Copper Recovery from Legacy Mine Water Enters Pilot Stage

Starting in August 2026, SiTration and BHP are running an initial small-scale pilot plant at the historic Copper Cities site in Arizona’s Globe-Miami mining district. The first deployment will validate continuous and autonomous copper production from legacy mining water over a one-month period.

The Copper Cities site produced almost 400 000 tonnes of copper between the 1950s and 1980s. SiTration and BHP now see an opportunity to recover value from legacy mining assets like this one, with the potential to create new pathways for domestic US copper supply.

Prior to the pilot, SiTration conducted bench-scale testing using real feedstock from the Copper Cities site. Those tests demonstrated London Metal Exchange Grade A copper production without using any chemicals or generating new waste products. Preliminary energy consumption was reported below 4 kWh/kg to recover copper from the diluted legacy mine water.

BHP and SiTration Test Recovery Technology

The pilot deployments are designed to evaluate SiTration’s mining technology under real operating conditions. BHP legacy assets general manager Kevin Ramsay said the Copper Cities pilot provides an opportunity to assess an innovative approach to copper recovery from mining-impacted water while generating valuable technical and operational insights.

“We are excited to work with SiTration to test this technology under real operating conditions and better understand its potential to recover value from legacy mining water sources,” Ramsay said.

SiTration CEO and co-founder Brendan Smith said the American Southwest region houses billions of dollars’ worth of copper in legacy mining water. “With global copper demand projected to grow by 70% by 2050, tapping into these resources is an excellent pathway to bolster domestic supply chains while producing copper at the bottom of the global cost curve,” Smith added.

Larger Pilot Targets Copper Cathode Production

Following the initial one-month trial, a larger deployment is planned for later in 2026. That larger pilot is targeting production of up to two tonnes of commercial-scale copper cathodes over a two-month period.

The planned progression from small-scale validation to a larger trial reflects the companies’ interest in understanding how the copper recovery from legacy mine water approach performs at increasing scale. Should the pilots deliver positive results, the technology could offer a potential new route to recovering copper from legacy mining assets across the region.

Both deployments remain at the pilot and testing stage. The results will inform whether the technology can move toward broader application for copper recovery from legacy mine water sources.

Under the terms of the MOU, the two companies agreed to negotiate the potential supply of gallium and germanium from the Brook Mine project. The agreement is non-binding, and no confirmed volumes, pricing or long-term purchase commitments have been disclosed. The gallium and germanium supply deal represents an early-stage exploration of a commercial supply arrangement rather than a finalised contract.

Ramaco and Indium Agree Gallium and Germanium Supply MOU

Ramaco Resources is developing critical minerals and rare earth elements at Brook Mine, located near Sheridan, Wyoming. The company describes the project as holding what it believes is the nation’s largest unconventional deposit of rare earth elements and critical minerals sourced from coal and carbonaceous ore. Ramaco says Brook Mine is America’s first new rare earth element and critical-mineral mine in more than 70 years.

Full-scale mining is underway at the site, and construction of a pilot processing facility is also in progress. The project is initially focused on the vertically integrated production of commercial oxides.

Ramaco Resources CEO Randall Atkins said the gallium and germanium supply deal demonstrates a promising opportunity to introduce Brook Mine gallium and germanium into established domestic and allied supply chains. “By combining Ramaco’s potential domestic resource base with Indium Corporation’s established presence in advanced technology manufacturing, we believe this proposed relationship could strengthen and diversify the supply of materials that are increasingly critical to the U.S. electronics, semiconductor, and advanced manufacturing industries,” Atkins said.

Brook Mine Advances Critical Mineral Development

Brook Mine sits at the centre of Ramaco Resources’ broader critical minerals strategy. The project’s location near Sheridan, Wyoming, positions it within established mining territory, and the company is building out processing infrastructure alongside its mining operations.

The focus on vertically integrated production of commercial oxides is intended to move the project beyond raw extraction and into processed materials that can feed directly into downstream manufacturing. Gallium and germanium are two of the critical minerals targeted for production at the site.

Deal Links Mining With Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chains

Indium Corporation, headquartered in Clinton, New York, is a global materials refiner, smelter and manufacturer. The company supplies specialised metals, solders and thermal management products used in building electronics, semiconductors, electric vehicles, aerospace and defence systems. Indium specialises in refining, alloy development and manufacture of high-performance materials, including gallium- and germanium-based products used throughout the semiconductor value chain.

The proposed gallium and germanium supply deal between Ramaco Resources and Indium Corporation would connect domestic mineral production at Brook Mine with Indium’s downstream manufacturing capabilities. If the companies reach a binding agreement, it could provide a US-based source of gallium and germanium for products that currently depend heavily on imported materials.

The MOU underscores growing interest in establishing domestic critical-mineral supply chains that link mining operations with advanced manufacturing within the United States and allied nations.

The project is backed by a long-term energy supply agreement with Ernest Henry Mining, a wholly owned subsidiary of Evolution Mining. The agreement will run through to mid-2046, providing Ernest Henry Mining with a reliable and diversified energy supply over the coming decades.

Evolution Mining’s Ernest Henry Gets New Mine Energy Infrastructure

Under the terms of the deal, APA Group’s existing Diamantina Power Station, a gas-fired facility in the Mount Isa region, will provide firming capacity alongside the new solar and battery storage assets. This arrangement is expected to support greater operational efficiencies at the Diamantina facility while broadening APA Group’s customer base in Mount Isa.

Construction of the Sybella Creek Solar Farm and the battery energy storage system is expected to begin in late 2026, with completion targeted for mid-2028. The project has not yet started construction, and the assets are not yet operational.

For Evolution Mining and Ernest Henry Mining, the agreement secures dedicated mine energy infrastructure combining renewable generation, battery storage and existing gas capacity under a single long-term supply contract.

104MWh Battery Supports Mine Power Supply

The 52MW/104MWh battery energy storage system will play a central role in firming the output of the 72MW solar farm. Paired with the gas-fired Diamantina Power Station, this combination of technologies is intended to deliver a more stable and efficient energy supply to the mine.

Ernest Henry Mining operates a significant copper-gold operation near Cloncurry in Queensland’s North West Minerals Province. The region has historically relied on islanded diesel and gas generation because it lacks a connection to the National Electricity Market.

That connection was originally intended to come through CopperString, a proposed 1,100km transmission line from Townsville to Mount Isa. However, cost estimates escalated from AU$1.8 billion to more than AU$13.6 billion under the previous state government. The current Queensland government scaled back the project, splitting it into an Eastern Link targeted for 2032 and a Western Link that remains under assessment with no confirmed construction commitment.

In response, Queensland established the AU$200 million North West Energy Fund, managed by Queensland Investment Corporation, to support localised energy solutions while the Western Link’s future remains unresolved. The fund’s approach requires proposals to stand on their own commercially, independent of whether the Western Link proceeds, with battery storage and other firming technologies expected to play a central role.

Queensland Project Combines Solar, Storage and Gas

The Sybella Creek project is not funded through the North West Energy Fund. However, it sits within the same broader effort to bring more reliable and cost-effective power to the region’s mining sector ahead of any grid connection. The project pairs new renewable generation and storage with existing gas infrastructure to serve a single large industrial customer under a long-term agreement.

This mine energy infrastructure approach reflects the practical reality facing mining operations in remote parts of Queensland. Without access to the national grid, operators like Evolution Mining must secure dedicated power solutions that balance cost, reliability and long-term supply certainty.

The combination of solar generation, a battery energy storage system and gas firming at Sybella Creek offers a model that other mining operations in the North West Minerals Province may look to replicate as the region’s energy landscape continues to develop.

The Blackwater gold mine, located south of Prince George, began commercial production earlier this year. Work on the first stage of the expansion programme is already underway, and the full build-out is expected to be complete before the end of 2028.

Blackwater Gold Mine Expansion Enters Next Phase

The first phase of the Blackwater Gold Mine Expansion carries a price tag of C$120 million and will lift the mill’s processing capacity from 6 million tonnes per annum to 8 million tonnes per annum. This initial upgrade is designed to boost throughput at the existing facility without requiring a second processing line.

Phase 2 represents a far larger undertaking. Artemis Gold plans to invest C$1.44 billion to construct a second processing train at the Blackwater gold mine, raising total capacity to 21 million tonnes per annum. That expansion will transform the scale of the operation entirely.

Processing Capacity Set to Reach 21Mtpa

Once both phases are finished, the Blackwater mine expansion will have taken the operation from its initial 6 Mtpa throughput to 21 Mtpa. more than three times the original design. The gold mine expansion programme reflects the scale of the orebody and the company’s confidence in the long-term production profile.

With the expanded processing capacity in place, the mine could support gold production growth of more than 500,000 ounces per year for a decade, according to the company. That level of output would make Blackwater one of Canada’s three largest gold-producing mines, a notable achievement for an operation that only recently entered production.

Expansion to Lift Gold Production and Employment

The Blackwater Gold Mine Expansion is also driving significant workforce growth in the region. The mine currently employs around 900 full-time workers and contractors. During the construction period for the second phase, an additional 1,500 construction workers are expected to be on site over the course of two years.

Once the expansion programme is complete, the permanent workforce at the Blackwater gold mine is projected to grow from 900 to approximately 1,200. That sustained employment base adds to the economic contribution the mine already makes to the Prince George area and broader British Columbia.

Artemis Gold has moved quickly since bringing the mine into commercial production. The phased approach to the gold mine expansion allows the company to fund ongoing construction while the existing operation generates revenue. With the second phase expected to wrap up before the close of 2028, the full production ramp-up at Blackwater could begin within the next few years.

The scale of the expansion nearly C$1.56 billion in total investment and a target of more than 500,000 ounces annually, underscores the significance of the Blackwater project within Canada gold mining.

The investment reinforces Byrnecut’s position as one of the largest underground mining contractors globally and underscores its ongoing relationship with Sandvik as a preferred equipment supplier. The underground mining equipment fleet will support both new and existing underground mining projects across the four regions.

Byrnecut Expands Underground Mining Equipment Fleet

The fleet order comprises a broad spread of underground mining machinery. It includes four Sandvik DD422i development drills, four Toro LH621i loaders equipped with Sandvik’s AutoMine automation technology, and four Toro TH663i underground trucks. The order also covers two Sandvik DL432i longhole drills and one Sandvik DL422i longhole drill, providing Byrnecut with additional production drilling capacity.

On the raiseboring side, Byrnecut has ordered four Rhino 100 mobile raiseboring machines and one Rhino uphole module. These five raiseboring systems add to the contractor’s capability for ventilation raises, ore passes and other vertical and inclined excavations required in underground operations.

The scale of this underground mining equipment fleet order reflects the breadth of Byrnecut’s international workload and its need for modern, reliable machines across multiple project sites simultaneously.

Sandvik Equipment Supports Multiple Mining Operations

Byrnecut’s decision to standardise on Sandvik equipment across its international operations draws on the manufacturer’s global support network. With projects spread across Australia, Canada, West Africa and Southern Africa, access to consistent parts supply, technical support and service capability is a practical consideration for any underground mining contractor running large fleets.

The underground mining equipment fleet is not assigned to a single project. Instead, Byrnecut will deploy machines across its portfolio of contracts as operational requirements dictate. This approach allows the contractor to maintain equipment availability and respond to project demands without delays caused by sourcing machines individually.

Sandvik’s global presence enables Byrnecut to access local support in each of the four regions where the equipment will operate, helping to reduce downtime and maintain productivity across the fleet.

Fleet Investment Extends Automation and Productivity

A notable feature of this underground mining equipment fleet is the integration of automation technology. The four Toro LH621i loaders are equipped with AutoMine, Sandvik’s autonomous operation system, which enables remote and automated loader operation underground. This capability supports Byrnecut’s focus on increasingly automated underground mining operations.

Beyond automation, the investment reflects Byrnecut’s broader priorities around equipment availability, productivity and reliability. Running a standardised fleet of modern machines helps reduce maintenance complexity and improves fleet management across geographically dispersed operations.

With deliveries scheduled through June 2028, the equipment will progressively enter service as Byrnecut continues to expand and sustain its underground mining activities internationally.

The deployment packages the autonomous electric mining trucks with an intelligent dispatching system alongside lifecycle operations and maintenance services. According to SANY, the solution has been tailored to the customer’s South American operations and pairs the trucks with roadside infrastructure and cloud-based dispatching.

SKT110Ei Trucks Combine Electric Power and Automation

The SKT110Ei is a battery-electric rigid haul truck equipped with SANY’s fully in-house autonomous driving system. The company describes the package as built for high availability and low energy consumption. The autonomy stack is intended to cut operating costs and reduce the need for onboard operators, according to SANY.

SANY frames the deployment of these autonomous electric mining trucks as a response to persistent challenges in the mining industry. These include shortages of skilled operators, safety exposure during haulage operations, and rising labour costs. The solution delivered to South America brings together electric mining trucks, autonomous haulage capability, and intelligent dispatching into a single integrated package.

The in-house technology stack behind the autonomous mining equipment includes drive-by-wire chassis, multi-sensor perception, AI-based decision-making, and cloud dispatch. SANY develops the full stack through its intelligent mining subsidiary.

SANY Expands Autonomous Mining Deployment

The South America shipment extends a deployment record that SANY has been building across China and other markets. As of July 2026, the company said it had more than 300 autonomous mining trucks in operation. Those trucks had logged more than 13 million kilometres of operation and moved over 41 million cubic metres of earth and rock, according to SANY.

At its Global Mining Summit held in Xi’an in May 2026, SANY reported that its intelligent mining systems were operating in more than 20 large open-pit mines and managing over 5,000 machines. The company also claimed more than 35 per cent of the global market for large-tonnage electric mining trucks.

During the same summit, SANY unveiled its first cabless pure-electric mining truck, the SKT145Ei. That vehicle runs a liquid-cooled dual-gun charging system designed for ultra-fast charging, representing a further step in the company’s electric and autonomous mining equipment development.

The shipment of autonomous electric mining trucks to South America extends SANY’s mining automation technology into Latin America for the first time. With its integrated approach combining battery-electric haulage, autonomous driving, and intelligent dispatching, the company is positioning its mining technology for broader international deployment.

The two companies have signed a shareholders’ agreement to combine their strengths across copper and other critical minerals. Under the proposed structure, Maaden would hold 51% ownership and Aramco 49%.

Aramco and Maaden Advance Mining Venture

The planned mining joint venture will target exploration across Zone-4, known as the Transition Zone, within the Arabian Platform. The exploration area spans approximately 182,000 square kilometres, covering nearly 10% of Saudi Arabia’s total land area.

Maaden Executive Vice President for Exploration Darryl Clark said the company is focused on unlocking the Kingdom’s mineral potential through targeted exploration. “This joint venture would take that ambition into a new area,” Clark said. “By combining Ma’aden’s exploration and development expertise with Aramco’s extraordinary knowledge of the Arabian Platform, we would have an opportunity to move faster, explore smarter, and create new opportunities to discover the minerals that will power the energy transition.”

Aramco Vice President of Transition Minerals Saleh M Al Saleh pointed to the company’s extensive geological dataset, describing it as the largest amount of geological and geophysical data ever acquired for a single basin in the Kingdom. “This partnership intends to leverage this legacy information to find minerals in the JV area within the basin. Ma’aden’s expertise, our people, high-performance computing, and AI are expected to play a pivotal role in accelerating the discovery of key transition minerals at low cost,” Al Saleh said.

Joint Venture Targets Mineral Exploration and Hard Rock Mining

Copper will be the primary focus for the Saudi copper mining venture. Aramco noted that copper makes up over 20% of the US$1.2 trillion mined metals market, reflecting its importance as a key material in the energy transition.

Maaden already holds a copper-focused joint venture with Barrick Mining at the Jabal Sayid copper operation, located 350 kilometres northeast of Jeddah. That operation shipped its first copper concentrate in December 2015 and began commercial production in July 2016. In 2023, Barrick signed additional joint venture agreements with Maaden for two prospective exploration projects, Jabal Sayid South and Umm Ad Damar, expanding the mineral exploration footprint in Saudi Arabia mining.

Saudi Partnership Supports Mining Sector Expansion

The Saudi copper mining venture aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which recognises mining as a key pillar of the Kingdom’s national economy. The strategy focuses on developing a sustainable mining industry and mineral value chains by leveraging vast resources, local demand and access to global markets.

At the time of the Barrick agreements in 2023, the companies noted a commitment to realising the Saudi Arabian Government’s vision of growing a diversified mining industry. The latest move by Aramco and Maaden to pursue hard rock mining across such a large area reflects continued momentum in Saudi Arabia mining development and mineral exploration.

The proceeds of the loan will be used for general working capital, according to Korea Eximbank. In return, Glencore has agreed to supply copper to Korean companies during the loan period, though the bank did not disclose specific volumes or further details of the supply arrangement.

Korea Eximbank Links $1B Financing to Copper Supply

The financing reflects South Korea’s broader push to strengthen its copper supply chain at a time of rising global demand for the metal. South Korea is heavily reliant on imports of copper, which is used across power grids, data centres and renewable energy equipment. Electricity, telecommunications, construction, machinery and transportation industries all depend on the material.

An Eximbank official said in the statement that the financing and partnership with a company that has established a unique position in the global commodities market would help secure a stable supply of key materials for Korea’s advanced-industry supply chains. The bank framed the deal as a form of economic-security and supply-chain policy financing.

Glencore to Supply Copper to Korean Companies

Glencore is one of the world’s biggest copper miners and commodity traders, operating mines and smelting facilities that produce copper, zinc and nickel. Its trading arm gives the company the ability to source and deliver physical commodities at scale, which underpins its agreement to supply copper to Korean firms under this financing arrangement.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular business hours.

Copper demand has been boosted by the rapid expansion of AI data centres and rising electricity consumption worldwide. The metal has jumped around 15% this year and is trading near a record high, driven by its essential role in power infrastructure and digital connectivity.

Financing Targets Strategic Copper Supply Security

For South Korea, the deal addresses a clear vulnerability. The country’s advanced industries require large and reliable volumes of copper, yet it produces very little domestically. Strengthening the copper supply base through financing arrangements with major global producers is a practical route to reducing procurement risk.

Korea Eximbank’s decision to link working-capital financing to a copper supply commitment from Glencore shows how resource-importing nations are using financial tools to lock in access to critical materials. The copper supply chain has become a strategic concern for countries investing heavily in AI infrastructure, energy transition and grid modernisation.

The arrangement positions Korea Eximbank as an active player in securing mineral supply chains, while giving Glencore access to substantial working capital to support its global operations.

The South Railroad Project is located along Nevada’s prolific Carlin Trend, one of the most productive gold-bearing geological formations in the world. Following the federal approval, Equinox commenced early construction works and earth-moving activities at the property.

Federal Approval Clears South Railroad Development

The Record of Decision represents a significant regulatory milestone for the South Railroad Project. With the NEPA permitting process now complete, the Nevada gold mine can advance through the remaining stages of development without the uncertainty that typically surrounds federal permitting for large-scale mining operations.

Equinox President Jason Simpson said in the company’s release, “Receiving the Record of Decision is a major milestone for the South Railroad project and advances our next phase of growth.” He added, “The incremental production from South Railroad will be the first meaningful contributor towards our objective of adding 800,000 ounces of annual gold production from our organic development pipeline.”

Detailed engineering for the South Railroad Project currently sits at 55.2 per cent completion, with work continuing as the mine development progresses through its pre-production phases.

Early Construction Begins in Nevada

With the federal approval secured, early construction and earth-moving activities are now under way at the South Railroad site. Mining equipment is expected to begin arriving by the end of 2026, positioning the operation for the next stages of mine development.

Equinox Gold is targeting the start of mining activities at the Nevada gold mine in spring 2027. The timeline reflects a steady progression from permitting through to active operations, with key milestones expected to fall into place over the coming months.

South Railroad Targets First Gold in 2028

The South Railroad Project is planned as an open-pit heap-leach mining operation, a method well suited to the geological characteristics of the Carlin Trend. Based on a 2026 feasibility study, the mine is expected to yield an average of 130,000 ounces of gold annually over its first five years of production.

Across the initial 10-year mine life, output is planned to exceed 100,000 ounces of gold per year. First gold production is targeted for 2028.

The federal approval marks a key step in the South Railroad Project’s progression from an advanced development asset to an operating mine, reinforcing Equinox Gold’s position within the Nevada mining landscape.

The EPC agreement was signed with Venturex Sulphur Springs, a wholly owned subsidiary of Develop Global. Formerly known as the Sulphur Springs Project, the Yitirrti Project is now advancing steadily toward its first concentrate delivery, targeted for the June quarter of 2028.

GR Engineering Secures $275M Yitirrti EPC Contract

GR Engineering was initially named the preferred contractor for EPC work at the Yitirrti Project in June 2026. Early works and the ordering of long-lead items had already begun prior to the formal execution of the contract.

GR Engineering Managing Director Tony Patrizi said the company is pleased to be “working again with the Develop team.” He added that the project “further enhances GR Engineering’s reputation as the leading minerals processing EPC contractor in Australia across a broad range of commodities.”

Develop Global Managing Director Bill Beament described the awarding of the EPC contract to GR Engineering as “another major milestone” for the company’s path to production and cash flow at the Yitirrti Project by mid-2028.

Beament noted that GR Engineering “is the leader in its field and has done an outstanding job at Woodlawn, where it refurbished and upgraded the processing plant.” He said the Woodlawn plant “has already achieved steady-state throughput rates and is performing extremely well, particularly given the short time it has been operating.”

Yitirrti Processing Plant Targets 1.5Mtpa Capacity

The total capital cost for the Yitirrti Copper-Silver-Zinc Project is estimated at $450 million, which includes the processing plant. The EPC contract itself is valued separately at $275 million.

The processing plant has a nameplate annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes and will produce separate copper-silver and zinc concentrates. Develop Global has organised offtake agreements with Trafigura covering both copper and zinc concentrates sourced from the Yitirrti Project.

Beament confirmed that the project is funded and offtake contracts are in place. “Construction and underground development at Yitirrti is already well advanced and long-lead items have been secured,” he said.

Construction Progresses Toward First Concentrate in 2028

Construction at the Yitirrti Project is progressing on schedule. Access roads and earthworks are advancing, while underground development is running ahead of the construction schedule.

The first concentrate from the project is expected to be delivered in the June quarter of 2028, marking the transition from construction into production for the copper-silver-zinc operation in Western Australia.

With the EPC contract now formally executed, GR Engineering will take on the central role of delivering the processing plant and associated infrastructure at the Yitirrti Project site.