Ardea secures heritage agreement for 100 Kalgoorlie nickel tenements

Ardea Resources has locked in a pivotal heritage deal with the Marlinyu Ghoorlie native title group over its developing Kalgoorlie Nickel project (KNP) – the Goongarrie Hub – near Menzies in the Western Australian goldfields.

The extensive agreement covers a vast 100 tenements across the Goongarrie Hub, paving the way for streamlined exploration and development activities while safeguarding the lands’ Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Ardea says it remains committed to KNP’s responsible and sustainable progress under its heritage agreement framework, which outlines protocols from heritage surveys to site protection and clearance procedures.

The measures are designed to facilitate critical on-ground activities for the project’s potential development after an ongoing $98.5 million definitive feasibility study is completed.

The study has been fully funded by Ardea’s Japanese consortium of major partners, Sumitomo Metal Mining and Mitsubishi Corporation.

The company says providing agreed timelines to the traditional owners and native title group will ensure certainty of scheduling and planning at KNP, minimising potential delays.

This agreement provides a clear and cooperative framework, safeguarding Aboriginal Cultural Heritage while enabling responsible and timely development of the project. It underscores Ardea and KNPL’s commitment to working transparently with the Marlinyu Ghoorlie and all stakeholders, demonstrating our dedication to the highest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

Goongarrie Hub is the KNP’s cornerstone project and potentially Australia’s next major nickel-cobalt operation in a struggling industry sector.

The KNP hosts a colossal 854 million tonnes of ore grading 0.71 per cent nickel and 0.045 per cent cobalt for a whopping 6.1Mt of contained nickel and 386,000t of cobalt.

Goongarrie Hub accounts for 584Mt of the total at a 0.69 per cent nickel grade for 4Mt of contained nickel. The Japanese consortium partners currently own 17.5 per cent of the project, and have the right to earn up to 50 per cent should Ardea pull the trigger on a final investment decision.

The heritage agreement covers the majority of the Goongarrie Hub’s tenements, including key mining leases and exploration licences held by KNP and Ardea.

The company says its ongoing infill drilling campaigns at its Highway, Big Four and Scotia Dam deposits continue and are likely to support even further resource upgrades critical to the ongoing definitive feasibility study.

Beyond the Goongarrie Hub, Ardea says it is advancing exploration at its fully owned Kalpini Hub, targeting nickel sulphide and critical minerals such as scandium and rare earth elements. It has scoping studies in the works to add to KNP’s already 40-year mine life.

The company says its heritage deal sets the stage for negotiations to advance a native title agreement, which will include ongoing baseline environmental studies and life-cycle assessments for development in 2027 and beyond.

With the heritage agreement in place, Ardea can now accelerate its definitive feasibility study activities for release before the end of the year. The company’s strategic partnerships, world-class resources and now locked in focus on ESG principles signal a bright and de-risked future for the company, which is, no doubt, hoping to become Australia’s next low-cost nickel-cobalt operation in one of the world’s premier mining jurisdictions.

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