Public Company News

Meeka Metals has secured a $73 million funding war chest, paving the way to finalising the development and production ramp-up at its 100 per cent-owned Murchison gold project in Western Australia. The funding comprises a $26 million gold loan and a $12 million gold stream from Auramet International, in addition to a $35 million institutional placement that includes a $5 million equity investment from Auramet.

Aguia Resources is charging towards production at its Santa Barbara gold project in the Columbian State of Bolivar following key project procurements ahead of underground developments slated for later this year. The company believes that for relatively little capital expenditure, it can be producing first gold at the high-grade, low-tonnage operation by as soon as next year’s first quarter.

In this week’s edition of Bulls N’ Bears Big Hits, we examine some of the notable drill intersections revealed on the ASX, including Elevate Uranium’s 2m strike at 1482ppm uranium oxide in Namibia. We also take a close look at other drill hits reported by Dateline Resources from its Colosseum project in California and from New World Resources at its Antler play in Arizona.

A leadership restructure at Atomos and a new product suite has led to a 5.1 per cent increase in sales and lifted gross margins to 40 per cent as part of a solid financial turnaround for the video technology innovator. It comes on the back of a 22 per cent cut in fixed operating costs following a $15 million loss in the past year.

Ardea Resources has hit a major milestone in the development of its Goongarrie Hub nickel-cobalt project in Western Australia after executing a binding agreement with a giant Japanese consortium. It now locks away a 50:50 joint venture with Sumitomo Metal Mining and Mitsubishi Corporation in a deal where the consortium has committed to funding a $98.5 million definitive feasibility study to earn into the project.

Strickland Metals has nailed more stellar gold hits from extensional drilling at the Warmblood prospect within its Horse Well camp near Wiluna in Western Australia. The company has extended the high-grade mineralised plunge at the site by an additional 170m, with a drill intersection of 7.9m at 9.7 grams per tonne peaking at a grade of 22g/t across 3.2m.

Chariot Corporation will take a 24.1 per cent stake in Mustang’s 10.1 million tonne lithium carbonate equivalent Horizon resource after its subsidiaries repossess the Horizon and Halo lithium projects in USA.Mustang’s wholly-owned subsidiaries are reclaiming full ownership of their Horizon and Halo lithium projects in Big Smoky Valley, Nevada.

As part of an extensive exploration program at the Egina Gold Camp, Novo Resources and billionaire “prospector” Mark Creasy have stretched the strike extent at the joint-ventured Nunyerry North gold prospect in WA’s Pilbara region to 500m after some solid drill hits, including 13m at 2.68g/t from 66m, 11m at 2.20g/t from 84m and 17m at 1.85g/t from 25m.

This week’s Bulls N’ Bears Runner of the Week is … MC Mining. The South African-focused coal producer inked a US$90 million cash injection into its coal operations. Also, Actinogen Medical received renewed support upon revealing analysis showing its Xanamem therapeutic to effectively treat depression, while other movers and shakers this week were Kalina Power and Felix Gold.

In the high-stakes world of high-tech, Atomos had not so long ago lost its way. But with a new product suite and a new-old boss, the company appears to be surging back towards a healthy financial future. It comes on the back of returned managing director Jeromy Young’s restructuring of the company and its share price is now riding high on the promise of elevated sales.

Buxton Resources has revealed a 54m graphite zone, with 20m estimated to be grading more than 10 per cent total graphitic carbon (TGC), in a maiden drillhole at its Ranger prospect in Western Australia’s Murchison region. Sitting within the company’s Narryer project, the discovery has bolstered its efforts to expand its graphite footprint, complementing the promising nearby Graphite Bull project.

Horizon Minerals has kicked off mining activities at its recently-approved Boorara gold development operation that sits adjacent to Northern Star’s massive Super Pit mine in the regional WA city of Kalgoorlie. Management last month gave approval for the mining of four open pits containing 1.24 million tonnes of ore grading 1.24g/t gold for 49,500 ounces and says it has already kicked the plan into action.