Announcements

ASX-listed MGC Pharmaceuticals says it is on schedule to commence production of research grade cannabis by mid-2017 after harvesting its first crop at its Slovenian facilities. In a strong finish to 2016, the company has also confirmed the execution of its deal to acquire Czech-based medical cannabis company Panax Pharma on more favourable terms.

Lithium Australia’s Sileach process has successfully passed its first trial using Lithium ore from Pilbara Minerals’ giant Pilgangoora project near Port Hedland. The positive results are the first step towards a potential Sileach plant being built at Pilgangoora that could add millions of dollars in value to the project by way of reduced processing costs. 

Medical device company Analytica has received a $1.2 million boost from the Australian Government as the company develops its breakthrough treatment for women suffering from incontinence due to pelvic floor muscle disorders.  The incentive is aimed at companies like Analytica that are researching and developing innovative new products

There’s nothing like the hint of a good conductor to get the base metal bulls hoofing at the dirt and Legend Mining haven’t disappointed in that regard. The company announced this week they had identified a number of conductors, which followed the identification last month of the right rocks for a Nova/Bollinger style deposit at their Rockford project.

The clean energy boom has opened up opportunities for Aussie Lithium and Graphite explorers. Now you can add the heavy rare earth “Dysprosium” to that list. Northern Minerals is quickly carving out a dominant position in that market place and this week finalized a $60m engineering contract with Chinese giant Sinosteel MECC that will allow $12m to be deferred.

Lithium Australia and Pilbara Minerals are trialing a breakthrough Lithium processing technology on concentrates from Pilbara’s Lithium deposit at Pilgangoora. The marriage between one of the world’s largest Lithium deposit owners and a game-changing processing technology has the potential to turn great swathes of uneconomic tonnes into economic tonnes at Pilgangoora. 

In a move that is likely to ramp up its production and research capabilities, MGC Pharmaceuticals has signed a new, renegotiated, binding heads of agreement to acquire Czech-based medical cannabis company Panax Pharma. Under the deal, the Perth-based company will gain access to world-leading facilities in the Czech Republic for its medical cannabis research.

Hammer Metals’ success at the Millennium project that was aquired for a song has opened the door to another acquisition that looks to be equally well priced in Mt Isa. The company announced this week an agreement with Chinalco Yunnan Copper Resources to acquire highly prospective tenements in the Mt Isa district for the issue of 1.5m Hammer shares, which closed at 3.9c on Wednesday.

Mineral explorers often stumble over approvals when it comes to getting into development. Pilbara Minerals however are showing how it’s done with news of several key approvals, including an all-important Native Title agreement this week for their giant Pilgangoora Lithium mine. Project permiting is expected in Q1 2017 with first ore shipped by July 2017.

Blackham Resources have discovered another $1.4b worth of in-ground gold at the Matilda Gold Project in Wiluna since June. Whilst no where near all of this amount will drop to the bottom line, it’s still a staggering statement to make about a company that is still only capped at around $150m. The project has jumped from 5.1m ounces to 6m ounces in six months. 

ASX listed financial payments player Stargroup’s extraordinary run of revenue growth has continued, with the company delivering its 12th consecutive quarter of record revenue after just two of the three months in the December quarter. The company posted a 299% revenue increase compared to the same time last year with the increase led by the ATM division. 

ASX listed Lithium Australia have multiple balls in the air right now. The company recently announced potentially resource grade sampling at their Mexican Lithium play, the awarding of an engineering design contract for their game changing Sileach Lithium process and a priority share entitlement in the exciting upcoming Lithium float of Canadian partner Metals Tech.

It’s hard to believe but there are still millions of people in the world that are technically termed “unbanked”, which means they still do not operate a bank account. They earn their wages in cash and pay their bills in cash but all that could change with Perth ASX listed company Peppermint Innovation's new App set to revolutionize the bill paying experience for the great unbanked.  

Another round of great assay results has Blackham Resources thinking about digging a 1.9km-long super pit at Wiluna to carve out the riches left by previous explorers. Latest drilling by the new gold producer has found extensive mineralisation beyond the existing mine plan that could be accessed by a northern superpit and deeper digging at the existing East and West pits.

Terrain Minerals are a chance to make the leap from junior explorer to junior producer after an injection of new funds from shareholders and management which will fund an immediate drill program at the Great Western Gold project near Leonora. The 21-hole program is one of the last steps before a prefeasibility study on development of the almost 63,000 ounce resource.

In a remarkable display of value adding, Hammer Metals this week released a maiden resource estimate for their copper-cobalt-gold Millennium deposit in Qld, just six months after buying it for $83,000. The ASX junior said Millennium was similar in size and style to other deposits in the area that had been successfully mined, which implied Millennium might already be economic.

Blackham Resources have turned the gold price slump to their advantage by snapping up ounces at low spot prices and turning a quick $6.3m profit on their hedge book. The cash boost follows a string of good news at the recent AGM, where shareholders were told the Matilda mine would produce 25,000 ounces in the March 17 quarter and expansion studies were moving ahead.

Sipa Resources' exploration program in the Paterson district in W.A has been recognised by a grant of up to $300,000 from the State and Federal Governments and the CSIRO. The new funds will provide a boost to the company’s search for a major copper-gold deposit, and follows up some very encouraging results from the company’s maiden reconnaissance drill program in the area.

In what appears to be an endorsement of their latest strategy to secure five highly prospective Lithium leases in Namibia, Auroch Minerals have attracted the attention of Rare Earth Minerals, a London and New York listed fund that takes strategic interests in undervalued Lithium projects around the globe. Rare Earths have taken a $650k strategic placement in Auroch.

Approvals to build Australia’s first heavy rare earths plant are falling like dominoes for Northern Minerals with the Department of Mines and Petroleum giving the green light for the company to develop their Browns Range rare earths project near Halls Creek. Whilst it will be a research and development play initially, there is every chance it will still make money for the company. 

ATM machine operator Stargroup, has bolted $1.7m to its bottom line after executing a hotly-anticipated asset purchase agreement with high margin Australian ATM machine service provider Indue. The $6.5m debt funded deal appears to have been well negotiated by Stargroup at just 3.8 times EBITDA. Indue's ATM business shows a very high EBITDA to sales ratio of over 40%.

Whilst most medical Marijuana companies are still trying to work out how to monetize their businesses, MGC Pharmaceuticals are busy locking down international distribution deals with real revenue flows for their unique, Cannabis based skin care line, MGC Derma. The company announced last week it had secured its first major sales order worth around AUD$65,000.

Geological tell tale signs from the latest round of drilling at Sipa Resources’nickel copper play in Uganda indicate that the company might be getting close to the pay zone with their exploration program. The latest assay results from the Akelikongo project have extended the mineralized zone by 100m and suggest that the mineral system strengthens and thickens down plunge

Sky and Space Global’s breakthrough ‘nano-satellites’ are moving from idea to reality with the company indicating that the first three units will be built by December 2016. They are now expected to be tested and ready for deployment by February 2017, well ahead of the second quarter launch date and telco wholesalers are already signing up to get a slice of the action. 

All the pieces are falling into place for Northern Minerals’ heavy rare earth project at Browns Range, with infill drilling underway before a final investment decision due in Q1 2017. It follows a sensational few months for the company that have included funding and construction deals to take Browns Range from an ambitious idea to potentially Australia’s first heavy rare earths mine.

In a strong endorsement of its nano-satellite telecommunications technology, Sky and Space Global has raised $7 million in an oversubscribed capital raising at 8.5c a share. The price represents a jump that is more than 4 times the previous capital raise price of 2c a share just 6 months ago when Perth corporate types, Brett Mitchell and Peter Wall backdoor listed the company. 

Pilbara Minerals’ rapid rise reached a key milestone this week with the start of earthworks at Pilgangoora, one of the world’s largest Lithium development projects. The news coincided with the company’s AGM where shareholders were told how their company had achieved remarkable growth from a market cap of just $11 million two years ago to $700 million today.

The State Government will deploy home grown technology with global potential in a $500k deal to protect Perth beachgoers from shark attacks this summer. Perth based ASX listed Shark Mitigation Systems said today they had convinced the W.A State Government to deploy their “Clever Buoy” technology on a trial basis between the two groynes at City Beach over the summer period.

Chinese engineering firm Sinosteel MECC have agreed to defer $12m of the $60m needed to build Northern Minerals rare earths pilot plant until after the mine starts producing. Taking the money from future cashflow rather than borrowing it, dramatically changes the deal metrics and sets the company up to be Australia's first heavy rare earths producer in 2017. 

David Perlmutter, the heavy weight former Executive Vice President at Intel Corporation, is headed to Australia next week in his role as Chairman of ASX listed tech company Weebit Nano and will meet investors in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. His involvement with a junior technology company is curious and has local tech heads speculating about where the company is headed. 

Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora Lithium deposit is growing like topsy, with the ASX-listed Lithium developer flagging another reserve upgrade after releasing exceptional results from the latest drilling program. The looming upgrade, would strengthen Pilbara Minerals’ case for doubling mine throughout and dramatically improving the economics of an already lucrative project.

ASX listed PharmAust has revealed a timetable for the development of its promising anti-cancer drug as the Perth-based company moves ahead with human and canine trials. After pleasing results in Phase I human tests of its “Monepantel” drug, the company is pushing ahead with Phase II canine trials.