Public Company News

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.

Terrain Minerals is preparing to stare directly into a Nova-style “eye” magnetic feature at its Lort River project, with a detailed airborne electromagnetic survey slated to kick off early next month. The company identified the intriguing feature just eight weeks ago and is wasting no time in refining the target, which displays stark similarities to IGO’s Nova-Bollinger nickel-copper-cobalt deposit in Western Australia’s prospective Albany-Fraser Belt.

Lycaon Resources has secured a crucial tick of approval from WA’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister to kick off exploration at its Stansmore project in the West Arunta region – near WA1 Resources' notable niobium discovery. The highly-coveted mining entry permit paves the way for the company to land boots on ground, with a heritage survey planned before it plunges the drill bit into alluring magnetic anomalies.

Aurumin is looking to join the ranks of Western Australia’s coveted million-ounce gold club after completing its latest reverse-circulation drill program at its Central Sandstone project, 520km north-east of Perth. Drilling was completed for 38 holes and tested seven new open-pit targets, as part of the company’s bold push to extend its current 946,000-ounce gold resource.

88 Energy has delivered a second light oil surface flow discovery peak of 50 barrels per day from the SMD-B reservoir within the Hickory-1 well at its Phoenix project in Alaska – importantly, with little to no measurable associated gas flow. The SMD-B discovery follows hot on the heels of a deeper reservoir in Hickory-1 that previously surface flow-tested 70 barrels per day of light oil.

Venus Metals’ hunt for lithium at its Penny East project in Western Australia’s Mid West region – within ground initially secured for gold and base metals prospectivity – has revealed encouraging soil geochemical results. The company says it identified an anomalous area measuring about 800m by 600m, while a second 800m-wide anomaly is open to the north. Further soil sampling and shallow drilling is planned.

Estrella Resources is off and running at its Lautém manganese, copper and gold project in Timor-Leste (formally East Timor), with preliminary geological reconnaissance works identifying a 27 km manganese trend with serious grades up to almost 61 per cent. The company is undergoing systematic geological mapping and sampling at its newly granted 504 square kilometre land package after managing to lock down one of the first ever exploration licences in the mineral rich province.

Empire Energy will pay down its US debt to Macquarie and put a bit over A$3m in the tin to chase gas in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo basin after offloading its US oil and gas assets for about A$14 million. The company is poised to take on the Australian east coast gas supply dilemma with its Beetaloo ground modelled to generate a project net present value for phase two of $2.5 billion and $14.5 billion for phase three.

The world’s largest iron ore and nickel producer, Brazilian powerhouse Vale, has contracted Perth based ASX-listed company K2fly to supply its unique mining software across 69 of its sites for at least three years. The deal will add almost half a million dollars a year to K2fly’s all important “annual recuring revenue” figure that many software as a service companies are judged on.

Everest Metals is aiming to sure up the resource at its Revere gold project in WA’s Mid West with a 36,000 tonne bulk sampling campaign however the sample will be put through a mobile plant to produce gold. The program has been designed to convert the current exploration target of between 2.5 and 4.1 million tonnes grading between 1 and 2.5 grams per tonne gold into a JORC resource.

ASX-listed Toro Energy has revealed proposals to spin out its portfolio of non-core nickel, gold, and base metal assets in Western Australia to focus solely on uranium. Projects flagged for the spin out into a new IPO include Toro’s wholly owned Dusty Nickel Project 50km east of the town of Wiluna and the Yandal Gold and Base Metal Project.