PARTNERSHIP TO ESTABLISH AUSTRALIA AS A HREE LEADER
ASX: VTM Victory Metals Limited ACN 124 279 750
Suite 1, 295 Rokeby Road, Subiaco Western Australia 6008
Email: admin@victorymetalsaustralia.com www.victorymetalsaustralia.com Page 1 of 4
ASX ANNOUNCEMENT 16 FEB 2026
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ESTABLISH
AUSTRALIA AS A HEAVY RARE EARTH LEADER
Victory Metals Limited (ASX:VTM) ("Victory" or "the Company") is pleased to
announce Curtin University and Victory have formed a strategic partnership to
accelerate the development of Victory’s North Stanmore Heavy Rare Earth (HREE) and
Strategic Defence Metal project, which will help supply Australia with the materials
needed for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, advanced electronics, defence
and more.
Under the partnership, Victory will collaborate with the Australian Government-
backed, Curtin-led Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer initiative to
work on Victory’s North Stanmore Project.
Located near Cue in Western Australia, North Stanmore is Australia’s biggest clay-
hosted heavy rare earth resource.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Curtin will contribute specialist staff with expertise in water management,
recycling and recovery, metallurgy and more as the project advances
toward commercial production.
• Curtin will work alongside Victory’s technical team, offering support with
the studies required to advance the North Stanmore Project HREE project
toward commercial production.
• The parties will co-develop a pilot plant at Victory’s facility in Burswood,
Western Australia.
Head of Curtin’s Western Australian School of Mines, John Curtin Distinguished
Professor Mark Buntine commented: “The partnership reflected Curtin’s leadership
in critical minerals and advanced processing.”
“Curtin is a national leader in minerals processing, hydrometallurgy and sustainable
resource technologies, with advanced facilities and a strong track record of
translating research into industry outcomes,”
“We are proud to lead the technical development of this nationally significant project,
bringing together our world-class expertise with Victory Metals’ exceptional North
Stanmore rare earth resource.”
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“By working closely with Victory’s technical team, we aim to optimise systems in place
and help drive the project toward commercial production to strengthen Australia’s
critical minerals supply chain.”
Victory Metals Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Brendan Clark
commented: “The partnership combines an exceptional resource with world-class
research.”
“Victory, Curtin and the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer create
an unbeatable industry-academia powerhouse.”
“This partnership delivers massive technical momentum, positions us to lead
Australia’s heavy rare earth supply chain and puts sustainable production firmly
within reach.”
WA Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael commented: “I am excited to see
an innovative, ambitious company like Victory Metals teaming up with an Australia’s
leading mining-focused tertiary institution, Curtin’s WA School of Mines, to accelerate
the development of an important rare earths project in WA.
“This is the type of partnership that will help the State and Australia position itself as
a leader in the production and processing or rare earth elements which are so critical
in industries such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, defence technologies and
medical applications.”
About Curtin University
Curtin University is Western Australia’s largest university, with close to 60,000 students.
In addition to the University’s main campus in Perth, Curtin also has a major regional
campus in Kalgoorlie, and a campus in Midland, as well as five global campuses in
Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. Curtin staff and students come
from Australia and more than 140 other countries around the world, with about half
our international students studying at Curtin’s offshore campuses.
Curtin is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide and has achieved a
QS Five Stars Plus rating, the highest available for a tertiary institution and one of only
four to do so in Australia.
The University has built a reputation around innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit,
being at the forefront of many high-profile research projects in astronomy, biosciences,
economics, mining and information technology. It is also recognised globally for its
strong connections with industry, and for its commitment to preparing students for
the jobs of the future.
For further information, visit curtin.edu.au
Page 3 of 4
About The Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer
Part of the Australian Government’s Department of Education Trailblazer Universities
Program being a transformative program designed to build new research capabilities,
drive commercialisation, and foster industry academia collaboration in the resources
and critical minerals sector.
Led by Curtin University in partnership with The University of Queensland and James
Cook University, the RTCM Trailblazer connects innovative companies like Victory with
industry led projects and pathways to translate research into real world, high impact
outcomes.
This alignment positions Victory at the heart of Australia’s push for advanced
manufacturing, circular economy innovation, and secure critical minerals supply chains.
For further information, visit research.curtin.edu.au/trailblazer
This announcement has been authorised by the Board of Victory Metals Limited.
For further information please contact:
Brendan Clark Jim Carden
CEO and Executive Director Investor and Media Relations
admin@victorymetalsaustralia.com jimc@bastionagency.com
Victory Metals Limited
Victory is dedicated to the exploration and development of its flagship North Stanmore
Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE), Scandium, Hafnium and Gallium Project located
in the Cue Region of Western Australia. The Company is committed to advancing this
world-class project to unlock its significant potential.
In August 2025, Victory Metals announced a robust Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE)
for North Stanmore, totalling 320.6 million tonnes, with the majority of the resource,
classified in the indicated category. This positions the North Stanmore Project as
Australia's largest indicated clay heavy rare earth resource, underscoring its pivotal role
as a future supplier of critical materials for the future.
North Stanmore Mineral Resource Estimate
Table 1: North Stanmore August 2025 MRE (≥330ppm TREO + Sc2O3 cut-off grade)
CLASSIFICATION
MRE TONNES
(t)
TREOSc
(ppm)
TREO
(ppm)
HREO
(ppm)
LREO
(ppm)
HREO/TREO
(%)
Sc2O3
(ppm)
Ga2O3
(ppm)
INDICATED 176,522,000 532 505 190 316 39 26 26
INFERRED 144,118,000 484 463 166 297 37 21 25
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Forward-looking statements
This announcement contains “forward-looking statements”. All statements other than
those of historical facts included in this announcement are forward looking statements.
Where a company expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or
results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a
reasonable basis. However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks,
uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from
future results expressed, projected or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such
risks include, but are not limited to, metals price volatility, currency fluctuations,
increased production costs and variances in ore grade or recovery rates from those
assumed in mining plans, as well as political and operational risks and governmental
regulation and judicial outcomes. Neither company undertakes any obligation to release
publicly any revisions to any “forward-looking” statement.
Competent Person Statement - Professor Ken Collerson
Statements contained in this report relating to exploration results, Mineral Resource
Estimate, metallurgy results, scientific evaluation, and potential, are based on
information compiled and evaluated by Emeritus Professor Ken Collerson. Professor
Collerson (PhD) Principal of KDC Geo Consulting and Director of Victory Metals
Limited, and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM
No. 100125), is a geochemist/geologist with sufficient relevant experience in relation to
rare earth element and critical metal mineralisation being reported on, to qualify as a
Competent Person as defined in the Australian Code for Reporting of Identified Mineral
resources and Ore reserves (JORC Code 2012). Professor Collerson consents to the use
of this information in this report in the form and context in which it appears.
No New Information – Mineral Resources
Information in this report relates to Mineral Resource Estimates and exploration results
for the North Stanmore Project and is available to view on www.asx.com.au. Victory
Metals Limited confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that
materially affects the information included in the original market announcement, and
that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in
the announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed.
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