Venari Minerals (ASX:ASE) is gearing up for a decisive 12 months as it advances its flagship Red Mountain Lithium Project in Nevada, US.
CEO Matt Healy outlines to Mining.com.au a clear pathway to resource definition, metallurgy, and project de-risking.
“Venari is conducting a resource drilling campaign at its Red Mountain Lithium Project in Nevada, with a view to producing a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) by the end of CY25,” the CEO tells this news service.
However, investors will not need to wait until next year for catalysts. Healy says that assays are expected in the coming months, alongside a suite of metallurgical testwork, such as producing a battery-grade lithium product from Red Mountain mineralisation.
“Assay results for 14 drillholes, metallurgical testwork results and a maiden MRE by end of the year,” Healy adds, signalling a packed Q4 2025.
This follows recent results confirming ‘excellent’ clay-hosted lithium intercepts, increasing grade continuity, and expanding target areas across the Red Mountain basin.
The company has also secured permitting advancements and land tenure consolidation, strengthening its operational footing in the heart of America’s emerging lithium corridor.
Healy says 2026 will be a step-change year, as Venari moves from exploration into early stage development.
“Next year will see Venari rapidly advance the Red Mountain Project with further drilling and a Scoping Study to establish project economics,” the CEO adds.
The Scoping Study will be critical to defining scale, processing routes, and capex requirements, positioning the 100% owned Red Mountain asset base alongside other emerging US lithium clay projects at a time when domestic supply security is a strategic priority for the US government and battery manufacturers.
“Next year will see Venari rapidly advance the Red Mountain Project with further drilling and a Scoping Study to establish project economics”
With lithium prices stabilising and US policy aggressively incentivising local supply, Venari is aiming to hit the market at the right time.
Earlier in October the company raised $1.08 million through a share purchase plan (SPP), more than double its original target of $500,000, to accelerate drilling and resource work at Red Mountain, as reported by this news service.
Last month, recent soil sampling revealed an “outstanding” lithium-in-soil anomaly at the Red Mountain Extension Lithium Project, immediately south of its Red Mountain discovery.
The anomaly is of a substantial size at about 2km x 1km above a 250ppm lithium threshold. Results from a subsequent rock chip sampling campaign confirm lithium mineralisation in the underlying bedrock, returning grades of up to 2,690ppm Li.
The company says the strong lithium anomalism observed in the Red Mountain Extension soils, and mineralisation in rock chip results, is interpreted to be the result of a continuation of the lithium-bearing host rocks at Red Mountain southward into the Red Mountain Extension area, “representing a compelling future target”.
Subsequent to these results, Venari has reviewed its lithium mining claims holding in Nevada and elected to reduce the coverage of the Red Mountain and Red Mountain Extension claims area, and to relinquish the Cobre Project entirely.
Following an ongoing review of the Cobre Project, Venari formed the view that it would be a better and significantly more productive use of its funds to deploy its capital resources into its Red Mountain Project.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Venari
