
June 24, 2024
In the next two years, Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) is poised to become a serious gold producer in Western Australia, according to a report by Ricky Singh of Far East Coast Research.
“Given the ready access to existing infrastructure, an existing processing plant that requires small refurbishment costs as well as other non processing infrastructure, we think Brightstar is on a fast track to transition from currently a junior gold producer from small-scale toll-treating operations to a serious WA gold producer, potentially within the next two years,” the report noted.
Brightstar’s multiple gold projects are located in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, with a total defined gold resources estimate of 1.45Moz at 1.6g/t in addition to an existing processing plant that requires minimal refurbishment, which helps in reducing costs and accelerating project timelines.
Brightstar Resources’ combined scoping studies for its Menzies, Laverton and Jasper Hills projects show a combined NPV of AU$227 million with a small pre-production Capex of only AU$34 million. More importantly, this valuation is based on gold price inputs of A$2,900/oz and A$3,000/oz, which are now significantly below the current spot gold price.
The analyst further noted that positive NPV and low Capex requirements indicate strong economic viability, making the projects attractive for further development and investment.
Highlights of the report:
- Brightstar is on a fast track to transition from currently a junior gold producer with modest-scale toll-treating operations to a serious WA gold producer, potentially in the next two years.
- Two scooping studies showed a combined NPV8 of AU$227 million with a small pre-production Capex of only AU$34 million.
- A bullish outlook for gold prices remains intact. Gold prices surged in 2023 and early 2024 due to economic uncertainties, geopolitical tensions, and central bank purchases. Gold prices are expected to remain resilient in 2024, driven by investor demand, anticipated rate cuts, and geopolitical uncertainties, with a long-term uptrend due to institutional investment growth.
- Valuation range of AU$0.047–0.054 per share Using the DCF approach, a discount rate (WACC) of 12.5 percent and conservative assumptions on gold prices, exchange rates and operating costs, BTR is valued at AU$0.047 per share in a base-case scenario and AU$0.054 per share in a bullcase scenario.
- BTR will successfully raise additional AU$17 million equity at AU$0.02 per share and AU$17 million debt in 2025 to fund its development projects.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Brightstar Resources, 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.
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19 June
Brightstar Resources
Investor Insight
With multiple catalysts ahead, including resource upgrades, expanded production, and further development of its Laverton, Menzies, and Sandstone hubs, Brightstar Resources presents a compelling investment case in a rising gold market.
Overview
Gold has continued to demonstrate its resilience as a store of value, with prices peaking at US$3,500.05 per ounce, its all-time high. Amid ongoing global economic uncertainty, including inflationary pressures, rising geopolitical tensions, and volatile interest rate environments, investors have turned to gold as both a safe haven asset and a hedge against macroeconomic instability.
Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) is strategically positioned to capitalize on this environment as a low-cost, multi-asset gold developer with near-term production potential. The company controls over 1,500 square kilometers of highly prospective ground across three of Western Australia’s most prolific gold belts: the Laverton Tectonic Zone, the Menzies Shear Zone, and the Sandstone Greenstone Belt.
Unlike many junior exploration companies, Brightstar has a key differentiator: it owns a fully permitted, strategically located processing facility near Laverton. This existing infrastructure offers the company a critical advantage, enabling a low-capex restart scenario and faster time to cash flow compared to peers who must first secure permits and fund costly plant construction. This plant is subject of a DFS due for announcement in June 2025.
Through a focused multi-hub strategy, Brightstar has built a robust pipeline of development-ready and resource-growth projects, supported by:
- Over 3 million ounces of gold resources across Laverton, Menzies, and Sandstone;
- Ongoing high-grade drilling success in 2024 and 2025, including intercepts of up to 10m @ 43.8 g/t gold;
- A track record of low-cost, value-accretive acquisitions, such as Linden Gold Alliance and Alto Metals;
- A dedicated, in-house technical team executing on aggressive exploration, fast-tracked studies, and staged development.
With global gold demand remaining strong, Brightstar is well-positioned to deliver material shareholder value through its integrated production plan, supported by scalable infrastructure, a growing resource base, and access to capital. The company’s strategic approach includes combining brownfields development, organic exploration, and corporate M&A, placing it at the forefront of a new generation of Australian gold producers.
Company Highlights
- ASX-listed gold exploration and development company with a consolidated mineral endowment of 3 Moz of gold across Laverton, Menzies, and Sandstone hubs in Western Australia.
- Owns and operates 100 percent of project areas: 300 sq km in Laverton Tectonic Zone, 80 sq km in Menzies Shear Zone, and 1,200 sq km in Sandstone Greenstone Belt.
- Gold processing operations at the Laverton facility have commenced under an Ore Purchase Agreement (OPA) with Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX:GMD), marking a significant milestone in transitioning from exploration to production.
- Recent drilling campaigns have yielded strong high-grade results, including:
- 16m @ 8.0 g/t gold at Second Fortune (Laverton)
- 10m @ 43.8 g/t gold at Musketeer (Sandstone)
- 16m @ 8.0 g/t gold at Yunndaga (Menzies)
- Following the successful Linden Gold Alliance acquisition, Brightstar has commenced a DFS for the wider development of its Laverton and Menzies assets which is due for release imminently in June 2025.
- Ongoing Sandstone drilling continues to return high-grade intercepts, further supporting project advancement and MRE conversion.
- In 2024, Brightstar signed a $4 million drill-for-equity deal with Topdrill to fast-track exploration at Sandstone.
- The company has successfully executed a US$11.5 million (AU$18 million) revolving stockpile finance facility with Ocean Partners Australia.
Key Projects
Laverton Hub
Brightstar’s Laverton hub is comprised of the Cork Tree Well, Jasper Hills, Second Fortune, Beta and Alpha project areas.
Highlights:
- Combined, the Laverton Hub JORC mineral resource estimate is 15.7 Mt @ 1.7 g/t gold for 848 koz (49 percent measured and indicated category). All mineral resources are on granted mining leases
- Cork Tree Well (6.4 Mt at 1.4 g/t gold for 292 koz gold)
- Alpha (1.4 Mt at 2.3 g/t gold for 106 koz gold)
- Beta (1.9 Mt at 1.7 g/t gold for 102 koz gold)
- Lord Byron (5.2 Mt at 1.5 g/t gold for 251 koz gold)
- Fish (376 kt at 4.0 g/t gold for 49 koz gold)
- Second Fortune (92 kt at 13.4 g/t gold for 40 koz gold)
- Gilt Key (168 kt at 1.3 g/t gold for 8 koz gold)
- Main project area Cork Tree Well is open at depth and along strike with recent drilling results of 34.4 meters at 7.94 g/t gold from 43.5 meters (CTWMET004) and 27.6 meters at 17.8 g/t gold from 51 m (CTWMET003)
- Second Fortune has a mineral resource estimate head grade of ~11g/t gold with an average ore body width of 0.6 meters.
- Jasper Hills is located 50 km from Brightstar’s existing processing facility along a wholly-owned private haul road, allowing unimpeded, direct access to both projects
- Permitted, previously mined and production-ready
- Last mined by current owners in 2020 with 23,000 oz gold mined
- Growth Drivers:
- Second Fortune: Consistent, stable production and cash generation through 2025
- Fish: Mining activities have commenced and site establishment is continuing.
- First ore production targeted in June
- Open pits development: Large scale production opportunities through mining Lord Byron and Cork Tree Well as multi-year base load ore sources
- DFS: due for delivery in June 2025, including design and costs for expansion of BTR-owned processing infrastructure to 1Mtpa.
Menzies Hub
The Menzies Hub comprises a tenement holding of a contiguous land package of granted mining leases over a strike length of more than 20 km. The majority of deposits hosted along the Menzies Shear Zone are located adjacent to the Goldfields Highway in Menzies (130km north of Kalgoorlie).
Highlights:
- Total Current Resource: 12.7 Mt at 1.4 g/t gold for 589 koz gold (37 percent measured and indicated)
- DFS: due for delivery in June 2025, including design and costs for open pit and underground mining for toll processing/ore sales to a regional Kalgoorlie-Menzies mill.
- Growth Drivers:
- Lady Shenton Open Pit: Proposed multi-year consistent open pit production to provide cash generation. Targeting approvals received and ‘mine ready’ in 2025
- Yunndaga Underground: Planned infill drilling targeting conversion of Inferred Mineral Resources to M+I to support inclusion in future mining operations – recent results from this program include 16m @ 8.0 g/t gold
- Development: Advancing discussions with regional mills for 3rd party processing capacity in the Kalgoorlie-Menzies region, targeting a mining decision.
Sandstone Hub
The consolidated Sandstone project is over 100 km from existing third-party milling operations in the Murchison. This third processing hub boasts Alto’s Sandstone project with a mineral resource of 1.05 Moz at 1.4 g/t gold and Gateway’s Montague gold project with a mineral resource of 0.5 Moz @ 1.6 g/t gold.
Growth Drivers:
- Sandstone: Upgrade the Lords, Vanguard, Indomitable and Havilah camps to Indicated classification (40,000m RC+DD)
- Montague: Infill Montague and Whistler to Indicated classification (5,000m RC and 1,200m DD) – RC
- Greenfields: Follow up drilling of priority prospects across Sandstone Hub (West Hacks, Hancocks, Bulchina, Lords Corridor, Duplex) – recent drilling success includes exceptional intercepts at the Musketeer prospect yielding 10m @ 43.8 g/t gold
- Pre-Feasibility Study: Incorporation of 2025 drilling results into MRE upgrades to then factor into 1H 2026 Sandstone PFS
Management Team
Alex Rovira - Managing Director
Alex Rovira is a qualified geologist and an experienced investment banker having focused on the metals and mining sector since 2013. Rovira has experience in ASX equity capital markets activities, including capital raisings, IPOs and merger and acquisitions.
Richard Crookes - Non-executive Chairman
Richard Crookes has over 35 years’ experience in the resources and investments industries. He is a geologist by training having previously worked as the chief geologist and mining manager of Ernest Henry Mining in Australia.
Crookes is managing partner of Lionhead Resources, a critical minerals investment fund and formerly an investment director at EMR Capital. Prior to that he was an executive director in Macquarie Bank’s Metals Energy Capital (MEC) division where he managed all aspects of the bank’s principal investments in mining and metals companies.
Andrew Rich - Executive Director
Andrew Rich is a degree qualified mining engineer from the WA School of Mines and has obtained a WA First Class Mine Managers Certificate. Rich has a strong background in underground gold mining with experience predominantly in the development of underground mines at Ramelius Resources (ASX:RMS) and Westgold Resources (ASX:WGX).
Ashley Fraser - Non-executive Director
Ashley Fraser is an accomplished mining professional with over 30 years experience across gold and bulk commodities. Fraser was a founder of Orionstone (which merged with Emeco in a $660-million consolidation) and is a founder/owner of Blue Cap Mining and Blue Cap Equities.
Jonathan Downes - Non-executive Director
Jonathan Downes has over 30 years’ experience in the minerals industry and has worked in various geological and corporate capacities. Experienced with gold and base metals, he has been intimately involved with the exploration process through to production. Downes is currently the managing director of Kaiser Reef, a high grade gold producer, and non-executive director of Cazaly Resources.
Dean Vallve – Chief Development Officer
Dean Vallve holds technical qualifications in geology & mining engineering from the WA School of Mines, an MBA, and a WA First Class Mine Managers Certificate. Vallve was previously in senior mining and study roles at ASX listed mid-cap resources companies Hot Chili (ASX:HCH) and Calidus Resources (ASX:CAI).
Nicky Martin – Chief Financial Officer
Nicky Martin is an experienced finance and accounting professional holding tertiary qualifications in accounting and finance and is a qualified CPA. Martin was previously the Head of Finance at Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS) where she oversaw and was actively involved in a rapidly growing mining success story.
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Emerging gold producer and district-scale resource developer in Western Australia
30 June
Merger Discussions Between Brightstar and Aurumin
29 June
Menzies and Laverton Gold Projects Feasibility Study
25 June
Maiden Underground Ore Reserves Underpins FY26 Production
Brightstar Resources (BTR:AU) has announced Maiden Underground Ore Reserves Underpins FY26 Production
24 June
BTR executes processing MoU for Menzies Gold Project
22m
Munda Gold Mine - Purchase of Mine Camp, Nickel Rights and Water Assets from WIN Metals
Auric Mining Limited (ASX: AWJ) (Auric or the Company) together with WIN Metals Ltd (ASX: WIN) (WIN Metals or WIN) are pleased to announce that the two parties have successfully agreed to the purchase of a package of WIN assets including all nickel and associated minerals rights, water access rights and a fully equipped mining camp all relating to Auric’s Munda Gold Mine.
Highlights
- This milestone agreement considerably enhances Auric’s mining operations at its Munda Gold Mine.
- Acquisition includes a fully equipped mining camp and all related assets six kilometres from Munda Gold Mine.
- All Nickel rights and entitlements will be owned by Auric.
- Sole access and usage of stored water in the 132N pit by Auric.
- Total purchase price $1.4 Million (ex GST), payable in two tranches: Tranche 1 $900,000 paid 30 June 2025, Tranche 2 $500,000 due 31 July 2025.
Management Comment
Managing Director, Mark English, said:“This acquisition gives Auric greater control over our destiny for open pit mining at our Munda Gold Mine.
“Buying all nickel rights from WIN sees us taking another major step forward at Munda. We’ve moved mining at Munda along rapidly this year and are pleased this hurdle to progress our future expansion will be removed.
“There’s not much water around Widgiemooltha, so as part of this transaction, we are acquiring additional access to stored water in the 132N pit. Having adequate water is extremely important for our mining operations. The mining camp is another huge bonus for Auric being located just six kilometres north of our mine.
“We have reached a highly satisfactory agreement for all Auric shareholders,” said Mr English.
WIN Metals. Managing Director and CEO, Steve Norregaard, said:“WIN wish Auric all the best with their Munda gold project development.
“Proposed Nickel mining at Munda was not contemplated in WIN’s 2024 scoping study and as such would have been far into the future for the Mt Edwards Nickel Project. With the outlook of a prolonged subdued nickel price the opportunity to monetise a relatively small portion of the total projects nickel resource base will provide cash for investment into WIN’s gold assets. This is a transaction that makes sense for both companies,” said Mr Norregaard.
The Announcement
The total consideration is $1.4 million, (ex GST) payable in two separate tranches: the first tranche of $900,000 paid on 30 June 2025, the second, $500,000 due on or before July 31, 2025.
Included in the purchase is a fully equipped mining camp located six kilometres north of the Munda Gold Mine sufficient to house the entire workforce. Additional in the deal, Auric has also acquired sole access to all the water in the pit at 132N, just a short distance from the Munda mine.
Auric will at completion own all mineral rights at Munda, except lithium. The lithium mineral rights remain with WIN.
Upon completion of both tranches, on or before 31 July 2025, Auric will have paid WIN a total of $1.4 million (ex GST), for the mining camp, which includes all associated infrastructure such as solar panels, generators, bulk fuel storage, storage containers together with water rights to the 132N pit and all nickel rights and associated entitlements at Munda. The parties have agreed to expedite the grant of miscellaneous licences over the WIN tenements to secure road access as well as the camp.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Auric Mining, 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.
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8h
Equity Metals
Investor Insight
Equity Metals offers investors exposure to high-grade silver and gold discoveries in British Columbia through a dual-track strategy of expanding its flagship Silver Queen resource and advancing the newly acquired Arlington district.
Overview
Equity Metals (TSXV:EQTY,OTCQB:EQMEF,FSE:EGSD) is fast-tracking exploration at its 100 percent owned Silver Queen project in British Columbia, targeting resource expansion and derisking of one of the province's most prospective high-grade polymetallic deposits. Located within the prolific Skeena Arch near the historic Equity Silver and Huckleberry mines, Silver Queen boasts an NI 43-101 compliant resource of 62.8 million ounces (Moz) silver equivalent (indicated) and 22.5 Moz silver equivalent (inferred), with 2024 drilling extending known zones and identifying new mineralized areas.
Complementing this is the Arlington gold-copper-silver project, a newly acquired district-scale, never-before drill-tested project located in southern BC's Greenwood Mining Division. With analogues to historic producers like Phoenix and Buckhorn, Arlington is being aggressively explored with 3,000 meters of drilling underway, focused on delineating high-grade gold-enriched polymetallic mineralization.Parameters for the NI 43-101 Compliant Mineral Resource Estimate are in the Appendix and in the EQTY News Release, dated Dec 1, 2022
Together, Silver Queen and Arlington offer a balanced exposure to high-grade polymetallic and gold-rich systems. The former provides near-term resource expansion and development optionality, while the latter opens up district-scale discovery potential.
In addition, Equity Metals holds interests in the Monument and WO diamond properties in the Lac de Gras region (Northwest Territories), proximal to the Diavik and Ekati mines, and the La Ronge silica project in Saskatchewan. These projects offer upside optionality for strategic partnerships or asset sales.
Company Highlights
- Flagship High-grade Project – Silver Queen: Over 85 million silver-equivalent ounces defined in the heart of BC's Skeena Arch mineral belt, surrounded by Tier 1 infrastructure and historical producers.
- New Gold Discovery Potential – Arlington project: A district-scale, early-stage gold-copper-silver system with analogues to major past-producing skarn and vein-hosted mines in the region.
- Fully Funded for 2025: 9,000 meters of combined drilling is underway across both Silver Queen and Arlington with assay results expected to drive news flow through Q3 and Q4 2025.
- Experienced Management and Technical Team: Track record of discovery and mine development across North America, including the Penasquito and Eskay Creek mines and the Wind Mountain project.
- Exposure to Critical and Precious Metals: Balanced portfolio spanning silver, gold, copper and diamonds with optionality in battery materials (silica) and critical minerals.
Key Projects
Silver Queen Project
The Silver Queen project is Equity Metals’ 100 percent owned flagship asset located in central British Columbia’s prolific Skeena Arch, approximately 35 km south of Houston. This 18,871-hectare property consists of 17 crown-granted titles and 46 tenure claims in the Omineca Mining Division. Surrounded by past-producing and active mines, including the Equity silver mine, Berg, Endako and Mt. Milligan, the project benefits from established infrastructure such as roads, power and rail access.
Silver Queen hosts a high-grade polymetallic system featuring silver, gold, copper, lead and zinc mineralization. The project is underpinned by a robust NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate (as of December 2022) consisting of 62.8 million ounces (Moz) silver-equivalent (AgEq) in the indicated category grading 565 grams per ton (g/t) AgEq, and 22.5 Moz AgEq in the inferred category grading 365 g/t AgEq. This includes 3.46 million tons (Mt) of indicated resources averaging 189 g/t silver, 2.13 g/t gold, 0.24 percent copper, 0.6 percent lead, and 3.5 percent zinc, and 1.92 Mt of inferred resources grading 167 g/t silver, 0.82 g/t gold, 0.23 percent copper, 0.5 percent lead, and 2 percent zinc.
The mineralization occurs in multiple steeply dipping epithermal vein systems, subdivided into the No. 3, NG-3, Camp and Sveinson veins. Each exhibits distinct metal zonation – the Camp veins are silver-dominant, while the Sveinson, No. 3 and NG-3 show a stronger gold bias. Bonanza grades have been intercepted at multiple locations, including down-hole drill core intervals assaying up to 56,115 g/t silver over 0.3 metres in recent drill results. High sulphide and low sulphide vein environments have both been identified, suggesting a long-lived and multi-phase mineralizing event.
Since late 2020, Equity has completed 52,877 meters of drilling in 146 holes, targeting extensions and new zones of mineralization. In 2024 alone, four target areas – George Lake, Camp North, No. 3 North and Camp-Sveinson – were tested via 17,209 meters across 42 holes. Drilling resulted in the delineation of a 550-metre strike-length for mineralization in the George Lake target and a 400-metre strike-length for mineralization in the No. 3 North target, as well as several extensions of earlier identified veins in the Camp Deposit and a new discovery in the Camp North target. A 6,000-meter 2025 drilling program will further test these zones with updated modeling and resource growth expected in Q3 2025.
Metallurgical testing completed in both 1988 and 2022 yielded positive recoveries: 83 percent gold, 95 percent silver, 93 percent copper, 91 percent lead, and 98 percent zinc. A follow-up metallurgical program is planned to support preliminary development studies. With extensive underground development (~9 km of historic workings) and proximity to key infrastructure, the Silver Queen project is well positioned for advancement toward economic studies and ultimately, a potential strategic transaction.
Arlington Project
The Arlington project is a 3,584-hectare, early-stage exploration asset located in southern British Columbia’s Greenwood Mining Division, approximately 65 km south of Kelowna. The project sits within the prolific Quesnel Terrane and is accessible year-round via Highway 33 and a network of logging roads. The region hosts several historical producers including the Buckhorn, Phoenix, and Beaverdell mines, which have collectively yielded more than 2 Moz gold, 6 Moz silver and 500 Mlb copper.
Arlington encompasses multiple mineral occurrences and at least four deposit styles across a more than 5 km strike length. Historic and recent surface work has confirmed high-grade mineralization with rock samples returning values up to 11.67 g/t gold, 211 g/t silver, and 3.22 percent copper. The 2025 exploration program, currently underway, includes a 3,000-metre drill campaign primarily targeting the Fresh Pots gold-silver anomaly – a large (2 km x 1 km) intrusion-related gold system delineated by multi-element soil geochemistry and magnetic lows.
Other high-priority targets include:
- Rona Porphyry Target: A copper-molybdenum-gold system with pyroxenite intrusive-hosted mineralization. Rock chip assays have returned >1 percent molybdenum, 0.6 g/t gold, and 32.4 g/t silver. The area is characterized by a large copper-nickel soil anomaly and widespread argillic alteration in adjacent sedimentary rocks.
- Arlington Polymetallic Veins: A structurally controlled vein system with documented historic workings. Highlights include Arlington South (11.67 g/t gold, 3.22 percent copper) and Arlington North (1.86 g/t gold, 1.07 percent copper), suggesting vertical metal zonation and potential for stacked vein systems.
- Skarn and Replacement Targets: Notably at the Bru and Arlington zones, analogous to Buckhorn and Phoenix, where gold-copper magnetite skarns produced over 1 Moz historically.
In early 2025, Equity Metals completed a property-wide airborne magnetic/radiometric survey and LiDAR mapping campaign to refine targeting. Soil and till geochemistry, IP surveying and mapping continue across the license area to delineate follow-up drill targets for 2026.
Management Team
Lawrence Page – Chairman and Director
A seasoned mining executive with over four decades of experience, Lawrence Page has helped finance and develop several major discoveries including Penasquito (Mexico), Eskay Creek and Hemlo. He brings strategic oversight and a deep network within the exploration and capital markets community.
Joseph A. Kizis Jr. – President and Director
With over 40 years of mineral exploration experience, Joseph Kizis has been instrumental in advancing gold, silver and base metal projects across North America. He is also president of Bravada Gold and has played key roles in advancing Wind Mountain in Nevada and Homestake Ridge in BC.
Robert W.J. Macdonald – VP Exploration
Robert Macdonald leads Equity Metals’ technical team and brings extensive epithermal and porphyry system expertise. His past project experience includes Homestake Ridge in BC and Cerro Las Minitas in Mexico, and he is the Qualified Person for all technical disclosures.
Killian Ruby – CFO and Director
As president and CEO of Malaspina Consultants and a former senior manager at KPMG LLP, Killian Ruby brings financial discipline, governance strength and tax expertise. He also serves as CFO for several junior resource companies.
John Kerr – Director
A professional engineer with five decades of exploration experience, John Kerr has contributed to the discovery and development of projects such as Santa Fe and Mindora in Nevada, and Frasergold in BC.
Courtney Shearer – Director
Courtney Shearer has served in executive and advisory roles with multiple Canadian mining companies, including San Gold Corporation, where he led strategic evaluations and project planning initiatives.
Arie Page – Corporate Secretary
Arie Page provides legal and corporate compliance support and has served as corporate secretary for numerous public companies within the Manex Resource Group.
Appendix:
Silver Queen Mineral Resource Estimate (NI 43-101 Compliant, Dec. 1, 2022) (C$100 NSR cut-off)
- The current Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Garth Kirkham, P.Geo., of Kirkham Geosystems Ltd and Eugene Puritch, P. Eng., FEC, CET and Fred Brown, P, Geo. of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (“P&E”), Independent Qualified Persons (“QP”), as defined by National instrument 43-101.
- All Mineral Resources have been estimated in accordance with Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) definitions, as required under National Instrument 43-101 (“NI43-101”).
- Mineral Resources were constrained using continuous mining units demonstrating reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction.
- Silver and Gold Equivalents were calculated from the interpolated block values using relative process recoveries and prices between the component metals and silver to determine a final AgEq and AuEq values.
- Silver and Gold Equivalents and NSR$/t values were calculated using average long-term prices of $20/oz silver, $1,700/oz gold, $3.50/lb copper, $0.95/lb lead and $1.45/lb zinc. All metal prices are stated in $USD. The C$100/tonne NSR cut-off grade value for the underground Mineral Resource was derived from mining costs of C$70/t, with process costs of C$20/t and G&A of C$10/t. Process recoveries used were Au 70%, Ag 80%, Cu 80%, Pb 81% and Zn 90%.
- Grade capping was performed on 1m composites for the No. 3 and NG-3 veins and whole vein composites for the Camp and Sveinson veins. For the No. 3 and NG-3 veins Inverse distance cubed (I/d3) was utilized for grade interpolation for Au and Ag and inverse distance squared (I/d2) was utilized for Cu, Pb and Zn. Inverse distance squared (I/d2) was used for all metals in the Camp and Sveinson veins.
- A bulk density of 3.56t/m3 was used for all tonnage calculations in the No. 3 and NG-3 veins. A variable density with a 3.15 average was used for the Camp and Sveinson veins.
- Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves until they have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral Resource Estimates do not account for a Mineral Resource’s mineability, selectivity, mining loss, or dilution.
- An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration.
- All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate and therefore numbers may not appear to add precisely.
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10h
Zijin Mining to Acquire Major Kazakh Gold Mine for US$1.2 Billion
China’s Zijin Mining Group (OTC Pink:ZIJMF,HKEX:2899,SHA:601899), the country’s largest producer of gold and copper, has agreed to acquire Kazakhstan’s Raygorodok gold mine for US$1.2 billion.
The deal, announced on Monday (June 30) through a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, furthers the company’s ambition of becoming one of the world’s top three gold producers by 2028.
Raygorodok is reportedly among the largest and most technologically advanced gold projects in Central Asia. It produced 6 metric tons of gold in 2024 at a production cost of US$796 per ounce, excluding non-cash items.
With a remaining mine life of 16 years and average annual output of 5.5 metric tons of gold, Zijin expects the mine, located in Northern Kazakhstan, to boost both its earnings and production starting this year.
Raygorodok's total ore reserves are estimated at 94.9 million metric tons, containing approximately 100.6 metric tons (3.5 million ounces) of gold, based on a gold price of US$1,750 per ounce.
However, Zijin believes that considering the current market for the yellow metal, there is clear potential to expand production and reserves by improving the pit design under a higher gold price assumption. Furthermore, a US$420 million processing plant, operational since mid-2022, has significantly expanded the mine’s output capacity.
Annual production rose from 50,000 ounces in 2023 to an expected 190,000 ounces in 2025, using carbon-in-pulp and heap-leaching technologies that improve extraction efficiency from low-grade ore. As of the end of 2024, Raygorodok reported net assets of US$291 million and posted a net profit of US$202 million on US$473 million in revenue.
The asset is currently owned by Cantech, a Kazakhstan-based firm 65 percent held by V Group International, one of the country’s largest equity investment companies, and backed by US private equity firm Resource Capital Funds.
Through its subsidiaries, Zijin Gold International and Jinha Mining, Zijin signed definitive agreements to purchase all rights and interests in RG Gold and RG Processing, the Kazakhstan-based entities that own and operate the mine.
The acquisition is expected to close by the end of September of this year, pending regulatory approvals from both Chinese and Kazakh authorities.
Zijin Gold IPO in the works
Zijin operates gold mines in China and globally in locations such as Africa and South America.
But Raygorodok is set to become one of its flagship assets, aligning with the group’s goal of raising annual gold production by 35 percent — from 73 metric tons in 2024 to 100 to 110 metric tons by 2028.
The acquisition also serves a broader corporate strategy: the planned initial public offering (IPO) of Zijin Gold International, the group’s overseas gold division, on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Established in 2007, Zijin Gold International is being positioned as the vehicle for consolidating Zijin’s foreign gold assets and unlocking shareholder value. The IPO is expected to raise between US$1.5 billion and US$2 billion. Proceeds will be used for further expansion across Africa and South America.
The spinoff remains subject to approval from Chinese regulators, Zijin shareholders, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Zijin has emphasized that the listing will not affect its control over the subsidiary. Furthermore, Zijin Gold International will remain under Zijin's consolidated financial statements post-listing.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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10h
Mali Completes Takeover of Abandoned Gold Mines, Extends Push for Resource Sovereignty
Mali’s military-led government has completed its takeover of the Yatela and Morila gold mines.
Reuters reported on Monday (June 30) that according to the Malian government, control of the Yatela mine in Western Kayes and the Morila mine in Southern Sikasso has officially been transferred to the Society for Research and Exploitation of Mineral Resources of Mali (SEMOS), a newly formed entity in the country.
The Yatela mine was abandoned in 2016 by Sadiola Exploration Company — a joint venture between South Africa’s AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU,JSE:ANG) and Canada’s IAMGOLD (TSX:IMG,NYSE:IAG) — after the operators deemed continued production uneconomic despite leftover reserves.
Morila, once one of Mali’s flagship gold sites, was abandoned in 2022 by Australia’s Firefinch, which had taken over the site from Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) and AngloGold. Mali’s government says Morila was left with “significant environmental and financial liabilities,” raising concerns about whether SEMOS can turn operations around profitably.
These moves are part of a broader push by Mali’s military government, which came to power after coups in 2020 and 2021, to restructure the gold sector and capture more revenue from high commodities prices.
Mali produces around 65 metric tons of gold annually, making it Africa’s second largest producer, yet it lacks an internationally certified refinery and is heavily dependent on foreign operators for both technology and market access.
Earlier this year, Business Insider Africa reported that the country had started construction on a Russia-backed gold refinery, another step meant to increase control over its natural resources.
Since taking power, Mali’s authorities have steadily pressured miners via higher taxes, tougher licensing conditions and new contract terms aligned with its 2023 mining code, which grants the state a bigger stake in operations.
Yet critics caution that simply taking over mines without clear management plans or technical expertise risks undercutting investor confidence and missing out on today's high gold price.
Gold is up 28.5 percent year-to-date, hitting an all-time high of US$3,500 per ounce in April, driven by geopolitical fears and US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policy.
Mali's ongoing dispute with Barrick Mining
Mali’s relationship with Barrick has soured amid the country's move to exert resource sector control.
Earlier this month, a commercial court in Bamako ordered the temporary transfer of control of Barrick's flagship Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex to a state-appointed administrator for six months.
Judge Issa Aguibou Diallo appointed Soumana Makadji, a former health minister and certified accountant, to oversee the complex, participate in negotiations and report to the court quarterly, but not to the government directly.
Barrick called the move “unjustified” and “unprecedented,” maintaining that it remains committed to previous mining conventions and that the Malian government’s push to apply the 2023 mining code retroactively is legally invalid.
Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex, among the most productive gold mines in Africa, has been inactive since January after Malian authorities seized roughly 3 metric tons of gold over disputed taxes.
Since November 2024, the government has also blocked gold exports from the site, escalating tensions as the gold rally has boosted Mali’s hopes for greater revenue.
The government insists that Barrick must comply with its revised mining framework. Barrick, on the other hand, has started international arbitration to protect its long-term agreements.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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27 June
Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Onyx Gold Shines with 118 Percent Gain
Welcome to the Investing News Network's weekly look at the best-performing Canadian mining stocks on the TSX, TSXV and CSE, starting with a round-up of Canadian and US news impacting the resource sector.
Statistics Canada released April’s gross domestic product (GDP) numbers on Friday (June 27).
The data shows a slowing in the Canadian economy with a 0.1 percent monthly decline after it increased 0.2 percent in March as businesses attempted to get ahead of US tariff deadlines.
In April, the shift in US trade policy led to significant declines in the manufacturing sector, which saw its largest drop in four years at 1.9 percent. Durable goods manufacturing declined for the first time in four months, dropping 2.2 percent. The most heavily impacted sub-sectors were transportation equipment and the auto sector, which fell 21.6 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.
On the positive side, finance and insurance experienced growth of 0.7 percent, with investment services and funds contributing 3.5 percent growth to the sector. Statistics Canada indicated that the US tariff announcement on April 2 led to increased selling activity in Canadian equity markets.
The Canadian resource sector was flat overall during the month. The oil and gas extraction, excluding oil sands, fell 1.1 percent in April, while oil sands extraction remained unchanged. The agency said that higher bitumen extraction was offset by lower synthetic crude production. Additionally, a temporary shutdown in the Keystone pipeline due to a rupture contributed to a decline in activity.
However, losses were offset by a 4.8 percent gain in support activities for the mining and oil and gas extraction subsectors, with an increase in rigging and drilling activities.
While some of the month-over-month decline was due to the increase in output in March, Statistics Canada suggests that further slowing is on the way. The agency reported that advanced figures for May show a further 0.1 decline, noting a decrease in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction category.
South of the border, the US Bureau of Economic Activity released May’s personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) data on Friday. The index is a key inflation indicator and is the preferred measure used by the Federal Reserve when making its rate decision. The central bank has held its current rate at the 4.25 to 4.5 percent range since it last lowered it in November 2024.
The report shows inflation ticked up 2.3 percent on an annualized basis, higher than the 2.2 percent recorded in April. The increase came after two consecutive months of slowing from 2.7 percent in February and 2.3 percent in March.
Less the more volatile food and energy categories, PCE gained 2.7 percent during the period. While costs for goods increased, current-dollar personal income was down 0.4 percent and disposable income fell 0.6 percent.
US President Donald Trump again signaled his displeasure with the slow pace of rate cuts earlier in the week, and with the Wall Street Journal reporting on Wednesday (June 25) that he may announce a replacement for Chairman Jerome Powell as early as this summer.
While it’s unclear if he will try to remove Powell from the post, the president may try to create a “shadow Fed” that could work to influence markets and undermine decisions made by the current chairman. Powell’s term as chairman is set to expire in May 2026, while his time as board governor won’t end until 2028. His removal would require an act of Congress.
Markets and commodities react
In Canada, major indexes ended the week up. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) gained 0.77 percent during the week to close at 26,687.14 on Friday. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) fared better, gaining 1.47 percent to 724.26, while the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) climbed 0.74 percent to 117.39.
US equities were also in positive territory this week, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) gaining 3.41 percent to close at a record high of 6,173.08, the Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) surging 4.17 percent to its own all-time high of 22,534.20. While it didn't break its previous high, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) also climbed significantly, up 3.89 percent to 43,819.26.
On the other hand, the gold price declined this week, falling 2.8 percent to US$3,274.15 by Friday at 4 p.m. EDT. The silver price ended the week down just 0.05 percent at US$35.99.
In base metals, the COMEX copper price surged 5.59 percent over the week to US$5.12 per pound. Prices have been rising due to increased purchases ahead of US tariffs and significant drawdowns of inventories in London Metals Exchange warehouses.
Meanwhile, the S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) lost 6.07 percent to close at 545.71.
Top Canadian mining stocks this week
How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.
Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView's stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.
1. Onyx Gold (TSXV:ONYX)
Weekly gain: 121.28 percent
Market cap: C$106.84 million
Share price: C$2.08
Onyx Gold is an exploration company advancing its Munro-Croesus project, located near Timmins in Ontario, Canada. The company has increased the size of the land package by 200 percent between 2020 and 2025, and the project now covers an area of 109 square kilometers.
Munro-Croesus hosts the historic Croesus mine, which produced 14,859 ounces of gold between 1915 and 1936 with an average grade of 95.3 grams per metric ton (g/t). Onyx is the first company to explore the property since the mine closed.
Shares in Onyx have seen gains in recent weeks as it made several investment and project announcements.
The first came on June 12, when the company announced that it had completed a private placement with Windfall Mining, a subsidiary of Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI), which purchased 9.4 percent of Onyx’s issued and outstanding shares. Onyx said the investment is an endorsement of its long-term vision.
As for this week, on Tuesday (June 24), Onyx announced that it signed a mineral property purchase and sale agreement to acquire a 100 percent interest in the Munro and Hewitt properties, both located near the existing Munro-Croesus project. The acquisition will expand the company’s land package to 109 square kilometers from the previous 95 square kilometers.
In its most recent update on Thursday (June 26), the company reported the first drill results from its 10,000 meter spring drill program at the Argus North zone at Munro-Croesus. One highlighted assay contained 1.8 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold over 91 meters, including 4 g/t over 32 meters and 5.3 g/t over 17 meters.
The company said the results demonstrate the continuity of broad zones of high-grade gold mineralization. It added that mineralization was confirmed along strike and that the zone is still open in all directions.
2. US Copper (TSXV:USCU)
Weekly gain: 83.33 percent
Market cap: C$14.5 million
Share price: C$0.11
US Copper is an exploration company working to advance its Moonlight-Superior project in Northeast California, United States.
The project covers approximately 13 square miles of patented and unpatented federal mining claims in the Lights Creek Copper District, near the Nevada border.
A preliminary economic assessment released on January 6 demonstrates a post-tax net present value of US$1.08 billion with an internal rate of return of 23 percent and a payback period of 5.3 years, assuming a copper price of US$4.15 per pound.
The included mineral resource estimate shows a total indicated resource of 2.5 billion pounds of copper, 21.7 million ounces of silver and 140,042 ounces of gold from 402.83 million metric tons of ore with a grade of 0.31 percent copper, 1.85 parts per million (ppm) silver and 0.012 ppm gold. The majority is hosted at its Moonlight and Superior deposits.
Although the company did not release news this week, its shares have seen significant gains alongside a rising price of copper.
3. ArcWest Exploration (TSXV:AWX)
Weekly gain: 68.42 percent
Market cap: C$11.21 million
Share price: C$0.16
ArcWest Exploration is an exploration company that has most recently been working to advance its Todd Creek and Oweegee Dome properties within the Golden Triangle in British Columbia, Canada.
The Todd Creek property is a 21,343 hectare site that adjoins Newmont’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) Brucejack property and hosts widespread copper and gold mineralization. Historical exploration of the site yielded grab samples with up to 37.7 g/t gold and 5.3 percent copper. The project is covered by a March 2023 earn-in agreement with Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) that could see Freeport earn a 51 percent stake, with C$20 million in investments over a five year period.
The 31,077 hectare Oweegee Dome property is located 34 kilometers northeast of the Brucejack mine and hosts underexplored copper and gold systems, including Delta and Skowill East. Oweegee Dome is covered by a July 2021 option agreement with Sanatana Resources (TSXV:STA). Under the terms of the agreement, Sanatana can earn an initial 60 percent interest in the property through cumulative exploration investments of C$6.6 million over four years.
Shares in ArcWest gained this week after a pair of announcements.
The first came on Wednesday, when the company reported results from a 2024 drill program, funded and operated by Sanatana, that extended the mineralized zone at Oweegee Dome. Sanatana President Buddy Doyle said, “We now think the alteration and mineralization we see at surface at Delta is only the southeast corner of a larger system.”
The other news was released on Thursday, when it announced it had mobilized for a drill program at Todd Creek. The program will receive a minimum of C$4 million in funding from Freeport-McMoRan.
4. Belo Sun Mining (TSXV:BSX)
Weekly gain: 62.79 percent
Market cap: C$163.35 million
Share price: C$0.35
Belo Sun Mining is an exploration and development company focused on advancing its Volta Grande gold project in Brazil.
The property covers approximately 2,400 hectares within the Tres Palmeiras greenstone belt in Para State, Brazil. The company has been working on the project since 2003, and acquired necessary development permits in 2014 and 2017.
A 2015 mineral reserve estimate demonstrated a proven and probable reserve of 3.79 million ounces of gold from 116 million metric tons of ore with an average grade of 1.02 g/t.
Development at the site stalled in 2018 after a federal judge ruled that the Federal Brazilian Institute of the Environment (IBMA) would be the competent authority for issuing environmental permits. The decision was overturned in 2019 with the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainability of the State of Para (SEMAS) reassuming its permitting authority. The decision was once again reversed in September 2023, returning authority to IBMA.
On January 23, Belo Sun announced that the Federal Court of Appeals had reassigned SEMAS as the permitting authority for the Volta Grande project. The company said it was pleased with the decision, as the agency is familiar with the project and enjoys a constructive and transparent relationship with it.
On Monday (June 23), the company announced shareholders approved a renewal of the company’s governance structure and elected four new directors to the board. Four of the board's six members are now either Brazilian or have spent significant parts of their careers working in Brazil.
5. Reyna Silver (TSXV:RSLV)
Weekly gain: 52.94 percent
Market cap: C$33.05 million
Share price: C$0.13
Reyna Silver is a silver exploration company with a portfolio of assets in Chihuahua, Mexico, and Nevada, US.
One of its two Mexican assets is Guigui, a 4,750 hectare property covering a significant portion of the Santa Eulalia Mining District. The area has a history of mining dating back to the 1700s with production of almost 450 million ounces of silver between then and 2001.
Its other one is Batopilas, a 1,183 hectare site that covers 94 percent of the Batopilas Mining District, which has significant deposits of pure, native silver. Historic mining at the site produced an estimated 200 million to 300 million ounces of silver dating back to the mid-1600s.
Its primary American asset is the Gryphon Summit project located along the Carlin-trend. The project covers an area of 10,300 hectares and is prospective for gold, silver and critical minerals.
It also owns the Medicine Springs project, which spans 4,831 hectares south of Elko City. Previous exploration at the site identified lead, zinc and silver mineralization.
Shares in Reyna gained this week after it entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Torex Gold (TSX:TXG).
The deal, valued at US$26 million, will see Torex acquire all issued and outstanding common shares in Reyna, thereby gaining access to its wholly owned Mexican portfolio. Additionally, Torex will have the option to acquire a 70 percent stake in the Gryphon Summit project and a 100 percent interest in Medicine Springs.
FAQs for Canadian mining stocks
What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?
The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.
How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?
As of February 2025, there were 1,572 companies listed on the TSXV, 905 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,859 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.
Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.
How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?
There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.
The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.
These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.
How do you trade on the TSXV?
Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange's trading hours.
Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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27 June
Top 5 Australian Mining Stocks This Week: GBM Soars on AU$13 Million Raise
Welcome to the first edition of the Investing News Network's weekly round-up of Australia’s top-performing mining stocks on the ASX, starting with news in Australia's resource sector.
In significant news for Australia's iron sector, mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO), together with its joint venture partner Hancock Prospecting, said on Tuesday (June 24) that the partners will invest a combined US$1.6 billion to develop the Hope Downs 2 iron ore project in the Pilbara region, Western Australia.
Companies focused on antimony and gold have also been making news this week, such as Resolution Minerals (ASX:RML) announcing its acquisition of the Horse Heaven project in Idaho, US, and Ausgold (ASX:AUC,OTC Pink:AUSGF) signing an agreement to acquire Critica’s (ASX:CRI,OTC Pink:VTMLF) Kulin gold project in Western Australia.
This week, Resolution was one of two companies focused on antimony to make the top ASX mining stocks list. Antimony has been gaining attention as supply falls and prices hit record highs following China's export controls earlier in the year. The metal is critical to the defense and lead-acid battery industries. In a report by Reuters, the executive director of a US battery association said the shortage of the key mineral is a national emergency with no quick solution.
Market and commodity price round-up
The S&P/ASX 200 index opened at 8,505.50 on Monday (June 23) and closed at approximately 8,550.20 on Friday (June 27). This reflects a modest 0.53 percent gain over the week.
For metals, the gold price declined by 2.8 percent, opening at US$3,368.57 per ounce on Monday and closing at US$3,274.15 at 6 a.m. AEST, June 28. Its price in Australian dollars fell by 4 percent from AU$5,221.02 to AU$5,013.71 by the week's end.
The US silver price ended the week neutral, moving from a US$36.01 open on Monday to a US$35.99 close on Friday. However, in Australian dollars, it opened at AU$55.81 per ounce and pulled back 1.24 percent to AU$55.12.
Top ASX mining stocks this week
How did ASX mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Australian mining stocks below as we break down their operations and why these mining stocks are up this week.
Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4 p.m. AEST on June 26 using TradingView's stock screener. Only companies trading on the ASX with market capitalizations greater than AU$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.
1. GBM Resources (ASX:GBZ)
Share price: AU$0.013
Market cap: AU$16.37 million
Weekly gain: 116.67 percent
GBM Resources is a Brisbane-based exploration and development company focusing on the discovery of world-class gold and copper deposits in Queensland.
Its flagship asset is a fully owned group of projects — Yandan, Twin Hills and Mt Coolon — located in the Drummond Basin, among Australia’s major gold provinces with a production history of over 4.5 million ounces.
Combined, the three Drummond Basin projects host 1.84 million ounces of gold and a total project area of 4,667 square kilometres.
The Mt Coolon project is subject to a farm-in partnership between GBM and leading gold producer Newmont (NYSE:NEM,TSX:NGT). In late April, Newmont released final assays from its Phase 1 drill program at Mt Coolon.
On Tuesday (June 24), GBM announced that it has received firm commitments to raise AU$13 million, which it will use in part to repay and cancel all of its existing convertible notes with Collins St Asset Management worth AU$6.2 million. Upon repayment, GBM will be debt-free and well-funded to advance its Yandan and Twin Hills assets with the goal of expanding its gold resource base.
The placement also includes several board and management changes, with Peter Rohner stepping down as managing director immediately and as CEO once his contract expires on July 31.
Shares of GBM soared to AU$0.014 on Tuesday following the announcement of the placement and recapitalization strategy.
2. Locksley Resources (ASX:LKY)
Share price: AU$0.088
Market cap: AU$10.82 million
Weekly gain: 41.94 percent
Locksley Resources is an exploration company focused on its flagship Mojave project in California, a rare earths and antimony asset situated near MP Materials’ (NYSE:MP) Mountain Pass mine, the only operational REE mine in the US. It also owns copper, gold and base metal assets in Australia.
Mojave is located on California’s south-eastern border with Nevada.The project hosts two mineralisation zones, the El Campo rare earth elements prospect, which hosts rare earths including neodymium and praseodymium, and the past-producing Desert antimony mine area, which hosts antimony, silver, lead and zinc. Rock chip sampling returned grades up to 12.1 percent total rare earth oxides at El Campo, and up to 46.1 percent antimony and 1,022 grams per tonne silver at the Desert antimony mine.
After starting May at AU$0.019, Locksley’s share price saw a boost on May 8 following the federal endorsement of Dateline Resources’ (ASX:DTR,OTC Pink:DTREF) Colosseum gold-rare earths project, which is located in the same district as Mojave. Locksley stated it would use this precedent to pursue government support.
Its share price climbed even higher after the company announced a capital raising on May 28 to fund exploration at Mojave. It peaked at AU$0.115 on June 4. The upcoming drilling program will focus on El Campo, with five RC holes targeting rare earths at the site, and is planned for the last quarter of 2025. The company secured the drilling permit on June 5.
On June 17, Locksley announced a strategic US collaboration for the project, saying that it aims to align its antimony and rare earth elements assets with the US’ critical minerals strategy. The company successfully completed an OTCQB listing on June 26 to expand its US market presence; it will trade under the symbol LKYRF.
3. Noble Helium (ASX:NHE)
Share price: AU$0.026
Market cap: AU$14.39 million
Weekly gain: 36.84 percent
Noble Helium is a helium exploration company with four key projects in Tanzania, namely North Rukwa, North Nyasa, Eyasi and Manyara. North Rukwa, the company’s flagship project, covers a total area of approximately 1,467 square kilometres.
Exploration at the project is currently ongoing. Noble raised AU$3 million in September 2024, with proceeds allotted for North Rukwa and North Nyasa.
Last week, Noble announced a trading halt following a sudden jump of its shares from AU$0.012 on June 16 to AU$0.019 on June 19.
Addressing the jump on Monday, June 23, the company stated it believed the rise does not stem from undisclosed information, and the only material development was ongoing negotiations for amendments to a funding agreement with private company Obsidian Global.
The original agreement, which would have raised US$2.5 million through convertible notes to fund ongoing exploration and working capital, was made public on December 24, 2024.
Before resuming trading Monday, Noble announced it successfully executed the amendment. Shares of the company continued on their upward trend following these developments, peaking at AU$0.034 on Wednesday (June 25).
4. Mindax (ASX:MDX)
Share price: AU$0.064
Market cap: AU$146.8 million
Weekly gain: 28 percent
Mindax is an exploration and development company with iron ore and gold assets in Western Australia.
Its flagship project is the Mt Forrest magnetite iron ore project, in which it holds a 65 percent interest in a joint venture with Norton Gold Fields, which holds the remaining 35 percent.
According to a February 2023 report, Mt Forrest is estimated to contain 422.37 million tonnes of indicated resources at average grades of 41.42 percent mass recovery and 64.76 percent iron concentrate, as well as 599.4 million tonnes of inferred resources at average grades of 43.14 percent mass recovery and 63.85 percent iron concentrate.
On April 15, Mindax announced that it used its existing cash reserves for a 5 percent strategic investment in Cashmere Iron, an unlisted public company.
Cashmere Iron’s flagship Cashmere Downs iron project sits adjacent to Mindax’s Mt Forrest project. Mindax said that the decision to invest in Cashmere follows its review of various independent technical reports outlining the project's potential.
“As a neighbour in the Mid-West region, Mindax is familiar with Cashmere and its assets, having followed the progress made by the Cashmere management team in advancing the project over many years,” the company said, calling the investment “a vital step” in its goal of consolidating iron resources in the mid-west region of Western Australia
5. Resolution Minerals (ASX:RML)
Share price: AU$0.052
Market cap: AU$33.22 million
Weekly gain: 26.83 percent
Resolution Minerals acquires, explores and develops precious and battery metals projects such as antimony, gold, copper and uranium.
The company is currently building a portfolio of gold and antimony assets, and recently acquired the antimony-gold-tungsten Horse Heaven project as part of this strategy.
Horse Heaven is located 5 kilometres from Perpetua Resources' (TSX:PPTA,NASDAQ:PPTA) Stibnite gold-antimony project in Idaho. Stibnite received final approval from the US Forest Service in January, and construction is expected to begin in late 2025. If it enters production, it will become the US’ only antimony producer.
The Horse Heaven project has a historic non-JORC gold resource of 216,000 ounces of gold at the Golden Gate Hill target, and a gold resource of 70,000 ounces at the Antimony Hill prospect.
In March, Resolution Minerals also secured three projects in Australia, including the Drake East antimony-gold project in New South Wales and Neardie antimony project in Queensland.
Last week, Resolution announced it selected external affairs adviser Clewett Global Services to assist with engaging the US federal government. The company added that it is considering applying for US Department of Defense (DOD) funding to expedite Horse Heaven.
Resolution is also currently working on an OTCQB listing to appeal to North American Investors.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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