Soaring Diesel Prices in DRC Mining Hubs Drive Up Operational and Transport Costs for Mine Operators

Vizsla Copper announced the commencement of diamond drilling at its Palmer volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) project in southeast Alaska, launching the first phase of a multi-year exploration programme. The fully funded 2026 campaign will utilize two drill rigs to complete approximately 10,000 meters of drilling during the field season, with initial work focused on defining and expanding the high-grade copper-rich core at the South Wall Zone. According to the company's 2025 NI 43-101 technical report, Palmer hosts a substantial critical metals endowment, including an indicated mineral resource of 4.77 mt grading 1.69% copper and 5.17% zinc, alongside an inferred resource of 12 mt grading 0.57% copper and 3.92% zinc. The company plans to expand drilling to the HG and Waterfall prospects later in the season while advancing environmental and technical evaluations across more than 15 kilometers of prospective stratigraphy.

Orion CMC is in advanced discussions on three Asian partnerships to support a US$20 billion pipeline of critical mineral projects. Copper, lithium and rare-earth developments are among its priority investment targets.

Anglo American and Chile's state-owned miner Codelco have finalized a joint mine plan agreement to integrate the development of their neighbouring Los Bronces and Andina copper operations. Subject to regulatory approvals, the project is expected to add approximately 2.7 million tonnes of copper production over the next 21 years, with average annual incremental output of around 120,000 tonnes of low-cost copper shared equally between the two companies. The partners estimate the collaboration could unlock at least US$5 billion in value by optimizing mine sequencing, sharing infrastructure and improving resource utilization without requiring significant additional capital investment. The agreement is expected to strengthen Chile's position as the world's leading copper producer and support its goal of increasing national copper output to 6 million tonnes by 2030.