Author: Chloe Coutinho

This follows the fatal incident in February that resulted in the death of a contract worker at Rio Tinto’s SimFer mine, part of the Simandou project in Guinea.

Worker dies at Rio Tinto copper mine

An employee of a contracting company has died following an incident at Rio Tinto’s (ASX: RIO) Kennecott copper mine in Utah.

(Image source: Alcoa Australia) Kelly Pillay is a graduate geotechnical engineer at Alcoa’s Pinjarra refinery.

Alcoa Australia opens graduate program

Alcoa Australia (ASX: AAI) has opened 18 vacancies across 12 disciplines to university graduates looking to build long?term careers in the mining, refining and smelting sectors.

The job cuts leave about 90 workers remaining at the mine.

238 jobs cut at troubled Tahmoor Coal mine

McGrathNicol restructuring partners Shaun Fraser and Jonathan Henry have cut Tahmoor Coal’s workforce by more than 70%, making 238 employees redundant following their initial assessment of the mine as liquidators.

Liontown’s FY26 guidance remains unchanged.

Liontown loss masks lift in Kathleen Valley sales

Liontown (ASX: LTR) lifted H1 revenue to $207.5m as the underground ramp-up at Kathleen Valley drove a 106% surge in sales volumes.

Rio Tinto says Rincon is expected to have a 40-year mine life.

Rio Tinto secures $1.648b for lithium push

Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has secured a $1.648b (US$1.175b) financing package from four international lenders to help fund the development of its Rincon lithium project in Argentina’s Salta Province.

This follows Lynas’ successful first production of separated heavy rare earth (HRE) oxides in 2025.

Lynas locks in price floor for Japan

Lynas Rare Earths (ASX: LYC) and Japan Australia Rare Earths (JARE) have extended their rare earths supply deal through 2038, locking in a market-linked floor price of US$110/kg for neodymium and praseodymium.

The expansion flowsheet includes a new primary crusher, a 5.8MW semi-autogenous (SAG) mill, pebble crusher and additional leaching/adsorption tanks.

Westgold approves $145m expansion to lift output and cut costs

Westgold Resources (ASX: WGX) has approved the final investment decision to expand its Higginsville processing hub from 1.6mtpa to 2.6mtpa.

Located in the Patagonia Mountains, about 80km south-east of Tucson, Arizona, Hermosa comprises the zinc-lead-silver Taylor sulphide deposit and the zinc-manganese-silver Clark oxide deposit.

Hermosa moves closer to federal land expansion

South32 (ASX: S32) says the US Forest Service (USFS) has indicated it would approve Hermosa’s development onto National Forest Service land.

Youanmi has a production target of 817koz of gold doré over the life-of-mine, averaging 117kozpa over an estimated initial seven-year processing period.

Rox fully funds WA gold project to production

Rox Resources (ASX: RXL) has received commitments for $350m in debt facilities to fund the development of its 100%-owned Youanmi gold project in WA.

Funding will be directed at community development initiatives benefiting Traditional Owners and Native Title Holders in the areas of Tivan’s Central Australian projects, specifically the Molyhil tungsten project and the Sandover fluorite project.

Tivan to provide $1m in grant funding

Tivan (ASX: TVN) has established a community development initiative with the Central Land Council (CLC) to provide grant funding to support Traditional Owners and Native Title Holders in Central Australia.

The Aerosmith project is adjacent to the Albany-Fraser Orogen, which Catalina says is a setting recognised as favourable for large-scale mineral systems.

Catalina expands WA copper-gold exposure

Catalina Resources (ASX: CTN) has entered into a binding option agreement to acquire 100% of BGM Metals, including its exploration licenses in the Eastern Goldfields.