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The focus was on two holes – DD004D and DD006 – which ended in mineralisation and were seen to be open at depth; the former yielded the highest-grade intercept to date.

Drilled to a depth of 510 metres end-of-hole, DD004D included 293 metres at 3.67% total rare earth oxide equivalent from three metres comprising 2.1% TREO, 0.21% Nb₂O₅ (niobium pentoxide) and 448 parts per million molybdenum.

In DD006, Aldoro found two layers of mineralisation, through drilling to a total of 501 metres end-of-hole. The upper layer proved to be dominant for REE (rare earth elements) – with 256 metres at 3.13% TREO equivalent from two meters comprising 1.68% TREO, 0.20% Nb₂O₅ and 395ppm Mo.

By contrast, the lower layer had more niobium mineralisation, including 87 metres at 2.31% TREO equivalent comprising 0.71% TREO & 0.25% Nb₂O₅ and 232ppm Mo.

The company is awaiting assays from another six diamond holes, with an additional three yet to be drilled, to bring Phase I drilling to completion.

On the results, Aldoro chairperson Quinn Li said these results had indicated the value of Kameelburg: “It is pleasing to see that our second release of assays from the Kameelburg REE-Nb project has reported the highest grades to date and the successful drilling of the south-west step-out hole DD006 has effectively doubled the footprint of the Kameelburg discovery.”

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Mr Li added: “Once [the remaining assays] are received, we aim to publish our maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for Kameelburg to confirm our internal assessment of its ranking as a top three REE-Nb deposit globally.”

ARN shares have been trading at 30.5 cents this morning.

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At Prästrun, the focus was on niobium, uranium, and tantalum, with assay results including up to 0.43% niobium, with this accounting for 4350 parts per million, and 0.12% triuranium octoxide.

Alongside this – at Hakantorp – samples taken from interpreted piles of tailings close to the Frakengruvan historical iron ore pit picked up both uranium and rare earth elements (REE) mineralisation.

Assays here included 0.33 % U3O8 (3183 ppm) and 0.33% TREO (total rare earth oxides, at 3336 ppm) in one sample; 0.39% U3O8 (3867 ppm), 0.21% TREO (2094 ppm) in a second; and 0.20% U3O8 (1998 ppm), 0.27% TREO (2721 ppm) in a third.

Managing director Pete Moorhouse said the results have been very promising, particularly given this was still early-stage work. “The latest multi-element assay results are highly encouraging, confirming the potential presence of strategically important minerals within a multi-element mineral system.”

“With growing global demand for critical minerals essential to clean energy technologies, including nuclear power and advanced materials, these results position our project as a potential strategic asset,” Mr Moorhouse continued.

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“We look forward to integrating these results into our broader exploration model and continuing cost-effective fieldwork as the next steps to establish the full potential of these mineral-rich systems.”

Basin is continuing work at historical drill holes at the Virka project, focusing on structural core logging and multi-element assay sampling.

Basin shares moved up 6.6% after the news and was 1.6 cents each at 2:23pm.

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In the wake of the invasion, uncertainty and tension saw the latter push up to a price of $120 per barrel, and this period was followed by a spate of sanctions against Russia – chiefly targeting oil, gas and coal – from the United States, Canada, the European Union and other Western entities.

(This tendency has continued too, with the EU this week signing off on its 16th sanction package, which includes bans on the provision of services and technology that could facilitate completion of Russian LNG or crude oil products.)

In a general sense, the war prompted conversations about the need for countries to ensure their supply chains are both strong and diversified.

This is then augmented by the headwinds from recent U.S. tariff policies.

But Donald Trump’s recent interventions in international diplomacy concerning the war have introduced another topic into the chat: Ukraine’s richness in critical minerals, which the U.S. President wants to get his hands on.

The idea echoes early pronouncements from Trump that the States could acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory in the kingdom of Denmark rich in uranium, rare earth minerals, and iron ore.

After that, he moved his sights to the benefits that could be yielded from Ukraine in return for U.S. military aid. Initially, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a proposal that would have handed over half of the country’s critical mineral assets to the United States.

But after meetings which began over the weekend, it appears that Ukraine’s leaders have agreed to a deal which would enable the joint development of the country’s assets in return for strengthened relations with, and military support from, the United States.

According to media reports, the deal is set to be formalised on Friday, with Zelenskyy planning to fly to Washington for this purpose.

For much of its history, Ukraine was known for its contribution to agriculture: Unsurprisingly, given it accounts for a third of the globe’s most fertile land, with wheat, maize, and sunflower oil being some of its main exports in this sector.

But the country also holds 5% of the world’s mineral resources, including 20,000 deposits of 116 different types, of which only 15% (or 3,055) were active. Of the active deposits, 147 were metallic; 4,676 non-metallic.

More specifically, Ukraine has been noted for its supply of rare earth metals, titanium, lithium, beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel.

Titanium – a metal essential for the aerospace, medical, automotive and marine industries – is a particularly attractive commodity for the U.S., and Ukraine holds the world’s largest reserves and was a key supplier to the military sector before the invasion began.

Alongside this is lithium – a commodity whose fortune has fluctuated in recent years, as oversupply in China led to a price plunge, although this is a situation expected to correct itself in the next year or so, as supply wanes again.

Ukraine is home to one of Europe’s biggest confirmed reserves of the metal (at an estimate of 500,000 tonnes), including the Shevchenkivske field and the Kruta Balka block.

Since these are in regions close to the conflict – Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia respectively – their exploitation has not been possible for several years.

The country is also the fifth largest producer of gallium – an increasingly sought-after metal, whose price rose significantly last December due to Chinese export restrictions – in addition to supplying 90% of neon gas which is essential to the U.S. chip industry.

As nations vie to secure the materials critical for the ‘electrification of the globe’ and clean energy transition, Trump’s intentions in Eastern Europe may be ethically questionable, but not surprising.

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The company said its earnings (EBITA: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) had also been lower, at $38.1M compared to $62.6M in the prior corresponding period.

CEO and managing director Amanda Lacaze said the dipping numbers were largely due to lower pricing.

“In the December half of the 2025 financial year, Lynas increased NdPr production, sales volume and revenue versus the prior corresponding period,” she explained.

“The reduced profit recorded for the period reflected low market prices.

“Compared to the prior corresponding period, there was a 22% increase in NdPr production volume to 2,969t. Sales revenue increased to $254.3m due to the increased NdPr sales volume.

“This was achieved despite the average China domestic price of NdPr (VAT excluded) decreasing from US$56/kg in December 2023 to US$49/kg in December 2024. NdPr family sales volumes increased by 23% during the period.”

Lynas has been trading at $6.97.

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The company has published an indicated mineral resource estimate (MRE) for 21.7Mt of ore at 1,419ppm Monazite Equivalent, “calculated using a 700ppm MzEw lower cut-off grade.”

Ark Mines describes Sandy Mitchell as the first surface-expressed placer REE deposit, with a JORC compliant MRE, on the Australian share market.

The company further expects its MzEq grades to support “strong economics,” boosted by low-cost downstream processing – referring to the price of monazite concentrate. Beneficiation testwork has shown well-established simple gravity separation is able to produce downstream products.

Among the basket of heavy minerals included in the resource – which complement the larger REE mineralisation targets – are included zircon and rutile used in industrial applications, as well as ilmenite and the lesser-known xenotime.

Neodymium-Praseodymium are also present, which are likely the best known magnetic rare earths on the market, with NdPr often touted as a necessary material for a wind turbine engine to work (along with copper and steel.)

Notably, management pointed to a combined heavy minerals grade of 13,450ppm – which works out to be 1.3%, a relatively high grade if taken in aggregate.

Ark’s MRE, published Wednesday, also has room to grow – the company developed the estimate on “only 1.2% of the available anomaly area at Sandy Mitchell.” A further 100sq.km remains “available for further exploration … and [with] substantial potential for MRE expansion.”

Ark Mines Exec Director Ben Emery said the MRE went beyond initial expectations held by the company’s geotech team.

“We have consistency in grade from surface to basement for a basket of high value minerals including combined Heavy Mineral grades of 13,450ppm,” Emery said.

“The commercialisation pathway for Sandy Mitchell is now more clearly defined, given the fact it is the simplest REE style of deposit to mine and beneficiate.

“We are also pleased to have the resource in an Indicated category, which bodes well for our upcoming pre-feasibility study and the Mineral licence application.”

AHK last traded at 13.5cps.