Prairie's Saskatchewan DLE Plant Nears Completion
Prairie Lithium announced that its commercial‑scale direct lithium extraction (DLE) plant in Saskatchewan is nearing construction completion. The ASX‑listed firm expects to commence its first lithium production in the fourth quarter of 2026. The facility will process lithium‑rich brine using DLE technology, positioning the company to supply the fast‑growing electric‑vehicle battery market. Completion marks a significant milestone for Canada’s emerging lithium sector.
Lloyds Metals & Energy to Use Metso for Iron Plant Expansion
Lloyds Metals & Energy (LMEL), an Indian iron miner and steelmaker, has contracted Metso to deliver ten Larox fast‑opening filter presses for its iron beneficiation plants. The equipment will support LMEL's ongoing expansion of its pellet production capacity, though the...
How High-Performance Lubrication Cools Costs and Extends Gear Life in Copper Mining
Bel‑Ray replaced a high‑viscosity greased open‑gear lubricant in a South American copper mine’s ball mill with its synthetic Clear Gear lubricant. The new fluid eliminated metal‑to‑metal contact, dropping pinion temperatures and cutting friction‑related energy use. The change delivered a 5.61%...
Argentina Passes Glacier Mining Bill
Argentina's Congress approved an amendment to the 2010 Glacial Law, opening high‑altitude glacial regions to mining. The new bill grants individual provinces the authority to set their own environmental standards for such operations. This shift overturns previous nationwide prohibitions on...
Venezuela Approves Mining Law to Open up for Foreign Investment
Venezuela’s National Assembly has approved a new mining law designed to liberalize the sector and attract foreign capital. The legislation allows 100% foreign ownership, sets royalty rates between 5% and 15%, and promises a faster licensing process. While the bill...
Epiroc Underground Loaders and Haulers Head for Zambia
Mopani Copper Mines in Zambia has placed an order for a new fleet of Epiroc underground equipment, including Minetruck MT42 haulers and Scooptram loaders. The machines will operate at the Nkana and Mufulira copper mines, where they are expected to...
Weekly Newsletter 10 April 2026
Gold’s price rally has dominated mining headlines over the past year, prompting heightened exploration and production activity across the sector. Mining Magazine’s weekly newsletter underscores this trend while promoting its suite of premium research, including the 2026 Future Fleets Insights,...
Case Study: Underground Digitalisation at Rampura Agucha
Hindustan Zinc is digitising its flagship Rampura Agucha underground mine in Rajasthan, deploying automated haul trucks, remote‑monitoring sensors, and low‑emission power systems. The initiative links equipment to a central control platform, enabling real‑time performance analytics and predictive maintenance. Early results...
Diana Mendez: Women Can Make a Difference
Diana Mendez, executive director of Insuco LatAm, highlighted how women can drive transformative change in the mining sector. Drawing on her experience in Peru, Canada and Mexico, she emphasized gender‑inclusive strategies that improve community relations and operational resilience. Insuco, a...
Volvo Brings Electric Articulated Haulers Into Serial Production
Volvo Construction Equipment has launched serial production of its electric articulated haulers, marking the first time a vehicle of this size and capability is offered fully electric. The e‑ACT series features a 600 kWh battery pack delivering up to 200 km of...
IFC Backs FQM's $5.25bn Taca Taca
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has pledged up to $5.25 billion to back FQM’s development of the Taca Taca porphyry deposit, which contains copper, gold and molybdenum. The financing package combines senior debt, equity and sustainability‑linked instruments, positioning the project for...
IMDEX Acquires 100% Stake in Krux Analytics
IMDEX has completed the acquisition of 100% of Krux Analytics, a provider of advanced drilling‑site data capture and analytics software. The deal brings Krux’s real‑time drilling analytics platform under IMDEX’s downhole sensor technology (DST) portfolio, creating a unified solution for...
Going From Analogue to Digital
Catalyst Metals is digitizing its Plutonic Gold Mine in Western Australia by integrating RCT’s mining‑automation platform, shifting the decades‑old underground operation from analogue controls to a fully digital workflow. The 195‑km‑north‑east Meekatharra site, a long‑running producer, will now leverage real‑time...
Altilium Files MHP Patent as Indonesia Clenches Supply
British clean‑tech firm Altilium has filed its tenth patent covering a process that converts end‑of‑life lithium‑ion batteries into a nickel mixed‑hydroxide precipitate (MHP). The technology extracts nickel while recovering other valuable metals, offering a circular alternative to traditional mining. Indonesia’s...
The Largest Gold Miners of 2025
In 2025 the ten largest gold miners collectively produced 25.8 million ounces, realizing an average gold price of $3,541 per ounce while operating at an average all‑in sustaining cost (AISC) of $1,571 per ounce. Barrick Gold slipped from its second‑place standing,...
Air Suspension Wheel Passes Tough Test
Global Air Cylinder Wheels (GACW) completed extreme‑condition validation trials of its air‑suspension wheel in Minnesota. The tests proved the wheel can operate reliably in subzero temperatures and harsh mining terrain. GACW says the design can cut tyre waste by up...
Afreximbank's $10B Package Puts Onus on African Governments
Afreximbank has unveiled a $10 billion trade‑finance package aimed at accelerating African exports, with a particular focus on mineral exporters. The package combines credit lines, guarantees and technical assistance, but its disbursement is contingent on participating governments implementing policy reforms and...
Orica Launches Next-Gen Groundprobe Geohazard Monitoring Platform
Orica unveiled the next‑generation Groundprobe platform, a geohazard monitoring system designed for mining and civil‑construction sites. The upgrade features an advanced engine‑mounting system that isolates vibrations and cuts operational noise. Integrated AI analytics provide real‑time alerts on rock‑fall, subsidence and...
Recovering the Cost of Battery-Electric Vehicles: Volvo
Volvo’s latest analysis addresses the primary concern of miners shifting to battery‑electric equipment: how quickly the higher upfront price can be recouped. The company highlights that while electric excavators such as the EC230 carry a premium, savings in diesel fuel,...
Appian Opens Unit in São Paulo to Invest in Latin America
Appian Capital Advisory announced the launch of a new headquarters in São Paulo to source and evaluate mining assets across Latin America. The move is part of a broader British fund strategy that aims to deploy roughly $220 billion in investments...
The Next Generation of Sandvik's Automated Development Drill
Sandvik has unveiled the next‑generation automated development drill, the DD423i, as an upgrade to its DD422i model. The new drill incorporates AI‑driven drilling optimization, integrated telemetry, and enhanced remote‑monitoring safety features. Sandvik reports up to a 15% reduction in cycle...
First Quantum Could Process Cobre Panama Stockpiles
First Quantum Minerals is seeking Panamanian government approval to extract and process millions of tonnes of copper ore stockpiled at the Cobre Panama mine. The paperwork, if finalized, would allow the company to move the ore, generate substantial tax payments,...
Greenland Set to Reject Kvanefjeld Rare Earth Licence
Greenland’s government has issued a draft decision to refuse renewal of the exploration licence for the Kvanefjeld rare‑earth project, invoking the 2021 ban on uranium mining. The move targets Energy Transition Minerals’ (ETM) application to extend its permit for a...
Full Flowsheet, Full Lifecycle: FLS Sharpens Its Performance Focus
FLS, a leading mining‑process equipment provider, now delivers solutions across the entire mineral‑processing flowsheet, from crushing to tailings management. In a Mineral Processing Report 2026 interview, CEO Qasim Abrahams highlighted how advanced digital technology, process optimisation, and full‑lifecycle services are...
Weekly Newsletter 2 April 2026
Mining Magazine, founded in 1909 by future President Herbert Hoover, continues to serve as a premier source of technical insight for mine managers worldwide. This week the publication announced the inaugural Mining Magazine Awards for 2026, a new program that...
Iron Women Advance Across the Mining and Construction Sectors
Volvo Construction Equipment is turning its successful "Iron Women" programme into a global platform to combat a looming skills shortage in mining and construction. The initiative, which has already placed more than 700 women in professional driving roles across ten...
Aggreko to Take Eva Off-Grid
Aggreko announced a partnership with Harmony to deliver an off‑grid power solution for the Eva site, replacing reliance on centralized electricity. The initial rollout will use Aggreko’s modular diesel generators, with a roadmap to integrate wind turbines as renewable capacity...
Water, Not Ore Grades, Will Decide Mining's Future
Mining companies are increasingly recognizing that water availability, not ore grade, will dictate future profitability. Cetos Water's innovative low‑energy desalination and water‑recycling technology recently won the Wheaton Precious Metals challenge, highlighting industry demand for sustainable water solutions. The award underscores...
Ivanhoe Cuts Copper Guidance at Kamoa-Kakula
Ivanhoe Mines announced a reduction in its copper production guidance for the Kamoa‑Kakula project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The cut follows a severe flood in 2024 that forced a shutdown of underground mining in May 2025. Management outlined...
From Waste to Wealth at Mount Sicker
Sasquatch Resources is advancing the Mount Sicker project, a hybrid effort that combines mine rehabilitation with fresh exploration. The site contains over 300,000 tonnes of legacy waste that still hold measurable quantities of gold, zinc, copper and silver. By reprocessing...
JORC Code Update Nears Its End
The Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) Code, last revised in 2012, is nearing its next release after an almost five‑year overhaul. The March 2026 JORC Update shows the legal review of the draft code and its high‑level Table 1 checklist is...
Johnson Matthey's Underground Diesel Filter Wins Third Safety Certification
Johnson Matthey has earned a third safety certification from the Canadian Standards Association for its underground diesel particulate filter, part of the DPFi system. The filter uses electrical regeneration to strip harmful particles from diesel exhaust, targeting light diesel vehicles...
Epiroc Launches Underground Charging Suite
Swedish equipment maker Epiroc has introduced a new underground charging suite designed for battery‑electric mining fleets. The solution is OEM‑agnostic and can be installed up to 300 m from a central charging cabinet, offering a single charging platform for mixed‑fleet operations....
Paladin's Canadian Development Faces Legal Challenge
Paladin Energy’s proposed uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan has received a legal challenge from a local Indigenous group seeking to overturn the recent environmental approval. The group argues the assessment failed to adequately address cultural and ecological concerns. Paladin had...
Epiroc Launches Underground Charging Suite
Swedish mining equipment maker Epiroc has unveiled an underground charging suite aimed at accelerating the shift to electric haulage and drilling. The modular system features OEM‑agnostic chargers capable of delivering up to 1.2 MW, allowing multiple brands of battery‑powered machines to...
Intelligence Newsletter - 30/03/2026
Mining firms are accelerating a wave of billion‑dollar megaprojects as soaring metal prices boost investment pipelines. Mining IQ’s database shows megaproject economic studies climbing from 15 in 2024 ($25.9 billion capex) to 21 in 2025 ($43.7 billion), a 66 % jump, and ten...
ABB Incorporates Generative AI Into Energy Management System
ABB has integrated generative artificial intelligence into its Energy Management System, branding the new capability as the Industrial Knowledge Vault (IKV). The AI layer lets users pose natural‑language questions about energy consumption, delivering instant analytics without manual data mining. Mining...
EnergyX Starts up 250tpa DLE Plant
EnergyX, a privately held lithium developer, has commissioned its 250‑tonne‑per‑year direct lithium extraction (DLE) demonstration plant, Project Lonestar, near Texarkana, Texas. The facility is the first U.S. plant to process lithium‑rich brine from the Smackover formation, using proprietary solvent‑based extraction...
Eurobattery Sends 1000kg Tungsten Sample to Cornwall
Swedish miner Eurobattery Minerals has shipped a 1,000 kg bulk tungsten sample from its Spanish San Juan project in Ourense to a testing laboratory in Cornwall, UK. The dispatch is part of a five‑month assay program aimed at confirming grade and metallurgical...
Byrnecut Gives Sandvik Its Largest AutoMine Rollout Yet
Sandvik has secured five new AutoMine automation orders from Byrnecut, the world’s largest underground mining contractor. The contracts cover underground sites in Australia and Namibia, marking Sandvik’s biggest rollout for Byrnecut to date. The AutoMine Multi‑Lite system will enable loaders...
Are We Ready to Mine the Moon?
Interlune, a lunar‑resource startup, announced that its first customers are ready to purchase helium‑3 extracted from the Moon. Helium‑3 is touted as a fuel for next‑generation nuclear fusion reactors that produce no long‑lived radioactive waste. The company highlights the technical...
Teck Defers US$1.9B Zafranal
Teck Resources has postponed the construction decision for its Zafranal copper project in Arequipa, Peru, a venture valued at roughly US$1.9 billion. The company is instead directing capital toward expanding its existing Quebrada Blanca mine in Chile. The deferment underscores ongoing...
Rio's Boyne Aluminium Smelter Lands $2B Handout
Rio Tinto has secured a landmark $2 billion taxpayer‑funded package from the Queensland and Australian governments to support its Boyne aluminium smelter, the second‑largest in the country. The agreement also bundles roughly $7.5 billion in green‑energy investments aimed at decarbonising the plant...
Boliden Begins Inspections at Garpenberg
Swedish miner Boliden has begun initial inspections at its Garpenberg underground mine after a deep‑rock fall caused increased seismic activity. The company said production will resume gradually, but the exact timing of a full ramp‑up remains uncertain. Inspections focus on...
'There Is No Mineral Supply Crisis when You Have Better Decisions'
GeologicAI CEO argues that mineral supply shortages are a perception, not reality, when companies leverage advanced decision‑making tools. The firm’s “rocket fuel” technology combines AI, high‑performance computing and real‑time geological data to pinpoint deposits faster and cheaper. Recent pilot projects...
Bits, Bytes, Barriers: The State of Digital in Blasting
The article examines how digitalisation is reshaping blasting operations, drawing on insights from industry leaders BME, Enaex, and Orica. It highlights the massive data generated by each blast and the potential of AI, sensors, and edge computing to improve efficiency,...
Vedanta Chief on Upcoming Demerger, 2.0 and Women in Mining
Vedanta Resources chief Deshnee Naidoo outlined an upcoming demerger that will separate the company’s zinc and lead assets, aiming to unlock shareholder value and sharpen strategic focus. He also introduced a "2.0" digital transformation agenda designed to boost operational efficiency...
The Metso Tech Behind Florence's Taseko Copper Cathode Production
Metso has equipped Taseko’s Florence copper mine in Arizona with its full‑scale solvent extraction‑electrowinning (SX‑EW) technology, allowing the site to produce high‑purity copper cathodes on‑site. The integrated solution combines leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning modules to target roughly 30,000 tonnes...
Safety and Technology: How Caterpillar Is Working to Keep Sites Safe
Caterpillar used its CONExpo keynote to showcase a suite of safety‑focused technologies aimed at construction and mining sites. The company unveiled AI‑driven equipment monitoring, wearable sensor networks, and remote‑operation platforms that together aim to cut incident rates. Real‑time data analytics...
ABB's pH/ORP Sensor that 'Lasts 10 Times Longer that Others'
ABB introduced a new pH/ORP sensor that lasts up to ten times longer than conventional models. The extended lifespan reduces replacement cycles and maintenance costs for water treatment and process industries. The sensor integrates with ABB’s digital automation suite, enabling...
