ASX BRIEFS
Welcome to 'ASX BRIEFS,' the definitive podcast for enthusiasts, investors, and professionals keen on staying ahead of the curve in the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). Hosted by Andrew Musgrave, 'ASX BRIEFS' delves deep into the heart of Australia's financial markets, bringing you insightful conversations with the minds shaping the future of investing down under. Each episode, join Andrew as he interviews a diverse lineup of fund managers, executives, and industry insiders, offering you a unique blend of expert analysis, strategic insights, and the latest trends affecting the ASX. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, 'ASX BRIEFS' is your go-to source for comprehensive updates and thought-provoking discussions designed to inform, inspire, and empower your investment journey. Tune in to 'ASX BRIEFS' and take the pulse of Australia's financial markets right at your fingertips.
ASX BRIEFS
YARI MINERALS LTD (YAR) - Unlocking Value in Rolleston South: A Deep Dive with Yari Minerals
A remarkable transformation is underway at Yari Minerals, where their Rolleston South Coal Project has just received a massive boost. The company reports a 91% increase in their JORC inferred resource, bringing the total to 151 million tonnes of thermal coal with significant potential to be upgraded to more valuable metallurgical semi-soft coal.
This Queensland-based project sits in the premier Bowen Basin, a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction with exceptional infrastructure advantages. As MD Anthony Italiano explains, their strategic location just 40 kilometres from the Blackwater Rail System via sealed highway gives them a crucial edge in bringing this bulk commodity to market efficiently. "Infrastructure is key in bulk commodity projects," he emphasizes, and Yari benefits tremendously from existing rail loop loading facilities that could accelerate potential development timelines.
The technical breakthrough came through clever acquisition of two open source coal seam gas wells and subsequent resource model remodeling. This not only expanded the current resource but creates a pathway for future expansion with less drilling required. Looking ahead, Yari plans a drilling program in the second half of 2025 aimed at both extending the resource footprint and upgrading from inferred to indicated status. With $1.7 million cash on hand and no debt, the company is prioritizing its coal assets while maintaining lithium exploration interests in the Pilbara using innovative, low-cost remote sensing techniques.
Subscribe to ASX Briefs for more insights into emerging resource companies and their potential.
Andrew Musgrave Host
Welcome back to ASX Briefs, the podcast where we speak with the leaders behind Australia’s emerging listed companies and today, we’re joined by Anthony Italiano, Managing Director of Yari Minerals Ltd — a diversified exploration company with a growing portfolio of thermal and metallurgical coal assets with a large JORC resource and a lithium exploration portfolio in Australia’s premier mining jurisdictions.
Anthony, thanks for joining me today and welcome to the ASX Briefs podcast.
Anthony Italiano Guest
Thank you, Andrew. Pleasure to be here,
Andrew Musgrave Host
Now, Anthony, for investors that may be unfamiliar with Yari Minerals, can you just provide a brief overview of the company?
Anthony Italiano Guest
Yari Minerals has acquired the Rolleston South Coal Project, which is located in the Tier 1 jurisdiction of the Bowen Basin in Queensland. It has a resource of 151 million tonnes of thermal coal with the potential to be upgraded to a metallurgical semi-soft coal. It is located close to existing infrastructure, being the Blackwater Rail System, with the coal loading loop located approximately 40 kilometres by state sealed highway to the Blackwater Rail Line from the Rolleston South Coal Project.
Andrew Musgrave Host
Now congratulations on the 91% increase in your JORC inferred resource. So, what were the key technical drivers behind this uplift and how does it change the outlook for the project?
Anthony Italiano Guest
Sure. So, the key driver was acquiring two open-source coal seam gas wells. Remodelling the resource model with that data led to the increased resource. This changes the project in terms of the scope is much larger than we originally anticipated and will also allow us to increase a larger resource with lower amount of future drilling.
Andrew Musgrave Host
And you're aiming to confirm the presence of the semi-soft metallurgical coal through test work. So how significant could that be in reshaping the project's economics and market positioning?
Anthony Italiano Guest
It is very significant.
It opens up a whole new opportunity into the metallurgical coal space.
Andrew Musgrave Host
And you flagged a drilling program in the second half of 2025. So, what's the main objective? Is it to upgrade the resource category or to extend the current footprint?
Anthony Italiano Guest
It's all of those above, so we're aiming to both increase the resource footprint and also increase resource category from inferred to indicated status.
Andrew Musgrave Host
And with access to Aurizons rail system and proximity to Gladstone. How important is infrastructure in accelerating potential development at Rolleston South?
Anthony Italiano Guest
Infrastructure is key in bulk commodity projects. We're gratefully blessed to have the Rolleston Coal Project located 40 kilometres from the Blackwater Rail System, with the existing rail loop loading facilities.
Andrew Musgrave Host
Now looking at the Pilbara. At your Pilbara tenements, you've used remote sensing and gas detection to pinpoint lithium targets. So, what advantages has this approach offered in targeting undercover mineralisation?
Anthony Italiano Guest
Its key advantage is very low-cost exploration techniques to identify where potential lithium mineralisation may be.
Andrew Musgrave Host
Now looking at the financials. You ended the quarter with $1.7 million in cash and no debt. So how are you allocating capital between your coal and lithium portfolios over the next six to twelve months?
Anthony Italiano Guest
Yeah, the majority of our capital will be allocated to our coal project. It's, you know, very clear that the market is having a bit of a lifting winter and we expect that to continue for the future. But our principal focus going forward is coal and the metallurgical coal prospects of the Rolleston South Coal Project.
Andrew Musgrave Host
Okay, and now just to wrap things up, the company is positioning across both energy transition and traditional commodity markets. So, looking ahead, what's your longer-term vision for the business? Is it more focused or more diversified?
Anthony Italiano Guest
It's to maximise shareholder value. We see huge opportunity to create significant shareholder value with our current coal assets and we're predominantly focusing our efforts on extracting that value.
Andrew Musgrave Host
Okay, Anthony. Well, thanks for your time today. It's been great to chat, to get an update on the company and we look forward to the further updates from Yari Minerals in the upcoming months.
Anthony Italiano Guest
Thank you. Andrew Pleasure.
Andrew Musgrave Host
That concludes this episode of ASX Briefs. Don't forget to subscribe and we look forward to catching you on our next episode.