JV Combines Mining Expertise with AI and Subsurface Data

Aramco and Maaden are moving forward with plans for a new mineral exploration and hard-rock mining joint venture in Saudi Arabia, combining mining expertise with decades of geological data, high-performance computing and AI.

Under the proposed structure, Maaden will own 51% of the joint venture and Aramco 49%. The companies first disclosed plans for the partnership in January 2025.

Exploration will focus primarily on copper, alongside zinc, lead, rare earth elements and other minerals associated with the energy transition.

The venture will bring together Maaden’s mineral exploration and mine development capabilities with Aramco’s extensive knowledge of Saudi Arabia’s subsurface.

Exploration Zone Covers 182,000 Square Kilometres

The proposed joint venture will explore Zone-4, also known as the Transition Zone, within the Arabian Platform.

Covering approximately 182,000 square kilometres, the area represents nearly 10% of Saudi Arabia’s total land mass. It extends along a roughly 100-kilometre-wide zone running parallel to the Arabian Shield.

Aramco intends to use geological and geophysical information accumulated during more than 90 years of operations to support mineral targeting within the area.

“Over 90 years, Aramco has accumulated and analyzed the largest amount of geological and geophysical data ever acquired in a single basin for the Kingdom,” said Saleh M. Al Saleh, Aramco Vice President of Transition Minerals.

“This partnership intends to leverage this legacy information to find minerals in the JV area within the basin. Maaden’s expertise, our people, high-performance computing, and AI are expected to play a pivotal role in accelerating the discovery of key transition minerals at low cost.”

AI to Accelerate Mineral Exploration

Technology will form a significant part of the venture’s exploration strategy.

The companies plan to deploy advanced computational algorithms, AI and high-performance computing to identify areas considered most likely to contain copper and other valuable mineral deposits.

The approach is intended to accelerate the process from regional geological screening through target definition and ultimately mineral discovery.

For Maaden, the joint venture also extends its exploration activities beyond its existing programme across the Arabian Shield and into a new geological area.

“Maaden has been advancing one of the world’s largest single jurisdiction exploration programs across the Arabian Shield to help unlock the Kingdom’s mineral potential,” said Darryl Clark, Maaden Executive Vice President for Exploration.

“This joint venture would take that ambition into a new area. By combining Maaden’s exploration and development expertise with Aramco’s extraordinary knowledge of the Arabian Platform, we would have an opportunity to move faster, explore smarter, and create new opportunities to discover the minerals that will power the energy transition.”

Copper Takes Centre Stage in Saudi Exploration Push

Copper will be the principal commodity targeted by the venture because of its use across electric vehicles, electricity networks, energy storage and renewable energy infrastructure.

According to the companies, copper accounts for more than 20% of the $1.2 trillion mined metals market. They put the current value of the copper market at approximately $250 billion and project it could exceed $400 billion by 2035.

The exploration programme will also target zinc, lead and rare earth elements, potentially broadening the range of critical and transition minerals identified within the licence area.

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ACCELERATING CRITICAL MINERAL PRODUCTION

As demand for critical minerals continues to rise, mining companies are facing growing pressure to recover more metal from existing operations, particularly as bringing new supply online remains challenging.

Against this backdrop, industrial biotechnology company Allonnia has partnered with SGS to launch a centralised pilot programme that enables mining companies worldwide to evaluate Allonnia’s D-Solve™ technology using their own mineral concentrates.

Hosted at SGS’s Lakefield facility in Ontario, Canada, the programme is designed to reduce the cost, complexity, and time traditionally associated with site-specific pilot programmes, creating a more streamlined route towards commercial adoption.

D-Solve uses Allonnia Biosolutions™ to selectively remove impurities that can limit concentrate grade and recovery. By addressing these impurities, the technology is designed to unlock additional value from existing mining operations while improving concentrate quality and production economics.

A CENTRALIZED APPROACH

Introducing new mineral processing technologies has traditionally required costly, site-specific pilot programmes. Through the new centralised model, mining companies can test D-Solve under continuous operating conditions at SGS, using their own concentrates.

SGS will provide the infrastructure, analytical testing, and metallurgical expertise required to validate the technology, while customers can also leverage the facility’s downstream flotation capabilities to assess D-Solve’s impact across their wider processing flowsheets.

The collaboration is therefore intended to simplify the evaluation process for customers, while enabling Allonnia to accelerate project timelines and reduce logistical complexity.

“The demand for critical minerals continues to outpace the industry’s ability to bring new supply online, making innovation within existing operations more important than ever,” said Nicole Richards, CEO of Allonnia.

“Our responsibility is not only to develop breakthrough technologies, but also to rethink how they reach commercial adoption. Together with SGS, we’re creating a trusted, customer-centered pathway that removes barriers to evaluation, accelerates commercialization, and helps the mining industry deploy the innovations needed to meet the world’s growing demand for critical minerals.”

FROM VALIDATION TO DEPLOYMENT

The pilot programme builds on a series of commercialisation milestones for D-Solve, following its successful continuous demonstration at SGS’s Lakefield facility.

More recently, Allonnia deployed D-Solve at Eagle Mine, marking the first biological solution to operate inside a working mineral processing mill. Together, these developments demonstrate the technology’s progression from laboratory validation towards commercial deployment.

For SGS, the partnership also reflects the importance of pilot testing in helping mining companies manage technical risk and build confidence in emerging technologies.

“Mining companies rely on pilot testing to reduce technical risk and build the confidence needed to advance new technologies from concept to commercial reality,” said James Brown, Director, Consulting, SGS.

“Through this collaboration with Allonnia, we’re combining our globally recognized pilot plant and metallurgical expertise with an innovative biotechnology to help customers evaluate its performance under real operating conditions.”

The centralised pilot programme is now available to mining companies looking to evaluate D-Solve across nickel, copper, lithium, rare earth, and other critical mineral concentrates, providing a new pathway towards more efficient and sustainable mineral production.

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AI Platform Connects Mine Planning with Operations

Hivekit has launched OPS.AI to help mining operations connect strategic and production plans with day-to-day execution.

The technology maps production goals to individual operational steps while incorporating data covering asset tracking, equipment performance, geospatial information, ventilation, dewatering and maintenance.

This operational view allows OPS.AI to plan around available resources, identify constraints and bottlenecks and adjust shift targets and production cycles to changing mine conditions.

Hivekit said early testing using historical mine operations data demonstrated a 21 per cent improvement in compliance to plan, alongside improvements in the utilisation of existing resources.

Dynamic Shift Planning Responds to Mine Conditions

OPS.AI can assign tasks, production cycles and targets while allocating employees, vehicles and other resources.

Rather than producing a static shift plan, the system continuously adjusts operations as conditions change.

Events such as equipment breakdowns, employee availability, changing ground conditions or ventilation system failures can be incorporated into the operational plan. Changes made by supervisors are also fed back into the system, allowing OPS.AI to replan around human decisions.

Wolfram Hempel, CEO at Hivekit, said: “Mine plans are built around assumptions about equipment, people, infrastructure and conditions — but the reality underground or in the pit changes constantly.

“OPS.AI continuously reconciles what was supposed to happen with what is actually happening and helps the operation determine what should happen next.”

Operational Rules Provide AI Safety Check

Proposed plans and actions are checked through a deterministic constraint layer before being presented or executed.

OPS.AI validates recommendations against defined operational rules covering areas including safety requirements, mandatory breaks, ventilation restrictions, equipment limitations and site-specific operating requirements.

Any proposal that breaches these constraints is automatically rejected. Human supervisors retain control over operational decisions and authorised actions.

AI Copilot Supports Mine Managers and Dispatchers

OPS.AI also includes an operational Copilot designed for mine managers, supervisors and dispatchers.

Users can ask questions about mine performance and production using natural language. The system translates questions into structured queries against operational data before presenting results through answers, tables and visualisations.

Authorised users can also issue operational instructions, such as assigning a new driver to a truck or removing a stope from a production plan.

OPS.AI translates these directives into actions within the operational system while applying existing permissions, validation processes and operational constraints.

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The global mining industry is navigating an increasingly complex landscape, shaped by geopolitical instability, the growing urgency to secure critical minerals supply chains, rising demand for essential resources, and the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence (AI). 

Against this backdrop, the International Mining and Resources Conference and Expo (IMARC) will return to Sydney from 27–29 October 2026, bringing together the international resources sector to address one of the industry’s most pressing challenges – moving from ambition to implementation. 

Held under the theme, “From Strategy to Execution: Delivering Responsible, Resilient and Viable Resources”, IMARC 2026 will examine how governments, mining companies, and investors can advance projects, unlock investment, boost productivity, and strengthen supply chains despite regulatory challenges, market volatility, and mounting cost pressures. 

“The conversation has shifted,” IMARC Chief Operating Officer Anita Richards said. “Identifying opportunities is just the start. The focus now is on how to execute projects.” 

A GLOBAL LINE-UP OF INDUSTRY LEADERS  

IMARC 2026 is set to welcome influential figures from across the international resources and investment landscape. 

Among the speakers confirmed for the programme are US mining investor Rick Rule; Dr. Gracelin Baskaran, Director of the critical minerals security programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Abigail Hunter, Executive Director of Securing America’s Future Energy; and Maria van der Hoeven, former Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative board chair nominee. 

They will be joined by senior figures from Australia and around the world representing mining, government, finance, investment, technology, and the mining equipment, technology, and services (METS) sector. 

This broad range of perspectives has become a key feature of IMARC, attracting delegates from across the global resources industry and creating opportunities for discussions spanning the sector’s most significant challenges and opportunities. 

A STRENGTHENED EUROPEAN AND US PRESENCE  

The event’s international focus will be particularly prominent in 2026, with the European Union expected to play a significant role through major delegations from countries including Germany, France, Italy, and Finland. 

The growing European presence reflects increasing engagement with Australia around resources and critical minerals, with leaders from the European Commission and the European Investment Bank also set to participate. 

France’s critical minerals envoy, Benjamin Gallezot, will join the programme, while cooperation between Europe and Australia is expected to feature strongly during the opening plenary. 

Meanwhile, the US is also anticipated to send a substantial delegation, with critical minerals security remaining a major topic throughout the three-day event. 

AN ANCHOR FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT  

IMARC’s influence is increasingly extending beyond the conference itself. 

Mining companies, investors, and industry organisations are now using the event as a focal point around which to plan wider business activity in Australia, while governments and organisations are also increasingly turning to IMARC as a platform for significant announcements. 

“IMARC has become a global convening point for the resources sector and an important gateway for international engagement with Australia,” Ms Richards said.  

“IMARC is where relationships are built, investment conversations progress, partnerships take shape, and increasingly, where organisations choose to share significant news. 

BUILDING ON RECORD-BREAKING PARTICIPATION  

Taking place at ICC Sydney, IMARC 2026 is expected to host more than 500 speakers and 500 exhibitors. 

The event will build on the success of last year’s conference, which attracted more than 11,000 registered attendees representing over 120 countries. 

Eligible personnel from major and mid-tier mining companies, as well as mining contractors, will once again be offered complimentary access to the event. The initiative is intended to support participation from mine-site teams, corporate leaders, and procurement decision-makers, ensuring IMARC continues to bring together stakeholders from across the resources value chain. 

As the mining sector responds to an evolving combination of global pressures and opportunities, IMARC 2026 will provide a meeting point for those seeking to turn plans into progress and discussions into practical outcomes.

The post IMARC 2026: Turning Australian Mining Strategy into Action appeared first on Mining Outlook.

About Alex Dukhovny

Alex Dukhovny is the Executive Vice President at IntraTEM. As an executive leader in technology expense management (TEM) he has over a decade of experience helping CIOs, IT leaders, FinOps, and finance teams bring control and accountability to enterprise technology, mobility, cloud, and wireline spend.

About IntraTEM

IntraTEM is an indispensable, service-driven technology expense management partner that enables IT teams to streamline operations, Finance eliminate unnecessary spend, and organizations reclaim time and budget for mission-critical work.

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About Insynergy Inc.

Insynergy is an AI governance and decision architecture advisory firm focused on helping organizations design accountable AI-enabled operational structures.

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About Mohammad Doostmohammadi

Mohammad Doostmohammadi, founder and CEO of pH7 Technologies, leads the company’s strategy, operations, and R&D. With 15+ years of experience in minerals extraction, he founded pH7 in 2021 to advance sustainable critical minerals recovery through its innovative closed-loop process.

About pH7 Technologies

pH7 Technologies is redefining metal extraction to maximize recovery of critical metals for the domestic supply and forgo the challenges associated with traditional heap leaching methods.

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About Luke Smith

Luke Smith is a product development and innovation leader at MMD Group, leading global teams to turn ideas into practical initiatives across mining methods and commodities.

About MMD Group

MMD Group is a world leader in the design, manufacturing and supply of mineral sizing technology and associated equipment, serving the mining, quarrying and recycling industries.

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About Michael McGough

Michael is a passionate technologist and senior sales executive with a proven record in value-based selling of complex software solutions. Skilled in go-to-market strategy, marketing, and client management, he drives business growth and SaaS expansion for Totalmobile across Asia Pacific.

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About Leslie Miller

Leslie Miller is a Chemical engineer and Director of Client Solutions at OLI with 20+ years of experience. Leslie specializes in lithium extraction, rare earth processing, and high-salinity brine systems, using thermodynamic modeling to help teams solve complex chemistry challenges in critical materials production.

About OLI Systems

As pioneers in water chemistry, OLI delivers cutting-edge software, automation and consulting services that empower industries to solve complex challenges. Our process modeling solutions enhance operational efficiency and sustainability. Guided by a commitment to excellence, fueled by endless curiosity and a drive to be different, we transform challenges into opportunities. At OLI, success is built on long-term partnerships and a relentless focus on delivering enduring impact across industries.

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About Alex Franklin

Alex Franklin is the Managing Director at First Principles Consulting and author of Mining For Value: A Blueprint to Eliminate Chaos, Scale Production, and Unlock Latent Capacity.  As a Chartered Engineer he uniquely combines his global expertise across different sectors with a value investor’s mindset.

About First Principles Consulting

First Principles Consulting specialises in helping companies build their “invisible engine”; the operational capability required to turn strategic ambition into predictable, long term value for all stakeholders.

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About Shelley Copsey

Shelley leads a venture that empowers field teams and managers in infrastructure and utilities with frontline intelligence to make real-time, data-driven decisions, leading to greater safety, productivity, and delivery outcomes. Shelley has 20 years of experience at the intersection of physical infrastructure and digital technologies.

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About Pat Ryan, P.Eng.

Pat Ryan, P. Eng., founded Neocon International in 1993, a leading automotive OEM design and manufacturing firm. His expertise in global supply chains positions him at the forefront of vehicle electrification. Joining Ucore in 2014, he delved into critical metals essential for modern technologies.

About Ucore Rare Metals Inc.

Ucore is focused on rare and critical-metal resources, extraction, beneficiation, and separation technologies with the potential for production, growth, and scalability. Ucore’s vision and plan is to become a leading advanced technology company, providing best-inclass metal separation products and services to the mining and mineral extraction industry. 

Through strategic partnerships, this plan includes disrupting the People’s Republic of China’s control of the North American REE supply chain through the near-term development of a heavy and light rare-earth processing facility in the US State of Louisiana, subsequent SMCs in Canada and Alaska and the longer-term development of Ucore’s 100% controlled BokanDotson Ridge Rare Heavy REE Project on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, USA (“Bokan”).

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About Kari Yuers

As President and CEO of Kryton International Inc., Kari Yuers, FACI, is recognized for her ability to build organizations and effect change. Under Kari’s leadership, Kryton has flourished from a family-run business to a company with offices and distribution in over 50 countries.

About Kryton International

Kryton International is a global provider of Smart Concrete® solutions for improving performance and extending the service-life of buildings and structures. Independent testing has repeatedly proven that Kryton’s KIM significantly outperforms other integral crystalline waterproofing admixtures for effectiveness. Its abrasion resisting admixture, Hard-Cem®, extends the lifespan of critical infrastructure, while it also provides enhanced environmental sustainability. Kryton is an active member of the American Concrete Institute, International Concrete Repair Institute, American Shotcrete Association, and many other industry organizations. Kryton’s award-winning products are available in more than 50 countries.

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