Doug Bright

Terrain Minerals says it is closing in on a maiden July mineral resource estimate for its Lightning gold project after ticking off key technical and approvals work. DGPS collar surveys, a topographic drone survey, metallurgical sampling and permitting are all part of the process, while recent IP targeting and test work continue to support the broader Smokebush gold story in WA's Mid West region.

88 Energy Limited says its Augusta-1 exploration well in Alaska is on track for a Q1 2027 spud, with the rig now locked in whilst camp, access planning and logistics are all progressing. The well will test 133.7 million barrels of gross unrisked prospective resources across three stacked reservoir targets, following a 35 per cent uplift in South Prudhoe's total 2U prospective resources announced two days ago.

Terrain Minerals has kicked off metallurgical testwork at its Lightning gold project in WA's Mid West, where recent drilling has delivered high grade hits including 8m at 6.87g/t gold and 7m at 7.08g/t gold. Early work points to a likely non-refractory feed, implying conventional gravity coarse gold separation and carbon-in-leach processing ahead of a maiden resource estimate in July.

Maritana Minerals will acquire Accelerate Resources' Kanowna East tenure near its Black Swan processing hub and Gordons Dam project while divesting non-core Balagundi ground. The dual transaction, due to complete in the June 2026 quarter, has sharpened the company's Kalgoorlie footprint and preserves future toll treatment optionality.

Ora Banda Mining has massively lifted its gold resource to 3.57 million ounces and more than doubled reserves to 555,000 ounces, driven by strong gains at its Round Dam and Waihi deposits near Kalgoorlie. The company has also approved a new three-million-tonne-per-annum mill and a third underground mine to support its next stage of growth.

Chariot Resources has firmed up its Nigerian lithium acquisition deal by adding a key Fonlo lease at no extra cost, while extending the deal timetable. The company has also boosted its regulatory spend by converting three small-scale licences into mining leases, which will deliver longer tenure and broader mining rights over those areas.

Maritana Minerals has launched a phase two drilling program at its Burbanks project near Coolgardie in WA to chase deeper extensions after its first campaign returned knock-out high-grade gold hits, which boosted confidence in the project. The company has mobilised a second rig to test deeper extensions in a bid to firm up future ore supply for its developing Black Swan processing hub.

Aurum Resources has lifted the total mineral resource at its Boundiali gold project in Côte d'Ivoire by six per cent to 3.22 million ounces, with indicated resources up 24 per cent to 1.70 million ounces. The upgrade was driven by infill drilling at the BDT2 deposit, which converted inferred material into indicated resources ahead of a prefeasibility study due this quarter.

Bulls N' Bears Big Hits looks at notable drill intercepts reported to the ASX last week, led by Haranga Resources with 4.8m assaying 25.4g/t gold, including 2.4m going 48.84g/t gold. NexGen Energy also nailed 13m at 5.2% uranium oxide, including 0.5m at a whopping 30.2% uranium oxide in Canada, while GreenTech Metals landed big platinum grades in WA's Pilbara, with 12m at 3.13g/t PGE3 from 90m depth, including 2m going 8.37g/t PGE3.

Terrain Minerals has launched one of its biggest IP surveys yet, aimed at sniffing out repeats of its Lightning-style gold target in untested surrounding ground at the company's Smokebush gold and silver project, 350km north of Perth in WA. The survey will span the granted mining lease, which contains the Lightning and Monza gold deposits. Results are expected in July, ahead of Terrain's maiden Lightning mineral resource estimate.

Maritana Minerals has struck a deal to acquire a package of strategic tenements immediately adjacent to its developing Black Swan processing hub near Kalgoorlie in WA. The new tenure includes ground along strike from the Wilsons gold prospect and is intended to support exploration and could also accommodate any future infrastructure changes or expansion. The acquisition is expected to be done and dusted in the June quarter.

Larvotto Resources has outlined strong tungsten potential at its Hillgrove antimony gold project near Armidale in NSW, with high grade results at Curry's Block, north of the plant site. The company says recent metallurgical testwork delivered tungsten recoveries up 90 per cent, reinforcing the metal's potential as a potentially valuable byproduct alongside its planned gold and antimony production.

Aguia Resources has cleared final requests from Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul environmental agency FEPAM for minor changes to its phosphate installation licence, which is expected to clear the way for an operating licence. The company expects a ruling within three weeks, which would allow it to begin mining at the company's Tres Estradas phosphate project and processing at its DB processing plant.

Aurum Resources has hit thick gold intersections in drilling at its Boundiali gold project in northern Côte d'Ivoire, including standout results from the BDT2 target area. The company says the new holes support good continuity of mineralisation, which will feed into ongoing resource definition work as assays and geological modelling continue.

Phase two reverse circulation drilling at Moonlight Resources' Leo Grande prospect within its Clermont project in Queensland has extended the gold footprint by a whopping 450m along the Leo Grande shear zone. Step-out drilling to the southeast and northwest returned broad near-surface gold intersections with several holes ending in mineralisation, highlighting further upside potential as more assays land.

Bulls N' Bears Big Hits looks at notable drill intercepts recently reported to the ASX, led by BMC Minerals with 25.1m at 180g/t silver, 9.7% zinc and 3.4% lead from 327.5m. Caspin Resources' 13m at 1.16% tin at Bygoo in NSW and Barton Gold's shallow 3m at 20.6g/t gold in South Australia round out the selection.

St George Mining has delivered additional thick, high-grade rare earths and niobium intercepts from surface at its Araxá project in Brazil. Best diamond drilling results included 43m at 8.02 per cent total rare earth oxides and 0.74 per cent niobium pentoxide, while step-out drilling has extended mineralisation 240m north of the current resource footprint.

Red Metal Limited is pushing its Sybella rare earths project near Mount Isa towards low-cost heap leach processing just as Australia and Japan step up critical minerals cooperation. The company's column leach tests are in progress, while ion exchange trials have delivered a nine-fold enrichment of rare earths and removed iron and aluminium, pointing to a simpler, cheaper flowsheet.

Maritana Minerals has delivered more sizzling gold intercepts from phase one diamond drilling at its Burbanks project, near Coolgardie in WA. One hole nailed a string of hits including its longest intercept of 4.20m assaying 42.43g/t gold from 289.63m, including 1.37m going an eye-watering 126.93g/t gold from 290.84m.

Larvotto Resources has pulled in more strong drilling results from the key Midas Gully mineralised system at the Metz Mining Centre, part of the company's Hillgrove gold-antimony project in NSW. The program nailed a standout hit of 13 metres at 8.56g/t gold equivalent from 253m depth, which included 1.2m at 34.53g/t gold equivalent. New geophysical results have also outlined fresh targets.

Octava Minerals has reported significant polymetallic mineralisation from a maiden diamond drilling program at its Federation project in western Tasmania. Initial results at Sweeney's and Anomaly 1 returned encouraging copper, zinc, tin, silver, indium and antimony intercepts, including a newly recognised antimony zinc lode. The company says the feeder style sulphide system remains open and underexplored

Maritana Minerals has reported a strong March quarter, with cash soaring to $120.6M after positive operating cash flow, major funding and divestment receipts. The coffers swelled even further in April to $233.5M after completing a jumbo capital raising. The company, formerly Horizon Minerals, is progressing early works and engineering for its Black Swan processing hub near Kalgoorlie in WA, targeting first gold production from the plant in mid-2027.

Ora Banda Mining has appointed long-time mining executive John Richards as a non-executive director from 1 May and flagged him to become chair following the retirement of Peter Mansell from the role at the close of the November annual general meeting. Richards brings 40 years of experience in mining and metals and currently serves as the chairman of Sandfire Resources. The company says his appointment supports its next growth phase.

Rio2 has begun commissioning a new US$27M tailings filtration facility at its Condestable copper mine in Peru, following an 18-month construction period. The plant is designed to process 8400 tonnes per day and will support the company's move to dry-stack tailings, which will lift water recovery to almost 90 per cent. Commercial operations are targeted for the September quarter.

Patriot Resources has upgraded the previous JORC-compliant exploration target at its wholly owned Tassa silver-gold project in southern Peru to a massive range estimated at between 559 million and 774 million ounces silver equivalent at a grade of between 48g/t and 57g/t silver equivalent. The estimate is based on an integrated review of surface sampling, geophysics and 8500m of historical drilling.

WA Gold's scoping study for its Abercromby project near Wiluna in WA has outlined a staged pit-to-underground operation targeting 114,494 ounces of gold, with an $8M start-up capex. The base case flags about $270M pre-tax free cash flow and a $229M NPV at $6000 per ounce of gold, with payback in 1.5 years. Drilling is continuing to grow and upgrade resources.

Lindian Resources has secured a local funding package with Malawi's NBS Bank totalling US$11.6M, comprising US$4.6M for equipment finance and US$7M for working capital. The asset facility will reimburse 90 per cent of its Komatsu mining fleet, while the working capital will provide a liquidity buffer as the company's Kangankunde build progresses towards mechanical completion in 2H 2026.

Bulls N' Bears Big Hits looks at notable drill intercepts recently reported to the ASX last week, led by New Murchison Gold with 18 metres at 10.3 grams per tonne gold from 54m, including 6m at 29.3g/t from its Crown Prince East pit in WA. Golden Horse Minerals' shallow 7m at 13.0g/t at Hopes Hill South and SQX Resources' wide 24.4m at 3.1g/t at Red Bird in Arizona round out the selection.

Terrain Minerals has concluded a 671m diamond drilling program at its Lightning gold project in WA to obtain rock density and important structural inputs for its upcoming maiden resource estimate in July. The company nailed a high-grade intercept of 3.4 metres assaying 4.96g/t gold from 213.6m depth, including 1m at 10.93g/t gold, which it says confirms continuity of higher-grade zones at depth.

Lindian Resources has locked in a significant diesel supply deal for its giant Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi, de-risking its construction and commissioning program as it targets first production later this year. The company has secured a 12-month supply of 500,000 litres of diesel fuel at a fixed price of US$2.83 (A$3.96) per litre for the project.

Gold Fields and Great Southern Mining are sharpening the drill bits for a return to the joint venture's expansive Edinburgh Park gold project in north Queensland, with diamond drilling set to begin once the wet season wraps up in May. The company will test the high priority Mt Dillon target, defined by a strong induced polarisation anomaly and extensive hydrothermal alteration.

Aurum Resources has drilled to 220m vertically below its current BST1 resource at Boundiali in Côte d'Ivoire, confirming the gold system remains open at depth, as it pushes towards a Q3 2026 resource update. Deep drilling beneath its separate BDT3 target has also confirmed the mineralisation remains open. Best intercepts included 29m at 1g/t gold from 444m and 8m at 3.38g/t gold from 279m.