Geomechanics.io

Schneider Electric and Torngat Metals have signed a non-binding MoU to develop an integrated rare earths value chain centred on the Strange Lake project in Nunavik, with supporting infrastructure in Labrador and a planned separation plant at Sept-Îles, Quebec. Strange Lake’s B-zone hosts indicated resources of 278.1 million tonnes at 0.93% TREO, 1.92% ZrO₂ and 0.18% Nb₂O₅, plus 214.4 million tonnes inferred at 0.85% TREO, notable for heavy rare earths dysprosium and terbium. The partnership will leverage Schneider’s electrification, automation and digital systems to design “next-generation” mining and processing operations.

Global mining M&A in Q1 2026 reached US$26.28 billion, up 63% quarter-on-quarter and the second-highest quarterly value since 2013, driven by corporate-level deals such as the US$10 billion acquisition of BlueScope Steel after S&P Global began including steel transactions. Deal volume slumped to 46 transactions, roughly half the December quarter, with 30 company acquisitions versus 16 asset purchases as miners chase immediate scale and long-term supply. Asset deals totalled US$3.35 billion, 221% higher year-on-year, supported by the US$1 billion sale of the Çöpler gold mine in Turkey and continued focus on copper-gold targets.

MP Materials’ chief operating officer Michael Rosenthal has increased his stake in the NYSE-listed rare earth producer, buying 10,000 shares at US$54.30 each via his family trust, bringing his holding to 136,622 shares. The move comes as MP Materials, owner of the Mountain Pass mine in California – currently the only operating rare earths mine in the US – trades around US$53 per share with a market capitalisation of about US$9.5 billion. The stock has halved from its October peak of US$100.25 but is nearly double its level a year ago, supported by a US$400 million Department of Defense equity investment.

John Wolosick will be inducted into the National Academy of Construction’s Class of 2026, joining 44 other new members recognised for long-term contributions to the construction industry. A past president of the Deep Foundations Institute and a leading figure in geotechnical design-build for retaining walls and ground improvement, Wolosick has been closely involved with complex slope stabilisation and soil nailing projects across North America. His induction signals continued NAC emphasis on geotechnical expertise in major infrastructure and heavy civil works.

Weir has secured a multimillion‑dollar contract with a major Chinese non‑ferrous metals company to supply WARMAN® pumps for the Phase III expansion of a Xizang copper mine. The package comprises two WARMAN MCR® 450 cyclone feed pumps and nine WARMAN AHPP 20/18 tailings transfer pumps serving the grinding circuit and tailings system. For engineers, the deal signals continued preference for high‑capacity slurry and tailings pumping solutions in large‑scale Chinese copper concentrator expansions.

Bradken has expanded its MillSafe® range with a new MillSafe Worn Liner Removal System developed jointly with Russell Mineral Equipment (RME) to automate and control the extraction of worn mill liners during relining. The system integrates with RME’s existing relining technologies to handle liners remotely rather than relying on manual oxy-cutting and cranage close to the charge. For operators, the key gains are reduced exposure of crews inside large SAG and ball mills, shorter shutdown durations, and more predictable relining schedules.

GR Engineering Services has been named preferred EPC contractor by Venturex Sulphur Springs, a Develop Global subsidiary, for the 1.5 Mt/y Sulphur Springs copper-silver-zinc processing plant 144 km south-east of Port Hedland in Western Australia. The appointment follows Develop’s final investment decision on the project, clearing the way for detailed engineering, procurement and construction planning. Plant design and construction choices will be critical for handling polymetallic sulphide ore and managing remote-site logistics in the Pilbara environment.

Danfoss Scotland has validated its Dextreme Max digital hydraulic architecture on a 30 t battery-electric excavator, cutting power consumption by 35% under test conditions using a £4.29 million UK Government grant. The system replaces conventional valve-controlled hydraulics with digitally controlled flow and pressure management, reducing throttling losses and improving overall drivetrain efficiency. For mine operators, the results point to smaller or fewer battery packs for the same duty cycle, longer run time per charge, and lower heat rejection demands on cooling systems.

DHL Supply Chain Australia has been appointed strategic 3PL partner for Metso, taking over warehousing operations from Berrinba in Brisbane to handle inbound logistics, storage and outbound movement of heavy equipment and mineral processing machinery for Queensland mines. The Berrinba facility will act as a central hub for crushers, screens, mill components and wear parts, consolidating inventory closer to major coal and metals operations in the Bowen and Surat basins. Faster parts availability and streamlined freight routing should cut unplanned downtime risk and simplify maintenance planning for Metso’s mining customers.

Thiess has extended its joint operating agreement with explosives supplier AECI to December 2030, covering blasting services and product supply at the Lake Vermont, Olive Downs Complex and Mount Pleasant coal operations in Australia. The deal secures continuity of bulk explosives, initiation systems and on-bench blasting support across multiple large-scale open-cut pits in Queensland and New South Wales. For mine planners and drill-and-blast engineers, the extension reduces supply risk for explosives and maintains consistent blast performance parameters over the medium term.

Proactive maintenance strategies from Multotec are extending the service life of process samplers and high‑G centrifuges that are critical for representative sampling, solid–liquid separation and dewatering in mineral processing plants. The company stresses scheduled inspections of cutter edges, drive assemblies and wear liners on samplers, and close monitoring of vibration, bearing condition and bowl wear on centrifuges to avoid unplanned stoppages. For plant engineers, the message is to treat these units as production-critical assets, integrating condition monitoring and OEM spares into planned shutdowns.

Viridien has launched Evergreen Data Solution, an AI‑powered subsurface data platform that automates transformation of large, complex geoscience datasets so asset teams can access and trust results more quickly. Built on Viridien’s existing digital transformation stack, it applies data science workflows to seismic, geological and petrophysical data, targeting shorter interpretation cycle times from exploration through development planning. For mine planners and resource geologists, the tool aims to tighten model update loops, standardise multi‑source inputs and reduce manual data conditioning effort.

£50M of government funding has been pledged to upgrade flood resilience in Somerset after “severe” winter flooding earlier this year. The package is expected to support works such as raising and strengthening existing earth embankments on the Somerset Levels, improving pump stations and sluices on key drainage rhynes, and expanding temporary and permanent flood storage. For civil and geotechnical teams, the focus will be on embankment stability in saturated ground, long-term seepage control, and designing assets for more frequent high-intensity rainfall.

Yorkshire Water has appointed Jacobs to a £32M artificial intelligence services framework to support operation and maintenance of its water and wastewater assets across the region. The multi-year agreement is expected to deploy data-driven tools for network monitoring, leakage detection and predictive maintenance on treatment works and buried infrastructure. For civil and geotechnical practitioners, the framework signals growing demand for asset condition analytics, integration of sensor data with hydraulic models, and AI-assisted planning of renewal and resilience upgrades.

Train services have resumed through the 7km Severn Tunnel after Network Rail completed a £23M upgrade aimed at improving reliability on this key England–Wales rail link. Works focused on renewing critical track and drainage assets in the saturated, chloride-rich environment that has historically caused severe corrosion and water ingress. For geotechnical and civil teams, the project reinforces the need for robust waterproofing, durable materials and maintainable drainage systems in long, low-cover sub-sea tunnels carrying intensive passenger and freight traffic.

Transport for London has appointed Amey, Costain and Dragados to a new infrastructure improvement framework valued at about £700M–£840M to deliver multi‑year upgrades across its rail and road network. The framework is expected to cover complex works on deep tube stations, bridges and viaducts, and ageing tunnels, requiring staged construction, constrained possessions and integration with existing signalling and power systems. Contractors will need robust geotechnical investigation, asset condition monitoring and materials durability strategies to manage London’s variable ground conditions and heavily trafficked assets.

A VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and AtkinsRéalis joint venture has secured a £1.2bn Environment Agency framework to deliver national beach management and coastal protection works across England. The long-term programme is expected to cover large-scale beach nourishment, rock armour and seawall upgrades, integrating coastal process modelling and detailed design with marine plant and dredging capability. Contractors and designers should anticipate significant demand for geotechnical coastal assessments, sediment transport studies and resilient flood defence detailing under this framework.

Barhale has secured a £16M, four-year contract to construct a new service reservoir in Scarborough for Yorkshire Water, strengthening potable water storage and network resilience on the Yorkshire coast. The project is expected to involve significant reinforced concrete tank construction, complex temporary works and tie-ins to existing trunk mains, with careful management of groundwater and coastal geology during excavation. For contractors and designers, the scheme signals continued investment in UK clean water infrastructure and upcoming demand for geotechnical, structural and pipeline interface expertise.

Civil engineering contractor Knights Brown has expanded its long-running partnership with signage specialist Stocksigns by deploying a bespoke online ordering platform for site safety signage. The system standardises procurement of temporary works and CDM-compliant signs across multiple projects, replacing ad hoc orders and manual catalogues with a centralised digital workflow. For project managers and site engineers, this should cut lead times, reduce mismatched or non-compliant signage on highways and earthworks sites, and simplify evidence of safety communication during audits.

Sadiq Khan has pledged to coordinate a London-wide strategy for data centre development, aiming to position the capital as a global leader in low‑carbon, “green” facilities. The commitment focuses on managing sharply rising power and cooling demands from hyperscale and edge data centres while keeping them compatible with the city’s constrained grid capacity and dense urban fabric. For civil and infrastructure engineers, this signals forthcoming planning, energy, and possibly district‑cooling frameworks that will shape site selection, foundation design, and utility corridors for new builds and retrofits.

The Northern Territory Government has committed a record $4.09 million in co-funding to 34 exploration projects under Round 19 of its Geophysics and Drilling program, signalling strong support for new lithium, gold and critical mineral targets. NT Minister for Mining and Energy Gerard Maley announced the funding alongside Tivan Limited executive chairman Grant Wilson and Prodigy Gold managing director Mark Edwards, emphasising greenfields drilling and advanced geophysics. For geoscientists and drill contractors, the grants reduce early-stage risk and should accelerate data acquisition across underexplored basins and mineral provinces.

Core Lithium has signed a second offtake deal with Glencore to sell lithium fines from stockpiled material at its Finniss project in the Northern Territory, providing additional cashflow ahead of a planned restart. Managing director Paul Brown said the agreement strengthens liquidity as ramp‑up activities progress, effectively monetising low‑grade or previously marginal fines. For mine planners and process engineers, the move signals continued reliance on stockpile reprocessing and fines marketing to bridge revenue gaps during restart and commissioning phases.

Aeris Resources has reported further high-grade gold intercepts at its Golden Plateau deposit in Queensland, including 14.2m at 9.1g/t from 172.2m and 2.5m at notably higher grades in the Main lode, with additional strong hits in the North and East lodes. The mineralisation extends across multiple lodes at depth, reinforcing the potential for underground mining scenarios rather than shallow open-pit only. For geotechs and mine planners, the continuity of high-grade zones at >170m depth will drive focus on stope design, ground support and costed access development.

EQ Resources has agreed to acquire Sunshine Metals’ Hodgkinson tenement package for $250,000, adding six exploration permits covering about 365km² directly adjacent to its Mt Carbine tungsten mine in far north Queensland. The ground is described as relatively unexplored and contiguous with existing mining leases, giving EQ Resources scope to extend known tungsten mineralisation and test regional structures without relocating processing infrastructure. For geologists and mine planners, the deal materially enlarges the brownfield exploration footprint around an established tungsten operation at minimal upfront cost.