and Macquarie counter that physical supply remains adequate and see prices above $11,000/t as unsustainable before at least 2029.

Sandvik has broken ground on a new C$85 million ($61m), 135,000-square-foot mining equipment facility on a 115-acre site in Greater Sudbury, replacing its 40-year-old Lively operation and ultimately supporting up to 400 employees and 61 new jobs. Backed by up to C$4 million from the Invest Ontario Fund, the plant will double existing workshop capacity and add BEV-dedicated infrastructure, welding and paint booths, and a simulator area for operator and maintenance training. Construction starts this month, with opening targeted for Q3 2027.

Orla Mining shares fell as much as 9.5% to C$17.30 on Friday after Fairfax Financial sold 25 million shares at C$17.6435, cutting its stake from 16.7% to 9.4% and raising about C$441.1 million. The Vancouver-based gold miner, now valued just under C$6 billion, has seen its stock more than double this year on record gold prices despite major shareholders exiting. Orla operates the Camino Rojo open pit and developing underground mine in central Mexico and the Musselwhite mine in Ontario, together forecast to produce 265,000–285,000 oz gold in 2025.

Gold projects drove 65% of Australia’s FY25 mining deals, with $12.6b of $18.7b in transactions and a 94% surge in gold sector market capitalisation to $64.8b as prices passed $5,341/oz, while overall mid-tier market cap rose 15% to $128.6b. Critical minerals lagged, with market capitalisation down 20% to $37.1b and operating cash flow falling 71% to $0.9b, despite the $13b US–Australia agreement and new tax credits. Of 900 identified critical mineral projects, 124 are “investment-ready” but stalled pre‑FID, most with NPVs clustered around $600m and weak NPV-to-capex ratios, leaving a financing and offtake gap that foreign partners from the US, Japan and Korea are now targeting.

Fortescue will partner with Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group (TISCO), part of China Baowu, to design, build and operate a pilot hydrogen-based plasma-enhanced ironmaking line capable of producing up to 5,000 tpa of molten iron, targeting direct use of Pilbara ores without sintering, pelletising or coking. The work sits alongside Fortescue’s $75 million Christmas Creek green metals project and Rio Tinto’s more than $35 million backing of Calix’s ZESTY electric-heated, hydrogen-reduction plant in Western Australia. IEEFA notes most Australian green iron projects remain at scoping or pre-feasibility, despite a new A$1 billion federal green iron fund.