WA Mining Weekly June 22 - 28
Exits, applications, and contested ground — WA mining, 18–24 May.
This week’s big stories
Everest Metals Sheds 12,090 Hectares at Revere: Transfer or Tenure Tidy-Up?
Everest Metals Corporation has shed three tenements (E51/2199, E51/2136, E51/2145) covering 12,090 hectares at its Revere Gold Project, while OD4 Tom Price Pty Ltd — owned since July 2025 by Solara Minerals — has simultaneously applied for three adjacent blocks (E51/2345, E51/2344, E51/2343) of the same area. The timing is notable: Everest recently commissioned a 10TPH Gekko Gravity Gold Processing Plant for a 36,000-tonne bulk sampling program at Revere, and E51/2199 was flagged by management as covering magnetic anomalies along a 7-kilometre Revere Reef system. Dropping core project ground alongside a processing plant commissioning points more toward a statutory reorganisation than a genuine exit — a transfer into a joint venture vehicle, subsidiary restructure, or conversion tied to a pending mining lease application (M51/905) are all plausible. Solara’s entry is more straightforward: the company acquired OD4’s 310-square-kilometre Bryah Basin portfolio for $130,000 cash plus milestoned scrip, targeting DeGrussa and Monty copper-gold analogues, and is now preparing MLEM targets at DeGrussa West ahead of its first drill program. Nidus Resources is also staking in the same swarm (E51/2342), so at least two parties are building positions while Everest reorganises. The ground carries 68 years of tenure history and a prior BHP Billiton presence — the DMPE register in coming weeks will show whether the Everest blocks reappear under a new name, which would confirm the restructure thesis.
BHP Nickel West Releases 50,840 Hectares in the Agnew-Wiluna Belt
BHP Nickel West Pty Ltd has surrendered E53/2258, E53/2259, and E53/2260, dropping over 50,840 hectares of exploration ground in the E53 mineral field. According to BHP corporate announcements, the company placed its Western Australia Nickel operations, including Kwinana, Kalgoorlie, Mt Keith, and Leinster, into care and maintenance from October 2024 until at least February 2027. Those same disclosures indicate BHP is committing an estimated AUD 450 million per year to keep the infrastructure restart-ready. Industry context places the E53 mineral field in the Agnew-Wiluna greenstone belt, the operational backyard of BHP’s Northern Operations at Mt Keith and Leinster. With the nickel price environment forcing that level of cost discipline at the processing end, greenfield exploration budgets were always going to be the first casualty. The release of three large blocks in this belt is a material event for junior explorers: ground of this scale, in a belt with established mine infrastructure nearby, rarely becomes available. Whether it triggers a competitive staking response will be visible in the DMPE register within weeks.
Contested Ground
4 New Applications in Gascoyne
BGA Exploration Pty Ltd, Goldblast Corporation Pty Ltd, and Mining Equities Pty Ltd lodged 4 new applications in the Gascoyne mineral field.
4 New Applications in Murchison
OD4 Tom Price Pty Ltd and Nidus Resources Pty Ltd lodged 4 new applications in the Murchison mineral field.
4 New Applications in Coolgardie
William Edward Barrett, Lost Gold (WA) Pty Ltd, and Steven Lionel Kean lodged 4 new applications in the Coolgardie mineral field.
4 New Applications in East Coolgardie
Riversgold (Australia) Pty Ltd, James Karl Mansen, and Silver Lake (Integra) Pty Limited lodged 4 new applications in the East Coolgardie mineral field.
3 Applications Follow Gascoyne Expiry
Following the expiry of 1 tenement in the Gascoyne mineral field, BGA Exploration Pty Ltd, Goldblast Corporation Pty Ltd, and Mining Equities Pty Ltd lodged 3 new applications.
Ground Set to Expire This Week
Live tenements expiring in the next 7 days with no renewal applied for.
Regis Resources tenement expiring in Mt. Margaret
An Exploration Licence (E 38/3486) held by major holder REGIS RESOURCES LIMITED, covering 5,292 hectares in the MT. MARGARET mineral field, is set to expire on 2026-07-01.
Northern Star tenement expiring in Kurnalpi
An Exploration Licence (E 28/1747) held by major holder NORTHERN STAR (CAROSUE DAM) PTY LTD, covering 2,548 hectares in the KURNALPI mineral field, is due to expire on 2026-07-03.
Northern Star tenement expiring in Lawlers
An Exploration Licence (E 36/862) held by major holder NORTHERN STAR (MKO) PTY LTD, covering 1,960 hectares in the LAWLERS mineral field, expires on 2026-07-04.
Black Cat tenement expiring in East Coolgardie
An Exploration Licence (E 26/226) held by major holder BLACK CAT (KAL EAST) PTY LTD, covering 784 hectares in the EAST COOLGARDIE mineral field, is set to expire on 2026-07-06.
Northern Star tenement expiring in Coolgardie
A Prospecting Licence (P 15/6693) held by major holder NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LTD, covering 200 hectares in the COOLGARDIE mineral field, is due to expire on 2026-07-03.
Northern Star tenement expiring in East Coolgardie
A Prospecting Licence (P 26/4659) held by major holder NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LTD, covering 194 hectares in the EAST COOLGARDIE mineral field, expires on 2026-07-04.
Griffin Coal tenement expiring in Western Australia
A Coal Mining Lease (CML 12/537) held by major holder THE GRIFFIN COAL MINING COMPANY PTY LIMITED, covering 129 hectares in the Western Australia mineral field, is set to expire on 2026-06-30.
Mt Malcolm Gold tenement expiring in Mt. Malcolm
A Prospecting Licence (P 37/9105) held by major holder MT MALCOLM GOLD HOLDINGS PTY LTD, covering 98 hectares in the MT. MALCOLM mineral field, is due to expire on 2026-07-05.
Griffin Coal tenement expiring in Western Australia
A Coal Mining Lease (CML 12/532) held by major holder THE GRIFFIN COAL MINING COMPANY PTY LIMITED, covering 65 hectares in the Western Australia mineral field, expires on 2026-06-30.
Focus Minerals tenement expiring in Coolgardie
A Prospecting Licence (P 15/6667) held by major holder FOCUS MINERALS LTD, covering 10 hectares in the COOLGARDIE mineral field, is set to expire on 2026-06-30.
For more information on these stories or anything else going on WA this week, check out NextMaps, for all the mining news that’s fit to print: https://nextmaps.com.au/
Disclaimer
Tenement expiry dates, applications, transfers, and status changes are based on currently available data and may not reflect real-time outcomes. There is often a 4–6 week delay for Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration to process, lodge, and gazette dealings, meaning ground referenced as “expiring”, “relinquished”, or “transferred” may already have been renewed, surrendered, amended, or otherwise dealt with but not yet publicly reflected.
This information is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute a definitive statement of tenement status, ownership, or availability. Coverage is not exhaustive. No guarantee is given that ground identified will become available, or as to the timing of any such availability. Users should verify all tenement details and dealings directly with official government sources before making any commercial or exploration decisions.
All commentary and interpretations are based on public data and are subject to change as new information becomes available.
Live spatial overlays highlighting tenement drops and upcoming compulsory or voluntary surrenders are available on NextMaps, derived from the MTO dealings feed and the DASC.