Geomechanics.io

Conflict-driven disruption of sulphur flows through the Strait of Hormuz has pushed sulphur prices up more than 50% and more than doubled sulphuric acid prices in some regions, turning a low-profile reagent into a dominant cost driver for battery metals. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reports sulphuric acid’s share of hard-rock lithium chemical C1 costs has jumped from 3% to 11%, while sulphur now accounts for 42% of HPAL nickel costs (up from 26%), with Indonesia sourcing 76% of its sulphur imports from the Middle East and needing over 10 tonnes of sulphur per tonne of HPAL nickel. Spot acid above $380/t in Indonesia and $440/t in Chile, China’s informal export curbs, and physical shortages now threaten curtailments or shutdowns at lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese sulphate plants, even as copper smelters gain from higher acid byproduct revenues and falling treatment and refining charges.

A nearly $500 million solar‑plus‑storage plant in Chile’s Atacama Desert, ContourGlobal’s Victor Jara hybrid facility in Tarapacá, has begun operating with a 200 MW battery system capable of 6.5 hours discharge, backed by a 15‑year night‑time PPA with Copec EMOAC. Chile already has 3,072 MW of BESS operating or under test and expects a further 5,400 MW online by December, largely in the desert grid‑bottleneck zone where daytime solar is routinely curtailed. For mining and other energy‑intensive users, this rapidly expanding long‑duration storage fleet is key to securing firm, low‑carbon power contracts.

Panama will publish on Friday a third‑party environmental audit of First Quantum Minerals’ shuttered Cobre Panamá mine, a 350,000‑tonne‑per‑year copper operation that previously generated about 5% of national GDP, to guide President José Raúl Mulino’s decision on its future after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling voided the concession. Environment minister Juan Carlos Navarro and commerce minister Julio Moltó say the extensive report, following six preliminary technical reviews, will be released “with full transparency” and is the only basis for assessing environmental compliance. The move comes as new protests in Panama City, led by Sal de las Redes and Movimiento Independiente Voluntad, oppose any restart amid claims of irreversible environmental damage and debate over an estimated $3.5 billion economic loss since shutdown.

Minera Alamos has approved a US$58 million build-out of the past-producing Copperstone underground gold mine in Arizona, targeting about 46,000 oz. per year over a six-year life at an all-in sustaining cost of US$1,314/oz and payback in roughly 1.2 years. The new PFS, based on 4.1 million measured and indicated tonnes at 4.83 g/t (630,000 oz contained), gives an after-tax NPV of US$374 million and IRR of 108% at US$3,500/oz gold, rising to US$537 million NPV and 154% IRR at US$4,500/oz. Copperstone, on the Walker Lane structural trend and already permitted with existing underground development and processing infrastructure, will be funded from cash, a US$75 million revolver and Pan mine cash flow, with first production aimed for mid-2027 and further underground, down-plunge and potential open-pit heap-leach expansion drilling planned.

Giyani Metals’ feasibility study for the K.Hill open pit manganese project in Botswana cuts post-tax NPV to US$481.5 million at 8% and trims mine life to 25 years, while initial capex jumps 88% to US$535 million and planned output falls 57% to 1.5 million tonnes. The project now carries 5.3 million tonnes of proven and probable reserves at 12% MnO (about 642,000 tonnes contained), supporting a mine-to-market route for high-purity manganese oxide and sulphate from its Johannesburg demonstration plant. Construction could start in early 2027, with commissioning in late 2028 and ramp-up in 2029.

FBI agents have arrested former senior CIA official David Rush after a raid on his Virginia home uncovered 303 gold bars worth about $40 million at current prices, plus $2 million in cash and nearly three dozen luxury watches, many reportedly Rolexes. Court filings allege Rush obtained the bullion by submitting multiple requests for “work-related expenses” between November 2025 and March 2026 and also falsified academic and Navy Reserve credentials to claim tens of thousands of dollars in military leave pay. The case raises fresh scrutiny over traceability and custody controls for government-held precious metals.

Undersea critical minerals explorer The Metals Company has had its USA B seabed exploration licence application formally certified by NOAA, covering about 122,000 km² of eastern Clarion Clipperton Zone seafloor with an estimated 1.02 billion tonnes of polymetallic nodules containing cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese. TMC USA’s separate consolidated application for an exploration licence and commercial recovery permit in the USA A area was ruled fully compliant on 28 April, and NOAA is now expected to issue a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and draft Terms, Conditions and Restrictions. Environmental NGOs continue to push for a blanket ban on deep-sea mining, warning of irreversible biodiversity loss from industrial-scale nodule recovery.

Galan Lithium has produced its first lithium chloride at the Hombre Muerto West brine project in Catamarca, Argentina, after wet commissioning a nanofiltration plant fed with 0.5% lithium brine and discharging product to final evaporation ponds. The three‑month evaporation stage is expected to yield 6% lithium chloride concentrate, underpinning Phase 1 nameplate output of 4,000 tpa LCE, backed by a 10,000‑tonne LCE brine inventory and a 45,000‑tonne offtake with US-based Authium. Pond construction to lift capacity to 5,200 tpa LCE by H1 2027 is planned, with permits in place for a staged expansion to 60,000 tpa.

Eagle Nuclear Energy has completed key environmental and site-readiness work at its Aurora uranium project on the Oregon–Nevada border, including installation of a meteorological station, a wetland delineation study, and a full cultural and archaeological survey to support permitting. Aurora hosts an indicated resource of 32.75 million lb and nearly 5 million lb inferred, making it the largest conventional measured and indicated uranium deposit in the US and central to Eagle’s planned 27,000-foot pre-feasibility study. The project underpins a strategy to pair domestic uranium supply with advanced SMR technology, in a market where US reactors consume about 32 million lb of uranium annually but domestic production was only 677,000 lb in 2024.

Epiroc is expanding its Deep Automation portfolio to cover underground drilling and rock bolting, extending a platform previously focused mainly on autonomous loading and haulage. The updated concept spans the full automation curve, from tele-remote operation of drill rigs to higher autonomy levels with automated drilling cycles and bolt installation. For mine planners and engineers, this signals tighter integration between fleet management, drill-and-blast execution and ground support installation, with more predictable drilling patterns and support layouts in complex orebodies.

Komatsu and ABB are expanding their dynamic energy transfer concept beyond conventional trolley-assist haul trucks, with a new “side arm” current collection system in development for demonstration at Komatsu’s Arizona Proving Grounds in the US. Announced by Lucas van Latum and Nic Beutler at The Electric Mine 2026 in Lisbon, the side arm aims to maintain high-power DC transfer to mobile equipment without requiring trucks to remain strictly under overhead catenary. The work signals a push towards more flexible on-route charging layouts, with implications for haul road geometry, overhead line placement and mine power distribution design.

Metso has secured a repeat order in Asia Pacific to replace and modernise a railcar dumper, supplying a new fully assembled dumper cage with major mechanical and structural upgrades. The package targets higher train unloading throughput, reduced ore and coal spillage at the tipping station, and improved maintainability through simplified access and component replacement. For mine operators, the upgrade signals continued investment in brownfield load-out infrastructure to debottleneck rail logistics without expanding the existing dumper footprint.

Upgrades to Hardinge Street, a key section of the Cobb Highway through Deniliquin’s commercial precinct, are progressing as the New South Wales Government targets safer access and smoother traffic for roughly 6000 vehicles per day. Works focus on improving the urban highway cross-section and intersections along this main north–south freight and local access route, which currently carries mixed heavy and light vehicle traffic. For designers and contractors, staging and maintaining capacity on a constrained main street corridor will be central to construction planning and temporary traffic management.

Bridge works in New South Wales are being accelerated with a combined $114 million in joint Federal–State funding for stage two of a new bridge at Richmond, a historic flood‑prone town in Greater Sydney. The package advances detailed design and early works for the replacement crossing of the Hawkesbury River, intended to improve flood immunity and traffic capacity on a key regional freight and commuter route. For civil and geotechnical teams, the funding certainty brings forward foundation investigations, hydraulic modelling and construction staging around the existing bridge.

Bridge launches, where pre-assembled decks are slid or pushed into position over live railways, motorways or rivers, are being used more frequently in the UK to cut possession times and traffic closures. Engineers are dealing with complex temporary works, including incremental launching with nose sections, high-capacity strand jacks and PTFE bearing slide paths, often with tolerances of only a few millimetres over spans exceeding 50m. The approach shifts risk towards detailed staging analysis, real-time monitoring of deflection and friction, and strong contractor–client trust in temporary works design and contingency planning.

Engineering in Antarctica is explored in the latest Engineers Collective podcast, focusing on how civil and structural engineers design and build in −40°C conditions, on moving ice and permafrost. Guests discuss foundations on blue ice runways, snow-loaded steel frames for research stations, and logistics for transporting heavy plant and prefabricated modules by icebreaker and ski-equipped aircraft. The episode also examines corrosion of steel in saline, sub-zero environments and the use of insulated, elevated piles to limit heat transfer into ice and frozen ground.

The European Commission has opened a call for evidence to shape an EU-wide Action Plan on digitalisation in the water sector, responding to projections that water demand could exceed available supply by around 40%. The initiative is expected to prioritise smart metering, real-time network monitoring and digital twins for treatment plants and distribution systems to cut leakage and optimise asset operation. Civil and water engineers should anticipate future requirements for interoperable data standards, sensor-ready infrastructure and integration of hydraulic models with EU-level digital platforms.

Magnetite Mines is undertaking a strategic reset at its Razorback magnetite iron ore project in South Australia, appointing a new chief executive officer as managing director Tim Dobson steps down. The board is refocusing on capital efficiency and securing project funding, signalling a shift in development pacing and potential redesign of mine, processing and infrastructure capex. The company is also flagging early-stage gold potential at nearby Manna Hill, which could influence future exploration drilling priorities and resource allocation.

Resources Minister Madeleine King has backed the appointment of Lynas Rare Earths chief executive Amanda Lacaze as chair of the Minerals Council of Australia, signalling closer collaboration between government and major miners on critical minerals policy. King flagged a focus on accelerating resilient critical minerals supply chains, with Lynas already operating the Mt Weld rare earths mine in Western Australia and a major processing plant in Kalgoorlie. For mining executives, the move points to stronger industry input into approvals, downstream processing incentives and export market diversification.

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has retained her position as Australia’s richest person on the 2026 AFR Rich List, with Hancock Prospecting wealth estimated at $39.01 billion, up $900 million on 2025. Four mining leaders feature in the top 10, confirming the sector’s continued dominance in Australian capital formation and private investment capacity. The $900 million year‑on‑year gain alone exceeds $853 million, signalling sustained cash generation from large iron ore and critical minerals portfolios that continue to fund new resources, infrastructure and downstream processing projects.

Australia, the US, Japan and India have launched a Quad Critical Minerals Initiative aiming to mobilise up to US$20 billion in combined public and private finance across mining, processing and recycling projects. Funding will target diversified supply chains for key inputs such as lithium, nickel, rare earths and graphite, backing both greenfield extraction and brownfield processing expansions. For project developers, the move signals stronger support for downstream refining, hydrometallurgical plants and recycling facilities that can demonstrate secure offtake and alignment with each partner’s strategic minerals lists.

Macmahon Holdings has secured a 12‑month extension for underground mining services at Black Cat Syndicate’s Majestic gold mine in Western Australia, awarded through its wholly owned subsidiary Macmahon Underground. The deal follows completion of the underground portal and first ore delivery from Majestic to Black Cat’s Lakewood mill near Kalgoorlie, confirming the mine’s transition from development to steady-state production. For contractors and mine planners, the extension signals continuity of decline development, stoping and backfill scheduling under a single operator across the Majestic–Lakewood circuit.

The Environment Agency is moving from isolated project trials to a capital programme-wide deployment model for low‑carbon technologies across its flood defence and water management schemes. Standardised assessment, procurement and design frameworks are being applied to repeatable assets such as pumping stations, embankments and culverts, enabling faster roll‑out of options like low‑carbon concrete mixes and electrified plant. For contractors and designers, this signals earlier whole‑life carbon targets at framework level and greater scope to industrialise low‑carbon details across multiple sites rather than negotiating them scheme by scheme.

VolkerRail has installed the first set of switches and crossings on the Midland Main Line to connect the Radlett Strategic Rail Freight Interchange, a key step in creating a new rail-served logistics hub in Hertfordshire. The works involve integrating new turnouts and associated signalling and overhead line equipment into a live main line corridor carrying high-frequency passenger and freight services. Track and civils teams now move to subsequent S&C installations and plain line works, which will govern final line speeds, axle loads and freight path capacity into the SRFI.