Miramar Resources has secured a $250,000 government refund for its Bangemall geophysical survey, revealing promising Norilsk-style nickel-copper-PGE conductors. The company advances exploration and nears a JV deal with Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania.
- $250,000 refund received for co-funded magnetic/VTEM survey
- Survey highlights large conductors akin to Norilsk-Talnakh mineralisation
- Exploration confirms key geological features for valuable Ni-Cu-PGE deposits
- Proposed JV with Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania progressing
- Next steps include data modelling, ground truthing, and drill targeting
Government Support Boosts Bangemall Exploration
Miramar Resources Limited (ASX – M2R) has announced receipt of a $250,000 refund from the Western Australian Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS), reimbursing part of the cost for a detailed magnetic and Versatile Time-Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) survey at its Bangemall Cu-Ni-Co-PGE Project. This co-funded survey has been pivotal in identifying multiple large conductors that could signal the presence of Norilsk-style nickel, copper, and platinum group element mineralisation.
Norilsk-Style Targets Spark Excitement
Miramar’s Executive Chairman Allan Kelly highlighted the significance of the survey results, noting that the scale of the conductors compares favourably with those found in the world-renowned Norilsk-Talnakh camp in Siberia. This region hosts some of the globe’s largest and most valuable mineral deposits, with individual ore bodies valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The Bangemall Project’s geological setting, including differentiated dolerite sills and mafic cumulate rocks, aligns with the key ingredients for such mineralisation, reinforcing the prospectivity of the area.
Strategic Partnership and Next Steps
In August 2025, Miramar signed a Non-Binding Term Sheet with Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania Pty Ltd to form an exploration joint venture over Bangemall. The formal JV agreement is being finalised, which will see Sumitomo reimburse Miramar’s share of the geophysical survey costs. Upcoming work includes detailed modelling of the VTEM data, ground truthing through mapping and rock chip sampling, follow-up ground electromagnetic surveys, and the identification of drill targets to validate the mineralisation potential.
Context Within a Broader Exploration Push
Miramar began targeting Norilsk-style deposits in 2021 and has already reported disseminated nickel and copper sulphides from drilling at Mount Vernon, a key milestone for the project. The Bangemall tenements cover a substantial 1,230 square kilometres in the Proterozoic Edmund and Collier Basins, intruded by 1.07 billion-year-old dolerite sills related to a major igneous province. This geological setting is analogous to other significant Ni-Cu-PGE deposits in Western Australia, such as Nebo and Babel, underscoring the strategic importance of Miramar’s exploration efforts.
With government support, promising geophysical data, and a strong JV partner in the wings, Miramar is well positioned to advance its Bangemall project towards potentially transformative discoveries in the coming months.
Bottom Line?
Miramar’s Bangemall project is entering a critical phase where geophysical promise meets strategic partnership, setting the stage for potential breakthrough discoveries.
Questions in the middle?
- When will the formal JV agreement with Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania be finalized?
- How soon can drilling confirm the presence and extent of Norilsk-style mineralisation?
- What are the potential production timelines if significant deposits are confirmed?