Latest Critical Minerals Sector News

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.

Elementos Limited has secured a key regulatory milestone as the Regional Government of Andalucía grants its Oropesa Tin Project Overriding Public Interest status, easing the path for critical water licensing and advancing permitting certainty.

Lode Resources has unveiled promising high-grade antimony and gold intercepts from initial drilling at its New England Antimony Project, alongside large soil anomalies that hint at substantial mineralisation potential.

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.

IperionX has acquired Covia’s Camden mineral assets adjacent to its Titan Project, consolidating a key U.S. critical minerals province and enhancing its supply chain for heavy rare earths and titanium.

Larvotto Resources is set to acquire Hammer Metals in a $54 million all-scrip deal, expanding its Mt Isa copper portfolio to over 530,000 tonnes of copper equivalent and backed by a $15 million strategic placement from Glencore.

Axel REE has appointed Dr Patience Mpofu as Managing Director, positioning the company to advance its rare earths portfolio from exploration into commercial development with planned in-situ recovery trials.

Ardea Resources' Kalgoorlie Nickel Project – Goongarrie Hub has been awarded Lead Agency Status by the Western Australian Government, marking a key regulatory milestone that underscores its strategic importance in the critical minerals sector.

PMET Resources has received a non-binding Letter of Interest from Société Générale to act as Mandated Lead Arranger for debt financing of the Phase 1 development of its Shaakichiuwaanaan lithium project in Quebec, advancing its syndicate-building strategy ahead of an updated feasibility study.

Pioneer Minerals has reopened the historic Springfield Mine Road, enabling vehicle access to its North Pine Project in Idaho and slashing exploration costs. This milestone sets the stage for accelerated fieldwork targeting tungsten, gold, and gallium.

Ionic Rare Earths (ASX: IXR) has secured binding agreements to supply critical rare earth oxides to US-based Advanced Magnet Lab, supporting domestic production of permanent magnets for defence applications under a US Defense Logistics Agency contract.

Western Yilgarn has revealed high-grade, shallow gallium mineralisation from re-assayed drill pulps at its Cardea 1 Project, highlighting potential for a large-scale critical minerals resource in Western Australia’s Darling Range.