Mining Digital

We take a look at the biggest stories of the week on Mining Digital, including news from Hyundai Engineering, BHP, ioneer, KIND and more…

Warren Smith, Global Mining Market Director at John Crane, says sustainability and productivity are "no longer competing priorities, they go hand in hand." Credit: John Crane John Crane has built its reputation on solving one of mining's most persistent engineering challenges: keeping seals reliable in the harshest slurry environments on earth.

The top 10 best scheduling software for the mining sector A schedule turns a theoretical mine plan into on-site action. It controls which truck goes where, what it does and what order it does it in. If mining operators get the scheduling wrong, equipment ends up sitting idle, while targets slip and the wrong grade reaches the mill.

Andrew Forrest has acquired a 16.8% stake in EQ Resources, one of the Western world's largest tungsten producers, as governments and the industry seek more secure supplies of the critical mineral. The Australian mining billionaire's investment vehicle, Wonongarra, is buying the entire stake from Oaktree Capital Management. The deal covers around 862.1 million shares and 35.6 million options, and comes with the right to appoint a director to EQ Resources' board.

ABB has agreed to buy Rotork for US$5.5bn. Credit: ABB ABB has agreed to acquire Rotork for a total value of approximately US$5.5bn, which would be the largest acquisition in the Swiss engineering group's history. The deal was announced at the same time as ABB's second-quarter results. Under the terms of the recommended cash offer, Rotork shareholders would receive £5.03 per share (US$6.77), which is a premium of around 60% to the company's three-month average share price.

Countries around the world are looking to become key players in the critical minerals supply chain | North American Lithium mine. Credit: Elevra Mining operations face pressure to expand output as demand for critical minerals accelerates. The energy transition requires copper and lithium while defence and aerospace sectors need rare earth elements. Semiconductor production depends on materials like gallium and germanium. China dominates production of many critical minerals.

Thesis Gold & Silver's EVP Stephen Crozier on open source mining, First Nations partnerships and why the Lawyers-Ranch project could be a company-builder Thesis Gold & Silver's EVP Stephen Crozier on open source mining, First Nations partnerships and why the Lawyers-Ranch project could be a company-builder Deep in the Toodoggone district of northern British Columbia, roughly 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver, sits one of the largest undeveloped gold and silver deposits in Canada.

The IEA says China accounted for around 60% of global mining output in 2024. Credit: Unsplash A mining procurement platform that combines blockchain technology with physical mineral supply chains could reshape how mining operations secure financing and manage offtake agreements. Patriot Strategic Metals and Datavault AI have proposed a partnership to build what they term a Strategic Materials Acquisition Platform.

Genesis Minerals has delivered a A$5.6bn (US$3.8bn) proposal to merge with Vault Minerals, as a surging gold price drives a wave of consolidation across Australia's mining sector. The offer tops an existing agreement between Vault and Regis Resources, signed in May. Under the proposal, Vault shareholders would receive 0.7629 new Genesis shares, plus A$0.475 in cash for every Vault share held, implying a value of A$5.274 per share. That is a 14.5% premium on the implied value of the Regis deal.

BHP, Rio Tinto and Caterpillar are collaborating across the Pilbara to bring battery-electric trucks In an industry-first collaboration, BHP, Rio Tinto and Caterpillar are bringing battery-electric haul trucks to Western Australia's Pilbara. Following three months of testing, the companies have launched a trial at a mine-site demonstration, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across operations.