Announcements

Lepidolite waste dumps near Coolgardie are firming as a source of supply for Lithium Australia’s large scale SiLeach pilot plant, highlighting the breakthrough advantages of the new processing technology. The waste material is looking promising after innovative ore sorting test work, which suggested the already mined material can be quickly and cheaply upgraded before being processed.

West Perth based Blackstone Minerals has dusted off historical mining records dating back over 60 years to fully understand the potential of its Little Gem Project in British Columbia, Canada that boasts one of the highest grade cobalt-gold deposits in the world. Recent drilling turned up a 4.3 m intersection going 1.0% cobalt and 15 g/t gold, including 1.1 m @ 3.0% cobalt and 44 g/t gold.

Hot Chili has announced some stand out high grade production results from a family owned small scale copper mine that sits atop the company’s exciting San Antonio prospect within its new El Fuego copper project in Chile. The work underlines Hot Chili’s confidence in the potential for regional continuity of high grade sulphide copper ores over significant strike lengths within trucking distance of its flagship Productora Project.

Southern Gold’s partner, Bluebird Merchant Ventures announced this week it had accessed a new level underground at the old Kochang mine in Korea. Significant assay results were returned from “waste” dumps and the tailings dam at the historic Gubong mine which closed decades ago due to low gold prices. Bluebird reported encouraging rock chip results from surface “waste” dumps going 10.5 g/t gold at Gubong.

Calima Energy hasn’t taken any chances locking down the first 20% of its farm in package ahead of time in the lucrative Montney oil and gas formation in British Columbia, Canada. The Perth-based company is planning to spud a three well drilling campaign in November to flow test the liquids-rich Upper and Lower Montney. Ultimately Calima will end up with 55% of the project for an expenditure of C$20m.

New studies at Myanmar Metals’ remarkable Bawdwin deposit in Myanmar, already ranked as one of the world’s best lead-zinc-silver deposits, have revealed a high-grade copper zone with almost 120,000 tonnes of the red metal in-situ. The studies have shown a new copper-rich resource of 3.4 Mt @ 3.12% copper, based largely on historical data and raises hopes of substantial additional discoveries from modern exploration.

Ironbark Zinc has engaged an army of experienced mining operatives, tasked with catapulting its giant Citronen Zinc project into production in Greenland. Ironbark’s newly hired production team have experience in everything from project finance to mine scheduling to plant construction and the company now looks to be on the home straight. The Citronen project remains one of the largest undeveloped zinc projects in the world.

ASX-listed Connected IO has secured a distribution agreement with internet of things supplier M2M Connectivity as the Perth-listed company looks to scale its tech offering in the Asia-Pacific region. Connected IO says the deal will provide it with an opportunity to leverage M2M's strong existing ties with Cisco, Meraki, and Telstra, enabling more consumers to monitor and control everyday items via the internet.

ASX-listed medical cannabis player MGC Pharmaceuticals is set to achieve a major commercial milestone as it edges closer to getting the final green light for its European medical marijuana facility. The company expects to receive official approval for the Slovenian facility this month after being granted an interim licence in January, bringing an 18-month approvals process near to completion.

Auroch Minerals is targeting large-scale zinc, lead, copper and cobalt deposits in a metals-rich region in South Australia after snapping up two high-grade projects that have not been subjected to any modern exploration. The Arden project near Quorn in the Flinders Ranges and the Bonaventura Zinc project on Kangaroo Island have historical drill hits of up to 26.9% zinc and 2.5% cobalt.

ASX-listed biotech Phylogica has achieved a medical milestone on its journey to developing a biological organism that is capable of carrying or “transporting” cancer fighting and other drugs directly inside the nucleus of a diseased cell. The Perth biotech said in a market update that it had successfully delivered a new “proof of concept cargo” known as “Cre” into kidney cells in the laboratory.

High purity vanadium is being tipped for greatness as a revolutionary force in battery storage of renewable energy. Perth’s King River Copper may well have the largest and highest purity in-ground resource in the world in W.A. Last week the company proved it could produce the holy grail of purity levels at 99.5%, placing it amongst elite company around the world.

Shares in Perth-based carbon plantation manager Alterra spiked 30 per cent last week after the company revealed its agro-forestry projects in Western Australia are set to deliver $23 million in revenues over the next decade and that it remains in a strong financial position, with $2.5 million cash in the bank and $2.6m in real property that is also generating valuable rent for the business.

A leading Perth broker has set a big price target for Altech Chemicals as it enters the home straight in its quest to become the world’s biggest manufacturer of in-demand high purity alumina. DJ Carmichael has set a target more than double Altech’s current price, after weighing up the benefits of securing a US$170 million debt package that was guaranteed by the German Government.

DroneShield has secured $210,000 worth of purchase orders for its drone-combating products from European distributors, ForcePro. DroneShield says the products will be used to set up a Netherlands' demonstration hub for the company’s cutting edge anti-drone products, where the NATO Joint Force is headquartered. DroneShields’ products can detect and disable aerial drones.

Whilst others are still furiously marching around the bush looking for lithium deposits, Lithium Australia has again jumped one step ahead of the market by raising $18m to fund two plants – one to make lithium-ion battery chemicals and another to make cathodes. The company has raised $18m with a con note issue to underwrite its evolution into a vertically integrated lithium processing business.

An exploration review of the lease containing Myanmar Metals’ historic zinc-lead-copper mine near the Chinese border has confirmed a number of remarkable opportunities, including at least 30 gossan outcrops with similarities to the original gossans above the known lodes. The report comes just before Myanmar releases first assays from a maiden drilling program at the project.

CVCheck has reported solid growth for the December half, with revenues up 16 per cent to $5.8 million due to surging corporate demand and its strongly performing New Zealand operations. Impressive cost control at the ASX junior has also resulted in a 27% drop in general expenses and a 12% drop in employment expenses as the company races towards the magical breakeven point.

A small copper mine acquired by Hot Chili within trucking distance of its Productora development looks like it could be sitting on a much bigger, higher grade copper deposit than previously thought. Small-scale lease mining in recent weeks produced 16.3 tonnes of ore at 5.24% copper from depths of less than 15 metres and has extended the strike length of high-grade, shallow copper to 1km.

Queensland Police will use ASX-listed DroneShield’s sci-fi looking drone combatting rifles at the Commonwealth games to protect athletes from potentially lethal aerial intruders. In other developments DroneShield has applauded the Australian Government’s efforts to stimulate defence industry manufacturing and exports by adopting an innovative new Defence Export Strategy policy.

Classic Minerals appear to be on the brink of a major breakthrough at the Forrestania Gold project after diamond drilling backed up its theory about hidden high-grade, cross-cutting gold lodes at the Lady Magdelene deposit. New diamond drill holes have revealed quartz veins and narrow shear zones with the same characteristics as the high-grade gold lodes at the neighbouring Lady Ada deposit.

Calima Energy has announced a major boost to its maiden drilling campaign in the Montney Formation which is on target to spud later this year. The company has shrewdly appointed a local land solutions company that guided adjoining leaseholder Saguaro to success. Saguaro already have over 30 operating wells on Calima’s doorstep and are planning another 30.

Lithium Australia’s all-scrip takeover of the Very Small Particle Company has raced to 99.7% of acceptances within two days of opening, paving the way for the creation of a unique, end-to-end lithium battery materials business. VSPC is recognised globally for producing some of the world’s most advanced battery cathode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Strike Energy's Jaws-1 appraisal well in the Southern Cooper Basin has intersected coals at a target depth of more than 2000m and remains on the cusp of making history as the first coal seam gas well to commercially flow hydrocarbons from extreme depths in Australia. The vertical well will later meet a horizontal well extending 800m in preparation for a seven-stage hydraulic stimulation program.

Kalia Ltd will pitch a proposed agreement to shareholders whereby the Perth-based junior explorer’s interest in two exciting Bougainville copper-gold exploration licences will increase by 38% to 75%. If approved, Kalia will issue 480 million new shares to Global Resources Investment Trust in a deal that will give Kalia a significantly higher stake in the lucrative island.

After rain delays, St George Mining is back on site at the Mt Alexander project near Leonora with a drill rig to follow up impressive nickel-copper hits that sent the company’s shares into orbit last November. A 20-hole diamond and RC program will target extensions of a thick channel of mineralised rocks and test some new electromagnetic targets in under-explored areas.

Volt Resources is aiming to muscle its way into the ranks of the world’s top three graphite producers and will make a USD$40m bond issue on the Tanzanian exchange.The innovative capital raise will not only bank a big lick of money for stage 1 of the Bunyu project but it will also allow Tanzanian and Ugandan pension funds to get behind the project. The NPV for the project could be as much as USD$1.31b

Revitalised gold explorer Classic Minerals is cashing up to fund more drilling at the Forrestania Gold project courtesy of a shareholder purchase plan offering investors the opportunity to top up their holdings at a 20% discount. The funds will go straight into the ground on further phases of drilling to follow up multiple, high-grade hits from the Forrestania Gold Project, near Southern Cross.

King River Copper’s exotic collection of minerals around the Speewah project in the East Kimberley has delivered a potentially lucrative bonus in the form of a large, high-grade fluorspar deposit next door to its flagship vanadium-titanium project. Global supply of the critical mineral is tightening, prompting the US recently to add fluorspar to its list of strategic stockpile requirements

BlackEarth Minerals is setting a cracking pace at its flagship Maniry graphite project in Madagascar, with two drill rigs arriving this week, just a month after the company listed on the ASX. The rigs will drill 10,800 metres of diamond and RC holes at the advanced exploration project, with results channelled into a maiden JORC resource by the middle of the year.

Altech Chemicals has secured another key piece of the puzzle to realise its ambition of becoming a global heavyweight in high purity alumina with approval granted from the Malaysian government for its proposed plant in Johor. Malaysia has jumped at the chance to secure a total investment of $390 million and become a key player in a high-value and rapidly growing commodity.

ASX-listed Calidus Resources has announced the appointment of Mark Connelly to its board as an independent, Non-Executive Chairman. Connelly has enjoyed success in resource project developments and as a powerbroker in merger and acquisition deals lauded by punters. Avid market watchers will no doubt be keeping a close eye on Calidus’ flagship Warrawoona gold project near Marble Bar as Connelly steers it towards production.