Maronan Metals has been granted a mineral development licence for the Maronan silver project in north-west Queensland, representing a significant milestone in advancing the project towards development readiness.

The licence covers both the deposit and proposed mine infrastructure within the company’s 100 per cent-owned exploration permit and follows the completion of all key processes, including Native Title agreements and environmental proposals.

The project has an inferred and indicated resource of 33.1 million tonnes at six per cent lead and 108 grams per tonne (g/t) silver.

A copper-gold inferred and indicated resource at the project sits at 32 million tonnes at 0.85 per cent copper, 0.63 g/t gold and 7 g/t silver.

It’s understood there is significant untested exploration upside for additional high-value targets near surface and at depth.

Moves towards project readiness are being planned as a result of the licence grant, which allows for the excavation of a boxcut and development of a decline to facilitate accelerated drill-out of the starter zone resource to support potential future ore reserve estimation.

The project’s low-risk has also been highlighted with the application and grant process taking less than 12 months to complete.

“The mining development licence materially strengthens the project’s regulatory position and marks a clear step forward into structured development planning. It also gives us flexibility in how we sequence the next stages of work, and in the timing and funding of future development activities,” Maronan Metals chairman Simon Bird said in a statement.

“I would like to sincerely thank the Queensland Government’s regulation team for their efficiency, key stakeholders for the continued support and cooperation, and our professional staff and consultants for their dedication in delivering this outcome.”

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