Public Company News

Beetaloo Basin hopeful Empire Energy Group has outlined the 1250-metre-long hydraulic stimulation program it is planning for its Carpentaria-2H gas discovery in June. The company is trialling several fluid mixes used in the fracking process to obtain the best production rates from the Velkerri Formation B Shale in its massive but remote gas resource.

New gold producer Calidus Resources has poured the first gold bar from its carbon in leach circuit, marking the successful commissioning of a full processing circuit at its Warrawoona gold project in WA. A total of 33kg of gold was poured with the company’s gold production now scheduled to ramp up to about 90,000 ounces per year in stage one.

Quantum Graphite and its JV partner, Sunlands Co are pressing ahead with plans to develop thermal energy storage cells using natural flake graphite after launching independent test work to accelerate the commercialisation of the technology. According to the company, the devices could provide long-duration energy solutions and play an integral role in delivering stable and flexible energy to grids dependent on renewable power.

Allup Silica says an independent metallurgical review using targeted samples from its Sparkler silica sands exploration project, about 300km south of Perth in the South-West region of WA, has highlighted the potential to deliver a high-quality product. The recently ASX-listed company is looking to stake a claim as a prominent player in the silica sands space.

ASX-listed multi-element explorer Conico Ltd has revealed a 2000m reverse circulation drill program is planned to begin imminently at its Mt Thirsty project, following the recent spectacular PGE discovery by Galileo Mining only 200m from the northern tenement boundary held by the Mount Thirsty joint venture. A comprehensive geological review is also underway.

Meeka Gold says an 85-hole probe of the western block portion of its Cascade rare earths project near Esperance in Western Australia has highlighted shallow, high-grade mineralisation in saprolitic clays. According to the company, the program defined thick rare earths accumulations running up to 29m wide across a large area that has demonstrated the project’s remarkable scale.

In its bulk sample mining operation, gold developer Classic Minerals mined 1011 ounces of gold from its Kat Gap deposit, 170km south of Southern Cross in WA. The precious metal is currently sitting in its stockpile of 6504 tonnes of ore grading 4.82 g/t gold and will be used to dial in the company’s mobile gecko gold plant once it is assembled.

Si6 Metals has kicked off a regional exploration program across its 100 per cent owned Botswanan base and precious metals assets. The program will include rock and soil sampling in addition to geological mapping and aims to define targets for further exploration. The regional exploration will start at prospects along strike from an existing advanced resource of 2.36Mt at 0.72 per cent nickel and 0.21 per cent copper.

Aldoro Resources has broken ground at its Wyemandoo rubidium-lithium project about 60km southeast of Mt Magnet in WA after launching a maiden RC drill campaign at the venture. A number of key targets have been identified through earlier rock chip sampling and Aldoro is targeting a brace of pegmatites that previously delivered impressive grades of up to 2.06 per cent lithium oxide.

Neometals has executed a conditional binding agreement with a subsidiary of luxury vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz that will see the duo team up to develop lithium-ion battery recycling technology. The collaboration will see Primobius, a joint venture partner of Neometals, team up with the car manufacturer’s subsidiary, LICULAR GmbH.

Estrella Resources has rallied a second rig to accelerate exploration at its Carr Boyd nickel and copper sulphide project, 80km northeast of Kalgoorlie in WA. The company is wheeling the new diamond drill rig to its T5 prospect where it will target expansions to the mineralisation along strike and at depth. The holes will initially test an array of downhole electromagnetic plates generated from earlier drilling.

Torian Resources’ Mt Stirling project in the Eastern Goldfields region of WA is scrubbing well and looks set to be a formidable multi-commodity play after the company identified an extensive suite of cobalt and scandium mineralisation that could lead to a significant rebrand for the gold miner. The operation already boasts heavy rare earths potential and a set of gold deposits.