BM8 Secures Maiden Drilling Approval at Bleiberg
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
ASX Announcement
Released 30 June 2025
Battery Age Secures Maiden Drilling
Approval at Bleiberg Zinc-Germanium
Project, Austria
Landmark Milestone Paves Way for Exploration Drilling at One of Europe’s
Most Strategic Critical Mineral Projects
HIGHLIGHTS
•
Maiden drilling permit formally approved at Bleiberg Zinc-Lead-Germanium
Project, Austria.
•
Drilling to commence imminently - drill rig currently mobilising to site. The
program will test multiple high-priority targets across a 10km corridor known to
host historical mineralisation and germanium-rich zones. Approval granted
following public hearing at the Bad Bleiberg town hall, with strong community
and regulatory support.
•
Represents a major milestone following over 18 months of sustained
engagement with local stakeholders and government authorities.
•
Bleiberg Mine confirmed to have achieved historic germanium concentrate
grades up to 1,500 g/t - significantly above global production thresholds of 100300g/t.
•
Bleiberg Mine produced ~5.5 million ounces of germanium during its operation,
ranking it as the sixth-largest global source at the time of closure2.
•
Battery Age is strategically positioned to become a leading player in the
European germanium industry, amid tightening Chinese export controls and
global supply chain disruption
Battery Age Minerals Ltd (ASX: BM8; “Battery Age” or the “Company”) is pleased to
advise that it has received formal approval to commence drilling at the flagship Bleiberg ZincGermanium Project in Carinthia, Southern Austria. The approval was granted following a
formal Oralverhandlung (public hearing) held at the Bad Bleiberg town hall, representing a
significant regulatory milestone for both the Company and the local community.
This outcome follows over 18 months of drill target generation and comprehensive stakeholder
engagement, encompassing dialogue with regional and national authorities, landholders,
environmental agencies, and community representatives. The Company is proud to have
worked transparently and collaboratively with all parties to ensure the highest environmental
standards and operational integrity are maintained throughout its planned exploration
activities.
Battery Age Minerals Ltd
ASX: BM8
ACN 085 905 997
batteryageminerals.au
T: +61 (8) 6109 6689
E: info@batteryage.au
Level 50, 108 St Georges Terrace
Perth, WA 6000
PO Box 7310, Cloisters Square Po, WA 6850
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Battery Age CEO, Nigel Broomham, commented:
“This is a watershed moment for Battery Age. The granting of our first drilling permit at Bleiberg
is the culmination of a deliberate, respectful, and technically robust process. We are deeply
grateful to the local authorities and community stakeholders who have supported us
throughout.
Our team has worked tirelessly to build trust and deliver a clear vision for modern, sustainable,
and strategically important exploration. We now have the approvals in place to begin drill
testing some of the most compelling critical mineral targets in Europe.”
Figure 1: Bleiberg Zinc Lead Germanium Project located in the state of Carinthia, Austria1,4,5.
Strategic Significance of Bleiberg
The Bleiberg Project lies in one of Europe’s most historically significant mining districts, with
over 700 years of production history. At the time of its closure in the early 1990s, the Bleiberg
Mine was recognised as the sixth-largest germanium producer globally and a major source of
zinc and lead. Today, it remains one of the few known high-grade germanium projects within
the European Union.
ASX Announcement
Released 30 June 2025
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Battery Age now holds over 140km² of exploration tenure at Bleiberg, with a further 290km²
recently secured at Hochobir. Combined, these projects represent one of the largest holdings
of germanium-prospective ground in Europe, includes historic mine workings, untested
mineralised extensions, and large-scale tailings zones that may offer near-term recovery
potential.
Importantly, the Bleiberg Project is located within Austria’s internal EU market, offering direct
access to European infrastructure, rail, and refining pathways. This logistical and jurisdictional
advantage positions the project as a compelling candidate to support the EU’s drive for
domestic critical mineral supply.
Figure 2: Bleiberg maiden drilling program – permitted drilling locations
World-Class Germanium Potential
Battery Age’s review of previously unpublished Austrian government data has confirmed that
historical concentrate samples from the Bleiberg Mine returned germanium grades of up to
1,500 g/t, far surpassing typical global production grades of 100–300 g/t3. These grades
suggest the potential for direct-to-refinery chemical processing, bypassing the need for
traditional zinc smelting and unlocking meaningful environmental, social, and economic
benefits.
The Company’s upcoming drill program will test several of the most prospective zones along
a 10km corridor of fault-bound carbonate stratigraphy, historically known to host stratabound
and breccia-hosted polymetallic mineralisation. These include zones proximal to the Erlach,
Germaniumgugel, and Carditascholle targets, all of which returned high-grade zinc and
germanium results in legacy concentrate assays.
This exploration program will also feed into a parallel stream of work focused on metallurgical
testing of historical tailings, potentially accelerating the development of a near-term germanium
concentrate product.
Next Steps
With the drilling permit secured, Battery Age will immediately mobilise to site to commence its
maiden program. The drill campaign will target zones interpreted from integrated datasets
including geophysical surveys, geological mapping, historical mine plans and previous
government research.
Field activities will be conducted with a strong focus on environmental stewardship. All drilling
has been intentionally designed to be conducted from existing clearings with minimal surface
disturbance and no vegetation clearing required.
In parallel with the drilling program, early engagement with potential downstream partners
across Europe, including specialty chemical processors, semiconductor material suppliers,
and strategic end-users, remains a key focus.
“We are entering a new phase of value creation at Bleiberg. With drilling imminent, world-class
historic grades confirmed, and germanium’s strategic importance at an all-time high, Battery
Age is positioned to play a leading role in reshaping Europe’s access to critical technology
metals.” Battery Age CEO, Nigel Broomham
Germanium: A Critical Supply Chain Opportunity
Germanium is a critical mineral essential for high-technology applications, including
semiconductors, infrared optics, fibre optics, solar energy systems, and advanced military
hardware. It is considered indispensable for silicon-germanium (SiGe) chips, which are
enabling the next generation of high-speed, low-power electronics.
In 2024, China—the dominant global supplier—formally implemented export controls on
germanium and gallium, prompting widespread concern over global supply chain resilience. In
response, the European Union added germanium to its Critical Raw Materials Act, reinforcing
the urgency of developing secure, ESG-compliant sources within EU borders.
Against this backdrop, Battery Age believes the Bleiberg Project is ideally placed to emerge
as a cornerstone contributor in the germanium European market.
Figure 3: Bleiberg Project – Illustrating exploration tenure, historic mining corridor and shafts. Antoni Shaft X474158.8; Y 5165543.6. Insert table demonstrates historical data
for the Bleiberg Mine (Green) from previous workings1,2.
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ASX Announcement
References:
1. Refer to Bleiberg earn-in terms and structure set out in the Company’s announcement dated 16 May
2024 and Prospectus dated 7 December 2022.
2. Zeeh,S. and Bechstadt,T. (1994). Carbonate-Hosted Pb-Zn Mineralisation at Bleiberg-Kreuth (Austria):
Compilation of Data and New Aspects. In: Fontbote,L. and Boni,M. editors, Sediment Hosted Pb-Zn
Ores, Special Publication No. 10 of the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits. pp. 271-2962.
Cerny,I. (1991). Lagerstättenforschung in Kärnten Neuergebnisse und Aspekte für die Zukunft.
Carinthiall 181./101. Jahrgang S. 119-129 Klagenfurt 1991.
Cerny,I. and Schroll,E. (1995). Spezialmetallgehalte in ZnS-Konzentraten der Lagerstätte BleibergKreuth. Arch. f. Lagerst.forsch. Geol. B.-A. ISSN 0253-097X Band 18 S. 5–33 Wien, Juni 1995.
Schroll,e. (2006). Neues zur Genese der Blei-Zink Lagerstätte Bleiberg. Carinthia II 196./116. Jahrgang
Seiten 483-500 Klagenfurt 2006.
Multi-Met (2023) Bleiberg Project - Multi-Met, Multi. Available at:
https://multimetdev.com/projects/bleiberg-project/.
Schor, D. (2021) TSMC details 5 nm, WikiChip Fuse. Available at:
https://fuse.wikichip.org/news/3398/tsmc-details-5-nm/ (Accessed: 25 February 2024).
Leach. D, Taylor. R, Fey. D et al.(2010), , A deposit model for Mississippi Valley-Type lead-zinc ores,
USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5070-A.
Mining Insights Pty Ltd, Independent Geologists Report, 1 December 2022.
3. Refer to Announcement Breakthrough Germanium Grades up to 1,500 g/t Identified in Bleiberg
Concentrates; 17 April 2025.
4. Refer to Announcement Battery Age secures highly prospective corridor- Expands Bleiberg Project; 29
January 2025
5. Refer to Announcement Battery Age Minerals Triples Austrian Footprint along historic High-Grade
Germanium mining corridor; 18 December 2024 & 23 December 2024.
[ENDS]
Release authorised by the Board of Battery Age Minerals Ltd.
Contacts
Investors / Shareholders
Nigel Broomham
Chief Executive Officer
P: +61 (0)8 6109 6689
E: info@batteryage.au
ASX Announcement
Released 30 June 2025
Media
Kelly-Jo Fry
Battery Age Minerals
P: +61 (0)8 6109 6689
E: kjfry@batteryage.au
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Compliance Statement
This report contains information on the Bleiberg Project extracted from an ASX market announcement dated 8
December 2022, 2 February 2023, 13 July 2023, 26 February 2024, 26 March 2024, 16 May 2024, 18 December
2024, 23 December 2024, 22 January 2025, 28 January 2025 and 17 April 2025 released by the Company and
reported in accordance with the 2012 edition of the “Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral
Resources and Ore Reserves” (JORC Code). The original market announcement is available to view on
www.batteryage.au and www.asx.com.au. Battery Age is not aware of any new information or data that materially
affects the information included in the original market announcement.
Forward-Looking Statement
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements and projections. Such forward looking
statements/projections are estimates for discussion purposes only and should not be relied upon. Forward looking
statements/projections are inherently uncertain and may therefore differ materially from results ultimately achieved.
Battery Age Minerals Limited does not make any representations and provides no warranties concerning the
accuracy of the projections and disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements/projects
based on new information, future events or otherwise except to the extent required by applicable laws. While the
information contained in this report has been prepared in good faith, neither Battery Age Minerals Limited or any of
its directors, officers, agents, employees or advisors give any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to
the fairness, accuracy, completeness or correctness of the information, opinions and conclusions contained in this
announcement.
ASX Announcement
Released 30 June 2025
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