Matt Birney

Ironbark Zinc has moved closer to a development of its Citronen zinc-lead project in Greenland after appointing a leading global corporate finance adviser to line up finance for the US$514m project. A feasibility study in September delivered an outstanding set of numbers for Citronen, which has emerged as one of the world’s best undeveloped zinc projects just as zinc stocks head for critical lows on the LME.

Blackham Resources has reloaded its armoury with a $14.3million loan to as part of a recapitalisation strategy aimed at taking the company into profitability from its Wiluna Gold project. The junior miner has shored up its balance sheet with news that some of its financiers and primary contractors will underwrite 36% of a forthcoming $36m rights issue aimed at putting the company on a sound financial footing with cash flow positivity achieved for the first time in December.

After ending 2017 with some of its best-ever drill hits, Mt Isa-focused copper-gold explorer Hammer Metals is planning to start 2018 where it left off. A second RC drill program at the Jubilee prospect, 60 kms east of Mt Isa, will get underway later this month, aimed at extending high-grade hits of 7% copper in last month’s maiden drill program.

Perth-based Plymouth Minerals has launched a feasibility study for the San Jose lithium-tin project in Spain and begun the process of applying for a mining licence aimed at producing a world-class lithium supply line to the burgeoning battery industry in the heart of industrial Europe. A previous scoping study done on the project showed an annual EBITDA of USD$75m a year.

Nzuri Copper has now taken final delivery of $10milllion from a placement to Chinese mining giant Huayou Cobalt and is kicking 2018 off on an upbeat note as it steps up the hunt for copper riches in central Africa. The Perth-based, ASX-listed junior will use the funds to develop its flagship copper-cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to shore up its prospects from an aggressive exploration campaign.

St George Mining has extended the strike length of nickel-copper sulphides at its Cathedrals prospect to 400 metres after assays revealed more high-grade drill hits from step-out holes. The latest results from Cathedrals, part of the Mt Alexander project just south of the Agnew-Wiluna belt, continues an exceptional run of news that has driven a rally in St George shares since November.

After failing to hit target depth at all three maiden drill holes at its alluring Chile Gold project due to technical failures, Perth based ASX listed explorer Emu N.L has received a temporary setback and has remobilised a new drilling contractor at the project. Emu is about to test their intriguing theory of a large gold system sitting under a geological "steam cap" in a region that is rich with world class players.

ASX-listed MGC Pharmaceuticals will fast track an Australian operational base to cultivate medicinal marijuana after the federal government announced a plan to legalise exports of cannabis-based medicines. MGC said the regulatory changes, expected to be in place from February, would allow it to establish a pharmaceutical grade medicinal cannabis cultivation strategy to target key export markets.

Northern Minerals has swelled its war chest by $9.74m with a debt and equity program to further develop and expand the life of its Browns Range rare earths project near Halls Creek in the north of Western Australia. The Perth-based junior revealed that it has long-term mining aspirations to increase the life of the full scale, expanded project from 11 years to 20 years.