future of mining

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.

By Jamie Wade on March 30, 2026
Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, ESG, Regulatory Adherence, Environmental Permits, Stakeholder Communication, Workforce, Training and Development, Employee Retention, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Exploration, Geological exploration and resource modelling, Exploration technologies and methodologies
Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, North America, United States, Nevada, Canada, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Africa, Botswana
Copper, Nickel, Zinc, Strategic Minerals, Lithium, Precious Metals, Base Metals

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.

By Jamie Wade on February 6, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, ESG, Regulatory Adherence, Environmental Permits, Legislative Updates, Long-term Planning, Economic Balance, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation
Australia, Western Australia, North America, United States, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, France, Asia, China
Silver, Base Metals, Copper, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Uranium, Precious Metals, Strategic Minerals, Gold

Mining’s next big move is thinking small smarter systems set to outpace bigger machines in the race to adapt, thrive and lead under uncertainty

The mining industry’s next leap won’t be powered by bigger trucks or more data, but by intelligent systems built to adapt, anticipate and thrive in uncertainty.

By Jamie Wade on August 12, 2025
Efficiency, Process Improvement, Innovation, Research and Development, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation
Australia, Western Australia

Underground shift cuts emissions by up to 85 percent: Strategy optimisation reveals ESG tipping point for pit transition planning

As ESG performance becomes a core determinant of value in mining, a quiet revolution is underway in mine planning.

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Content By Jamie Wade on May 20, 2025
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Process Improvement, Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, ESG, Environmental Impact Assessments, Water and Air Quality Monitoring, Regulatory Adherence, Sustainable Practices, Mine Closure Planning, Extraction, Mineral Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Development Stages, Case Studies
Australia, South America
Base Metals, Copper, Precious Metals, Gold

Less clicking, more thinking: Why the future of resource estimation is probabilistic, Pythonic—and still needs a geologist’s gut

At the 2025 AusIMM Mineral Resource Estimation Conference in Perth, a standout panel of industry leaders took the stage to discuss a question at the core of the discipline: where is resource modelling heading, and how should practitioners prepare? The answers revealed a field in transition—balancing powerful new tools with enduring geological fundamentals.

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Content By Jamie Wade on May 7, 2025
Efficiency, Process Improvement, Workflow Management, Workforce, Training and Development, Employee Retention, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Collaboration with Research Institutions, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Exploration, Geological exploration and resource modelling, Geoscience data visualisation and analytics, Exploration technologies and methodologies
Australia, Western Australia
Gold, Copper