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Part of the Plutonic belt has remained largely unexplored and unmined since the 1990s. Credit: Eugene BY/Shutterstock.com

Catalyst Metals has secured full ownership of a critical area in Western Australia’s (WA) Plutonic gold belt following the settlement of a long-standing legal dispute.

The settlement enables Catalyst to advance mining and exploration programmes at the K2 mine and throughout the surrounding belt area.

Catalyst consolidated the belt in 2023 following the acquisition of Vango Mining and a merger with Superior Gold. Vango Mining was involved in several legal disputes, which Catalyst has systematically addressed and resolved over the past two and a half years.

The latest settlement marks the conclusion of all outstanding legal matters related to the Plutonic gold belt, granting Catalyst 100% control over the area.

This part of the belt has remained largely unexplored and unmined since the 1990s.

To conclude the settlement, Catalyst agreed to hand over 4.2 million of its shares, paying A$15m ($9.79m) in cash upfront and adding A$2m in six months.

Marubeni has signed an agreement to invest in and collaborate on the Australia critical minerals project led by RZ Resources, which aims to develop a mineral sands mine in New South Wales (NSW) and upgrade an existing processing plant in Brisbane, Queensland.

The agreement includes options for future equity participation and certain marketing rights, with Marubeni contributing A$15m for up to a 5% equity stake.

The project will focus on producing heavy mineral sands products including rutile, ilmenite, zircon and monazite from a mineral sands deposit wholly owned by RZ Resources.

These materials are vital for industries such as aerospace, defence and permanent magnets.

Marubeni, RZ Resources and JX will jointly progress the project, which includes the development of the Copi Mine, upgrades to the mineral separation plant and improvements to the definitive feasibility study and environmental impact statement.

Dart Mining, in partnership with Great Divide Mining (GDM), has reported the first high-grade antimony gold drilling results from the Coonambula project in Central Queensland, Australia.

The initial analytical results from the former Banshee high-grade antimony mine within the Coonambula project area confirm the high-grade antimony-gold resource, which will help accelerate drilling across the Banshee trend.

Dart Mining is advancing its initial drilling programme at Coonambula using its in-house rig. The programme aims to infill existing high-grade intersections and move towards establishing an antimony-gold resource compliant with the Joint Ore Reserves Committee. Additional drilling results are anticipated in the coming months.

Dart Mining has acquired an initial 15% interest in the project by paying $250,000 (A$383,432) to GDM. Under the joint venture agreement, Dart Mining can earn up to 51% interest by reaching certainmilestones within a two-year period, such as a minimum of 4,000m of drilling and two geological or resource reports.

Polymetals Resources has announced the staged resumption of operations at the Endeavor Silver-Zinc mine in Cobar, NSW, Australia, following a recent incident that claimed the lives of two employees.

The staged restart has begun with rostered mining, maintenance and processing employees returning to the day shift. Over the coming weeks, the workforce will transition to continuous shift operations as part of the resumption of Endeavor mine operations.

The company confirmed that two employees lost their lives in the incident, while another employee was injured and is currently recovering at home. Polymetals emphasised that the safety and well-being of its employees is paramount, with counselling services available on site for all team members as they resume their duties.

The NSW Resources Regulator, NSW Police and independent mining experts are continuing their investigations into the incident.

Larvotto Resources appointed PYBAR Mining Services (PYBAR) as underground development contractor for its Hillgrove antimony-gold project in NSW, Australia, following a competitive tender process.

PYBAR is set to deliver approximately 20km of underground development over four years, with an option to extend.

Larvotto said the agreement represents a major step in the resumption of underground mining activities at Hillgrove, scheduled to commence Q4 2025. As per contract terms, PYBAR will undertake decline and lateral development, rehabilitation, ground support installation and haulage services across Metz, Garibaldi and Clarks Gully underground areas.

The company will deliver a full-service development solution, supplying equipment, personnel and statutory supervision under its safety and health management system. The project is expected to generate approximately 40,500oz of gold and around 14,000 tonnes (t) of antimony concentrate annually, yielding around 5,000t of antimony metal annually.