Latest Mine Development News

Maritana Minerals has secured the final statutory approval for its 2.5Mtpa Black Swan Processing Hub in Western Australia and extended early works with GR Engineering Services for an additional A$6.5 million. The project remains aimed at first gold in the second half of calendar 2027, although the EPC contract is still being finalised.

Rox Resources has reached financial close on A$350 million of debt facilities for the Youanmi Gold Mine, removing the conditions that had stood between the funding package and construction spending. The company has initially drawn A$90.2 million in project debt and used a further A$4 million bank guarantee facility allocation.

Riversgold has lodged the Mine Development and Closure Proposal for its Northern Zone open-pit project near Kalgoorlie, moving the planned mine into its final major approval phase. The project remains conditional on regulatory sign-offs, but MEGA Resources is set to fund development under an extended cooperation agreement.

Tolu Minerals has set out a Q1 2027 restart target for its Tolukuma gold-silver mine in Papua New Guinea, backed by a recently upgraded 909,000-ounce resource and refurbishment of an existing processing plant. The company says it has sufficient funding to reach production, but the timetable remains dependent on mine development, plant work and operating execution.

Locksley Resources has halted active field exploration across its Mojave antimony and rare earths project after antimony prices fell more than 57% from mid-2025 peaks. The strategic reset came as the company reported a widened FY26 loss of A$15.65 million and shifted attention to copper-gold assets in New South Wales.

Hastings Technology Metals has cut its annual loss sharply, but its latest report flags a material uncertainty over whether the pre-production rare earths company can secure the funding needed for Yangibana and its proposed Thai processing plant. The uncertainty comes as Wyloo seeks to sell its 60% Yangibana stake despite a study showing attractive project economics.

Blackstone Minerals has reported a larger FY2026 loss and warned of material uncertainty around its ability to continue as a going concern, despite ending the year with $13.7 million in cash. The company is directing its remaining financial capacity towards the Mankayan copper-gold project while seeking to reduce exposure to its Vietnam nickel assets.

Quantum Graphite has moved Uley 2 into front-end engineering and design, renewed key mining leases and formalised its downstream structure with Sunlands Pure Group. But the company ended FY2026 with just $210,710 in cash, $10.50 million in borrowings and an auditor-documented material uncertainty over its ability to continue as a going concern.

Rumble Resources has moved Western Queen closer to a potential 2027 gold start, pairing a larger resource with third-party processing access and A$10 million in royalty funding. The project remains pre-production, however, with approvals, financing, feasibility work and a final investment decision still outstanding.

Tribune Resources delivered a sharply stronger FY2026 result, with revenue up 28.4% and profit attributable to shareholders rising to $75.7 million. The result was helped by a $35.0 million reversal of the prior Raleigh impairment, while operating cash flow and year-end cash both fell.

Peninsula Energy’s low-pH uranium restart delivered stronger grades but struggled to move enough solution through the Lance wellfields, forcing guidance to be withdrawn and triggering a US$50.1 million impairment. Auditors flagged material uncertainty over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, despite fresh funding and a reconfirmed CY2027 production target.

Hot Chili’s La Verde copper-gold discovery has expanded rapidly enough to become a cornerstone of the Costa Fuego project, while new funding gives the company room to pursue the next studies and permits. The key test now is whether drilling can translate into a maiden resource and a credible development case.