HMS Bergbau Expresses Interest in Australian Mines' Queensland Nickel, Cobalt Project

Australia's critical minerals sector is drawing global attention, highlighted by HMS Bergbau's formal interest in procuring nickel, cobalt, and scandium from Australian Mines' Sconi project in Queensland, potentially supported by Germany's critical mineral strategy. Despite significant investments and international partnerships, Australia continues to export raw minerals instead of processing them domestically, limiting its economic value and supply chain resilience. Northern Australia, with its rich mineral reserves and proximity to Asian markets, is identified as a key region for developing processing capabilities, requiring coordinated infrastructure, energy scaling, and a skilled workforce. The Australian government's Critical Minerals Strategy, alongside initiatives like AUKUS, marks progress but lacks sufficient focus on downstream processing capacity, risking failure to meet ally and trade partner demands for reliable critical mineral supply. Lessons from past failures, such as the Pinjarra gallium refinery collapse, underscore the need for integrated industrial vision beyond extraction. Meanwhile, Canada's Golden Pursuit Resources is advancing its 2025 exploration program in the high-grade Gordon Lake gold district, employing modern mapping and sampling techniques to enhance resource evaluation.