Samso News: Updating Critical Resources Limited (ASX: CRR) – Initiating the Solid-State Battery Business - Is this a Shift in Business that Needs some Serious SamsoDYOR.
- Noel Ong
- 1 day ago
- 9 min read
Announcement
CRR Advances Solid State Battery Evaluation Pathway – 2 February 2026 ( view the announcement )
Major Gold Antimony Silver System Emerging at Amoco - 9 February 2026 ( view the announcement )
Solid-State Lithium-Ion Battery Evaluation Program - 17 February 2026 ( view the announcement )
CRR Appoints Leading Solid-State Battery Specialist Advisor - 17 February 2026 ( view announcement )
The month of February has seen an interesting shift in the business pathway for Critical Resources. The company is looking for gold in New Zealand, exploring for lithium in Canada and now looking at transitioning into participating in downstream battery technology validation. The acceptance into US solid-state energy environment provides an execution pathway for evaluating optioned solid-state lithium-ion battery IP.
When I first started looking at the CRR story, it was about the gold exploration in New Zealand and then this month of February have me confused. For a small cap company on the ASX, there is a lot happening and I am now thinking if there is just too much happening or is this something bigger than what it seems.
Introduction - The New Critical Resources Limited Story
Lets slowly break down the news in February in which Critical Resources is creating a series of mis-match news for investors. Personally, the series of ASX releases is creating a confusing narrative in which even the most optimistic follower such as Samso is confused to a point that I am not sure which story is going to headline any potential position for an investor. I know that in the world of "smoke and mirrors" that this industry is famous for, the mixed news is something that needs to be looked at and understood.
Sometimes, it is these kinds of early signs that is worth picking up on and ultimately as investors, we need all the help we can get to sustain our losses :-).
Acceptance into CEPS – Institutional Integration (2 Feb 2026)
Critical Resources Limited (ASX: CRR) has been accepted as an industry member of the U.S. Centre for Solid-State Electric Power Storage (CEPS), an American National Science Foundation (NSF) supported Industry–University Cooperative Research Centre (Figure 1).
This follows CRR’s previously announced exclusive option to evaluate several next-generation solid-state lithium-ion battery technologies from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDM), covering five granted U.S. patents and one pending application.
CEPS brings together South Dakota Mines, North-eastern University, Syracuse University and Cornell University, along with industry partners including Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan.
Figure 1:“CEPS enables Critical Resources to access a multi-university research network and advanced federal laboratory infrastructure supporting solid-state battery validation, prototyping, and development.” (source: CRR)
This positioning embeds CRR into a coordinated multi-institutional research framework designed to transition solid-state technologies from laboratory research into real-world application.
Benefits outlined:
Access to federal research infrastructure
Reduced development cost
Coordinated multi-university technical validation
Alignment with automotive, defence and grid storage sectors 03051669
Solid-State Battery Evaluation Program Commenced
(11 Feb 2026)
Critical Resources formally initiated a six-month structured evaluation program with South Dakota School of Mines & Technology under CEPS.
Key elements include:
Amorphous, sulphur-free solid-state electrolytes (ASE)
Dry Supersonic Deposition (DSD) solvent-free cathode manufacturing (Figure 2)
Milestone-driven electrolyte refinement and interface validation
US$100,000 structured six-month program budget.
Technical objectives:
Validate non-flammable solid electrolytes
Improve lithium-metal interface stability
Generate electrochemical datasets for prototype progression
Advance solvent-free cathode manufacturing using LFP, LMO and NMC materials.
Figure 2: Early successful tests of dry-supersonic-deposition (DSD) of Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) cathode material onto battery pouch cell aluminium foil substrate. (source: CRR)
Two 12-month provisional U.S. patent applications have been filed covering both projects Solid-State Lithium-Ion Battery.
Appointment of Dr Alevtina Smirnova
(17 Feb 2026)
Critical Resources Limited (ASX: CRR) has appointed globally recognised solid-state battery scientist Dr Alevtina (Alla) Smirnova as Technical Advisor to strengthen its solid-state lithium-ion battery evaluation strategy CRR Appoints Advisor.
The appointment supports the Company’s transition from early-stage access to patented solid-state battery intellectual property toward structured, laboratory-based validation and early prototype-oriented work programs. This follows CRR’s exclusive option agreement with the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDM) and its participation in the U.S. National Science Foundation-backed Centre for Solid-State Electric Power Storage (CEPS) CRR Appoints Advisor.
Key Points from the Announcement
Technical Oversight Strengthened: Dr Smirnova brings independent technical leadership to CRR’s solid-state battery evaluation program CRR Appoints Advisor.
Inventor and Research Leader: She is the inventor of multiple lithium and sodium solid-state battery technologies and serves as Director of CEPS CRR Appoints Advisor.
Structured Validation Phase: Her involvement supports milestone-driven laboratory evaluation, performance benchmarking, and prototype development under internationally recognised research standards CRR Appoints Advisor.
Federal-Backed Research Alignment: Dr Smirnova’s background includes NSF-supported programs and U.S. Department of Defence-funded research, reinforcing technical credibility within a U.S.-based innovation ecosystem CRR Appoints Advisor.
Strategic Context
The Company states that solid-state battery technologies under evaluation target:
Improved safety through non-flammable solid electrolytes
Higher energy density
Enhanced cycle reliability
Performance across high-temperature and high-reliability applications such as data centres, defence, and mining CRR Appoints Advisor
Dr Smirnova has already assisted in designing evaluation frameworks, benchmarking methodologies, and milestone sequencing to ensure the data generated is robust and comparable to leading global battery programs CRR Appoints Advisor.
Immediate Next Steps
With evaluation programs underway through CEPS and SDM, CRR’s near-term focus includes:
Refining electrolyte formulations
Improving lithium-metal interface stability
Optimising dry-deposited cathode and electrolyte structures
Generating structural, morphological, electrochemical and interface datasets
Progressing toward early prototype solid-state cell assemblies CRR Appoints Advisor
The Company notes that these activities are designed to build technical foundations and do not imply commercial manufacturing at this stage CRR Appoints Advisor.
Halls Peak – Multi-Commodity Discovery Pipeline Advancing
(9 Feb 2026)
Critical Resources Limited (ASX: CRR) has provided a project-wide update from its Halls Peak Project in the New England Fold Belt, NSW, outlining advances across the Amoco, Gibsons and Mayview prospects (Figure 3).
The announcement confirms the development of a district-scale multi-commodity system comprising precious metals, base metals and critical minerals.
Amoco – Petrography Confirms Shallow Orogenic Gold–Antimony–Silver System
Petrographic analysis of ten maiden drill samples confirms that Amoco hosts a late-stage shallow-level orogenic gold–antimony–silver lode system, overprinting earlier VHMS mineralisation.
Key geological observations include:
Quartz-rich hydrothermal breccias and vein infill
Strong replacement textures from multiple mineralising fluid pulses
Up to ~20% sulphide minerals
Quartz–sericite–pyrite alteration assemblages
Arsenopyrite and carbonate textures consistent with shallow orogenic systems.
Outcrop and float samples returned high-grade results, including:
Up to 17.9 g/t Au
Up to 0.7% Sb
Up to 53.2 g/t Ag
The Company notes geological similarities to the nearby Hillgrove Au–Sb system, with reinterpretation of aeromagnetic data outlining NE/SW fault structures interpreted as hydrothermal conduits (Figure 3)
Figure 3: Amoco gold-in-soils geochemistry assay results with rock chip samples and major interpreted fault. (source: CRR)
structures (black dashed lines) with Gibson Base Metals Project.
The petrographic report recommends further drilling to test controls on high-grade mineralisation.
Gibsons – Exceptional High-Grade Silver Across Multiple Stacked Lodes
The Gibsons Project hosts an Inferred Mineral Resource of 840,000 tonnes @ 3.7% Zn, 1.5% Pb, 0.44% Cu, 30 g/t Ag and 0.1 g/t Au (JORC 2012).
Drilling confirms:
More than 130 drill samples exceed 100 g/t Ag
Ten samples exceed 940 g/t Ag
Up to nine mineralised horizons modelled
Three lodes consistently above 900 g/t Ag
Standout intersections include:
1.15m @ 3,780 g/t Ag
1.6m @ 1,900 g/t Ag
1.24m @ 1,750 g/t Ag
2.0m @ 1,085 g/t Ag
Two distinct silver mineralisation styles are identified:
Massive sulphide-hosted Zn–Pb–Cu lodes
Black shale-hosted silver with tetrahedrite mineralisation.
The resource remains open along strike and at depth, with many high-grade intervals sitting outside current resource wireframes.
Mayview – High-Grade Antimony Adjacent to Hillgrove
The Mayview Antimony Prospect lies immediately adjacent to Larvotto Resources’ Hillgrove Antimony–Gold Operations (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Mayview Antimony Prospect with recent surface rock samples. (source: CRR)
Rock-chip assays returned:
52.3% Sb
38.3% Sb
15.35% Sb & 2.71 g/t Au
12.45% Sb & 2.18 g/t Au
11.2% Sb & 1.13 g/t Au
Land-access negotiations are progressing, with the Company targeting a low-impact soil geochemistry survey across ~270m of historic workings once access is secured.
Next Steps
Across the Halls Peak Project, the Company intends to:
Integrate new petrographic results into the Amoco structural model
Refine drilling targets along strike and at depth
Advance permitting and land-access agreements
Undertake soil geochemistry at Mayview
Target down-dip and strike extensions at Gibsons
Samso Concluding Comments
As I have been eluding in this Samso News, I am not a fan of the recent flow of ASX releases coming out of CRR. I was and am still a big fan of their strategy to seek gold fortunes in New Zealand and with the recent thrust into the lithium space again, I think there is a confusing narrative. I was never a big fan of the lithium market run and I am still not a fan of it. The closing down of the lithium processing plants in Western Australia even with very optimistic market chatter is a clear sign that the lithium business is no longer the highlight. It may the typical wishing for "Hope" that lingers on when investors should be cutting losses, an unfortunate learning all investors need to learn.
However, as I mentioned earlier, the people behind the narrative are seasoned proponents of this business and there must be some form of reason for the shift. As I have been n the corporate part of the sector for a good part of 20 years, I am always suspicious when there is a major wind change, or a feeling of a major wind change.
I do like the story coming out of New Zealand and I am still optimistic that the company will pursue it but sometimes, it is important to read in between the lines and this may mean that management is not liking the situation in New Zealand. I know it is hard to work there as I have had experience in 2012, so there is probably merit in the rethinking.
The other thought is if the New Zealand pathway was a secondary play all along and the main game is the current narrative of work in the US with the CEPS. As I said, one has to look at all angles.
In regards to the New Zealand play, it is a pity as I was really looking forward to see if they were going to join the ranks of Santana Minerals Limited (ASX: SMI) and take advantage of the prospective mineral exploration opportunities in New Zealand.
Market Implication - The Investor Lens
For a company that has a market cap less than AUD $30M, this is a very interesting narrative and the share price chart in figure 5 clearly shows a lack of excitement. What that may simply mean is that there is no market chatter yet or this is one of those slow and prolonged build up ? With a decently low market cap, this may still have legs if there is substance to the solid-state energy play.
Figure 5: The share price of CRR as of 17th February 2026. (source: commsec)
As I always say, as retail investors, we just need to keep our ears on the pulse and have our eyes wide open for the movement and the potential events that may come, either good or bad.
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