Latest Operational Costs News

VHM's refreshed feasibility study projects an A$807 million pre-tax NPV for its Goschen rare earths and mineral sands project, with approvals and major procurement work substantially advanced. The project still needs financing, lender due diligence and a Final Investment Decision before construction can begin.

Larvotto Resources has produced its first gold and antimony concentrate at the Hillgrove Mine in New South Wales, moving the project from plant commissioning towards a production ramp-up. The milestone comes with binding offtake agreements already in place with Wogen Resources and Glencore International AG.

Coda Minerals has reported average copper and silver extraction of 94.4% and 95.9% respectively from representative Emmie Bluff samples, strengthening the case for its preferred whole-ore chloride leach process. The preliminary laboratory results also suggest Elizabeth Creek site water is suitable for processing, although cobalt recovery, plant-scale performance and capital requirements remain unresolved.

Argosy Minerals says laboratory-scale crystallisation testing has demonstrated a potential lithium chloride product yield above 99% at its 12,000-tonne-per-year Rincon project in Argentina. The results remove a key process uncertainty, but the project still depends on engineering completion, financing and a broader Definitive Feasibility Study.

Everest Metals moved Mt Dimer into mining, established a 260,780-ounce Revere gold resource and upgraded its Mt Edon rubidium project in FY2026. Yet the company remains loss-making, has impaired its Mt Dimer development assets and warns that future funding and project cash inflows are needed to support its going-concern assessment.

Pivotal Metals has used its FY2026 annual report to position Horden Lake as a larger, better-understood Quebec copper project, with a maiden scoping study targeted for September. The company also expanded Belleterre drilling and added the Bambino project, but remains loss-making and dependent on further funding.

New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX:NHC) has lifted its reported coal resources to 2.96 billion tonnes, driven by major model updates at Bengalla and New Acland. The larger inventory comes with important qualifications: much of Bengalla’s addition is inferred, while a substantial portion of New Acland’s reserves still depends on future approvals.

Lefroy Exploration is considering folding the high-grade portion of its Burns deposit into the Mt Martin Scoping Study, broadening the development case while pushing delivery into the December quarter. At Lucky Strike, a newly granted licence removes one hurdle but several approvals still stand between the mine and a targeted early 2027 restart.

Tesoro Gold has established a maiden 1.28 million-ounce JORC Ore Reserve at Ternera in Chile, entirely within a single open pit. The reserve gives the El Zorro project a 13-plus-year production base, but the next test is funding and permitting a development still at PFS stage.

Sky Metals has used FY2026 to move Tallebung from exploration toward development, combining more than 500 drill holes with strong ore-sorting results and progress into NSW’s environmental approval process. The advance came alongside a A$5.37 million loss and continuing reliance on equity funding.

Orion Minerals has set out a clearer route towards first production at its Prieska copper-zinc project, but its audited FY2026 accounts warn that further funding remains essential. The company reported a A$12.69 million loss and A$14.46 million in cash while targeting first production in Q3 2027.

Western Gold Resources has sharply expanded the proposed Gold Duke mine, lifting its production target by 62% and forecasting A$72.9 million in operating surplus. The preliminary study is stronger on paper, but still depends on funding and the restart of toll treatment at Wiluna.