Latest Processing News

Cobre has secured two ore supply agreements that could add about 300 tonnes of copper cathode a month from Q4 2026, without changing its existing production guidance. The deal is designed to lift utilisation of the under-used Sierra Atacama plant while the company transitions from underground to open-pit mining in 2027.

Maronan Metals has intersected repeated copper-gold zones north of its 2025 Indicated resource at the Maronan Project, including a 20-metre interval grading 0.83% copper and 0.42g/t gold. The results support ongoing resource growth work, but further drilling and assays are needed before any resource change can be established.

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.

Sovereign Metals says a simple add-on circuit at its Malawi project could generate US$722 million of pre-tax value from monazite by-product recovery. The opportunity is commercially striking, but remains a preliminary scoping result dependent on further testwork, approvals, funding and customer qualification.

Nelson Resources has lodged a Notice of Intent to collect up to 1,000 short tons of remnant mineralised material from the Orleans Mine in Nevada for bulk-scale metallurgical testing. The program could test whether laboratory recovery results translate to commercial-mill conditions, but remains subject to approval, bonding and the appointment of a third-party mill.

Viridis Mining and Minerals has secured approval for a R$77.5 million BNDES financing facility, reducing the estimated senior debt still required for its Colossus rare earth project to about US$280 million. The 16-year facility carries an indicative current cost of approximately 4.8% and supports the project’s Brazilian processing and research infrastructure.

Forrestania Resources has secured a framework to purchase and process up to 2 million tonnes of third-party ore while locking in key laboratory, haulage and reagent arrangements for its Lake Johnston and Edna May hubs. The agreements strengthen restart preparation, although financial terms, margins and delivery timing remain undisclosed.

Patronus Resources is taking a well-funded exploration campaign into a busy phase, with 30,000 metres of multi-rig drilling underway at Pine Creek and a stated $65 million in cash and investments. The investor presentation also highlights a 2.3Moz AuEq resource base, although parts of the portfolio rely on historical estimates and future WA work remains dependent on heritage access.

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.

Olympio Metals has begun field exploration across its Jacknife and Raven silver projects in the United States, with drilling at Jacknife expected to start imminently. A replacement announcement also strengthens the company’s description of a historical foreign estimate, while making clear that the estimate remains non-JORC and requires fresh verification.

Equus Energy has completed Pre-FEED on its large North West Shelf gas project and signed a conditional 10-year gas sales agreement with Alcoa. But the annual report also shows a $25 million loss, a $12 million rehabilitation provision and substantial funding and permitting hurdles before development can begin.

Zenith Minerals has acknowledged Forrestania Resources’ completed capital raising and acquisition of the Edna May Gold Project, but the takeover process remains subject to the Takeovers Panel’s final orders. Further disclosure from Zenith is still pending.