Matt Birney

WA-based explorer, Middle Island Resources, has added another notch to its exploration belt by becoming a first mover in the Northern Territory’s unexplored East Tennant province, where it has so far been awarded six out of 10 exploration licences covering part of its proposed Barkly “super-project”. The company is now confident East Tennant is, like the well-established Tennant Creek mineral field to the west, hosting IOCG ore bodies.

Green energy innovator, ClearVue Technologies, has consolidated its position in the global renewables sector after securing a lucrative manufacturing and supply agreement with Taiwan’s BeyondPV Company that will significantly boost its hopes of full commercialisation of its unique solar window glass. The Taiwanese group is interested in ClearVue’s advanced Insulated Glass Unit technology that is used in windows and building facades to convert sunlight into energy.

Blina Minerals has hit the ground running at its recently acquired Barkly copper gold project in the Northern Territory’s rich Tennant Creek mineral province. The explorer has launched a six-hole RC program that will focus on a 600m copper anomaly overlaying a zone of gold-copper-bismuth at the Bluebird prospect. Given this target is largely under cover, the company is confident it may have been overlooked by previous explorers.

Northern Minerals has kicked off an RC drill campaign in search of rare earths at its Brown’s Range project in the East Kimberly of Western Australia. The company is confident that its new targets are underpinned by strong predictive science and will sink approximately 4000 meters of RC into the Gambit West and Cyclops deposits whilst undertaking more regional drilling at the Rouge target, located about six kilometres along strike from Dazzler-Iceman

Hammer Metals, has hit the nail on the head with some striking first pass aircore results from Target 1 within the 14km long Orelia trend at its Bronzewing South gold project. Results include 4 meters grading 2.40 grams per tonne gold from 16 metres downhole and point to an emerging discovery for Hammer who has now identified a 500m long gold mineralised trend at Target 1.

Strategic metals company, TNG Limited has received a healthy $2.18 million refund under the Federal Government’s lucrative Research and Development, or “R&D” tax incentive scheme. The company received the funds in relation to test work for the commercial extraction of rare metals using its patented “TIVAN” process. Recently the company submitted the mine plan for its wholly-owned Mount Peake vanadium-titanium-iron project in the Northern Territory, which has an initial 37-year mine life.

ASX-listed, heavyweight automotive conglomerate, AMA Group, has completed a multi-million dollar, transformational acquisition of Insurance giant, Suncorp’s Capital S.M.A.R.T panel business, at an implied enterprise value of $420m. It has also purchased Suncorp’s complimentary ACM Parts business for $20m. The deal has propelled AMA into the exclusive ranks of billion-dollar market capped companies and comes gift wrapped with a 25-year service agreement with Suncorp.

Ore sorting could be the panacea for nuggety conglomerate gold projects that are notoriously hard to develop after Novo Resources reported very positive gold recovery numbers from its Egina conglomerate gold project in the Pilbara. Novo is rapidly gaining credibility as a conglomerate specialist as it looks to add this new ore sorting technology to its suite of tools to effectively process its various styles of conglomerate mineralisation.

Neometals is continuing its push into nickel with the expeditious upgrading of its inferred nickel resource at the Munda deposit, which is now a strategic part of the company’s Mt Edwards project near Widgiemooltha in WA. The update has significantly impacted Mt Edwards’ growing inventory, boosting its contained nickel resources to over 130,400t of contained metal, clearing the way for mining studies.

Emerging global lithium player, AVZ Minerals, has recruited the services of African mining veteran, Dr John Clarke, as it prepares to take its massive Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the next level. Dr Clarke, a former Ashanti Goldfields executive, will become AVZ’s non-executive chairman at the end of the year, bringing to the table a vast wealth of experience from across the Continent.

ASX listed explorer, Ardiden, has identified a swathe of new targets across the West Pickle and Pickle Lake prospects at its gold play in Ontario, Canada. The targets were identified using a combination of airborne magnetic, electromagnetic or “EM” geophysical surveys and historical data. The company also holds the Kasagiminnis deposit that holds a resource of 110,000 ounces grading at a very respectable 4.4g/t gold.

Despite a drop in the zircon price earlier this year, the value of Image Resources’ zircon-rich heavy mineral sands concentrate from its Boonanarring operation in WA has not been diminished as offtake partners continue to pay a premium for its product. The company, which has enjoyed a stellar run since production started at the mine last December, is now looking at new ways to add value to its mineral sands ore body.

Northern Minerals has hit more high-grade dysprosium at its Dazzler prospect just 15km from its Browns Range mine. Assays received by the company following an RC infill and step-out drilling program at Dazzler returned some impressive, near surface intercepts including 7.71% total rare earths oxide, including 7,502 parts per million dysprosium. Dysprosium is typically only mined in China and is in demand from the EV sector.

MGC Pharmaceuticals has received a Government grant to support its research and development work relating to phyto-cannabinoid derived medicines to treat the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, dementia is the second leading cause of death for Australians, which means that MGC will have a sizeable addressable market if it’s cannabis-based medicinal products can have an impact on this debilitating disease.

The board and management of Azumah Resources has downed tools and moved on after its private equity partner, Ibaera Capital, moved to a majority 61% holding. Managing Director Steve Stone has resigned and non-executive director, Linton Putland will not seek re-election and both have recommended that shareholders accept Ibaera's increased 3.3c a share offer on their way out the door. All major shareholders have now accepted.

Sky and Space Global is rattling the tin as it accelerates its plan to beef up its presence in the space communications race as it looks to launch the first eight of its income earning, telecommunications “nanosatellites” by next year. The company is also planning to expand its commercial opportunities in the satellite sector as it continues to attract telecommunications customers.

Horizon Minerals has rounded off a drilling campaign at its Kalgoorlie gold project with results such as 12 meters grading 3.62 grams per tonne gold from just 28 meters downhole at the Capricorn prospect. At the historic Baden Powell North prospect, new intercepts include 5m going 2.67g/t from only 12m. With multiple processing facilities in the area, Horizon could even produce some quick and easy cashflows from Capricorn.

Big River Gold said this week that a usually insignificant waste mineral known as “mica”, could potentially make the company some good money at its Borborema gold project in north-eastern Brazil. Perth-based consulting group, Wave, identified the potential to process and extract the mica minerals and sell them as a separate, commercially viable product. The micas make up approximately 30% of the volume of the Borborema deposit and carry half the gold grade.

Strike Energy is firing on all cylinders, tabling a maiden resource of a massive 1,185 billion cubic feet of 2C gas at its West Erregulla-2 well in the Perth Basin of Western Australia. Strike’s gas play is arguably Australia’s largest onshore conventional gas field and the company’s excitement is still building with multiple targets at West Errugulla underpinning the potential for the gas resource to grow even further.

Coziron Resources will soon be on the ground at its Croydon Top Camp project in WA’s Pilbara region, after expanding its gold target zone by re-assaying historic samples that peaked at 4.9g/t gold. The company has secured a rig and is preparing to drill approximately 2000m across some very prospective rock sequences, where a prospector recently recovered an astounding 203 gold nuggets in the area.

AVZ Minerals’ quest to develop the giant Manono lithium project in the DRC has been given a major shot in the arm after it received $14.1 million from Chinese lithium chemical producer, Yibin Tianyi. The strategic investment, which could lead to an offtake agreement, will allow AVZ to increase its stake in the project and start early development works as it completes Manono’s definitive feasibility study.

Kairos Minerals has defined a coherent, 2.5km long gold and copper in-soil anomaly where company Geologists also stumbled across some lucrative looking rock chip samples grading up to 16.8% copper and 4.3g/t gold at its Croydon project, located near Port Hedland in WA. The soil anomaly contains a coherent, higher-grade core that stretches over 1.5km, with best numbers going around 200ppb gold.

Terrain Minerals has optioned up its Great Western Gold project near Leonora for potential sale to ASX-listed Red5 for $2,500,000. The Great Western gold project is situated on a granted mining lease and contains a 63,000-ounce resource. Terrain will retain its Wild Viper project, which fully envelopes the Great Western project. The sale of Great Western will see Terrain cashed up and on the hunt for new projects.

St George Mining has discovered a 700m long nickel-in-soil anomaly across the same trend that is well known for its nickel and copper prospectivity at the company's Mt Alexander project in WA. St George is now planning to conduct a moving loop electromagnetic survey across the Fish Hook prospect to identify new drilling targets.

Rox Resources and Venus Metals’ Youanmi South prospect in Western Australia doesn’t look like being closed off anytime soon with more high-grade gold results continuing to roll off the drill bit, including 4m at 11.23g/t gold from 92m. Other solid numbers at the Plant Zone prospect, including 8m grading 2.62g/t gold from 60m, continue to underline the porospectivity of the project.

Hawkstone Mining has increased the Exploration Target for its Big Sandy lithium clay project in Arizona state USA, by 23% through new geological mapping and surface sampling in the Northern Mineralised Zone. The updated total Exploration Target for Big Sandy now sits at between 271.1 million and 483.1 million tonnes grading from 1,000 ppm lithium to approximately 2,000 ppm lithium.

Aspire Mining has released an updated PFS for its Ovoot Early Stage Development metallurgical coal project in Mongolia, saying the operation will pump out a stunning annual EBITDA of AUD$279m from the production of 4 Mtpa of high-value, “fat” coking coal, delivered into China. The updated PFS shows material reductions in capital and operating costs, with exceptional margins based on a coal price of AUD$218 per tonne.

King River Resources has again spotted visible gold in the drill samples from the Trudi Main vein prospect at its Mt Remarkable project in WA – a positive sign that will no doubt create some anticipation around the assay numbers when they come out. Historical intercepts at the project include 4m @ 113.29g/t including a staggering metre at 11 plus ounces to the tonne gold.

Big River Gold has achieved a significant goal this week, after it signed an agreement with the local Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte, to underpin the future development of its flagship Borborema gold project in Brazil. The agreement ensures that the company will have full access and co-operation from the State’s departments for power, roads, water and the environment and includes important tax concessions for mine start-up.

Lithium Australia’s partial subsidiary, Envirostream Australia, has executed an offtake MoU with South Korean company SungEel HiTech Co., Ltd for the sale of its recycled battery metals as a “mixed metal dust” product. SungEel will refine the materials into suitable chemicals for the production of new lithium-ion batteries and effectively “close the loop” for the battery manufacturing and recycling business.

ASX-listed agricultural asset development firm Alterra, has entered into some potentially lucrative agreements that secure exclusive rights to access quantitative avocado data with Western Australian producer, French’s Group. Alterra will have access to genetic information from avocados that have been selectively produced over the past 33 years and use the science behind the fruit to optimise soil, water and nutrient use in under-utilised agricultural lands.

King River Resources has updated the resource at its Central deposit at the company’s giant Speewah metals project in WA’s Kimberley. As part of an investigation into additional revenue streams, the company has formally analysed the “alumina” and “magnesia” contents of the Central deposit and produced a 1.24 billion tonne resource grading 12.5% alumina and 4.7% magnesia.