Steve Butler

Meeka Metals has invested in a total camp and infrastructure package to accelerate the development of its flagship Murchison gold project in Western Australia – and at just 20 per cent of the cost predicted in its recent definitive feasibility study. The shopping cart includes camp accommodation, ablution blocks and offices for the Andy Well and Turnberry mining centres and a 110-kilolitre fuel storage tank.

Scoping study details revealed today on the Carnaby Resources-DiscovEx Resources copper-gold joint venture in Mount Isa shows the operation will deliver $491 million in free cash during the project’s nine-year mine life. The study indicates that commercialisation of the project is viable by 2026 and also confirms that processing by a third party will be the best option.

Everest Metals Corporation has identified 10 big uranium and base metal geophysical anomalies within its 100 per cent-owned Georgina and Amadeus projects centred on Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Management has moved swiftly since securing its Top End exploration package last year and has engaged a speciality geophysical company to model and interpret existing geophysical data over the Georgina and Amadeus operations.

Askari Metals has tabled a maiden resource of 1.32 million tonnes running at 1.52 grams per tonne gold at its flagship Burracoppin project in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region, some 20km to the east of Merredin. The defined resource includes mineralised zones across multiple deposits and Askari notes that there is potential for significant resource expansion between the lodes, with additional possible down-dip extension.

A recent share price hike for White Cliff Minerals has triggered a cash bonanza for the company after it today confirmed $4.33 million worth of options had been exercised on the back of its rally from recent lows. Touching as low as 0.9c to start the new year of trading, the share price rose to as high as 1.9c after it grabbed new Canadian ground.

Aurumin is primed and ready to get back to the drill rig at its Sandstone gold project in Western Australia’s Mid West region after closing out on the final $1.07 million owing on a convertible note. The company says it will immediately exploit its financial freedom with a firm commitment to getting its Sandstone project back to “pouring gold bars”.

In an exclusive interview with Bulls N’ Bears, international stock-trading entrepreneur Jim Mellon has boldly predicted a vibrant third lithium wave for global markets. Mellon says, “now is a great time to be loading up on lithium”, despite the price for the silvery-white metal going into something of a hibernation in the back part of last year.

Lithium Universe has initiated key metallurgical testwork on different spodumene types from all around the globe, with a view to creating a robust stream of feedstock for its proposed lithium refinery project in Quebec. The battery-grade lithium carbonate refinery has been designed to mirror the Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate Plant and will be able to process spodumene from any part of the world.

Meeka Metals has tabled a solid set of initial assays from shallow infill drilling at its Turnberry deposit within its flagship Murchison gold project in WA. Broad zones of oxide gold running up to an eye-catching 8.53g/t were unearthed from the first 19 holes, with assays expected soon from the remaining 32 holes, which are largely located around the periphery of the designed open pits.

In an exclusive interview with Bulls N’ Bears, international stock-trading entrepreneur Jim Mellon has opened up on a remarkable business life that now includes a major shareholding in Australia’s Dart Mining. From the university halls at Oxford to buying $2 million worth of share vouchers on the streets of Russia in just one day, Mellon has an extraordinary tale to tell.

ASX-listed Lithium Universe has decided on the perfect location for its 16,000-tonne per annum lithium carbonate refinery to service its Eastern Canadian lithium processing hub after assessing more than 20 prospective sites. The company appointed heavyweight engineering firm, Hatch, to undertake a comprehensive study for the design and location of the refinery in the Canadian State of Quebec.

ASX-listed junior GreenTech Metals is leaps and bounds into a project-scale field program targeting historic lithium and recently-identified soil geochemical anomalies in Western Australia. The company today revealed it had identified nine broad lithium soil anomalous zones across its West Pilbara licence package, which covers a total area of 32 square kilometres and has more than 60sq km that are still to be mapped.

Estrella Resources has utilised a next-generation helicopter-borne electromagnetic geophysical system to identify several new conductor anomalies at its Carr Boyd project in Western Australia’s Goldfields region. Multiple anomalies through a 5km strike length along the Colreavy komatiite have been recognised and, importantly, the “Target EM” system has also identified a new 3km linear zone under cover to the south of the Carr Boyd intrusion.

Aruma Resources has completed the latest phase of drilling at its wholly-owned Salmon Gums gold project in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields region, with an initial assessment of drill core showing mineralised quartz veins at the company’s high-grade Thistle prospect. Assays from seven competed drilllholes have been sent for laboratory assessment and management is now eagerly awaiting the results.

Lithium Universe is another step closer to establishing its proposed Quebec lithium processing hub after securing global consulting heavyweight Hatch to undertake the engineering study for its downstream lithium carbonate refinery in Canada. The first part of the study will be to determine the ideal location for the 16,000 tonnes per annum lithium carbonate refinery and the estimated capital and operating costs.

Radiopharm Theranostics has negotiated an expanded agreement with TerThera for the supply of the terbium-161 isotope to continue its fight against prostate cancer. The crucial isotope will be joined with a proprietary monoclonal antibody to form “RAD 402”, a radiotherapeutic being developed to target KLK3, a clinical cancer biomarker. Radiopharm says it could become the first KLK-based theranostic option for patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Venus Metals has uncovered two neighbouring pegmatite outcrops, with visible coarse lithium-bearing petalite running up to 4.6 per cent lithium oxide, after completing a field program at its Youanmi project in Western Australia. The program was aimed at discovering the cause of a prominent lithium soil anomaly labelled the “Deep South Target”. Results also revealed a separate assay of 3.26 per cent lithium oxide.

Lindian Resources has successfully filled its coffers with $35 million in fundraising, enabling it to make the third and final payment of $14.95 million as part of its full acquisition of the Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi. Cash has come from new and existing institutional and sophisticated investors, who subscribed for more than 106 million fully-paid ordinary shares at 33 cents each.

Aruma Resources has kicked a goal at the start of its hunt for rare earths at its Saltwater project in Western Australia, with the discovery of significant rare earths mineralisation and cobalt-copper-enriched rocks. Results have reaffirmed the potential for the area to host unconformity heavy rare earths and highlighted the prospectivity for base metals deposits along an interpreted 80km strike length of prospective host rocks.

European-focused Altech Batteries is seeking a green nod of approval for its Cerenergy sodium-chloride battery from renowned environmental research centre CICERO after a study found it emitted 50 per cent fewer greenhouse gases than lithium-ion batteries – and without needing critical metals, lithium and cobalt. Altech’s planned Cerenergy battery plant in Saxony will utilise renewable energy sources to minimise its carbon footprint.