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Tartana Minerals
Investor Insight
Tartana Minerals is a new copper producer with strong cash flow and a substantial exploration footprint in a tier 1 mining jurisdiction. Tartana Minerals is creating shareholder value through investment in increasing its existing copper, zinc and gold resources and accelerating exploration of key projects within its highly prospective exploration portfolio. Tartana Minerals presents a compelling investment against a strong macroeconomic environment for copper.
Overview
Tartana Minerals (ASX:TAT) is a copper, gold, silver and zinc, producer, explorer and developer in Far North Queensland. Its flagship project is the 100 percent owned Tartana copper and zinc project which comprises four mining leases located north of Chillagoe. The company’s business model has involved refurbishing an existing heap leach - solvent extraction – crystallisation plant which is located on the Tartana mining leases. The refurbishment and commissioning of this plant is now completed and the company is producing copper sulphate pentahydrate which is sold to offtaker, Kanins International. Copper sulphate is priced on a premium plus percentage of the LME copper price and provides investors with leverage to anticipate increasing copper prices.
The company, formerly known as R3D Resources, changed its name to Tartana Minerals in April 2024. Tartana Minerals is based in Sydney, Australia.
Tartana Minerals has reported the following resources:
- 45,000 tonnes of contained copper at 0.45 percent copper in combined inferred and indicated resources in the Tartana open pit and northern oxide zone
- 39,000 tonnes of contained zinc at 5.29 percent zinc in inferred resources in the Queen Grade project, also located on the Tartana mining leases, and
- 415,000 oz contained gold at 0.34 g/t in inferred resources at Mountain Maid – subject to a mining lease application.
These copper, zinc and gold resources remain open at depth and along strike and the company has designed drilling programs to expand these resources. In particular, the copper mineralisation and potentially the gold mineralisation have scope to be upgraded through ore sorting.
However, the refurbished heap leach – solvent extraction – crystallisation plant utilises existing copper in the ponds and the heaps and these copper sources will be replenished when we commence mining from the open pit.
Copper sulphate contains 25 percent copper metal and payment is based on the LME copper price for the preceding month plus a premium. It is one of the few forms of saleable copper where the copper content receives the full LME price.
Sprinklers operating on the lower heap. Note the presence of copper (blue).
Tartana Minerals completed the acquisition of Queensland Strategic Metals with drilling planned to commence in 2025 that includes the Daisy Bell tin-tungsten project where historical drilling and our mapping have identified a potentially tin-rich zone.
Company Highlights
- Tartana Minerals is producing copper sulphate pentahydrate from its heap leach – solvent extraction – crystallisation plant in Chillagoe with a 100 percent offtake agreement with Kanins International.
- Copper sulphate is priced at a premium plus a percentage of the LME copper price, providing exposure to the booming copper market
- With copper, zinc and gold resources in separate projects and all within granted or soon to be granted mining leases, the company is investigating processing options which can potentially utilise available infrastructure.
- Near-term catalysts include targeted drilling programs to increase the JORC resource and expand on metallurgical test work, increasing the resource grade and estimate
- With the copper sulphate plant fully commissioned and in production, the company is now accelerating its exploration activities. The company has a range of prospects from advanced brownfields projects near existing historical mines to many prospects containing ‘ore grade’ surface mineralisation which have not been tested at depth.
- The company’s exploration portfolio includes the Beefwood/Bulimba, Bellevue, Dimbulah, Cardross and Maid projects. The exploration team is focused on target generation, particularly with the addition of critical minerals within its existing tenure and elsewhere.
Exploration
The Chillagoe region of Far North Queensland is highly prospective with the discovery and development of a number of key projects over the last few decades including Red Dome (2.5 Moz gold), Mungana (1.2 Moz gold), and King Vol (250 kt zinc). These deposits occur along the Palmerville Fault in a similar location to the Tartana Mining leases.
The mining leases at Tartana contain copper, zinc and gold mineralisation but the company also has significant projects which are both east and west of the Palmerville Fault. In the west it has the Cardross and Mountain Maid copper-gold projects and further north it has the Beefwood project. Mountain Maid has gold resources mentioned above and which are open to the south and at depth while the company is finalising a maiden copper resource for the Cardross project.
The Beefwood project comprises a buried geophysical target and surface sampling has recovered samples grading up to 180 g/t gold with no apparent source. Drilling is planned to test this target in the current dry season.
In the east of the Palmerville Fault, the company has the Bellevue/Dry River project, the OK South project and the Dimbulah Porphyry project, all copper projects with historic copper mines and prospects. Like many parts of Far North Queensland, historical exploration has not been systematic and thorough despite many promising expressions of surface mineralisation.
At the Nightflower project, Tartana has upgraded its exploration target after reviewing its earlier estimation, in light of the recent increases in the antimony price. Nightflower is a high-grade silver-lead deposit with previously overlooked significant antimony credits. Nightflower exploration target includes 2.75 Mt @ 364 g/t silver equivalent for 32 Moz silver equivalent to 5.36 Mt @ 270 g/t silver equivalent for 47 Moz silver equivalent (the exploration target is conceptual in nature only and there is no guarantee that further exploration will define a resource). Drilling is now being planned to test the target and upgrade previously identified mineralisation to JORC 2012 reporting standards.
Tartana’s exploration team comprises experienced exploration geologists with supporting cash flow from their copper production, they expect to be able to drill the most promising targets in the short term.
Strong Macroeconomic Environment for Copper
Overall, the macroeconomic environment for copper remains strong. The LME three-month copper price hit US$5.24/lb on May 17, the highest since March 7, 2022, driven by a weaker US dollar, Chinese property stimulus measures, and a short squeeze on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange futures market.
In the near-to-mid term, China’s demand for refined copper is expected to grow, due to better-than-expected performances from key consumer segments, including the power grid, solar installations and electric vehicle and air conditioning appliance sales. On the supply side, the copper concentrate market is expected to remain in a significant deficit due to the estimated delay in the Cobre Panama mine restart but will be partially offset by the higher projected production from smelters in China. As a result, we see further demand growth and supply tightening for the copper market as positive for base metal equities to maintain significant leverage to increase prices.
Management Team
Jihad Malaeb – Chairman
Jihad Malaeb is an experienced entrepreneur across a number of industries, including hospitality and construction, as well as having significant experience in mineral exploration and mining operations – both as an active investor and company director. He currently owns and operates a portfolio of hospitality businesses and real estate across Australia, which have been established over the past 30 years. Malaeb was previously a non-executive director of Critical Resources (ASX:CRR), where he helped steer CRR as one of its largest shareholders and as a board member.
Dr. Stephen Bartrop - Managing Director
Steve Bartrop’s professional experience spans more than 30 years covering periods in both the mining industry and financial sector. With a geology background, Bartrop has worked in exploration, feasibility and evaluation studies and mining in a range of commodities and in different parts of the world. In the financial sector, he has been involved in research, corporate transactions and IPOs spanning more than 20 years, including senior roles at JPMorgan, Bankers Trust and Macquarie Equities.
Bruce Hills – Non-executive Director
Bruce Hills is an accountant and is currently an executive director of Breakaway Investment Group, which operates the Breakaway Private Equity Emerging Resources Fund. Hills is a director of a number of unlisted companies in the mining and financial services sectors including The Risk Board and Stibium Australia. Hills has 35 years’ experience in the financial sector including 20 years in the banking industry primarily in the areas of strategy, finance and risk.
Dr. Alistair Lewis – Non-executive Director
Dr. Alistair Lewis is a successful entrepreneur and highly experienced medical doctor with over 40 years’ experience. For the past 10 years, Lewis has been involved in the management of mining and exploration companies. In 2017, Lewis established Oosen Lewis Mining in North Queensland. He financed the aggregation of a substantial portfolio of gold, tin, tungsten and antimony assets and instigated subsequent extensive exploration programs. These assets now form part of the QSM portfolio.
Michael Thirnbeck – Independent Non-executive Director
Michael Thirnbeck is an experienced geologist with over 25 years in managing numerous mineral development projects in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia. He has been a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy since 1989 and holds B.Sc (Hons.) degree from the University of Queensland.
Shuyi (Kiara) Wang – Non-executive Director
Shuyi (Kiara) Wang was appointed a director of Tartana Minerals on July 17, 2024. Wang is an accomplished, emerging leader with a strong academic and professional background. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy from The University of Melbourne and is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor at the prestigious Melbourne Law School.
Copper, gold, silver and zinc, producer, explorer and developer in Far North Queensland, Australia
Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Guardian Exploration Gains 94 Percent
The projects include the Phase 2 expansion of LNG Canada’s Kitimat facility, which will double capacity of liquified natural gas to 28 million metric tons per annum, the development of Foran Mining's (TSX:FOM) McIlvenna Bay copper-zinc mine in Saskatchewan, and an expansion of Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) and Imperial Metals' (TSX:III) Red Chris copper-gold mine in Northern British Columbia.
Carney also stated that a second set of projects would be announced before the CFL’s Grey Cup on November 16.
In major M&A news, mining giants Teck (TSX:TECK.B,TSX:TECK.A,NYSE:TECK) and Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) announced on Monday (September 8) that they would combine in a US$70 billion “merger of equals.” If approved, the resulting company will be called Anglo Teck, and will be headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In a news release, Teck said the deal would create US$800 million in pre-tax recurring annual synergies by year four, with US$1.4 billion in pre-tax yearly earnings from optimizations at the adjacent Collahuasi and Quebrada Blanca copper mines in Chile.
Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) announced on Wednesday (September 10) that it had reached an agreement to sell its Hemlo Gold Mine in Ontario to Carcetti Capital, which will be renamed Hemlo Mining, for gross proceeds of US$1.09 billion through a combination of cash and shares.
The sale marks Barrick's continued divestment of non-core assets following the sale of its Donlin and Alturas projects earlier in the year.
Also, this week saw the TSX release its annual TSX30 top companies list, which included 17 resource companies, 15 of which are precious-metals-focused. The top three precious metals stocks were Lundin Gold (TSX:LUG,OTCQX:LUGDF), Avino Silver & Gold (TSX:ASM) and New Gold (TSX:NGD,NYSE:NGD). The top overall company was Celestica (TSX:CLS), which focuses on AI supply chain optimizations.
In other TSX news, Newmont applied to delist its shares from the exchange on Wednesday citing low trading volumes. The company has been looking to cut overhead in recent years, and the move could lower administrative costs and improve efficiency, Reuters reports.
South of the border, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released its consumer price index data on Thursday, which showed inflation had ticked up to 2.9 percent over the same period last year. The numbers, along with last week’s weak jobs report, will be factors for the Federal Reserve when it meets for its September meeting next week.
As of Friday afternoon, over 95 percent of analysts are expecting the central bank to make a 25 point cut to the rate, bringing it to the 4 to 4.25 percent range.
For more on what’s moving markets this week, check out our top market news.
Markets and commodities react
Canadian equity markets were mostly positive this week. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) set another new record high on Thursday, climbing to 29,409.74 before retreating to end the week up 0.97 percent to 29,283.82.
The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) performed even better, climbing 3.67 percent to finish Friday at 879.67. However, the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) went the opposite direction, shedding 2.17 percent to end the week at 153.81.
The gold price was in focus again this week as it climbed to a new record high of US$3,667 per ounce on Tuesday, as analysts predict a rate cut by the Federal Reserve when it meets next week. Gold ended the week up 2.74 percent at US$3,642.70 per ounce.
Silver had a similarly explosive week, climbing past US$42 per ounce for the first time since 2011 and gaining 3.82 percent on the week to close Friday at US$42.16.
Copper also saw gains this week rising 2.17 percent to US$4.65 per pound. Meanwhile, the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodities Index (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) posted a slight decrease of 0.1 percent to end the week at 548.34.
Top Canadian mining stocks this week
How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.
Stocks data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView's stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.
1. Guardian Exploration (TSXV:GX)
Weekly gain: 94.44 percent
Market cap: C$14.34 million
Share price: C$0.175
Guardian Exploration is an exploration and development company with a portfolio of oil and gas and mineral properties.
Among its properties is the Sun Dog gold project covering an area of 9,415 hectares in the Kivalliq Region in Nunavut, Canada. The site is located near the historic Cullaton Lake mine, which produced 100,000 ounces of gold between October 1981 and September 1985.
The company acquired the project on May 2 from New Break Resources (CSE:NBRK). Under the terms of the deal, Guardian received a 100 percent interest in the property, along with mineral rights and 60 drums of Jet A fuel in exchange for 5 million shares and a cash payment of C$75,000.
Guardian also reimbursed New Break C$18,830 for annual rent and granted New Break the option to buy back a 20 percent interest in the property for C$1.00.
The most recent news from the project came on Monday, when the company reported that it is commencing a one-month field program at the site that will include geological mapping, soil sampling and trenching. Guardian plans to perform follow-up exploration and drilling in 2026.
2. Sokoman Minerals (TSXV:SIC)
Weekly gain: 80 percent
Market cap: C$13.57 million
Share price: C$0.045
Sokoman Minerals is a discovery-oriented company with a portfolio of gold projects and one of the largest land positions in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It also owns a 40 percent stake in the Killick lithium project, a 40/40/20 joint venture with Benton Resources (TSXV:BEX,OTC:BNTRF) and Piedmont Lithium (OTC Pink:PLLTL).
Its primary focus is on its flagship Moosehead gold project located in Central Newfoundland. The advanced project consists of 98 claims covering 2,450 hectares and hosts an orogenic Fosterville-style gold system, according to Sokoman. The company has defined seven zones with high-grade mineralization through over 130,000 meters of drilling.
Sokomon announced on Friday that it was commencing diamond drilling at the site with the focus on testing the Eastern and Western Trend gold zones for depth extensions as well as undiscovered parallel zones. The drill holes will test to a depth of 1,000 meters.
Additionally, the company reported on September 2 that it expanded its land position at its Crippleback Lake gold-copper property to 13,000 hectares and planned to mobilize for induced polarization surveys, sampling and mapping of the site immediately.
3. CopAur Minerals (TSXV:CPAU)
Weekly gain: 61.11 percent
Market cap: C$11.84 million
Share price: C$0.145
CopAur is a gold exploration and development company advancing its flagship Kinsley Mountain oxide gold project in Nevada, United States.
The project is home to a historic open pit gold mine that produced approximately 138,000 ounces between 1995 and 1999. According to the project page, the property hosts an indicated mineral resource of 418,000 ounces of gold with an average grade of 2.63 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold.
On August 7, the company announced that it was shifting its full focus to advance work at its Kinsey Mountain project.
The company’s most recent news came on Monday when it reported that it had hired Andrew Neale as its new CEO. Neale brings more than 35 years of mining experience to CopAur and has held senior positions with Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) where he oversaw operations at its Grasberg copper-gold mine in Indonesia.
The company added that it was currently awaiting a decision from the Nevada Bureau of Land Management on a pair of permits for the Kinsey Mountain site, with one allowing it to test for reclamation at the heap leach pad and the other to allow it to restart production.
4. Silver North Resources (TSXV:SNAG)
Weekly gain: 60 percent
Market cap: C$26.72 million
Share price: C$0.40
Silver North Resources is primarily focused on advancing a portfolio of silver assets in the Yukon, Canada.
Its flagship Haldane silver project covers an area of 8,164 hectares in the Yukon’s Keno Hill Silver District and has seen silver exploration dating back to the late 1800s. The property hosts several deposits, including the Main Fault and the West Fault targets, which have produced high-grade silver assays up to 3,267 g/t over 1.26 meters at the West Fault and both zones hosting additional amounts of gold, lead, and zinc.
The company announced on August 15 that it commenced a 10 hole drill program at Haldane to follow up on the discovery of the Main Fault zone in 2024.
Additionally, the company announced on August 20 that it had begun its initial exploration program at the Veronica property at its GDR project in the Yukon. The program is eligible for partial funding up to C$30,000 as part of the Yukon Mineral Exploration Program.
5. Blue Star Gold (TSXV:BAU)
Weekly gain: 53.12 percent
Market cap: C$25.67 million
Share price: C$0.245
Blue Star Gold is a gold exploration and development company operating in Nunavut, Canada.
Its flagship asset is the Ulu gold project, which includes the Ulu mining lease and the Hood River property, together forming a 12,000 hectare land package. The property features a renewable 21 year mining lease for the advanced-stage Flood Zone deposit.
As per a February 2023 updated mineral resource estimate (MRE), Ulu holds a measured and indicated resource of 572,000 ounces of gold from 2.54 million metric tons of ore at an average grade of 7.02 g/t gold, along with an additional inferred resource of 303,000 ounces of gold from 1.28 million metric tons of ore at 7.34 g/t.
Blue Star also owns the Roma gold project, located on 11,532 hectares of crown mineral claims and 4,119 hectares of mineral exploration agreements in Nunavut's High Lake greenstone belt.
On Wednesday, Blue Star reported results from surface samples at its Auma prospect at Roma. The company said it had collected a total of 133 samples, with 44 returning gold grades above 1 g/t, including two samples with grades of 151 g/t and 125 g/t gold. The sampling program extended Zone 3, which is untested by drilling, by an additional 35 meters for a strike length of 130 meters.
Additionally, Blue Star also found high values of copper in quartz veining, with one sample producing a grade of 7.64 g/t gold and 4.2 percent copper.
FAQs for Canadian mining stocks
What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?
The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.
How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?
As of May 2025, there were 1,565 companies listed on the TSXV, 910 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,899 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.
Together, the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.
How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?
There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.
The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.
These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.
How do you trade on the TSXV?
Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange's trading hours.
Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Kirkland Lake Discovery Gains 88 Percent
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Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Tartana Minerals Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects