Public Company News

Surefire Resources is eyeing a rapid return to drilling at its Yidby gold project in WA’s Murchison region and is set to follow up on recent high-grade drill intercepts with a 40-hole, 6,000m reverse circulation drilling campaign in the coming weeks. Results from the prospect included an imposing 56 metres at 1.97 g/t gold from only 44 metres down-hole, proving ample incentive to accelerate the company’s exploration program over the discovery.

Victory Mines has hit the ground running in 2021 kicking off a second significant RC drilling campaign at its Coogee gold project 55km south-east of Kalgoorlie to follow up on a string of high-grade gold hits last year. One of the notable gold intersections was 12m grading 12.01 g/t gold from 93m including 3m at 35.87 g/t south of the historic Coogee open pit.

Ora Banda Mining is edging closer to production start-up at its historic Davyhurst gold project 120 kilometres north-west of Kalgoorlie, with definitive feasibility study numbers pointing to a cracking cash cow for WA’s next gold miner in waiting. The company previously indicated it was targeting a first gold pour at the redeveloped Davyhurst mining and processing operation towards the end of January.

With the world continuing to devour a bevy of 21st-century metals to feed its burgeoning renewable energy, electric vehicle and technology industries, ASX-listed Venture Minerals is ramping up its hunt for copper, zinc, gold and silver in WA while the company is also on track to commence iron ore production in north-western Tasmania early in the new year.

ASX-listed oil and gas explorer, 88 Energy says the planned spudding of the Merlin-1 well at its Project Peregrine on the North Slope of Alaska remains on track to go ahead next month. The company also hopes to drill the project’s Harrier-1 well immediately after the Merlin-1 well has been completed. Construction of the snow road to the Merlin-1 and Harrier-1 locations is under way.

ASX-listed gold explorer, Great Southern Mining has quickly shaken off any lingering after-effects of festive season celebrations and got back to business, resuming a significant RC drilling program at its Mon Ami and Cox’s Find gold projects near Laverton in WA.

ASX-listed base metals and gold play, Si6 Metals has identified a string of polymetallic anomalies at its flagship Maibele North project in Botswana while the company’s deep diamond drill hole continues its journey to approximately 550 metres depth targeting nickel sulphide mineralisation.

ASX-listed Estrella Resources enjoyed a stellar ride on the bourse in the wake of arguably one of the most exciting base metals discoveries last year at its Carr Boyd nickel project 80km north-north-east of Kalgoorlie. An open letter to shareholders by Chairman Les Pereira published this week suggests 2021 may prove even more of a hit.

Fresh from being awarded an “investigation” permit for its San Jose lithium project in Spain, Infinity Lithium’s proposed development of a mining and processing operation at San Jose with an estimated pre-production CAPEX of US$309 million has been given a big vote of support by key strategic investor EIT InnoEnergy.

ASX-listed clinical-stage oncology group, PharmAust has extended its pre-clinical studies collaboration with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute as they work towards determining how effectively PharmAust’s Monepantel drug combats cancer cells.

Hot on the heels of a successful $2.4 million capital raise, unlisted Barton Gold has moved to further strengthen its leadership group as the gold explorer gears up for follow-up drilling at its historic Tarcoola gold project in the Gawler Craton, South Australia, and a possible IPO this year.

Troy Resources has eked out more encouraging exploration results at its Karouni gold mine in Guyana where it has managed to keep the drill rods turning despite a recent spate of COVID-19 infections on site. The company, forced to pull its 2020-21 Karouni gold production guidance of 35,000-40,000 ounces due to the COVID-19 outbreak and shortage of various supplies, is now looking to build the project’s ore reserves position.