James Pearson

Rio2 Limited has hit a major funding milestone after receiving the final US$50 million instalment from Canadian-based Wheaton Precious Metals, completing a US$175 million financing package for its Fenix Gold project in Chile. The payment clears the way for the company to push hard on mine construction at one of the Americas' biggest undeveloped oxide heap-leach gold deposits.

Rio2 Limited is entering the home straight at its flagship Fenix Gold project in Chile's Atacama Region, with mine construction now 63 per cent complete and the first gold pour locked in for January next year. The company remains on budget to develop one of South America's largest heap leach gold projects, marking a defining chapter in its rapid transformation from explorer to producer.

Javelin Minerals has uncovered a set of big copper-gold targets at its Coogee project just 50 kilometres south of Kalgoorlie in a move that could potentially turbo-charge the high-grade goldfield -

Javelin Minerals has taken another major stride towards gold production at its Eureka project near Kalgoorlie after sealing a crucial Land Use Agreement with Traditional Owners. The breakthrough gives the company clear tenure pathways as it races towards production in the June quarter of 2026. Combined with a mining and funding deal already locked in, Javelin says the runway to first gold and cashflow is considerably shortened

Dateline Resources is closing in on the final stretch of a bankable feasibility study at its 1.1million ounce Colosseum gold project in California. Meanwhile, a fresh round of drilling is now locked in to test high-impact gold and rare earths targets along the Walker Lane Trend, just 10 kilometres from the world-class Mountain Pass rare earths mine, owned by mining giant MP Materials.

Larvotto Resources has shot down a non-binding takeover proposal from its 10 per cent shareholder United States Antimony Corporation, saying the all-scrip bid materially undervalues the company. With financing secured, first production from its Hillgrove gold/antimony mine locked down for 2026 and exploration success still rolling in, the board says Larvotto is only just beginning to realise its true worth.

St George Mining has extended the boundaries of its world-class Araxá rare earths and niobium project in Brazil after a second diamond hole returned 87.7m at 2.95 per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 0.41 per cent niobium oxide from just 2m depth. The result confirms strong continuity of mineralisation west of the current 40 million tonne resource grading 4.13 per cent TREO.

Larvotto Resources has unveiled a batch of cracking results from its first diamond holes at the company's Blacklode prospect in New South Wales, returning thick zones of gold and antimony almost at surface. The standout hit of 15 metres at 5.24 grams per tonne gold equivalent from 42 metres, including 4.2 metres at 14.46g/t, puts Hillgrove squarely on the radar for serious expansion.

Great Southern Mining has secured up to $337,500 in exploration funding under the WA Government's coveted Exploration Incentive Scheme to back two high-impact drilling campaigns. The cash injection will help the company chase depth extensions to its high-grade Duketon gold system and test platinum group element horizons at the East Laverton project's Diorite Hill complex.

Dateline Resources has zeroed in on the hottest gold prospects at its Colosseum gold project in California, after a detailed 3D geophysical study by Vox Geophysics' Dr Kate Selway ranked six breccia pipe targets by their strength and depth. The review pinpointed three standout zones west and south of the current pits, primed for drilling as Dateline moves toward feasibility.

Middle Island Resources has appointed dealmaker Daniel Raihani as its new non-executive chairman to steer the company through its next growth phase. The move comes as Middle Island prepares to seal the deal to buy Konstantin Resources and kick off a maiden drilling program targeting copper, gold, silver, zinc and lead at Konstantin's Bobija project in Serbia.

Aguia Resources has made a major geological breakthrough at its Santa Barbara gold project in Colombia, unveiling a potentially massive stockwork vein system linking its key deposits. Along with a sweeping reset of its mining management and an upgraded processing plant, the changes are delivering double-digit feed grades, higher recoveries and the company's first doré bars, marking a powerful new chapter for the ASX-listed explorer.

Estrella Resources has rolled out a string of new manganese-rich hits from its Ira Miri prospect in Timor-Leste, stretching the mineralised strike to almost 100 metres and it is still open both ways. The latest round of diamond drilling logged spectacular visual grades of up to 90 per cent manganese oxide as the company continues to shape what it believes could be a new manganese province.

Peninsula Energy has turned the corner at its flagship Lance uranium project in Wyoming, completing a $69.9 million equity raise and firing up production of its first yellowcake. The milestone, which saw some big names enter its register caps a full operational and financial reset, positioning the company as a key supplier into a resurgent US nuclear industry.

Kalgoorlie Gold Mining has turned the rigs back on at its Pinjin project, launching a fresh diamond drilling campaign across its Kirgella Gift and Providence deposits in Western Australia's Laverton Tectonic Zone. Backed by $130,000 of WA State government co-funding, the four-hole, 1070m program is targeting structural sweet spots where converging gold plunges could drive resource growth.

ASX-listed Triangle Energy has banked a trifecta in the Philippines, bagging two offshore and one onshore petroleum exploration licences, which the company says have handed it a commanding position in some of the region's most prospective, underexplored terrain. With contingent resources in the hundreds of billions of cubic feet and gas-hungry markets on tap, Triangle is now sitting on what could be Southeast Asia's next major gas story.

Larvotto Resources has peeled off another impressive set of drill results from its Eleanora-Garibaldi zone at its Hillgrove antimony-gold project in New South Wales. The company has notched up standout intercepts such as 30m at 3.29g/t gold equivalent and 5.4m at 11.99g/t gold equivalent, with several zones still open at depth. The hits are expected to underpin upcoming resource and reserve upgrades.

Larvotto Resources has fired the starting gun on an upgrade at its Hillgrove processing plant to 525,000tpa, after inking a project delivery contract. The deal locks in scope, governance and timelines for the work, with early works already underway. Commissioning is targeted for late 2026, at which point the company expects to play a starring role as a key Western supplier of strategic metal antimony, with gold providing an extra kicker.

Siren Gold has expanded the geochemical footprint at its Langdons gold–antimony project in New Zealand to reveal a completely new mineralised zone south of Liberty Reef with extensions detected beneath. The discovery, paired with a newly granted five-year exploration permit, clears the way for a maiden drilling program as the new soil samples and earlier high-grade rock-chip results continue to underscore the project's remarkable potential.

Dateline Resources' share price roared to fresh highs after the company shifted gears at its Colosseum project in California, with a high-powered drilling blitz targeting gold extensions and rare earths upside. A second rig is en route and samples are already in the lab, as the company fast-tracks its bankable feasibility study to deliver near-term production at one of America's most intriguing critical mineral prospects.

In a bold decision that could accelerate the path to production, Lindian Resources has decided to run its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi under an owner-operator model. By ditching contract miners and putting its own team in the driver's seat, the ASX-listed junior aims to sharpen efficiency, cut long-term costs and stamp more control over one of the world's most anticipated rare earths developments.

Toronto-listed Royal Road Minerals has welcomed Rio2 Limited onto its register after the Chile-focused developer picked up a 15 per cent stake in Royal Road in an on-market trade worth C$4.6 million (A$5 million). The deal propels Rio2 into substantial-holder territory and locks in boardroom rights, setting the stage for a heavyweight partnership between two hungry gold players both gearing up for serious growth on multiple fronts.

Thunderbird Resources' joint venture partner Mustang Energy has kicked off a 2000m diamond drilling campaign at the duo's Surprise Creek uranium-copper project in Canada's Athabasca Basin. The program aims to unlock a high-grade prize at the world's premier uranium address. Past results at site hit 2.1m at 4.37 per cent uranium, just 57m below surface, and rock chips grading up to 7.98 per cent.

The US Government's plan to take a direct stake in Lithium Americas' Thacker Pass mine has sent shockwaves through the battery metals market. With lithium now squarely a matter of national security, ASX-listed Chariot Corporation has landed in the spotlight. It holds one of the biggest lithium land packages in the US and a tier-one scale project portfolio.

Rio2 Limited has inked deals with two water suppliers in Chile's Copiapo region to study piping desalinated water from the coast up to its high-altitude Fenix Gold mine in the Atacama Desert. The move paves the way for an ambitious expansion that could see the project churn out 300,000 ounces of gold a year for the next decade, firmly positioning Rio2 as a major player in the Americas.

Red Metal's 44 per cent stake in Maronan Metals looks set to shine after its partner unveiled a barnstorming preliminary economic assessment for the Queensland-based Maronan project. The study paints a picture of a long-life polymetallic mine, powered by a juicy silver core expected to deliver 53 per cent of revenues, while future expansion potential looms large across the broader resource base.

American West Metals has confirmed multiple large-scale copper targets at its Storm project in Nunavut, Canada. A standout is a colossal 16km-long anomaly at just 200m depth - interpreted within the same host rocks that carry Storm's existing copper sulphides. The results catapult Storm into rare company and point to a pipeline of discovery-ready prospects.

Thunderbird Resources has landed a major boardroom coup, with seasoned geologist and dealmaker Michael Haynes stepping in as executive chairman. Haynes, who recently led New World Resources to a $245 million buyout, brings serious M&A credentials and exploration nous to the table. With full control now in his hands, the market will be watching closely for the next phase of Thunderbird's evolution.

Terrain Minerals has fired the starter's gun on an induced polarisation geophysical survey at its Wildflower gold prospect in WA's Yalgoo-Singleton Belt, aiming to sniff out deeper sulphide-hosted gold beneath a string of shallow oxide hits. The program comes hot on the heels of a recent 11m hit grading 6.03g/t gold and 43.5g/t silver strike just down the road at the company's Lightning and Monza prospects.

Estrella Resources has turbocharged its maiden campaign in Timor-Leste, revealing a string of thick, high-grade manganese hits of up to 53% from its Ira Miri prospect. The assays mark a breakthrough for the company's maiden drill program at Ira Miri, confirming widespread near-surface mineralisation and reshaping its exploration strategy as it locks onto primary and secondary manganese beds within the region's little-known Noni Formation.

ASX-listed Larvotto Resources has unearthed a string of eye-catching gold-antimony intercepts at its Hillgrove project in New South Wales. Drilling at both of its Eleanora and Golden Gate prospects continue to reveal thick, high-grade hits, with assays confirming the scale and continuity across multiple lodes. Larvotto is drilling new holes at its Metz and Freehold targets and moving fast to extend its critical minerals inventory.

Beetaloo Energy Australia has entered the back half of 2025 with a strong cash position, traditional owner approval and a record-breaking hydraulic stimulation at its flagship Carpentaria-5H well. The milestones pave the way for a pivotal flow test as the company targets first shale gas from the Northern Territory's Beetaloo Basin – a move that could reshape Australia's energy future.