Public Company News

Okapi Resources is set to become the single largest shareholder of a private Australian company developing and commercialising a bleeding-edge uranium enrichment technology after entering into a binding agreement with Ubaryon. Okapi currently has its foot on a suite of uranium assets in North America and says the investment will help it manufacture a processed form of uranium that is typically imported from Russia.

A roadside geochemical sampling campaign at White Cliff Minerals’ Hines Hill rare earths project about 200km from Perth in WA has lit up a host of priority target areas over its roughly 570 square kilometre ground position. The campaign was headlined by a specimen running a maximum value of 930 parts per million total rare earth oxides and the company is now eyeing 10 key areas for immediate follow-up.

Surefire Resources has confirmed the presence of rare earths and kaolin at its Perenjori iron ore project following positive results from a reconnaissance rock chip campaign near recently discovered pegmatites. The anomalous rare earths mineralisation occurs close to the eastern boundary of the tenement hosting the Perenjori iron deposit prompting the explorer to apply for an additional exploration licence contiguous with the site to the east.

American West Metals will roll in a third drill rig to ramp up exploration at its Storm project in Canada with ground geophysical surveys also set to kick off in March. A combination of diamond and RC drilling is looking to etch out multiple shallow high-grade copper deposits suitable for low-cost open-pit mining, along with expanding the company’s recent discovery of a potentially large sediment-hosted copper system.

Venus Metals has received encouraging assays from ongoing geochemical surveys at its Youanmi lithium project in WA’s Murchison region including highlighting a new target at the company’s Manindi North prospect. The explorer says it received assays of rock chip samples from sub-cropping pegmatites in the area with results of up to 2.11 per cent lithium oxide.

Lindian Resources’ Kangankunde project in Malawi continues to produce incredible assay results from its maiden drill campaign including a 1m hit at an outstanding 9.49 per cent total rare earth oxides from 19m. The explorer says the latest results include the highest grading hole to date at the operation with a mammoth 186m intercept going 2.97 per cent total rare earth oxides from surface.

ABx is looking to make the most of the warmer weather as it kicks off its latest drilling program ahead of schedule. The campaign will aim to expand the mineralised zone at two of its Tasmanian rare earths discoveries. The 120-hole program at the company’s Deep Leads and Rubble Mound rare earths prospects is set down for three months and the first results could start flowing in just a couple of weeks.

Conico’s 50:50 joint venture with Greenstone Resources at the Mt Thirsty project in WA is proving a successful collaboration with the recent Phase 1 drill campaign returning the sixth best cobalt intercept in Australia for 2022 that included previously unreported scandium. Drilling has revealed three discrete mineralised zones; an upper nickel-cobalt-manganese-scandium horizon, a middle platinum group enriched horizon and a lower nickel horizon.

ASX-listed Javelin Minerals has commenced air-core drilling at its Husky project near Fifield in New South Wales where the company is on the hunt for rare earths in addition to precious and battery metals. The explorer has received the necessary approvals to complete up to 23 drill holes at the site that is considered prospective for gold and platinum group elements.

A string of major contract wins with mining heavyweights Rio Tinto, Mineral Resources, Anglo America and ArcelorMittal Mining UK has seen mining software provider K2fly achieve record highs for the December quarter in its core financial metrics. Sales of $2.8 million for the quarter were up 33 per cent from the same period last year and the company also hit historic highs in the all important “annual recurring revenue” metric.

Venus Metals has highlighted a raft of high-priority rare earth targets at its Mangaroon North project in the Gascoyne region of WA following positive results from a recent reconnaissance field sampling program. The explorer collected 299 soil samples and 84 rock chip samples in addition to re-analysing 66 previous soil samples with results showing up to 2136 parts-per-million total rare earth oxides and 232ppm neodymium oxide.

ASX-listed explorer Godolphin Resources has launched detailed ground magnetic survey works at its wholly owned Cyclops, Yeoval East and Goodrich copper-gold prospects near the Yeoval township in central west NSW. The assets have yet to be tested using modern exploration methods and data from the campaigns will flow into a host of upcoming drill campaigns.