Latest Critical Minerals Exploration News

Octava Minerals has outlined a colossal exploration target of up to 7.4 billion tonnes of mineralised black shale at its Byro Project, featuring rare earths, lithium, and vanadium grades that align with promising bioleaching recoveries. Further drilling and metallurgical testing aim to advance the project towards a maiden resource.

EV Resources has delineated two structurally controlled mineral corridors at its Nevada projects, defining a clear path to drill targets amid growing US antimony supply concerns.

Pioneer Minerals has completed a critical airborne VTEM survey over its Springfield Tungsten-Gold-Gallium Project in Idaho, setting the stage for maiden drilling after integrating multiple datasets and securing key approvals.

Diablo Resources has secured final permits to start a maiden diamond drilling program at its high-grade North Star Prospect in Utah, targeting silver, antimony, and copper. The company also completed the second tranche of a $3.5 million placement to fund exploration and the Horn Silver acquisition.

QEM Limited has pushed back the deadline to complete due diligence on its planned acquisition of two U.S. critical minerals projects, citing legal concerns mainly around chain of title.

IRIS Metals posted a $22.3 million loss for FY26, driven by major impairments on exploration assets and elevated share-based payments. The company pivots away from Edison and Tin Mountain projects, focusing on lithium-rubidium in South Dakota and tungsten in Montana.

Hawk Resources has secured $1.11 million through a rights issue to fund its critical minerals projects across Western Australia and the US, with directors backing the raise in full.

Daly Resources has debuted on the ASX after a $12 million IPO, positioning itself to explore fluorite, copper, and zinc in the Northern Territory, led by the Huckitta project.

Osmond Resources has expanded the high-grade heavy mineral zone at its Orión EU Critical Minerals Project in Spain, with drill hole SOR-08 intersecting key quartzite layers 1.25km from prior discoveries. This development supports the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate and keeps the company on track for a Q3 2026 Scoping Study.

Askari Metals has expanded its Uis Project pipeline in Namibia by uncovering seven high-priority pegmatite targets through advanced hyperspectral analysis, setting the stage for upcoming reverse circulation drilling and trenching programs.

Rapid Critical Metals has obtained a five-year BC Mines Act Permit for its Prophet River Project in Canada, enabling a maiden drilling campaign targeting critical gallium and germanium deposits amid global supply concerns.

Chilwa Minerals’ latest assays from drill hole MPYDD007 at Nakombe South in Malawi confirm a multi-commodity critical minerals system with significant niobium, tantalum, rare earth elements, and gallium mineralisation. The company has defined a maiden conceptual Exploration Target and is advancing drilling towards a maiden Mineral Resource.