Free-carried. It is a term that many a junior exploration company executive dreams about hearing. The phrase essentially means the development of a project at the hands of a bigger and normally more established – and well-funded – backer, allowing the junior the opportunity to sit back and focus on an exploration campaign at the next prospect in the pipeline. Which brings us to the headline act of the latest Bulls N’ Bears Runners of the Week list, with MRG Metals (ASX: MRQ)

Many resource stories don’t always make it into the mainstream news and not everyone looks at the ASX announcements. But some ventures deserve recounting, even if only to showcase what Aussie miners are up to at home and around the globe – and their sometimes unique innovations or discoveries. We might be relatively small in number, but here Down Under, we punch well above our weight. Take Perth-based iron ore explorer and developer Equinox Resources (ASX: EQN), for example.