Australia's Astral spends AUD 9.05 million to consolidate mining rights for Mandilla gold mine development
en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 28, Australia's Astral Resources and WIN Metals reached a transaction to consolidate mining rights and mineral interests. Astral will pay a total of AUD 9.05 million to gain control of key mining leases and related mineral interests within the Mandilla gold mine development area in Western Australia. After the transaction is completed, Astral will obtain a more complete ownership arrangement over Mandilla's core development area, providing a unified mining rights foundation for subsequent permitting approvals, financing, and project development.
According to disclosures by both parties, Astral will pay WIN Metals AUD 8.05 million upon completion of the transaction, and a further AUD 1 million after the registration and transfer of a key mining lease is completed. The transaction is expected to close in early October 2026. Astral will acquire multiple mining leases and most mineral interests therein other than lithium, as well as nickel rights in another mining lease; WIN Metals will retain or acquire certain nickel and gold interests related to the Mt Edwards project.
The Mandilla gold mine is located approximately 70 kilometers south of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The resource estimate announced by Astral in April this year is 53.5 million tonnes at an average gold grade of 1.0 g/t, containing approximately 1.74 million ounces of gold. The project's 2025 pre-feasibility study plan envisages construction of a processing plant with an annual throughput capacity of 2.75 million tonnes and development of 7 open-pit mines, with average annual gold production of approximately 95,000 ounces over the first 12 years.
Astral is currently advancing the Mandilla definitive feasibility study, while concurrently conducting infill drilling at the Phase 1 open pit of the Theia deposit. Progress disclosed on September 8 shows that the Phase 1 infill reverse circulation drilling at Theia has completed 225 drill holes totaling 22,705 meters, with approximately 21,248 meters of additional drilling planned; deeper drilling is also continuing to support resource model updates and subsequent mine design.
The area involved in this mining rights consolidation directly covers the Mandilla development area. Astral has previously advanced project permitting, water supply exploration, engineering design, and financing preparation work, and has engaged GR Engineering Services to undertake process and non-process infrastructure design in the definitive feasibility study, with Taylor Collison serving as debt financing advisor. After the mining rights transaction is completed, the project's next phase will continue to advance the definitive feasibility study, approvals, and financing arrangements.
