MinRes ships first ore from Lamb Creek

Element 25 (ASX: E25) has secured commitments for an $18m share placement to fund the expansion of its Butcherbird manganese project in WA to 1.1mtpa of manganese oxide concentrate.This follows the June 2025 announcement that the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) would support the project with a $50m investment.Element 25 managing director Justin Brown comments on the expansion.“Expanding Butcherbird is an important part of our strategy to sell manganese concentrate to steel industry partners as well as using it as feedstock in our plans to produce HPMSM,” he said.“We are pleased with the support from new and existing shareholders in this placement, particularly in light of the challenging market backdrop.”Under the placement, the company will issue 60 million fully paid ordinary shares at an issue price of $.30/share, representing a 9.1% discount to the last close price on April 8. The placement is expected to settle on April 22.

The Queensland Government has declared the proposed $2.3b Eva copper mine a large resource project under the Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Act 2017.The declaration means, if approved, the project must employ a percentage of its workforce locally and prioritise local procurement, ensuring long-term social and economic benefits for the surrounding Mt Isa and Cloncurry communities.Located 75km north of Cloncurry and 95km northeast of Mount Isa, the Eva project is expected to produce an average of 60,000tpa of copper and 19,000ozpa of gold over a 15?year mine life.Copper concentrate extracted at the project will be processed locally at Glencore’s Mount Isa copper smelter, supporting existing industrial capability in the region.Queensland Deputy Premier and State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie has also extended Eva’s prescribed project declaration, providing additional certainty and streamlined approval pathways.The extension allows the coordinator general an additional two years, until March 25, 2028, to continue providing coordinated support and fast-tracking approvals to keep the project moving.Deputy Premier Bleijie says the Queensland Government is focused on delivering a better lifestyle through a stronger economy, by supporting projects that deliver jobs, investment and long-term regional benefits.“Eva copper has the potential to be Queensland’s biggest copper mine, and we want to ensure the communities closest to the project share directly in its success,” he said.“Declaring Eva copper a large resource project strengthens local employment opportunities, supports regional businesses and ensures long term benefits for Mount Isa and Cloncurry.”The project, owned by Harmony Gold, is anticipated to generate up to 1000 construction jobs and 450 ongoing operational roles, delivering a major boost to the region’s workforce and economy.Cloncurry Mayor Greg Campbell says Eva’s designation as a large resource project would assist local efforts to ensure benefits for the Cloncurry community.“We want to make sure the project not only generates long-term economic benefits throughout our local supply chains but also creates social and community benefits for our residents,” he said.Forecast to inject more than $17b into Queensland’s economy, first copper concentrate is expected to be delivered to the Mount Isa smelter in 2028.Harmony Gold chief development officer Johannes Van Heerden says the company welcomes the Queensland Government decisions.“As a Tier 1 Mining jurisdiction, Queensland offers coordination support and a stable regulatory framework that has helped Eva copper move forward through planning and into construction with certainty,” he said.