Nex Metals Explorations Ltd (ASX:NME), a gold project explorer and developer with a portfolio of projects in Western Australia, including the Kookynie Gold Tailings Project, announced on 25 August 2026 that it is progressing a potential development pathway for its Kookynie Tailings Project. The company is advancing this significant project in partnership with Wangkatja Tjungula Aboriginal Corporation (WTAC) under a Profit Sharing and Empowerment Agreement, with the shared objective of jointly establishing project infrastructure for tailings processing. This strategic collaboration underscores a commitment to local engagement and economic benefit.
A key step in this progression is the application by Nex Wongatha JV Pty Ltd, the joint venture between NME and WTAC, for a 100-hectare General Purpose Lease (GPL). This potential site, situated approximately 10 kilometres east of the Kookynie Tailings Project and accessible via an existing all-weather road, has been identified as the primary location to develop processing infrastructure. The application for the GPL remains subject to assessment and various approvals, which will be progressed in the coming months, and its granting or the full area requested is not yet assured.
Managing Director Ken Allen commented on the status of the Kookynie Tailings Project, stating, “We continue to progress the Kookynie Tailings Project under several parallel workstreams, all in partnership with WTAC.” He highlighted that previous metallurgical test work, reported on 6 August 2026, demonstrated up to 71% gold recovery achieved using conventional processing techniques, with ongoing optimisation efforts now underway. This further work aims to refine the emerging flowsheet and assess additional liberation without introducing undue processing complexity, alongside evaluating potential tungsten recovery. Applying for this GPL is seen as a crucial step towards establishing an owned processing pathway, doing away with toll processors and thereby improving potential project economics.
