The Rock Wrangler - The Rock Wrangler

The contractor recovery has a forward visibility problem, and the JV model is quietly rewriting how junior projects get built

There are two stories inside Grant Thornton's latest mining contractors report, and the one getting most of the attention is the wrong one.

By Jamie Wade on April 28, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Mineral Processing, Costs, Financial Planning, Contract Management, Procurement Efficiency, ESG, Reclamation Projects, Regulatory Adherence, Long-term Planning, Extraction, Mineral Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages
Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, North America, Canada
Iron ore, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Strategic Minerals, Lithium, Precious Metals, Gold, Base Metals, Copper

Exploration still works, but getting to the first drill hole now takes longer, costs more, and tests patience before the rocks ever do

The mining industry is not running out of deposits.

Reconciliation isn’t broken — you’re comparing the wrong rock: Why underground mines are solving the wrong problem

A recent industry webinar hosted ahead of the AusIMM International Mining Geology Conference 2026 brought together leading practitioners to tackle one of underground mining’s most persistent challenges: reconciliation.

Underground leaching method reduces costs and rock movement, unlocking low-grade copper with in-place recovery and advanced blasting

The pursuit of critical minerals is pushing miners deeper underground, where innovation—not just excavation—is becoming the key to unlocking value.

Mining powers up for a battery-fuelled future as experts say success now depends on smart data, skilled people and the courage to rethink operations

There’s a moment in every technological revolution when optimism meets reality - when the glossy promise of transformation hits the grit of practical deployment.

Autonomy gets real at Daunia as Whitehaven lifts productivity, redefines safety and proves culture is the key to mining’s autonomous future

When Whitehaven Coal acquired BMA’s Daunia and Blackwater mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, it wasn’t just the company’s biggest purchase to date.

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.

When piezometers act up, dissipation testing shows the surprising role of saturation fluids in solving tailings dam monitoring mysteries

Unexpected piezometer trends in a tailings dam triggered an investigation that uncovered an overlooked variable in dissipation testing – the type of saturation fluid.

Why stable jurisdictions, faster permits and clear rules are winning the global mining investment race

The annual temperature check from the Fraser Institute has landed — and while the rocks haven’t moved, capital certainly has.

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.