The Conversation (0)
Manuka Resources Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects
GET YOUR FREE INVESTOR KIT
Manuka Resources
Investor Insight
Manuka Resources’ unique value proposition is focused on its three fully licenced projects, which include two precious metals assets in one of Australia’s most prolific regions for base and precious metals, and a company-making iron sands (vanadium and titanium co-products) project in New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Taranaki bight. Manuka Resources is well-placed to deliver significant shareholder value, driven by a phased strategy that includes a clear pathway to near-term precious metals production.
Strategy Overview
Manuka Resources (ASX:MKR) is focused on bringing its precious metals assets in the Cobar Basin into production, as well as progressing its New Zealand domiciled Taranaki VTM iron sands project.
The company previously revealed a phased strategy focused on delivering maximum value to its shareholders. The first phase focused on bringing back the Mt Boppy gold mine into production and it released an optimised production plan for the mine restart. At the time, the company believed silver production would follow gold but noted it was flexible in this regard. In any event and simultaneous to this, will be the ongoing development of the Taranaki vanadium titano-magnetite (VTM) project.
The Cobar Basin located in the central-west of New South Wales, is one of the richest mining provinces in Australia, home to some of Australia’s largest mining companies and explorers.
The Mt Boppy gold mine was historically one of the richest in NSW, Australia and produced ~500,000 oz gold at an average grade of 15 grams per ton (g/t) gold. Accordingly, the company is very excited about its exploration potential.
Drone image looking South showing the main components of the Rock Dump and tailing resources in relation to the Mt. Boppy open pit.
The initial five-year mine plan is largely focused on the screening and processing of gold-bearing waste material above ground on the Mt Boppy mine site. The company had been processing these wastes from June 2023 to December 2023 at its Wonawinta plant and now will look to optimize the process.
The Wonawinta silver project will be the largest primary silver producer in Australia and expected to be back in silver production within 12 months. Manuka has released a maiden ore reserve (under its ownership) of 4.8Mt1 at 53.8g/t silver containing 8.4Moz of silver comprising proven ore reserves of 0.8Mt at 50.8g/t silver; and probable ore reserves of 4.1Mt at 54.3g/t silver. Ore Reserve is based solely on shallow (<40m deep) oxide material.
The Wonawinta 100tph Ball Mill
The gold and silver market appears to be in an upward trend, with prices for both precious metals hitting their all-time highs recently, in Australian dollar terms for silver, which bodes very positively for MKR.
Company Highlights
- Manuka Resources is an ASX-listed mining company focused on producing gold and silver from its two 100 percent owned fully permitted projects (one gold and one silver) in the Cobar Basin in New South Wales, Australia.
- In addition, MKR’s wholly owned subsidiary Trans-Tasman Resources Limited (“TTR”) is the owner of the Taranaki VTM (vanadiferous titanomagnetite) iron sands project, located in the New Zealand EEZ, off the south-west coast of the north island.
- Manuka released the details of the Taranaki VTM project’s pre-feasibility study (PFS) on 26 March 2025, which highlights the extremely robust economics of the project with an NPV10 of US$1.2B and IRR 39 percent
- TTR will also be lodging its application under New Zealand’s Fast Track Approvals Act for the Taranaki VTM project imminently. (The project was included in Schedule 2 of the Act). Successful conclusion of review under the Fast Track pathway will result in final regulatory approvals (marine discharge consent) being granted, completing the full suite of consents to operate the project for 20 years.
- The Company’s primary focus for its precious metals assets is on bringing both the fully permitted Wonawinta silver project and the Mt Boppy gold mine back into production during 2025. The Wonawinta processing plant (primarily constructed for silver production in 2012 with production capacity of 850,000-1 million tpa) has been recently used for both gold and silver processing and is on active care and maintenance for rapid restart..
- The Wonawinta silver project was previously the largest primary producer of silver in Australia, and Manuka expects this to again be the case once production restarts.
- While the substantially higher gold prices have been securing headlines over the past six months, it is worth noting that the silver price is also trading at an all time high which makes restarting the project very attractive (the all time high for silver is against the Australian dollar, currently silver is around AU$54/oz silver).
- Manuka released its maiden silver reserve in October 2024 making it the only production ready silver reserve on a project based in Australia.
- Elevated gold and silver prices should materially benefit Manuka Resources, resulting in strong profitability and cash flows once its projects move into production.
Key Projects
Mt Boppy Gold Project
The Mt Boppy gold project comprises three mining leases, four gold leases and one exploration license, spanning an area of more than 210 sq km in the prolific Cobar Basin in New South Wales, Australia. The project was acquired by Manuka in 2019 and has a current mineral resource of 4.3 Mt at 1.19 g/t gold. This includes a combination of oxidized and transitional/fresh mineralization in the ground, as well as mineralized rock dumps and tailings.
Historically, Manuka Resources has processed its stockpiles and gold mineralized waste products through its Wonawinta processing plant. However, inefficiencies associated with trucking and processing ore at the distant Wonawinta plant has led the company to revise its strategy. It is now looking to construct a processing plant at Mt Boppy so that ore from the mine can be processed on-site. Mt Boppy has excellent infrastructure including a 48-person mine camp and is fully permitted for the proposed processing plant and on-site production.
The updated mineral resource comprises 4.28 Mt at 1.19 g/t gold for 163 koz of contained gold, of which 82 percent is in the measured and indicated categories.
An on-site plant will offer significant cost savings and improve the project economics.
Manuka Resources anticipates Mt Boppy to deliver total EBITDA of >AU$90 million and cash flow of >AU$80 million over a five-year mine life.
Wonawinta Silver Mine Project
The Wonawinta plant
The Wonawinta project is fully permitted with all the necessary infrastructure, including an 850,000 to 1 million tpa processing plant. The plant has been used for processing ore from Mt Boppy. The Wonawinta silver mine is currently under care and maintenance. The company is considering the possibility of resuming operations at Wonawinta, leveraging the improved silver price environment. Manuka has released a maiden ore reserve (under its ownership):
- Ore Reserve of 4.8 Mt at 53.8 g/t silver containing 8.4 Moz of silver comprising:
- Proved Ore Reserves of 0.8 Mt at 50.8 g/t silver; and
- Probable Ore Reserves of 4.1 Mt at 54.3 g/t Ag.
The maiden silver ore reserve and the preparation of an implementation plan for Wonawinta support the potential restart of silver mining and processing operations in the near
future. The company is reviewing its silver restart plans in light of the current price increases and expects to announce a decision before the end of May 2025.
Taranaki VTM Project
The Taranaki VTM project is located within New Zealand's exclusive economic zone, approximately 22 to 36 kilometres offshore, outside the 12 nautical mile boundary from the coastline. The project boasts a JORC resource of 3.2 billion tons at 10.17 percent iron oxide, 1.03 percent titanium dioxide and 0.05 percent vanadium oxide. It holds a mining license allowing initial extraction of 50 million tons annually, resulting in 5 million tons of VTM concentrate per year for 20 years (concentrate grade of 56 to 57 percent iron, 8.5 percent titanium dioxide and 0.5 percent vanadium pentoxide). At this extraction rate, the JORC resource provides approximately 60 years of potential mining inventory.
The project was included in the New Zealand government's Schedule 2 of the Fast Track Approvals Act 2024. The next step for Manuka was to complete pre-feasibility study (“PFS”) on the project. This was released to the market on 26 March 2025 and presents an extremely robust economic outlook for the project as can be seen below.
Management Team
Dennis Karp – Executive Chairman
Dennis Karp is a former commodities trader with nearly four decades of corporate experience. He started his career in 1983 and worked in HSBC until 1997 before moving to Tennant, one of Australia’s largest physical commodities trading companies with operations in Asia and Europe. He was a principal shareholder of Tennant Metals until 2010 and a managing director until December 2014. He founded ResCap in December 2014. Since then, he has participated in diverse resource projects and investment opportunities across base metals and bulk commodities. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Cape Town.
Alan Eggers – Executive Director
Alan Eggers has over 40 years of experience in the mining sector. He is a geologist and was the founder of Summit Resources, which became an ASX top 200 company and was acquired by Paladin Energy in 2007 for AU$1.2 billion. Throughout his career, he has held director positions at numerous companies. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Honours, and Master of Science degrees from Victoria University of Wellington. He is recognized as a fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists and holds memberships in AusIMM and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.
John Seton – Non-executive Director
John Seton is a lawyer with extensive experience in the mineral resources sector. He has served as director in several ASX and NZX listed companies. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University, Wellington, and a Master of Law (Honours) from the University of Auckland and is a chartered fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.
Haydn Lynch – Chief Operating Officer
Haydn Lynch has over 25 years of experience in M&A, capital markets and private equity. He has been involved in executing several domestic and cross-border transactions in various sectors including metals and mining, and industrials. He has held leadership roles in global investment banks, including Bankers Trust Australia, Investec Bank, RBC Capital Markets and Southern Cross Equities. He has undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering and economics from the University of Queensland and a Master in Commerce from the University of New South Wales.
Dieter Engelhardt – Chief Metallurgist and General Manager
Dieter Engelhardt has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry including roles as senior metallurgist at Telfer Gold Mine and Northparkes Mines, resident manager at McKinnons Gold Mine, and manager of ore processing at CSA Mine. Engelhardt was employed by Newcrest Mining (now Newmont) in various roles, including as manager of ore processing and principal metallurgist.
Phil Bentley – Chief Geologist
Phil Bentley has over 40 years of experience in the mining industry across New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia, holding senior geological roles as well as senior management and director positions. He has worked as a chief geologist at Randgold Resources and Randgold & Exploration, Global Head of Exploration at Trafigura Mining Services, and Principal Geologist Africa at CSA Global South Africa. He is a Qualified person under NI 43-101 (Canada) and JORC (Australia) and is a Fellow of the South African Geological Society. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geology at Victoria University of Wellington. He also has a Masters of Science in Economic Geology at Victoria University of Wellington and a Master’s of Science in Mineral Exploration from Rhodes University, Grahamstown South Africa.
Near-term production from both its silver and gold projects located in the Cobar Basin, Central West, New South Wales
OPINION — Goldenomics 102: The Shadow Price of Gold
By Darren Brady Nelson
One of the underrated, and easily dismissed, stories from the first 100 days of the second Donald J. Trump presidency was in March 2025, when the president said: “We’re actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there, because maybe somebody stole the gold. Tonnes of gold.”
Two developments have happened since. First was his May 2025 executive order “Restoring Gold Standard Science.” Second was his signing the July 2025 GENIUS Act. The former could be a word teaser for “Restoring The Gold Standard.” The latter seems to be a step in that direction.
Source: The White House.
Fort Knox gold
The US Department of the Treasury's Weekly Release of US Foreign Exchange Reserves shows the levels of various official assets, including gold. It reported gold of 261.499 million fine troy ounces. An estimated 56 percent of that is in Fort Knox, with the remainder in West Point, Denver and New York.
The Federal Reserve Act 1913 still gives the power to the US Federal Reserve: “To deal in gold coin and bullion at home or abroad, to make loans thereon, exchange Federal reserve notes for gold, gold coin, or gold certificates, and to contract for loans of gold coin or bullion (and much more).”
The question of how much gold is in Fort Knox and elsewhere is not only important for the purposes of DOGE, but even more so in the case of a potential return to a gold standard. And such an incredible return is not mere speculation, but is due to some credible public comments.
Source: Visual Capitalist.
Trump gold standard
Private citizen Trump commented, as a presidential candidate, about a possible return to a gold standard in June 2016, when he said: “Bringing back the gold standard would be very hard to do, but, boy, would it be wonderful. We’d have a standard on which to base our money.”
More recently, Steve Bannon stated in December 2023: “Nixon took us off the gold standard … over a weekend … in an emergency executive order. That is going to be reviewed strongly in the second Trump term … getting rid of the Fed, yeah, maybe you start with converting back into gold.”
Economist Judy Shelton has an October 2024 book as a guide: “When the US dollar is backed by gold, America prospers, and so does the rest of the world. But this is no curmudgeonly demand to return to the gold standard of yore; (but) gold for a new international monetary order.”
Some sort of gold standard might dovetail with a new global trading system, as outlined in the “Mar-a-Largo Accord” of November 2024, as well as with the GENIUS Act of July 2025, which: “establishes a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins (must redeem for a fixed value).”
Shadow gold price I
Shadow pricing is a method long used in cost benefit analysis that adjusts prices from, or creates prices for, failed or non-existent markets. The shadow price of gold (SPoG) in August 2018 was defined as: “The linkage between the US monetary base and the implied price of gold.”
The In Gold We Trust (IGWT) annual report from May 2025 uses a similar definition: “The theoretical gold price in the event of full gold backing of the base money supply.” The report adds: “The reciprocal value of the (SPoG) gives the degree of coverage of the monetary base.”
The reciprocal SPoG, based on current market prices, is the “Gold Coverage Ratio” (GCR). The report explains further that: “Currently, the (GCR) in the US is only 14.5%. To put it crudely: Only 14.5 cents of every US dollar currently consists of gold, the remaining 85.5% is air.”
Shadow gold price II
According to IGWT: “In the gold bull market of the 2000s, (GCR) tripled from 10.8% to 29.7%. A comparable (GCR) today would only arise if the gold price were to almost double to over $6,000. The record value of 131% from 1980 would correspond to a gold price of around $30,000.”
IGWT goes beyond just $USD: “The international shadow gold price (ISPoG) shows how high the gold price would have to rise if the money supply (M0 or M2) of the leading currency areas were covered by the central banks’ gold reserves in proportion to their share of global GDP.”
“This view impressively reveals the extent of the monetary expansion: With an — admittedly purely theoretical — 100% coverage of the broad money supply M2, the gold price (per ounce) would be over $231,000; even with a moderate 25% coverage, it would be around $58,000.”
International shadow gold price at different gold coverage levels (log), in USD, 12/2024.
Source: Incrementum.
Shadow gold price III
In May 2024, James Rickards predicted: “My latest forecast is that gold may actually exceed $27,000. I don’t say that to get attention or to shock people. It’s not a guess; it’s the result of rigorous analysis.”
This was based on a similar approach to SPoG and GCR that he called “the implied non-deflationary price of gold under a new gold standard (iPoG).” Rickards calculated a gold price, based on iPoG, of $27,533 per ounce.”
He divided US$7.2 trillion of M1 money supply by 261.5 million of gold troy ounces (or 8,133 metric tonnes) in official US reserves estimated by the World Gold Council. The M1 figure is 40 percent of US$17.9 trillion as: “this percentage was the legal requirement for the US Federal Reserve from 1913 to 1946.”
In summary, the sort of gold prices that might be reached under a return to a gold standard, using the shadow price of gold approach, range from lows of US$6,000 to highs of US$231,000, with US$27,533, US$30,000 and US$58,000 in between.
Whatever the gold price ends up at, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime windfall for those holding gold at that time. After that, gold would cease to be an investment, as it has been since 1971 and 1974. Because gold would be actual money once again, and it would be sound money at that.
About Darren Brady Nelson
Darren Brady Nelson is chief economist with Fisher Liberty Gold and policy advisor to The Heartland Institute. He previously was economic advisor to Australian Senator Malcolm Roberts. He authored the Ten Principles of Regulation and Reform, and the CPI-X approach to budget cuts.
Click here to read Goldenomics 101: Follow the Money.
LaFleur Minerals Provides Swanson Drilling Update, Acquires Key Swanson Claim, and Files Updated NI 43-101 Technical Report
Key observations from core logging of the recent drill holes are summarized below:
- Pyrite and other sulphides are consistently observed in the drill holes, classic pathfinder minerals for gold.
- A 17.9-metre-wide sulphide-rich zone (true width currently unknown) in drill hole SW-025-038 is a standout intersection that may indicate the potential for gold mineralization; however, assay results are still pending.
- The presence of silicification, carbonate alteration, sericite, chlorite, fuchsite, and quartz veining are classic indicators of hydrothermal fluid movement, which often carries gold. The consistent appearance of shearing, stockwork veining, and brecciation also suggests structural controls that may localize gold mineralization. The presence of alteration and sulphides over multiple holes and rock types also increases the likelihood of defining a larger mineralized system.
- Fuchsite alteration in drill hole SW-025-036 is particularly notable as it is also an important pathfinder and frequently associated with gold mineralization in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt.
PRELIMINARY SWANSON DRILLING HIGHLIGHTS
Below is a brief summary of preliminary geological and mineralization observations from core logging of the recent diamond drill holes completed by the Company. Half-core samples have been securely sent to AGAT Labs ("AGAT") in Val-d'Or, Québec for sample preparation, fire assay, and four-acid ICP geochemical testing, with final analytical results still pending. AGAT is independent of LaFleur Minerals and fully certified and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015 standards.
- Drill hole SW-025-032: Strongly bleached basalts with silicification and carbonate alteration. Pyrite mineralization observed. Occasional quartz-carbonate-tourmaline veins with trace chalcopyrite.
- Drill hole SW-025-033: Altered, carbonate-rich basalts with well-developed shear zones and sericite. Disseminated and stringer pyrite observed. Contact with ultramafic rocks featuring chlorite-talc-carbonate stockworks.
- Drill hole SW-025-034: Alternating altered basalts and ultramafics, sheared with quartz veining. Disseminated and stringer style pyrite observed.
- Drill hole SW-025-035: Sequence includes altered basalts, ultramafics, and possible syenites with shearing and sericite alteration. Pyrite mineralization observed.
- Drill hole SW-025-036: Basalts, ultramafics, and intermediate porphyritic intrusives with significant quartz veining and pervasive fuchsite alteration. Pyrite mineralization observed.
- Drill hole SW-025-037: Pink syenite with sulphides, transitioning to a non-magnetic basalt with sulphides observed such as semi-massive pyrite and magnetite-rich intervals.
- Drill hole SW-025-038: Intersected altered tuffs, breccias, mafic/ultramafic flows, and felsic intrusives. A 17.9 m wide sulphide-rich zone was identified (true width currently unknown), composed of semi-massive to massive pyrite-pyrrhotite stockwork within a brecciated tuff, with strong sericite, chlorite, and silica alteration.
"We are very encouraged by the early progress of the Swanson drilling program and the geological and mineralization similarities seen in the recent drill core to the known Swanson Gold Deposit," said Paul Ténière, CEO of LaFleur Minerals. "We're particularly optimistic about the mineralized zone encountered in hole SW-025-038 and we look forward to releasing assay results in the near future."
Further drilling is ongoing, and additional updates will be provided by the Company as results become available. The fully funded and permitted drill program includes a minimum of 5,000 metres of drilling targeting priority areas identified through extensive historical data compilation and recent fieldwork, including the Swanson Gold Deposit, as well as the Bartec, Jolin, and Marimac target zones (Figure 2). This will include priority targets from over 50 promising targets identified to date.
ACQUISITION OF KEY MINERAL CLAIM FROM GLOBEX MINING ENTERPRISES
The Company also announces that it will acquire a key mineral claim from Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. ("Globex") located immediately adjacent to and east of the Swanson mining lease, which hosts the Swanson Gold Deposit. The mineral claim will be acquired through an arm's length asset purchase agreement dated August 14, 2025, between the Company and Globex (the "Purchase Agreement"). The consideration payable by the Company to Globex for 100% ownership of the mineral claim is a cash payment of C$2,500 due upon execution of the Purchase Agreement. Globex will retain a 2% Gross Metal Royalty (GMR) upon commencement of commercial production from the mineral claim.
NI 43-101 TECHNICAL REPORT UPDATE
LaFleur Minerals is also pleased to announce that it has filed an updated NI 43-101 Technical Report ("Technical Report") for the Swanson Gold Project that discloses the results of recent exploration programs by LaFleur Minerals and the 2024 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Swanson Gold Deposit, which remains unchanged. The Technical Report has an effective date of July 29, 2025 and has been filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and is available on the Company's website at www.lafleurminerals.com.
SITE VISIT DETAILS - BEACON GOLD MILL AND SWANSON GOLD PROJECT
LaFleur Minerals confirms a site visit and tour of its Beacon Gold Mill and Swanson Gold Project in the Val-d'Or region will occur on August 11-13, 2025. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the Company as soon as possible at info@lafleurminerals.com for further details and to confirm their attendance.
Figure 1: Drill Holes recently completed near the Swanson Gold Deposit
Figure 2: Swanson drilling target regions and proposed 2025 drill holes (in blue)
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
Visual estimates of mineral abundance or apparent mineralization observed in drill core are preliminary in nature and readers are cautioned they should not be relied upon as a substitute for analytical results. While the core appears to contain sulphides such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite, and quartz veining, laboratory assays are required to determine the actual grades and composition. There is no guarantee that the visual observations will correlate with assay results.
QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT
All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the Company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.
About LaFleur Minerals Inc.
LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) is focused on the development of district-scale gold projects in the Abitibi Gold Belt near Val-d'Or, Québec. The Company's mission is to advance mining projects with a laser focus on our resource-stage Swanson Gold Project and the Beacon Gold Mill, which have significant potential to deliver long-term value. The Swanson Gold Project is approximately 18,304 hectares (183 km2) in size and includes several prospects rich in gold and critical metals previously held by Monarch Mining, Abcourt Mines, and Globex Mining. LaFleur has recently consolidated a large land package along a major structural break that hosts the Swanson, Bartec, and Jolin gold deposits and several other showings which make up the Swanson Gold Project. The Swanson Gold Project is easily accessible by road allowing direct access to several nearby gold mills, further enhancing its development potential. Lafleur Minerals' fully-permitted and refurbished Beacon Gold Mill is capable of processing over 750 tonnes per day and is being considered for processing mineralized material from Swanson and for custom milling operations for other nearby gold projects.
ON BEHALF OF LAFLEUR MINERALS INC.
Paul Ténière, M.Sc., P.Geo.
Chief Executive Officer
E: info@lafleurminerals.com
LaFleur Minerals Inc.
1500-1055 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 4N7
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements related to the use of proceeds from the Offering. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
Manuka Resources Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects