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Metro Mining
Investor Insight
Metro Mining is uniquely positioned as one of the few pure-play upstream bauxite companies globally listed on any stock exchange. As a direct exposure to the growing aluminum sector, Metro offers investors a unique opportunity to capitalize on the rising global demand driven by traditional industrial applications and emerging sectors such as electrification, battery technologies, and lightweight transportation solutions.
Overview
Metro Mining (ASX:MMI) is a low-cost, high-grade Australian bauxite producer, uniquely positioned as a pure upstream investment in the aluminum supply chain. Metro's flagship asset, the Bauxite Hills Mine in Skardon River, is strategically located 95 km north of Weipa, Queensland, and encompasses a total tenement package of approximately 1,900 square kilometers. As of 31 December 2023, the project boasts an impressive total bauxite resource of 118.7 million tons (Mt) including 83.2 Mt of reserves, featuring high-quality direct shipping ore (DSO) that requires no upgrading.
Following a significant capacity expansion completed in 2024, production at Bauxite Hills Mine is ramping up to achieve sustained throughput exceeding 7 Mt per annum, reinforcing the company’s position as one of the lowest-cost bauxite producers globally. With a further planned capacity increase set for 2025, Metro Mining is well-positioned to exploit continued price strength and robust demand from key Asian markets, particularly China.
Bauxite Hills Mine
The aluminum sector has seen annual growth rates rise from approximately 2 to 3 percent to around 3 to 4 percent due to expanding use in electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure, battery manufacturing, and the "lightweighting" of transportation. Recent geopolitical developments, such as reduced bauxite exports from Indonesia, have created supply constraints, driving up bauxite prices significantly. Australian bauxite spot prices reached approximately US$90/DMT in early 2025, up 89 percent from early 2023, which further enhances Metro's revenue potential.
Metro Mining significantly improved its financial position in 2024 by fully repaying junior debt, restructuring senior debt on more favorable terms, and successfully negotiating long-term freight contracts that substantially reduced shipping costs.
Ending 2024 with approximately AU$42 million in cash and trade receivables, the company is positioned for robust financial flexibility and strength. With a simplified and deleveraged balance sheet, Metro is well-equipped to execute its growth strategy and enhance shareholder value.
Metro Mining is led by a seasoned management team with deep expertise in bulk commodities, operational optimization, and corporate strategy, emphasizing sustainable growth and shareholder value creation.
Company Highlights
- Metro Mining stands out as one of the world's only publicly listed, pure-play producers of high-quality direct shipping bauxite ore, crucial for aluminum production.
- Metro Mining’s flagship asset, the Bauxite Hills mine, benefits from proximity to Asian markets, short haul distances, and a highly scalable, low-cost marine transportation system, ensuring industry-leading operating margins.
- Metro’s production capacity nearly doubled from approximately 3.5 Mt in 2020 to just under 6 Mt in 2024, a 24 percent increase year-over-year. Metro plans further capacity expansion to between 6.5 and 7 Mt by the end of 2025.
- Targeting a delivered bauxite cost below US$30 per dry ton CIF China, leveraging low strip ratios, minimal overburden (0.5m), no blasting requirement, and highly efficient marine logistics, positioning the company firmly within the lowest quartile of global producers.
- The company ended 2024 with a strong financial position by repaying AU$39 million in junior debt, restructuring senior debt to more favorable terms, and securing long-term freight contracts, reducing shipping costs by approximately US$3/WMT. Metro ended 2024 with around AU$42 million in cash and trade receivables, enhancing financial flexibility for future growth.
- Metro Mining maintains robust environmental and social governance, evidenced by receiving the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies’ 2024 Environment Award.
Key Project
Bauxite Hills Mine (Queensland, Australia)
Metro’s flagship asset, the Bauxite Hills Mine, is a low-cost, high-quality DSO operation with total resources of 118.7 Mt, including proven and probable resources of 83.2 Mt. The mine benefits from minimal overburden of just 0.5 meters, short average haul distances of 9 km, and no requirement for blasting, contributing to exceptionally low production costs. Production capacity is set to expand from current levels to approximately 7 million wet metric tonnes (WMT) annually by 2025.
The mine has achieved sustained daily production rates of approximately 30,000 WMT, supported by efficient marine logistics utilizing Capesize vessels and specialized tug and barge systems. Robust off-take agreements are in place with major industry players, including Chalco, EGA, Xinfa Aluminium and Lubei Chemical.
Kaolin Deposit (part of Bauxite Hills)
Metro’s Bauxite Hills property also contains a significant kaolin deposit beneath its bauxite resources. The company is advancing a definitive feasibility study for kaolin extraction, evaluating potential market entry strategies, mine planning and product market testing.
This project represents a potential new revenue stream, with applications spanning ceramics, paper manufacturing, paint and other industrial uses.
Management Team
Simon Wensley – CEO and Managing Director
Simon Wensley is a proven industry leader with extensive experience in mining operations and strategic growth. He spent 20 years at Rio Tinto in various operational, project and leadership roles across commodities, including iron ore, industrial minerals, bauxite, alumina, coal and uranium.
Douglas Ritchie – Non-Executive Chair
Douglas Ritchie brings more than 40 years' experience in resources, previously holding senior leadership roles at Rio Tinto, including CEO of Rio Tinto Coal Australia, chief executive of the Energy Product Group, and group executive of strategy.
Nathan Quinlin – CFO
Nathan Quinlin is experienced in financial strategy and cost optimization, previously serving as finance and commercial manager at Glencore’s CSA mine, managing finance, risk management and life-of-mine planning.
Gary Battensby – General Manager and Site Senior Executive
Gary Battensby has extensive experience in managing large-scale metalliferous mining operations, budget control and regulatory compliance. He previously oversaw teams of up to 350 staff and operations with substantial CAPEX and operational responsibilities.
Pure-play low-cost producer of high-grade Australian bauxite
Strategic US Antimony Acquisition, Coyote Creek
Highlights:
- EVR has reached agreement with a private US Investor to acquire 49 unpatented claims over the Coyote Creek Antimony Project in Utah, USA.
- The claims cover both old workings and waste from historical antimony mining up to the 1920’s.
- A historical non JORC resource estimate of 12.7 million metric tons grading 0.79% Antimony was estimated by the Utah Geological and Mineral Survey in 1975.
- The historical estimate above is not reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code, and it is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration work that the historical estimates will be able to be reported as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code.
- The USA currently has no operating antimony mine and imports all its antimony concentrates.1
The USA imports all of its antimony concentrates at present1 and the Coyote Creek Project appears to have the potential to become a domestic supplier of antimony at a time of well documented supply shortages.
This acquisition follows EVR’s recent announcement of the proposed acquisition of 70% of Los Lirios, an open pit antimony mine in Oaxaca state Mexico. The Coyote Creek Project fits with EVR’s preference to develop an Americas antimony division based upon open pit mining opportunities. (See ASX announcement “Acquisition of Los Lirios Antimony Mine (EVR 70%) Mexico” dated 28th January 2025).
Background to Coyote Creek Antimony Project
The demand for raw materials for the defense effort during the 2nd World War prompted a review of the Coyote Creek Project, and field work including trenching was conducted between November 1941 and February 1942.
Location
The Coyote Creek claims are located in Garfield County, Utah, 11km east of the town named Antimony. The Canyon in which it is located is referred to variously as Coyote Creek Canyon or Antimony Canyon. Access to the project is via paved roads and then unpaved forestry roads navigable with a low clearance vehicle.
Map 1 Location of the Project
Map 2 Claims at Coyote Creek
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This article includes content from Ev 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.
IP Surveys to Commence at Birdsnest & Epithermal Prospects
HIGHLIGHTS
- Gradient Array Induced Polarisation survey to commence at the Birdsnest & Epithermal prospects located within the 100% owned Newman Gold Project
- Additional Dipole-Dipole Induced Polarisation survey to follow in order to refine geophysical targets for subsequent drill testing
Figure 1: Location of the Birdsnest and Epithermal Prospects within the Newman Gold Project.
The Birdsnest and Epithermal Prospects are situated proximal to the bounding contact of the Sylvania Inlier and north of the Nanjilgardy Fault, both of which are highly prospective zones for gold mineralisation (Figure 2). The GAIP survey data is expected to provide useful layers of geophysical information to assist Peregrine’s interpretation of sub-surface geology and structure, provide feedback for further drill targeting of existing gold and base metal mineralised trends and potentially identify new target zones in other parts of the prospect areas.
Figure 2: Newman Gold Project relative to regional geological structures and neighbouring tenements.
The GAIP surveys will produce plan view maps of Induced Polarisation (IP) chargeability and resistivity anomalies relating to potential sulphide minerals associated with gold and/or base metal mineralisation within approximately 100m from surface within the GAIP survey grid areas. The planned GAIP survey grid areas are both 1.2km long (NW-SE) by 900m wide (NE- SW) (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Planned IP Survey area of Birdsnest & Epithermal Prospects (E52/3850).
The GAIP transmitter electrodes and receiver survey lines will be oriented NE-SW across the grid areas, which is perpendicular to the general geological strike. IP receiver lines will be spaced 100m apart, with receiver electrodes spaced 50m apart along the IP receiver survey lines.
Pending GAIP survey results, follow-up Dipole-Dipole IP (DDIP) surveying across priority GAIP anomalies identified at these prospects may be considered in order to produce cross section images of IP chargeability and resistivity to a maximum depth from surface of approximately 350m along the DDIP survey lines, which will provide feedback on the depth and orientation of the GAIP anomaly sources and thereby allow more accurate drill targeting of IP anomalies in the future.
The Company has engaged experienced IP contractor Khumsup Geophysics to undertake the surveys in early April and are scheduled to take between 2 to 3 weeks to complete with final reporting to be released in May. Subject to these results, the Company will immediately commence drill planning activities.
Geophysical consultants from Resource Potentials Pty Ltd have assisted with the IP survey planning and will QC the survey data, provide preliminary updates during the survey period and then process, interpret and model the final IP survey data, as well as assist with follow-up exploration planning as needed.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Peregrine Gold 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.
Terms of Reference for Enviromental Study Provided for Mannar Heavy Mineral Project
- Central Environment Authority (CEA) has provided the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the environmental assessment of the Mannar Heavy Mineral Project following site visits and input from 35 regulatory bodies and government departments
- The ToR contains the requirements for the environmental studies for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- On completion of the EIA, the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) will then be in a position to issue an Industrial Mining License (IML) for the Project
- The ToR outlines environmental, heritage, social and economic requirements necessary for GSMB approval of the IML
- TSL is focused on delivering economic benefits to the people of Mannar, through job creation and generational wealth, while preserving cultural heritage and protecting the environment
The release of the ToR on 20 March 2025 followed a series of CEA meetings and presentations, culminating in the Scoping Presentation on 22 August 2024 and the Scoping Site Visit on 19 February 2025 by stakeholders in the Project. Submissions made by stakeholders at both the scoping meetings have been included in the ToR which forms the basis of the requirements of the EIA.
TSL’s Managing Director, Dr James Searle said“the release of the ToR is a significant step forward in the regulatory approvals process for this Project. The Project will deliver a high-grade mineral sands operation that will create significant employment opportunities and become a source of wealth for local communities, as well as a significant boost in revenues to the Government of Sri Lanka.
TSL is focused on delivering a low impact environmentally friendly project, with the highest levels of social awareness and inclusion. As heavy minerals have been mined for decades on the Sri Lankan mainland, TSL looks forward to building on the size and quality of the industry making a significant impact to the economic benefits of Sri Lanka”.
Next Steps
ToR
The ToR has been prepared on input from 35 departments and regulatory bodies within Sri Lanka’s Government. TSL’s EIA consultants will be required to address the following as outlined in the ToR:
- Overview of the proposed project and reasonable alternatives
- Report on existing environment and surrounds
- Report on anticipated environmental impacts
- Prepare an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and monitoring program
- Assess all aspects of nature and wildlife restrictions
- Host community consultation and engagement.
The ToR also requires a report on any areas beyond the project site where there is potential for environmental impacts.
Environmental Impact Assessment
The EIA process will commence immediately. The EIA consultants will now be in a position to prepare a draft EIA to address the requirements of the ToR. The EIA will address baseline and impact assessments, mitigation measures and proposed strategies and management plans culminating in an efficient and environmentally successful project. The final EIA submission for GSMB review and approval is expected mid 2025, with support from government agencies and community groups.
As part of the EIA process, community consultation and comment will be undertaken with Mannar communities ensuring any other issues or concerns are addressed in the EIA.
Recent meetings with all of CEA, GSMB and Board of Investment (BoI) in Sri Lanka have led to the understanding that on completion of the EIA, formal IML approval would be granted in a timely manner.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Titanium Sands 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.
Metro Mining Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects