Public Company News

Image Resources has edged a step closer to its mining plans at its high-grade Atlas mineral sands project 90km north of Boonanarring in Western Australia after securing environmental approval for the proposed development. Atlas’ 18 million-tonne resource features a heavy mineral grade of 6 per cent, including 9.3 per cent zircon, 46 per cent ilmenite, 4 per cent leucoxene and 6.5 per cent rutile.

Quantum Graphite’s JV partner Sunlands Energy has secured a patent green light for its thermal energy storage graphite cell technology from the powerful US Patent and Trademark Office. Management says the patent ensures its participation in the world’s biggest energy storage market. Thermal energy storage cells are devices that temporarily store energy to be used later for power generation.

Buxton Resources is dialling in on geophysical anomalies it believes may be iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) ore deposits as it prepares for fieldwork at its 100 per cent-owned Centurion project in Western Australia’s West Arunta region. Neighbouring tenements have thrown up significant rare earths enrichment, including niobium, at WA1 Resources’ Luni and Pachpadra carbonatite discoveries – and they have no shortage of head-turning assays.

Askari Metals has revealed some tantalising high-grade copper-silver mineralisation in rock chip sampling at its Callawa project in WA’s Pilbara region, jagging a top hit of 6.78 per cent copper with 2.34g/t silver. The headline result is supported by a second sample that produced 4.35 per cent copper with 8.25g/t silver and a third offering of 2.02 per cent copper with 6.42g/t silver.

Kalgoorlie Gold Mining has hit thick, near-to-surface gold running as high as 28m at 1.27g/t from 36m in air-core drilling at its Pinjin play near Kalgoorlie in WA’s Goldfields. The company believes it may be onto an extension of a bigger system being mined in adjacent ground by Hawthorn Resources, where 62,000 ounces have been pulled from open pit operations and 157,000 ounces sit underground.

Si6 Metals has expanded its Brazilian footprint, snatching 300 square kilometres of new ground prospective for rare earths in the State of Minas Gerais. The newly-acquired turf, dubbed the Pimenta project, sits in the north-east of the State and has thrown up some head-turning radiometric anomalies over 26km of untested strike. It adds further ground to the Brazilian JV it shares with Foxfire Metals.

Strickland Metals has delivered “outstanding” initial results from the first two diamond drill holes sunk at its Palomino prospect near Wiluna in WA, with a solid 17m hit grading 10.6g/t tonne gold from 144.7m. The impressive intercept contains a 3.5m section going 15g/t gold from 150.1m, while the second hole returned 13.7m at 6.3g/t from 133.4m including 3m reading an eye-catching 20g/t from 133.9m.

Every cloud has a silver lining and Dollar Bill reckons silver IS that silver lining right now. Once considered a poor man’s gold, silver is poised to take its place in the sun, having quietly tracked the gold price skywards. Sun Silver provided a poignant example last week when its 20c IPO hit the boards at 50c before marching to a 75c high.

A joint bid by Neometals and mining giant Mineral Resources, using electricity to turn purified lithium chloride from South American brines into lithium hydroxide, has entered its final stage at a testing facility in Canada. The pilot testwork progam being undertaken with Neometals’ proprietory “ELi” process is aimed at producing a converted material for use in the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries.

Buxton Resources has revealed plans to drill-test three new target areas unveiled by high-tech ground moving-loop electromagnetic (MLEM) surveys at its Ranger and Oculus prospects in an upcoming campaign at its Narryer project in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region. The company says the surveys provided high-conductance levels up to 10,000 Siemens, indicating the potential for iron-bearing copper-nickel or graphite mineralisation.

A granted 21-year mining lease over two gold deposits set to join Classic Minerals’ stable of operations will give the company what it says is a bigger play at its Forrestania project area near Southern Cross in Western Australia. The new 1804-hectare lease complements the company’s existing Kat Gap mining operation and clears the pathway to an expanded operation.

The heavens have finally closed over King River Resources’ ground in the Northern Territory and it has declared itself open for drilling business for copper and gold at the many prospects within its Tennant Creek East project. The reverse-circulation drill program, delayed for several months due to flooding rains, is planned for 10,800m at 13 prospects within three of the company’s Top End projects.