Dark Star Minerals Inc. has announced the appointment of Duane B. Parnham to its advisory board, a move aimed at strengthening the company’s capital markets strategy and advancing its Namibian uranium portfolio.
Parnham will provide strategic guidance on financing and development as the company prepares to advance its projects in Namibia’s Erongo uranium province.
According to the announcement, Parnham’s appointment reflects Dark Star’s growing focus on establishing itself as a credible player in the global uranium sector. The company is currently working with Critical One Energy Inc. on the acquisition and advancement of two Namibian uranium assets, the Cobra North and Khan West projects.
Chief executive officer Marc Branson said Parnham’s involvement brings significant value to Dark Star’s next phase of growth. “We’re excited to welcome Duane to the team. His proven track record in leading successful public companies enhances our strategic capabilities and underscores our continued commitment to working with Critical One to develop world-class uranium assets in Namibia,” Branson said.
Duane Parnham is a Canadian mining executive and entrepreneur with more than 35 years of experience building and financing public companies across the mining and energy sectors. He is currently the chief executive officer of Critical One Energy Inc., the private company whose Namibian uranium assets are being acquired by Dark Star. Over his career, Parnham has founded and led several companies in a range of commodities, including gold, uranium, antimony, and oil.
He is best known for founding Forsys Metals Corp. in the late 2000s, which he grew from a C$45,000 start-up to a peak market capitalisation of approximately C$860 million. He later founded UNX Energy Corp., which was sold for C$730 million in 2011. Combined, these ventures and others have created more than C$1.5 billion in shareholder value.
Parnham’s career spans multiple leadership and technical roles, including geological and environmental consulting, exploration management, and corporate finance.
He has guided exploration and development projects across Canada and internationally, overseeing activities from land acquisition and permitting to capital raising and exchange listings, including the TSX, OTCQB, and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
His previous companies include Temex Resources Corp., Forsys Metals Corp., UNX Energy Corp., Giyani Metals Corp., Canoe Mining Ventures Corp., Broadway Strategic Metals Inc., Broadway Gold Mining Ltd., and Nevada Zinc Corporation.
Outside the mining sector, Parnham is also recognised for his philanthropy. In 2011, he launched the Parnham Foundation to promote access to education for disadvantaged students.
The following year, he donated C$1 million to Fleming College, which remains the largest alumni contribution in Ontario’s community college history. In 2017, he received the Ontario Premier’s Award for Business, recognising his contributions to Canadian entrepreneurship and his impact on the global mining industry.
In connection with his appointment to the advisory board, Dark Star granted Parnham 500,000 stock options, each exercisable into one common share at an exercise price of $0.07 per share.
The options vested immediately upon grant, are exercisable for three years, and are subject to a standard four-month exchange hold period.
The option grant remains subject to final approval by the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE).
Dark Star Minerals is a mineral exploration company focused on the strategic development of uranium and critical mineral resources.
It has the option to acquire a 100 per cent interest in the Ghost Lake claims located in the Central Mineral Belt of Labrador, covering 28,575 hectares of contiguous claim blocks. The company also owns the Bleasdell Project, which spans over 515 hectares in northern Saskatchewan.
In addition, Dark Star has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Critical One Energy Inc.’s interest in the Cobra North and Khan West uranium projects situated in Namibia’s Erongo uranium province—one of the most established uranium mining regions in the world. The Erongo region hosts several globally recognised uranium mines and projects, including Rössing, Husab, Langer Heinrich, and Etango-8.
Through this acquisition, Dark Star aims to expand its footprint beyond Canada and position itself within Namibia’s emerging uranium resurgence, supported by increasing global demand for nuclear fuel.
With Parnham’s appointment, the company said it will continue to develop its growth strategy in line with the strengthening uranium market, leveraging his extensive background in exploration, project finance, and capital markets to unlock the value of its Namibian and Canadian assets.
