Public Company News

Impact Minerals’ maiden soil sampling program has pleasantly surprised with a grab bag of noteworthy rare earth elements targets emerging across the Arkun project in southwest Western Australia. The soil anomalies occur over hundreds of metres and have snagged both light and heavy rare earths in an area that has never previously been explored for rare earths.

Comet Resources is set to become a key player in the lucrative downstream processing of lithium-ion battery anode material after vending-out its Springdale graphite project to International Graphite - an Australian manufacturer of high-value graphite products for supply to global markets. International Graphite plans to list on the ASX early next year with Comet in line to own a 25 per cent stake in the graphite manufacturer after the listing.

Perth-based Lithium Australia looks to have its eyes set on systematically progressing its battery production expertise with its wholly owned subsidiary, VSPC rubber stamping a three-way deal with the Australian Research Council and the University of Technology Sydney, to conduct research and development for solid-state lithium metal battery technology. The company says the technology will spearhead the next generation of lithium batteries.

Native Minerals has spotted what it believes to be a significant iron-oxide copper-gold anomaly from a maiden high-resolution magnetic drone survey at its 100 per cent owned Nullarbor tenements in WA. The new target area is perched on a low seismic zone with a large-scale structure and low resistivity readings, similar to the enormous Olympic Dam IOCG deposit. Drill target planning is currently underway.

Perth-based Venus Metals’ Henderson project north of Menzies in WA could turn out to be a triple header with the company recently completing a hard-rock lithium sampling and mapping program at the gold and nickel site. A suite of 97 rock samples were bagged during the renaissance trip which sought to review the lithium potential of the company’s landholdings with assays currently pending.

ASX-listed Aldoro Resources is concentrating efforts on exploring the Loop Pegmatite structure at its Wyemandoo pegmatite project in Western Australia. The exploration focus is following up a series of high-grade lithium and rubidium assays and completed satellite imagery which indicate a similar structure immediately to the south in the pegmatite swarm. Aldoro says the Wyemandoo pegmatites represent a new lithium-rubidium bearing-pegmatite field.

Nickel explorer, Estrella Resources has intercepted 12 metres of nickel-copper sulphides on previously untested ground, some 1.4 kilometres along trend from its striking T5 nickel-copper discovery near Kalgoorlie in WA. The company says the new intercept looks strikingly similar to the T5 discovery RC hole that returned 8m at 1.11 per cent nickel and 0.36 per cent copper in 2019.

ASX-listed Coda Minerals is narrowing in on a highly prospective 2km long copper-gold mineralised corridor at its Cameron River project near Mt Isa in Queensland. Systematic rock chip sampling over the Copper Weed and Rebound prospect areas have returned a bevy of high-grade results including 22.2 per cent copper and 2.74 g/t gold along with identifying several new targets.

Gold explorer, Torian Resources has upped the ante at its Mt Stirling gold project near Leonora in WA after early-stage auger vacuum drilling unveiled a 1km long gold zone, some 1.5km from its 100,000 ounce Mt Stirling gold deposit. The next day, about 10km further south, the company unearthed a bumper grade gold discovery with drilling intercepting 2m at a cracking 12.18 g/t gold.

Horizon and Metal Hawk have signed an interesting nickel rights option agreement on 12 tenements adjacent to Horizon’s Cannon gold project area approximately 20km east of Kalgoorlie. The agreement sees Horizon pick up an initial 1.5m shares in Metal Hawk with the option of another 3m more shares within 18 months and Metal Hawk taking up an option over the potentially lucrative nickel rights.

Barton Gold has revealed more stunning gold intercepts from its final 29 holes of the last drilling program at the Tarcoola gold project in the central Gawler Craton of SA including 5m at 48.9 g/t gold. The hits continue a run of success following the recent gold discoveries around the northern edges of the Perseverance pit and the gold zone discovered at Perseverance West last year.

Empire Energy is preparing to capitalise on the surging gas market after inking a transportation services memorandum of understanding with APA Transmission, a wholly owned subsidiary of APA Group. Under the agreement, the duo will explore opportunities to develop mid-stream infrastructure in the Beetaloo Sub-Basin to support the transport of hydrocarbons from Empire’s assets in the Northern Territory.