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 more funding for the Troilus project in Quebec, Hudbay adding more life to its Snow Lake operation in Manitoba and the risk of a strike at the world’s largest copper mine.

Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized Stelco’s planned layoffs at its Hamilton, Ontario plant and pledged to enforce employment commitments made when U.S.-based Cleveland-Cliffs acquired the steelmaker in 2024, The National Post reported. Around 350 workers are expected to be laid off with some of them offered positions at another of Stelco’s operations in Ontario. Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves said federal financial assistance could not prevent the cuts, citing insufficient Canadian demand for galvanized steel and U.S. tariffs that are constraining exports. 

The federal government has designated the proposed Pacific Link oil pipeline a project of national interest, the Edmonton Journal reported. The pipeline would connect Bruderheim, Alberta, to the Metro Vancouver area and is expected to transport about one million barrels of crude oil per day, giving access to Asian markets. Construction could begin as early as September 2027, with project costs estimated between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion. Trans Mountain Corporation would construct and operate the pipeline, sharing ownership and costs with the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission.

The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame announced Lukas Henrik Lundin, James Stockton Redpath, Anthony Paul Makuch, Ron Nolan and Neil Woodyer as its five inductees for 2027. The inductees will be honoured at the Hall of Fame’s annual dinner and induction ceremony on Jan. 14, 2027, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Troilus Mining has secured US$850 million in debt financing from KfW IPEX-Bank and Société Générale Canada to advance development of its proposed Troilus gold-copper-silver project in Quebec, Mining Weekly reported. The commitments are part of a planned US$1.1-billion debt package, which includes an additional US$250 million from Export Development Canada, subject to final approval. Troilus is working to complete financing, permitting, engineering and procurement ahead of a final construction decision. The proposed open-pit operation has an anticipated 26-year mine life.

Hudbay Minerals Inc. has increased the estimated life-of-mine gold production at its Snow Lake operations in Manitoba from 1.8 million ounces to 2.8 million ounces under an updated mine plan. This new forecast extends the operation’s proven and probable reserve mine life by two years to 2043. From 2026 to 2030, Snow Lake is expected to produce an average of 185,000 ounces of gold annually, supported by higher throughput at the New Britannia mill and improved gold recoveries at its Stall mill.

Supervisors at BHP’s Escondida copper mine in Chile rejected the company’s final contract offer on Sept. 30, raising the possibility of a strike, Reuters reported. The 1,020-member union said 95 per cent of participating members backed strike action. BHP and the union will now begin a five-day government-led mediation, which may be prolonged by another five days by mutual agreement, before a strike could legally begin.

A Panamanian government commission recommended negotiating a new arrangement that could see a temporary restart of First Quantum Minerals’ shuttered Cobre Panama copper mine to support the mine’s eventual closure, Reuters reported. The mine ceased operations in 2023 after Panama’s Supreme Court ruled First Quantum’s contract with the government was unconstitutional amid widespread protests. The commission also called for resolving all arbitration claims filed by First Quantum against the government after Cobre Panama’s operations were suspended. Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino, said he would review the commission’s recommendations before deciding the mine’s future.

Equinox Gold plans to include drilling results from its Musselwhite gold mine in Ontario received through the end of July 2026 in a year-end mineral resource and reserve update, which is expected in the first quarter of 2027. The company expects ongoing drilling to support further resource growth along the mine trend in 2027 and 2028. Data from drilling at the company’s Valentine mine in Newfoundland and Labrador through July 2026 will also be included in its year-end mineral resource and reserve update.

New technologies from Schneider Electric, Sachtleben Technology and Geobotica are giving mining operators improved control over material handling, I, Ashley Fish-Robertson, reported for CIM Magazine. Improved motor control can reduce mechanical stress on conveyor equipment, while continuous measurement can provide near real-time visibility into material volumes and reveal uneven conveyor loading. Automated measurements and robotic inspections of conveyor liner wear can also reduce manual handling and workers’ exposure to hazardous areas, and support more targeted maintenance.

Eldorado Gold’s McIlvenna Bay mine in Saskatchewan is taking a broad approach to reducing the environmental impacts of mining, Jax Jacobsen reported for CIM Magazine. The mine incorporates lower-emission power and battery-electric vehicles alongside measures aimed at improving energy efficiency, reusing water and reducing the environmental risks that come with tailings management. The mine produced its first copper concentrate in June.

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?