The Rock Wrangler - The Rock Wrangler

Smart mines get smarter as agentic AI steps up to connect data boost productivity and put intelligent decision making in every miner’s toolkit

The future of mining is already here - and it’s being shaped by AI systems that can think, act and integrate seamlessly with the tools you already use.

By Jamie Wade on March 7, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Process Improvement, Equipment Maintenance, Workflow Management, ESG, Sustainable Practices, Long-term Planning, Workforce, Training and Development, Health and Well-being Programs, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages, Exploration, Geoscience data visualisation and analytics, Exploration technologies and methodologies
Australia, Western Australia

Gold fever, tin whispers and rare earth reality checks

If you wanted a temperature check on Western Australia’s exploration sector last week, you didn’t need a feasibility study.

Mining’s next bottleneck isn’t in the ground – it’s in the policy inbox

At first glance, the WA Mining Club’s Market Outlook Luncheon at Optus Stadium looked like it would follow a familiar script.

Mining just got complicated – diggers are now diplomats data wranglers and nation builders whether they like it or not

There was a time when mining’s job was simple: dig it up, ship it out, repeat.

Contractors strike gold as profit sharing reshapes the rules of mining and turns service providers into project partners

Australia’s contract mining sector is undergoing a quiet revolution—one that could fundamentally reshape the relationship between contractors and mine owners.

Brazil beats WA as PLS boss warns mining crowd Australia risks losing its lithium edge despite record output and global expansion

When PLS chief executive Dale Henderson told the WA Mining Club’s November luncheon that it’s “easier to get things done in Brazil than in Western Australia,” the room went quiet for a moment.

Smart rocks and sharper minds how Australia’s data-driven explorers are redefining rare earth and vanadium discovery for the clean energy future

If you thought mining was all about brute force and big rigs, think again.

From data to drill rigs: how Jupiter became Australia’s biggest clay rare earth discovery and a model for finding the next generation of critical minerals

When a geologist looks at a gravity anomaly and sees the future of Australia’s critical minerals, it’s worth paying attention.

When dirt looks the same data decides how geochemistry and machine learning are revealing hidden rare earth riches beneath Western Australia’s surface

If you think spotting a rare earth deposit is tough, try identifying one when it looks exactly like barren dirt.

Cracking the clay code as CSIRO’s multiscale mineralogy reveals how rare earths hide in WA sands and why smart mineralogy is the new exploration edge

When it comes to rare earths, the real magic isn’t in the elements, it’s in the minerals that host them.