Mining News

Rio Tinto Restarts Oyu Tolgoi After Seismic Incident

Rio Tinto has begun progressively restarting underground operations at its Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in Mongolia after safety reviews following an October 29 seismic incident. Three employees were injured, with two continuing treatment. Separately, border delays between Mongolia and China have reduced truck availability for copper concentrate shipments.

Capstone Copper Commits $3 Billion to Double Chilean Output by 2031

Capstone Copper plans to invest more than US$3 billion in Chile to double its copper production by 2031. The program includes US$2.3 billion for Santo Domingo and approximately US$220 million for Mantoverde expansions, with additional investment in mine development and exploration.

Antamina Halts Peru Copper Mine After Fatal Accident; Restart Uncertain

Antamina has suspended operations at its Yanacancha copper-zinc mine in Peru following a fatal workplace accident. The October 27 shutdown interrupts recovering copper production, which increased 48.7% year over year during January–August 2026. The company has launched an investigation, but no restart date has been confirmed.

Codelco, BHP Sign US$40M Chile Copper Exploration Deal

Codelco and BHP have finalized an agreement to explore the Anillo copper project in Chile's Antofagasta region. BHP may invest up to US$40 million in geological surveys and drilling across the 24,000-hectare property, advancing a partnership first announced in May 2025.

Teck Highland Valley Copper Output Cut Amid Strike

Teck Resources' Highland Valley Copper mine in British Columbia is operating at reduced capacity following an October 24 strike by unionized workers. Approximately 1,200 employees are represented by United Steelworkers Local 7619. Negotiations remain unresolved over wages and pensions, while Teck says the eventual impact on copper production depends on the duration of the disruption.

Brazil Supreme Court Suspends Belo Sun Gold Mine Permit

Brazil’s Supreme Court has temporarily suspended the installation license for Belo Sun’s proposed Volta Grande gold mine in Pará amid unresolved Indigenous consultation and environmental requirements. The company says the suspension could be lifted if a pending agreement with FUNAI receives judicial approval.

Artemis Gold Q3 Output Jumps 14% at Blackwater

Artemis Gold’s Blackwater Mine produced 69,546 ounces in the third quarter, up 14% year over year. Nine-month output has already surpassed the mine’s entire 2025 production as a major processing expansion approaches commissioning.

Centinela Copper Strike Talks Resume as Output Risk Grows

Antofagasta’s Centinela copper mine and two striking unions have returned to mediation after a week-long stoppage. Unions say truck activity has been cut roughly in half and warn November production could be hit if the dispute continues.

Fatal Avalanche Strikes Codelco’s El Teniente Mine in Chile, Killing Two Workers

Two subcontractor workers were killed after an avalanche struck the open-pit area of Codelco’s El Teniente copper mine in Chile. The affected pit remained suspended while underground mining and processing continued, adding another operational and safety setback for Chile’s copper industry.

Florence Copper launches first US copper mine in decades after resolving 10-year legal battle

Florence Copper has formally launched commercial operations in Arizona, becoming the first major new U.S. copper source from a greenfield project since 2008. The in-situ operation is already producing LME Grade A cathode and is ramping toward annual capacity of 85 million pounds.

Skouries Mine Wins EU Strategic Project Status

Eldorado Gold’s Skouries copper-gold mine in Greece has been designated an EU Strategic Project under the Critical Raw Materials Act, formally recognizing its role in Europe’s copper supply strategy as the mine moves toward commercial production.

Northern Discovery to Acquire Cibola Copper-Gold Project

Under the purchase terms, Northern Discovery will pay a total of $130,000 and issue 700,000 common shares in staged payments tied partly to drilling permits, while granting Orogen a 2% net smelter returns royalty reducible to 1.5% upon a future buy-down.

Grasberg Copper Mine Bounces Back to 67% Capacity Post-Disruption

Freeport-McMoRan says Grasberg mill throughput averaged approximately 140,000 metric tons per day in Q3 2026, equal to about 67% of normalized pre-incident rates. The company is targeting 80% capacity by mid-2027 and a return toward full production by year-end.

B2Gold Boosts Goose Mine Crushing Capacity, Targets 200,000 Oz Gold

B2Gold says its Goose Mine remains on track to produce 170,000–200,000 ounces of gold in 2026 after mobile crushing throughput exceeded 3,000 tpd. Fixed-plant upgrades are advancing toward mid-October commissioning, while a $51 million exploration program continues to identify high-grade opportunities across the Back River Gold District.

Kinross Gold Cuts 2026-2027 Production Outlook, Raises Cost Guidance

Kinross Gold cut its 2026 and 2027 production outlook to 1.84-1.86 million gold-equivalent ounces after weather and operational setbacks at La Coipa and Round Mountain. The miner also raised cost guidance while increasing its 2026 shareholder-return target.

World’s Largest Copper Mine Escondida Halts Operations After Fatal Accident

BHP suspended all operations at Chile’s Escondida copper mine after a worker was killed during maintenance. No restart timeline has been announced for the world’s largest copper mine, which had been expected to produce up to 1.28 million metric tons this year.

Capstone Copper to Sell Cozamin Mine to Luca Mining for Up to $385 Million

Capstone Copper has agreed to sell its Cozamin copper-silver-zinc-lead mine in Mexico to Luca Mining for up to $385 million, as the company reallocates capital toward larger copper growth projects in Chile and the United States.

Gold mine collapse in northeast Sudan kills at least 11

Deadly mine collapses in Sudan, a gold producing country, aren’t uncommon where safety standards aren’t widely applied.

BMO Foresees Robust Mining Investment Growth in Canada

BMO expects Canadian mining development capital expenditures to grow by more than 11% annually over the next two years, supported by critical-mineral demand, infrastructure investment and downstream processing. Mining companies covered by the bank could spend about C$350 billion in Canada over five years.