Locksley Resources taps US advisor to drive critical minerals strategy

• Locksley Resources appoints Viriathus Capital LLC as capital markets advisor
• The company believes the advisory firm is a powerful additional to its team
• Locksley well positioned to leverage DoD-backed price floors and strategic equity investments in neighbouring MP Materials, reinforcing U.S. critical mineral supply chain confidence.

Special report: Locksley Resources has named US advisor Viriathus Capital LLC to support its expansion into North American markets, deepen engagement with government stakeholders and help shape its downstream strategy.

Viriathus Capital brings extensive experience working with ASX listed and US-based critical minerals companies.

The global boutique financial services group will provide strategic guidance to Locksley Resources (ASX:LKY / OTCQB: LKYRF) as it refines its US-facing downstream roadmap, focusing on lab-to-market development with US national labs, e-waste technology integration and positioning key critical minerals (antimony and rare earths) for the electrification transition.

LKY will benefit from their established investor relationships, US sell side analyst networks and insight into navigating public-private partnerships and federal funding pathways.

As part of their engagement, Viriathus will implement a US financial marketing program to generate interest in the company, strengthen the company’s profile within the US critical minerals investment and regulatory landscape and support LKY as it engages and develops funding pathways with the Department of Defense, Department of Energy and US Export-Import Bank.

More from Locksley: Drilling permit granted for historic antimony mine

“Powerful addition”

LKY chairman Nathan Lude said the company was pleased to welcome Viriathus Capital as its US strategic and capital markets advisor.

“Their experience with critical minerals companies, combined with their reach into the US investor, media and policy ecosystem, is a powerful addition to our team,” he said.

“Importantly, their input will not only help develop our investor strategy but also guide our downstream and innovation strategy at a time when US funding and industrial support is accelerating.”

LKY owns the Mojave project in California’s Mojave Desert where drilling approval has been received by the Bureau of Land Management.

As well as its rare earth prospectivity, the project hosts the Desert Antimony Mine, which last operated in 1937.

Explorers Podcast: Locksley Resources puts sights on US antimony ascent

Landmark moment

The growing push to reshore critical minerals supply chains was exemplified as Locksley’s neighbour MP Materials had its future underwritten last week via a multi-billion-dollar public-private partnership with the DoD to build a domestic supply chain for rare earth magnets.

The transaction would see the DoD become MP Materials’ largest shareholder following a $400 million equity purchase.

LKY believes the news not only reinforces Locksley’s US aligned development strategy but also sets an important precedent for federal support given its location less than 2km from MP in the Mojave region.

With the Mojave Project directly abutting and the El Campo rare earths prospect encompassed by MP Material Mountain Pass claims, Locksley is well positioned to benefit.

“The recent DoD backed price floor and equity investment in MP Materials is a landmark moment, signalling not just support for rare earths, but what appears to be the emergence of a quasi-sovereign-backed supply chain strategy for critical minerals in the United States,” Lude said.

“This is the most assertive US industrial policy move since the Global Financial Crisis, placing Locksley in a unique position to benefit from this strategic realignment.

“We are extremely focused on maximising the opportunity ahead for our investors,” he said.”

This article was developed in collaboration with Locksley Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.