REG - New Frontier Mineral - Mining Lease Application at Big One Copper Deposit

New Frontier MineralsAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 2903H  New Frontier Minerals Limited  13 November 2025

            New Frontier Minerals Limited / Index: LSE & LSE / Epic:
NFM / Sector: Industrial Metals and Mining

 

13 November 2025

New Frontier Minerals Limited

("NFM" or the "Company")

 

Mining Lease Application Lodged for Big One Copper Deposit

 

New Frontier Minerals Limited (LSE/ASX: NFM) is pleased to advise that it has
lodged a Mining Lease Application over the Big One Deposit, part of the NWQ
Copper Project located approximately 150 km north of Mount Isa, north-west
Queensland, Australia.

 

Highlights

·    Mining Lease Application (MLA) lodged covering the Big One Copper
Deposit within New Frontier's NWQ Copper Project, in the Mt Isa copper belt,
north-west Queensland

·    The application area covers 240Ha, securing tenure over the historical
Big One Deposit workings and surrounding mineralised structures

·    Marks an important milestone, securing long-term rights of tenure over
a key prospect within New Frontier's core copper asset

·    The MLA is supported by an Initial Development Plan outlining a
potential open-cut copper mining operation

·    The plan references JORC-compliant Indicated and Inferred Resources
totalling 2.1 Mt @ 1.1 % Cu, in addition to 7,000 t @ 1.3 % Cu of surface
Indicated stockpiles (1, 2)

·    Follows the previously signed MOU with ASX listed Austral Resources
Ltd (Austral), representing another step towards a potential processing
collaboration at the Mt Kelly Copper Processing Facility (4, 5)

 

Chairman Gerrard Hall commented: "With the macro picture for copper demand
remaining robust and a path to production in place through our MOU framework
with Austral Resources, lodging an MLA for the Big One Deposit is the optimal
path to generate value for shareholders. As the known resource at the Big One
Deposit is relatively shallow, the current plans call for an open-cut mining
operation with ore then transported to Austral's Mt Kelly Copper Processing
Facility and ultimately on-sold to end-users.

 

"Further development work can be undertaken at the Big One Deposit to extend
known mineralisation, while holistically the NWQ Copper Project delivers
significant exploration potential with 20 highly prospective targets yet to be
fully evaluated."

 

Development Plan

The MLA for the Big One Deposit (Figure 1 & 2) represents a significant
milestone, strengthening New Frontier's position across the broader NWQ Copper
Project, which lies within one of Australia's most proven districts for
structurally controlled copper mineralisation. This proven district hosts
multiple operating mines and development projects, providing New Frontier with
access to established regional infrastructure and processing pathways.

 

The MLA is accompanied by an Initial Development Plan that outlines a
potential mining scenario to guide future evaluation and regulatory
assessment. The plan outlines a proposed open-cut operation designed to test
and extract near-surface copper mineralisation. Preparatory earthworks are
expected to commence in Q3 2026, with first production targeted for Q1 2027.
 

The development plan proposes mining and haulage to the Mt Kelly Processing
Facility (operated by Austral Resources(4)).

Figure 1: Plan view showing the proposed Big One Deposit MLA area and Year One
activities, including the bulk sample zone, laydown area, stockpile, and
access tracks

 

Austral Resources MOU

The MLA builds on the MOU signed earlier this year between New Frontier
Minerals and Austral Resources, which established a framework for evaluating
toll treatment and ore supply opportunities at the Mt Kelly Copper Processing
Facility (Figure 3). The lodgement of the MLA represents another step towards
this collaboration, aligning with New Frontier's goal of progressing the Big
One Deposit towards potential near-term development within the broader NWQ
Copper Project.

 

The proposed operation is designed to leverage the site's existing footprint,
including previously disturbed pits and infrastructure, minimising surface
impact and supporting New Frontier's commitment to responsible development.

 

 

Figure 2: Aerial view of Austral's Mt Kelly processing facility

 

 

**ENDS**

 

REFERENCES

1)    Biggs M.S., (2022), Big One Mine, Updated Mineral Resource Estimate,
prepared by ROM Resources for Castillo Copper Limited, unpublished memo,
Sep21.

2)    Jensen D., 2022 ASX Release: Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate 2.1Mt @
1.1% Cu (21,886t) for Big One Deposit Castillo Copper Limited

3)    Plans underway to fully develop the Big One Deposit in the world-class
Mt Isa copper belt - ASX announcement, 14 May 2024

4)    Copper Recovery Testing Supports Mt Kelly Pathway and MOU with Austral
Resources - ASX announcement, 3 July 2025

5)    Strategic alliance with Austral Resources to process NFM copper ore -
ASX announcement, 21 January 2025

 

 

For further information please contact:

 New Frontier Minerals Limited      +61 8 6558 0886 
 Gerrard Hall (UK), Chairman 

 S. P. Angel Corporate Finance LLP  +44 (0)1483 413500 

 (Corporate Broker) 
 Ewan Leggat                        +44 (0) 20 7409 3494

 St Brides Partners Ltd             +44 (0)20 7236 1177

 (Financial PR)  
 Ana Ribeiro and Charlotte Page

 

About New Frontier Minerals

New Frontier Minerals Limited is an Australian-based focussed explorer, with a
strategy to develop multi-commodity assets that demonstrate future potential
as an economic mining operation. Through the application of disciplined and
structured exploration, New Frontier has identified assets deemed core and is
actively progressing these interests up the value curve. Current focus will be
on advancing exploration activity at the Harts Range Niobium, Uranium and
Heavy Rare Earths Project which is circa 140km north-east from Alice Springs
in the Northern Territory.

 

Other interests include the NWQ Copper Project, situated in the copper-belt
district circa 150km north of Mt Isa in Queensland.

 

New Frontier Minerals is listed on the LSE and ASX under the ticker "NFM".

 

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information in this document refers to the intentions of New Frontier
Minerals Ltd, but these are not intended to be forecasts, forward-looking
statements, or statements about future matters for the purposes of the
Corporations Act or any other applicable law. The occurrence of events in the
future is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause New
Frontier Minerals Ltd's actual results, performance, or achievements to differ
from those referred to in this announcement. Accordingly, New Frontier
Minerals Ltd, its directors, officers, employees, and agents, do not give any
assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of the events referred to in this
announcement will occur as contemplated. The interpretations and conclusions
reached in this announcement are based on current geological theory and the
best evidence available to the authors at the time of writing. It is the
nature of all scientific conclusions that they are founded on an assessment of
probabilities and, however high these probabilities might be, they make no
claim for complete certainty. Any economic decisions that might be taken based
on interpretations or conclusions contained in this announcement will
therefore carry an element of risk. The announcement may contain
forward-looking statements that involve several risks and uncertainties. These
risks include but are not limited to, economic conditions, stock market
fluctuations, commodity demand and price movements, access to infrastructure,
timing of approvals, regulatory risks, operational risks, reliance on key
personnel, Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates, native title, foreign
currency fluctuations, exploration risks, mining development, construction,
and commissioning risk. These forward-looking statements are expressed in good
faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. These statements reflect
current expectations, intentions or strategies regarding the future and
assumptions based on currently available information. Should one or more of
the risks or uncertainties materialise, or should underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results may vary from the expectations, intentions and
strategies described in this announcement. No obligation is assumed to update
forward-looking statements if these beliefs, opinions, and estimates should
change or to reflect other future developments.

 

ASX Listing Rule 5.23.2

New Frontier Minerals Ltd confirms that it is not aware of any new information
or data that materially affects the information included in this market
announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters
underpinning the estimates in this market announcement continue to apply and
have not materially changed.

 

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