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Cobre Limited (ASX: CBE, Cobre or Company) is pleased to announce that CBE, and certain wholly owned subsidiaries (also Cobre), have executed an Earn-In Agreement (Transaction) with a wholly owned subsidiary of BHP Group Ltd (BHP) under which BHP will provide up to US$25 million (~A$40m) for exploration expenditure for Cobre's Kitlanya East and Kitlanya West Copper Projects (Kitlanya Projects) and be granted the right to earn a 75% interest in the Kitlanya Projects, located on the northern and southern basin margins respectively of the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) in Botswana. The Transaction is a result of Cobre's successful participation in the 2024 BHP Xplor program which also provided funding for the recently completed seismic survey on the Kitlanya West Project (see ASX announcement 22 August 2024).
Highlights
- The Transaction comprises the following key funding terms (detailed in Schedule 1):
- A minimum of US$5 million of committed funding to be paid to Cobre within 2 years of the commencement date with a planned budget of US$7m (A$11m) for exploration expenditure for the Kitlanya Projects starting in April 2025; and
- BHP can earn a 75% interest in the Kitlanya Projects by funding US$25 million (inclusive of the initial US$5 million) for exploration expenditure for the Kitlanya Projects.
- Cobre Botswana will be appointed operator during the earn-in phase and will be entitled to a management fee of no less than US$250,000 per annum.
- Upon commencement of the 75:25 joint venture, BHP may provide a loan to Cobre to fund Cobre's portion of joint venture expenditure up until the final investment decision.
- An additional payment of up to US$10 million, calculated at $5/tonne contained copper, is payable to Cobre upon the declaration of a maiden JORC Compliant Mineral Resource (JORC) at the Kitlanya Projects.
- If the Transaction is terminated during the Earn-In Phase and BHP has funded at least US$20 million for exploration expenditure, BHP will be entitled to a 2.0% net smelter royalty in respect of the Kitlanya Projects. Cobre may, in certain circumstances, buy back 50% of this royalty for an amount equal to the aggregate of exploration expenditure funded by BHP at the time of electing to exercise the buy-back.
- The Transaction does not cover Cobre’s flagship Ngami and Okavango Copper Projects which Cobre will continue to operate and advance independently.
The Transaction underscores Cobre's confidence in the potential for its projects to host Tier 1 copper- silver deposits. A partnership with BHP provides the exploration funding, scale and expertise to maximise Cobre's chances of making significant new discoveries on our basin margin exploration ground while retaining 100% ownership of its Ngami and Okavango Copper Projects.
The planned work programme for the initial US$7m includes several deep (~1km) diamond holes combined with active 2D seismic survey designed to assess key components of the Mineral System required for Tier 1 copper deposit formation. Mobilisation for the first phase of drilling, which will test targets identified in the 2024 seismic programme at Kitlanya West, is scheduled for April 2025.
Tim O’Connor, BHP Group Exploration Officer said:
"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with one of the BHP Xplor alumni, Cobre Limited, through this agreement. This collaboration reflects our excitement for the exploration potential in Botswana and underscores the high standard of partnerships we see coming out of the BHP Xplor program. The Kitlanya Projects in Botswana represent an exciting opportunity to uncover Tier 1 copper-silver deposits, and we are pleased to contribute our expertise and resources to this venture.”
Commenting on the Transaction, Adam Wooldridge, Cobre’s Chief Executive Officer, said:
“This significant transaction with BHP, one of the world’s leading mining companies, is a major moment in time for Cobre as a company as well as a testament to the success of BHP’s Xplor programme. The partnership with BHP will provide us with the funding and support necessary to implement a technology-driven work programme designed to discover the Tier 1 deposits we believe may be hosted in our Kitlanya East and West Projects.
Independently, Cobre will continue advancing its Ngami and Okavango copper Projects.This combined strategy provides exposure to potential Tier 1 discoveries, a development opportunity at Ngami and short-term discoveries on our Okavango project.”
Commenting on the transaction, Martin Holland Chairman of the Cobre board, said:
“First and foremost, I would like to extend my gratitude to BHP for their exceptional efforts in the 2024 BHP Xplor program, which aims to foster bold thinking and elevate global exploration to new heights.
I would also like to thank the Cobre Board and team, especially our CEO Adam Wooldridge and Technical Lead Thomas Krebs, for their tireless dedication throughout the year-and-a-half-long process that has led us to this point and for their efforts in successfully finalising this transaction with BHP.”
Figure 1. Locality map illustrating the position of Cobre’s project areas. Green licenses are relevant tothe Transaction, dark grey licenses will be run, and are owned, independently by Cobre.
Geology, Mineralisation and Exploration Target
Mineralisation in the KCB is sediment-hosted and structurally controlled, with copper-silver mineralisation most frequently hosted along the redox contact between the basal units of the reduced marine sedimentary rocks of the D’Kar Formation and oxidised clastic sedimentary red bed units of the Kuke and Ngwako Pan Formations and the underlying volcanosedimentary Kgwebe Formation. Of particular interest for Tier 1 deposits are the tight, upright folds which offer ideal trap-sites for upgrading of copper-silver mineralisation and formation of large deposits. These folds are typically bounded by district-scale shears (often with evidence of copper anomalism) which would provide the necessary plumbing architecture for movement of copper-rich fluids during basin formation and subsequent closure and deformation. A schematic illustration of the preserved fold hinge model is illustrated in Figure 2. The upcoming exploration programme will focus on testing these buried anticline hinge zones along with assessing primary basin architecture, source rocks, fluid pathways and trap-site mechanisms.
Figure 2: Schematic illustrating of the target model compared with typical settings for known KCB deposits.
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This article includes content from Cobre Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
New Ground Acquisition at Broken Hill
- Impact to acquire a large tenement package from New Frontier Minerals Limited (ASX:NFM) adjoining its existing ground holding that almost completely surrounds the giant Broken Hill lead-zinc-silver mine in New South Wales.
- Impact’s ground now extends over 1,770 sq km and covers an area considered extremely prospective for large copper deposits following a novel exploration model that formed the basis of the company’s participation in the inaugural BHP Xplor program in 2023.
- Detailed mapping and sampling of 99 gabbro sills and other work completed during the Xplor program confirmed the copper potential with numerous areas for further exploration identified within the Broken Hill sequence. At least one such target lies within the newly acquired ground.
- Next steps will include ground geophysics to help identify targets for drilling.
- Terms of the acquisition are as follows: Impact to purchase BHA No 1 Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of NFM, for $275,000 in Impact shares and subject to staged voluntary escrow over six months commencing one month after Completion.
The acquisition builds on exploration and research completed as part of the BHP Xplor program, in which Impact participated in its inaugural year, and positions the company as one of the largest ground holders in the region, particularly to the south of Broken Hill. Impact now has 100% ownership of tenements covering 1,770 sq km and over 100 kilometres of strike (Figures 1 and 2; ASX Releases January 17, 2023, and February 16, 2023).
The Broken Hill region is currently experiencing a resurgence of interest in exploration. Broken Hill Mines (ASX: BHM, formerly Coolabah Metals Limited) recently purchased the privately owned Rasp Mine in Broken Hill and the nearby Pinnacles deposit. In addition, South32 Limited has entered a joint venture with a private company that owns a significant ground holding north of the Broken Hill mine. This interest is partly driven by a recent increase in silver prices and long-term demand trends for zinc and lead.
The Search for Copper at Broken Hill
Since the discovery of the giant Broken Hill deposit in 1883, most previous exploration has focused on silver-lead-zinc mineralisation. However, various styles of copper mineralisation are also known to occur throughout the region and have been the focus of some exploration and shallow drilling, though with limited success (Figures 1 and 2). Since copper mineralisation is commonly associated with, but peripheral to, numerous silver-lead-zinc deposits, many exploration geologists have asked, “Where is the large copper deposit at Broken Hill?”.
Figure 1. Image of regional total magnetic intensity showing the Broken Hill orebody (Line of Lode), Impact’s granted licences and licence applications and the new tenements acquired. Note the Thackeringa Fault and Farmcote shear zone, both interpreted as deep-seated long-lived crustal lineaments, and the interpreted sub-basin in the new tenements. Widespread copper occurrences attest to the prospectivity of the region for copper. Impact’s rock chip locations are also shown.
Figure 2. Image of the first vertical derivative of regional magnetic data as in Figure 1. A detailed interpretation of this data has resulted in the identification of numerous target areas for large copper deposits.
Impact became interested in the region's copper potential during exploration for silver-lead- zinc at the Dora East prospect, located about 30 km south of Broken Hill (Figures 1 and 2). Here, Impact discovered moderate widths of high-grade silver-lead-zinc mineralisation and narrow zones of high-grade copper-silver mineralisation (Figure 3 and ASX Releases December 8, 2015, and February 19 2016).
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This article includes content from Impact Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Anax Metals Limited
Investor Insight
Anax Metals, an ASX-listed exploration company, is dedicated to advancing its copper assets in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Through key joint ventures and strategic partnerships, the company is well-positioned to develop a central processing hub, enhancing operational efficiency and delivering strong investor value.
Overview
Anax Metals (ASX:ANX) is a project developer that is on track to begin producing copper and zinc concentrates from its flagship Whim Creek project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The project is 80 percent owned by Anax, with JV partner Develop Global (Develop) owning the remaining 20 percent. The Whim Creek DFS (and leaching study) have demonstrated the opportunity for an eight-year mining operation producing copper concentrates, cathodes and valuable byproducts. The operation will generate $410 million in cash flow and deliver an NPV of $270 million with a development capex of $71 million.
The company believes its growth potential lies both in expanding the mineral resources across the project’s four deposits and in a consolidation strategy that includes a processing hub with a concentrator and heap leach at Whim Creek. Benefits from the consolidation include delivering economies of scale with processing flexibility to treat ores from regional orebodies. The permitted infrastructure is ideally located and suited to becoming the Pilbara-processing hub.
Anax Metals and GreenTech Metals signed a non-binding and non-exclusive memorandum of understanding to assess the potential to treat mined material from GreenTech’s base metal assets, with a focus on the open-pittable Whundo deposit.
Anax Metals also signed a non-binding and non-exclusive memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Artemis Resources (ASX:ARV) to jointly assess the potential for processing the copper content of Artemis’ open-pittable Greater Carlow resource at the fully-permitted Whim Creek Processing hub. Anax and Artemis also agree to evaluate the potential for Artemis to explore for gold mineralisation on the Anax project tenure.
Company Highlights
- Anax Metals focuses on delivering copper production at the Whim Creek copper-zinc project within the next 18 to 24 months, targeting over $400 million in free cash flow across an eight-year mine life.
- The company aims to drive resource expansion and consolidate copper assets in the Pilbara region by developing a central processing hub.
- Since completing the DFS last year, Anax Metals has been evaluating opportunities to increase Whim Creek’s production capacity beyond 20 kt of copper equivalent per year.
- Capital requirements are expected to remain low, with plans to leverage existing infrastructure and deploy preconcentration technology to optimize processing capacity..
- Anax Metals actively collaborates with key partners, including Develop Global (ASX:DVP), Greentech Metals (ASX:GRE), and several metal trading groups.
Key Projects
Whim Creek Copper-Zinc Project
Whim Creek is strategically located along the NW Coastal Highway in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, approximately 120 km from both Port Hedland and Karratha. With a long history of copper production, the project benefits from existing infrastructure, including dams, haul roads, offices, workshops, and a dedicated gas spur line. Currently being developed as an 80/20 joint venture between Anax Metals and Develop Global, Whim Creek hosts four key deposits—Whim Creek, Mons Cupri, Salt Creek, and Evelyn. These deposits feature structurally controlled, volcanic-hosted massive sulphide copper-zinc-lead mineralization, presenting significant development potential.
On-going exploration work at Evelyn resulted in discovering exciting new targets for future drilling campaigns scheduled in early 2025. Exploration works conducted in 2024 indicated high copper grades and new soil anomalies. The company is assessing the regional potential of the granted Evelyn Mining Lease for further high-grade VMS-type, polymetallic base metal deposits.
Anax Metals announced its recent application for an exploration license (E47/5275) covering 65 sub-blocks spanning approximately 207 sq. km, which extends the company’s landholding to the south and west of the Whim Creek joint venture tenement package. Once granted, the new tenement will be 100 percent owned by Anax. The majority of E47/5275 lies within the Whim Creek Greenstone Belt, which is highly prospective for volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralization, similar to the Whim Creek and Mons Cupri deposits.
Production – Concentrator and Heap Leach
Since completing the definitive feasibility study in 2023, Anax has promoted Whim Creek as a regional processing hub, with potential for an expanded production capacity over 20 kt copper equivalent. Highlights of the technical report include FCF generation of $410 million over an eight-year mine life. Processing would be predominantly through the planned concentrator. Heap leaching is anticipated to begin in the second year of production.
Anax has achieved significant success with bioleaching technology, reporting up to 80 percent copper and 90 percent zinc extraction rates. This innovative approach enhances metal recovery and supports the company’s commitment to sustainable practices.
A processing hub with sorting, concentrator and heap leach facilities
The company believes the project will also provide a processing solution for surrounding projects located within trucking distance of Anax’s processing facility. In the long term, Anax plans to establish a Pilbara Base Metal Alliance to facilitate collaboration with other base metal projects in the region.
Management Team
Phillip Jackson - Chairman
Phillip Jackson is a barrister and solicitor with significant legal and international corporate experience, Phillip Jackson specialises in commercial and contract law, mining and energy law and corporate governance. He has been a director and chairman of a number of ASX and AIM listed minerals companies.
Geoff Laing - Managing Director
Geoff Laing is a chemical engineer with 30 years in mining and project development. He has been involved in the exploration and junior mining sector for the last 15 years, taking on corporate and advisory roles. He was a key player in Exco Resources’ divestment of a substantial copper asset for $175 million to Xstrata Copper, and as managing director, he delivered the successful takeover of the company by WH Sol Pattinson.
Peter Cordin - Non-executive Director
Peter Cordin is a civil engineer with over 45 years' global experience in mining and exploration, both at operational and senior management levels. He has direct experience in the construction and management of diamond and gold operations in Australia, Fenno-Scandinavia and Indonesia.
Phil Warren - Non-executive Director
Phil Warren is a chartered accountant with over 25 years’ experience in board governance, corporate advisory and capital raising advice. Warren has spent a number of years working overseas for major international investment banks. He is currently a non-executive director of ASX listed companies, including Family Zone Cyber Safety, Narryer Metals, Killi Resource and Rent.com.au. He was a founding director of Cassini Resources, which was subsequently acquired by Oz Minerals.
Jenine Owen - Chief Financial Officer
Jenine Owen joined Anax in 2020, where she is responsible for corporate risk management, financial management and financial reporting. She is a chartered accountant with extensive finance and commercial experience, including several CFO roles in ASX listed entities. Having started her career with Deloitte (Zimbabwe) in the external assurance division, she moved to London in 1999 where she held various finance and governance roles before settling in Australia in 2008. Prior to joining Anax, Owen was CFO at Predictive Discovery (ASX:PDI).
Andrew Mcdonald - General Manager
Andrew McDonald is a seasoned geologist with over 20 years of experience in project management, development, resource geology, and exploration across a wide range of commodities. He has held roles with several ASX-listed mining companies, where he has led project development and managed regulatory approvals for mining projects in both Australia and the United States.
Dan O’Hara – Environmental Manager
Dan O’Hara is an experienced environmental professional with over 15 years in environmental management across the mining, oil and gas, construction, and government sectors. In recent years, he has played a key role in securing environmental permits for mining projects in Western Australia.
American West Gearing up for Transformational Year at the Storm Copper Project, Canada
Positive Preliminary Economic Analysis (PEA) defines Pathway to Production:
- Initial production target. Study on a starter operation at Storm based on mining inventory of 10.3Mt @ 1.3% Cu, 3.7g/t Ag delivers 487,000t of copper concentrate at 17.1% Cu, 49g/t Ag
- 10-year production plan. Initial mine plan covers 10 years of production with scope to increase both the scale of the mining operation and the mine life with potential increases in the Storm Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE)
- Attractive financials. Robust economics (estimated based on the assumptions in the base case and assuming no leverage):
- Total revenue – Approx. US$839m
- Post-tax NPV8 – Approx. US$149m
- Post-tax IRR – Approx. 46%
- Payback of Approx. 3 years
- Low-cost operation. Very low capex and operating costs of approximately:
- Initial CAPEX - US$47.4m
- Life of mine CAPEX - US$80.3m
- C1 Cost - US$2.63/lb
- Enhanced shareholder returns with leverage. Pre-tax IRR of approximately 135% with project development using 100% debt finance. American West is in discussions with a number of parties that are considering proposals to provide off-take finance or other debt solutions for development of Storm
- Innovative processing with high ESG credentials. Simple ore-sorting and beneficiation produces a high-quality copper-silver product with zero deleterious elements, chemicals, and tailings
- Mine permitting to commence. Mine permitting will now be initiated based on the PEA with potential for a further US$3.5 million to be advanced in the near- term under the Storm royalty arrangement with Taurus Mining Royalty Fund
2025 drilling to accelerate growth of copper resources:
- Existing resource is just the beginning. Major drill program planned for 2025 to accelerate the definition of copper resources along the 110km Storm Copper belt
- 2024 discoveries ready for resource definition drilling. Potential to rapidly increase the MRE through resource definition drilling of new discoveries, including:
- The Gap – a strong EM anomaly confirmed with drilling that returned 20m @ 2.3% Cu from 28m
- Cyclone Deeps – potential continuation of the large Cyclone Deposit at depth with drill intercepts such as 10m @ 1.2% Cu from 311m
- Squall – EM anomaly with drilling confirming high-grade copper of 1.5m @ 2.36 Cu from 181.4m at end of hole
- Hailstorm – chalcocite boulders at surface that returned assays of >50% Cu within a geochemical soil anomaly over 3km2
- Regional targets highlight large endowment potential. Pipeline of large-scale exploration targets along the 110km copper belt including:
- Tornado/Blizzard – located 5km east of the Storm copper deposits the area hosts a 3.2km x 1.5km geochemical copper anomaly and two large electromagnetic (EM) plates yet to be drilled
- Tempest – 4km long zone of gossans located 40km south of the Storm MRE with assays from surface samples returning base metal grades up to 38.2% Cu and 30.8% Zn
- Geophysics to generate new targets. Large airborne Mobile Magneto-Telluric (MT) survey planned for the Storm MRE area and other areas of interest along the 110km prospective copper horizon
- Forward planning for 2025 field season. The sealift operation completed in Q4 2024 delivered bulk supplies to Storm in preparation for the 2025 field season, significantly streamlining logistics to enable a short lead time for start of drilling in 2025 and reducing 2025 costs by circa. $4m
The PEA has outlined a technically robust project and demonstrated that Storm has the potential to become a profitable, long-life mine with strong economic returns for the Company.
The PEA estimates that an open pit mining and mineral processing facility at Storm can be developed with a low initial capital cost of US$47.4m to deliver a project NPV of approximately US$149m and a post-tax IRR of approximately 46%.
Shareholder returns can be substantially enhanced by use of 100% debt to fund development, which boosts the approximate pre-tax IRR to an impressive 135%. American West is in ongoing discussions with a number of parties regarding the potential for off-take or other debt-based financing for the development of Storm.
The PEA is based on the current Storm MRE of 20.6Mt at 1.1% Cu and 3.8g/t Ag which contains 229Kt of copper and 2.2Moz of silver (using a 0.35% Cu cut-off). With less than 5% of the 110km prospective copper horizon at Storm systematically explored with drilling and numerous exploration targets already identified along the copper belt, there is strong potential to add significant copper resources to the Storm MRE. The Company is planning a major exploration program for 2025 to test a pipeline of high-quality copper targets.
American West believes the dual focus of exploration in pursuit of new discoveries while progressing feasibility studies will continue to stamp Storm as an attractive copper development opportunity.
The below key economic metrics of the PEA highlight the competitive cost profile and investment returns (all financial metrics are approximations estimated on the basis of assumptions in the PEA). A copy of the PEA is attached to this ASX Release.
Dave O’Neill, American West’s Managing Director, said:
“Our field work and development studies in 2024 have laid the groundwork for what we believe will be a transformational year for American West.
“The initial economic study is an enormous milestone for the Storm Copper Project. It is exciting to announce a low capital cost pathway to mine development with significant upside to expand the production profile and mine life as our continuing exploration identifies further copper resources.
“Storm is now well positioned to be the next copper mine in Canada, joining other very successful base metal mines in the region such as Polaris (22Mt @ 14.1% Zn, 4% Pb) which operated for 21 Years, and Nanisivik (18Mt @ 9% Zn, 0.7% Pb) which operated for 26 years. We will now initiate the permitting process and progress feasibility study work.
“American West will also continue a strong focus on resource expansion and exploration drilling to fully unlock the resource potential along the prospective 110km copper belt at Storm.
“Exploration in 2024 delivered a pipeline of new discoveries and targets that we will follow-up in 2025. There are several large-scale exploration targets that offer excellent potential for a new discovery – walk-up drill targets that are supported by strong EM plates, gravity anomalies, copper gossans at surface, or high-grade copper confirmed by reconnaissance drilling.
“There is very strong potential to quickly add tonnes to the existing mineral resource estimate. With the scoping study supporting the economic potential of a mining operation at Storm, any increase in the resource is likely to further enhance the potential economics of that mining operation.
“We look forward to updating investors on the 2025 field program as arrangements are finalised.”
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This article includes content from American West Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
