Name of the Project
Copi critical minerals project.

Location
Far south-western New South Wales, Australia.

Project Owner/s
RZ Resources Limited.

Project Description
The project will produce titanium minerals, including rutile, leucoxene and ilmenite, premium zircon and rare-earth elements, including monazite and xenotime. 

The project is located on RZ Resources-owned land and comprises tenements EL8312, EL8385, EL8769, EL8865, EL9496, MLA 629 and MLA 646. RZ Resources reports a resource of three-billion tonnes at 1.4% heavy minerals, following the 2024 drill programme. RZ Resources plans to use wet dredge mining techniques. A floating dredge will operate in a pond to extract ore and pump it to an adjacent floating concentrator. 

The company has said the method will minimise mining disturbance and allow for the continuous rehabilitation of the previous landform behind the pond. Together with RZ Resources’ Brisbane mineral separation plant, which is being refurbished and upgraded, the Copi project is expected to produce rare-earth concentrates, titanium feedstocks and premium zircon for downstream refining and processing. 

The Brisbane mineral separation plant is expected to process up to 400 000 t/y of heavy mineral concentrate and will process third-party feedstock before the Copi mine starts production. Once it is operational, product from the mine is expected to use about half of the plant’s capacity. 

RZ Resources expects the project and the mineral separation plant to support average production of about 413 000 t/y of finished products in the first ten years of production. These products will include titanium feedstock, zircon and other strategic minerals.

The Copi mine has an expected mine life of up to about 60 years.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to create up to 480 direct jobs during construction and support a 240-person operational workforce.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
RZ Resources has received investment and support for the project from JX Advanced Metals Corporation and Marubeni Corporation. The Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of the US has signed an indicative term sheet for up to $550-million to support project financing and the mineral separation plant.

Planned Start/End Date
RZ Resources is targeting first production in early 2029. The mineral separation plant is targeted for commissioning in 2027 and is expected to process third-party feedstock before the Copi mine comes on line.

Latest Developments
RZ Resources announced on May 27, 2026, that the project had received approval from the New South Wales Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. 

The project has further received support from the US, Japanese, Indian and Australian governments, including recognition through the 2025 Quad Leaders’ Summit, the US-Australia Critical Minerals Framework and the May 2026 Joint Statement on

Elevated Critical Minerals Cooperation between Australia and Japan.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
RZ Resources JX Advanced Metals Corporation and Marubeni Corporation (investment and support).

Contact Details for Project Information
RZ Resources Limited media enquiries, Ryan Marnell, tel +61 434 616 894 or email rmarnell@rzresources.com.