Public Company News

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.

Perth-based Plymouth Minerals has launched a feasibility study for the San Jose lithium-tin project in Spain and begun the process of applying for a mining licence aimed at producing a world-class lithium supply line to the burgeoning battery industry in the heart of industrial Europe. A previous scoping study done on the project showed an annual EBITDA of USD$75m a year.

Fresh from last month’s $3.5m capital raising, Reedy Lagoon has wasted no time signing up a contractor to begin exploration drilling at its Columbus Salt March lithium brines project in Nevada. Boart Longyear has been contracted to drill a deep, large-diameter core hole that will extract brine samples from depths of up to 1000 metres.

Nzuri Copper has now taken final delivery of $10milllion from a placement to Chinese mining giant Huayou Cobalt and is kicking 2018 off on an upbeat note as it steps up the hunt for copper riches in central Africa. The Perth-based, ASX-listed junior will use the funds to develop its flagship copper-cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to shore up its prospects from an aggressive exploration campaign.

Altech Chemical’s journey towards development of a high-purity alumina plant has taken another significant step from drawing board conception to sod turning reality with the application for a manufacturing licence from Malaysian authorities. The Perth-based company has also applied for ‘pioneer status’ in a bid for the project to be awarded a special tax exemption for the first five years of operation.

St George Mining has extended the strike length of nickel-copper sulphides at its Cathedrals prospect to 400 metres after assays revealed more high-grade drill hits from step-out holes. The latest results from Cathedrals, part of the Mt Alexander project just south of the Agnew-Wiluna belt, continues an exceptional run of news that has driven a rally in St George shares since November.

A land access and exploration agreement between Kalia Ltd and Bougainville locals has brought the minerals rich PNG island a step closer to reviving its former mining glory. The signing represents the first significant endorsement of the new Bouganville mining act in the now autonomous country that vests all mining rights with customary land owners. Kalia now has a serious first mover advantage.

After failing to hit target depth at all three maiden drill holes at its alluring Chile Gold project due to technical failures, Perth based ASX listed explorer Emu N.L has received a temporary setback and has remobilised a new drilling contractor at the project. Emu is about to test their intriguing theory of a large gold system sitting under a geological "steam cap" in a region that is rich with world class players.

After experiencing frightening stripping ratios in 2017 at the Wiluna Gold project, Blackham Resources now appear to have unearthed enough high-grade ore to produce a solid 2018. The company mined almost as much gold in the last month of 2018 as the entire September quarter and is building high-grade stockpiles for the first time in almost a year.

ASX-listed MGC Pharmaceuticals will fast track an Australian operational base to cultivate medicinal marijuana after the federal government announced a plan to legalise exports of cannabis-based medicines. MGC said the regulatory changes, expected to be in place from February, would allow it to establish a pharmaceutical grade medicinal cannabis cultivation strategy to target key export markets.