RIU Explorers Conference Gains Momentum Via Presenting Company Announcements

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: With the RIU explorers Conference in Fremantle drawing ever near, presenting companies continue to deliver encouraging news for delegates to do some pre-conference homework.

 

Blackstone Minerals trikes Merger Deal to Acquire World Class Copper Gold Project

Blackstone Minerals (ASX: BSX) emerged from a self-imposed ASX exile to announce a merger with IDM International Limited to result in the company acquiring the Mankayan copper-gold project in the Philippines.

READ MORE:

 

Brightstar Resources Encounters High-Grade Gold at Jasper Hills

Brightstar Resources (ASX: BTR) reported results from a program of diamond drilling completed at the Lord Byron deposit, part of the company’s Jasper Hills gold project in the company’s Laverton Hub of Western Australia.

READ MORE:

 

Lunnon Metals Commences Defiance West EIS Drilling Program

Lunnon Metals (ASX: LM8) is currently running a diamond drill program at the Defiance West target, a prospect it rates highly within the company’s Kambalda gold and nickel project (KGNP) in Western Australia.

READ MORE:

 

Westar Resources Approved for Drilling to commence at Mindoolah

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Westar Resources (ASX: WSR) will be drilling soon at the company’s Mindoolah gold project near Cue in Western Australia.

READ MORE:

 

Sarytogan Graphite Identifies Copper Anomalism with Possible Porphyry Features

Sarytogan Graphite (ASX: SGA) has been quick to release news from copper exploration undertaken at the company’s Baynazar copper exploration project in Kazakhstan.

READ MORE:

 

WIN Metals Drills Butchers Creek Resource Potential

WIN Metals (ASX: WIN) confirmed continuation of mineralisation at the company’s Butchers Creek gold project (BCGP) in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

READ MORE:

 

Companies Presenting at 2025 RIU Explorers Conference Already Have News to Report

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: Companies presenting at the upcoming 2025 RIU Explorers Conference have been busy in the lead up to the event.

Here’s a brief sample of what has been happening across the sector thus far this year.

 

 

 

Coda Minerals to Commence High-Impact Drilling at Elizabeth Creek

Coda Minerals (ASX: COD) is on the march in readiness for a high-impact exploration drilling program at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Elizabeth Creek copper-cobalt project (ECCCP) in South Australia.

READ MORE:

 

Dreadnought Resources Consolidates Mangaroon Tenement Holdings

Dreadnought Resources (ASX: DRE) continues to expand its Mangaroon project in Western Australia.

READ MORE:

 

Spartan Resources Kicks Off NY with Major Dalgaranga Drilling Program

Spartan Resources (ASX: SPR) has kicked off 2025 in style with a raft of activity at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Dalgaranga gold project (DGP), located in the Murchison region of Western Australia.

READ MORE:

 

Caspin Resources to Commence Bygoo Tin Project Drilling

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Caspin Resources (ASX: CPN) is set to commence its first drilling campaign at the company’s recently acquired, 100 per cent-owned Bygoo tin project in New South Wales.

READ MORE:

 

Galan Lithium Increases Candelas Mineral Resources

Galan Lithium (ASX: GLN) announced a material increase in the JORC (2012) Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the company’s 100 per cent-owned Candelas project in the Catamarca Province of Argentina.

READ MORE:

 

New World Resources Identifies Gold-Rich Alteration Zone at Antler Deposit

New World Resources (ASX: NWC) reported identifying additional gold mineralisation at the y’s Antler Copper project in Arizona, USA.

READ MORE:

 

Warriedar Resources Drills High-Grade Gold Across Multiple Shears

Warriedar Resources (ASX: WA8) has identified a new gold zone within the company’s Golden Range project in Western Australia.

READ MORE:

 

Diggers and Dealers Gala Gongs

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: The highlight of the annual Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum is the announcement of the award winners at the gala dinner.

Once again, a line-up of worthy winners hit the podium to accept their gongs.

 

Digger Award: Emerald Resources NL

The Digger of the Year Award recognises a company that has achieved exceptional results from its operations over the past 12 months.

The winner of the 2024 Digger of the Year Award is Emerald Resources.

Emerald Resources successfully built the Okvau gold mine in Cambodia on time and within budget, despite Covid restrictions.

In 2023/24, the company achieved a record full year production of 114,000 ounces from the project. The output yielded pre-tax cashflow of $220 million, while the share price increased by approximately 60 per cent over this period.

 

Dealer Award: Azure Minerals Limited

The Dealer of the Year Award recognises a corporate strategy which has added substantial value for shareholders.

The 2024 Dealer of the Year Award winner was Azure Minerals, which in May this year accepted a $1.7 billion takeover offer for the company, prior to declaring a mineral resource estimate for the Andover lithium project in the West Pilbara region of WA.

 

Emerging Company Award: WA1 Resources Limited

The Diggers and Dealers Emerging Company Award recognises the venture the forum considers to have potential to develop into a substantial project.

The 2024 Emerging Company Award went to WA1 Resources.

WA1 Resources listed on the ASX in 2022 from where it went on to make discoveries of high-grade niobium mineralisation at the West Arunta project in WA.

The Luni deposit, with a resource estimate of 200 million tonnes of 1 per cent niobium pentoxide has the potential to grow into being a globally important niobium resource.

 

Media Award: Rachel Pupazzoni

The Diggers and Dealers Media Award recognises one outstanding journalist who reports on the resources sector.

This year the 2024 Media Award was presented to ABC journalist Rachel Pupazzoni.

Rachel is a Senior National Business Reporter and Presenter with the ABC where she began working in 2006.

Rachel has worked as a reporter and presenter across the ABC’s many news platforms and programs in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, as well as in regional WA.

Rachel is also the host of the weekly TV program, Close of Business.

 

 

Dutton Charm Misfires at Diggers and Dealers

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: The media room at Diggers and Dealers crackled with anticipation on the opening morning as word filtered out the Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would be dropping in for a look.

Gathered media were informed that, yes, Mr Dutton would be doing a press conference, the time for said meeting being negotiated.

Dutton was relegated to second in the important media meet and greet stakes with conference keynote speaker, former Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley joining the fourth estate in the designated media room.

It is always a difficult dance for the Resources media when a VIP shows up. On one hand said VIP needs to be feted by the media, feeling that being the VIP they should be of interest when, really, they need to be interviewed by the pack to provide relevance to their attendance.

Diggers and Dealers has always promoted itself as a politics-free zone, but every now and then somebody sneaks in to divert attention from the main game.

The conference media, especially at this event, are primarily there to record the industry goings on and interviewing company speakers as they come off stage is an important aspect to the occasion.

Imagine, however, the reception a journo would receive from their editor on getting back to the office after the conference saying they’d missed a doorstop with the Opposition Leader because of an arranged meeting with Northern Star Resources.

Negotiations continued with Dutton’s minders, who for some reason known only to them, weren’t prepared to meet journos on their home ground i.e. the media room, which would mean journalists could continue their conference coverage whilst waiting for him to appear.

Instead, it was deemed the doorstop, and its main drawcard, were too important for that venue, although it was good enough for Mr Beazley who was currently responding to questions.

So, where were we to meet Mr Dutton? One location suggested by his team was in front of a large underground mining vehicle parked up in front of the conference entrance.

Apparently, even though the big truck would have reflected Dutton’s machismo, he thought it was too cold outside.

The media room was still available, and those there waiting had nowhere else to be.

At last, a venue and time were decided upon. A small two square metre class cube that serves as entry to the Goldfields Arts Centre where the conference is held.

The compliant media scrum gathered cheek by jowl waiting for the main act to arrive, who in true prima donna fashion kept us waiting beyond the agreed time.

In its weekend edition leading up to the conference, The West Australian had dedicated several dead trees to Mr Dutton’s Western Australia charm offensive, reporting how the Opposition Leader was visiting to show off his soft underbelly to Sandgropers.

He was photographed in these pages smiling at those he encountered, assuaging any doubts we who live beyond the rabbit proof fence may have about him.

Unfortunately, that charm and ability to smile had evaporated by the time he faced the Diggers media with him not once during the doorstop expressing a smirk let alone a smile.

If he had been able to sit in on Mr Beazeley’s presser, he could have witnessed firsthand how far a friendly ebullient manner goes.

Whatever question was asked of Mr Dutton his response managed to allocate blame on the PM Mr Albanese for the negative aspect of the subjects raised.

No problem with that, after all that is part of his job description. Just as well nobody asked what he had for breakfast as no doubt Albo would have copped a spray about stodgy hollandaise and hard poached eggs benedict.

The entire experience left this scribe a touch perplexed. On one hand Mr Dutton is wanting to let us all know that he has an aspect of niceness about him while on the other he treats a troupe of media folk who are simply trying to do a job – and in essence him a favour by reporting on what he may have to say – with disdain, dislike, and disrespect.

This all leaves people not knowing the real him, and one thing we do know is that his past campaigning efforts speak volumes about how he feels the electorate should vote when they don’t know.

St George Mining Enters Brazil Niobium Space

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: St George Mining (ASX: SGQ) provided Diggers and Dealers delegates a good reason to get out of bed on Day Two of the conference with news of a Brazilian niobium asset acquisition.

St George Mining has entered a binding conditional agreement to acquire all the issued capital of Itafos Araxá Mineracao E Fertilizantes S.A, which owns 100 per cent of the advanced niobium-REE Araxá project in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The Araxá project is in a good address, described by St George as the world’s ‘dress circle’ for niobium production that it considers providing the company with a great opportunity to become a global player in the niobium market.

In addition to niobium, high-grade rare earths mineralisation has been confirmed by drilling over a widespread area.

ST George Mining managing director and old friend of The Roadhouse John Prineas broke free of the crowd mulling around the company’s Diggers and Dealers booth to speak with us.

Resources Roadhouse: Why Niobium?

John Prineas: Niobium is a very stable market. There are only three primary producers in the world and the price of niobium has barely changed over the past four years

RR: Does being in Brazil provide better access to more markets?

JP: The beauty of Brazil is that it is the number one producer of niobium.

We are now in the same carbonatite geology as CBMM that produces approximately 80 per cent of the world’s niobium.

So, what it means is that we have the right geology and all the right infrastructure is already there

RR: How advanced is the project?

JP: The other strength of the project is its advanced nature. There are more than 500 intercepts of plus-one per cent niobium. That’s mineable grade.

Our job now is to go and drill it all out. Only ten per cent of the tenements has has been drilled out. We think there is an economic Resource there already that we can multiply with more drilling.

RR: What does this mean for the rest of the company’s portfolio?

JP: We’ll continue with our Western Australia assets. We remain very loyal to WA, but they are still early-stage projects.

Brazil offers a very clear pathway to monetise that asset with further drilling and development studies.

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

The Resources Roadhouse Returns to Kalgoorlie for the Steak Sandwich Showdown

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: The Resources Roadhouse is returning to Kalgoorlie to mount a new production of its annual Steak Sandwich Showdown.

The Roadhouse has put together a solid program of junior companies that are chomping at the bit to present to our loyal audience.

Terrain Minerals (ASX: TMX)

Terrain Minerals has developed a taste for gallium, not the Sméagol of Lord of the Rings fame, but a relatively unknown though much sought after soft, silvery metal that lends itself to use in optics, electronics, and nuclear engineering due to its non-toxicity and resistance to neutron radiation and beta decay.

Gallium also provides a critical component in multiple steps of the manufacturing process for computer chips and other electronic devices including photovoltaics.

At the company’s 100 per cent-owned Larin’s Lane project in Western Australia, recent drilling encountered intersections of gallium up to 64m wide and with multiple higher-grade zones across a strike of six kilometres that remains open.

Terrain has indicated it intends to continue to advance the gallium potential at Larin’s Lane while undertaking parallel REE exploration at its Lort River projects.

Lincoln Minerals (ASX: LML)

Lincoln Minerals shines its spotlight on development of the company’s Kookaburra graphite project in South Australia.

The company claims Kookaburra to b the second largest known graphite resource on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and considers it to have potential to contribute graphite products to the growing demand for batteries and battery storage facilities.

Kookaburra hosts Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources of 12.8 million tonnes at 7.6 per cent total graphitic carbon (TGC).

An independent review of previous metallurgical test work confirmed graphite from Kookaburra to be ideal for use as a feedstock for high quality battery anode material to serve the fast-growing global EV markets.

Lincoln read the study results to confirm existing data being sufficient to commence a Pre-Feasibility Study for the project targeting production of graphite concentrate.

Westar Resources (ASX: WSR)

Westar Resources’ mantra is straight forward: a mineral exploration company focused on discovery of high-quality gold and critical metals deposits.

The company’s portfolio is spread far and wide throughout Western Australia with a recently acquired graphite project in South Australia added to the mix.

The company’s stated exploration strategy is to explore projects systematically and intelligently using innovation, technology, and best-practice with a clear focus on optimising opportunities for success and generating material discoveries.

Warriedar Resources (ASX: WA8)

Warriedar Resources is making progress with reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling activities at the company’s Golden Range project in the Murchison region of Western Australia.

Warriedar Resources’ diamond drilling is the first undertaken at the 2.3km-long Ricciardo deposit, and the nearby M1 deposit, by any operator in ten years.

Recent drilling at M1 produced results better than what the company expected raising the company’s expectations for the deposit, which is in the gun for further drilling in H2 2024.

Warriedar’s war chest received a boost with the company signing a binding agreement for the sale of its residual Golden Range camp assets to Fenix Resources for cash consideration of $2 million.

Red Metals (ASX: RDM)

All the noise emanating from Red Metal in recent times has centred around the company’s Sybella rare earth project near Mt Isa.

Red Metal recently announced results of a proof-of-concept impurity removal trial on the Sybella rare earth ore that resulted in precipitation of a potentially saleable mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) product.

Tests revealed 48.7 per cent of the MREC product is comprised of total rare earth oxides (TREO).

The point of difference for the Sybella ore is the magnet rare earth oxide (MREO) proportion of the TRE0 at 39.5 per cent.

This high proportion holds some significance because MREOs represent 92.5 per cent of the value of TREO elements in the product.

Drilling, metallurgical and comminution studies to date have raised Red Metal’s confidence that a low-cost, low-capital, heap leach processing option may prove feasible.

Mt Malcolm Mines (ASX: M2M)

Mt Malcolm Mines recently conducted a program of grade control reverse circulation (RC) drilling leading to the commencement of bulk sampling as well as an ore processing study at the company’s Golden Crown prospect in Western Australia.

The company received a boost in confidence form the grade control drilling results for bulk sampling and the overall mineralisation at Golden Crown.

Besides confirming high-grade mineralisation within the sampling area, the drilling campaign also provided valuable insights into grade distribution delivering results mt Malcolm considers crucial for delineating the bulk sampling grade and assisting in planning for future drilling.

Cazaly Resources (ASX: CAZ)

Cazaly Resources holds a diverse portfolio of projects spread across the globe in Australia, Namibia, and Canada.

Most news of late has come from its Canadian division where it has the Sundown lithium project sitting in a sought-after neighbourhood of the world-class James Bay lithium province.

Its other Canadian foray is the Carb Lake rare earth element (REE) project in the Red Lake District of Ontario, Canada, another well-known mining province.

Cazaly has received government approval, which included consultation with First Nations, for a proposed drill program to test niobium and REE mineralisation at the large-scale Carb Lake carbonatite complex.

Burley Minerals (ASX: BUR)

Burley Minerals has a portfolio of Western Australia iron projects.

The first of these is the 100 per cent-owned Broad Flat Well CID (Channel Iron Deposit) project.

The company is working with the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation to complete heritage surveys at Broad Flat Well as well as the Yindjibarndi Nation’s majority owned construction contractor, Yurra Pty Ltd, to facilitate earthworks for the heritage surveys and ensuing drilling program anticipated to be carried out in Q3 2024.

Elsewhere the company has the Cane Bore CID project near Onslow and the Yerecoin iron project not far to the north of Perth that hosts a JORC 2012-compliant Inferred and Indicated Mineral Resource of 246.7 million tonnes capable of producing a concentrate at greater than 68 per cent iron.

Burley Minerals also has lithium projects in Canada.

Raising Money to Mine Copper and Gold

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: Opening the 2024 Gold Coast Investment Showcase, a panel of experts were asked at look at the current fortunes of gold and copper.

Any market watcher would be aware of the volatility of the copper price with the metal being subject to market perceptions on the outlook for global economic growth.

The gold price is, similarly, volatile and driven as much by geopolitical events as fundamental supply and demand.

On day one of the conference Wilsons Advisory head of natural resources Craig Brown, Killi Resources CEO Kath Cutler, and Kingston Resources CEO & managing director Andrew Corbett were grilled to provided delegates with some market insights.

Craig Brown kicked off proceedings acknowledging the market had been “interesting” in the first half of 2024.

“There’s been over $5 billion of capital raised in natural resource companies, and out of that $5 billion, probably about 60 per cent of that has gone into capital raisings in gold and copper specifically,” Brown said

When asked if there had been a particular breakdown between gold and copper in terms of those capital raising, Brown explained the large producers had raised capital while being active in the merger and acquisition space.

“There’s a lot of opportunity, I guess, in the market, with the prices being 30 per cent up since the start of the year,” Brown said.

When asked if she had confidence that their company might see some of either the current or next wave of investment as a junior exploration company, Killi Resources CEO Kath Cutler said she had hope they would.

“It’s been a reasonably slow start in 2024 for juniors, with not a huge amount of investment, specifically in gold and copper, right at the tail end of the market,” she observed.

“But with this increase in the current high gold price, and the rising copper price, I think we’re seeing the majors consider their positions, and specifically the inventories and their strategies for gold moving forward.

“I think investment is probably not high for retail at the moment but what we’re going to see is some industry coming in with those majors investing in junior companies with really good exploration projects.”

Killi Resources is a fine example of what can be with the company recently executing an Option and Joint Venture Agreement with an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Gold Fields.

The deal allows expenditure of up to $13 million by Gold Fields to earn an 85 per cent interest in Killi’s West Tanami project, located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

“They not only completed that joint venture earning stage agreement they’ve also put half a million dollars into the company as well,” Cutler continued.
Raising money is one aspect, then how a company spends it is also important to consider.

Andrew Corbett of spoke of how his company, Kingston Resources was making its operation dollars go further at the Mineral Hill mine it had purchased in 2022.

Corbett explained the company has around three years of cost data to examine, during which time the expense of reagents, an ingredient not often spoken about, has risen between 30 to 50 per cent higher.

“That’s a huge cost increase that the industry has to absorb, he said.

“That has settled down, those reagents haven’t dropped in price, but they have stopped going up.

Corbett described how the company had expanded its workforce to over 100 people bringing with them a hefty wages bill.

“Wages in 2022-23 were seeing seven to eight per cent increases depending on key positions,” he added.

“Currently it is around 2.5 to three per cent increases this year. Again, still going up, but stopped increasing in terms of growth.”

Equipment is, of course, important to any operation and Corbett indicated it was somewhat easier to purchase what was needed at present.

“You can actually get a bit of equipment now, he said.

“The prices of equipment are still very high, but they have settled down.”

Corbett made a point of his company being owner-miners and not using contractors.

“When we had contract pricing, they were exorbitant in the past two or three years, but they have definitely changed now.”

 

 

RIU 2024 Sydney Resources Roundup DAY 3 Highlights

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: A big final stanza for Wally Graham and The Resources Roadhouse on Day Three to bring the 2024 hashtag RIU Sydney Resources Roundup to a close.

RIU Sydney Resources Roundup 2024 DAY 2 Highlights

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: Wally Graham of The Resources Roadhouse continues his tour of the 2024 RIU Sydney Resources Roundup.

RIU Sydney Resources Roundup Day 1 Highlights

THE CONFERENCE CALLER: Wally Graham of The Resources Roadhouse trawls the floor on Day One of the 2024 RIU Sydney Resources Roundup to catch up with a diverse range of exhibiting companies.