Matt Birney

Neometals has successfully transitioned lithium waste material into pay rock by converting spodumene waste into a little known but lucrative synthetic material known as “zeolite’. A typical operation that processes lithium bearing spodumene mineralisation into Lithium hydroxide would normally deliver almost 90% of the spodume concentrate to waste. Neometals will turn that waste into zeolite and turbo charge the economics of its hydroxide plant in the process.

Venus Metals has reported some very encouraging results from metallurgical testing of its oxidised vanadium ores at the Youanmi project near Sandstone. The work showed impressive recoveries of up to 70% vanadium from simple acid leaching which also recovered valuable nickel, copper and cobalt credits. The company will now commence a drill program to prove up the oxidised mineral resource and provide samples for more metallurgical work.

Volt Resources has received the key Environmental Impact Assessment certificate for its Bunyu graphite project, which is the final pre-requisite for the grant of a mining licence over the promising project in south Tanzania. The company already has two binding offtake agreements in place and plans to raise up to USD$40m through a resources-based notes issue that could underwrite the Stage 1 development.

Great Southern Mining has paid $145,000 in a deal that will allow the junior explorer to pick up 4 exploration licences, within 15km of its Mon Ami project near Laverton in W.A. The new tenements are just 25km trucking distance from Gold Field’s Granny Smith gold operation, opening up the future possibility of toll treating the ore if the company is successful on the hunt in the area.

ASX listed Hammer Metals has discovered a new high grade zone at its Perentie project in Mt Isa, Queensland, with rock chip samples returning up to 46% copper and 0.6g/t gold. The Susan prospect now takes the mineralised trend up to more than 3.4km. The company has also identified a fourth mineralised zone on a separate but parallel structure about 2.7km southeast of Paddy B.

Greenland Minerals has reached an important milestone, submitting its updated environmental impact assessment for the Kvanefjeld rare earth project. The assessment aims to mitigate, eliminate or minimise negative environmental impacts throughout the initial 37-year mine life at the project. The company plans to meet shortly with senior Government officials to discuss timing of the pubic consultation period.

Adriatic Metals will increase its land holdings at the exciting Vares project in Bosnia after local municipal authorities approved the company’s request for major expansions to its existing concession agreement over the Veovaca and Rupice prospects at its 100% owned Vares base metals play. At the Rupice project, the expansion includes land immediately north of a 66m wide, high grade intersection of gold, silver and base metals reported by Adriatic in July.

CVCheck has added $5m in annual top line revenues in just two short years as regular and recurring demand for its CV and resume checking services from a stream of serious corporate clients starts to hit the company accounts. Revenues booked in FY18 were $12.5m , up from $7.1m in 2016. The tech company is now hurtling headlong towards that magical breakeven mark.

Hot Chili has reported more shallow, high grade copper drilling results from its RC drill program at the El Fuego project area in central Chile. Assays showed intersections up to 9m @ 2.0% copper from 132m down-hole and 16m @ 1.1% copper from 93m down-hole at the San Antonio copper mine prospect. The ore system strikes for almost 700m, to a depth of 200m and plunges shallowly southwards.