The Resources Round-up conference for ASX-listed explorers is rolling into the streets of Sydney and shaping as the largest conference on the east coast in the event’s 18-year history. Ticket sales for the three-day extravaganza that kicks off on May 3rd have been reported by Vertical Events, the conference organizer, as ‘huge’, with 1500 registered delegates already locked away and more than 100 exhibition stands set to showcase the latest from the resources industry.
Demand has been so strong that Vertical Events says it has been forced to book two auditoriums instead of the usual one.
Managing Director, Stewart McDonald said: “I have been holding the RIU Sydney Resources Roundup since 2004, it has always been a reasonably popular conference with around 60 presenting resources companies and 800 delegates, but I have never seen interest and demand like this year’s event….”
“This is the first time we have held dual auditoriums at RIU Sydney. We received so much demand and interest from listed resources companies that the dual auditoriums can allow a larger range of companies to participate at this great event.”
After something of a COVID inspired slumber, the exploration industry is back with a vengeance with the Australian Bureau of Statistics reporting some 13.2 million metres drilled in 2021 compared to just 10.7 million in 2020.
The ABS says drilling in 2021 came close to doubling the 2016 total of just 6.7 million metres.
Data compiled by resource industry analyst company Austex Resource Opportunities outlines an increasing surge of capital flowing into the pockets of ASX-listed junior explorers in recent years.
ASX-listed company tin rattling in Q4 of 2021 saw an all-time high of $3.17 billion raised, up 37 per cent from the previous record-breaking quarter of $2.3b and up a staggering 704 per cent on the $274 million raised in Q1 16.
Austex reports total exploration expenditure in Q4 2021 to have risen to $939 million, up from $845 million in the previous quarter.
The latest quarterly expenditure numbers represent an astounding 243 per cent hike on exploration reported back in the first quarter of 2016.
With 1st Quarter 2022 data set to be released on Friday, analysts will no doubt be moving to the edge of their seats as they look to determine if the so called “mining super-cycle” has real legs or not.
The Resources Round-up conference is one of the pinnacle events for the small cap ASX-listed exploration sector and is seen as something of a litmus test for the health of the industry.
The conference will feature a range of explorers and developers, showcasing projects across a range of commodities including copper, lithium, gold, silver, nickel, iron ore and uranium. There will be keynote presentations from ABC Gold Refining, Lowell Resources Investment Fund, CRU, Noah’s Rule and the NSW Geological Department.
The first junior explorer to take the stage on day one will be ASX-listed Coda Minerals who is likely to discuss the acquisition of its joint venture partner Torrens Mining as the combined entity looks to pile a potentially lucrative iron oxide-copper-gold deposit on top of its 1.1 million tonne copper equivalent resource in South Australia’s Gawler Craton. Coda says the takeover will create a “leading Australian base and precious minerals exploration company”.
Global investment bank Goldman Sachs has also stacked its chips behind a projected copper price of US$13,000 a tonne within a year after the metal spiked at an all-time high of US$11,000 on March 7th. Copper-focused presenters such as Revolver Resources will be of particular interest at the conference.
Since listing in late 2021, Revolver encountered a 6.95m hit of massive sulphides with a visual estimate of 90 per cent sulphides from 145.95 metres downhole at its Dianne copper project in Far North Queensland.
Management says 13 holes from its 17-hole initial drill program intersected substantial copper mineralisation and is eagerly awaiting its assays as the company works to table a mineral resource estimate in Q3 22.
In terms of gold, OzAurum Resources will be parading around the ASX’s latest gold discovery. Last week the explorer announced it had nailed a 56m hit going 1.31 g/t gold at its Mulgabbie North project northeast of Kalgoorlie.
The Perth-based Alto Metals will also be going for gold with its ongoing drilling program as it looks to build on its 60,000m of drilling last year. Alto recently increased its Sandstone gold resource by an impressive 92 per cent to 635,000 ounces of gold.
The Resources Round-up conference will be held on May 3, 4 and 5 at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Matt Birney
