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C29 Metals Limited (ASX:C29) (C29, or the Company) is pleased to provide an overview of activities for the period ending 30 September 2024 (the “Quarter”, the “Reporting Period”) to accompany the Appendix 5b.
September 2024 Quarter Activities
- Licence Application lodged and granted for southern tenement (213km2) contiguous to the Ulytau Uranium Project
- Licence Application lodged and granted for the northern tenement (39km2), which sits immediately north of the historic Bota Burum Uranium mine
- The new tenements are interpreted to contain the same mineralised uranium trend to that of the existing Ulytau Project area
- Received Category four (4) exploration works approval to enable the immediate commencement of geophysical and soil sampling programs, further reinforcing the positive operating environment and Government support in Kazakhstan
- Progressed Category two (2) drilling approval and commenced site based activities in preparation for drilling commencement
Commenting on the Quarter, C29 Metals Managing Director, Shannon Green, stated: “"We are excited with the rapid progress made during the Quarter in both advancing our drilling permit and expanding our highly prospective Ulytau Uranium Project, with both the northern and southern tenement applications successfully granted thereby expanding the Project area to 276km2. This achievement underscores the efficiency and support of the local Government, allowing us to advance our
exploration efforts swiftly. The Ulytau region continues to demonstrate significant potential, and with strong local support and community engagement, we are excited to further explore this mineralised trend and enhance our growth strategy in Kazakhstan."
Exploration Program – Ulytau Uranium Project
The Company commenced initial exploration activities on its Ulytau Uranium Project in August 2024 after receiving Category four (4) exploration approval. The initial geological program consisted of tenement wide mapping and some initial soil sampling to assist with finalising drill hole locations.
The geology team utilised a handheld X-ray fluorescence (“XRF”) unit to provide real time geological information to the team and valuable geological data that will assist with the initial drill hole targeting and methodology.
Post Quarter end on 16 October 2024, the Company announced that it had received official notification from the Natural Resources and Environmental Management Department the company has met all regulatory requirements for the issue of the drill permit, enabling the commencement of mobilisation for the initial drilling at its Ulytau Uranium project.
License Applications for Project Expansion
The Company expanded its footprint at the Ulytau Uranium Project with the lodgement of two new applications for tenements in July 2024, the tenements, located to the North and to the South and South-East have a combined size of ~252km2 (Figure 1). Both applications were reviewed and granted by the Ministry during the Quarter, increasing the total footprint of the Ulytau Uranium Project to ~276km2.
Figure 1 – The interpreted mineralised uranium trend with new licence applications
The two granted areas have been interpreted as having a similar mineralised trend to that of the existing Ulytau Uranium Project area. Please refer to ASX Announcement “License Applications Lodged around Ulytau Uranium Project” dated 24 July 2024 and the further clarification on 25 July 2024.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from C29 Metals 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.
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C29 Metals
Investor Insight
A high-grade uranium explorer looking to grow its strategic footprint in southern Kazakhstan, C29 Metals is well-positioned to take advantage of a rapidly expanding uranium market and provide significant shareholder value.
Overview
C29 Metals (ASX:C29) is a Perth, Australia-based uranium mineral exploration company with assets in Kazakhstan. The company’s recently acquired flagship asset, the Ulytau uranium project, represents a “transformative acquisition” that places C29 Metals in a strategic position to leverage a rapidly growing global uranium market and Kazakhstan’s rich uranium resource and established mining infrastructure.
The Ulytau project is located near Lake Balkhash in South Kazakhstan and situated 15 km south of the Bota-Burum mine, one of the largest uranium deposits mined in the former Soviet Union.
Kazakhstan is considered a top mining country for the following reasons:
- It has a well-developed transportation infrastructure and abundant energy resources, ensuring a stable power supply for mining operations.
- It was ranked 25th by the World Bank for” ease of doing business.”
- As the world’s top uranium producer, Kazakhstan represents 43 percent of the global market.
- It is the lowest-cost producer, globally.
- It holds 12 percent of the world’s uranium resources.
Kazakhstan’s strategic location in Central Asia also provides easy access to major markets in Europe, China and Russia, and the flagship Ulytau uranium project is located 3.5 hours from the country’s largest city of Almaty.
The local village of Aksuyek has a population of ~700 people and will support C29 Metals’ exploration efforts in the near-to-mid-term, providing a base of operations and support services.
The uranium market is expected to grow over the next 10 years, with the World Nuclear Association projecting a 28 percent increase in uranium demand from 2023 to 2030. As electricity demand potentially increases by about 50 percent by 2040, there is significant opportunity for increasing the global nuclear energy capacity, especially as the world continues to pursue its clean energy agenda and a low-carbon economy.
Company Highlights
- Focused on uranium exploration in the top uranium-producing jurisdiction of Kazakhstan, with a newly granted tenement and new license applications in progress (252 sq km) and strong community support from local neighboring village members.
- Flagship Asset: The Ulytau project, located in southern Kazakhstan, 15 km south of Bota-Burum, one of the largest Soviet-era uranium mines in the heart of one of the world’s most prolific uranium-producing regions.
- Experienced Leadership: Seasoned board and management team led by Shannon Green, an executive with over 25 years of experience.
- Positive Market Outlook: Demand for uranium is expected to increase by 28 percent by 2030, and 51 percent by 2040.
Key Projects
Ulytau Uranium Project
Figure 2 – Ulytau project location in relation to other Kazakhstan Uranium mines.
The Ulytau Project is located in the Almaty Region of Southern Kazakhstan, approximately 15 km southwest of the Bota-Burum mine, which is one of the largest uranium deposits mined in the former Soviet Union.
Exploration for uranium has been carried out in the area since 1953. Uranium production at the Bota-Burum mine, next to the village of Aksuyek, commenced in 1956 and continued until 1991. Total mined reserves of Bota-Burum are quoted at 20,000 tonnes of uranium (44 million pounds).
C29 Metals has lodged two (2) new license applications with the Ministry of Natural Resources. The licenses are designed to cover ~18 km of additional prospective strike.
The Southern application, the largest of the two (2) applications, was granted on the 1 August 2024 and is contiguous with the Ulytau license area and sits immediately to the South and East of the Ulytau Uranium project tenement boundaries. The Southern application area is ~213 km2. The Northen tenements licence was granted on September 3, 2024.
The Southern tenement is interpreted as having a similar mineralised trend to that of the existing Ulytau Project area (refer to ASX announcement “License Applications Lodged around Ulytau Uranium Project” dated 24 July 2024 and the further clarification on 25 July 2024).
The Northern tenements, meanwhile, sits to the north of the Ulytau uranium project tenement and immediately north of the historic Bota Burum uranium mine. The Northern licence application area is ~39 sq km.
C29 Metals is commencing exploration work at Ulytau, following receipt of a category 4 exploration approval on August 7, 2024, which will include geophysical, field mapping and soil sampling programs.
Figure 3 – The interpreted mineralised Uranium trend with the newly granted southern license and northern application
Local Community Support
The company has held two community consultation days at the local community of Aksuyek, with a population of about 700 people, located roughly 20 km from the Ulytau project area. The community of Aksuyek have shown their strong support for the company’s planned exploration programs. Aksuyek will provide a base of operations for the work programs and can provide many of the required support services to the company.
A social support agreement was signed on July 9, 2024, with the district government providing the framework for the company to assist the village of Aksuyek with projects aligned to the social development of the community. This very important agreement demonstrates the commitment by both parties to work together to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes are sustainably delivered into the future.
Board and Management
Shannon Green - Managing Director
Shannon Green is an experienced mining executive and company director with over 25 years of corporate, resource development and mining operations experience. With extensive experience working in Africa and Australia, Green has managed significant projects, from greenfields exploration through feasibility through construction, into operation. He has held senior leadership roles within Australia in uranium development, as well as iron ore and gold mining operations.
David Lees - Non-executive Chairman
David Lees has over 20 years’ experience in the Australian financial services industry. He started as a stockbroker and subsequently moved into investment and funds management, providing him with extensive experience in capital markets with a diverse skill set covering investment management, business development and corporate governance. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from Murdoch University and a post graduate diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.
Jamie Myers - Non-executive Director
Jamie Myers has over 15 years in equities dealing and corporate advisory experience. He is experienced in leading transactions, including pre-IPOs, IPOs and secondary market equity raising across small and mid-cap companies. He is also the founder and managing director of boutique advisory firm Molo Capital.
Ailsa Osborne - CFO and Company Secretary
Ailsa Osborne has more than 20 years of experience as a financial professional, including more than 15 years in the resource industry in Australia and internationally. Ms Osborne has held CFO and company secretary roles with a number of ASX-listed companies. She has held senior finance roles in several listed companies operating in Australia and internationally, including in South America, Indonesia and Africa.
Joint Ventures, M&A Ramp Up in Critical Minerals Space
Critical minerals shortage
Across the globe, nations are pivoting away from fossil fuels and towards green energy, mainly through electrification, with huge investments underway to transition the transportation, heating and cooling, and manufacturing sectors. Most modes of generating and storing green electricity require a long list of minerals the economy did not previously need in meaningful quantities.
Most nations lack stable supply chains for these minerals and other elements, posing potential risks to their economic future, and the future of their defense sector. For example, an article published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace suggests the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization could be at risk in a crisis because of limited access to the minerals they need for a conflict. As well, attempts to control the supply chain can turn to a geopolitical wrangling between nations.
Trade in energy-related critical minerals has risen from US$53 billion to US$378 billion over the last 20 years, according to data from the World Trade Organization. Minerals and rare earth elements could see demand quadruple by 2050.
Problem solved
Demand and prices for many critical minerals have seen a dramatic turnaround in recent years due to the soaring green economy. However, mining development and production don’t pivot that quickly. We’re living in that challenging lag right now.
To help speed up the process of getting early stage deposit discoveries into production, or expand or revitalize existing mining properties, more junior mining companies and others in the space are working together.
Joint ventures allow two organizations to combine capital, expertise, access, historical data and other resources, such as extraction or processing facilities, and that results in a percentage profit sharing later on.
Such partnerships allow companies to diversify. While critical minerals are in hot demand, prices still fluctuate and shortages can shift, as can access to perks such as government funding.
Ventures are common between junior miners and more established mining businesses. The former may have access to a deposit, experience with early stage development and flexibility. Larger mining companies tend to have access to capital and possess different types of managerial and technical expertise. Many of these established firms also seek access to critical mineral opportunities, and are willing to invest to gain them.
Saga Metals (TSV:SAGA), for example, struck a joint venture deal with Rio Tinto Exploration Canada, a subsidiary of mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO), for its Legacy lithium project in James Bay, Quebec.
The total Legacy property spans over 65,849 hectares with 34,243 hectares optioned to Rio Tinto, hosting the same geological setting along strike from Rio Tinto’s other lithium project, Winsome Resources (ASX:WR1,OTCQB:WRSLF), Azimut Exploration (TSXV:AZM,OTCQX:AZMTF) and Loyal Lithium (ASX:LLI) in the La Grande sub-province.
Saga Metals' Amirault lithium project.
“It lends credibility to management’s ability to execute these types of agreements with a company as big as Rio, but it also validated the ground we staked/acquired, and management’s ability to find quality projects,” said Mike Stier, CEO and director of Saga Metals.
Such relationships are being struck in a range of mineral sectors.
“It drives shareholder value. Companies may realize what their limits are and a bigger company can come in after you’ve taken it from A to B and they can go from B to G,” said Stier.
M&A activity, meanwhile, offers similar benefits. Mining outfits in acquisition mode may purchase smaller, junior miners, or their interest in certain properties, to help expand their portfolios. Growing mining companies often seek projects at all stages of development to ensure diversification inside the organization.
Overall, the amount of mining M&A has been growing over the past few years, sitting flat between 2022 and 2023. However, the value of the deals has been on a more dramatic rise.
Collaborations of note
Saga Metals and Rio Tinto Exploration’s C$44 million two stage earn-in option agreement has led to the commencement of initial exploration in August 2024 at the Legacy lithium project.
This project is undergoing fieldwork with a focus on pegmatite mapping and geophysical surveys. Saga has 1,274 claims covering 65,849 hectares in the region, in what has become the newest lithium district in and around James Bay.
“We’ll also be keeping our eyes and ears open to the macro landscape with respect to the critical minerals in our portfolio,” said Stier of next steps for Saga Metals. “We’ll push our projects forward and continue them through their stages of development, de-risking them as we go.”
In uranium mining, Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN,OTCQX:PALAF) has agreed to acquire Fission Uranium (TSX:FCU,OTCQX:FCUUF). The deal will enable Paladin to list on the TSX, leading to increased trading liquidity and an enhanced capital markets presence. Paladin will become a multi-asset uranium company with benefits to the Patterson Lake South project. Paladin’s CEO has made it clear that the company has future acquisitions in mind as well.
Recently, Lundin Mining (TSX:LUN,OTC Pink:LUNMF) and BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) agreed to jointly acquire Filo (TSX:FIL,OTCQX:FLMMF), in a deal worth an estimated C$4.1 billion. The 50/50 joint venture has the aim of developing an emerging copper district in Argentina, focusing on the Filo del Sol project and the Josemaria project.
Investor takeaway
Partnerships and collaborations between mining companies have become an emerging standard of practice as the critical minerals race pushes on and both business and government try to secure supply lines. With myriad benefits, expect more future alliances in the critical minerals mining industry.
This INNSpired article is sponsored by Saga Metals (TSXV:SAGA). This INNSpired article provides information which was sourced by the Investing News Network (INN) and approved by Saga Metalsin order to help investors learn more about the company. Saga Metals is a client of INN. The company’s campaign fees pay for INN to create and update this INNSpired article.
This INNSpired article was written according to INN editorial standards to educate investors.
INN does not provide investment advice and the information on this profile should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. INN does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company profiled.
The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Readers should conduct their own research for all information publicly available concerning the company. Prior to making any investment decision, it is recommended that readers consult directly with Saga Metals and seek advice from a qualified investment advisor.
1st Quarter Activities and Appendix 5B
HIGHLIGHTS
- Completion of drilling at the Mkuju Project - 20 diamond core holes for 2800 m of drilling, testing the SWC and Mtonya targets, and testing potential extensions to the Likuyu North deposit.
- At SWC, high-grade uranium from surface including:
- 3.8m @ 2,458ppm eU3O8 from surface,
- 2.4m @ 3,528ppm eU3O8 from surface,
- 1.8m @ 3,089ppm eU3O8 from surface and 1.2m @ 988ppm eU3O8 from 5.9m depth
- At Mtonya, best interval of 2.3m @ 372ppm eU3O8 from 6.16m depth.
- At Likuyu North, possible moderate extension to the deposit indicated by visual mineralisation in LNDD015, now awaiting assays; and
- LNDD020 drilled central to the Likuyu North deposit to provide information for an initial assessment of In-Situ Recovery (ISR); intersected 6 mineralised intervals including:
- 2.5 metres with an average grade of 438 ppm eU3O8 from 17.1m depth.
- 7.1 metres with an average grade of 1,963 ppm eU3O8 from 63.1m depth.
MKUJU URANIUM PROJECT - TANZANIA
Table 1 summarises the work completed during the quarter at the Mkuju Project.
Table 1. Summary of the work at each target
Figure 1: The Mkuju Project area over airborne radiometric data with important deposits and targets labelled.
SWC TARGET EXPLORATION
During May 2024 a camp was constructed and a drilling and exploration crew was mobilized. The holes drilled at SWC are shown on Figure 2. Table 2 provides the results of the SWC and Mtonya drilling. The drilling at SWC was to follow-up on the high-grade intervals achieved from the trenches reported in the Company announcement dated 9th January 2024.
Figure 2. Map of the SWC and Mtonya targets showing historic and Gladiators drilling
All holes were vertical, drilling was by diamond core and the deepest was 188.7 metres. The results were reported in announcements dated 24th June and 16th August 2024. Selected results are provided below:
- SWDD001: 3.8m @ 2,458ppm eU3O8 from surface.
- SWDD002: 2.4m @ 3,528ppm eU3O8 from surface.
- SWDD005: 1.8m @ 3,089ppm eU3O8 from surface and 1.2m @ 988ppm eU3O8 from 5.9m depth
- SWDD006: 5.3m @ 143ppm eU3O8 from 3.0m depth
The trench and high-grade drilling intersections are interpreted to be the remains of a layer that is preserved on topographic highs within a relatively downthrown block, as illustrated in Figure 3, which represents a cross-sectional interpretation through SWC. Where the layer is at or very near surface as in SWDD001 and SWDD002, enrichment by supergene processes may have occurred whereas where deeper and unaffected by the surficial enrichment, as in SWDD006, grades are lower. No significant mineralisaton was intersected deeper in the holes drilled at SWC.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Gladiator Resources 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.
C29 Metals Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects