Hitachi develops enhanced boom, arm for excavator line-up

Hitachi is developing an enhanced boom and arm for its ultra-large hydraulic excavator range with boosted durability that can extend service life*1 by 1.5 times previous models, and is now testing its durability at a Rio Tinto site in Australia. The OEM recently said that it has improved durability by expanding the applicability of steel castings to the boom and…

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Rio Tinto Kennecott goes circular

Rio Tinto Kennecott in Salt Lake City, Utah, has joined Terelion’s Circularity Program, marking a significant milestone in delivering on the industry’s ambitious goal of a more sustainable future. Through Terelion’s Circularity Program, it is now possible to recycle all cemented carbide inserts on a drill bit back to virgin material – pure tungsten – which can then be used…

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Zelandez enters North American market

Lithium brinefield services provider Zelandez will now offer its cutting-edge subsurface sensors, exploration, and extraction solutions to American and Canadian lithium mines, enabling them to develop their brine resources more efficiently. Zelandez’s expansion into the North American market is driven by several factors, including the need for modernization and upgrades in existing U.S. lithium mines; the lack of a significant…

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U.S., Rio Tinto land swap to move forward

The U.S. Forest Service said it plans to re-publish an environmental report before July that will set in motion a land swap between the U.S. government and Rio Tinto, allowing the miner to develop its Resolution Copper project in Arizona, reported Reuters. In 2014, Congress approved the land exchange of 2,422 acres above a copper deposit for 5,459 acres of…

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Rio Tinto testing renewable diesel at U.S. ops

Another decarbonization step is being taken, this time by Rio Tinto at its United States operations: the operator is planning to swap out its conventional diesel fuel for renewable fuel across its haul truck fleet. The miner has already wrapped up a trial of renewable diesel at its U.S. Borax mine in Boron, Calif., and is conducting a second trial…

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Arizona Sonoran plans for the new year

Arizona Sonoran Copper Company has announced its 2023 work plan for the Cactus Property, inclusive of the Cactus and Parks/Salyer projects near Casa Grande, Ariz.  All work streams this year will feed into the planned Prefeasibility Study (PFS) due in the fourth quarter 2023/first quarter 2024, and includes drilling, metallurgy, detailed engineering, permitting and technical studies, along with continued efforts…

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Caterpillar switches on first battery-electric mining haul truck

With its Arizona proving grounds outside Tucson, Ariz., serving as a backdrop, Caterpillar has demonstrated its first battery-electric 793 model large mining truck as it announced an investment into the campus as a sustainable testing and validation hub of the future.  The development of the 793 prototype came with support from key mining customers participating in Caterpillar’s Early Learner program.…

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CR Minerals, Rio Tinto to produce pozzolans from waste materials

Texas-based CR Minerals has reached an agreement with miner Rio Tinto for the production of pozzolans from waste materials at the latter’s U.S. Borax facility in Boron, Calif. CR Minerals intends to use waste tailings present onsite to produce pozzolans that can be used as a cement replacement in concrete. The pozzolans will be manufactured at a new facility to…

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Rio Tinto invests $55M to add underground mining at Kennecott

Rio Tinto has announced a major growth plan for its Kennecott copper complex outside of Salt Lake City, Utah – an expansion to mining that will also take its efforts underground, which it said holds “potential for significant and attractive underground development.” The miner has earmarked US$55 million for the landmark transition project on the century-old mine and said it…

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Arizona Sonoran, Nuton partner

Copper developer and near-term producer Arizona Sonoran Copper has entered into a one-year exclusivity period of metallurgical testing with Nuton, a Rio Tinto venture. Arizona Sonoran said the exclusivity was triggered by successfully modeling the Cactus and Parks/Salyer ore samples and achieving the previously contemplated indicative metallurgical recoveries of at least 72% (copper recovery to cathode), under an investor rights…

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