Geomechanics.io

TBM Xihe, a 7.3m-diameter, 100m-long, 1,000-tonne Herrenknecht slurry machine, has completed the up-track drive to the future Tung Chung West Station and has begun boring the down-track tunnel towards Tung Chung Station for MTR’s Tung Chung Line Extension in Hong Kong. The Bouygues Travaux Publics–Dragages Hong Kong JV turned the TBM underground within the launch shaft using a push-pull method and self-propelled modular transporter, avoiding full disassembly and surface transport. About 1.3km of new twin-bore tunnels are being driven close to existing rail and urban structures, with commissioning targeted for 2029.

Construction has commenced on Fortescue’s 690 MW Turner River solar farm in the Pilbara and a 650 MWh BYD-based BESS at Cloudbreak, the final major assets in its Real Zero decarbonisation plan for iron ore operations. The utility-scale PV and storage will feed Fortescue’s integrated Pilbara Energy Connect network, designed to displace large diesel and gas loads across multiple mines. For mine planners and electrical engineers, the build-out signals rapid scaling of high-penetration renewables and grid-forming storage in remote, weak-grid conditions.

Meiteng Technology’s full-size intelligent coal dry separation plant in Mongolia has run stably since October 2025, using its proprietary DCP Full-Size Coal Dry Separation Dream Plant system under harsh continental climate conditions. The installation applies fully dry, sensor-based coal separation without process water, reducing reliance on traditional dense medium circuits and associated tailings dams. For mine operators in arid or freezing regions, the project signals growing viability of large-scale dry beneficiation where water supply, freezing pipelines and slurry management constrain conventional plants.

Forrestania Resources has agreed to acquire 100 per cent of Midas Minerals’ Newington gold project in Western Australia, securing a package of granted mining and exploration tenements in a historically high-yield gold district. The transaction consolidates Forrestania’s Western Australian gold footprint around Newington, giving it full control over both existing mining leases and surrounding exploration ground. For geologists and mine planners, the deal creates a larger, contiguous tenure position that can support district-scale resource definition and staged development drilling.

Black Cat Syndicate will spend $11 million on a 35,000m drilling campaign at its Coyote gold operation in Western Australia’s Tanami region, starting in June 2026 and more than tripling the scale of any program since acquisition. The large-scale program signals a step-up in resource definition and extension drilling around existing underground workings, with implications for mine planning, geotechnical characterisation and long-term production scheduling. For contractors and consultants, the 2026 field season will bring demand for additional rigs, drilling crews, core logging, and structural and hydrogeological analysis.

Fortescue has started building a 690‑megawatt solar farm at Turner River in the Pilbara and a 650‑megawatt‑hour battery energy storage system at its Cloudbreak iron ore operations, advancing its Real Zero decarbonisation strategy. The assets form part of the Pilbara Green Grid, an integrated renewables and transmission network intended to displace gas and diesel generation across multiple mine sites. For engineers, the scale of the PV and BESS installations signals future demand for high‑capacity grid connections, foundation design in cyclonic conditions, and mine‑site load management integration.

Meeka Metals has started ore development at the high-grade Judy North orebody within the Andy Well underground mine in Western Australia, with early development faces showing visible gold and strong grades. Judy North, previously unmined, contains an initial resource of 96,000 ounces at 5.4 grams per tonne gold and has been accessed from existing Andy Well underground infrastructure. The move signals a shift from resource definition to production development, with potential to quickly add higher-grade stopes into the mine schedule.

Victory Metals has secured acceptance into the US Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), giving its North Stanmore rare earths project near Cue in Western Australia direct visibility to US defence procurement and R&D programmes. The clay-hosted project is targeting magnet rare earths such as neodymium and praseodymium, positioning it as a potential non-Chinese supply option for permanent magnets used in missiles, radars and electric drives. For geotechnical and mining teams, DIBC status signals likely pressure to accelerate resource definition, metallurgical testwork on clay processing, and ESG-compliant mine design.

Victoria’s $21.6 billion North East Link has passed a key tunnelling milestone, with the first of two tunnel boring machines reaching 1 kilometre of excavation on the twin 6.5‑kilometre road tunnels between Watsonia and Bulleen. The project also includes major capacity and geometry upgrades to the Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road, integrating the new tunnels into Melbourne’s orbital network. For geotechnical and civil teams, sustained TBM advance over this length signals stable ground conditions and effective segmental lining and spoil management strategies so far.

Stillwater Critical Minerals is advancing its Stillwater West project in Montana with new rhodium assays from eight holes in a 3,472-metre 2025 drill campaign at Chrome Mountain and Iron Mountain feeding an updated resource estimate due next month. The current 2023 inferred resource stands at 255 million tonnes at 0.2% nickel-equivalent cut-off, containing 1.64 billion lb nickel-copper-cobalt, 3.81 million oz palladium-platinum-rhodium-gold, 115,000 oz rhodium and 2.3 billion lb chromium in a Platreef-style, bulk-tonnage setting. Backed by Glencore’s 15% stake and more than 40,000 metres of drilling support, the company is funded for its largest drill programme yet and planning a first PEA later this year.

Fortescue has installed its first production-series Fortescue Zero battery-electric power system into a Liebherr T 264, a 240 t class haul truck, at Liebherr’s mining equipment proving grounds near Newport News, Virginia. The integration of the full battery system into the diesel-designed T 264 chassis marks a key step towards OEM-agnostic retrofits of large mining trucks, enabling mine operators to trial high-capacity battery haulage on existing fleets. Engineers will now focus on duty-cycle validation, thermal management and charging interface performance under proving-ground conditions.

CRCHI’s first mining tunnel boring machine has begun underground cutting at NFCA’s Chambishi copper mine in Zambia’s Copperbelt, with initial rotation of the cutterhead starting on 13 May. Developed in Changsha, Hunan, by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation, the TBM marks the debut of a China-designed unit specifically for mining applications rather than civil tunnelling. For mine planners and geotechnical teams, successful performance at Chambishi could open wider use of TBMs for long ore drives and access tunnels in hard-rock African operations.

Canadian steel exports to the US have fallen to roughly one-third of pre-tariff values, with PwC Canada’s Gemma Stanton-Hagan estimating monthly steel revenues are about C$500 million lower than before the duties, leaving the sector under deeper and longer pressure than aluminium. Ottawa’s response centres on a C$1‑billion loan facility to address liquidity and a C$500‑million regional tariff response initiative to push diversification, which she characterises as a short-term stopgap. With 85–90% of Canadian steel exports historically bound for the US and global oversupply limiting alternative markets, producers are reassessing investment while policymakers weigh risks to domestic supply for housing, transport, energy and defence projects.

MAX Power Mining has secured C$25 million from Eric Sprott via a private placement of 12.5 million units at C$2.00, each with a warrant at C$2.75, to accelerate drilling at its Lawson natural hydrogen system in Saskatchewan’s 475 km-long Genesis Trend. The company has selected three initial drill targets using 3D seismic to pinpoint structurally optimal zones for natural hydrogen and helium flow, volume and concentration, and will run a 2D seismic programme along the trend to refine additional prospects. For geoscientists and drilling engineers, the work aims to validate what MAX Power calls the world’s first large-scale commercial natural hydrogen discovery.

Testing of XCMG’s two super large battery electric prototypes for Fortescue – the XC9260BEWL wheel loader and XC9260BEWD wheel dozer – is continuing at the OEM’s Xuzhou proving grounds in China following their official unveiling in February 2026. The ultra-class units are undergoing performance and durability trials under load and duty cycles representative of Pilbara iron ore operations before being shipped to Western Australia. Results will inform battery pack configuration, thermal management and charging strategies for deployment in high-temperature, high-dust mine environments.

A Chilean environmental court has annulled the permit for Collahuasi’s $3.2 billion desalination plant, forcing a reassessment of the seawater system that pumps desalinated water nearly 200 km from the Pacific coast to the 4,600‑metre‑elevation mine, which produced over 404,000 tonnes of copper in 2025. The decision affects an expansion intended to add 20 years of mine life and cut reliance on continental water, even though contractor Techint completed the pumping system in April. Industry leaders, including Chilean Mining Chamber president Manuel Viera, cite the case as evidence of a “cursed” regime where a single project can need 500+ permits, raising schedule and cost risk for large‑scale desalination and water‑supply infrastructure.

National Highways has lodged a High Court breach of contract claim against WSP over the consultancy’s role as lead advisor on its roadmap to net zero for the strategic road network. The dispute centres on advisory work underpinning National Highways’ decarbonisation strategy, which covers construction materials, maintenance regimes and operational emissions across England’s motorways and major A-roads. Any adverse ruling or settlement could reshape how UK infrastructure clients scope, procure and manage consultancy input on carbon baselining, lifecycle assessments and compliance with government net zero targets.

McEwen has already received US$58.2 million in dividends from the San José gold-silver mine in Argentina, above its full-year US$40–50 million target, after a further US$49.4 million payment from 51% operator Hochschild Mining. The stronger balance sheet – including US$56.5 million cash, US$13.5 million in marketable securities and US$457 million invested in McEwen Copper – is expected to let the company fund growth with limited equity issuance. Management is targeting 250,000–300,000 gold-equivalent ounces per year by 2030, with San José contributing 59,000–64,000 GEOs in 2026 and new output from the Stock mine (H2 2026) and El Gallo (mid-2027).

Dyno Nobel and TesMan have formed a strategic partnership to combine commercial explosives expertise with underground mining robotics and product development. The collaboration targets automation of hazardous tasks around charging, blasting and post-blast inspection in confined headings, aiming to keep personnel further from faces while maintaining or improving cycle times. For mine operators, the move signals more integrated blast systems where detonator timing, explosive loading and robotic deployment can be engineered as a single package rather than separate technologies.

Americas Gold and Silver will issue 7.96 million shares at $5.57 each to Sprott Mining to cancel the remaining 592,000 oz silver delivery under the Galena complex stream, removing about $45 million in future variable debt and associated derivative earnings volatility. The move increases Sprott Mining’s equity stake to roughly 15% while freeing Galena’s multi-year turnaround—centred on long-hole stoping, fleet upgrades and shaft improvements—from encumbrances as it targets 3.2–3.6 million oz silver output in 2026. Galena’s role as the largest active US antimony producer and the planned integration of the nearby Crescent mine’s 22.9 million oz historical silver resources remain central to the asset strategy.

Potential “symbiotic” energy resilience relationships between data centres and airports are being explored, as both require N+1 or higher redundancy, dual grid feeds and on-site backup generation to keep 24/7 operations running. An airports strategy expert suggests co-locating hyperscale data halls with major hubs could justify shared high-voltage substations, large-scale battery storage and potentially hydrogen-ready CHP plant sized for peak aviation and IT loads. However, the expert warns that current demand projections for data centres may be a bubble, risking stranded electrical and civil infrastructure if growth stalls.

Regulation giving Parliament, rather than the courts, final authority to approve large low‑carbon energy schemes has been unveiled by chancellor Rachel Reeves, sharply narrowing the grounds for judicial review. The change is expected to accelerate nationally significant infrastructure projects such as offshore wind farms, grid reinforcement corridors and carbon capture clusters, where planning and consent can currently add years to programme schedules. Developers and designers will need to front‑load environmental impact assessments, land rights strategies and stakeholder engagement, as legal challenge windows and procedural arguments are curtailed.

Jacobs has been appointed by Great British Energy – Nuclear to deliver environmental consultancy and baselining at the Oldbury site in Gloucestershire, earmarked as a potential location for a new nuclear power station. The work will characterise existing ground, groundwater, ecological and radiological conditions to support future nuclear site licensing, environmental permits and design optioneering. Early baselining data will be critical for later geotechnical investigations, foundation design, flood and coastal risk assessments, and long-term monitoring strategies if the project proceeds.

Marr has installed 121t roof trusses for the Unit 2 turbine hall at EDF’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, using heavy-lift equipment to position the long-span steel members in a confined site. The timelapse footage shows sequential placement of the trusses over the turbine hall footprint, a critical step in closing the building envelope ahead of heavy mechanical and electrical fit-out. For civil and structural teams, the operation illustrates logistics and lift planning for multi-hundred-tonne steelwork on a congested nuclear construction platform.

BHP must, under a revised 78‑page Olympic Dam indenture agreement tabled in the South Australian parliament, assess within two years whether rare earths and other critical or strategic minerals such as neodymium and praseodymium can be commercially recovered from current waste streams. If BHP deems extraction technically or economically unviable, third parties must be given an opportunity to commercialise these minerals, while the framework also enables consideration of a A$4 billion copper refinery expansion and up to A$12.7 billion in further mine and concentrator upgrades by 2032. The pact additionally requires BHP to submit by May 2031 a plan to cease Great Artesian Basin groundwater extraction by May 2036, with a Port Augusta seawater desalination scheme being advanced to support a potential lift in South Australian copper output towards 650,000 tonnes per year by the mid‑2030s.

RKX Rock Extraction is set to unveil an electric pulse rock-breaking system at Hillhead 2026, targeting operations where explosives are restricted or supply-constrained and hydraulic hammers are slow, noisy and maintenance-intensive. The Lisburn-based company’s technology uses high-voltage electrical pulses to fracture rock in situ, eliminating on-site explosive storage and reducing flyrock, vibration and dust. For mines and quarries facing tight vibration limits near infrastructure or communities, the method could open additional extraction zones and simplify permitting for selective breakage and scaling.

Pilar Gold Inc has selected Resemin and Sotreq as strategic equipment partners to supply a new underground fleet for the restart and modernisation of its PGDM gold mining complex in Brazil. The ordered package includes Resemin jumbo drills and production rigs, paired with TEMPUS-branded underground support equipment, to mechanise drilling and production across the mine’s ramp-accessed stopes. The deal signals a shift from legacy fleets towards standardised, OEM-supported rigs, with implications for ground support design, development advance rates and maintenance planning at PGDM.

Greenland Resources has joined Luleå Tekniska Universitet’s BOREAS consortium, alongside 12 other partners, to develop autonomous robotic systems for its Malmbjerg molybdenum project in central-east Greenland. The collaboration targets robotic support for construction, operation and maintenance in remote, high-relief terrain, where steep slopes, ice, and limited access complicate conventional open-pit development. For mine planners and geotechnical teams, the work signals future deployment of field robots for tasks such as bench inspection, slope monitoring and infrastructure upkeep under Arctic conditions.

Sandvik Mining has launched a significantly upgraded Toro LH208L low-profile loader for 1.8 m headroom operations, pairing a high payload-to-weight ratio with an improved powertrain and a new Stage V diesel engine for lower emissions. The redesign targets higher productivity and reduced cost-per-tonne in narrow, low-seam stopes where conventional 2 m-class LHDs struggle with clearance and manoeuvrability. Added safety and operator comfort features are aimed at better ergonomics and reduced exposure in constrained underground environments.

Mineral Mining Services (MMS) has secured a contract expansion with Tennant Mines at the Nobles project in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, extending its work into the Juno and Golden Forty box cuts plus the Golden Kangaroo area at the historic goldfield. The deal materially increases MMS’s open-cut mining scope, consolidating multiple adjacent pits under a single contractor. Geotechnical teams will need to manage legacy workings and variable ground conditions typical of Tennant Creek’s narrow, high-grade gold lodes as MMS deepens and widens existing box cuts.

Rider Levett Bucknall has appointed Matt Buntine as head of London and Europe project and programme management, drawing on his previous role as managing director at Lendlease Consulting (now Bovis). Buntine has led programmes across alternative energy, rail, aviation, heritage, commercial and education, and previously ran Lendlease’s European sustainability function, driving its Mission Zero strategy. He has overseen transformation and open-market sale processes while retaining major clients such as TfL, Network Rail, the Houses of Parliament, Chelsea Football Club and leading London museums, and is a chartered engineer with the Institute of Engineers Australia.

Wates Group has begun a two-phase build of a two-storey Welcome Hub at Isle of Wight College under the Department for Education’s £7bn schools construction framework, creating a new main entrance and vocational teaching centre. The hub will include industry-standard training kitchens, a training restaurant open to external customers, and flexible hybrid learning spaces for performing arts, hospitality, and travel and tourism. Sustainability measures include green roofs, rooftop solar panels, rain gardens, SuDS features and reuse of on-site materials, with completion scheduled for 2028.

Utilities contractor Falco has secured renewal of its groundworks framework with UK Power Networks across all three licence areas—London, Eastern and Southern Power Networks—covering nearly 30,000 km² and 8.5 million customers, for six years from February 2026 with two optional one‑year extensions. Falco reports a zero accident frequency rate over the past five years, supported by nearly 1,500 site audits in the last year and more than 3,000 toolbox talks since June 2025. The contractor is targeting net‑zero operations by 2035, including award‑winning trials of zero‑emission electric diggers on UKPN sites.

Doka’s Radius Top 50 timber-beam formwork has been used by TRS Formwork to construct a 12‑sided plinth with complex corbels and angles at SSE Renewables’ Lochay Hydro Power Station in Perthshire, which generates about 170GWh annually. A 3D-led design enabled Doka engineers to calculate precise radii and angles, develop a bespoke connecting plate for a WS10 formwork ring, and pre-assemble components off-site for final in situ adjustment to existing concrete. The approach cut cycle times to meet a 12‑week programme, improved material efficiency and kept the station operational during refurbishment.

Holcim UK subsidiary OCL Regeneration is dismantling the 250mm-thick concrete runway at Ford Airfield, West Sussex, and reprocessing it on-site for roads and foundations in Vistry’s 1,500-home Fordham development. A 6,000m² compound has already been stabilised in situ and surfaced using milled runway concrete mixed with cement and water to form Cement Bound Granular Material, supporting mobile plant and stockpiles. Subsequent phases will involve specialist treatment of hazardous asphalt base layers and production of Type 1 recycled aggregate and capping for the main spine road.

MEP engineering consultancy Wallace Whittle has acquired multi-utility infrastructure specialist Petrie Buchanan, founded in 2002 and focused on end‑to‑end utility design and management for housebuilders and developers. Petrie Buchanan will retain its brand, staff and directors, while Wallace Whittle plans office‑level “champions” to integrate workflows, upskill teams and coordinate with utilities companies and energy network operators. For project teams, the deal aims to create a single interface for MEP and multi‑utility design, potentially cutting programme delays linked to utility connections and diversions.

The British Geological Survey is advancing a national geotechnical data service to collate UK ground investigation records into a single, standardised digital platform for project teams. By aggregating borehole logs, in situ test results and laboratory data from multiple legacy sources, the system aims to give designers earlier visibility of variable strata, groundwater conditions and historical contamination. For geotechnical and civil engineers, this could reduce duplicate site investigations, refine ground models at concept stage and improve risk pricing for foundations, earthworks and underground structures.

Port of Southampton is expanding its partnership with Vestas to handle larger volumes of offshore wind components, reinforcing its role as a key hub in the UK’s renewable energy logistics. The collaboration focuses on port-side storage, heavy-lift handling and transport of oversized turbine blades, nacelles and towers, requiring specialised quayside cranage and strengthened laydown areas. For civil and port engineers, this signals continued demand for upgraded pavements, marshalling yards and deep-water berths capable of supporting high axle loads and complex heavy-lift operations.

Stockton Group managing director explains a major strategic restructure that integrates design, construction and asset management teams from project inception, aiming to stay embedded through the full lifecycle of large UK infrastructure schemes. The model pushes contractors to engage at RIBA Stages 1–2 rather than post-planning, aligning geotechnical investigations, value engineering and constructability reviews before key cost and risk decisions are locked in. For civil and ground engineering practitioners, this signals more early-stage partnering frameworks and longer-term performance-based contracts rather than traditional build-only appointments.

Tasmania’s Department of Justice has awarded Fairbrother an $86.5 million contract to construct the new Burnie Courts Complex, relocating and consolidating the Supreme and Magistrates Courts for the state’s North West. The project involves a full greenfield judicial facility rather than refurbishment, signalling substantial new foundations, secure custody transfer zones and blast-resistant detailing typical of modern court infrastructure. Civil and structural teams can expect tight CBD interfaces, staged utility diversions and stringent acoustic and security specifications around courtrooms and holding areas.

Victoria’s push to produce one million ounces of gold annually by 2035 is central to a broader critical minerals strategy outlined by Minerals Council of Australia regional director James Sorahan on the inaugural Australian Mining Podcast. Sorahan points to the state’s established orogenic goldfields and emerging antimony prospects as a dual focus, positioning Victoria for both bullion output and supply of a key battery and alloy element. For miners and explorers, the message is to leverage existing underground gold infrastructure while targeting polymetallic systems with critical mineral credits.

Brian Uy, Sydney-based 105th President of the Institution of Structural Engineers, is centring his term on structural efficiency and embodied carbon, technical competency and research, and professional registration. His inaugural address, “Structural engineering: past, present and future”, stresses rigorous fundamentals alongside innovation in areas such as low‑carbon materials and advanced analysis. For practitioners, this signals stronger emphasis on quantified embodied carbon in design, tighter competence expectations, and closer linkage between research outputs and codified practice.

MMD Australia is targeting rare earth element projects with its next-generation HYD Sizer, redesigned for variable ore hardness, higher moisture contents and tighter product size control than earlier MMD sizers. The unit incorporates hydraulic drive and modular tooth configurations to handle both soft overburden and abrasive rare earth-bearing ores in a single machine, reducing the need for multiple crushing stages. For geometallurgy and plant designers, the HYD Sizer’s adaptability to changing feed characteristics offers flexibility for deposits with complex mineralogy and fluctuating throughput.

Arafura Rare Earths has approved construction of the Nolans rare earths project, 135km north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, after more than 20 years of exploration and feasibility work. Backed by federal funding and offtake support from international customers including Hyundai and Kia, Nolans is designed as an integrated mine and processing plant producing neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide for permanent magnets. The project strengthens non-Chinese supply options for magnet rare earths, with implications for long-term contracts, processing technology selection and downstream value-adding in Australia.