By
Investor Insights
Blackstone Minerals, through its subsidiary Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC) is focused on the Mankayan copper-gold project, an advanced exploration project in the Philippines. Mankayan is one of Southeast Asia’s largest undeveloped copper-gold porphyry, offering leveraged exposure to tightening global copper supply and increased copper demand.
Overview
Global decarbonization and electrification are driving sustained growth in copper demand, while new, large-scale copper discoveries remain scarce and development timelines lengthen. Long-life, high-quality copper projects with scale, grade, and infrastructure access are increasingly strategic and required to meet this future demand.
Historical Drilling Results at Mankayan
Blackstone Minerals (ASX:BSX), through CMDC, is advancing the Mankayan Copper-Gold Project in the Philippines following its merger with IDM International.
Mankayan stands out for its size, grade, and geological continuity, supported by extensive historical drilling and proximity to existing infrastructure. These attributes underpin a flexible development pathway and potential for long-life production.
As part of a strategic move, Blackstone has streamlined its asset base to prioritize Mankayan. A previously advanced nickel project in Vietnam is now subject to a binding strategic agreement with a local partner, materially reducing holding costs while allowing management and capital to be focused on the Company’s copper-gold strategy.
Company Highlights
- Flagship Copper-Gold Asset: Mankayan is a globally significant copper-gold porphyry system with a large 793 million tonne JORC-compliant resource.
- Indigenous Approval – The Mankayan Project holds a 25-year Mineral Production Sharing Agreement and has completed the social license with an FPIC finalized and a MoA in place.
- Scale and Development Optionality: A large, continuous mineral system supporting both staged, higher-grade development and long-life bulk mining scenarios.
- Established Mining District: Located in Northern Luzon, Philippines, near existing mining operations and infrastructure.
- 2026 Clear and focused roadmap: to derisk the Mankayan Project by advancing its Pre-Feasibility Study.
- Strengthened Leadership: Strong in-country team along with recent Board and management appointments enhance technical, operational, and regional capability.
- Strong Copper Leverage: Copper is a critical metal for electrification, renewable energy, and grid infrastructure, with long-term supply constraints supporting project optionality.
Key Project
Mankayan Copper-Gold Project – Philippines
The project is located in the prolific mineral belt of Northern Luzon, approximately 340 km north of Manila by road and around 2.5 km from the operating Lepanto gold mine and the Far Southeast project area.
Mankayan is one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold porphyry systems in Asia, extending over approximately 1,100 metres of strike and 600 metres of width, with mineralisation open along strike and at depth.
More than 56,000 metres of historical diamond drilling support a JORC compliant (2012) mineral resource estimate of 793 million tonnes at 0.35 percent copper and 0.38 grams per ton (g/t) gold, equivalent to 0.65 percent copper equivalent (CuEq*) at a 0.25% CuEq cut-off. Within this, a high-grade core of 170 million tonnes at 0.48 percent copper and 0.58 g/t gold, 0.93 percent (CuEq*) at a 0.8 percent cutoff provides potential for staged development scenarios.
Notable historical intercepts include:
- 911 m at 1.00 percent CuEq, including 253 m at 1.43 percent CuEq
- 543 m at 1.08 percent CuEq, including 277 m at 1.43 percent CuEq
- 1,119 m at 0.86 percent CuEq, including 352 m at 1.15 percent CuEq
- 754 m at 1.03 percent CuEq, including 430 m at 1.21 percent CuEq
Recent field activities have identified additional surface copper-gold mineralisation proximal to the main deposit, with rock-chip samples returning up to 6 g/t gold and 1.9 percent copper, highlighting further exploration upside across the broader project area.
CMDC is in the process of commencing a pre-feasibility study encompassing various mining scenarios and environmental studies.
Management Team
Geoff Gilmour – Executive Chairman
Appointed following Blackstone’s merger with IDM, Geoff Gilmour brings more than 30 years of distinguished leadership in the junior resources sector, with a proven track record of value creation. His career includes senior executive roles as Managing Director of Amex Resources, Brightstar, and Rift Valley Resources, and is highlighted by the successful creation of Andean Resources.
Gilmour has also served as chairman of IDM, where he played a pivotal role in advancing the Mankayan Project and leading the company through its merger with Blackstone Minerals. He currently serves as a director of Blackstone Minerals Ltd, continuing to drive strategic growth and development.
Oliver Cairns –Non-executive Director
Oliver Cairns brings key, hands-on experience to the company’s flagship Mankayan project in the Philippines and was part of the IDM International team that was responsible for the acquisition and management of the Mankayan project before the merger with
Blackstone in June 2025. He has deep familiarity with the Mankayan asset, including four years of actively working with the in-country team. In addition, Cairns offers more than 25 years of strategic corporate, IR and commercial experience.
Greg Cunnold – Non-executive Director
Greg Cunnold is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in the evaluation, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. Cunnold has worked on base and precious metals deposits, bulk commodities, rare earth elements, industrial minerals, and critical mineral projects. His assignments have spanned the globe, including Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America.
Over the years, Cunnold has played a pivotal role in numerous projects, contributing to the discovery, delineation, and development of valuable mineral deposits. His expertise ranges from grassroots exploration through to definitive feasibility studies. Cunnold is a Competent Person as defined by the JORC and NI 43-101 codes and has served corporately as a board member of private, public unlisted, and listed companies.
Mark Williams – Non-executive Director
Mark Williams’ career in the mining industry spans more than three decades and includes operational experience across a diverse range of assets in both mature and emerging global markets, with extensive in-country experience in the Philippines.
Most recently, Williams led mid-tier Australian gold producer Red 5 Limited (ASX: RED) for 10 years, overseeing an operational turnaround of its foundational asset in the Philippines, the Siana Gold Project, before initiating a transformational pivot to the West Australian goldfields through the acquisition, financing, development, construction and operation of the King of the Hills Gold Mine growing Red 5 to a $1.5 billion company in 2024 prior to its merger with Silver Lake Resources.
James Bahen – Company Secretary
James Bahen is a director and equity partner of SmallCap Corporate. He commenced his career in audit and assurance with an international chartered accounting firm. He is currently a non-executive director and company secretary to a number of ASX-listed companies and has a broad range of corporate governance and capital markets experience. Bahen is a member of the Governance Institute of Australia and holds a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in accounting and finance.
