Apollo Minerals secures a fresh 5-year runway after Couflens permit is reinstated
Last updated: 19:49 26 Jan 2026 EST, First published: 19:18 26 Jan 2026 EST
Apollo Minerals Ltd (ASX:AON, FRA:4AP) has secured a fresh 5-year runway at its Couflens high-grade tungsten-gold project in southern France after receiving formal notice from the Directorate General for Energy and Climate of the French Ministry that the Couflens exploration permit has been reinstated.
The 42km² Couflens licence sits in the Pyrenees and hosts the historic Salau mine, regarded as one of the world’s highest-grade tungsten operations during its 1971–1986 production run.
Salau is recorded to have produced about 930,000t at 1.5% WO₃ for roughly 13,950t of WO₃ in concentrate before closing, with grades reported to have reached up to 2.5% WO₃ in the later years of mining.
Target regions within the Salau mine area, displaying material rock chip and drilling samples with tungsten and gold.
Gold upside flagged alongside tungsten mineralisation
The project also carries meaningful gold potential alongside tungsten mineralisation. Historical and surface results include gold assays of up to 8.9g/t Au in tailings, 8.5m at 3.4g/t Au and 2% WO₃ from partially sampled historical drill core, and 8m at 9.5g/t Au and 2.4% WO₃ from channel sampling deeper in the mine.
Surface sampling supports high-grade tungsten at Couflens
At surface, rock chip sampling has confirmed widespread high-grade tungsten mineralisation, with results up to 8.25% WO₃.
The mineralised system remains open at depth, with previous drilling below the base of existing underground development reported to have intersected continuing mineralisation.
Regional targets extend along 5km corridor
Beyond the Salau mine area, Apollo highlighted potential for shear-hosted gold mineralisation linked to major regional fault structures extending along a 5-kilometre corridor west of Salau. Gold has been confirmed down to 600 metres, pointing to potential scale.
With tenure now restored, the company said it is re-assessing historical exploration datasets, designing work programs and developing a strategy aimed at unlocking shareholder value from Couflens.
