Geomechanics.io

Copper prices set a fresh US record as a five‑month closure of the Strait of Hormuz and China’s sulphuric acid export ban squeeze feedstock for acid‑leach copper operations. Traders and smelters are hoarding sulphuric acid cargoes, tightening availability for heap leach and SX‑EW plants that rely on large volumes of low‑cost acid to treat oxide ores. The supply shock raises operating risks for marginal producers and could accelerate shutdowns or cutbacks at acid‑dependent mines if logistics and export flows are not restored quickly.

EMP Metals has completed construction of its Project Aurora demonstration plant at the Viewfield lithium brine project in southeast Saskatchewan, now tied directly into production and waste brine disposal wells and running fresh brine through partially commissioned systems. The Aurora facility will process 10 m³/day of raw brine to de-risk a planned commercial plant targeting more than 3,000 tonnes of lithium per year, supporting a project PEA that outlines 12,175 tonnes LCE annually over 23 years. Viewfield’s post-tax NPV is estimated at about US$1 billion with a 45% IRR, US$571 million capex and a 2.1-year payback.

China now smelts about 60% of the world’s copper and produces 12–13 Mt of refined metal annually from roughly 45 smelters, prompting veteran metallurgist Phillip Mackey to warn that Western dependence could take decades and billions of dollars to unwind. Treatment and refining charges have collapsed to near or below zero as Chinese capacity has outstripped concentrate supply, giving China effective control over processing economics despite mining only about 8% of global ore. Mackey argues new Western smelters, each costing several billion dollars and taking close to 10 years to deliver, plus expanded recycling, are needed to reduce this strategic vulnerability.

The World Gold Council and OCIM Metals and Mining have signed an MoU to formalise artisanal and small-scale gold mining by creating a global standard for ASGM processing plants covering due diligence, traceability, and environmental and safety performance. The initiative targets tighter control of illicit trade, mercury use and unsafe labour by combining WGC’s origin verification and market standards with OMM’s centralised processing model. OMM already partners with over 200 small-scale mines in Peru, with facilities capable of processing 100,000 tonnes per year and expected output of 1,000 kg of fully traceable gold in 2026.

Ferrexpo has halted all iron ore mining and pellet production at its Horishni Plavni complex in central Ukraine after Russian attacks on Black Sea shipping, including a drone strike on a third-party vessel carrying 55,000 tonnes of direct-reduction-grade pellets, killed one crew member and forced the ship out of the war-risk zone. The company, formerly the world’s third-largest pellet exporter, produced only 1.56 million tonnes in H1 2026 (down 54% year-on-year) with one of four pellet lines running and now has just enough accessible cash to operate until mid-September without fresh funding. Ferrexpo is seeking at least $100 million in equity while $90.3 million in withheld VAT refunds and bankruptcy proceedings at Ferrexpo Poltava Mining compound liquidity and asset-control risks for European steel supply chains reliant on high-grade pellets.

Stardust Power has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to supply battery-grade lithium carbonate from its planned Muskogee, Oklahoma refinery to US-based battery technology firm Charge CCCV (C4V), supporting C4V’s domestic gigafactory joint ventures. C4V’s phased demand forecast calls for 3,000 tonnes in 2028, 10,000 tonnes in 2029 and 20,000 tonnes by 2030, potentially absorbing a large share of Stardust’s output alongside its separate 20,000 t/y supply deal with Sumitomo Corporation. Stardust, recently selected for a US DOE-funded lithium-from-waste R&D programme, closed down 8.5% on Nasdaq, with a $6.6 million market capitalisation.

US nuclear utilities are nearing an “inflection point” in uranium procurement, with CEO Mark Mukhija of Eagle Nuclear Energy warning that US reactors need about 32 million lb of uranium annually while 2024 domestic output was only 677,000 lb against 50 million lb purchased. Eagle, newly added to the Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index and eligible for the $5bn Global X Uranium ETF, is advancing its Aurora project, which hosts 32.75 million lb indicated and 4.98 million lb inferred U₃O₈, towards potential production around 2032. Mukhija expects US policy—already banning Russian enriched uranium and backing a 90‑member DOE Nuclear Fuel Cycle Consortium—to push support upstream into mining, with SMRs and new reactors tightening Western supply further.

TAKRAF Group has commissioned its first X-TREME Class Mineral Sizer in South America, extending deployment of its high-capacity primary sizer line beyond existing installations in Canada and Asia. The project involved complex international equipment delivery and integration into a brownfield comminution circuit, with TAKRAF coordinating design, fabrication and on-site assembly across multiple regions. For mine operators, the rollout signals growing availability of large, low-speed sizers as an alternative to primary crushers in high-throughput, abrasive ore applications.

Sandvik has been selected by Gruvaktiebolaget Viscaria to supply the underground production fleet, rock tools and a lifecycle service contract for the restart of the Viscaria copper mine in Kiruna, northern Sweden. The package will include production drills and loaders tailored for underground copper operations, with Sandvik responsible for both equipment delivery and ongoing maintenance support. For mine planners and maintenance teams, the integrated fleet-and-service model signals a long-term OEM presence on site and a shift towards standardised Sandvik systems across drilling, loading and ground support.

Harbour’s latest Investment Pipeline research projects around $641 billion of near-to-mid‑term mining spend across 679 initiatives, with mobile and fixed equipment purchases dominating planned capex. Of this, $552 billion is classified as “valued initiatives” tied to 458 defined projects, signalling a concentrated wave of shovel‑ready developments moving toward commitment. The report points to an approaching long‑lead order window for OEMs and contractors, with procurement decisions for major fleets, processing plants and associated infrastructure likely to cluster over the next few years.

Monadelphous Group has secured an A$200 million construction contract for BHP’s Port Debottlenecking Project 2 (PDP2) at the Nelson Point iron ore export facility in Port Hedland, Western Australia. The scope covers installation and commissioning of structural, mechanical, piping and electrical works to support BHP’s existing shiploaders, conveyors and stockyard infrastructure. The project is aimed at retaining iron ore throughput capacity at one of BHP’s key Pilbara export hubs, signalling continued investment in brownfield port upgrades rather than greenfield expansion.

Trafo Power Solutions is expanding its African footprint in mining and other heavy industries on the back of dry-type transformers and modular electrical infrastructure tailored for harsh, remote sites. The company is leveraging containerised, factory-tested MV/LV substations and skid-mounted transformer packages to shorten project schedules and simplify deployment for new mines and plant expansions. For engineers, the focus is on reduced fire risk versus oil-filled units, lower maintenance, and strong in-country technical support for design, commissioning and lifecycle service.

Armstrong Industrial’s Fluid Division has launched an intelligent High-Pressure Wash System targeting fouled heat exchangers, dust-laden fans, blocked ducts and contaminated process equipment that degrade plant energy performance. The system is positioned as a process tool rather than periodic maintenance, with automated high-pressure cleaning cycles designed to maintain heat-transfer efficiency and airflow in mining and industrial plants. By keeping critical surfaces clean in situ, operators can cut parasitic power draw, stabilise throughput and support site decarbonisation strategies without major equipment changes.

Energy is rapidly shifting from a background utility to a core design and investment driver in mining projects, with SLR Consulting pointing to rising power prices and decarbonisation pressures as key catalysts. The firm is seeing mine plans, processing routes and pit-to-port logistics increasingly constrained by grid access, renewable integration potential and exposure to diesel for haulage and power generation. For geotechnical and mine planners, this means earlier coupling of pit design and plant layout with power-supply studies, microgrid options and long-term carbon pricing assumptions.

EACON has deployed its ORCASTRA autonomous haulage system on new mixed-energy truck fleets in Xinjiang, integrating Lovol battery electric trucks and KNOW-HOW methanol-fuelled units into a single control platform. The project extends ORCASTRA beyond its earlier work with Tonly, LGMG, Yutong and XCMG fleets, showing the system can manage different OEM interfaces and powertrains in the same pit. For mine operators, the key technical shift is autonomy software proven on both high-voltage BEV haul trucks and alternative-fuel ICE platforms without separate control stacks.

STEINERT is expanding its presence in Mexico to offer direct regional support for its ore sorting and separation systems, following recent 2024–2025 investments to boost production capacity at STEINERT UniSort and STEINERT MSort in Germany. The move targets growing demand for on-site service, spare parts and application engineering for sensor-based sorting in Mexican mining operations. For operators, closer access to STEINERT’s XRT, colour and multi-sensor sorting platforms should shorten commissioning and maintenance cycles and support higher plant uptime.

Minimum viable solutions (MVS) are being promoted by Worley’s Dr Alan Monaghan as a new way to de-risk mining projects facing technology integration, decarbonisation targets and volatile supply chains. Instead of fully defined, linear project pathways, MVS focuses on delivering smaller, testable production increments, using modular process units and staged automation rollouts to prove value before full-scale capital commitment. For geotechnical and processing teams, this implies earlier field trials, tighter feedback loops between pilots and design, and more flexible mine plans that can absorb technology and market shifts.

SANY telehandlers distributed by CEA across Australia now integrate a 360-degree Pedestrian Recognition System that uses cameras and AI to detect people in blind spots created by the boom and attachment. The system provides real-time visual and audible alerts around the full machine envelope, targeting typical collision risks in tight construction, infrastructure and materials-handling sites. For fleet owners and contractors, the technology supports proactive exclusion-zone management and incident reporting, particularly on mixed-traffic sites where telehandlers work alongside ground crews and delivery vehicles.

A $21 million contract has been awarded to upgrade sections of the 645‑kilometre Central Arnhem Road, which links Nhulunbuy to the Stuart Highway and services multiple Aboriginal communities. Works will focus on strengthening and sealing priority unsealed segments that currently constrain heavy freight for mining and pastoral operations and limit all‑weather access. For geotechnical and pavement engineers, the project signals further demand for robust designs on expansive clays and flood‑prone formations typical of remote Northern Territory corridors.

Final testing of driverless trains is underway on Sydney’s Southwest Metro, converting the 125-year-old T3 Bankstown heavy rail line into a fully automated rapid transit corridor between Sydenham and Bankstown. The trial period is stress‑testing the integrated signalling, platform screen doors and new power systems across the full length of the connected line before handover to Metro Trains Sydney. For civil and rail engineers, the project is a major brownfield conversion case study in upgrading legacy track, stations and structures to metro‑grade headways and safety systems.

VEGA level and pressure sensors are being deployed across REGNARS’ melaphyre (fine‑grained basalt) quarry to monitor extraction, crushing and stockpile management from outside hazardous zones. Non-contact radar units mounted above crushers, transfer chutes and surge bins provide continuous level data through dust and vibration, while pressure transmitters track pump and slurry line performance in the processing plant. The setup allows remote calibration and diagnostics, reducing manual gauge readings on high conveyors and confined hoppers, and giving plant operators tighter control of aggregate feed rates and bunker capacities.

Applications have opened for $50 million in Federal funding for new or upgraded cycling and walking paths, drawn from Australia’s $500 million Active Transport Fund. The program will support design and construction of separated bike lanes, shared-use paths and pedestrian links over a 10‑year period, as outlined in the 2026–27 Budget. Councils and state road agencies can now bid for projects that close missing links, retrofit corridors alongside arterial roads and improve grade-separated crossings, with co‑funding and deliverability likely to be key assessment criteria.

The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies is urging a “reset” of Victoria’s resources policy after Jaclyn Symes, who previously held the resources portfolio from November 2018 to August 2021, was reappointed as minister under the state’s new government leadership. AMEC is pressing for faster approvals for exploration licences and mining leases, clearer timelines for work plan assessments, and more predictable rehabilitation and environmental bond settings. For geologists and project developers in Victoria, any shift in these regulatory levers will directly affect drilling schedules, feasibility study timing and capital deployment.

Pantoro Gold has confirmed continuity of high-grade mineralisation at the Racetrack discovery within the Norseman project in Western Australia, with infill drilling returning 4.94m at 349.14g/t gold from 603.02m, including 0.91m at 1737.37g/t. The intercept lies within a broader high-grade zone defined since exploration restarted at Norseman in 2019, supporting underground development scenarios at >600m depth. For mine planning and geotechnical design, the combination of extreme grades and significant true width at this depth will focus attention on ground support, stope stability and ventilation constraints.