News

24 June 2026 | Western Australia - Rox Resources has reported strong progress at its 100%-owned Youanmi Gold Mine in Western Australia, with mining, infrastructure and processing plant development all advancing as the company moves toward first gold production.

The company said it has continued to de-risk Youanmi across several major workstreams, including underground mining, decline rehabilitation, processing plant construction, infrastructure, exploration and project funding.

Rox has commenced rehabilitation works at the historic Youanmi Decline, following the successful completion of dewatering at the Main Pit. The decline was previously mined to a depth of approximately 630m below surface and is being stripped to accommodate modern mining equipment.

The company said re-establishing the decline provides a faster and lower-cost pathway to access high-grade ore compared with developing a new decline.

Access to the planned Pollard Portal is also advancing, with Pollard expected to become the third ore source for the operation. Together with ongoing mining at United North, Rox said the multiple mining fronts will provide greater operational flexibility and reduce execution risk as the project moves closer to production.

At United North, development has continued to perform ahead of the rates outlined in the Definitive Feasibility Study. Rox reported a new monthly development record of 343m in May using only one development jumbo on site.

Ore drive development is now underway, with high-grade ROM stockpiles being built. Rox said mineralisation is in line with the DFS Mineral Resource Estimate geological model, with most ore drive assays still pending.

Why it matters: Youanmi is one of Western Australia’s emerging high-grade gold development projects. Rox is moving from development planning into physical execution, with underground mining underway, multiple future ore sources being prepared and processing plant construction progressing.

The company has also executed an EPC contract with Interquip for construction of the processing plant. Interquip has started mobilising to site, while bulk earthworks for the mill are nearing completion and civil construction is expected to begin shortly.

Rox said the EPC contract locks in fixed-cost pricing for the plant and associated works, providing greater cost certainty and helping keep pre-production expenditure aligned with DFS estimates.

Underground diamond drilling is also ramping up at United North, with the first underground diamond drill and crew mobilising to site. Rox said the initial focus is to ensure the mine is sufficiently infill drilled to maintain confidence 12 months ahead of mining by mid-2027.

Growth drilling from both underground and surface positions is planned to intensify in the second half of the year, with the aim of increasing resources and extending reserves beyond the current mine plan.

Rox’s broader pathway to production remains on track. The company has completed equity funding, secured a $350 million debt financing package, received key approvals for the processing plant, tailings and associated infrastructure, and approved the Final Investment Decision.

Managing Director and CEO Phill Wilding said the company had evolved over the past 12 months from an explorer with a production story into a fully funded developer actively building a gold mine.

He said every major workstream was steadily advancing toward the objective of first gold by mid-2027.

For Western Australia’s gold sector, Rox’s progress at Youanmi adds another near-term high-grade development story, supported by a strong gold price environment, underground mining momentum and increasing construction activity on site.

Source: Rox Resources ASX announcement, “Mining Gold and Building the Mill”, 10 June 2026; Rox Resources MD & CEO Shareholder Update, 24 June 2026.

16 June 2026 | Western Australia - Redcastle Resources has executed its Earn-In and Joint Venture Agreement for the Strategic Kilkenny Belt Package, expanding its Eastern Goldfields exploration portfolio.

The agreement secures Redcastle’s pathway to earn a 60% interest in the Kilkenny Belt Package. The transaction covers 15 tenement interests across approximately 6,419 hectares of non-overlapping tenure and application area, including around 4,450 hectares of live or granted tenure and 1,969 hectares of pending applications.

The transaction terms include A$59,000 cash, the issue of 500,000 Redcastle shares and A$1.25 million in exploration expenditure over a two-year earn-in period. Redcastle said the structure is capital-light, with most of the consideration directed toward exploration rather than upfront cash payments.

The Kilkenny Belt Package extends Redcastle’s Eastern Goldfields footprint westward beyond the TBone Belt toward the broader Murrin Murrin-Eulaminna district. The company said the package secures a substantial position within a prospective north-northeast trending structural corridor in the Murrin Domain-Minerie Sequence.

Why it matters: The acquisition gives Redcastle a larger and more contiguous exploration position in the Eastern Goldfields at a time when the company says it is transitioning from explorer to active gold producer through mining operations at Redcastle Reef.

Redcastle Chairman Dr Ray Shaw said the transaction complements the company’s existing Redcastle Project Area and TBone Belt holdings, while supporting its broader regional consolidation strategy. He said mining at Redcastle Reef is expected to help support future exploration, resource growth and development opportunities with reduced reliance on external capital.

Initial work at Kilkenny will focus on compiling and validating historical exploration datasets, integrating geological, geophysical and tenure information into Redcastle’s regional database, ranking priority targets and planning future exploration programs.

The company said early field work is planned for the second half of 2026, with an initial drilling campaign planned for the first half of 2027. Redcastle expects the drilling to be self-funded from cashflow generated by mining operations at Redcastle Reef.

For Western Australia’s gold sector, the transaction highlights continued consolidation of historically fragmented tenement positions in the Eastern Goldfields, where smaller producers and explorers are looking to build larger regional platforms around existing mining centres.

Source: Redcastle Resources ASX announcement, “Redcastle Executes Strategic Kilkenny Belt Acquisition”, 16 June 2026.

15 June 2026 | Western Australia - Minerals 260 has commenced early construction and development activities at its 100%-owned Bullabulling Gold Project, located around 25km west of Coolgardie in Western Australia.

The start of early works marks a significant step toward the company’s target of beginning plant construction in the first half of CY2027 and achieving first gold production in the fourth quarter of CY2028.

Minerals 260 said work is now advancing across several areas, including accommodation village construction, water infrastructure and grade control drilling. The company received approval in May 2026 for its Mining Development and Closure Proposal and Works Approval for construction of a 400-person accommodation village.

In April, Minerals 260 awarded ATCO Structures & Logistics a $59.1 million fixed-price contract for the design and construction of the initial 400-person village. Site preparation and bulk earthworks are now underway, with the rooms and facilities being manufactured at ATCO’s Perth facility. The village is expected to be fully operational in the March quarter of 2027.

The company has also commenced drilling and installation of water bores to support construction and future operations. Water exploration has identified several potential sources, including palaeochannel and fractured rock systems.

Why it matters: Bullabulling is one of the larger gold development projects in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields, with a reported JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate of 130Mt at 1.0g/t gold for 4.5Moz. The project is located on granted mining leases and sits within a broader tenement package of approximately 1,160km².

A grade control program has also commenced at the Phoenix deposit, involving 26,000m of 10m by 10m reverse circulation drilling. The drilling is focused on two high-priority areas expected to contribute to early years of production. Minerals 260 said it intends to use Photon Assay as the primary analytical method and is assessing the potential for an on-site Photon Assay facility.

The company said its maiden Ore Reserve and Pre-Feasibility Study remain on track for release in July 2026, with an updated Mineral Resource Estimate scheduled for August 2026.

Managing Director Luke McFadyen said the company was uniquely positioned to begin early construction before completion of the PFS, supported by preparatory work from the project team and a strategic funding agreement with Franco-Nevada. He described the start of early construction as another important de-risking milestone.

Minerals 260 said it remains well funded, with around $250 million in cash and deposits at the end of the March 2026 quarter.

For Western Australia’s mining sector, Bullabulling’s move into early construction points to a growing pipeline of gold development work, including accommodation, civil works, water infrastructure, drilling, approvals, future plant construction and operational readiness.

Source: Minerals 260 ASX announcement, “Early Construction and Development Activities Commence at Bullabulling”, 15 June 2026.

16 June 2026 | Western Australia - Bellevue Gold has reported consistent operational performance at its Bellevue Gold Mine, with the company saying it is on track to meet FY26 production and cost guidance.

Bellevue said April and May 2026 production totalled 28,100 ounces of gold at an estimated head grade of 4.6 g/t gold. Production for the 11 months to 31 May 2026 was approximately 130,000 ounces, compared with FY26 guidance of 130,000 to 150,000 ounces.

The company said this performance positions it to beat the midpoint of FY26 annual production guidance and meet all-in sustaining cost guidance of A$2,600 to A$2,900 per ounce. Bellevue said the result reflects its target of consistently producing around 40,000 ounces per quarter, now that all five key mining areas — Deacon, Deacon North, Marceline, Viago and Tribune — are established.

Bellevue also said its mining contractor transition remains on track, with the handover from Develop to Barminco scheduled for 1 August 2026. The company said transition planning has covered workforce, equipment, systems, operational readiness and production stability.

Why it matters: Bellevue’s update points to a maturing underground gold operation that is moving from ramp-up into more consistent production. Meeting production and cost guidance would be an important milestone for the company, particularly while also managing a contractor transition and continuing growth capital works.

The company also reported encouraging early results from underground extensional drilling at Tribune South, where three holes intersected visible gold mineralisation. Assay results received to date include:

• 3.50m at 44.96 g/t gold
• 1.71m at 7.80 g/t gold
• 7.00m at 4.00 g/t gold
• 1.61m at 3.20 g/t gold

Bellevue said the Tribune South drilling is targeting southern extensions of the Tribune line of lode and is designed to define a potential new independent mining area. The company said the underground infrastructure from the Tribune Box Cut is designed to support additional tonnage if further discoveries are made to the south.

A sixth underground diamond drill rig is expected to arrive on site in coming weeks to support increased underground exploration drilling in FY27. Surface drilling is also continuing, with downhole electromagnetic surveying underway to help target sulphide-rich zones that host higher-grade mineralisation.

Bellevue said construction of its paste plant has commenced and remains on schedule for commissioning in the March 2027 quarter. GR Engineering is on site, with initial foundations and the base of a 2,000m³ tailings holding tank now in place.

The company also continues to reduce its hedge book, holding 17,800 ounces of gold at the end of May 2026 reserved for voluntary pre-delivery into forward sale commitments by the end of the June quarter. Bellevue is targeting a reduction in its hedge book to 65,000 to 70,000 ounces by quarter-end, down from 91,700 ounces at 31 March 2026.

Managing Director Darren Stralow said Bellevue’s FY26 progress was in line with the company’s goals of delivering against guidance, de-risking through hedge book pre-delivery and unlocking exploration opportunities at the mine.

For Western Australia’s gold sector, Bellevue’s update highlights continued strength from established high-grade underground operations, with near-mine drilling, infrastructure investment and production consistency all supporting future growth.

Source: Bellevue Gold ASX announcement, “Consistent performance puts Bellevue on track to meet FY26 production and cost guidance”, 16 June 2026.

15 June 2026 | Western Australia - Ora Banda Mining has signed a major engineering, procurement and construction contract with GR Engineering Services for the next stage of its Davyhurst Mill Expansion Project.

The contract covers construction of a new 3.0Mtpa processing plant at Davyhurst and has a contract value of $233 million. GR Engineering had previously been appointed as preferred contractor for the project, as announced by Ora Banda on 18 May 2026.

Ora Banda said the project is progressing well, with earthworks commencing in late May. The company said its team is now focused on advancing delivery of the new processing facility.

The announcement included a drone image showing earthworks underway for the new 3.0Mtpa processing facility at Davyhurst.

Why it matters: The signing of the EPC contract is an important step in Ora Banda’s broader Davyhurst growth strategy. A new 3.0Mtpa plant would materially increase processing capacity at Davyhurst and support the company’s plans to build a larger, more flexible gold operation in Western Australia.

The contract also confirms that the expansion has moved beyond planning and contractor selection into delivery, with site earthworks already underway.

For contractors, suppliers and mining professionals, the project points to ongoing activity across Davyhurst, including construction, processing infrastructure, site works and future operational growth.

The Davyhurst Mill Expansion follows Ora Banda’s May announcement outlining its “DRIVE to 300” growth aspiration and key project approvals, including the new processing plant and further mine development plans.

Source: Ora Banda Mining ASX announcement, “Davyhurst Mill Expansion – EPC contract signed”, 15 June 2026.

8 May 2026 | Western Australia - Mamba Exploration has reported new soil sampling results from its Meeka East Gold Project in Western Australia’s Murchison region, identifying multiple gold targets across more than 20km of prospective strike.

The company said extensional soil sampling has extended the gold occurrence south of the historical sample area at the 140’ Well prospect, while infill results have helped define an initial drilling target. The identified mineralised trend at 140’ Well is interpreted as a southern extension of Great Boulder Resources’ Mulga Bill trend into Mamba’s Meeka East Gold Project.

Mamba said the soil sampling program confirmed its “Gold in Sediments” geological concept, with anomalous gold assays located in stratigraphic trends on either side of cross-cutting dolerites in several locations. The work also identified three additional major stratigraphic anomalies: New Australian, Lady Maud and Bella.

The company completed more than 1,300 fine soil samples across nearly 25km² of prospective ground. Sampling was designed to test prospective stratigraphy and structures across the project, excluding the Mt Yagahong site.

Mamba Executive Director Matt Freedman said the results continued to support the company’s geological model and that the Lady Maud area was particularly encouraging, with consistent elevated gold-in-soil values across multiple sections. He said the results had created new priority drill targets further south and extended the project’s potential overall strike length to about 20km.

Why it matters: Soil sampling is an early-stage exploration tool, but these results are important because they appear to define coherent gold trends rather than isolated spot values. Mamba said the anomalous results form tight clusters, with the most significant results at Lady Maud tracing across multiple sections and defining a clear trend consistent with two or more target stratigraphic units.

The strongest soil values reported included 22.8ppb gold at Lady Maud, 14.1ppb gold and 12.3ppb gold at New Australian, and 11ppb gold at Bella. The company used a 2 standard deviation anomalous cut-off of 2.5ppb gold.

Mamba has also been awarded up to $90,000 through the Western Australian Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme to support a planned $180,000 drilling program. The company said the process for heritage approvals and Programme of Work lodgement is now underway, with drilling to commence as soon as practicable once approvals are received.

The initial drilling focus is expected to be the northern 140’ Well area, with approximately 15 reverse circulation holes for 1,800m planned along the initial trend. Mamba is also submitting a Programme of Work for an expanded program of up to 50 holes to test broader anomalies across Meeka East, including Lady Maud, New Australian and Bella.

For Western Australia’s gold exploration sector, the results add another early-stage target in the Murchison, with Mamba now moving from geochemical targeting toward first-pass drilling.

Source: Mamba Exploration ASX announcement, “Soil Sampling Identifies Over 20km of Strike”, 8 May 2026.

5 June 2026 | Queensland - Hammer Metals has announced that South32 has elected to proceed with Stage 3 of the Isa Valley Earn-In Agreement, committing to a further A$3 million in exploration expenditure over three years.

The Isa Valley Project is located in north-west Queensland and covers sections of the Mount Isa Fault. Hammer said South32’s decision to move into Stage 3 follows positive results from the initial stages of the earn-in program.

Under the Stage 3 terms, South32 must fund A$3 million of exploration expenditure to earn a 70% interest in the tenement and joint venture. South32 may extend the Stage 3 period by a further 12 months, increasing the expenditure commitment to A$4 million.

Hammer also said a magnetotelluric survey across the Mount Isa Fault is expected to commence in the coming months. Funding for the survey has been provided by the Queensland Government through the Collaborative Exploration Initiative.

Managing Director Daniel Thomas said Hammer was pleased to see South32 continue into Stage 3, saying the decision reflected the encouraging technical results generated so far and the prospectivity across the project.

Why it matters: The Isa Valley earn-in gives Hammer exposure to continued exploration funding from a major mining company in one of Australia’s most important base metals districts. The project is considered prospective for Mount Isa-style sediment-hosted lead-zinc-copper mineralisation, similar in style to major deposits in the region.

Hammer said the Isa Valley Project covers approximately 320km² and is being managed and operated by South32 under the earn-in agreement. If South32 completes Stage 3, it will earn 70%, with the ability to move to 80% by sole funding a Pre-Feasibility Study for a mine development on the tenement area.

Hammer also advised that Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania has informed the company of its intention to withdraw from the Bullrush Joint Venture. The Bullrush JV recently completed two phases of diamond drilling across deeper iron oxide copper-gold targets within the Wimberu Granite.

Thomas thanked Sumitomo for its contribution to Bullrush, saying the work had helped improve Hammer’s understanding of the system and that the company would continue to build on that work as it assessed the geological setting and nearby targets.

Hammer’s near-term newsflow includes drilling results from Kalman, Blackrock and Lady Jenny, the Isa Valley magnetotelluric survey, Kalman West diamond drilling, a Kalman Resource update, drilling at Orphan, Keyser and Redback, and air-core drilling at the Yandal Gold Project.

For the broader resources sector, South32’s continued participation highlights ongoing interest in the Mount Isa district, where large-scale copper, lead, zinc and silver systems remain a key exploration focus.

Source: Hammer Metals ASX announcement, “Mount Isa JV and Earn-In Updates”, 5 June 2026.

4 June 2026 | Western Australia - Chalice Mining has reported strong new exploration results from the Deep Blue copper-molybdenum-silver-rare earth element target, located near Goomalling in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region.

The Deep Blue target sits within the Northam JV Project, where Chalice is earning up to a 70% interest. The target is located about 15km south-east of the Caravel Copper Project, which is at pre-feasibility stage and hosts a 3Mt contained copper resource.

Recent rock chip sampling and ground geophysics have upgraded Deep Blue into what Chalice describes as a compelling drill-ready greenfield target. The company has defined a coherent 2.5km-long copper-molybdenum-silver soil anomaly, with a peak soil assay of 890ppm copper, around 17 times background levels.

Two rock chip samples returned highly anomalous rare earth results, including:

• 15.5% TREO from sample CFR500
• 19.3% TREO from sample CFR501
• Associated copper values of 384ppm and 377ppm
• Strong rare earth values including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, samarium, gadolinium and yttrium

Chalice said the rare earth assemblage is dominated by high-value magnet rare earths, including neodymium and praseodymium, as well as defence-critical rare earths including samarium, gadolinium and yttrium. The company also reported 847ppm copper from a laterite rock chip over the peak soil anomaly.

Why it matters: Deep Blue is significant because it combines copper, molybdenum, silver and rare earth potential in a largely concealed area with no previous drilling. Chalice said strong coincident magnetic and gravity anomalies indicate the possible presence of a large-scale hydrothermal system with skarn-style affinities extending over more than 2km.

The target area is mostly covered by agricultural soils, with limited outcrop. This means the source of the copper-rare earth anomalism remains unknown, but the combination of soil geochemistry, rock chip results, magnetic features and gravity anomalies has provided Chalice with a clear target for drilling.

Chalice said a recently completed ground gravity survey confirmed a series of density anomalies that line up with the soil and magnetic anomalies, supporting the interpretation of a 2km-plus scale hydrothermal mineral system.

The company is now moving toward an initial 10-hole reverse circulation drilling program, with land access secured and drilling expected to begin in the coming weeks, subject to regulatory approvals.

Chalice said it remains well funded, with approximately $63 million in cash and listed investments as at 31 March 2026.

For Western Australia’s exploration sector, Deep Blue adds another early-stage critical minerals target in an agricultural region that has seen increasing attention for copper and rare earth opportunities. The first drilling program will be an important test of whether the surface geochemical and geophysical signals translate into mineralisation at depth.

Source: Chalice Mining ASX announcement, “Exceptional copper-rare earth target defined at Deep Blue”, 4 June 2026.

3 June 2026 | Western Australia - Medallion Metals has reported further high-grade gold results from the Lounge Lizard deposit, part of its Forrestania Gold Project in Western Australia.

The results come from the ongoing extraction and validation of previously unreleased historical drilling at Lounge Lizard. Medallion said the latest validated intersections are located centrally within the Lounge Lizard system, beneath and near the current mineralised footprint.

Key high-grade results include:

• 11m at 6.94 g/t gold from 50m
• 9m at 8.69 g/t gold from 67m
• 5m at 10.16 g/t gold from 98m
• 6.8m at 7.3 g/t gold from 74m
• 3m at 13.78 g/t gold from 56m
• 1m at 29.5 g/t gold from 18m
• 4m at 8.96 g/t gold from 116m
• 6.4m at 5.59 g/t gold from 65.6m

Medallion said 212 historical drill holes around the Lounge Lizard open pit have now been validated and incorporated into the geological database for Mineral Resource estimation. The company is targeting an initial Mineral Resource Estimate for Forrestania Gold Project deposits in Q3 CY2026.

Managing Director Paul Bennett said the latest phase of validation continued to strengthen the company’s understanding of the Lounge Lizard system and the continuity of high-grade mineralisation beneath the historical open pit. He said the results highlight the potential for additional high-grade ounces and reinforce Lounge Lizard as a potential near-term production source.

Why it matters: Lounge Lizard is important because it sits within Medallion’s broader Forrestania Gold Project and is close to existing mining and processing infrastructure. The deposit is located on a granted Mining Lease, less than 0.6km from the Flying Fox underground mine and about 14km by private haul road from the Cosmic Boy Concentrator.

Medallion said the integration of validated historical drilling with field mapping has improved confidence in the Main, Footwall and Hanging Wall lodes beneath the historical pit floor. The updated 3D geological interpretation supports down-dip and lateral continuity, with mineralisation still open beneath the pit and along strike.

The company said validated drilling now defines gold mineralisation at Lounge Lizard over more than 1km of strike and to a depth of 466m below surface.

The latest work also gives Medallion several potential development options. Subject to future studies, Lounge Lizard could become an additional source of high-grade mill feed for the Cosmic Boy processing hub, supporting future production growth across Forrestania.

Near-term work includes re-establishing ramp access to the Lounge Lizard pit, RC drilling within the pit, Phase 1 DD/RC drilling beneath Lounge Lizard, re-sampling available historical diamond core and progressing the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.

For Western Australia’s gold sector, the results show how historical mine areas can continue to deliver value when old drilling is validated, modelled and linked to modern development studies.

Source: Medallion Metals ASX announcement, “Exceptional High-Grade Gold Results Continue at Lounge Lizard”, 3 June 2026.

28 May 2026 | Western Australia - GoldArc Resources has reported a high-grade gold intercept from the fourth round of grade control drilling at the Mt Stirling deposit, part of its Western Australian gold portfolio.

The standout result was 1m at 106g/t gold from 8m in hole BMLRC767, which GoldArc said is the highest individual grade intercept returned from the grade control program to date.

The latest results come from 141 holes for 4,021m of reverse circulation drilling, targeting the eastern sector and shallow infill areas of the Mt Stirling deposit. GoldArc said the results provide further validation of the interpreted high-grade shoot architecture at Mt Stirling.

Other significant intercepts included:

• 3m at 5.99g/t gold from 7m, including 1m at 14.00g/t gold
• 1m at 13.70g/t gold from 7m
• 2m at 7.00g/t gold from 1m, including 1m at 13.50g/t gold
• 1m at 10.90g/t gold from 11m
• 13m at 2.33g/t gold from surface
• 18m at 1.42g/t gold from 4m
• 16m at 1.78g/t gold from 7m

GoldArc Managing Director Paul Stephen described the 106g/t gold result as “exceptional”, saying it confirmed the presence of very high-grade gold shoots within the Mt Stirling system. He said the broader consistency of the mineralised envelope across the northern, central and eastern sectors was important for mine planning.

Why it matters: Grade control drilling is a key step in moving a deposit toward potential mining because it provides closer-spaced data to help define ore grades, ore boundaries and production scheduling. At Mt Stirling, the program is designed to support mine planning ahead of potential open-pit development.

The broader 34,000m grade control program is fully funded by BML Ventures under a 50/50 net profit share arrangement, while GoldArc retains 100% ownership of Mt Stirling. Around 17,080m has now been completed, representing more than half of the planned program.

GoldArc said the latest batch intersected both high-grade narrow shoots and broader lower-grade envelope mineralisation, both of which are important for future mine plan optimisation. The results are also considered geologically consistent with previous drilling, confirming lateral continuity across the deposit footprint.

The company said further assay batches are in progress and will be released progressively after QAQC validation and geological review.

GoldArc is a Western Australian-focused exploration company with gold projects in the Leonora and Kookynie districts of the Eastern Goldfields. The company reports a total JORC Mineral Resource base of approximately 200,014 ounces of gold, including Mt Stirling, Stirling Well, Orion and Sapphire.

For Western Australia’s gold sector, the Mt Stirling results show continued activity around smaller, near-development gold assets where detailed grade control drilling can help turn Resource ounces into practical mining plans.

Source: GoldArc Resources ASX announcement, “Exceptional 106g/t Au Intercept from Fourth Round of Grade Control Results at Mt Stirling”, 28 May 2026.