Surge in Copper Demand Re-energises Cobar Basin’s Underexplored Resource Potential

Mining legacy and geological setting

The town of Cobar, located in Western New South Wales, is a well-established mining service centre with more than 150 years of production history. Known for its skilled workforce, mining infrastructure and access to road, power and processing facilities, Cobar offers a low-barrier environment for new exploration and development.

The region sits within a stable Australian jurisdiction, with supportive regulatory frameworks and a history of successful permitting and operations — making it an ideal destination for long-term mineral investment.

What sets the Cobar Basin apart geologically is its distinctive structural style and mineral endowment. The Basin hosts a variety of deposit types, most notably “Cobar-style” deposits — steeply dipping, structurally controlled lodes rich in copper, gold, lead, zinc and silver. These lodes often occur in narrow but high-grade zones, making them attractive exploration targets.

Many existing mines in the region — including Aurelia Metals' (ASX:AMI,OTC Pink:AUMTF) Federation mine, Metals Acquisition’s (NYSE:MTAL) CSA mine and Aeris Resources' (ASX:AIS,OTC Pink:ARSRF) Tritton operations — began as small discoveries before developing into large, profitable systems.

Yet, despite its rich production history, the Basin remains underexplored at depth, and much of it has not been subjected to modern geophysics or systematic geochemistry.

This creates a significant opportunity for new discoveries, particularly with the application of advanced tools and reinterpretation of historic datasets.

Mining in the Cobar Basin stretches back to the 1870s, when the discovery of copper and gold led to the town’s founding. Since then, the region has yielded numerous high-grade deposits and produced millions of tonnes of copper, gold and polymetallic concentrates. Key projects that underscore Cobar’s mining credentials include:

• The Federation mine — a high-grade zinc-lead-gold deposit under development.
• Peel Mining’s (ASX:PEX) Mallee Bull and Wirlong projects — advancing toward potential mine development.
• Kingston Resources’ (ASX:KSN) Mineral Hill mine — a polymetallic producer with significant upside.
• The CSA copper mine — one of Australia’s highest-grade copper operations, located just 11 kilometres from the town of Cobar.
• The Tritton mine — a significant copper producer with a long track record of success.
• Polymetals Resources’ (ASX:POL) Endeavor mine — a former zinc-lead-silver producer demonstrating the longevity of Cobar’s deposits.

Together, these operations represent decades of production, resource growth and sustained investment, reinforcing the Basin’s strategic importance in Australia’s mining landscape.

Mount Hope Mining: Positioned for scalable copper-gold discovery

At the forefront of the Cobar Basin’s new exploration wave is Mount Hope Mining (ASX:MHM), a copper-gold explorer with a commanding land position in the southern extension of the Basin, approximately 148 kilometres south of the town of Cobar. With four exploration licences covering 175 square kilometres, the Mount Hope project offers exposure to a richly mineralised corridor that hosts multiple historic copper and gold mines — including the Mount Hope, Comet and Great Central copper mines, and the Mount Solitary and Solar gold prospects.

Mount Hope’s strategy is centred on identifying and advancing Cobar-style mineralisation using modern exploration techniques. The company has already commenced systematic field programs across five high-priority target zones, combining reinterpretation of historical data, geochemical soil sampling and reprocessed airborne geophysical surveys. These efforts are guided by expert technical support from Southern Geoscience Consultants, and are being further refined with the addition of a ground gravity survey initiated in Q1 2025.

Mount Hope’s project area is structurally complex and mineralogically fertile, with known copper and gold occurrences along key shear zones. Yet much of this ground has seen little to no modern exploration, offering significant blue-sky potential at depth – a hallmark of many long-life Cobar Basin deposits.

Following a successful $5 million IPO in December 2024, the company is well funded with $4.5 million in cash at the end of Q1 2025, enabling it to execute its maiden drill program with flexibility and scale.

With copper fundamentals strengthening and investor appetite for Tier 1 jurisdiction discoveries on the rise, Mount Hope Mining presents a compelling exploration investment story grounded in a proven mineral belt, informed by modern science and driven by a clear strategy for growth.

Macro tailwinds: Copper’s critical role in the energy transition

Copper is indispensable to the clean energy transition, with demand set to rise sharply as nations roll out more electric vehicles, renewable power infrastructure and advanced grid systems. The International Energy Agency estimates copper demand could surge over 50 percent by 2040, driven by decarbonisation and electrification initiatives.

Yet the supply pipeline is strained: existing mines are aging, grades are declining and few large-scale discoveries have emerged in recent years. This looming supply gap puts greater strategic value on known but underexplored copper regions, like the Cobar Basin, especially those in low-risk jurisdictions like Australia.

Investor takeaway

For investors seeking copper and gold exposure in a world-class jurisdiction with both geological pedigree and modern exploration upside, the Cobar Basin represents a high-potential opportunity.

And with a well-funded, technically capable team focused on unlocking its southern frontier, Mount Hope Mining is well placed to be a key driver of the next chapter in Cobar’s mining legacy.

This INNspired article is sponsored by Mount Hope Mining (ASX:MHM). This INNspired article provides information which was sourced by the Investing News Network (INN) and approved by Mount Hope Mining in order to help investors learn more about the company. Mount Hope Mining is a client of INN. The company’s campaign fees pay for INN to create and update this INNSpired article.

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The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Readers should conduct their own research for all information publicly available concerning the company. Prior to making any investment decision, it is recommended that readers consult directly with Mount Hope Mining and seek advice from a qualified investment advisor.