Matt Birney

High purity vanadium is being tipped for greatness as a revolutionary force in battery storage of renewable energy. Perth’s King River Copper may well have the largest and highest purity in-ground resource in the world in W.A. Last week the company proved it could produce the holy grail of purity levels at 99.5%, placing it amongst elite company around the world.

Shares in Perth-based carbon plantation manager Alterra spiked 30 per cent last week after the company revealed its agro-forestry projects in Western Australia are set to deliver $23 million in revenues over the next decade and that it remains in a strong financial position, with $2.5 million cash in the bank and $2.6m in real property that is also generating valuable rent for the business.

A leading Perth broker has set a big price target for Altech Chemicals as it enters the home straight in its quest to become the world’s biggest manufacturer of in-demand high purity alumina. DJ Carmichael has set a target more than double Altech’s current price, after weighing up the benefits of securing a US$170 million debt package that was guaranteed by the German Government.

DroneShield has secured $210,000 worth of purchase orders for its drone-combating products from European distributors, ForcePro. DroneShield says the products will be used to set up a Netherlands' demonstration hub for the company’s cutting edge anti-drone products, where the NATO Joint Force is headquartered. DroneShields’ products can detect and disable aerial drones.

Whilst others are still furiously marching around the bush looking for lithium deposits, Lithium Australia has again jumped one step ahead of the market by raising $18m to fund two plants – one to make lithium-ion battery chemicals and another to make cathodes. The company has raised $18m with a con note issue to underwrite its evolution into a vertically integrated lithium processing business.

An exploration review of the lease containing Myanmar Metals’ historic zinc-lead-copper mine near the Chinese border has confirmed a number of remarkable opportunities, including at least 30 gossan outcrops with similarities to the original gossans above the known lodes. The report comes just before Myanmar releases first assays from a maiden drilling program at the project.

CVCheck has reported solid growth for the December half, with revenues up 16 per cent to $5.8 million due to surging corporate demand and its strongly performing New Zealand operations. Impressive cost control at the ASX junior has also resulted in a 27% drop in general expenses and a 12% drop in employment expenses as the company races towards the magical breakeven point.

A small copper mine acquired by Hot Chili within trucking distance of its Productora development looks like it could be sitting on a much bigger, higher grade copper deposit than previously thought. Small-scale lease mining in recent weeks produced 16.3 tonnes of ore at 5.24% copper from depths of less than 15 metres and has extended the strike length of high-grade, shallow copper to 1km.

Queensland Police will use ASX-listed DroneShield’s sci-fi looking drone combatting rifles at the Commonwealth games to protect athletes from potentially lethal aerial intruders. In other developments DroneShield has applauded the Australian Government’s efforts to stimulate defence industry manufacturing and exports by adopting an innovative new Defence Export Strategy policy.

Classic Minerals appear to be on the brink of a major breakthrough at the Forrestania Gold project after diamond drilling backed up its theory about hidden high-grade, cross-cutting gold lodes at the Lady Magdelene deposit. New diamond drill holes have revealed quartz veins and narrow shear zones with the same characteristics as the high-grade gold lodes at the neighbouring Lady Ada deposit.

Calima Energy has announced a major boost to its maiden drilling campaign in the Montney Formation which is on target to spud later this year. The company has shrewdly appointed a local land solutions company that guided adjoining leaseholder Saguaro to success. Saguaro already have over 30 operating wells on Calima’s doorstep and are planning another 30.

Lithium Australia’s all-scrip takeover of the Very Small Particle Company has raced to 99.7% of acceptances within two days of opening, paving the way for the creation of a unique, end-to-end lithium battery materials business. VSPC is recognised globally for producing some of the world’s most advanced battery cathode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Strike Energy's Jaws-1 appraisal well in the Southern Cooper Basin has intersected coals at a target depth of more than 2000m and remains on the cusp of making history as the first coal seam gas well to commercially flow hydrocarbons from extreme depths in Australia. The vertical well will later meet a horizontal well extending 800m in preparation for a seven-stage hydraulic stimulation program.

Kalia Ltd will pitch a proposed agreement to shareholders whereby the Perth-based junior explorer’s interest in two exciting Bougainville copper-gold exploration licences will increase by 38% to 75%. If approved, Kalia will issue 480 million new shares to Global Resources Investment Trust in a deal that will give Kalia a significantly higher stake in the lucrative island.

After rain delays, St George Mining is back on site at the Mt Alexander project near Leonora with a drill rig to follow up impressive nickel-copper hits that sent the company’s shares into orbit last November. A 20-hole diamond and RC program will target extensions of a thick channel of mineralised rocks and test some new electromagnetic targets in under-explored areas.

Volt Resources is aiming to muscle its way into the ranks of the world’s top three graphite producers and will make a USD$40m bond issue on the Tanzanian exchange.The innovative capital raise will not only bank a big lick of money for stage 1 of the Bunyu project but it will also allow Tanzanian and Ugandan pension funds to get behind the project. The NPV for the project could be as much as USD$1.31b

Revitalised gold explorer Classic Minerals is cashing up to fund more drilling at the Forrestania Gold project courtesy of a shareholder purchase plan offering investors the opportunity to top up their holdings at a 20% discount. The funds will go straight into the ground on further phases of drilling to follow up multiple, high-grade hits from the Forrestania Gold Project, near Southern Cross.

King River Copper’s exotic collection of minerals around the Speewah project in the East Kimberley has delivered a potentially lucrative bonus in the form of a large, high-grade fluorspar deposit next door to its flagship vanadium-titanium project. Global supply of the critical mineral is tightening, prompting the US recently to add fluorspar to its list of strategic stockpile requirements

BlackEarth Minerals is setting a cracking pace at its flagship Maniry graphite project in Madagascar, with two drill rigs arriving this week, just a month after the company listed on the ASX. The rigs will drill 10,800 metres of diamond and RC holes at the advanced exploration project, with results channelled into a maiden JORC resource by the middle of the year.

Altech Chemicals has secured another key piece of the puzzle to realise its ambition of becoming a global heavyweight in high purity alumina with approval granted from the Malaysian government for its proposed plant in Johor. Malaysia has jumped at the chance to secure a total investment of $390 million and become a key player in a high-value and rapidly growing commodity.

ASX-listed Calidus Resources has announced the appointment of Mark Connelly to its board as an independent, Non-Executive Chairman. Connelly has enjoyed success in resource project developments and as a powerbroker in merger and acquisition deals lauded by punters. Avid market watchers will no doubt be keeping a close eye on Calidus’ flagship Warrawoona gold project near Marble Bar as Connelly steers it towards production.

Peppermint Innovation has signed an agreement with Singaporean-based CredoLab to deliver credit scoring spinoffs to cash-payment plagued Filipinos who do not have access to banking facilities. At least 70 million Filipinos do not operate a bank account and are paid their weekly wages in cash, however a credit rating via their mobile phones will expedite future access to micro finance and micro insurance services.

Galena Mining will ask shareholders to approve a one-for-five share split to bring the company’s rampant share price down to levels more familiar to retail investors. The unusual move, just five months after the company listed, could prove to be a positive for shareholders if previous share splits are any guide. Both Fortescue Metals and Iron Bark Zinc have successfully pulled off share splits in the past.

Former market darling Aspire Mining is back on the front foot in Mongolia thanks to a big rebound in coking coal prices and its good fortune in landing in the middle of China’s ambitious plans to build railway routes into Europe. The company has seized the opportunity to recapitalise its balance sheet and is aiming to be in production by mid-2019 with its smaller satellite coal deposit.

Strike Energy has spudded the Jaws-1 exploratory oil and gas well in South Australia which may turn out to be a historic move for the John Poynton Chaired ASX-listed junior. Set to be drilled to an extraordinary target depth of 2000m, Jaws-1 may well become the deepest pure coal seam gas well ever drilled not only in Australia, but possibly in the southern hemisphere.

Newly listed BlackEarth Minerals has received a glowing report on the size and quality of graphite at its flagship Maniry project in southern Madagascar, finding plenty of high-purity, jumbo sized flakes that attract premium prices. The report highlighted the Razafy prospect, where BlackEarth is poised to launch a 10,800-metre drill program to establish a maiden JORC resource by mid-year.

Northern Minerals shareholders are eager to increase their exposure to the heavy rare earths developer as it nears first production at Browns Range, applying for $11.7m in stock under the recent share purchase plan. A further $1.3m was raised in a placement on the same terms, providing Northern with a $14m war chest to invest in exploration and further enhancements at Browns Range.

A NATO decision to catalogue ASX listed Droneshield’s anti-drone gun and issue the aerial drone-combatting device with a stock number has opened up a window of potential sales opportunities for the company. Up to 29 NATO aligned militaries and other non-aligned forces, will now be encouraged to purchase the product with increased confidence, without first having to first put it through a rigorous testing procedure.

Blackham Resources shareholders have thrown their collective weight behind a $36m entitlement issue, taking up 87% of the offer in a strong show of support after a dramatic turnaround at the Matilda-Wiluna gold project. The high take up by existing shareholders follows some stunning operational results in January, including record monthly gold production, and record-low all in sustaining costs.

Nzuri Copper has produced its best copper hits yet from a target area immediately along strike from the Kalongwe project in the DRC, opening the door for a possible significant extension of mine life. Drill hits of up to 7.7% copper were accompanied by encouraging cobalt intercepts, all at shallow depths and within 5km of the flagship project.

Middle Island Resources has entered a deal with Canadian-based Tajiri Resources to sell the last of its West African gold interests.The company announced this week it had executed a heads of agreement with Tajiri to sell its Reo project in Burkina Faso. The deal earns Middle Island up to US$355,000 in a series of cash payments and 8% of the fully diluted capital of TSX-V listed Tajiri.

Sky and Space Global will supply telco coverage and connectivity to Ghanaian telecoms service provider, Universal Cyberlinks as part of a five-year deal. The ASX-listed company opened slightly higher on the ASX as the market appeared to embrace an agreement that appears to underpin the company’s claims that it is capable of providing more economical and efficient communications to remote areas of the planet.