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Alchemy Resources Limited (ASX: ALY) (“Alchemy” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce it has identified additional outcropping pegmatites at its 100% owned Karonie Gold Project located east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The recent mapping has now identified a pegmatite cluster and has doubled the strike length at the Cherry and Hickory prospects, and has identified multiple outcropping pegmatites at Pecan in the north.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Field work has identified further outcropping pegmatites over the recently discovered lithium in soils anomalies at the 100% owned Karonie Project 110km East of Kalgoorlie.
- Pegmatite cluster mapped over an initial 7km x 1.5km area.
- At Cherry and Hickory Prospects, pegmatites now defined over a 1.5km x 2km area, doubling the previous mapped strike extent.
- At Pecan prospect, outcropping pegmatites have been identified over a strike length of 400m. Outcrops coincide with soil anomalies.
- Rock-chip assays returned significant pathfinder anomalism with Rubidium grades up to 5880ppm, Tantalum up to 122ppm and Caesium up to 221ppm. The ratio analysis of the multi-element data indicates fractionated and highly evolved Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatites over the entire 7km strike.
- Large infill soil geochemistry program planned to commence in late May 2022.
- Regional Soils program commencing concurrently in late May 2022.
Chief Executive Officer Mr James Wilson commented:
“The mapping has now identified a cluster of pegmatites at Karonie. At Hickory and Cherry, we’ve doubled the strike length of mapped pegmatites and at Pecan we’ve discovered multiple pegmatite outcrops across a 1km wide area. We expect the infill soils will zero in on zones which sit under the thin surface cover, and this will help us plan the next steps. The rock-chip assays are all showing very high tenor pathfinder anomalism which plots within the highly evolved and fractionated granite chemistry, telling us that we are exploring in exactly the right spot. Our next steps will be the commencement of infill soils and detailed structural mapping due to start imminently to zero in on target zones for drilling later this year.”
KARONIE PEGMATITE UPDATE
Reconnaissance field mapping at the Cherry-Hickory-Mesquite and Pecan prospects has further extended the known pegmatite occurrences at the Project. Several pegmatite dyke clusters have been identified, indicating the presence of multiple zones which outcrop within the target area. The mineralogy of these bodies appears similar to occurrences identified in earlier zones. Understanding the structural and geochemical controls on these bodies will be a key in defining areas for drill testing. Rock chip results from recent sampling continue to exhibit exceptionally strong pathfinder anomalism with the relevant ratio analysis indicative of evolved and fertile pegmatites with high Tantalum, Rubidium and Caesium results.
Alchemy is preparing field crews to commence infill soil sampling on the priority targets, which is expected to commence in late May 2022.
Cherry and Hickory Mapping: Ground truthing of the lithium anomalies has revealed additional outcropping pegmatites at Cherry and Hickory (Figure 2). In total 6 outcrops were mapped over a combined strike extent of >1.4km (prior ~900m). Individual outcrops have been mapped from 150m to 1,000m in strike extent, with thin cover obscuring other areas. Importantly the mapped pegmatites occur in proximity to the soil anomalies. Pegmatite outcrops have been mapped at the northern and southern extents of the previous soils. Portions of the Cherry and Hickory anomaly are covered by thin soil cover.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Alchemy 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.
ALY:AU
Jindalee Lithium
Overview
Jindalee Lithium (ASX:JLL,OTCQX:JNDAF) is an Australia-based exploration and development company advancing North America’s largest lithium deposit. After a spinout of its Australian assets, Jindalee has become a pure-play lithium company focused exclusively on its promising 100-percent-owned McDermitt project. Jindalee recognises the vast opportunity for lithium projects in the US as the country progresses towards its sustainable energy transition and developing a robust domestic supply chain for critical minerals.
As the US strives to transition to clean energy, demand for lithium will continue to increase as this critical mineral is necessary to achieve the country’s net-zero goals. With its favorable mining policies and infrastructure, the US actively supports the advancement of new projects to strengthen its domestic supply chain.
Jindalee’s McDermitt asset, located in southeast Oregon, contains a unique type of lithium mineralisation. Most lithium projects in North America are lithium brine or pegmatite deposits; however, the McDermitt project is an unconventional sediment-hosted lithium asset.
Sediment-hosted lithium deposits such as McDermitt are long-life assets with low strip ratios and low mining costs. Jindalee can leverage this advantage over other lithium assets, both in terms of reaching production faster and reducing operating expenses.
There is currently no commercially operating sediment-hosted lithium project in North America. Two recently announced projects, however, are under development and demonstrate McDermitt’s future trajectory as both companies move toward production.
The 2023 mineral resources estimate (MRE) for McDermitt contains a combined indicated and inferred mineral resource inventory of 3 billion tons at 1,340 parts per million (ppm) lithium for a total of 21.5 million tons (Mt) lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade. At 21.5 Mt LCE, McDermitt is the largest lithium deposit in the US by contained lithium in mineral resource, and a globally significant resource, with the deposit remaining open to the west and south.
In June 2023, Jindalee commenced a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on the McDermitt Lithium Project appointing Fluor Corporation as lead engineer. The company expects completion of the PFS by mid-2024. Jindalee also announced initial metallurgical results from acid leaching of the beneficiated samples of McDermitt ore. Lithium extraction from composite samples averaged 93 percent (250 micron (µm)) and 94 percent (75 µm) while lithium extraction from all units exceeded 98 percent with higher acid additions.
In a move that signifies the US government's support of the McDermitt lithium project, the US Department of Energy's Ames National Laboratory signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Jindalee's subsidiary HiTech Minerals to develop cutting-edge extraction methods for the McDermitt project. The Ames National Laboratory spearhead the DOE's Critical Materials Innovation Hub
An experienced management team, with the right blend of experience and expertise in geology, corporate administration and international finance, leads Jindalee to fully capitalise on the potential of its assets.
Company Highlights
- Jindalee Lithium is a pure-play lithium exploration and development company focusing on its flagship McDermitt lithium project, currently the largest lithium deposit in North America.
- The United States has ambitious electrification goals but lacks the critical minerals to reach them. Jindalee aims to strengthen the North American supply chain to enable the country to reach net-zero emissions targets.
- Globally, most of the lithium is currently sourced from either pegmatite or lithium brine deposits. The company’s McDermitt deposit, however, is sediment-hosted, an emerging style of lithium deposit with the potential to be a long-life, low-cost source of lithium.
- There are presently no sediment-hosted lithium assets in North America that have reached production. Jindalee is ideally positioned to help fill this void in the market.
- Other companies in North America are moving towards production, and their progress indicates Jindalee’s future trajectory.
- An experienced management team leads Jindalee towards capitalising on the potential of its assets.
Key Project
McDermitt Lithium Project
The McDermitt Project is located in Malheur County on the Oregon-Nevada border and is approximately 35 kilometres west of the town of McDermitt. The 100-percent-owned asset covers 54.6 square kilometres of claims at the northern end of the McDermitt volcanic caldera. Following positive results from its 2022 drill campaign, the resource at McDermitt has increased to 21.5 Mt LCE, making McDermitt the largest lithium deposit in North America.
Project Highlights:
- Rare Sediment-hosted Lithium Deposits: The McDermitt asset supports low-cost mining operations due to its flat-lying sediments. This type of lithium deposit is amenable to low-cost mining operations, while still producing excellent metallurgical results.
- Resource Increased by 62 percent early 2023: Compilation of the 2022 drilling results saw the estimated indicated and inferred resources at McDermitt increase to 3 billion tons at 1,340 ppm lithium, a 62 percent increase in contained lithium. The updated resource released by the company contains a combined indicated and inferred total of 21.5 Mt LCE at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade.
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with POSCO Holdings: Jindalee entered into an MOU with POSCO Holdings (NYSE:PKX), under which POSCO will fund metallurgical testwork on McDermitt ore and undertake joint research for the asset. POSCO is partnering with General Motors to supply cathode active material (including lithium) for its electric vehicles.
- Fluor recommended processing route: In March 2023, US engineering group Fluor reviewed all testwork undertaken at McDermitt and recommended beneficiation and acid leaching as the optimal processing route.
- Highly encouraging metallurgical testwork: Results from beneficiation and acid leaching tests have exceeded expectations. Beneficiation testwork completed in late 2023 (on sample representing a nominal life-of-mine average feed) recovered 92 percent of the lithium to leach feed and rejected 25.3 percent of the mass at a cut size of 250 µm. Additionally the acid leach test work announced in early 2024 demonstrated very high lithium extraction rates on beneficiated ore. Specifically, the calculated lithium extraction for a composite sample using 250 µm leach feed was 92.9 percent which compares favourably with the extraction rate (94 percent) achieved through testwork from the finer (75 µm) leach feed using 500 kg/t acid. Further testwork is now underway.
- PFS in progress: Jindalee has appointed Fluor Corporation to commence the PFS for McDermitt, set to be completed by mid-2024.
Management Team
Ian Rodger - Chief Executive Officer
Ian Rodger is a qualified mining business executive with almost 15 years of experience in various roles including as a mining engineer for Rio Tinto across two large greenfield mine developments, before successfully transitioning into mining corporate finance where he held Executive and Director positions at RFC Ambrian overseeing origination and management of numerous mandates across a range of corporate advisory roles. Rodger was the project director for Oz Minerals (ASX:OZL) where he made significant contributions to successfully define the value potential of the West Musgrave nickel/copper province through the delivery of a portfolio of growth studies. Most notably, he led technical, market and partnership development workstreams, successfully confirming value potential for producing an intermediate Nickel product for the battery value chain.
Rodger holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering from the University of Queensland, a Masters of Mineral Economics from Curtin University and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Lindsay Dudfield - Executive Director
Lindsay Dudfield is a geologist with over 40 years of experience in multi-commodity exploration, primarily within Australia. He held senior positions with the mineral divisions of Amoco and Exxon. In 1987, he became a founding director of Dalrymple Resources NL and spent the following eight years helping acquire and explore Dalrymple’s properties, leading to several greenfield discoveries. In late 1994, Lindsay joined the board of Horizon Mining NL (Jindalee Lithium’s predecessor) and has been responsible for managing Jindalee Lithium since inception. Lindsay is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Geological Society of Australia and the Society of Economic Geologists. He is also a non-executive director of Jindalee spin-out companies Energy Metals (ASX:EME), Dynamic Metals (ASX:DYM) and Alchemy Resources (ASX:ALY).
Wayne Zekulich - Non-executive Chair
Wayne Zekulich was appointed to the board as Chair on 1 February 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Business and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Zekulich is a consultant and non-executive director who has substantial experience in advising, structuring and financing transactions in the infrastructure and resources sectors. He was previously the head of Rothschild in Perth, chief financial officer of Gindalbie Metals Limited, chief development officer of Oakajee Port and Rail and a consultant to a global investment bank. Currently, he is chair of Pantoro Limited (ASX:PNR) and non-executive director of the Western Australian Treasury Corporation. In the not-for-profit sector, he is the past chair of the Lester Prize and is a mentor in the Kilfinan program.
Darren Wates - Non-executive Director
Darren Wates is a corporate lawyer with over 23 years of experience in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, resources, project acquisitions/divestments and corporate governance gained through private practice and in-house roles in Western Australia. Wates is the founder and principal of Corpex Legal, a Perth-based legal practice providing corporate, commercial and resources related legal services, primarily to small and mid-cap ASX listed companies. In this role, he has provided consulting general counsel services to ASX listed company Neometals (ASX:NMT) since 2016, having previously been employed as legal counsel of Neometals. Wates holds Bachelor's degrees in Law and Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.
Paul Brown - Non-executive Director
Paul Brown has over 23 years of experience in the mining industry, most recently with Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) where he was chief executive – lithium, and chief executive – commodities. Brown has held senior operating roles with Leighton, HWE and Fortescue (ASX:FMG) and has a strong track record in technical leadership, project/studies management, and mine planning and management. Brown is currently CEO of Hastings Technology Metals (ASX:HAS). He holds a Master in Mine Engineering.
Brett Marsh - VP Geology and Development (US)
Brett Marsh is an AIPG certified professional geologist and a registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) with over 25 years of diverse mining and geological experience. He has worked for and held senior leadership roles for Kastan Mining, Luna Gold, Kiska Metals, Newmont, Freeport-McMoRan, Phelps Dodge, ASARCO and consulted to deliver numerous NI 43-101 technical reports. Marsh has demonstrated the ability to deliver results in culturally diverse and geographically difficult environments, such as Brazil, Peru, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, Indonesia, Australia, and has also worked in remote areas of Alaska. He has managed all phases of the mining lifecycle including greenfield and brownfield exploration, project development (including preliminary economic assessments, pre-feasibility and feasibility), project construction, mine operations, and environmental. He successfully led multi-cultural teams to develop business processes and implementation plans for many mine development and operational projects.
Carly Terzanidis - Company Secretary
Carly Terzanidis has 20 years of prior experience in the financial services industry, having been employed by Euroz Hartleys, DJ Carmichael and Shaw and Partners. Terzanidis’ recent experience has been in corporate services and in the role of company secretary for resources-focused entities. Terzanidis acts as company secretary for Alchemy Resources (ASX:ALY), Kalamazoo Resources (ASX:KZR) and Viridis Mining and Minerals (ASX:VMM). Terzanidis holds a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Accounting and Corporate Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance.
Major Milestone Achieved: Pilot-Scale Lithium Carbonate Production
CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM: CTL), an exploration and development company advancing sustainable lithium projects in Chile, is pleased to announce the downstream conversion process is successfully producing pilot scale samples of lithium carbonate. CTL is a leader in Chile in producing lithium carbonate using Direct Lithium Extraction ("DLE") at the pilot scale, marking a major milestone for the Company. The samples will be sent to a laboratory to confirm the grade and impurity profile, which is expected to be battery-grade and prepared for strategic partner qualification.
Image 1: CTL Director Gordon Stein and CEO of Conductive Energy Haafiz Hasham
with first Lithium Carbonate produced from Conversion Process
The Company shipped four tanks with a total of 88m3 of concentrated eluate from its DLE pilot plant in Copiapó, Chile, to the facilities of Conductive Energy in Chicago, USA, for conversion into lithium carbonate. The first tank with 20m3 of eluate is currently being processed and produced the first 50kg of lithium carbonate on November 19th. The full tank will be processed over the next week and is expected to produce approximately 150kg of battery grade lithium carbonate.
To mark the commencement of production a site visit to the conversion facility was held showcasing the innovative process. The conversion process utilises forward osmosis at the concentration stage rather than the conventional evaporator helping to reduce water consumption and energy use before solution purification and then carbonation into the final product.
Conversations with potential strategic partners interested in testing the product have begun. After laboratory analysis, the Company will be aiming to send samples of battery-grade lithium carbonate to such partners initially in the several kilograms to tens of kilograms, to start the product qualification process.
Highlights:
· CTL has produced pilot scale lithium carbonate from Laguna Verde brine following successful commencement of the downstream conversion process
· CTL is a leader in Chile producing lithium carbonate at the pilot scale using sustainable DLE which, with spent brine reinjection, prevents aquifer depletion and through innovative downstream processing, minimises water and energy consumption
· Lithium carbonate product will be sent to a laboratory in North America to be verified as battery-grade (>99.5%)
· A site visit to Conductive Energy's conversion facility took place on Tuesday 19th November to mark the commencement of production from what is the largest pilot plant in operation in North-East USA.
· Conversations with strategic partners have started and samples will be available for product qualification
Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer, CleanTech Lithium PLC, said:
"CleanTech Lithium has reached an important milestone by commencing pilot scale lithium carbonate production using a sustainable and innovative DLE based process. As a leader in the DLE sector in Chile with a focus on efficiency and sustainability, this accomplishment marks a significant step forward. Years of hard work have led to this important milestone, and it sets the stage for future development with a commitment to supporting the transition to electric vehicles and clean energy. Thank you to the partners involved and we look forward to enter the next phase of development."
Haafiz Hasham, Chief Executive Officer, Conductive Energy, said:
"The successful conversion to lithium carbonate in partnership with CleanTech Lithium and Forward Water Technologies represents a significant milestone for all the companies involved. This achievement highlights our commitment to developing innovative, efficient, and sustainable processes that meet the growing global demand for lithium, a critical component in green energy solutions. We are excited to continue advancing Direct Lithium Extraction, which we believe represents the future of battery-grade lithium production."
Image 2: Site visit at Conductive Energy's facilities was held on 19th November
to see the conversion process to lithium carbonate
Image 3: Filter press used in the conversion process to separate precipitated
Li2CO3 from solution. White powder is lithium carbonate
Image 4: Two tanks of concentrated eluate arrive on site in Chicago, USA
Image 5: Industrial Forward Osmosis unit
**ENDS**
The information communicated within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No 596/2014 which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. The person who arranged for the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was Gordon Stein, Director and CFO.
For further information contact: | |
CleanTech Lithium PLC | |
Steve Kesler/Gordon Stein/Nick Baxter | Jersey office: +44 (0) 1534 668 321 Chile office: +562-32239222 |
Or via Celicourt | |
Celicourt Communications Felicity Winkles/Philip Dennis/Ali AlQahtani | +44 (0) 20 7770 6424 |
Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nominated Adviser) Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak | +44 (0) 20 7628 3396 |
Fox-Davies Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Daniel Fox-Davies | +44 (0) 20 3884 8450 |
Canaccord Genuity (Joint Broker) James Asensio | +44 (0) 20 7523 4680 |
Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter referred to in it.
Notes
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) is an exploration and development company advancing lithium projects in Chile for the clean energy transition. Committed to net-zero, CleanTech Lithium's mission is to become a new supplier of battery grade lithium using Direct Lithium Extraction technology powered by renewable energy.
CleanTech Lithium has two key lithium projects in Chile, Laguna Verde and Viento Andino, and exploration stage projects in Llamara and Arenas Blancas (Salar de Atacama), located in the lithium triangle, a leading centre for battery grade lithium production. The two most advanced projects: Laguna Verde and Viento Andino are situated within basins controlled by the Company, which affords significant potential development and operational advantages. All four projects have good access to existing infrastructure.
CleanTech Lithium is committed to utilising Direct Lithium Extraction with reinjection of spent brine resulting in no aquifer depletion. Direct Lithium Extraction is a transformative technology which removes lithium from brine with higher recoveries, short development lead times and no extensive evaporation pond construction. www.ctlithium.com
Inside Billionaire Gina Rinehart's Key Mining Investments (Updated 2024)
In this article:
- Who is Gina Rinehart?
- How did Gina Rinehart get rich?
- What mining companies does Gina Rinehart own?
- Where does Hancock Prospecting mine iron?
- Gina Rinehart’s iron ore investments
- Gina Rinehart’s lithium investments
- Gina Rinehart’s rare earths investments
- Gina Rinehart’s copper investments
- Gina Rinehart’s oil and gas investments
- Gina Rinehart’s potash and agriculture investments
- FAQs for Gina Rinehart
Who is Gina Rinehart?
Gina Rinehart is an Australian iron ore magnate and the executive chair of Hancock Prospecting, as well as the richest person in Australia and one of the world’s richest women. Rinehart is the daughter of Australian mining mogul and Hancock Prospecting founder, the late Lang Hancock. As the current executive chair of Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart won the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from CEO Magazine in 2019.
Rinehart was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2022 for her “distinguished service to the mining sector, to the community through philanthropic initiatives, and to sport as a patron.”
How did Gina Rinehart get rich?
Gina Rinehart inherited Hancock Prospecting after her father’s passing in 1992. The following year, Gina Rinehart’s company acquired the Roy Hill tenements. Centering the massive project as the cornerstone of the company, Hancock Prospecting has greatly benefited from the iron ore market boom that began in the early 2000s.
Today, Roy Hill is Australia’s largest iron ore mine, producing 60 million tonnes of iron ore per year. The mine was recently approved to increase its annual production to 70 million tonnes. Success at Roy Hill has made Hancock Prospecting Australia’s most valuable private company, worth an estimated AU$15.6 billion.
As with many of the world’s most successful billionaires, Gina Rinehart has developed an investment strategy based on strategic partnerships as well as diversification to mitigate risk and build value. Under her leadership, Hancock Prospecting Pty Limited (HPPL) as well as the HPPL Group of companies has expanded into some of the world’s most economically important markets, such as real estate, agriculture, energy and critical metals.
For the 2024 fiscal year, Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting reported a bumper profit of AU$5.6 billion, up 10 percent from the previous year.
What mining companies does Gina Rinehart own?
Through her company Hancock Prospecting, Gina Rinehart owns interest in mining companies across many sectors, including iron ore, lithium, rare earths, copper, oil and gas, as well as potash. While much of her investment portfolio is focused on Australia and ASX companies, Rinehart is actively strengthening the geographical diversification of her investments.
In recent years, Rinehart has made a series of key investments in mining companies, especially targeting critical metals projects in Germany, Brazil, Ecuador and the United States. These include exploration-stage firms such as Titan Minerals (ASX:TTM) and Azure Minerals as well as producers such as Atlas Iron and MP Materials.
Where does Hancock Prospecting mine iron?
Vehicles hauling ore at Roy Hill iron ore mine.
Photo of Roy Hill iron ore mine via Roy Hill.
Hancock Prospecting’s Roy Hill and Hope Downs iron ore mines are located in the resource rich Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Roy Hill has attracted strategic partnerships with major global enterprises: Marubeni (TSE:8002) with a 15 percent equity stake; POSCO (NYSE:PKX,KRX:005490) holds a 12.5 percent stake; and China Steel (TPE:2002) has a 2.5 percent equity position. The minority partners purchase a combined 28.75 million tonnes of iron ore annually from Roy Hill’s production.
This September, Hancock Prospecting got the green light for its AU$600 million McPhee iron mine located about 100 kilometres north of the Roy Hill mine after a long approval process. The McPhee iron mine is expected to produce around 10 million tonnes of the metal each year over an estimated 15 year mine life. First production is expected to kick off next year, and ore will be transported by road trains to Roy Hill for processing and blending. The goal is to improve the larger mine's product mix and sustain its production volumes.
The Hope Downs iron ore complex is another of Australia’s largest iron ore projects. A 50/50 joint venture partnership with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO), Hope Downs hosts four open-pit mines and has an annual production capacity of 47 million tonnes. Hope Downs has also been the subject of a more than decade-long civil dispute in a Western Australian court over royalties, put forth by the descendants of Lang Hancock's business partner Peter Wright as well as Rinehart’s own children. A judgment in the case is expected this year.
Gina Rinehart’s iron ore investments
Gina Rinehart’s iron ore investments in Western Australia extend beyond Roy Hill and Hill Downs to its subsidiary Atlas Iron’s three producing mines and a pipeline of development projects, as well as an earn-in agreement on Legacy Iron Ore (ASX:LCY) and Hawthorn Resources’ (ASX:HAW) Mt Bevan project through its subsidiary Hancock Magnetite Holdings.
Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting acquired Atlas Iron in 2018 through a AU$427 million deal that turned out to be dirt cheap as the company would go on to deliver AU$1.5 billion in revenues over the next three years alone.
Today, Atlas Mines operates the Mt Webber, Sanjiv Ridge and Miralga Creek mines. Production from these mines in its fiscal year ended June 2023 led to a AU$222 million dividend payment for Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting.
At Mt Bevan, as part of its earn-in agreement, Hancock completed a prefeasibility study( PFS) for a 12 million tonne per year high-grade magnetite project in July of this year. The PFS incorporated a mineral resource estimate totalling 1,291 million tonnes, which was completed by Atlas, and delineates a capital cost of AU$5 billion to develop the potential Mt Bevan mine.
Completion of the PFS increased Hancock’s stake in the JV ownership from 30 percent to 51 percent with Legacy now holding 29.4 percent and Hawthorn 19.6 percent.
Like iron, coal is another essential material in steel manufacturing. To this end, Rinehart is also pursuing an investment in a past-producing metallurgical coal mine in Alberta, Canada. Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Northback Holdings is the owner of the proposed Grassy Mountain steelmaking coal project in the province’s Crowsnest Pass region. Northback is awaiting approval of its exploration licenses for the project.
Gina Rinehart’s lithium investments
Gina Rinehart's lithium investments include Azure Minerals’ Andover lithium project, Liontown Resources, Delta Lithium (ASX:DLI) and Vulcan Energy Resources (ASX:VUL). The majority of her lithium investments have came in a flurry over the past year.
In June 2023, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting signed a separate joint venture earn-in agreement for the Mt Bevan magnetite project, which is discussed above, this time for the lithium, nickel and copper mineralization at the project. The agreement will similarly see Hancock able to earn a 51 percent interest by completing certain milestones.
Last September, Rinehart made headlines when she took a position in Liontown Resources and then rapidly increased the position to 19.9 percent over the following month. This allowed Hancock, which was now Liontown's largest shareholder, to effectively block Albemarle’s (NYSE:ALB) accepted takeover of the smaller lithium company.
However, since then, Liontown’s stock has taken a hit as the economics for its near-production Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia have been damaged by the effects of high inflation and low lithium prices. Ultimately, in January, Albemarle decided to sell off its 4 percent stake in Liontown Resources. The lack of any further moves or comment by Rinehart in relation to Liontown Resources has led to speculation she may be waiting for the right opportunity to buy up the lithium company at a discount.
Kathleen Valley entered production in late July 2024, and is expected to produce approximately 2.8 million tonnes per year of spodumene concentrate by the end of FY 2027.
That wasn't the only lithium bid Rinehart blocked in October 2023. As is her strategy, Rinehart scooped up an 18.9 percent stake in Azure Minerals last year after SQM announced its intention for a total takeover of the company and its Andover lithium project in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia. This story had a different ending, though, as Hancock Prospecting instead joined the lithium giant in a AU$1.7 billion deal to become a co-owner of the exploration-stage Andover project, which also hosts nickel, copper and cobalt mineralisation. The deal closed in May 2024.
Shortly after its Liontown and Azure moves last year, Hancock Prospecting continued investing in Western Australia's lithium prospects when it participated in a AU$70.2 million fundraising for Delta Lithium in November 2023. The proceeds of the fundraising will help Delta Lithium to fund the development of its Mt Ida lithium-gold project, which is adjacent to Hancock's Mt Bevan joint venture project, through to a final investment decision. As of November 2024, Hancock Prospect owns 10.65 percent of Delta Lithium.
Rinehart has made lithium investments outside of Australia as well. Looking further afield to Germany, with a 7.5 percent stake, Hancock Prospecting is the second largest shareholder in Vulcan Energy and its flagship Zero Carbon lithium project in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley, a milestone Rinehart's company reached after investing an additional AU$20 million in Vulcan, which made headlines in June. The Zero Carbon project is slated to produce an initial 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide by the end of 2025, targeting Europe’s electric vehicle manufacturing sector.
In November 2024, Vulcan Energy reached another major milestone with first production at its downstream lithium hydroxide optimisation plant, which is designed to produce lithium hydroxide and battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate.
Gina Rinehart’s rare earths investments
Facilities at MP Materials' Mountain Pass rare earths mine.
clayton harrison / Shutterstock
Through Hancock Prospecting, Gina Rinehart has recently made investments in some of the world’s most well known rare earths producing companies — US-based MP Materials and Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths — as well as development-stage Arafura Rare Earths and exploration-stage Brazilian Rare Earths (ASX:BRE). Rinehart taking a position in these rare earths companies shows she is looking to capitalise on the significant need for these critical metals outside of China.
As mentioned in the introduction to this article, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting is the largest shareholder of Arafura Rare Earths, giving it a 10 percent stake in the advanced-stage Nolans project in the Northern Territory. Rinehart made the investment in December 2022.
In April of this year, Rinehart made two significant moves into the sector. The first came on April 9, when it was revealed that Hancock Prospecting had acquired a 5.3 percent stake in MP Materials, the second largest rare earths producer outside of China. The company’s California-based Mountain Pass mine is the only integrated rare earth mining and processing operation in North America.
Rinehart’s investment in MP Materials could later bring in “Roy Hill-type cash flow,” Dylan Kelly, head analyst at Terra Capital, told Australian Financial Review. “Anything that is producing and not China-aligned is highly strategic. These materials are very, very hard to make and there’s a lot of demand in making magnets for electric vehicles and wind turbines."
One week later, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting also took up a 5.82 percent interest in Lynas Rare Earths, the largest ex-China rare earths producer. The Australian rare earths miner produces the critical metals at its Mount Weld mine in Western Australia and ships the raw material to Malaysia for processing. Lynas is also ramping up processing at its Kalgoorlie rare earth processing facility in Australia, and building light rare earths processing facilities and a heavy rare earths separation facility in Texas, US.
Rinehart’s near simultaneous investments in both Lynas and MP Materials comes after merger talks between the two rare earths behemoths stalled in February. There is speculation stirring that Rinehart’s participation could renew merger discussions, Reuters reported. In November, the mining mogul increased her position in MP Materials to 8.5 percent, further raising the possibility of a merger down the road.
Andy Forster, Lynas investor and senior investor of Argo Investments, had his interest piqued by Rinehart’s move "given she's clearly made a play across the whole space. She obviously wants to potentially have a seat at the table if there's any chance of consolidation."
Rinehart is also getting her foot in the rare earths door at the exploration level. Last year, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting made a pre-IPO investment for a 5.85 percent share in Brazilian Rare Earths, which went on to list on the ASX in December. The rare earths explorer is working its district-scale Rocha da Rocha rare earth province in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The province is highly prospective for both heavy and light rare earths, with grades of over 40 percent total rare earth oxides found. The company expects to complete an updated JORC mineral resource estimate this year.
Gina Rinehart’s copper investments
Gina Rinehart’s copper investments are centered on Ecuador’s Andean copper-gold belt, and include explorer Titan Minerals and Ecuador's state-owned Empresa Nacional Minera (ENAMI).
Ecuador has seen a rush of major mining companies taking up positions in key copper and gold projects in recent years, placing Hancock Prospecting in the company of Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX,NYSE:GOLD), Zijin Mining (HKEX:2899) and Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF).
Rinehart’s Ecuadorian copper investments are in line with her shift toward the critical metals necessary for the green transition and her strategy to expand the global footprint of her mining empire.
Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Hanrine Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining has been in the region since 2017, but recently began making more investments. In March 2024, Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Hanrine Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining acquired a 49 percent stake in six mining concessions for AU$186.4 million. The deal sees it partner with state mining company ENAMI for the concessions, which surround the stalled Llurimagua copper-molybdenum project in Northern Ecuador.
In late April, Ecuador’s constitutional court nixed appeals by ENAMI and its partner in the Llurimagua project, Chile’s state-owned CODELCO, to review the March 2023 decision by Imbabura’s provincial supreme court suspending the environmental license for Llurimagua.
Shortly after the investment with ENAMI, Rinehart's Hanrine made another play in Ecuador by striking an earn-in agreement with Titan Minerals for up to an 80 percent ownership stake in the explorer’s Linderos copper-gold project contingent on up to AU$120 million in exploration spending. Linderos is an early-exploration stage project with the potential to host a large-scale copper porphyry system. Hanrine has made an initial investment of AU$2 million for a 5 percent stake.
Gina Rinehart’s oil and gas investments
Gina Rinehart’s oil and gas investments include private firms Warrego Energy in Western Australia and Senex Energy in Queensland.
In February 2023, Hancock Prospecting won a protracted bidding war for the then-public Warrego with Warrego's joint venture partner Strike Energy (ASX:STX) for a price of AU$0.36 per share. Warrego and operator Strike Energy maintain their 50/50 joint venture on the West Erregulla onshore gas field within exploration permit EP 469 near Perth in Western Australia.
In mid-August 2024, the West Erregulla project received its production licence and the partners expect to start operations once a final investment decision is made later this year. During phase one, the project is expected to produce 87 terajoules per day.
As for Senex Energy, it is a joint venture between POSCO (50.1 percent) and Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Hancock Energy (49.9 percent) that holds the Atlas and Roma North natural gas developments in Queensland’s Surat Basin. The two JV partners acquired Senex in 2022, with Rinehart’s company putting up AU$440.89 million.
Senex Energy is embarking on a AU$1 billion expansion endeavor at Atlas and Roma North this year that will see 60 petajoules of natural gas delivered to Australia’s east coast market annually by the end of 2025. This figure represents more than 10 percent of the region’s demand. Regulatory approval for the expansion was finally approved following an uphill battle with a Federal government more keen on renewable energy projects than the natural gas variety.
Rinehart once had a significant stake of nearly 20 percent in Lakes Oil, now Lakes Blue Energy (ASX:LKO), through subsidiary Timeview Enterprises. Timeview's stake in Lakes Blue Energy has been lowered in recent years, but it remains the company's fourth largest shareholder at 4.63 percent.
More recently, Rinehart offered financial assistance to Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN,OTC Pink:MALRF), a diversified mining company with lithium, iron ore and oil and gas operations in Western Australia. Headed by another mining heavyweight, Chris Ellison, Mineral Resources, or MinRes, is reportedly drowning in debt and embroiled in a tax evasion investigation. Hancock Prospecting has agreed to a AU$1.13 billion buyout of MinRes' oil and gas projects in the Perth Basin and an exploration acreage in the Carnarvon Basin.
Gina Rinehart’s potash and agriculture investments
Gina Rinehart’s potash and agricultural investments center on Hancock Prospecting’s ownership interests in multiple premium cattle stations in Australia, and the company's royalty revenue generated from the Anglo-American-controlled Woodsmith potash project currently under construction in the United Kingdom.
With an original investment of AU$380.6 million in 2016 to then-owner Sirius Minerals, Hancock Prospecting has a 5 percent revenue royalty on the first 13 million tonnes of fertiliser produced from Woodsmith and 1 percent thereafter. Hancock also has a 20,000 tonne-a-year offtake option. The timeline for Rinehart’s royalty revenue has been pushed back, however, as Anglo is cutting spending at Woodsmith following BHP’s (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) failed mega-merger with Anglo American.
Investor takeaway
With Gina Rinehart at the helm of Hancock Prospecting, the Roy Hill iron ore mine has generated stellar revenues. That wealth creation not only made her Australia's richest person, but has also built a powerful war chest from which Rinehart is expanding her mining empire.
Investors can take cues from her recent and future moves in the mining sector. Although she may be defensive toward renewable energy technologies encroaching on agricultural land, she understands the strategical importance of investing in critical metals for the green transition such as lithium, rare earths and copper.
FAQs for Gina Rinehart
How much is Gina Rinehart worth?
Gina Rinehart's net worth is reported to be AU$40.61 billion as of May 31, 2024. That's up 8.5 percent over the previous year, according to figures from the Australian Financial Review's Rich List 2024.
"Rinehart’s net worth jumped $3.2b in the last year thanks to multiples in the sector expanding," the list's authors explain. "However, her iron grip on the Rich List top spot may be weakened by ore price declines in 2024, on the back of concerns over steel output reducing in China."
What company does Gina Rinehart own?
Gina Rinehart owns Hancock Prospecting, a private company founded by her late father Lang Hancock. Originally an iron ore mining company, today the firm has strategic stakes in a wide-range of metals and commodities from lithium and rare earths to copper and agriculture, which are detailed in this article.
Can I buy shares in Hancock Prospecting?
While investors can't buy public shares in privately held Hancock Prospecting, they can take equity positions in the publicly traded stocks in which the company itself holds interest. Some of these stocks include Arafura Rare Earths (ASX:ARU,OTC Pink:ARAFF), Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR), MP Materials (NYSE:MP) and Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC).
Does Gina Rinehart own Rio Tinto?
Although she has interest in many mining companies and the two companies share the Hope Downs joint venture, Gina Rinehart does not own mining giant Rio Tinto. Yahoo Finance reports that Aluminum Corporation of China (SHA:601600) is its largest shareholder at 11 percent, followed by BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) with 8.7 percent and the Vanguard Group at about 3.1 percent of shares.
What does Gina Rinehart think about nuclear energy?
Gina Rinehart is pro-nuclear energy. During a speech at The Australian Bush Summit in 2023, she railed against the impact of wind and solar farms on much needed agricultural land in Australia. She suggested that nuclear energy offers a more viable solution for reaching the country's net zero targets.
Is Gina Rinehart the richest person in Australia?
Gina Rinehart is the richest person in Australia. In 2024, she made the Australian Financial Review's Rich List for the fifth consecutive year in a row. The next richest Australian, real estate developer Harry Triguboff, trails her by about AU$14 billion.
Is Gina Rinehart the richest woman in the world?
Gina Rinehart is not the richest woman in the world, but she does rank as the world's ninth richest woman in 2024. The distinction of richest woman in the world goes to France's Francoise Bettencourt Meyer, the heir of L'Oréal (EPA:OR). Rinehart previously held the title in 2012.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.