Public Company News

PharmAust’s wholly owned synthetic and medicinal chemistry subsidiary, Epichem, is set to further improve its bottom line after paying off the $750,000 loan from Export Finance Australia taken out to help finance the construction of a state-of-the-art laboratory in 2015. This laboratory fuelled growth over the period from 2015 to 2018, with revenues increasing 38% to $3 million in the 2018 financial year.

Infinity Lithium’s San José project in Spain has been recognised as a potential cornerstone component of the European Battery Alliance’s goal of creating an integrated lithium-ion supply chain within the European Union. The EBA will facilitate discussions with other industry participants as part of their “battery mining belt” initiative whilst the European Investment Bank could provide funding to battery raw materials and mining projects.

Hammer Metals’ strategic review of the rare earth element potential of its Mount Isa project in Queensland has delineated two encouraging prospects for follow up work. Light rare earth element prospectivity was highlighted at the Koppany prospect near the historical Mary Kathleen uranium mine and Andy’s Well prospect adjacent to the Kalman project, a further 35 kilometres to the southwest.

Aurora Labs has signed a memorandum of understanding with Swedish industrial company, Gränges AB, that could lead to further collaboration in the use of 3D printed aluminium in the automotive and other industries. Under the agreement, Gränges could also pre-order an Aurora RMP-1 Rapid Manufacturing Printer and supply its proprietary aluminium powder to the company.

In a further demonstration that its Wa gold project in Ghana is still hiding significant ounces outside of the main Kunche deposit, Azumah Resources has delivered a maiden underground resource of 2.4 million tonnes grading 3.59g/t gold for just under 280,000 ounces at its exciting Bepkong deposit, just north of Kunche. The result more than doubles the previous Bepkong resource, now standing at 517,600 ounces grading 2.38g/t gold.

Hammer Metals has started an induced polarisation survey at its Bronzewing South gold project in Western Australia to refine potential drilling targets that were identified during initial field reconnaissance. First results from the survey are expected in early August. The company has also started the permitting process for the drilling campaign, which is expected to begin later this month.

Image Resources has completed the sale of three months of production inventory, or about 70,000 tonnes of zircon-rich heavy mineral concentrate, in just six weeks to its offtake partners. Drilling to delineate the high-grade core in the eastern strandline within the company’s Boonanarring project north of Perth is ongoing with preliminary drilling results expected soon.

Novo Resources has extended its tenement holdings in WA’s Pilbara region, with a binding letter of intent to secure surface gold rights over an additional 1,100 square kilometres of ground adjacent to its Egina gold project near Port Hedland. The deal is a strategic add-on for the company, which last month entered into a USD$30m farm-in and JV agreement with the Sumitomo Corporation to explore and develop Egina.

Hammer Metals has completed the sale of its 75% interest in the Millennium cobalt project near Cloncurry, Queensland, to Canadian partner Global Energy Metals Corporation. The company will now focus on its copper-gold projects in the Mount Isa mining district and the Bronzewing South gold project in Western Australia while retaining exposure to the cobalt projects through a 19.9% stake in GEMC.

3D printer Aurora Labs has received an advance of $1.35 million from Radium Capital, which represents about 80% of its anticipated Australian Government tax refund for its research and development expenditure in the 2018-19 financial year. The ASX-listed company will use the advance for working capital purposes and will repay Radium on receipt of the tax refund.

Middle Island Resources has increased its all-scrip takeover offer for fellow ASX-listed gold player Alto Metals to six of its shares for every Alto ordinary share. Alto has global mineral resources totalling 5.4 million tonnes grading 1.7g/t gold for 290,000 ounces of gold at its Sandstone project in WA, whilst Middle Island currently has a JORC mineral resource of 125,300 ounces of gold.

Buru Energy continues to maintain a stable production base of between 960 and 1000 barrels of oil per day from its Ungani oilfield in the Canning basin in WA’s Kimberley region. Work to upgrade the fluid handling capacity of the production facility is also on track and the company has signed a new oil sales contract on more favourable commercial terms with Petro-Diamond Singapore.