Global Scans · Mining · Weekly Summary

• [New] Australia's already leading the charge on autonomous mining equipment, and 2026 will be the year we truly cement that position. Colleagues Matrixx
• [New] Gold production in the second half of 2026 is anticipated to be higher than the first half, benefitting from higher mining rates as well as increased waste stripping completed in Q2 2026. Investing News Network (INN)
• [New] Ghana's move to formalise artisanal and small-scale mining through a centralised gold buying and processing model could improve traceability, reduce illicit trading and strengthen responsible production practices. Yahoo! Finance
• [New] If managed effectively, the changing face of mining in the DRC could become one of Africa's most important economic transformation stories of the next decade. Responsible Asset Owners Global Symposium
• [New] Growing water scarcity could hamper the expansion of lithium mining in the U.S., deepening its reliance on foreign imports over the coming decades, a new study finds. Live Science
• [New] Fastest Growing Segment: Drilling & Mining Equipment is the fastest-growing product category between 2026 and 2033, fueled by IEA forecasts of doubling critical-mineral demand and ultra-class capex by BHP and Rio Tinto. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Is projected to increase by more than 40 times by 2040 driven largely by the electric vehicle sector which strains existing mining and processing capacities. Market Data Forecast
• [New] In 2027, gross domestic product growth is forecast to accelerate to 6.0%, driven by mining expansion and enhanced non-mining activities. / Mongolia Asian Development Bank
• [New] Earlier in 2026, Jakarta's strict enforcement of its Work Plan and Budget system capped national mining output, causing high-profile disruptions like the complete production halt at the massive Weda Bay Nickel mine. YES Stainless
• [New] SpaceX may be best known for launching reusable rockets, and less for the orbital economy it hopes to enable, but there's another seemingly futuristic activity even fewer investors are talking up - asteroid mining. Forbes
• [New] The US will be involved in de-mining operations in the Strait of Hormuz upon the opening of the crucial waterway. The Jerusalem Post
• [New] Mining peatlands will result in the release of additional greenhouse gases, accelerating the progression of global climate change. EBSCO
• [New] Newmont Corp., Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., and Barrick Mining Corp. all reported lower gold production in 2025 compared with the prior year, and all three North American companies expect output to decline further in 2026. usfunds
• Once permitted, the Alaskan mining project is expected to extract commercial quantities of critical and strategic minerals essential to U.S. economic growth and national security. Permitting Council
• Lunar and Asteroid mining operations could supply metals / rare materials with far less terrestrial habitat destruction, deforestation, and pollution than Earth mines. NextBigFuture.com
• Economic development and the global energy transition will continue to drive a boom in mining activities across Africa, with demand for key ETMs sourced predominantly from Africa expected to grow by up to 40-fold by 2040. Nature
• Globally, mining directly threatens 8% of vertebrate species and drives widespread habitat loss. Nature
• Embedding offsite deforestation levels into environmental impact assessments for new mining projects will be key to ensuring zero-deforestation or no-net-loss supply chains for critical minerals and reduce future mining-driven forest losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Nature
• The metal mining segment is expected to remain in the second position in 2026, backed by rising demand for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, and nickel. Persistence Market Research

Last updated: 17 July 2026