Austral Resources’ Anthill Project Advances Copper Production in Queensland

Austral Resources Australia Ltd (ASX:AR1) is making significant progress in its copper production endeavors in northwest Queensland, Australia, with the Anthill Project serving as a key component of its growth strategy. Located within the broader Lady Annie Project area, Anthill is poised to contribute substantially to the company’s copper output.

Project Overview and Location

The Anthill Project is situated 45 kilometers from Austral Resources’ Mt Kelly processing facility. The project area falls within the Lady Annie Project, and the surrounding lands are part of the Western Fold Belt of the Mount Isa Inlier. Austral Resources is actively developing the Anthill deposit, aiming to increase its copper production capacity.

Resource and Reserve Estimates

The Anthill deposit boasts a JORC 2012 compliant Mineral Resource estimate of 13.8 million tonnes (Mt) grading 0.70% copper. A more refined JORC 2012 compliant Ore Reserve, as of April 2021, stands at 5.1 Mt grading 0.94% copper, containing 47.7 kilotonnes (Kt) of copper. The company anticipates recovering a total of 40.4 Kt of copper over a 44-month period through heap leach processing.

Mining Operations and Progress

Mining at Anthill is planned to occur across two pits over a 40-month period. Recent developments include the completion of the West Pit in January 2025, where 2.4 million wet tonnes of copper ore were extracted at an average grade of 0.65%. An additional 18 Kt of high-grade copper ore was also identified and extracted from below the original pit shell design during West Pit operations. The company successfully navigated challenging conditions, including two consecutive extreme wet seasons (2022-2023) and the onboarding of a novel mining contractor, ReGroup, in August 2024.

Contracting and Services

Thiess has been contracted to provide mining services at the Anthill Project since December 2021, operating and maintaining two mining fleets to support Austral Resources’ copper production. Thiess has a long history of operations in the Mount Isa region, dating back to the 1960s. Re:Group delivers fully integrated contract mining and haulage services across the Anthill and Lady Annie operations. Re:Group supports consistent production in a demanding operational environment.

Future Outlook

With the West Pit completed, Austral Resources is now focusing its production efforts on the East Pit at Anthill, with plans to finalize operations before the onset of the 2026 wet season. The Anthill Project is expected to produce over 40,000 tonnes of copper over four years. The ore will be processed at the nearby Mount Kelly processing facility.