Matt Birney

Venus Metals has granted a $50,000 option to Ascan Capital for the possible purchase of one of its Nardoo Hill lithium project tenements in WA’s Gascoyne region. If the 90-day option is exercised, a $350,000 purchase price will be payable via a future share issue and mining royalty to Venus. The company, along with JV partner Rox Resources, continues to focus on high-grade gold discoveries near Youanmi in the State’s Murchison district.

Novo Resources has unearthed a swag of gold nuggets from bulk sampling at its emerging Egina project located in the Pilbara region of WA. The company said that recoveries exceeded 1 gram of gold per cubic metre of lag gravels sampled and that it is investigating the use of low-cost extraction and processing of the coarse gold, using “dry” methods including continuous miners and mechanical ore sorters.

Horizon Minerals remains focussed on taking control of one of Australia’s oldest gold addresses and has agreed with Focus Minerals to extend an Exclusivity Deed for the potential $55 million acquisition of significant land, a mill and associated plant in WA’s Coolgardie region. The purchase could see the West Australian listed explorer become the Goldfields region’s next major gold producer. Horizon already has its foot on multiple gold resources surrounding Kalgoorlie.

Lindian Resources has secured an option to acquire a 51% stake in the high-grade Gaoual bauxite project in the West African country of Guinea that looks like it could be a rare “conglomerate” deposit. Average alumina grades that shoot the lights out at 54%, with a corresponding low silica content under 2%, look to be the goods. Drilling will kick off at the project in December.

Aspire Mining’s DFS for its high-quality coking coal project in northern Mongolia will be released in mid-2020, after slight delays in approvals for the infrastructure. In May, the Mongolian Government endorsed the company’s ore reserves for the Ovoot Early Stage Development project, allowing Aspire to commence the relevant environmental studies, social impact studies and project management plans for the proposed coal mine.

Neometals continues to confirm the high-grade tenor of its Mt Edwards nickel sulphide project in WA’s Goldfields on the back of some encouraging diamond drilling assay results from its recently acquired Munda deposit, where one hole returned 8.3 metres at 2.16% nickel from 93m down-hole, including an impressive 2.3m @ 6.11% nickel from 99m at the base of the ultramafic unit.

Nusantara Resources has nailed a 64-metre drill intersection grading 2.12g/t gold from 201.1m down-hole, that lies well below its USD$1,400 per ounce optimal pit shell for the flagship Awak Mas deposit on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. The exciting result opens up a near 1km wide, sparsely drilled, potential gold mineralised corridor between the eastern edge of the proposed Awak Mas open-pit and the Salu Bulo deposit, further to the east.

Middle Island Resources has strongly reaffirmed its plan to consolidate the neighbouring gold holdings in the Sandstone region of WA, by releasing an updated Supplementary Bidder’s Statement for its all-scrip, off-market takeover of Alto Metals that it launched during the June quarter. In doing so, it has also agreed to publicly waive a condition breach related to a shortfall of securities issued by Alto earlier this year.

St George Mining appears to be onto a new occurrence of solid-grade nickel-copper-PGM mineralisation, courtesy of its latest drill program at the Radar prospect near Leonora in WA, which extends the strike of the emerging Cathedrals Belt, base metal deposits to 5.5km. The discovery hole returned 6m @ 2.14% nickel, 0.74% copper and 1.62g/t PGMs from 46m down-hole, including a chunky 2.55m @ 4.29% nickel, 1.46% copper and 3g/t PGMs from 49.05m.

AVZ Minerals has concluded Phase 1 met test work for its amazing Manono lithium-tin project in Africa, which continues to deliver encouraging ore grades and metal recoveries in line with other global lithium projects. The company said it had now moved onto the Phase 2 confirmatory programs and is close to appointing an experienced Non-Executive Chairman to guide Manono’s ongoing development.

TNG Limited has submitted the mining plan for its wholly-owned Mount Peake vanadium-titanium-iron project to the Northern Territory Government. The move takes it one step closer towards establishing a pioneering, world-class integrated downstream processing minerals operation that will incorporate the company’s value-adding TIVAN hydrometallurgical circuit at a plant near Darwin. The mine plan addresses several environmental issues, including site rehabilitation activities, once mining operations are completed.

An Edith Cowan University study has backed ASX-listed ClearVue Technologies’ assertions about the amount of energy its solar glass windows are able to harness, with the study being downloaded and read by hundreds of science buffs around the globe. The work also revealed the practical scalability and application options for ClearVue’s energy harnessing glass panels, such as airport roofing, commercial shopping plaza domes, aesthetic façades and skylighting functionalities.

The battle against canine and other cancers by ASX-listed WA biotech company, PharmAust, has received a significant boost after the Australian Government deemed it eligible for further research and development tax rebates worth almost $1.5 million. The rebate relates to PharmAust’s clinical testing and trials of its anti-cancer drug, Monepantel and may even apply to PharmAust’s activities overseas.

Epichem, a subsidiary of ASX-listed biotech, PharmAust, has been rewarded for its contribution to WA and nominated as the year’s winner of the prestigious WA Industry and Export Awards. The company was acknowledged for its contributions to the global health and biotechnology sector by providing “end-to-end” support in drug discovery, with CEO, Dr Martine Keenan, also recognised with the Women in International Business Award at the same ceremony.

Neometals has taken a significant step towards establishing its massive Barrambie, titanium-vanadium project in the Murchison region of WA. The company has strengthened its ties with leading Chinese metallurgical expert IMUMR. The joint venture partners are now looking to establish a hydrometallurgical demonstration plant for the deposit and possibly, a subsequent 50:50 JV production arrangement going forward.

Coziron Resources has mapped out a 2,000-metre RC drilling program for its Croydon Top Camp gold project in WA’s west Pilbara region that is based on geological information garnered from over 1,100 soil samples and the locations of several gold nuggets found by local prospectors. Two target areas, the Top Camp and Martin prospects, will be the focus of the company’s upcoming field work.

Canning Basin focussed hydrocarbon producer, Buru Energy, has spudded a new oil exploration well known as Miani 1, to the northwest of the company’s Blina oilfield, about 70km east of Derby, in the West Kimberley region of WA. The structure being targeted is well defined by 3D seismic and analogous to similar features in North America that hold major oil and gas accumulations, the company said.

Bellevue Gold’s attempt to expand the footprint of its exciting Deacon and Mavis gold discoveries in WA’s Goldfields seems to be paying off, with a step-out diamond hole returning gold intercepts of 3.8 metres at 13.9g/t gold at Deacon and 1.7m at 5.9g/t gold at Mavis in the same drill hole that contained quartz, sulphides and visible gold mineralisation, just 400m east of historical underground mine workings.

Lithium Australia has achieved its goal of generating a high-quality cathode material suitable for producing lithium-ion batteries, by recycling spent batteries. The company says the cathodes were used to create coin cell batteries with an electrochemical performance that exceeded its expectations. The company is seeking to “close the loop” on the energy-metal cycle, by producing materials suitable for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries from the components of old recycled batteries.

Hammer Metals has received the first assays from drilling at its Bronzewing South gold project in WA where the company appears to be onto a new system. The testing of five targets along mineralised trends south of Echo Resources’ historic Bronzewing mine returned some solid numbers and Hammer now believes that many historical holes were either too shallow to be effective or, if effective, the mineralised intercepts were not adequately followed-up.

Aurora Labs will receive both ongoing income from operations and funds after the first sale of its unique RMP-1 Beta 3D printer to AdditiveNow, a company that it holds a stake in, alongside asset management and engineering giant, Worley. AdditiveNow is looking to provide 3D printing services to tier-1 energy, chemicals, resources and infrastructure clients and the deal represents a leap into commercialisation for Aurora.

Troy Resources is now debt-free and will look to channel its energies into the flagship Karouni gold operation in Guyana, South America, which has considerable blue-sky exploration upside through its nearby high-grade Ohio Creek prospect. The company has now reduced its debt from USD$71.57m in March 2015 to zero and will look to maximise Karouni’s potential through open-pit cutbacks on-site and ongoing exploration.

Norwest Energy will dispose of its minority holding in the Jingemia oil production licence to concentrate on its other core assets in the Perth Basin, including the Lockyer Deep and North Erregulla gas prospects that are adjacent to Strike Energy’s exciting new Erregulla-2 gas find. The company is also awaiting 3D seismic data over its Xanadu oil discovery near Dongara, about 50km to the southwest.

Calidus Resources has confirmed the technical and economic open-pit credentials of its Warrawoona gold project in WA’s East Pilbara region on the back of some promising, new shallow RC drilling intercepts from the Klondyke deposit. The company is also continuing to de-risk the million ounce-plus ore resource, with recent work defining near-surface gold mineralisation in Klondyke’s eastern section.

Kalia Ltd has received $3m in funding from major supporter, Tygola, to accelerate exploration at its exciting Tore Joint Venture on Bougainville Island, where it has delineated numerous copper-gold porphyry systems from geophysical interpretation for follow-up work. The field programs aim to define and prioritise its maiden drilling targets, with the campaigns expected to kick off next year.

BlackEarth Minerals will rely on Chinese metallurgical expertise to help it develop a processing flowsheet and finalise all engineering due diligence for its evolving Maniry graphite project in south western Madagascar. A two-stage test work program has been designed and will conclude the final stages of technological, economic and environmental due diligence for the Australian company, who is looking to establish a world-class graphite operation in Africa.

PolarX has unearthed visible sulphides within porphyry-style mineralised vein sets and associated hydrothermal alteration in the first 300 metres of a drill hole at its Mars porphyry copper/gold target in Alaska, USA. Previous surface geochemical sampling at Mars recorded anomalous gold, copper and molybdenum and the company is now eagerly awaiting assays to confirm the tenor of the porphyry-related mineralisation.

Hammer Metals has appointed veteran mining executive, Dan Thomas, as its new Managing Director who brings with him an extensive background in project management, corporate development, business improvement, mergers and acquisitions across multiple resource sectors. Mr Thomas will assist the company to progress its separate mineral discoveries in Queensland’s Mount Isa district and WA’s prospective Yandal belt.

ClearVue Technologies has provided a comprehensive market update for its unique, transparent, solar glass window technology that includes detailed safety certification test work and the development of a range of solar PV strip modules to maximise size options and minimise production costs. The company is also working closely with industrial outfit, Mirreco, to develop that company’s “eco mini-home”, that showcase ClearVue’s solar windows.

Hot Chili has extended the thick, high-grade copper-gold core of mineralisation at its Cuerpo 3 deposit at the Cortadera porphyry discovery in Chile with a massive, 350 metre intersection grading 0.6% copper and 0.2g/t gold. The company recently completed a $12.1 million capital raise to help it develop what it says is one of the South American country’s most significant copper-gold porphyry finds of the past decade.

Legend Mining is upping the ante at its growing Rockford base metals project in Western Australia’s Fraser Range after completing a low-frequency electromagnetic survey of the high-priority Area D prospect. The company also returned positive RAB drilling results which have expanded the mineralised nickel-copper-cobalt footprint at the exciting target.

King River Resources has outlined an update on its PFS work for the Speewah specialty metals project in the Kimberley region of WA, where it recently flagged a potential capital cost reduction by USD$152m to USD$524m. According to recommendations by consulting firm Como Engineers, the reduction could be achieved by reducing mining rates that are more aligned with a standard-size acid plant leaching circuit.