Sibanye-Stillwater Approves Mt Lyell Restart, Targeting 26,000 t/y Copper From 2029

Epiroc has secured an approximately SEK610 million (US$64 million) order from MMG Limited and its mining contractors, China Huaye and 23MCC, for underground mining equipment to support the expansion of the Khoemacau Copper Mine in Botswana. The order includes face drilling rigs, production drilling rigs, cable-bolting rigs, loaders and underground mine trucks, together with remote-control systems, spare parts, training and on-site technical support. The equipment will support MMG’s ongoing Khoemacau expansion, which is designed to increase annual production capacity from approximately 60,000 tonnes to 130,000 tonnes of copper metal in concentrate. The project includes construction of a new 4.5 Mt/y processing plant, which will lift total milling capacity to more than 8 Mt/y, alongside development of Zone 5 North, Mango and Zeta North-East. First copper concentrate from the expansion is expected in H1 2028. Epiroc said delivery of the new underground fleet will begin in Q4 2026 and is expected to be completed by Q2 2028, broadly aligning with the expansion schedule. The ordered fleet includes Boomer face drilling rigs, Simba production drilling rigs, Cabletec cable-bolting rigs, Scooptram loaders and Minetruck underground trucks, with several units equipped for automation and remote-control operation. The equipment order represents another execution milestone for the already-approved Khoemacau expansion, rather than a new production target. With procurement progressing and equipment deliveries scheduled through Q2 2028, the project continues to advance toward MMG’s planned increase in copper-in-concentrate capacity to 130,000 tonnes per year. The expansion represents a significant planned increase in Khoemacau’s copper production capacity in Botswana’s Kalahari Copper Belt.

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 02 Sep , 2026

Aya Gold & Silver has entered into an agreement to acquire a 139 km² portfolio of copper-silver exploration permits in Morocco, including a 19 km² mining licence, approximately 35 km west of its Zgounder Silver Mine. The company said the acquisition would expand its land position in the Zgounder district and provide exposure to a large, underexplored copper-silver system with multiple styles of mineralisation. The portfolio includes historical trenching that returned 15 metres grading 0.65% copper and 33 g/t silver, while historical surface grab samples returned up to 4.6% copper and 837 g/t silver. Aya’s own surface sampling returned up to 4.0% copper and 500 g/t silver, while the company said a principal copper-silver horizon has been confirmed over more than 2 km. Aya cautioned that the historical results have not been sufficiently verified as current and that surface grab samples are selective and not representative of true widths or overall mineralisation grades. Aya will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of the seller through its wholly owned subsidiary for total consideration of C$4 million, payable in Aya common shares. Completion remains subject to customary conditions, including confirmatory due diligence and Moroccan, Canadian and Toronto Stock Exchange approvals. Over the following 12–18 months, Aya plans to undertake stream-sediment geochemistry, hyperspectral studies, airborne geophysics, mapping and prospecting to assess the portfolio’s exploration potential. The transaction would give Aya a larger exploration footprint around its existing Moroccan operations and could establish a new copper-silver exploration platform near Zgounder. However, the portfolio remains early-stage, and the historical copper and silver results require further verification before their significance can be assessed. The near-term significance therefore lies primarily in portfolio expansion and exploration potential rather than additional copper supply.