Locksley Resources (ASX:LKY) has appointed Ian Stockton as a non-executive Technical Director as the company focuses on creating a domestic supply of antimony for the US.
Stockton has over 35 years of experience in the resources sector, working as a geologist and mining executive in roles focused on resource development, operations, and technical advisory.
He holds a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Geology, from the University of Canberra and is a registered geologist and member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Locksley describes Stockton’s technical expertise to cover the full life cycle of a project, with strengths in mine development, resource optimisation, and technical regulatory compliance.
He was previously involved in the Costerfield gold-antimony deposit in Victoria, bringing the Brunswick open pit deposit into production.
Stockton will direct technical execution and resource expansion activities at the Desert Antimony Mine in California.
Chairman Pat Burke says Stockton’s “wealth of technical and operational experience” comes at a crucial time for the company as it pushes to enhance the US’ antimony supply.
“His practical approach to geological interpretation and project development, coupled with his strong background in industry governance, will be invaluable as we move toward production and establish a vertically integrated US antimony supply chain,” Burke says.
Antimony was one of the key critical minerals included in Chinese export bans, causing damaging supply risks for many nations, including Australia, Canada, and the US.
China produces almost half of the world’s mined antimony, accounting for 90% of global supply along with Russia and Tajikistan, as reported by Mining.com.au. The US currently has no primary antimony producers.
Export restrictions have since partially eased, though still prohibiting antimony, gallium, and germanium supply to be used for the US defence sector. These minerals have various military applications from armour-piercing ammunition to night vision goggles, nuclear weapons, and naval warships.
Locksley Resources is a critical minerals explorer focused on advancing the Mojave Project in California, targeting rare earths and antimony for domestic supply.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Locksley Resources
