Public Company News

ASX-listed mineral explorer Surefire Resources has tabled a clutch of high-grade, heavy metal hits following a reconnaissance rock chip sampling and mapping exercise at its Kooline lead-silver project, about 200km from Paraburdoo in WA. The bumper results include 16.2 and 14.2 per cent lead with traces of anomalous silver running 41 and 55 grams per tonne.

Altech Chemicals has forged a JV partnership with German research group Fraunhofer ITKS to commercialise a large-scale energy storage alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The new technology uses table salt and nickel and the partners argue it churns out safer, longer-term power solutions without the concern of price hikes and supply chain issues associated with critical metal-infused devices.

Neometals’ joint venture offspring Primobius has finalised an internal engineering cost study for a first stage shredding plant of a potential 50tpd integrated lithium-ion battery recycling operation on a greenfields site in Germany. In a European first, the new design will cater to electric vehicle car makers by integrating the processing of larger units arising from end-of-life electric vehicles in addition to cell production scrap.

Metal Hawk and farm-in partner Falcon Metals are set to follow up historical results at the duo’s Viking gold project in WA’s highly prospective Albany Fraser Province with a 1600m RC drilling campaign in coming weeks. Falcon listed on the ASX last December and is the spin-off of heavyweight mineral explorer Chalice Mining’s gold interests with an earn-in stake in the Viking project that is located 30km southeast of Norseman.

Recent drilling in a gold search by Venture Minerals at its Kulin project in Western Australia has uncovered an intriguing complement of nickel- copper sulphides. The identification from diamond drill core of the ore sulphide mineralogy confirms the fertility of a duo of 20km-long interpreted layered mafic-ultramafic intrusive suites over the company’s tenure that sits along strike of Chalice Mining’s mammoth Julimar nickel-copper-PGE discovery.

The dust clouds from a maiden drill campaign are billowing in Western Australia’s Kimberley with Askari Metals kicking off a 2500m RC program at its Horry copper-gold project. The program is targeting the site’s Horry Horse copper prospect that was identified as a high-priority target after rock chip samples returned results up to 8.5 per cent copper, 0.71 grams per tonne gold and 42 g/t silver.

ASX-listed energy technology company Altech Chemicals is weeks away from getting construction underway at its game-changing battery-boosting production facility in the German state of Saxony after ramping up building activity at the site. A previously completed preliminary feasibility study suggests the plant could deliver a net present value of US$507 million.

Classic Minerals has been given the green light to begin production at its Kat Gap gold mine near Southern Cross after officially receiving WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety approval. The Kat Gap deposit hosts almost 93,000 ounces of an inferred mineral resource at 2.96 grams per tonne gold and is the principal contributor to the company’s total gold inventory of more than 400,000 ounces.

Gold and nickel explorer Metal Hawk says RC drilling at its Berehaven project, about 25km south-east of Kalgoorlie, has extended the Torana prospect’s target zone after hitting new zones of disseminated nickel sulphides. The open strike length of the targeted ultramafic unit now extends to almost 1km and downhole electromagnetic surveys are underway to refine targets for more drilling.

Empire Energy has notched up another milestone in the Beetaloo sub-basin with ongoing production testing of its Carpentaria-2H well in the Northern Territory delivering a 30-day average of 2.4 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. The company says its new data suggests the well’s gas is endowed with a low impurity composition that could support low carbon development opportunities.

Mineral explorer Aurumin’s winning run continues from diamond drilling at its Central Sandstone project 130km west of Leinster in WA as the company aims to extend the mineral resource at the site. The final assay from the program returned a 242.7m intersection going 1.2 grams per tonne gold from 203.1m including an 8.3m at 4.82 g/t gold from 214.2m. The campaign sought to test the northern section of the project’s Two Mile Hill deposit.

Silica sand explorer Allup Silica has applied for two new exploration projects, Blue Vein in WA and Trigger Fish in the NT. The company is also looking to beef up its Dune Buggy project lodging an application to expand its tenement just 15km from the port of Esperance in WA. Since listing in May, Allup’s strategy has been focused on projects, purity and ports.