Canadian exploration and development company Mundoro Capital Inc. has granted an earn-in option to a subsidiary of BHP Group for seven copper and gold exploration licences within Serbia’s Timok Magmatic Complex, one of the most prolific mineral belts in the Tethyan region.
Under the agreement, BHP can earn up to 100% ownership of the licences — which span 418 square kilometres — by funding US$35 million (€30 million) in exploration expenditures over ten years, the company announced on Monday.
BHP will also make annual option payments beginning at $323,000, increasing by 2% annually, and milestone payments of $2 million each for specific resource declarations, up to a total of $10 million, or a single $10 million payment upon exercising the option if no resource is declared.
Mundoro will initially operate the project, managing exploration activities and earning operating fees. Once BHP invests at least $20 million or completes 40,000 metres of drilling, it may assume operational control. Upon exercising the option, BHP will also start making annual advance royalty payments to Mundoro.
To date, Mundoro and its partners have invested C$15.4 million ($11 million) into the project, which hosts multiple exploration targets. The most advanced prospects include:
Skorusa copper-gold porphyry system, with an intercept of 201.2 metres grading 0.11% Cu and 0.11 g/t Au.
Tilva Rosh prospect, where trenching returned 12 metres at 30.39 g/t Au and 171.27 g/t Ag.
Other promising targets include Markov Kamen, Orlovo, D-vein, Prekostenski, Zlot 1–3, Bukova, Tilva Mare, Glavica, Bacevica North, Gorunov, Oblez SE, and Branik.
The Timok Magmatic Complex is home to several major deposits and producing mines, including Cukaru Peki, Bor, Majdanpek, Veliki Krivelj, and Coka Rakita, positioning this partnership to further strengthen BHP’s exploration footprint in Europe’s key copper-gold corridor.
