Public Company News

88 Energy has banked a US$1 million payment from its joint venture partner, Texas-based Burgundy Xploration, as part of an outstanding US$4 million cash call, now due in February. The funding is supporting the ongoing development of the company’s massive Phoenix petroleum development in Alaska. Burgundy has reiterated its intention to provide full carry costs to earn an additional working interest in the project.

Meeka Metals is charging along in fine style developing its flagship Murchison gold project near Meekatharra in WA’s Mid West region, with first gold production slated for mid-New Year. Establishment of new milling, processing, administration and camp infrastructure and other earthworks, such as site access and tails retention, continues in tandem with new surface and underground resource development at the company’s Turnberry and Andy Well deposits.

Aurum Resources has delivered a massive 50.9 million tonne maiden resource estimate averaging 1g/t gold for 1.59m ounces of contained gold at its 1037-square kilometre Boundiali gold project in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. The resource estimate includes mineralised zones from its BST, BD and BM tenements, where its systematic drilling campaigns are ongoing.

Pilot Energy has identified a further 27 million tonnes of carbon storage capacity at its Cliff Head carbon storage project following recent technical assessments by the company’s sub-surface consultant. CO2Tech undertook the review of Pilot’s WA 31-L licence area in anticipation of the next phase of regulatory approvals, increasing the 2C/P50 storage resource from its previous capacity of 45.6mt to 72mt.

Lindian Resources has appointed seasoned businessman Robert Martin as chairman to assist with the development of its mammoth Kangankunde project in Malawi, one of the largest rare earth deposits in the world. Martin, who sits on a number of other ASX-listed company boards has a track record of experience across a broad range of sectors, including mining and mining services, manufacturing and capital markets.

BMG Resources has bored three diamond holes at its Wiluna Abercromby project in WA. The company began drilling 19 days ago and has booked 1076m drilled so far in a phase one program on the Capital deposit to expand and upgrade Capital’s maiden 518,000-ounce gold resource. The resource had previous hits of 1.45 g/t gold with high-grade zones up to 5.94g/t gold.

Aurum Resources has confirmed some impressive high gold recoveries from its flagship Boundiali gold project at Côte d'Ivoire peaking at 97.1 per cent while also reducing reagent costs significantly. The company managed the twin achievements of high recoveries at reduced cost with lime use dropping by 32 per cent and cyanide requirements slashed by 40 per cent during leaching. Additionally, gravity recovery alone accounted for 50-60 per cent of gold recovery, a testament to the free-milling nature of the ore.

This week’s Bulls N’ Bears Runner of the Week is… icetana. The video analytic solution provider inked a three-year Malaysian security deal for 1 Utama, Malaysia's largest shopping mall which saw its shares peak more than 100 per cent higher during the week. Patriot Lithium also had a nice time in the sun following a transformative deal to buy into the highly prospective Zambian Kitumba copper project while a huge cheer went up for Mesoblast after it landed FDA approval for its cell therapy treatment. There was also Black Dragon taking out the silver… but we’ll get to that.

Larvotto Resources has received US$4 million (A$6.2m) as pre-payment from Wogan Resources’ sister and financing company Xcelsior Capital under an exclusive antimony off-take agreement with Wogan. The agreement, signed on December 2, will see Wogen provide exclusive global off-take sales for Larvotto’s antimony concentrate produced at its Hillgrove project.

Latitude 66’s diamond core drilling at its key KSB gold project in Finland has extended its K8 prospect in both strike directions, with latest results including a best run of 3.1m assaying 6.1g/t gold from 41.8m. The top-shelf result, coupled with the second best hit of 3.2m going 1.3g/t gold from 25m, points to extension potential at the southwestern and northeastern extremities of the mineralised trend.

Thunderbird Resources is poised to launch a maiden on-ground exploration program at its recently acquired Rockvale-Kookaburra antimony-gold project immediately north of Larvotto Resources’ storied Hillgrove project in NSW. The preparation included detailed desktop analysis with encouraging results covering more than 100 years of exploration and mining history at the site, with boots now expected to be on the ground in January.

Aurumin is betting on striking gold at its Central Sandstone gold project in Western Australia, with results from its latest reverse-circulation (RC) drilling program to be revealed early in the ne