REG - First Dev. Resources - Paterson Province – Applications for New Licences

First Development ResourcesAnnouncement

20/01/2026 07:00

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RNS Number : 4836P  First Development Resources PLC  20 January 2026

 

20 January 2026

First Development Resources plc

("First Development", "FDR" or the "Company')

Paterson Province - Applications for New Exploration Licences

First Development Resources plc (AIM: FDR), the UK-based, Australia-focused
exploration company with mineral interests in Western Australia and the
Northern Territory, is pleased to announce that it has applied for three new
Exploration Licences in the Paterson Province of Western Australia.

The new applications, E45/7205, E45/7206 and E45/7207, are located immediately
to the east of the Company's existing Wallal Project licences (Figure 1) and
cover ground previously held by Rio Tinto Exploration.

 

Figure 1: FDR's New Exploration Licence applications pending approval.
Paterson Province, Western Australia

The statutory objection period under the Mining Act 1978 (WA) for the new
licences closed on 12 and 13 January 2026, and the Company confirms that no
objections were lodged in that statutory period.

The licence applications are now being assessed by the Department of Mines,
Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) in Western Australia to ensure compliance
with all regulatory requirements, including environmental and land use
considerations.

In parallel, FDR is engaging with relevant Traditional Owner groups as part of
the Aboriginal Heritage Act and Native Title Act consultation process to
ensure that exploration activities respect cultural heritage.

Any future exploration work will only proceed once all statutory approvals,
including relating to Native Title and heritage clearances, have been secured.

Once granted, these licences will further consolidate FDR's strategic land
position in the highly prospective Paterson Province and enhance the Company's
exploration footprint in the region. The Company looks forward to advancing
exploration planning in a responsible and compliant manner.

 

For further information visit www.firstdevelopmentresources.com
(http://www.firstdevelopmentresources.com) or contact the following:

 First Development Resources plc  Tel: +44 (0) 20 3778 1397

 Tristan Pottas (CEO)
 Beaumont Cornish Limited         Tel: +44 (0) 20 7628 3396

 Nominated Adviser

 Roland Cornish / Asia Szusciak
 SI Capital Limited               Tel: +44 (0) 1483 413 500

 Broker

 Nick Emerson

 

Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's Nominated
Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish's
responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a
responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under
the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed
solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and
will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections
afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to
the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter
referred to in it.

 

ABOUT FIRST DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

First Development Resources' assets comprise eight granted tenements covering
a total area of 2,314.4km(2). Five of the tenements, comprising three
prospective copper-gold projects, are located in Western Australia (WA) while
the remaining three tenements, comprising a rare-earth element (REE), uranium,
lithium and gold project, are located in the Australian's Northern Territory.
All tenements are wholly owned by FDR. The assets are a mixture of drill ready
and earlier stage exploration.

The WA Projects include the Company's Wallal Project as well as Ripon Hills
and Braeside West Projects situated in the Paterson Province, which is widely
regarded as one of the most productive regions in Australia for the discovery
of world-class gold-copper deposits, and which is home to several world-class
mines and more recent discoveries.

The Selta Project in the Northern Territory is located in an area considered
highly prospective for uranium and rare-earth element mineralisation along
with base and precious metal mineralisation. Numerous companies are actively
exploring within the region.

Beyond the existing portfolio, FDR is actively looking to expand its portfolio
through the acquisition of early-stage exploration projects in Australia.

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