Public Company News

Lithium Australia has kicked off a preliminary feasibility study to evaluate the production of lithium iron phosphate battery cathode powders using mica feed material sourced from its Sadisdorf lithium-tin deposit in Germany. The study is seeking to provide supply chain security by delivering cathode materials that require neither cobalt or nickel whilst remaining competitive with batteries using standard lithium carbonate materials.

Caldius Resources does not appear to be resting on its laurels after recently announcing a 1.25 million ounce gold resource in the Pilbara with the ASX junior this week kicking off a drill program to test new targets at its highly prospective Warrawoona project. The program will test three high-priority targets from soil geochemistry that showed the largely unexplored region is still rich with potential.

Australian Potash has started a major study into the benefits of using its sulphate of potash product over the more typically used “muriate of potash” for the growing of crops in WA. The two-year study will be a collaboration with the Western Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association and The University of Western Australia. It will compare the effects of both potassium sources on crop yield, quality, safety and value.

TNG Ltd is finalising its environmental impact statement and permitting processes for its NT-based, Mount Peake vanadium-titanium-iron project and the proposed TIVAN downstream processing plant facility for refining high-value ore products, located close to Darwin. The company will haul concentrated products to a rail siding facility for transportation to Darwin, where the materials will be refined and then exported to customers in Asia.

88 Energy has started discussions with the preferred bidder to farm-in to the conventional acreage at its project known as “Project Icewine” in Alaska’s famed North Slope oil province. Evaluation work on the unconventional HRZ shale at Project Icewine is also continuing with the company expecting to have a dataroom ready by mid-2019, which will allow a formal farm-out process to begin.

Spectrum Metals has drilled high grade extensions at its Penny West gold project near Youanmi in WA, intersecting an 8 metre wide intercept of mineralisation grading 24.2g/t gold from 149m down-hole. The zone at Penny North is directly on strike from a historical open pit, that generated 85,000 ounces at 21.8g/t gold in the 1990s. The company has expanded its drilling campaign to follow up the discovery.

Neometals is now fully focussed on progressing the Barrambie vanadium-titanium-magnetite project near Sandstone, WA, towards a final investment decision this year following the completion of the $104m Mt Marion divestment. The company is also planning to complete the Canadian lithium‐ion battery recycling pilot and feasibility study and proving up the potential of its zeolite production process.

Great Southern Mining has discovered strongly anomalous cobalt and scandium mineralisation in laterite from historical aircore drilling programs completed at its Mt Weld project, near Laverton, WA. Best results were 12m @ 0.19% cobalt from 56m down-hole and 16m at 130g/t scandium from 38m down-hole in separate vertical drill holes. The company is also re-assaying drill samples for their platinum group metal potential.

Northern Minerals is raising up to $20m through multiple subscription agreements with a number of sophisticated investors to ramp up exploration at the Dazzler and Iceman prospects in the East Kimberley, WA. The company recently released a maiden resource estimate of 144,000 tonnes grading 2.23% TREO for the Dazzler prospect and expects to release an estimate for the Iceman prospect later this year.

Infinity Lithium is now better positioned to attract investment for its integrated San Jose mine and lithium hydroxide refining project in western Spain after increasing its ownership to 75% by paying AUD$1.6m to JV partner Valoriza Mineria over 14 months. Valoriza will retain its contractor rights to develop the project, ensuring that the partners remain aligned on their goals and focus on moving the venture forward.

Venus Metals has generated a new mineral resource estimate of 134.7 million tonnes grading 0.34% vanadium pentoxide for its Youanmi vanadium oxide project near Sandstone in WA. 64% of the mineral resources lie within the confident measured and indicated categories, which will allow the company to accelerate scoping studies and metallurgical test work and define a maiden ore reserve, based on more targeted definition drilling programs.

St George Mining has drilled two holes that intersected nickel sulphide mineralisation at the new Fairbridge prospect of its Mt Alexander project near Leonora, WA, with a large chargeable anomaly to the north of these holes to be drilled this week. Drilling has also confirmed that a new nickel sulphide zone exists in the previously unexplored 500m strike zone between the Stricklands and Investigators prospects in the Cathedrals Belt.