Matt Birney

Lithium Australia are on track to give the green light to a large scale, US$42m pilot plant for their SiLeach Lithium processing technology technology in Malaysia thanks to significant global interest in financing and offtake deals. The Perth-based technologist said off-take proceeds would be one of three principal sources of funding for the project, along with the company’s +$10m in cash reserves and future R&D rebates.

Blina Minerals could be set to resurrect their fortunes with a promising Cobalt project in Chile’s long-forgotten and amply named La Cobaltera district. The company has secured an option over 29 square kms immediately adjacent to historic, high-grade Copper/Cobalt workings that historically produced around 300 tonnes of high grade Cobalt during the turn of the century but has seen little modern exploration.

Altech’s ambitions to become the world’s biggest producer of in-demand high purity alumina (HPA) have received a major boost with a $17.4m placement that includes a $5.1m commitment from their German EPC contractor. Long-time existing shareholder, the Melewar Group also features in the new fund raising, which comes hard on the heels of a very positive financial study on the HPA project.

ASX listed CV Check has started the financial year with cash receipts for the quarter up 26 per cent to $3 million on the back of a boom in corporate demand for its resume checking and verification services. The Perth-based company expects further growth in FY18 driven by cost cutting, recent wins of high-quality corporate customers and continued user take-up.

ASX-listed Aquabotix continues to rapidly expand its global distribution network, announcing emergency services equipment manufacturer W.S. Darley & Co as US distributor for its innovative range of underwater drones. The addition of Darley means Aquabotix now has distributor partners in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, India, Brazil and Scandinavia.

Lithium Australia have successfully wrapped up due diligence on the Very Small Particle Company and see breakthrough potential in merging VSPC’s patented cathode production technology with their own SiLeach process. The merger has the potential to create a single flow sheet from low-value Lithium minerals through to next generation cathode materials, with less steps than rival producers.

Reedy Lagoon Corporation have received approval to drill two exploration holes to test for Lithium brines at their Big Smoky South project in Nevada, right on the doorstep of the only producing Lithium brines mine in the US. The company have produced some compelling drill targets after geophysical surveys suggested highly conductive brines at depth, potentially rich with Lithium.

ASX-listed Sky and Space Global has signed a deal with Italian space systems company D-Orbit to provide launch and deployment services for the Perth-listed company’s constellation of up to 200 nano-satellites. The deal moves Sky and Space a step closer to rolling out its disruptive telco network based on the their next-generation miniature satellites that are capable of providing telco services to remote regions.

Recently listed Calidus Resources will jump into an additional 5,000 metres of drilling immediately east of its main Klondyke target at the Warrawoona Gold project after another strong batch of intercepts. Significant new gold intercepts included 24 metres at 2.52 g/t and 7 metres at 5.29 g/t, continuing an exceptional run of discovery success for the newly listed Calidus.