Public Company News

Another round of great assay results has Blackham Resources thinking about digging a 1.9km-long super pit at Wiluna to carve out the riches left by previous explorers. Latest drilling by the new gold producer has found extensive mineralisation beyond the existing mine plan that could be accessed by a northern superpit and deeper digging at the existing East and West pits.

Terrain Minerals are a chance to make the leap from junior explorer to junior producer after an injection of new funds from shareholders and management which will fund an immediate drill program at the Great Western Gold project near Leonora. The 21-hole program is one of the last steps before a prefeasibility study on development of the almost 63,000 ounce resource.

In a remarkable display of value adding, Hammer Metals this week released a maiden resource estimate for their copper-cobalt-gold Millennium deposit in Qld, just six months after buying it for $83,000. The ASX junior said Millennium was similar in size and style to other deposits in the area that had been successfully mined, which implied Millennium might already be economic.

Blackham Resources have turned the gold price slump to their advantage by snapping up ounces at low spot prices and turning a quick $6.3m profit on their hedge book. The cash boost follows a string of good news at the recent AGM, where shareholders were told the Matilda mine would produce 25,000 ounces in the March 17 quarter and expansion studies were moving ahead.

Sipa Resources' exploration program in the Paterson district in W.A has been recognised by a grant of up to $300,000 from the State and Federal Governments and the CSIRO. The new funds will provide a boost to the company’s search for a major copper-gold deposit, and follows up some very encouraging results from the company’s maiden reconnaissance drill program in the area.

In what appears to be an endorsement of their latest strategy to secure five highly prospective Lithium leases in Namibia, Auroch Minerals have attracted the attention of Rare Earth Minerals, a London and New York listed fund that takes strategic interests in undervalued Lithium projects around the globe. Rare Earths have taken a $650k strategic placement in Auroch.

Approvals to build Australia’s first heavy rare earths plant are falling like dominoes for Northern Minerals with the Department of Mines and Petroleum giving the green light for the company to develop their Browns Range rare earths project near Halls Creek. Whilst it will be a research and development play initially, there is every chance it will still make money for the company. 

ATM machine operator Stargroup, has bolted $1.7m to its bottom line after executing a hotly-anticipated asset purchase agreement with high margin Australian ATM machine service provider Indue. The $6.5m debt funded deal appears to have been well negotiated by Stargroup at just 3.8 times EBITDA. Indue's ATM business shows a very high EBITDA to sales ratio of over 40%.

Whilst most medical Marijuana companies are still trying to work out how to monetize their businesses, MGC Pharmaceuticals are busy locking down international distribution deals with real revenue flows for their unique, Cannabis based skin care line, MGC Derma. The company announced last week it had secured its first major sales order worth around AUD$65,000.

Geological tell tale signs from the latest round of drilling at Sipa Resources’nickel copper play in Uganda indicate that the company might be getting close to the pay zone with their exploration program. The latest assay results from the Akelikongo project have extended the mineralized zone by 100m and suggest that the mineral system strengthens and thickens down plunge

Sky and Space Global’s breakthrough ‘nano-satellites’ are moving from idea to reality with the company indicating that the first three units will be built by December 2016. They are now expected to be tested and ready for deployment by February 2017, well ahead of the second quarter launch date and telco wholesalers are already signing up to get a slice of the action. 

All the pieces are falling into place for Northern Minerals’ heavy rare earth project at Browns Range, with infill drilling underway before a final investment decision due in Q1 2017. It follows a sensational few months for the company that have included funding and construction deals to take Browns Range from an ambitious idea to potentially Australia’s first heavy rare earths mine.