Ekometall Exploration are a private Austrian group focused on sustainably developing the country's vast copper & precious metal resources to support the supply of regional industry with essential metals, from local, safely operated, modern and environmentally friendly sources in the Austrian Alps
Catalysts for EMEX
Austria has thousands of years of mining history, but limited modern exploration
With the impacts of Climate Change, Covid and Brexit, Austria’s rural economy requires investment and diversification from tourism
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Europe is currently reliant on imported metals, when local sourcing would be greener
Austria has an accessible and affordable mineral exploration licensing system
Superb potential for large new discoveries and redevelopment of historic projects utilising modern technology
Copper prices are high, demand is high, experts predict we are entering a ‘commodity super cycle’
Austria has successful operating underground mines at Mittersill (Sandvik) and Breitanau (RHI Magnesita)
The EMEX team
Severina Ditsov
Severina graduated law studies with the University of Vienna and the University of Sofia. Severina has been working in commercial, company, immigration, labor and social security law for 6 years in Vienna, Austria and will provide EM Exploration with valuable insight into corporate operation in the country.
Reinhard Wagner
Reinhard studied geology and mineralogy at the University of Salzburg and holds a PhD from the University of Salzburg. He is an expert on Austrian deposits and has extensive experience in licensing, operation and management of Austrian exploration projects.
Jennifer Epstein
Jennifer has led EMEX's historic data research program alongside the Geologische Bundesanstalt throughout 2022. She is currently completing an MSc at Universität Wien, which focuses on impact petrology and geochemistry
Sean Kingsley
Sean is a Canadian mining investor and entrepreneur. He has over 13 years experience specializing in corporate development, corporate strategy, strategic marketing, investor relations, advising and raising capital. He has a firm understanding of the Canadian public market and broad experience in utilizing diverse methods for public communications.
Jason Beckton
Jason is currently managing director of Prospech Limited (ASX:PRS), former managing director of Chinalco Yunnan Copper Resources, former CEO of Redhill Chile (An EMR Capital investee company), former country manager for Exeter Resource Corp and former project manager on the Palmarejo project of Bolnisi Gold, which was sold to Coeur D'Alane for >$1b. He is also currently a corporate advisor to Deutsche Gesellsachaft fur Wertpapieranalyse GmBH (DGWA) in Germany & Central Europe.
Liam Hardy
With a family background in mineral exploration, a degree in geology and his own junior mining consultancy, Liam brings a mix of technical ‘boots-on-the- ground’ ore hunting and suit-booted corporate experience to the team. In his early career, Liam spent 4 years as a REE geochemical analyst, before focusing on streamlining communications in exploration businesses, through the founding of ‘Spotlight Mining', alongside investing into several international mineral exploration ventures. His most recent position was as Managing Director of Origin Exploration Ltd in West Africa.
Nicole Küper
Nicole holds a masters degree in development studies from the University of Bayreuth and the Université Bordeaux Montaigne. She has experience from several workplaces in the development field as well as from a position as ESG advisor with Origin Exploration Ltd., where she managed community relations and project proposals for the company’s development goals. Her main areas of interest are sustainability and community relations in the mining sector.
Julien Desrosiers
Julien Desrosiers is a financial risk analyst, originally from Quebec and now based in Vienna. In his early years, Julien studied mining management and operated diamond drill rigs in North America, before focusing on the fundamental analysis of metal and mining securities with several major firms in Europe.
EMEX properties
EMEX have secured 3 copper-gold project areas, combining 292 Austrian 'circular claims' for a 5-year exploration period from August 2021
All 3 projects feature:
- Direct road access (paved & gravel)
- Modern local infrastructure
- Visible historic mining activity and extraction records
- High Definition ‘LaserScan’ (similar to LiDAR) and orthophoto datasets
- Regional geological maps and data
- Proximity to existing mining operations
Our exciting properties have never seen modern exploration or a systematic program to define the extent of their copper, gold, silver, lead or zinc potential.
The original Austrian resource classifications included from the 1970s were designed to guide immediate mine production year-on-year, no exploration was ever conducted away from the mines.
EMEX1: The Kupferplatte
Current work program
- Recon site visit completed August 2021: confirmed new sulphide mineralised veining and extensive structural deformation zones outside of the historic mining area
- Satellite multispec analysis has highlighted significant unexplored target areas
- Licence extensions are currently under application to South and East following new multispec targets and field observations.
- Site visit at the Kuhkaser (multispec highlighted target area) completed September 2022: confirmed allochthonous chalcopyrite-bearing rocks. Future plan: Soil sampling and chemical analysis
The historic Jochberg & Kelchalm mines
- Mining on the Kelchalpe is prehistoric (13th-9th/8th century BC) and thus the oldest in Tyrol
- The lower levels of the Kupferplatte mine have been refurbished as part of a museum exhibit
- Main ore minerals: chalcopyrite-pyrite (partly with Ni-Co arsenides) and pyrrhotite
- Secondary products are mostly iron hydroxides and malachite
- Other ore minerals: Cr-spinel, rutile, chlorite, and amphibolite
- Rare accessory minerals: niccolite and chloanthite (white nickel), zincblende, galena, and solid copper
- Mine exploited a 1.5m vein of chalcopyrite-pyrite accompanied by ankerite and quartz
- Surrounding system and gold content was never explored. We believe this is only a small stockwork zone of the regional metalliferous system.
- Form of mineralisation: stratabound deposits, joints and veins, controlled by fault zones
- Cu reserves/resources at Jochberg & Kelchalm (as of 1975, Cu content in t):
- Austrian resource standard: A + B + C Vorräte: A+B+C: 7,000/1,000 t Cu
- Potentielle Vorräte: 4,000/7,000 t Cu
- In the 19th century, crude ore from the Kelchalpe contained 2.6% and processed ores 19.5% Cu. Preliminary estimates (from a 1938 survey) indicate the potential for 3.1% Cu-bearing crude ore in deeper unscored units of the mine
Nearby copper smelter
- The smelter that originally served the mines is still operational 60km from the property
Multispec satellite analysis of the Kupferplatte shows clearly divided metallurgical zones of lead/zinc and copper/hematite, along with several brand new copper targets in the south east of the property.
(Data analysed by Neil Pendock, August-2021)
EMEX2: VILLGRATEN & PANZENDORF MINES
- Massive sulphide style deposit
- Ore bearing horizons traceable over several hundred metres with thickness up to 3.5 m
- Pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite; minor galena and Fe-rich sphalerite, arsenopyrite
- Associated with native gold/electrum but never assayed or mined for Au/Ag
- Cu reserves/resources (1975):
- Austrian resource standard: A + B + C Vorräte: (0,8 %) 3000t Cu
- Potentielle Vorräte: (0,7 %) 14000
- Lead & Zinc
- Panzendorf 0,4 Mt Pb & Zn
- Villgraten 0,1 Mt Pb & Zn’
EMEX3: GROßARL MINES
- Historic copper mining town in the 14th and 15th centuries to the south of Hüttschlag
- 3 main deposit locations: Tofern, Schwarzwand and Karteis (can be traced over 6-8 km in strike; mining can partly be traced for more than 3 km)
- Schwarzwand and Karteis still accessible through tunnels
- Mineralisation type: stratiform pyrite mineralisation in greenstones with high grade Cu (Tennantite-Tetrahedrite series)
- Genesis: Vulcanosedimentary-exhalative
- Minerals: Mainly pyrite, chalcopyrite, magnetite, chlorite. Small amounts of pyrrhotite, hematite and traces of bornite, galenite, fahlore (i.e., grey copper ore) and arsenopyrite
- Historical production figures generally show average Cu contents of > 1.0%
- Cu reserves/resources at Großarl (as of 1975, Cu content in t):
- A + B + C Vorräte (Austrian resource standard): 1,000 t Cu
- Potential resources: 5,000 t Cu
- Special feature: Quartz veins in the green shales sometimes carry epigenetic bornite mineralisation rich in free gold
Priority areas/mines
- Karteis:
- Presence of abundant and coarse-grained chalcopyrite
- Quartz-pyrite bank with 3-4% Cu and about 35% S
- Average Cu-value of >2 % from pyrite and Cu-impregnated samples
- 16.8 % Cu in chalcopyrite sample
- Length of the deposit is about 2 km and was mined to a depth of 60m. Over 300m are exposed
- Presumption of another parallel deposit
- Kreeberg:
- Similar chalcopyrite-rich deposits as in Karteis
- Ores were mined continuously from the surface to a depth of 200 m and a thickness of 24 m
- Millerite (Ni-sulphide) should also be present here
- Tofern (Alt- and Astentofern):
- Soil material from the valley floor yielded 9000 ppm Cu (After a soil survey from the Environmental Protection Department)
- Total length of mineralised zone is 7 km
Current and future work
- Requires surface mapping and geophysics to better define the mineralisation extent
- First visits and exploration at priority areas
- Possible license extensions

Tel: (+43) 660 818 4657
Social media: @emexploration
Email: liam@emexploration.at
