Latest Ore Reserve News

Carnavale Resources is approaching the final stretch of its bankable feasibility study for the 80%-owned Kookynie Gold Project, backed by a 120,000-ounce resource and strong metallurgical recoveries. The project still requires financing, a toll-treatment agreement and final economic modelling before it can move from promising study to mine development.

Rox Resources has crossed the line from explorer to mine developer, with Youanmi underground mining underway, the processing plant under construction and a target of first gold in mid-2027. The project is financed on paper, but the A$350 million debt package remains subject to conditions precedent and the construction schedule still has to survive execution.

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.

Eastern Resources has placed its Queensland Marengo Gold Project at the centre of its exploration strategy after 54 of 60 rock-chip samples returned more than 0.1 ppm gold, including a peak of 12.3 ppm. The company remains an early-stage explorer, with no JORC Mineral Resource yet defined and A$3.27 million in cash at year-end.

Nexus Minerals has more than doubled the Wallbrook Gold Project’s Mineral Resource to 631,000oz, adding maiden resources at Payns and Branches. Combined with Pinnacles, group resources now stand at 709,000oz, although most Wallbrook ounces remain Inferred and no Ore Reserve has been defined.

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.

Zinc of Ireland has transformed from a small Irish zinc explorer into a metals technology developer, acquiring Meclex, raising A$5.5 million and advancing ARGO and VOLTA. The opportunity is substantial, but both technologies remain uncommercialised and the VOLTA partnership requires formal renewal.

Investigator Silver has used FY26 to move the Paris Silver Project from feasibility study toward development, backed by A$58.8 million in cash and a maiden ore reserve. The company still faces the harder tests of permitting, financing and construction before its projected silver production can become reality.

Tolu Minerals has increased the Tolukuma gold resource by 81% to 909,000 ounces after four months of full-scale drilling, pushing its reported Papua New Guinea gold inventory above one million ounces. The proposed early 2027 restart now has a larger resource base, but remains dependent on infrastructure, technical work and conversion of resources into mineable reserves.

Meeka Metals has lifted its group Mineral Resource to approximately 1.5 million ounces after adding a maiden 270koz estimate for Mt Holland in Western Australia. The expansion comes with a sharper distinction between exploration potential and mine-ready inventory, as Ore Reserves fell to 355koz after depletion and portfolio changes.

Global Lithium’s Manna-Nova integration study nearly doubles the project’s post-tax NPV to A$945.7 million while cutting funded pre-production capital by 59%. The plan targets first direct shipping ore in May 2027 and spodumene concentrate production by mid-2027, but still depends on funding, approvals and a final investment decision.

Deep Yellow reported a A$13.3 million FY2026 profit and moved its Tumas uranium project closer to a targeted fourth-quarter investment decision. The company remains debt free, but acknowledges it will need external capital to fund construction.