Welcome back to your weekly mining news recap, where we catch you up on some of the news you may have missed. This week’s headlines include Codelco restarting some operations at El Teniente after a fatal collapse, Mitsubishi investing in Hudbay Minerals’ Copper World project, and Green Technology locking in complete lease coverage for its Seymour lithium project. 

A team of researchers from the SETI Institute in the United States believe they may have identified a new iron sulfate mineral on Mars, Canadian Mining Journal reported. Laboratory experiments indicate that the mineral—ferric hydroxysulfate—formed when hydrated ferrous sulfates were heated in conditions involving oxygen, with the reaction producing water. The transformation occurs only at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius, likely from volcanic activity or geothermal energy. Its distinctive crystal structure suggests it may be a previously unknown mineral, according to the researchers. 

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that gold imports will not face tariffs, following confusion sparked by a U.S. Customs ruling last week that briefly suggested otherwise, Bloomberg reported. The clarification stabilized bullion markets after gold futures surged last week. No formal policy has been issued yet, but the administration intends to release an executive order confirming the exemption soon. 

Northcliff Resources has received $8.2 million from the federal government to advance its fully permitted Sisson tungsten-molybdenum project in New Brunswick, The Northern Miner reported. Funds will be used to update the project’s 2013 feasibility study, complete engineering and support pre-construction work. 

Codelco has resumed underground and processing operations at its El Teniente copper mine in Chile following a July 31 collapse that killed six workers, Bloomberg reported. Authorities cleared the company to restart eight underground areas and the smelter, representing about 82 per cent of production, while four sections near the collapse site remain closed amid an investigation. Inspections so far have revealed 3,700 metres of tunnel damage—about five times greater than the company’s initial damage estimates. 

Hudbay Minerals announced that Mitsubishi will acquire a 30 per cent stake in its Copper World project in Arizona, U.S., for US$600 million, with US$420 million upfront and US$180 million within 18 months. The project is expected to produce 85,000 tonnes of copper annually over 20 years. The deal is anticipated to close by early 2026, with a feasibility study being completed by mid-2026, followed by a final mine decision later in the year, pending approvals. 

Green Technology Metals has obtained two new 21-year mining leases for its Seymour lithium project, located around 230 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ontario, ensuring full lease coverage of the intended construction site, Mining Weekly reported. Issued by the Ontario Ministry of Mines, the new leases complement the original mining lease secured in December 2023. The project will be subject solely to a provincial environmental assessment, bypassing a federal review under Canada’s Impact Assessment Act. 

Equinox Gold’s Castle Mountain phase two gold project in California has joined the U.S. FAST-41 program, which will streamline its federal permitting. The project is expected to produce around 200,000 ounces of gold annually over 14 years. Federal permitting is projected to finish by December 2026. Castle Mountain, acquired by Equinox in 2017, previously operated a small open-pit heap leach mine and has continued re-leaching while advancing engineering and environmental approvals for the second phase. 

Barrick Mining posted higher profits in the second quarter compared with the same period last year, despite a US$1.04 billion write down following the loss of control of its Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex in Mali. Some other second quarter results include Franco-Nevada, Orla Mining, Artemis Gold, Endeavour Silver, Hudbay Minerals, Osisko Development and Wesdome Gold Mines. 

Three Fires Group and Electra Battery Materials formed Aki Battery Recycling in September 2024, a joint venture (JV) to shred lithium-ion battery waste into black mass for processing at Electra’s hydrometallurgical facility in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario, I reported for the June/July issue of CIM Magazine. Three Fires, which holds a 51 per cent stake in the JV, led funding and site selection in southwestern Ontario. The project promotes Indigenous economic participation and circularity in the domestic electric vehicle supply chain and aims to start operations in 2027. 

We are excited to share that CIM Magazine has won Gold in the Department category of the 2025 Tabbie Awards for our Mental Health and Mining editorial series from 2024. The September/October 2024 issue also ranked in the Top 25 for Best Issue, while Kelsey Rolfe’s Border Control feature from the February 2024 issue earned a spot in the Top 25 for Best Feature. Congratulations to all of our contributors! 

That’s all for this week. If you’ve got feedback, you can always reach us at editor@cim.org. If you’ve got something to add, why not join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram pages?