Antimony Resources Puts 1,500 Core Samples to the Test as Bald Hill Enters Make-or-Break Phase

Antimony Resources shifts from drilling to data analysis, with first lab results due by May-end, as China's export controls pause until Nov 2026 creates a supply window.

The drills have fallen silent at Bald Hill, but the real work is just beginning. Antimony Resources has shipped more than 1,500 core samples to the laboratory for analysis, marking a pivotal shift from field operations to data evaluation that could redefine the project's valuation. First results from this batch are expected before the end of May.

The samples come from a recently completed 13,000-metre definition drilling program focused on the Main Zone. That campaign is part of a broader 19,000-metre effort, with the remaining 6,000 metres allocated to first-pass drilling on three newly identified targets. The Main Zone has already been traced over a strike length of 600 metres, with mineralisation extending to a depth of 350 metres and antimony grades averaging between three and four percent.

A dual timeline takes shape

While investors await laboratory results, a separate clock is ticking. China temporarily suspended its export controls on critical minerals bound for the United States, creating a grace period that expires on 27 November 2026. Antimony Resources is positioning itself to fill the supply gap that will follow. The company is advancing environmental studies and permitting work in parallel with its drilling, with a formal application targeted for the first quarter of 2027.

The strategic calculus is straightforward. Antimony currently trades at roughly $51 per kilogram, a 171 percent increase since the start of 2024. Although prices have eased from last summer's record peaks, the market remains elevated. Export restrictions and a persistent local supply deficit are expected to keep prices supported through 2026.

Resource estimate on the horizon

Consulting firm SRK is meanwhile working through the existing data to produce the project's first official resource estimate. A technical report from last year outlined a conceptual target of approximately 2.7 million tonnes. If the upcoming assays confirm continuity of high-grade mineralisation at depth and along strike, the numbers could give that target real weight.

Adding to the intrigue, soil anomalies detected roughly three kilometres south of the main deposit suggest the mineralised system may be larger than current models indicate. That opens up an expanded exploration target for the summer field season across the 37-square-kilometre property.

Sector signals from across the border

The broader antimony sector is also providing context. United States Antimony Corporation, one of the few integrated producers outside China and Russia, is due to report quarterly results on Thursday. Market participants view the company as a bellwether for pricing trends and supply chain conditions, and its management commentary could offer clues about the near-term outlook for North American antimony assets.

Antimony Resources shares closed at €0.506 on Tradegate on Friday, showing little movement as the market shifts its attention from drilling activity to the data that will determine the next chapter. With 1,500 assays pending and a resource estimate in the works, the coming weeks will test whether the geological promise at Bald Hill translates into a bankable proposition.