Bulls N' Bears (Commercial Content)

St George Mining has secured extra runway in its push to feed US rare earths demand with a year's extension of its alliance with REalloys, a key US supplier of magnets to US defence and energy labs. The original MOU with REalloys set a 120-day window to nail down a definitive offtake deal for up to 40 per cent of future production from St George's flagship Araxá project in Brazil.

Buru Energy is inching closer to gas production in Western Australia after the Environmental Protection Authority approved exploration and well appraisal at the neighbouring Valhalla gas project in the Canning Basin. Buru received its own EPA approval in September last year and says the move is a major government endorsement of the onshore Canning Basin, where Buru's Rafael project is set to drill in the June quarter this year.

American West Metals has dropped a bumper resource upgrade at its flagship Storm copper project in Nunavut, Canada, increasing the deposit's contained metal by more than 20 per cent. The boosted inventory now sits at 28.2 million tonnes of mineralisation grading one per cent copper and 3.3 grams per tonne silver, for 276,000 tonnes of copper and 3.0 million ounces of silver – a 36 per cent lift in silver ounces.

With gold prices holding near record territory, Reach Resources has locked in a key piece of the puzzle at its Murchison South gold project, securing a second granted mining lease that consolidates historic workings. The lease win also expands its development footprint and sharpens the pathway toward studies, drilling and potential production in one of WA's most gold-rich corridors.

St George Mining has landed another set of jaw-dropping rare earths and niobium results at its Araxá project in Brazil, with diamond-drill assays confirming thick, high-grade intercepts from surface, extending beyond the current world-class resource outline. The company says potential exists for a substantial resource upgrade with most holes ending in strong mineralisation.

As Dateline Resources nears completion of its Californian Colosseum gold project feasibility study with positive metallurgical results, the gold price has soared to an all-time high of US$4690 per ounce. New geotechnical studies have also delivered a more efficient open pit design, with higher capital input costs more than offset by the increasing gold price environment compared to the scoping study estimates a year ago.

Larvotto Resources is fast closing in on mid-2026 production at its Hillgrove antimony–gold project in NSW, with plant refurbishment on schedule and underground mining back underway. Workforce numbers are ramping up as key permitting milestones fall into place. The company is also advancing rare earth metallurgy in WA and progressing copper growth options near Mt Isa.

Aurum Resources is sharpening its boardroom edge with the appointment of capital markets veteran Richard Simpson as non-executive chairman, bringing more than 40 years of experience to the role. Simpson will step into the role with more than 40 years in the game, spanning mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, corporate advisory and executive leadership.

The Bulls N' Bears ASX Runner of the Week is…biopharmaceutical minnow Zelira Therapeutics, which landed a transformational US$33 million funding deal to fast-track its HOPE 1 autism drug towards FDA approval. Gold and copper newcomer Linq Minerals impressed with a cracking 142m hit grading 1.01gt gold equivalent from 121m at its Gilmore project in NSW, while Dalaroo Metals surged on the discovery of a 2.7km Greenland rare earths system and medtech play Osteopore Ltd unlocked the Chinese dental market with a $2.56M distribution deal.

Dalaroo Metals has defined what could be a brand-new critical minerals district in Greenland, after maiden stream and surface sediment sampling at its Blue Lagoon project returned consistent, high-grade rare earths, zirconium and hafnium along a 2.7-kilometre strike. This is the first time the area has seen a modern explorer in almost 50 years and the early indications are mouth-watering. 

Neometals Ltd's shares climbed 20 per cent after delivering a batch of strong gold assays from its Barrambie project in Western Australia's Mid West region. The results have delivered wide, high-grade gold intercepts at its historic Ironclad and Mystery mine sites, including a spectacular hit of 6m at 26.56g/t gold. The results have reinforced a strong northerly plunge in mineralisation, which is already feeding into an updated resource and mine plan.

Ora Banda Mining has delivered wider, high-grade gold results from drilling at its Waihi project near Menzies in Western Australia, further expanding the mineralisation envelope at Golden Pole. Thick, bonanza-grade intercepts have boosted the project's potential as a possible third underground mine for the company, sitting just three kilometres from its Davyhurst processing facility.

Aurum Resources has reported more high-grade results from infill diamond drilling at its Boundiali gold project in Côte d'Ivoire, including one metre that assayed more than one ounce per tonne gold. Drilling is currently focused on growing and firming up Aurum's BDT2 resource in the southwestern part of the main tenement block.

Terrain Minerals has resumed a 6,800-metre RC drilling program at its Smokebush gold-silver project in WA's Mid-West. Drilling will target extensions to high-grade mineralisation at Lightning, where previous results included 13 metres at 8.13g/t gold, and test new induced polarisation targets at the nearby Wildflower prospect.

Neometals and Mineral Resources have announced that their 70:30 joint venture company, Reed Advanced Materials, has inked a three-year collaboration agreement with Italy's Industrie De Nora and De Nora's Japanese subsidiary, De Nora Permelec. De Nora, a recognised global leader in electrochemical technologies, including its CECHLO electrolysis solutions, will integrate its equipment with RAM's patented ELi Process.

Norfolk Metals has delivered more strong copper hits from its Chilean Carmen project, while locking in firm commitments for $2.1 million in fresh capital. Results confirmed high-grade copper sulphide mineralisation at depth, with funds to be used to drive phase two drilling and support resource definition across a highly prospective copper belt.

Early-stage biotech NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals has delivered real-world promise for those living with chronic Crohn's disease following recent findings from its StemSmart cell therapy. Prescribed under Australia's Special Access Scheme, the results showed a strong clinical response in some of Crohn's disease's toughest patients, giving the company valuable validation, sharper trial design and a clearer pathway into a multi-billion-dollar global market.

Augustus Minerals has received drilling approval in WA after a heritage survey was completed with the Watarra Aboriginal Corporation Native Title Body on behalf of the Darlot People. The key permit has satisfied all prerequisite statutory requirements and clears the path for the company's maiden drilling campaign at the company's Music Well gold project.

Larvotto Resources has extended high-grade gold-antimony mineralisation at its Hillgrove project in NSW after fresh drilling returned wide intercepts at the Blacklode prospect. The results have landed just as the Australian Government moved to establish a Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve, with antimony named as a priority metal. This policy boost could accelerate the company's final mine approvals.

Dateline Resources has returned wide, open gold intercepts beyond its current resource in California, improving continuity and extending mineralisation beneath historic pits. Reverse circulation drilling to 300m stayed within the mineralised breccia pipe, prompting a shift to deeper diamond drilling to test lateral and depth extensions. The project hosts 27.1Mt at 1.26g/t for 1.1 million ounces of gold.

The Bulls N' Bears ASX Runner of the Week is… Hydrix Ltd, which locked in a $2.5 million deal to develop SynCardia's next-gen fully-implantable artificial heart. Patagonia Lithium sealed a strategic partnership with oil-backed Ameerex to supercharge its Formentera brine project in Argentina's lithium triangle as lithium prices surge. Meanwhile, Energy Transition Minerals rocketed on Trump's fresh Greenland grab rhetoric, eyeing its mammoth Kvanefjeld rare-earth play for national security. At the same time, biotech junior AdAlta doubled after snagging exclusive rights ex-China to co-develop Shanghai Cell Therapy's lightning-fast two-day CAR-T cancer-killer therapy.

St George Mining has uncovered a new zone of high-grade niobium mineralisation at its Araxá project in Brazil, with assays confirming thick intercepts from surface well beyond the current resource. The company says the latest discovery lies 400 metres northwest of the existing resource in a previously undrilled area, marking a clear extension of the niobium system.

Budding rare earths miner Lindian Resources has moved a step closer to production after taking stock of its mining fleet at the company's Kangankunde project in Malawi. With early works and site establishment wrapped up, construction activity is gaining momentum across multiple fronts ahead of first production slated for later this year.

Chariot Resources has partnered up with a China-based lithium trader to negotiate potential funding and offtake for lithium from its recently acquired Nigerian project. Lithium-trader Fujian Jinjianqiao New Energy Technology has inked a non-binding memorandum of understanding to provide funding for the development of an on-site processing facility for Chariot to deliver spodumene concentrate to China.

Estrella Resources has reached a key milestone after securing approval to extract up to 30,000 tonnes of high-grade manganese from its Ira Miri project in Timor-Leste. The bulk sampling program will allow the company to demonstrate the ore's quality to potential buyers, while generating local employment and advancing the project towards commercial development.

Larvotto Resources has continued to grow its Hillgrove antimony-gold project after diamond drilling at the company's Clarks Gully prospect returned high-grade results at depth and along strike. The program confirmed new parallel mineralised zones, open-ended extensions and bonus tungsten, reinforcing Hillgrove's credentials as a rare, multi-commodity critical minerals development approaching production.

Aguia Resources has tightened its leadership ranks, naming Tim Hosking as managing director to steer the company as its key South American projects gather momentum. The move follows his recent elevation to CEO. It comes as the multi-commodity miner edges closer to first mining at its flagship phosphate operations in Brazil, with initial production slated for the coming quarter.

Titanium Sands Limited has moved its Mannar Island heavy mineral sands project closer to production, after lodging applications for an industrial mining licence with Sri Lanka's mining bureau. The lodgement allows the company to wrap up its remaining environmental studies. At the same time, it is awaiting assessment under a forthcoming national mineral policy, as it advances towards developing its high-grade, ilmenite-rich deposit.

Aurum Resources has taken a major step towards development at its flagship Boundiali gold project in Côte d'Ivoire with three mining exploitation licence applications now lodged. The submissions cover the full project footprint and come ahead of key resource updates and a prefeasibility study due in the first quarter. Backed by a healthy cash position and an aggressive drilling program for the year, Aurum is advancing steadily in one of West Africa's most productive gold belts.

Siren Gold has kicked off exploration at its Queen Charlotte project, with impressive gold and antimony results from channel and rock chip sampling. High-grade hits across multiple reefs have confirmed the presence of a large, mineralised shear system that previously hosted New Zealand's biggest antimony mine, setting the stage for further exploration and drilling.

Geopolitics are rattling the world with war dominating the headlines and pervading uncertainty everywhere, yet markets appear largely unfazed. Bulls N' Bears' Dollar Bill looks at how equities have traded through past crises and why punters so often misread risk. History shows markets don't reprice events - they reprice consequences, timing and policy, with initial headlines often bearing little long-term market impact.

Altech Batteries' shares surged after receiving conditional binding approval for a €46.11 million German government grant to support its groundbreaking CERENERGY sodium-chloride solid-state battery project in Saxony, Germany. The non-dilutive funding, representing about 30 per cent of eligible capital costs, falls under Germany's federal STARK economic development program and materially reduces financing risk for the company's planned 120MWh annual production facility.