Murray Ward

Aguia Resources has transformed operations at its Santa Barbara project in Colombia, lifting processing head grades to 12 grams per tonne gold. The turnaround came after switching to high-grade, narrow-vein mining methods. With phase one site upgrades fully complete, the company is now rolling out phase two improvements, alongside the start of production at its recently licensed flagship Brazilian phosphate asset.

Corazon Mining has entered a binding agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Westgold Resources' Chalice gold project in Western Australia's Higginsville district. The transformational deal hands Corazon a granted mining lease hosting a high-grade 191,000-ounce gold resource. Backed by a heavily supported A$16.5 million capital raise, the company is launching an immediate 15,000-metre drilling campaign.

Estrella Resources has taken to the skies with a cutting-edge drone-borne electromagnetic survey at its Ira Miri manganese project in Timor-Leste. Developed by Expert Geophysics, the high-resolution system can penetrate up to 800 metres below surface to evaluate deep extensions beneath the current open pit. The system acquires near-continuous data at tight five-metre intervals to define high-priority targets for upcoming diamond and reverse circulation drilling campaigns.

Dateline Resources has supercharged its Californian gold hunt after locking onto massive step-out hits of up to 287.3 metres at its Colosseum project. The company has now fired up a third drill rig to accelerate exploration for gold, while dense rock signatures emerging from its expanded rare earths campaign are showing strong similarities to the nearby world-class Mountain Pass carbonatite system.

MetalsGrove Mining has locked onto a major West African gold system, defining two parallel targets, each stretching more than 2.5 kilometres, at the Fifty-Five prospect within its Zuénoula permit in Côte d'Ivoire. High-density infill soil sampling is now underway to sharpen the picture ahead of auger drilling. With a massive landholding along a prolific greenstone belt, the company is set to rapidly generate strong news flow.

American West Metals has upscaled diamond drilling at its West Desert project in Utah after securing a $10 million placement. The expanded 10,000m program will follow up on the Meteor prospect, where recent drilling hit 77.65m of visual mineralisation. Operations will also target high-grade gallium along the Juab Fault and the "Goldilocks" zone to expand America's biggest undeveloped indium resource.

Dalaroo Metals has finished a major systematic soil geochemistry program at its Bondoukou project in Côte d'Ivoire, successfully covering the entire 9-kilometre-long Gold Ridge corridor. With 4363 samples dispatched for analysis, the company has identified extensive alteration and quartz veining associated with high-grade historical signals. The data will now be used to define high-priority targets for an upcoming maiden drilling campaign.

Estrella Resources is closing in on its first revenue after confirming the Ira Miri project in Timor-Leste has delivered a high-grade manganese bulk sample for appraisal, with shipment logistics underway. The company has banked more than 27,000 tonnes of ore, including nearly 5000 tonnes grading 49.38 per cent manganese. With peak in-situ hits of 60.22 per cent and mineralisation remaining open, the company believes significant exploration upside remains.

Dateline Resources has confirmed a technically simple and high-margin path back to production at its Colosseum gold project in California. A robust bankable feasibility study outlined a 10.4-year mine life producing 573,000 ounces of gold, delivering a stellar pre-tax net present value of A$1.08 billion. With key equipment already secured, the company is now racing toward a final investment decision.

Lindian Resources is on track to become a major rare earths producer, with construction at its Kangankunde project in Malawi on schedule as it closes in on first production by the final quarter of 2026. The company is fully funded for stage one development and expects to trigger its first mining blast and deliver first ore to the stockpile pad as early as next month.

Dalaroo Metals has entered the final approval stage for a significant licence expansion at its Blue Lagoon critical minerals project in southern Greenland. The move targets a "source-to-sink" geological system rich in rare earth elements, zirconium, and niobium. With stakeholder consultations complete, the company is now preparing for an intensive mid-2026 exploration program covering both onshore and high-priority offshore targets.

St George Mining has recruited global engineering leader Worley to spearhead feasibility studies for its world-class Araxá niobium and rare earths project in Brazil. Following a competitive selection process, Worley will provide technical advisory services ranging from plant design to procurement. The partnership leverages Worley's 60-year track record in Brazil to fast-track development studies and move the high-grade project toward a formal commercial mining operation.

A global crisis is unfolding in the helium market following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the closure of Qatar's Ras Laffan complex. With prices hitting $US2,000 per thousand cubic feet, critical industries face unprecedented supply shocks. ASX-listed explorers in North America, Australia and Africa are racing to fill the void, offering a strategic alternative to volatile Middle Eastern sources.

Dalaroo Metals has consolidated its hold on the Blue Lagoon critical minerals project in Greenland, successfully transitioning its core exploration licence to granted status. The move gives the company full control over a confirmed 2.7-kilometre mineralised strike. Previous surface sampling at site returned peak values of 0.81 per cent total rare earth oxides. A major de-risking field program is now being fast-tracked for 2026.

Chariot Resources has edged closer to consolidating its two thirds stake in a massive 254-square-kilometre Nigerian lithium portfolio. The company has officially secured five of its ten targeted licences, prompting a deadline extension to August to finalise the remaining transfers. With spodumene already confirmed at two key project clusters, Chariot is positioning to become a big player in the African battery metals space.

Lindian Resources has secured a low-cost, domestic supply of sulphuric acid for its Sareco facility in Kazakhstan. The strategic arrangement with state-backed producer SSAP provides reagent security ahead of a looming global supply squeeze. With China set to ban acid exports from next month, Lindian's access to local supply at competitive prices significantly de-risks its downstream processing strategy for its world-class monazite concentrate.

Dalaroo Metals has significantly expanded its Blue Lagoon project in Greenland, after being granted new licences to target offshore critical minerals. The company's geological model suggests heavy minerals, including rare earths, zirconium and niobium, are being transported from inland alkaline rocks through drainage systems and out to sea. Dalaroo plans to test these marine accumulation zones using seabed sampling and bathymetric surveys.

Kalgoorlie Gold Mining is shifting into high gear in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields, officially kicking off the most ambitious exploration blitz to date, starting with its Pinjin gold proje

Ora Banda Mining has confirmed the significant mining potential of its Golden Pole lode at the Waihi project near Davyhurst. The new infill drilling results, featuring some bonanza-grade gold hits, will now be fast-tracked into an updated mineral resource and ore reserve estimate. The company is targeting the high-grade deposit as its potential third underground mine in the region.

Dalaroo Metals has appointed Trystan Hughes as exploration manager to oversee its prime projects in Greenland and Western Australia. Hughes brings deep experience from the Nalunaq gold project, positioning the company to unleash the potential of its Blue Lagoon asset. Recent sampling has confirmed elevated zirconium values within a sediment-hosted system, providing a rock-solid foundation for a results-rich exploration.

Titanium Sands is closing in on a mining licence at its Mannar heavy mineral sands project in Sri Lanka, with the application awaiting policy approval. Backed by a $400,000 funding extension and environmental studies nearing completion, the company is progressing the 318-million-tonne resource with strong economics, positioning the project as a potentially significant long-life producer in the region.

Dalaroo Metals has taken a key step towards a potential major discovery at its Bondoukou gold project in Côte d'Ivoire, securing critical stakeholder support to kickstart exploration. With field access locked in and a local workforce engaged, the company has already completed 40% of a major soil geochemistry program. Results from the 9.5km mineralised trend are expected to define high-grade targets for an upcoming drilling blitz.

Corazon Mining is preparing for a rapid site reconnaissance follow-up after a historical data review identified two significant gold targets at its Feather Cap project in Western Australia. The desktop study highlighted a completely untested 3.5-kilometre gold anomaly at its Trudgeon Well prospect and a drill-ready target at the company's Murphy's Creek prospect. The targets represent compelling walk-up opportunities within a proven gold province.

Dalaroo Metals intends to significantly expand its strategic footprint in southwest Greenland after applying for two additional exploration licences, bringing its total landholding to nearly 260 square kilometres. The new ground, adjacent to the existing Blue Lagoon project, sits within the prospective Gardar Province, a region globally recognised for hosting major alkaline intrusive systems enriched with rare earths, zirconium, niobium and hafnium.

Corazon Mining has finished its maiden four-hole diamond drilling program at the Two Pools gold project in Western Australia. The campaign reached 995 metres, successfully testing depth extensions of high-grade historical intercepts. Visual logging has confirmed the mineralised system remains open, with fast-tracked assays expected within weeks. The company is now preparing for an extensive follow-up reverse circulation drilling program in the second quarter.

A surprise Easter gift has landed for Red Metal Limited shareholders after the company proposed an in-specie distribution of the majority of its 35.2 per cent stake in Maronan Metals. Eligible holders will receive one Maronan share for every 5.25 Red Metal shares held on May 14. The move creates a win-win, allowing Red Metal to focus on its massive Sybella rare earths discovery in northwest Queensland.

Beetaloo Energy has significantly bolstered its war chest, banking a cool $15.4 million cash refund courtesy of the Federal Government's Research and Development tax incentive scheme.

BMG Resources has launched diamond drilling at its Abercromby gold project in Western Australia, testing for high-grade extensions to its 518,000-ounce gold resource. With reverse circulation pre-collars finished, the diamond rigs are now targeting depths of up to 500 metres at its Capital deposit. Results are expected within weeks as the company nears completion of a scoping study for the project.

Great Southern Mining has launched a maiden deep diamond drilling campaign at its Golden Boulder discovery within Western Australia's Duketon Gold Project. The program features a 700-metre government-co-funded hole at the Ogilvies prospect, marking the first drilling beyond 155 metres in depth in the area. It aims to unlock the primary source of a 3.5-kilometre gold system that has previously yielded high-grade intercepts.

Corazon Mining has kicked off a 1000m maiden diamond drilling campaign at the company's Two Pools gold project in Western Australia. The program will target high-grade mineralisation and the previously identified critical structural controls. With a refreshed corporate strategy and a parallel review of its nearby Feather Cap gold project, Corazon is aggressively moving to prove up the regional gold inventory.

Patriot Resources has announced the hiring of Dominic Duggan as managing director to drive growth at its Tassa silver project in Peru. Duggan, who is already the company's chief executive officer, is a mining engineer and finance professional with more than 10 years of experience across multi-commodity underground and open pit operations, including at Rio Tinto.