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Highlights
- Catalina Resources has expanded its Western Australian exploration portfolio through acquisitions across the Mid-West and Lake Johnston regions.
- The enlarged portfolio includes the Kirkalocka, Tallering, Pithara, Warriedar and Lake Johnston projects, featuring multiple drill-ready gold and base metal targets.
- The Kirkalocka Project is located near the 2Mtpa Kirkalocka processing plant and a gold mine hosting a reported Mineral Resource of nearly 240,000oz Au.
- Historical exploration at Tallering and Pithara has identified advanced gold, silver and copper targets, including extensions of known mineralisation zones.
- Catalina has secured firm commitments for a AUD 3 million placement to fund acquisitions, drilling, exploration activities and working capital requirements.
Catalina Resources Limited (ASX:CTN) has announced a major expansion of its exploration portfolio across the Mid-West and Lake Johnston regions of Western Australia through a binding acquisition agreement. The move adds a series of gold and base metal projects located near processing infrastructure, historical mining centres and active exploration corridors. The expanded portfolio includes the Kirkalocka, Tallering, Pithara, Warriedar and Lake Johnston projects, with several advanced and drill-ready targets already identified through previous exploration work.
Additionally, the company is raising AU$3 billion to fund acquisitions and advance exploration work.
Following the update, CTN’s share price jumped nearly 18% to AUD 0.060 per share at the time of writing on 14 May 2026.
Catalina Advances Expansion Strategy in Western Australia
The company has executed a binding agreement to acquire a portfolio of exploration assets from Dreadnought Resources Limited and Crucial Resources as part of its broader growth strategy in Western Australia. The transaction aims at advancing the company’s strategy of increasing its land position across underexplored and emerging mineral districts, located in close proximity to regional processing infrastructure and historical production centres.
The transaction includes the acquisition and exercise of options over the Kirkalocka, Pithara, Warriedar and Lake Johnston projects, alongside the purchase of the Tallering Gold Project.
Kirkalocka Project Positioned Near Processing Infrastructure
Among the key assets acquired is the Kirkalocka Project, located about 50 kilometres south of Mount Magnet in the Murchison Province. The project sits close to the Kirkalocka Gold Mine and the nearby processing plant, with an estimated throughput of nearly 2Mtpa. The gold mine hosts a reported MRE of almost 240,000oz AU.
Historical exploration and geological studies have outlined several drill-ready targets associated with structural corridors and underexplored greenstone sequences.
Tallering and Pithara Add Advanced Gold Targets
At the Tallering Project, historical drilling, geophysics and geochemistry have identified multiple gold, silver and copper targets, including conductive anomalies at the Santy Prospect that remain untested by follow-up drilling.
Meanwhile, the Pithara Project includes the historical Pithara Gold Mine, which reportedly produced around 9,000oz at 15.4g/t Au from shallow open-pit operations between 2010 and 2011. Historical drill intercepts and soil anomalies indicate potential extensions of mineralisation along strike and at depth.
Additional Projects Expand Regional Exposure
The acquisition package also includes the Warriedar Project, which is considered prospective for structurally controlled gold mineralisation.
At Lake Johnston, the company has secured tenure across approximately 98.4 square kilometres within a greenstone belt considered prospective for gold, nickel and lithium mineralisation. The project is positioned near the Lake Johnston Processing Hub, which is being redeveloped into a proposed 3.2Mtpa gold processing facility with commissioning targeted for 2026.
AUD 3 Million Placement to Fund Exploration and Development
To support the acquisitions and the planned exploration programs, the company has received firm commitments for a private placement raising AUD 3 million through the issue of more than 54.5 million shares priced at AUD 0.055 each.
The funds will be directed toward project acquisitions, exploration activities across both newly acquired and existing assets, as well as administrative requirements.
Shaw and Partners acted as Sole Lead Manager for the placement. The raising will occur in two tranches under the company’s existing placement capacities.
Catalina’s latest acquisitions and capital raising mark a significant expansion of its exploration footprint across Western Australia. With projects located near established mining infrastructure, historical production centres and emerging exploration regions, the company is preparing to accelerate drilling and exploration activities across its enlarged portfolio.
