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Azure Minerals Wins Prestigious Craig Oliver Award

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THE CONFERENCE CALLER: Lithium takeover target Azure Minerals has been named as the recipient of the 2024 Craig Oliver Award. By Kristie Batten

The award, handed out this morning on day one of the 2024 RIU Explorers Conference in Fremantle, is in honour of mining executive Craig Oliver, who died in a plane crash in 2010.

His youngest daughter Sascha was on hand to present the award.

Azure Minerals managing director receives the award from Sascah Oliver flanked by Jaxon Crabb and Stewart McDonald of the RIU Explorers Conference 

Azure beat out other nominees Genesis Minerals, Boss Energy and Santana Minerals.

Accepting the trophy, Azure managing director Tony Rovira pointed out that the award wasn’t for exploration or production but a true all-rounder award.

“I think Azure this year has certainly met the criteria,” he said.

Azure had been exploring in Mexico for many years but pivoted back to Western Australia in 2020 with the Andover nickel-copper project, a 60:40 joint venture with legendary prospector Mark Creasy.

“For a company to be successful, you need a vision,” Rovira said.

The vision switched to the lithium potential of Andover, and as they say, the rest is history.
Andover has an exploration target of 100-240 million tonnes at 1-1.5% lithium oxide, which, if realised, would make the deposit globally significant.

Previous winners of the Craig Oliver Award are OZ Minerals (2023), De Grey Mining (2022), Bellevue Gold and Chalice Mining (2021), Stavely Minerals (2020), MOD Resources (2019), Pilbara Minerals (2018), Evolution Mining (2017), Metals X (2016), Doray Minerals (2015), Northern Star Resources (2014), Sirius Resources (2013), Silver Lake Resources (2012) and Independence Group (now IGO, 2011).

OZ, MOD, Doray and Sirius have since been acquired, while Silver Lake is now merging with Red 5.

Azure is also subject to a A$1.7 billion takeover offer from Chile’s SQM and Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting.

It’s rare for large companies to pounce on a pre-resource explorer but they clearly see Andover’s potential.

Azure reinforced that potential today by announcing new drilling results including 112.9m at 1.63% lithium oxide; 152.3m at 1.15% lithium oxide; and 106.1m at 1.3% lithium oxide.

A maiden resource estimate is due by mid-year.

 

Stavely Minerals Takes Out 2020 Craig Oliver Award at RIU Explorers Conference

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THE CONFERENCE CALLER: Stavely Minerals (ASX: SVY) was named winner of the 202 Craig Oliver award on Day two of the 2020 RIU Explorers Conference in Fremantle.

The award is given to the ASX-listed resources company that is considered by the judging panel to exemplify an all-round excellence in several fields over the past year, including exploration, mining, corporate, market results, environment and community.

Accepting the award in front of a packed ballroom at The Esplanade Hotel, Stavely Minerals executive chairman Chris Cairns said he was blown away at receiving the gong.

“It is an honour to receive this award on behalf of the team at Stavely,” Cairns said.

“I must also acknowledge the outstanding list of other nominees for this year’s award.

“I think the phenomenal achievements currently being made across the Australian mining and exploration industry including some very exciting news of discoveries on both sides of the country and the incredible performance of the mid-tier gold sector in recent years is testament to the industry’s tenacity and resilience.”

Other companies nominated this year for the 2020 Craig Oliver Award were:

Alkane Resources (ASX: ALK)
A gold producer with a multi-commodity exploration and development portfolio.

Alkane’s projects are predominantly in the Central West region of New South Wales, but extend throughout Australia.

Bellevue Gold (ASX: BGL)
A West Australian gold explorer advancing the historic Bellevue gold mine.

In its day, the Bellevue mine was one of Australia’s highest-grade gold mines, producing 800,000 ounces at 15 grams per tonne gold from 1986 to 1997.

Gold Road Resources (ASX: GOR)
A gold producer with Tier 1 mine and exploration projects in the underexplored and highly prospective Yamarna Greenstone Belt in Western Australia’s north-eastern Goldfields.

Gold Road officially opened the Gruyere gold mine (50:50 JV with Gold Fields) late last year.

Image Resources (ASX: IMA)
Australia’s newest minerals sands mining company, operating at its high-grade, zircon-rich Boonanarring project in the infrastructure rich North Perth Basin.

RIU Explorers Conference managing director Stewart McDonald told the packed auditorium Stavely Minerals was a deserved winner of the 2020 Craig Oliver Award.

“While all five nominees have all notched up significant achievements throughout 2019, Stavely Minerals was the one that really stood out not only in terms of its exceptional exploration success but also in terms of acquisitions, share market activity and leadership,” McDonald said.

“I congratulate Chris and the Stavely team with this prestigious win.”