RING OF FIRE IGNITES

FROM A REMOTE PROMISE TO A NEAR-TERM PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITY, AUSTRALIAN MINER WYLOO IS ADVANCING CANADA'S RING OF FIRE AS A CRITICAL MINERALS POWERHOUSE FOR THE CLEAN-TECH ERA.

- 

Once a distant prospect, the Ring of Fire is now moving quickly towards production, as Wyloo combines Australian mining know-how with First Nations partnerships to develop one of Canada's richest mineral regions.

Three years ago, there was little certainty the infrastructure needed to unlock the Ontario region's mineral potential would move ahead. But momentum has shifted.

Wyloo, which now owns the high-grade Eagle's Nest nickel-copper-platinum-group elements (PGE) deposit, said development is accelerating as First Nations people advance an all-season access road.

"It's quite an exciting milestone to see it start as early as [2026],” Wyloo chief executive officer Luca Giacovazzi told Australian Mining. “The First Nations-led all-season road is key to unlocking access to the Eagle's Nest project and surrounding mineral-rich areas.”

The Ring of Fire covers roughly 5000km² in northern Ontario and contains nickel, copper, chromite and platinum-group elements, metals increasingly sought after for use in electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage, renewable energy systems, and defence technologies.

Eagle's Nest is regarded as one of the highest-grade undeveloped nickel deposits in the world, with Wyloo forecasting production of nickel, copper and PGEs once permitting and construction are complete.

Wyloo's approach in Canada draws heavily from its experience in Australia, particularly the Yangibana rare earths project in WA.

Yangibana is one of the rare earth developments closest to production in Australia, and Giacovazzi said the company is taking a similar partnership-first approach in Canada. He described Wyloo's co-management model in the Ring of Fire with First Nations communities as a defining feature.