Antipa Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZY) has delivered a substantial upgrade to the Mineral Resource Estimate at its 100%-owned Minyari project in Western Australia, growing the resource to 3.6 million ounces gold equivalent and boosting confidence in the core development inventory.
The updated estimate contains 2.9 million ounces of gold, 91,000 tonnes of copper and 880,000 ounces of silver, with the increase strengthening the case for Minyari as a large-scale standalone gold-copper development in the Paterson Province.
A major feature of the update is the lift in higher-confidence ounces. Across the total project, 76% of contained gold ounces are now in the Indicated category, while within the key Minyari Dome deposits that figure rises to 85%. That improvement gives Antipa a stronger base for mine planning and ongoing pre-feasibility work.
Minyari Dome remains the centre of the development case, hosting 2.5 million ounces of gold, or 3.2 million ounces gold equivalent, and accounting for most of the project’s contained ounces. The main Minyari deposit alone contributes 1.9 million ounces of gold, underlining its importance to the broader project.
The update also includes a maiden resource from the RPS deposits, adding another source of growth beyond the main Minyari Dome area and highlighting the broader potential of Antipa’s regional landholding.
“Today’s Mineral Resource update delivers both an increase in total contained metal and a significant uplift in the proportion of higher-confidence Indicated ounces across the Minyari Dome deposit group. This provides an even stronger foundation for mine planning, study work and ongoing technical workstreams as we advance the project towards a development decision," Antipa’s managing director, Roger Mason, said.
"With 2.9 million ounces of gold, alongside substantial copper, silver and cobalt credits for 3.5 million ounces of gold equivalent now defined, Minyari continues to strengthen as a large-scale standalone development opportunity in one of Australia’s most prospective mineral provinces, which is rapidly emerging as Australia’s next prolific mining province."
Plan showing location of Antipa's 100%-owned, 4,100km2 Minyari Project: Plan includes Greatland Resources’ Telfer Mine, Havieron development project and O’Callaghans deposit, Rio Tinto-Sumitomo’s Winu deposit, Rio Tinto’s Calibre-Magnum deposits, and Cyprium’s Nifty Mine.
Resource confidence rises as growth pipeline builds
The new estimate represents further growth on earlier studies, with Antipa adding 600,000 ounces of gold and 7,500 tonnes of copper since previous scoping work. That growth not only expands the resource base but also points to the potential for a longer mine life and greater development flexibility.
Future upside remains a central part of the story.
Multiple deposits are still open along strike and at depth, while several emerging zones are shaping as potential maiden resource areas. Antipa has also flagged further drilling across targets including Fiama, GEO-01, Minella and RPS, as well as newer discovery zones near existing deposits.
Mineral Resource growth targets:
- Fiama: High-grade gold mineralisation remains open down dip ± along strike.
- GEO-01 Main Zone: Steeply plunging high-grade zone, open from 200m below surface, with a recent step-out drill hole confirming mineralisation extends beyond 850m below surface.
- Minella: Remains open down dip.
- GEO-01 Central: Remains open in several directions.
- Rizzo and GEO-01 South Area: Three 500 to 800m long mineralisation packages remain open in several directions. Recent maiden resource based on limited drill testing.
- Minyari South: Open in several directions.
- WACA Down Plunge: Remains open.
- Sundown: Open in multiple directions.
- Minyari North: Open in multiple directions, including down plunge.
- WACA West: Narrow high-grade mineralisation extension opportunities 100m west of WACA.
- Tim’s Dome: Open along strike, down dip and across strike in multiple ore lenses.
- Chicken Ranch: Open along strike and down dip at multiple deposits, including Chicken Ranch, Turkey Farm and Big Banana.
- Poblano-Serrano (RPS): Variously open along strike, across strike and down dip at both deposits.
"We see clear scope for further growth. Multiple deposit areas remain open, several emerging zones are shaping up for maiden resource potential, and the broader project area continues to generate highly encouraging new discovery opportunities," Mason said.