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REGIONAL ROUND-UP
REGIONAL ROUND-UP
REGIONAL ROUND-UP
REGIONAL ROUND-UP

LAtIn AMeRIcA

“If Palm Springs was in Kalgoorlie it
would be worth a fortune because with mills
everywhere, you’d easily find some way to
treat it,” he said.
“The issue up in Halls Creek is there’s
only one other gold mill operating at the
moment and it’s at capacity, so the project
has to grow to be big enough to sustain its
own mill circuit and that’s the challenge on
Meteoric now, to grow the project from an
organic exploration point of view.”
Tunks will now turn his attention to full-
time work with A-Cap where he previously
Andrew Tunks
led the development of the Letlhakane ura-
by TSX-listed Aura Minerals Inc for $91.7 panies for a long time yet. I would certainly nium project in Botswana from discovery
million cash. The company had only just go back there, I would certainly not hesitate hole to one of the world’s largest uranium
updated the estimated engineering costs to go back to Brazil. I love the place, I love resources before stepping down from the
for a proposed 2 mtpa operation at its Bor- the people, I’d go back there in a heartbeat. company in early 2011 when yellowcake
borema project. “I know Australian companies haven’t prices plummeted following the Fukushima
Aside from the recent achievements of fared particularly well in Brazil, there’s cer- incident.
nickel explorer Centaurus Metals Ltd, few tainly been a couple of notable disasters “In some ways, uranium was the highlight
Australian companies have tasted great and COVID did make it hard for us, but we of my career and it’s still the great unfin-
success in Brazil but Tunks said that should genuinely felt we could have developed this ished business of my life, so I’ve decided to
not deter others from having another crack. with some considerable recruitment and have a run at that again and see if we can’t
“I think you have to find the right people bringing on a bit of mining experience at a get Lethlakane into production,” he said.
over there that you can trust and you have board level. It was just a great offer which “There’s a mining license, there’s a fea-
to put the right controls in all of those things was both a win for the project and a win for sibility study which needs updating, but
because it is not easy, it’s quite different [to us as a company because now we get to there’s also a lot of positives that have oc-
Australia] in many ways,” he said. have another swing at something else.” curred in technology since that work was
“Having said that, I think Brazilian univer- While Meteoric continues to search for a done, so I’m really bullish on the project it-
sities are fantastic and the Brazilians them- fresh project opportunity, the company has self and I feel like it’s the right time and the
selves have great geological skills. There’s elevated Palm Springs – near Halls Creek right opportunity for me to go back to that.
no shortage of great geos who are very in Western Australia’s Kimberley region – to “I have strong interest in not just uranium
passionate and knowledgeable about what flagship status. At the time of print, an IP exploration, but the nuclear industry. It’s be-
they do. survey and follow-up drilling programme yond belief to me why we haven’t adopted it
“I think Brazil is massively underexplored was being prepared for the project which here in Australia as a way to generate elec-
and I suspect that there will be many more hosts a 5.6mt @ 2 g/t for 357,000oz gold tricity, given the quality of our coal in many
Devi, Haitham, Meretta, Adam, Kurt gold deposits found. I truly believe there are resource over two deposits. places and the current energy issues that
Devi, Haitham, Meretta, Adam, Kurt we’re facing.”
and Gabriela warmly welcome you wonderful opportunities to continue explo- Tunks said the company’s priority was
and Gabriela warmly welcome you ration at Juruena, for example…I still ex- to grow the resource base at Palm Springs – Michael Washbourne
pect Brazil to be a focus for Australian com- given the lack of nearby processing options.

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