MDF Global looks to revive the spirit of exploration in hunt for Alaska’s next Tier-1 discoveries

• Private prospect generator MDF Global secures one of the largest minerals exploration agreements globally
• MDF Alaska – Critical Minerals Alliance will see the company explore 10 million acres of prime exploration ground largely untouched by explorers for half a century
• Up to US$50 million to be spent over 5 years to establish a portfolio of equity or royalty interests across targeting 15+ projects

Special Report: Private explorer MDF Global has closed a groundbreaking deal which will see up to US$50 million spent on a landmark exploration campaign in the Alaskan mineral frontier.

 MDF has now formed a new company, MDF Alaska (Critical Metals Alliance), which will spend the next five years undertaking what it has termed one of the most ambitious precious and critical metals generative exploration programs in North America.

The aim is to create a portfolio of equity or royalty holdings in 15+ potential tier-1 new critical mineral assets in Alaska – just as the world is running short on critical metals supply and as Western countries are coming under pressure to delink their supply chains from China or Russia.

The fully funded project, leveraging an exploration budget rarely seen outside the mining industry’s biggest players, involves access to up to 10 million acres of land in Alaska, one of the world’s premier mining and exploration regions.

Importantly, the historic agreement has come from what MDF says is deep collaboration with Alaska’s traditional owners, part of the group of strategic investors with a stake in MDF Alaska (CMA).

MDF says its mission is not just to be an explorer, but to identify and develop economic mines that generate sustainable returns for all stakeholders, ensuring the benefits of any development flow back to the communities who have safeguarded the lands for generations.

“This agreement with Alaska’s traditional owners represents a meaningful step toward building strong, long-term partnerships with local communities,” MDF Global founder and MD Joe Webb said.

“Together, we are unlocking the immense mineral wealth of Alaska, while preserving cultural heritage and ensuring the community shares in the prosperity generated from these projects.”

Enormous scope and scale

“The scale and significance of this deal positions MDF Global as a key player in the future of critical metals exploration, with MDF Alaska (CMA) at the forefront of delivering on the world’s demand for precious and critical metals,” MDF said.

Supported by institutional capital including Australian mining billionaires, MDF is led by geologists with legendary expertise in the mining game.

Chair and discovery advisory board member John Main is front and centre, with 45 years of experience in the industry including as Managing Director North America with Rio Tinto, where he led teams on several world-class discoveries such as the massive Resolution copper deposit in Arizona.

MDF Global MD Webb previously held strategic roles at Rio and Mineralogy Pty Ltd, which identified the multi-billion magnetite iron ore development near Cape Preston in the Pilbara now known as Sino Iron.

In a Q&A with Reach Markets, Webb said the Alaskan land covered by the new agreement had its native title settled around 50 years ago when it was acquired by traditional owners, with the opportunity now to both deliver benefits to tradional owners and secure new domestic supplies of critical minerals for the US tech, energy, auto and defence industries.

Some of the land included in the deal was once explored by major miners, with tens of millions of dollars’ worth of data available to follow up on ground that has been untouched for decades.

“We can’t find another comparison to it,” Webb said.

“We’ve joined up with two groups in two of the most significant regions in Alaska.

“With that there’s tens of millions of dollars’ worth of data largely not assessed for 50 years.

“Having that data and access to that information we have a lot of confidence and Alaska is home to a real Tier-1 mining jurisdiction.

“There’s a lot more mines to be found and we’re in the front seat for that.”

Click here to hear directly from MDF Global Managing Director Joseph Webb off the back of the landmark Critical Minerals Alliance Deal

Need for new discoveries

Webb said the CMA deal was so important because major miners that used to invest in exploration and found most of the world’s major mining companies have become ‘production dominant’ and aren’t ‘treasure hunters’ or ‘adventurers’ anymore.

There’s a hole now for serious capital to be thrown at generative exploration and find the mines required to secure supplies of critical minerals for the long-term future of its industries.

“The problem is there’s not a market on the other side that’s delivering all these discoveries to throw their balance sheet at,” he said.

“China saw this 20 years ago, it wasn’t rocket science and they went and controlled the supply chains of a lot of the metals around the world. Now everyone’s grappling with that.

“We’re going back to what worked and looking forward to demonstrating how a systematic process delivers results and we’ve already got runs on the board from an MDF perspective.

“We’re moving into resource expansion and PEAs on assets.”

This article was developed in collaboration with Reach Markets and MDF Global, 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.