Matt Birney

Second phase drilling has confirmed mineralisation at the Calarie gold project in New South Wales extends at depth and is open along strike for joint venture partners Godolphin Resources and Orange Minerals. The 1170m campaign saw five diamond drill holes sunk into the site to test mineralisation below previous workings and to confirm results of two historical RC holes that intersected mineralisation.

Explorer Strickland Metals has confirmed the presence of mineralised extensions beneath its existing Millrose resource near Wiluna in WA after completing a 130m step-out program at the site. The diamond probe nailed two high-grade intercepts running 5m at 5.3 grams per tonne gold from 239m and 5.9m grading 6.1 g/t gold from 258m. The hits sit inside a larger 38.2m parcel going 2.5 g/t from 234m.

Askari Metals has received initial high-grade gold results from a third phase of RC drilling at the company’s Burracoppin gold project in WA’s Wheatbelt region. In June a total of 40 RC holes were drilled and now the assays are in from the first nine holes around the project’s Christmas Gift prospect. Broad zones of gold mineralisation have been defined confirming a southern extension of gold at the prospect including a 10m hit at 1.38 g/t gold from 34m.

A cancer treatment licenced by ASX-listed Radiopharm Theranostics has been recognised with another endorsement from the US Food and Drug Administration after receiving rare paediatric disease designation. The approval is for a tumour-killing antibody known as DUNP19 used to treat osteosarcoma — a type of bone cancer that primarily affects children, adolescents and young adults.

Lithium and gold explorer Octava Minerals hit the ASX boards today opening at $0.27 as it eclipsed its issue price of $0.20 by 35 per cent. After a fully subscribed initial public offering the company successfully raked in $6m with most of the funds earmarked for exploration at the company’s flagship Talga lithium joint venture in WA’s East Pilbara region.

A life cycle assessment of Blackstone Minerals’ proposed upstream and downstream nickel business has confirmed its process of producing nickel-cobalt-manganese precursor products will be one of the greenest pathways to supply the growing lithium-ion battery industry. The study found Blackstone’s flagship Ta Khoa project could produce 1kg of precursor cathode active material at a cost of 9.8kg of carbon dioxide equivalent, substantially lower than the industry average of 16.1kg.

Multi-metal explorer Conico has detected copper sulphide mineralisation at a number of prospects explored as part of a recently completed diamond drill campaign at its Ryberg project in Greenland. The 11-hole program was targeting copper, nickel, gold and platinum group elements at the company’s Sortekap, Miki, Cascata and Pyramid prospects that were identified from previous field campaign data.

Infinity Mining has confirmed mineralisation of up to 6489 parts per million rubidium in rock chip assays from pegmatites at its South Tambourah project in the east Pilbara region of Western Australia. The commodity is principally used to make speciality glasses such as fibre optic cables and its discovery sets up another commercial avenue for the lithium-focused operation.

An exploration blitz combining air-core drilling and electromagnetic surveys has identified highly prospective new targets for Legend Mining across its Rockford multi-metal project in WA’s Goldfields region. The company says the site’s potential has been highlighted by the recent discovery of nickel-copper occurrences at Legend’s Mawson and Octagonal prospects that sit within the greater Rockford project.

Lithium and gold explorer Octava Minerals is set to light up the ASX boards this Friday with a trio of projects across Western Australia, the world’s premier mining district. The new listing kicks off with the company’s flagship Talga lithium project just 10km north-east of ASX-listed Global Lithium Resources’ Archer deposit of 10.5 million tonnes going 1 per cent lithium oxide.

Mineral explorer Godolphin Resources has had a 25-hole, 1,500m diamond drilling program at its Narraburra rare earth project near Temora in central-west New South Wales waved through by the state's resources regulator. The company plans to use the campaign to modernise the operation’s existing resource up to a JORC 2012 standard.

Radiopharm Theranostics has partnered with a US research centre to launch Radiopharm Ventures — a joint venture that aims to develop radiopharmaceutical therapeutic products to help in the fight against cancer. The new company has been created in partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre and will initially focus on developing at least four therapeutic products based on the centre’s intellectual property.

Middle Island Resources has been buoyed by visual analysis of a completed maiden drill program at its Crosswinds copper prospect in the NT where the company is targeting iron oxide-copper-gold alteration. The company says iron oxide-copper-gold hematite alteration, including carbonate, potassic feldspar, sericite and biotite alteration has been visually observed in all four completed holes.

ASX-listed mineral explorer Surefire Resources has tabled a clutch of high-grade, heavy metal hits following a reconnaissance rock chip sampling and mapping exercise at its Kooline lead-silver project, about 200km from Paraburdoo in WA. The bumper results include 16.2 and 14.2 per cent lead with traces of anomalous silver running 41 and 55 grams per tonne.

Altech Chemicals has forged a JV partnership with German research group Fraunhofer ITKS to commercialise a large-scale energy storage alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The new technology uses table salt and nickel and the partners argue it churns out safer, longer-term power solutions without the concern of price hikes and supply chain issues associated with critical metal-infused devices.

Neometals’ joint venture offspring Primobius has finalised an internal engineering cost study for a first stage shredding plant of a potential 50tpd integrated lithium-ion battery recycling operation on a greenfields site in Germany. In a European first, the new design will cater to electric vehicle car makers by integrating the processing of larger units arising from end-of-life electric vehicles in addition to cell production scrap.

Metal Hawk and farm-in partner Falcon Metals are set to follow up historical results at the duo’s Viking gold project in WA’s highly prospective Albany Fraser Province with a 1600m RC drilling campaign in coming weeks. Falcon listed on the ASX last December and is the spin-off of heavyweight mineral explorer Chalice Mining’s gold interests with an earn-in stake in the Viking project that is located 30km southeast of Norseman.

Recent drilling in a gold search by Venture Minerals at its Kulin project in Western Australia has uncovered an intriguing complement of nickel- copper sulphides. The identification from diamond drill core of the ore sulphide mineralogy confirms the fertility of a duo of 20km-long interpreted layered mafic-ultramafic intrusive suites over the company’s tenure that sits along strike of Chalice Mining’s mammoth Julimar nickel-copper-PGE discovery.

The dust clouds from a maiden drill campaign are billowing in Western Australia’s Kimberley with Askari Metals kicking off a 2500m RC program at its Horry copper-gold project. The program is targeting the site’s Horry Horse copper prospect that was identified as a high-priority target after rock chip samples returned results up to 8.5 per cent copper, 0.71 grams per tonne gold and 42 g/t silver.

ASX-listed energy technology company Altech Chemicals is weeks away from getting construction underway at its game-changing battery-boosting production facility in the German state of Saxony after ramping up building activity at the site. A previously completed preliminary feasibility study suggests the plant could deliver a net present value of US$507 million.

Classic Minerals has been given the green light to begin production at its Kat Gap gold mine near Southern Cross after officially receiving WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety approval. The Kat Gap deposit hosts almost 93,000 ounces of an inferred mineral resource at 2.96 grams per tonne gold and is the principal contributor to the company’s total gold inventory of more than 400,000 ounces.

Gold and nickel explorer Metal Hawk says RC drilling at its Berehaven project, about 25km south-east of Kalgoorlie, has extended the Torana prospect’s target zone after hitting new zones of disseminated nickel sulphides. The open strike length of the targeted ultramafic unit now extends to almost 1km and downhole electromagnetic surveys are underway to refine targets for more drilling.

Empire Energy has notched up another milestone in the Beetaloo sub-basin with ongoing production testing of its Carpentaria-2H well in the Northern Territory delivering a 30-day average of 2.4 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. The company says its new data suggests the well’s gas is endowed with a low impurity composition that could support low carbon development opportunities.

Mineral explorer Aurumin’s winning run continues from diamond drilling at its Central Sandstone project 130km west of Leinster in WA as the company aims to extend the mineral resource at the site. The final assay from the program returned a 242.7m intersection going 1.2 grams per tonne gold from 203.1m including an 8.3m at 4.82 g/t gold from 214.2m. The campaign sought to test the northern section of the project’s Two Mile Hill deposit.

Silica sand explorer Allup Silica has applied for two new exploration projects, Blue Vein in WA and Trigger Fish in the NT. The company is also looking to beef up its Dune Buggy project lodging an application to expand its tenement just 15km from the port of Esperance in WA. Since listing in May, Allup’s strategy has been focused on projects, purity and ports.

Classic Minerals’ share price skyrocketed over 290 per cent during intraday trading after news the company had secured a cash injection worth up to $10 million to take its flagship Kat Gap gold project in WA to production. The deal saw over 200 million securities exchange hands, representing nearly all of its shares on offer as punters clamoured to get in on the action.

Battery metal explorer Askari Metals has completed another round of field mapping and sampling at the company’s Barrow Creek lithium project located in the NT’s Arunta pegmatite province. The field program was designed to identify and sample outcropping pegmatites in the previously unexplored south-central portion of the project.

A bone cancer treatment technology licenced by ASX-listed Radiopharm Theranostics has been granted orphan drug designation by the United States Food and Drug Administration. The approval is for a tumour-killing antibody known as DUNP19 that targets LRRC15, a substance produced by aggressive cancer cells in the surrounding micro-environment, but not healthy normal tissue.

Mineral sands producer Image Resources has executed a land access agreement that will allow it to extend mining operations at its wholly-owned Boonanarring project near Perth in WA. The deal enables the miner to access raw material from the operation’s south thereby curtailing a production gap brought on by relocating processing equipment to its Atlas deposit that is next in line to be brought into production.

West Cobar Metals has inked binding agreements to acquire private company Salazar Minerals and its clay-based rare earth elements project located 120km north-east of Esperance in WA. The Salazar project is hailed as one of Australia’s most advanced rare earths assets of the clay variety and boasts an inferred resource of 43.5Mt at 1192ppm total rare earths oxide with low levels of uranium and thorium.

Kairos Minerals is set to begin drilling at its Lucky Stump prospect where spodumene pegmatite samples grading up to 1.9 per cent lithium oxide were discovered near the company’s Mt York project in the Pilbara. The 16-hole RC drilling campaign is planned to cover 2400m and target multiple spodumene pegmatites that form part of a larger swarm at Mt York only 4km south of Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum mine.

New assay results from diamond drilling at American West Metals’ Storm project in Canada have confirmed the continuity of shallow, high-grade copper at a highly prospective zone dubbed “2750N”. Headline results include a 57m parcel grading 2.5 per cent copper from 8m embracing a 1m intercept running an eye-catching 21.9 per cent copper from 14m downhole.