Latest Commissioning News

Ora Banda Mining has begun underground development at Waihi in Western Australia, where drilling has returned intersections of up to 1.6 metres at 65.9 g/t gold. The mine is scheduled to deliver first underground ore in mid-2027, ahead of the company’s planned 3.0 Mtpa Davyhurst processing plant.

Viridis Mining and Minerals has selected Sedgman and Blossom as the preferred EPCM partner for its Colossus rare earths project, with up to US$3 million approved for work before a final investment decision. The full contract remains conditional, but engineering and procurement activity will begin immediately.

Canadian Phosphate has extended visually identified phosphate mineralisation at its Wapiti project in British Columbia to approximately 9km of strike. The company will spend more on exploration while deferring its Barnes bulk sample to 2027 and relying on lower-margin Montana inventory for near-term supply.

Bannerman Energy has launched a fully underwritten A$124 million placement that it expects will fund its share of the Etango uranium project through construction and ramp-up. The raising follows confirmation that CNOL’s strategic investment and joint venture conditions have been satisfied or waived.

Greenvale Energy is expanding the final phase of Alpha Test Program 7 after Technix failed to produce a compliant C-170 paving-grade binder. SAMI Bitumen Technologies will now test conventional bitumen blending and additive-based formulations, with results expected from a six to eight-week laboratory program.

Nova Minerals has received approximately 500 tons of processing and refining equipment at Port MacKenzie, bringing its planned Alaska antimony facility closer to construction. The company says the delivery arrived ahead of schedule and remains targeting production in 2027.

Brightstar Resources says construction of its 1.5Mtpa Laverton processing plant remains on schedule and within budget, with first gold still targeted for June 2027. The update also marks the end of underground mining at Second Fortune as the company shifts towards commissioning and new mine development.

Rox Resources has increased Youanmi’s Ore Reserve by 8% to 727,000 ounces after mining depletion, while the broader Mineral Resource edged up to 2.195 million ounces. The update excludes results from recent surface and underground drilling programs, leaving future revisions as a potential source of change.

Kelsian’s proposed sale of its Tourism Portfolio to Journey Beyond has cleared the ACCC, removing a major regulatory condition before completion. The transaction still requires FIRB approval, contract consents and other conditions, with completion expected in 1HFY27.

Sunrise Energy Metals has put its Syerston scandium project on a stronger financial footing, ending FY2026 with A$115.4 million in cash and a conditional US$400 million debt commitment. The project still faces a decisive sequence of tests: final investment approval, binding offtake agreements, financing conditions and construction execution.

EV Resources has produced a 68.3% antimony concentrate from preliminary bench-scale testing of material from the Vinatas operation in Mexico. The results support Tecomatlán as a potential regional processing hub, but the proposed ore supply remains non-binding and plant-scale performance is untested.

Brazilian Rare Earths has commissioned its Stage I beneficiation pilot plant in Bahia and produced its first rare earth mineral concentrate. Partners will contribute R$6.4 million, or about A$1.7 million, towards the next hydrometallurgical stage planned for commissioning in Q2 2027.