Geomechanics.io

Nederman MikroPul is promoting modular baghouse dust collectors and centralised extraction systems for crushing, screening, conveying and loading circuits in mining and mineral processing plants. The systems target fine and abrasive dusts, aiming to cut fugitive emissions, recover saleable product from process streams, and stabilise negative pressure around transfer points to reduce spillage and build-up. By improving capture efficiency at sources such as crushers and screen decks, operators can reduce unplanned shutdowns, lower filter and ductwork maintenance, and support compliance with tightening particulate emission limits.

BHP and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation are trialling a marine biofuel blend derived from used cooking oil and waste animal fats on a BHP‑chartered bulk carrier voyage from Australia to China. The pilot focuses on blending, handling and tracing multi‑feedstock biofuels through existing bunker supply chains, using current marine fuel infrastructure rather than dedicated new storage or pipelines. Outcomes will inform fuel specification, engine performance and contamination risk management for large dry bulk vessels on long‑haul export routes.

Gold Fields and the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi have signed the Uukiimau Impact Benefit Agreement for the Windfall gold-silver project in Québec’s Abitibi greenstone belt, covering financial, operational, environmental and social commitments for the life of the mine. Windfall hosts measured and indicated resources of 9.5 million tonnes at 10.5 g/t gold and 5.2 g/t silver (3.2 million oz gold, 1.6 million oz silver), plus 13 million tonnes inferred at 8.6 g/t gold and 4.7 g/t silver. Gold Fields targets first production by late 2026 or early 2027, ramping to about 300,000 oz/year.

LiuGong has unveiled an ultraclass hybrid wheel loader and an autonomous 127 t wide body mining truck at its 6th Global Customer Day in Liuzhou, China, signalling a push into large-scale, high-payload surface mining fleets. The autonomous truck targets 127 t payload haulage with wide body geometry optimised for short- to medium-haul pits, while the hybrid loader combines diesel and electric drive to cut fuel burn and cycle times. For mine planners, the pairing points to integrated OEM haul–load systems with embedded autonomy rather than bolt‑on retrofits.

Integra Resources has appointed Ausenco Engineering USA South as lead engineer for detailed engineering at the DeLamar gold-silver project in southwestern Idaho, with SLR Consulting retained for heap leach design, metallurgy and mine planning. The mandate covers advancing the project from feasibility-level concepts to construction-ready designs, including detailed layouts for heap leach pads, process plant and associated mine infrastructure. For engineers, the move signals imminent definition of pad geometry, liner and drainage systems, and materials handling circuits critical to permitting, capex control and construction sequencing.

Alastair Dick has been appointed managing director of Ferrovial Construction UK & Ireland, joining from Bechtel where he was UK head of business development for Bechtel Infrastructure. His previous roles included managing director in Bechtel’s nuclear, security and environmental business, overseeing international nuclear and security projects across the UK, Australia and the Middle East. Dick will now set strategy and performance for Ferrovial’s UK and Irish operations, leading delivery of complex rail, aviation, energy and environmental infrastructure schemes, many likely structured as PPP or privately financed programmes.

Clarion Housing Group has appointed The Hill Group as main contractor for the Clare House redevelopment in Tower Hamlets, delivering 145 new homes at 100% social rent with main construction scheduled from April 2027 to 2029. Demolition is already complete and associated public realm works include upgrades to the nearby Jasmine Park play space, which started in May 2026 as part of a wider regeneration programme. The redesigned Clare House is planned as a modern, energy-efficient scheme with long-term performance targets central to Clarion and Hill’s ongoing partnership.

Amey has appointed Gert Vermeiren as sector director for engineering and Stephen Knott as chief operations director in its consulting business, signalling a push to scale complex transport and infrastructure delivery. Vermeiren brings 29 years’ experience on major schemes including Stockholm Bypass, Riyadh Metro, Istanbul Airport, Paris Metro, the Moscow Ring Road and National Grid’s Great Grid Programme, plus pan-European transport portfolios. Knott, a fellow of the ICE, previously led Amey’s strategic highways business to a £200m portfolio and will now oversee consulting delivery for UK and international clients.

EDF Energy has appointed Gleeds under a new professional services framework to deliver commercial and programme management services for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset through to project completion. The role extends Gleeds’ existing ten‑year remit from commercial and contract management on major site civil works and marine works into wider project management, programme controls, and business support across the complex, highly regulated nuclear build. For contractors and consultants, this signals continued emphasis on rigorous cost control, contract administration and schedule integration on one of Europe’s largest nuclear construction programmes.

Kimpton has completed a £6.7m mechanical package for phase one of Watkin Jones’ Central Quay scheme in Cardiff, serving two interlinked 23-storey residential towers with 718 apartments and nearly 20,000 sq ft of leisure and retail space. The installation includes 200-litre internal heat pump cylinders in family units to reduce potable water waste while maintaining hot water capacity. A multi-extract ventilation system with heat recovery captures and recycles exhaust heat, cutting energy demand and supporting higher building services efficiency for the high-rise structure.

Kier has appointed Niki Steel as chief human resources officer and executive committee member, effective August 2026, to support performance across its roughly 10,000-strong workforce. Steel moves from FTSE 100 engineering group IMI plc, where she has been chief people officer for sector operations for the past two years. The appointment follows Kier’s decision to merge two business divisions into an “infrastructure powerhouse” under Joe Incutti, with former chief people officer Louisa Finlay now COO and James Askew in post as group commercial director since January.

Schindler has expanded its R.I.S.E robotic elevator installation fleet from five to seven units, using automated drilling and anchor-setting to cut manual handling and overhead work in lift shafts. The robots are deployed in hoistways to perform repetitive, high-precision tasks such as bracket positioning and fastening, reducing installer exposure to work at height and confined spaces. For contractors and structural engineers, wider R.I.S.E use could influence shaft tolerance requirements, fixing layouts, and programme durations on high-rise core construction.

Bouygues UK is using Revizto BIM tools to run live, fully navigable 3D walk-throughs of the 47,000 m² Moorfields and UCL Centre for Eye Health, enabling clinicians to test operating theatre layouts, medical gas outlet positions and patient flows months before work reaches those areas. A single shared model for more than 100 daily onsite users across 20 disciplines has cut clash detection from about a week to 10–15 minutes, with issues logged and resolved in real time. The specialist eye hospital complex is scheduled to open to patients in summer 2027.

Balfour Beatty has restructured its UK operations into three divisions: defence, power and regional infrastructure under Nick Crossfield; energy and major projects led by Phil Clifton; and a dedicated transport business with a CEO still to be appointed. Grouping defence and power with regional infrastructure suggests a tighter focus on complex, multi-stakeholder schemes such as bases, substations and local networks, while the separate energy and major projects unit is likely to concentrate on large EPC-style works. The standalone transport division signals continued emphasis on rail, highways and aviation assets as distinct workload streams for designers and contractors.

HS&E test fraud at Whitewaters Training Ltd has led to co-director William White receiving a prison sentence of more than two years after a joint investigation by CITB and Essex Police. Two additional individuals received suspended sentences, and CITB has revoked all identified fraudulent HS&E test results issued through the centre. The case signals tighter scrutiny of test centres supplying CSCS card applicants, with contractors likely to face more rigorous verification of operatives’ safety credentials on major infrastructure projects.

Network Rail infrastructure condition and working practices in Wales and the West of England were found by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to be a primary cause of delays and cancellations, prompting targeted performance interventions. Following the ORR investigation, the region has recorded fewer cancellations and a higher proportion of trains arriving on time, with timetable adherence improving against previous years’ baselines. For engineers, the case reinforces the operational impact of asset reliability and maintenance regimes on route capacity and punctuality.

The UK Government has released a four‑year Cyber Security in the Energy Sector strategy to harden electricity, gas and downstream oil networks as they become more digital and decentralised. The plan targets operational technology such as SCADA and substation control systems, sets resilience expectations for network operators and generators, and aligns with Ofgem’s cyber resilience guidelines. For civil and energy engineers, this signals tighter requirements on cyber‑secure design of control rooms, grid‑connected assets and data interfaces on new low‑carbon and smart‑grid projects.

Gold has overtaken US Treasuries as the second-largest global reserve asset, with bullion rising to 27% of central bank reserves by value at end-2025 versus 22% for Treasuries, while dollar assets still dominate at 42%, the ECB reports. Central banks now hold over 36,000 tonnes of gold, near Bretton Woods-era levels, with 2025 net purchases of 850 tonnes driven by buyers including China, Poland, Turkey, India and notably Tether, which alone acquired more than 100 tonnes. The ECB also notes euro-denominated international debt issuance jumped 30% in 2025 to nearly €1 trillion.

Tintina Mines has secured C$91 million in private placement funding, led by Sumitomo Corp. and the Gignac family via a new investment vehicle taking C$48 million of first‑tranche receipts and potentially 38% ownership after warrant exercise, with Franco‑Nevada contributing C$14 million. About C$55 million will advance the Domeyko Sulfuros copper‑gold porphyry in Chile’s Atacama Region to a final investment decision and C$36 million will buy out the remaining 26.25% project stake, implying a C$138 million pre‑money valuation. Domeyko’s PEA outlines a 25‑year open pit producing 37,000 t/y copper and 57,000 oz/y gold in concentrate from 100.8 Mt M&I at 0.35% Cu and 0.28 g/t Au, with initial capex of $1.28 billion and after‑tax NPV8 of $328 million.

Boroo has entered a 90‑day exclusivity agreement with PwC to conduct due diligence on acquiring the landslide‑damaged Eagle gold mine in Yukon, where a June 2024 heap leach pad failure released millions of tonnes of ore and at least 280,000 m³ of cyanide-bearing solution. PwC previously valued Eagle’s assets at nearly C$825 million against about C$458 million in accident-related liabilities, while a 2023 mine plan outlined 124 million tonnes at 0.65 g/t Au (2.58 Moz contained) over a 12‑year life. Boroo brings heap leach experience from Lagunas Norte and Mongolian operations, backed by US$300 million in senior secured notes, but must still secure Yukon government and Na‑Cho Nyäk Dun approvals.

Faith-based investors led by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace are urging General Motors shareholders to approve a June 2 resolution demanding a detailed report on how GM identifies and manages Indigenous rights risks in its transition mineral supply chains, singling out the $625 million Thacker Pass (Peehee Mu’huh) lithium joint venture with Lithium Americas and its 20‑year exclusive EV battery supply deal. The proposal cites Human Rights Watch, ACLU and Amnesty findings that US federal consultation with Tribes at Thacker Pass lasted under a year, fell short of typical multi‑year mine permitting timelines and proceeded without free, prior and informed consent, with fencing allegedly restricting access to ancestral lands. For miners and project developers, the vote signals intensifying investor scrutiny of social licence, with Indigenous consent, consultation timelines and land access controls now framed as material legal, operational and financing risks.

Central Asia Metals is acquiring Cygnus Metals for about A$232 million ($166 million) via an all-share offer at 0.06 CAML shares per Cygnus share, a 60% premium to Cygnus’ last close, adding the Chibougamau copper-gold project in Québec and lithium ground in the James Bay district plus rare earth and base metal projects in Western Australia. Chibougamau carries measured and indicated resources of roughly 149,000 tonnes copper and 167,000 oz gold (plus 182,000 tonnes copper and 454,000 oz gold inferred) and a historical 900,000 t/y plant, with CAML planning an updated PEA and feasibility work. CAML, which currently produces 12,000–13,000 t/y copper cathode and 18,000–20,000 t/y zinc-in-concentrate plus 26,000–28,000 t/y lead-in-concentrate from Sasa (North Macedonia) and Kounrad (Kazakhstan), will seek a TSX or TSXV listing to support North American funding and visibility.

New drilling at Aya Gold & Silver’s Zgounder mine in Morocco returned bonanza underground intercept T28-26-1248 with 8 m at 2,176 g/t Ag from 8 m, including 4 m at 4,298 g/t, plus open-pit hole ZG-RC-26-946 with 6 m at 1,867 g/t from 96 m. Additional RC holes in the pit area cut up to 10 m at 739 g/t Ag from 129 m and 6 m at 1,160 g/t from 6 m, from a 116‑hole campaign that is one‑third of a 30,000 m 2026 programme. Zgounder, a 1.4 Mt/y silver‑only operation with 15.7 Mt at 145 g/t Ag reserves (73.4 Moz) and life to 2036, is extending mineralisation at depth and along the Western Fault ahead of further drilling from the 1,825 m exploration drift in H2 2026.

Glencore’s Cerrejón mine in La Guajira, one of the world’s largest open-pit coal operations, has halted mining, rail and port activities and declared force majeure after a community blockade cut fuel and coal movements on the railway to Puerto Bolívar from 23 May. Cerrejón, which produced 16.8 Mt in 2025 and has faced nearly 80 blockades this year (333 in 2024, plus nine terrorist attacks), has suspended most employment contracts while maintaining staff for maintenance and environmental controls. The dispute centres on constitutional rulings, water access, renewable energy projects and royalty distribution, signalling persistent social and regulatory risk for Colombian coal, whose national output fell to 53.9 Mt in 2025.