Announcements

St George Mining has secured $5 million at a 13.1% premium for its Araxá project in Brazil to upscale drilling, expand its niobium-rare earths resource and pursue US partnerships. The company will soon launch 9000m of drilling to enhance its world-class project. The placement will enable an earlier and expanded program at Araxá to increase the current 41 million tonne niobium–rare earths resource.

Octava Minerals has clinched a $1.5 million raising to help the company secure the Federation copper-zinc-silver project in western Tasmania, tapping into a region famed for its mineral wealth and pro-mining jurisdiction. The project, stumbled upon decades ago by then operator and nearby tin prodigy Renison, has a promising set of high-grade historical intercepts at its Sweeney’s prospect that are untested since drilling in the 1970s.

Bulls N’ Bears ASX Runners of the Week is… I Synergy Limited, after the company revealed a MoU with NASDAQ-listed Treasure Global to deliver its AI infrastructure to Malaysia. ActiveEX unveiled a promising maiden resource for its Queensland gold project. Vanadium Resources locked in an offtake with the Chinese for its South African iron-vanadium ore and Broken Hill Mines relisted on its eponymous mine in NSW.

Aurum Resources has struck 1.43m at 234.35g/t gold at its 1.59-million-ounce Boundiali gold project in Cote d'Ivoire as it continues a 100,000m drilling program for the year. Two resource updates are imminent. The company has completed 23 diamond core holes totalling 5728.9 metres of drilling at its BM Target 3 deposit within Boundiali.

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.

Dollar Bill (AKA Bulls N Bears’ Bill McConnell) has been polishing his monocle in preparation for the resurgence of the small caps market – and it’s starting to happen.

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.

American West Metals has intercepted visual copper sulphides and uncovered some 8km of outcropping copper at its giant Storm Copper project in Nunavut, Canada. The outcrops were identified across its Tornado area, adrift from the main resource, with the promising shows underscoring the vast potential of the district-scale 2200-square-kilometre address to continue to deliver high-grade copper discoveries.

Pilot Energy has kicked off a formal courtship process to secure farm-out partners at its expansive offshore gas permit in Western Australia’s North Perth Basin. The impressive 8605-square-kilometre licence, Australia’s largest offshore exploration permit, encompasses both proven oil and gas play fairways along WA’s Mid West coast.

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.

Solara Minerals has secured 310 square kilometres of exploration licences in the Bryah Basin near the DeGrussa and Peak Hill mines in one of WA’s proven and prospective copper and gold districts after acquiring licensee OD4 Tom Price for $130,000 cash and 1.25 million shares. High-priority conductors at the key DeGrussa West and Wilgeena projects have not yet been tested.

A compelling link-up between Aurumin Limited and Brightstar Resources will see the consolidation of their respective Sandstone gold assets into a major gold resource. The two companies have entered a scheme implementation deed, paving the way for a scrip-based deal that will enable Brightstar to acquire Aurumin via one Brightstar share for every four Aurumin shares.

Larvotto Resources has raised US$105 million (A$161.3M) via a fully subscribed senior secured bond to help restart its Hillgrove antimony-gold project in NSW. The project is backed by strong investor demand and aims for first production in 2026. The bond issue, supported by major Australian and international funds, underscores a robust case for Hillgrove’s role in supplying critical antimony and gold.

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.

Thunderbird Resources’ latest assay results confirm significant high-grade gold from selective rock chips and grab sampling at its Kookabookra project in northeastern New South Wales. Results from 39 rock chip and grab samples returned impressive high-grade gold results of 11.65g/t and 5.29g/t at its Bear Hill prospect, along with rock-solid 32.1g/t finds at the company’s Columbo and 20.7g/t at its German Reef prospects.

Bulls N’ Bears ASX Runners of the Week is… Lumos Diagnostics, after the company signed an exclusive diagnostics supply agreement for the US, valued at up to $487 million. Tali Resources bucked the IPO trend by flying out of the gates on day-one of listing on its West Arunta copper potential. Osteopore Ltd's 3D-printed implants got the nod for market distribution in Switzerland and ClearVue unveiled stellar trial results for its solar vaccuum-insulated glazing units in Hong Kong.

Lithium Universe has secured exclusive rights to a patented microwave technology for greener recycling of silver and critical metals from solar photovoltaic panels, after completing its acquisition of licensee New Age Minerals. The acquisition gives Lithium Universe access to Macquarie University’s innovative microwave joule heating technology, which more efficiently recovers silver from discarded photovoltaic panels.

American West Metals has cemented an off-take partner for its flagship Storm copper project in Nunavut, Canada, finalising key milestones in a transformative partnership with UK-based trader Ocean Partners. American West says its binding off-take agreement and funding commitments will de-risk the project’s path to development as Canada’s next copper producing player.

Bulls N’ Bears Big Hits this week examines some recent notable drilling intercepts revealed on the ASX, including Encounter Resources’ high-grade niobium hit at its Joyce project in WA’s West Arunta region. Other interesting drill hits were reported by Nimy Resources, at its Mons gallium project, and Hyterra Limited landed a helium hit at its Nemaha gas field project in the US state of Kansas.

Terrain Minerals has finally pulled the drill rig from the company’s Smokebush project on WA’s Yalgoo belt, after knocking out an expanded 5000-metre campaign at its high-grade gold and silver prospects. The expanded RC drilling program was designed to reveal the extent of gold and silver-bearing structures at the project, ahead of defining a maiden mineral resource at the early-stage Smokebush by the middle of next year.

Javelin Minerals has bolstered its plans for near-term mining at its Eureka gold project near Kalgoorlie, having significantly upgraded the project resource to the higher confidence indicated category. The company says its upgraded resources and grades could expand its plans to fast-track mining at the project to recover 34,000 ounces of gold by next year.

Kalgoorlie Gold Mining’s Lighthorse prospect at Pinjin near Kalgoorlie has doubled its strike to 1450m via air core drilling, identifying broad gold anomalism to guide an upcoming major RC drilling campaign. The 99-hole, 4710m program revealed thick, shallow gold intercepts and a second anomaly 800m north, surpassing the company’s Kirgella Gift/Providence footprint. This sets the stage for KalGold’s largest-ever RC drilling effort.

Dateline Resources sits barely 10 clicks north of what could soon become the single most heavily backed rare earths operation on the planet, courtesy of a recent multibillion-dollar public-private partnership just announced between MP Materials and the United States Department of Defense. Dateline hosts geology almost identical to MP’s Mountain Pass rare earths as well as a gold resource north of a million ounces.

St George Mining has development studies in full swing at its Araxa niobium and rare earth elements project in Brazil’s premier mining state of Minas Gerais, as part of a global push to find new supplies. The company’s inaugural drilling campaign is charging ahead, with 40 auger holes on a 500m grid completed for 512m as part of a reconnaissance program to test areas beyond the current resource envelope.

Lithium Universe Limited has kicked off a pioneering project to extract silver from discarded photovoltaic solar panels, leveraging technology developed by scientists at Macquarie University in Sydney. Global silver demand is set to reach a record 680 million ounces in 2025, driven by a 7% compound annual growth rate in industrial use, photovoltaics and artificial intelligence, triggering an anticipated 117.6-million-ounce market deficit.

King River Resources has unearthed more high-grade gold at its Kurundi project in the Northern Territory and is preparing to drill two iron oxide copper-gold targets at its Kuiper prospect this month. The company is working through a pipeline of drill-ready targets across its 5000 square kilometre Tennant Creek landholding, following earlier standout hits and geophysical success.

There are moments when policy collides with geology, and when it does, fortunes can shift overnight. The decision by the US Department of Defence, announced last week, to take a half-billion-dollar equity stake in the country’s only producing rare earths mine has thrust the geopolitical spotlight onto a handful of ASX-listed juniors and reshaped their prospects in a flash.

This week’s Bulls N’ Bears ASX Runners of the Week is… Yandal Resources, after the company identified a gold discovery of potentially massive scale in one of WA’s prolific gold belts. Imagion shot up on positive talks with the US FDA on its Phase 2 breast cancer imaging technology, Falcon intercepted some of the highest grade gold in Australian drilling this year and Bayan scooped up a strategic rare earths project next to the world-class Mountain Pass mine.

Ora Banda Mining has ended its financial year with a record 92,400 ounces of gold produced, a 32% increase over the previous year, marking the company’s second consecutive year of more than 30% organic growth. Production includes 1400 ounces from third-party processing under an ore sale agreement with Norton Gold Fields at Paddington Mill.

BMG Resources has firmed up its belief in a substantial gold system at its Abercromby gold project in WA’s Mid West region, after receiving broad mineralised hits from the first phase of a recently completed diamond drilling program. Scoping studies are now underway to assess the optimal mining strategy, with a low-capex, fast-tracked production scenario being evaluated.