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iTech Minerals (ASX:ITM)

iTech Minerals drew significant attention on HotCopper after reporting drilling results from the Sabe prospect, part of the Reynolds Range project in the Northern Territory. The drilling returned thick, high-grade gold and antimony intersections.

Antimony is classified as a critical mineral by the US, EU, and Australia, and has drawn heightened market focus since China, the world's largest producer, imposed antimony export restrictions in September 2024. The material is used in flame retardants, semiconductors, and military applications.

The results also confirmed a continuous, steeply dipping zone of gold-antimony mineralisation that is increasing in both grade and thickness at depth.

Managing Director Mike Schwarz said the latest results from Sabe continue to reinforce the scale and grade of the gold-antimony system at Reynolds Range.

"Hole SBRC26-001 has returned the best drill intercept at the project to date – 36 metres at 5.6 g/t gold and 1.2% antimony – including exceptional peak grades of over 63 g/t gold and nearly 14% antimony."

"Importantly, the mineralisation remains open and increasing in grade and width at depth, giving us real confidence as we plan the next phase of drilling."

At the time of writing, ITM was up 25.0% to 4.5 cents.

Somerset Minerals (ASX:SMM)

Somerset Minerals garnered strong investor interest after confirming a high-grade copper-silver discovery at the Talisker target within the Coppermine project in Canada.

Copper remains a central commodity in global electrification and energy transition supply chains, with exploration discoveries in stable jurisdictions such as Canada attracting ongoing investor attention.

Promising assay results were received from the initial two holes of a maiden reverse circulation (RC) drill program at Talisker.

Managing Director Chris Hansen described the early assay returns as "phenomenal."

"Two of the first holes ever drilled at Talisker have both intersected thick zones of high-grade copper-silver mineralisation. On any measure this is an outstanding start to a maiden drill program, and it confirms a new copper discovery at Talisker," Hansen said.

"What makes this discovery particularly significant is that Talisker is largely blind. There was no historical drilling along the corridor, and mineralisation is concealed beneath glacial cover. The target was built systematically, layer by layer, through regional till geochemistry, geophysics, detailed structural mapping and infill till sampling."

SMM surged 33.3% to 1.2 cents at the time of publication.

American Tungsten & Antimony (ASX:AT4)

American Tungsten & Antimony was another closely watched stock on HotCopper after announcing it was ramping up activities at the Del Sol refinery in Nevada and the White Spar antimony mine in Arizona.

Both tungsten and antimony are on the US Government's critical minerals list. The US has been actively pursuing domestic supply chain development for critical minerals, with tungsten primarily sourced from China and other concentrated suppliers. AT4's Del Sol refinery expansion aligns with broader US policy efforts to build domestic processing capacity for strategically important materials.

CEO Casper Adson recently met with the Del Sol Refinery team on-site to assess the work streams required for restart, ramp-up, and expansion of the facility. The visit covered plant condition and readiness, reagent and consumable requirements, staffing and shift structure, laboratory capability, and the sequencing of expansion works within the existing building and permitted site footprint.

A pre-application meeting was held with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to confirm requirements for a formal application to expand permitted capacity from 18,500 short tons of feed per year to approximately 100,000 short tons of feed per year, and to add APT (ammonium paratungstate) production.

The Del Sol facility is connected to the Valley Electric system, providing the refinery with access to grid power. A utility-scale solar farm adjoins the site. Power is a primary operating cost input for an electrowinning-based hydrometallurgical flowsheet.

AT4 gained 2.00% to 5.1 cents.

Broader Market

The S&P/ASX 200 defied speculation of a morning slide, gaining 37.60 points or 0.41% to 9,265.40 and setting a new 100-day high. Over the last five days, the index has gained 3.32% and currently sits 0.34% below its 52-week high.

WA Exploration Incentive Scheme Round 34 Opens

The Western Australia government has opened round 34 of the WA Exploration Incentive Scheme's (EIS) co-funded exploration drilling program.

Mines, Petroleum and Exploration Minister Daniel Pastorelli said round 34 will test new concepts to help unlock discoveries. The competitive program offers co-funding for eligible drilling projects that test new geological concepts, target underexplored areas, and help unlock the next generation of discoveries.

"Important critical mineral successes have found manganese and antimony during the 2025-26 year, demonstrating the value of this investment and the role of EIS drilling in supporting new discoveries," the minister said.

Notable successes include Black Canyon Resources' greenfields discovery at the North Manganese Corridor within the Wandanya project, where shallow RC drilling returned high-grade manganese and iron results, and Black Cat Syndicate's brownfields discovery at the Mt Clement antimony project, where drilling intersected a previously unidentified lode structure containing antimony-lead-silver mineralisation.

"In May this year more than $7 million was allocated to 46 successful EIS applicants, continuing to drive exploration success across a wide range of commodities and geological settings," the minister noted.

Reporting by Colin Sandell-Hay for The Market Online Australia.

The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a certified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.