Matt Birney

MGC Pharmaceuticals continues to progress its strategy to commercialise its bio-pharma business with research partner RMIT receiving approval from the Australian Office of Drug Control to possess and handle phytocannabinoids for research purposes. The company has also been awarded a European Union licence to produce non-sterile schedule two medicines in that jurisdiction.

Coziron Resources has identified an electromagnetic conductor down-dip of the Martin prospect at its Croydon Top Camp multi-element project in WA’s Pilbara region as a priority target for its upcoming drilling program. Reprocessing of 2016 electromagnetic data is underway to determine if any additional anomalies are present. Any conductive targets with coincident geochemistry will be prioritised for drilling.

Aurora Labs has successfully printed a series of 10mm high, titanium parts in just 20 minutes, proving the ability of its proprietary multi-level 3D printing technology to manufacture complex shapes at high speed. This outcome is another step towards its goal of using additive manufacturing to produce parts in a whole range of application. The company has also successfully printed an aluminium part with a high density of around 99%.

Buru Energy has completed the acquisition of a further 22.5% interest in two exploration permits in the Canning hydrocarbon Basin in WA’s Kimberley from Mitsubishi Corporation for $720,000, taking its operating stake up to 60%. Permits EP 457 and EP 458 are considered to be prospective for conventional oil in a number of formations with the 2015 Victory-1 well recovering oil from the Laurel Formation.

Greenland Minerals has reached a key milestone for its giant Kvanefjeld rare earth project in Greenland with its social impact assessment now ready for public consultation. This offers stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback on the assessment, which will be incorporated into a final document forming part of the package of material required for the mining licence application process.

Anglo Australian Resources has started a 52 hole infill drilling campaign at the Mandilla South target of its Mandilla gold project located 20km southwest of Kambalda and along strike from the East Mandilla resource. This campaign will define initial bedrock drilling targets for a future reverse circulation drilling campaign within the extensive supergene-enriched gold blanket.

PharmAust continues to tick off the milestones at its ongoing Phase I clinical trials for its anti-cancer drug Monepantel in dogs with the escalation study showing no adverse safety issues. Beagles treated with up to 10 Monepantel tablets displayed no adverse effects or signs of toxicity after being monitored over three days. The company will now start dosing tests to determine how best to maintain long term monepantel blood levels.

Hawkstone Mining has estimated that its Big Sandy lithium clay project could hold between 242.1 million tonnes and 417.6 million tonnes grading from 1,000 ppm to 2,000 ppm of lithium, in an Exploration Target unveiled this week. The company is completing a follow-up diamond drilling program over the Northern Mineralised Zone at Big Sandy, with the aim of generating a maiden JORC-compliant mineral resource.

Anglo Australian Resources has started an extensive drilling campaign that is aimed at fast-tracking development of its Feysville gold project, located 14km southeast of Kalgoorlie. The campaign includes infill drilling on the higher-grade core of the Think Big deposit and will also test shallow high-grade supergene gold mineralisation at the Saintly prospect and evaluate the potential for economic gold mineralisation at the Hyperno prospect.