Public Company News

Lithium Australia’s graphite spin-off, BlackEarth Minerals, is shaping up for an impressive ASX debut after the addition of a couple of highly prospective exploration projects in Madagascar. The new properties add to a bulging portfolio of graphite projects in Australia with the company set to float on the ASX before the end of June.

Northern Minerals will raise another $10m for their Browns Range heavy rare earths pilot project in a fully underwritten equity placement. It is the second time the George Bauk-led company has raised funds at above-market levels, highlighting the strong level of investor interest in Australia’s first heavy rare earths project.

Medicinal cannabis player MGC Pharma has easily raised $10 million as it looks to fast-track acquisitions and accelerate development of its cannabis-derived products. MGC will use the funds to ramp up its medical R&D program and expand sales of its cosmetics and dermatological cannabis-derived lines with the latter to fund the former.

The Mt Marion Lithium mine has proved it is settling into production with the second shipment of concentrates setting sail for China this week. Neometals and their partners in the project also reported that a third, larger shipment is due to leave Kwinana in early April, which represents a further increase in the pace of production.

Terrain Minerals have picked up the pace with start of another drill program, this time at the Gimlet gold and nickel-copper project in the Fraser Range. The Perth-based junior has been very active and successful in the field since a capital raising in the December quarter and now has Gimlet and the flagship Great Western project generating some excitement for shareholders.

After encouraging results from early exploration, Auroch Minerals have exercised their option on highly prospective Lithium ground in Namibia and will hit the ground running later this month. Early grab samples have returned up to 2.73% Lithium Oxide, a result that would have most Australian explorers sitting up and paying attention. 

Lithium Australia have slammed as ‘false” and “misleading,’ statements about their Sileach Lithium processing technology by takeover target Lepidico. Just weeks after winning a bruising settlement against Lepidico, Lithium Australia have brought back the lawyers. They are seeking to debunk Lepdico’s purported claims that Sileach uses harmful hydrofluoric acid.

Sky and Space Global continues to forge ahead with its narrow-band communications network based on nano-satellites with the Perth company signing an MOU with a leading South American telco. The parties will undertake a joint demonstration of Sky and Space’s first three miniature satellites after they have been launched into space in the second quarter of this year. 

ASX-listed Stargroup is set to share in robust half-year profits at part owned private South Korean ATM machine manufacturer NeolCP. Perth-based Stargroup has an 11 per cent stake in NeolCP, who posted a net profit after tax of AUD$853,705 for the half year ended 31 December 2016. The NeoICP results come on the back of Stargroup themselves posting a record half year. 

It’s all shoulders to the wheel now for Perth based tech play Peppermint Innovation after the Central Bank of the Philippines green-lighted their innovative mobile bill payment and money remittance APP. The company has been sweating on the notoriously hard to get central bank approval to commence a trial of their fully developed technology with their in-country partner.

Wireless technology company Connected IO has produced another imaginative “internet of things” product that looks certain to be a hit. The company has just released its latest wearable body camera for the police and security sectors and they are looking to target markets like the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Dubai and Australia for the cutting-edge device.

Lithium Australia signaled they were serious all along about their takeover bid for Lepidico after launching their bidders statement for the company last week despite settling their IP dispute with them. Lithium Australia say their $21m bid will help both companies capture a once-in-a-cycle opportunity in the booming global Lithium market.