Because its projects and investments cover a range of commodities in Laos, South Australia and Queensland, one of the problems for Argonaut Resources in the past was a lack of obvious direction.

But that is changing now that the junior explorer has set as its priority a tenement block neighbouring the giant Lumwana copper mine in Zambia, which was the centrepiece of Barrick Gold’s $C7.3 billion ($7.16 million) deal to buy Equinox Minerals last year.