Public Company News

Perth-based Myanmar Metals is working hard to create a new chapter in the life of one of the worlds most fabled lead-zinc mines, the Bawdwin deposit in northeast Myanmar, where drilling began this week. A 5,000-metre drilling program is now underway to boost confidence in an already impressive estimate for the potentially world class lead/zinc resource.

Draig Resources has added some choice acreage to its gold portfolio by acquiring the Yandal South Prospect which is close to some of Western Australia's once great, but subsequently forgotten gold mines. The junior explorer is aiming to re-shine a number of abandoned West Australian mines by introducing state-of-the-art, modern exploration techniques into the equation.

Geopacific Resources has reminded investors there is more to the company than just their flagship Woodlark gold project in PNG with news of a gold-silver discovery at their legacy Kou Sa project in northern Cambodia. The epithermal gold specialist this week reported a number of drill hits of high-grade gold in unusually wide zones of mineralisation that suggested potential for a big mineral system.

Nzuri Copper has continued the lightning pace set at its flagship Kalongwe copper-cobalt deposit into 2018, hiring one of Australia’s biggest engineers to conduct a further scoping study on a potential major expansion. The move comes just days after Nzuri banked a $10m placement and adds further momentum to its exciting project in the heart of the booming African copper Belt.

Hammer Metals can’t put a foot wrong with the drill bit. Following news of 7% copper hits at Jubilee, the explorer this week announced high grade grade cobalt hits at Millennium in Mt Isa from the first drill program with a new Canadian partner. A three-hole program returned assays of up to 1.11% cobalt and has encouraged the partners to begin a 10-hole drill program next month.

Blina Minerals has discovered and dusted off a number of historic reports that show crazy cobalt grades of between 6% and up to 18% were mined on their Chilean La Cobaltera project as far back as 1844. Blina are completing a round of DD on the project which they currently have under option and they have also optioned up more ground near their project, dramatically extending their footprint.

Ironbark Zinc has moved closer to a development of its Citronen zinc-lead project in Greenland after appointing a leading global corporate finance adviser to line up finance for the US$514m project. A feasibility study in September delivered an outstanding set of numbers for Citronen, which has emerged as one of the world’s best undeveloped zinc projects just as zinc stocks head for critical lows on the LME.

Podium Minerals is aiming to become the first platinum mining operator in Australia when it lists on the ASX in February. The Perth-based explorer is looking to raise $6.6million for infill drilling and extended exploration campaigns to define a platinum-palladium resource at the Weld Range Complex in Western Australia. The company also has a number of strong potentially nickel and copper conductors at the project.

Blackham Resources has reloaded its armoury with a $14.3million loan to as part of a recapitalisation strategy aimed at taking the company into profitability from its Wiluna Gold project. The junior miner has shored up its balance sheet with news that some of its financiers and primary contractors will underwrite 36% of a forthcoming $36m rights issue aimed at putting the company on a sound financial footing with cash flow positivity achieved for the first time in December.

The Australian Patent Office has reported favourably on Lithium Australia’s international patent application for SiLeach, clearing the way for protection of its breakthrough lithium processing technology in 148 countries. The local patent authority reported that SiLeach, which slashes lithium extraction costs and opens up the possibility of treating lithium waste materials, is indeed “novel, inventive, industry applicable and patentable”.

After ending 2017 with some of its best-ever drill hits, Mt Isa-focused copper-gold explorer Hammer Metals is planning to start 2018 where it left off. A second RC drill program at the Jubilee prospect, 60 kms east of Mt Isa, will get underway later this month, aimed at extending high-grade hits of 7% copper in last month’s maiden drill program.

Galena Mining’s plans for a high-grade, underground development to finally unlock value from the fabled Abra deposit have received a major boost with the release of a remarkable set of assay results from a maiden drill program. The program has successfully targeted high-grade zones of lead mineralisation and is timed to perfection, with lead prices hitting seven-year highs earlier this month.