James Pearson

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.

Octava Minerals has launched exploration at its Federation copper, zinc, silver and tin project in Tasmania, re-opening historic ground last worked in the 1980s. The company has already tracked down Renison Associated Tin Mines’ old drill holes and adits at the Sweeney’s prospect, where previous sampling lit up with hits including 4.17 per cent zinc, 3.32 per cent tin and 1.23 per cent lead, pointing to untapped potential.

Great Southern Mining has armed its WA Duketon gold project near Laverton with fresh firepower after banking $4 million from Regis Resources for the sale of a mining licence, with another $5m potentially on the table. The cash injection will bankroll up to 15,000m of drilling this half, zeroing in on shallow, high-grade gold at its Golden Boulder and Amy Clarke prospects in Western Australia’s rich Duketon belt.

Horizon Minerals has taken a major step towards becoming a standalone mid-tier gold producer, with its pre-feasibility study at the Black Swan project near Kalgoorlie progressing strongly. The work includes refurbishing the existing crushing and grinding circuit as well as adding a new carbon-in-leach gold plant, setting the stage for a final investment decision in the December quarter and potential construction in 2026.

NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals has unveiled positive results from two studies using its stem cell therapy in kidney transplantation. Eight out of 10 patients in a small case series, facing severe organ rejection, retained their donor kidney. A second study showed the treatment was safe and may improve graft function in deceased-donor transplants. The findings have bolstered the company’s plans for a wider clinical development in the multibillion-dollar global market.

Octava Minerals has lit up the market with a suite of eye-catching bioleaching results from its Byro rare earths and lithium project in WA’s Gascoyne. Partner, European biomining specialist BiotaTec, used microbes to extract up to 75 per cent of the key magnet metals and about 40 per cent of the lithium in samples in record time. The results point to serious potential for a rapid, low-cost heap-leach operation.

Lindian Resources has bagged $91.5 million in new funds from a heavily oversubscribed raising to kick off stage one construction at its world-class Kangankunde rare earths mine in Malawi. Iluka Resources is already on board with an offtake deal for 6000 tonnes of concentrate per year for 15 years and a $20 million construction loan, allowing Lindian to reach first production in late 2026.

Dateline Resources has zeroed in on six new, potentially gold-rich breccia pipes at its Colosseum gold and rare earth project in California, thanks to a 3D geophysics sweep. The anomalies mirror the signature of the mine’s existing pipes, featuring 1.4 million ounces, suggesting a much larger gold system lurks below surface. The company has drill rigs primed to put the theory to the test.

Estrella Resources has shifted its Timor-Leste exploration into high gear after picking up visuals of rich manganese mineralisation running up to 80 per cent at the Ira Miri prospect. The company is also preparing to collect a 30,000-tonne manganese bulk sample at site and planning a drill program at its billion-tonne Werumata limestone target in Baucau.

Dateline Resources Limited has made a significant breakthrough at its Colosseum gold-rare earths project in California with the discovery of several high-priority rare earth element drilling targets. The results from the company’s recent 3D magnetotelluric geophysical survey revealed one particularly promising anomaly, which hinted at the potential for carbonatite-style mineralisation at depth, akin to the famed nearby Mountain Pass rare earths deposit.

Thunderbird Resources has uncovered a string of high-priority gold targets at its Kookabookra project in NSW, with geophysics revealing sulphide-rich anomalies that correlate with past mineralisation. The company’s drill rig is now poised to hit the ground in the fourth quarter, with strong geological cues pointing to untapped gold systems similar to the nearby Hillgrove antimony-gold deposit.

Horizon Minerals has expanded its footprint in Western Australia’s famed Goldfields with a strategic $2.81 million acquisition of Yandal Resources’ Gordons Dam and nearby projects. The new ground sits just a stone’s throw from Horizon’s Black Swan processing hub and includes a 20,000-ounce gold resource, exploration upside galore and the potential to turbocharge a planned five-year mining operation.

Latitude 66 has fired up a fresh exploration charge at its newly granted Piastri project in WA’s Yalgoo-Singleton greenstone belt. The project, just 200m from the 2-million-ounce Ricciardo gold-antimony deposit being acquired by Capricorn Metals, could hardly be better placed. With funding due from the sale of its Queensland copper project, Latitude 66 is gearing up to chase high-grade gold targets in one of WA’s most fertile mineral corridors.

Perth-based stem cell therapy pioneer NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals is transferring its patented StemSmart technology to one of Australia’s biggest and most experienced manufacturers to scale up clinical-grade production, ahead of the commercialisation of its infusion therapy for hard-to-treat conditions, starting with Crohn’s disease. Queensland-based Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics specialises in manufacturing cellular immunotherapies for national and international clinical trials from 13 cleanrooms dedicated to cell manufacturing and quality control.

Larvotto Resources has fired the starter’s gun on its $140 million Hillgrove antimony-gold project in NSW after locking in a US$105 million bond and $60 million equity raise. With early works already underway, the fully funded operation is targeting first production in Q2 2026. Hillgrove is poised to become the only new source of antimony outside China within the next four years.

Ora Banda Mining has charged into FY26 with soaring gold production at its Davyhurst project in WA’s Goldfields and a new gold discovery that could reshape its future. With the Sand King underground mine now hitting its stride and a 1km multi-lode system uncovered at Little Gem, the company is flexing its muscle across all operations, backed by a strong $84.2 million cash position and $73 million earmarked for exploration.

Aguia Resources has struck a high-grade gold and silver system in its debut drill campaign at the Santa Barbara project in Colombia. First assays from five holes included visible gold and grades up to 44g/t, while underground sampling turned up monster hits north of 85g/t gold. The drilling has confirmed mineralisation continuity beneath current workings and sets the stage for a much larger exploration push.

Melbourne executive Nathan Smith will take the reins as CEO at NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals, bringing his strategic and commercial nous as the company gears up to release its innovative StemSmart stem cell technology. This is the Perth-based biotech’s second heavy-hitting appointment, after it recruited a well-credentialled chief medical officer in Perth-based paediatric haematologist and oncologist Dr Catherine Cole.

Great Southern Mining has kicked off diamond drilling at its Edinburgh Park project in northern Queensland, with three deep holes planned at Leichhardt Creek. Backed by a $15 million Gold Fields Ltd JV, the campaign is targeting massive IP anomalies that mirror geological signatures seen at other nearby major gold-copper systems. With its Mt Dillon prospect up next, the drill bit could be edging closer to a major discovery.

Larvotto Resources has officially sealed a $60 million equity deal to get its Hillgrove antimony-gold project in New South Wales up and running. The raise follows a hefty US$105 million (A$159.6 million) bond issue and gives the company the financial firepower to push through construction and hit first ore in the second quarter of next year. Larvotto is now in the box seat to deliver the West’s next critical minerals supply.

NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals has snagged a well-credentialled WA haematologist and oncologist as its chief medical officer. The company is banking on Dr Catherine Cole’s decades of clinical leadership and trials experience to help it roll out its innovative stem cell therapy. A trial is underway to test its stem cell technology to treat patients with a difficult-to-treat complication of Crohn’s disease.

Aguia Resources has lit the afterburners on its Tres Estradas phosphate project in Brazil, after a massive 70 per cent rise in global phosphate prices drove a sharp uplift in the project’s economics. Aguia plans to start production in early 2026 to tap into a rising fertiliser market, and its revamped, low-CAPEX model is shaping up to deliver outsized returns.

Uranium American Resources, formerly Tonogold, has unveiled a strategic rebrand by changing its US ticker to UARI. The move, which aligns with the company’s acquisition of low-risk US uranium and vanadium projects, completes its transformation into a clean energy mineral player. The transaction was supported by a fresh US$3.5 million placement at 6 cents a share – a 75 per cent premium to the current 3.4 cent price.

Aurumin Limited and Kula Gold have continued to resurrect a forgotten gem in Western Australia’s Southern Cross Goldfields after hauling in another series of dazzling drill hits at the historic Mt Palmer mine. The latest reverse circulation drilling program delivered some serious eye candy for gold bugs, with a standout shallow intercept of 3m at 35.9g/t gold from just 17m, including 1m at 83.6g/t, catching investors’ attention.

Great Southern Mining has sold its Southern Star mining licence to Regis Resources in a savvy deal worth up to $9 million. The agreement, which also cements a strategic data alliance, delivers $4 million in immediate capital for exploration and brings both players closer together for new success across Western Australia’s highly prospective Duketon Greenstone Belt.