Public Company News

The latest drilling results from Azumah Resources' Wa East prospect in north western Ghana have confirmed the overall prospectivity of the region and will most likely have positive implications for future increases in mineral resources and ore reserves at the broader Wa gold project. Results up to 2.44m @ 7.12g/t gold from 106m and 20m @ 1.44g/t gold from 121m in the same hole, have extended mineralisation by 80m.

ASX listed Northern Minerals has brought its Browns Range pilot plant project in W.A.'s Kimberley region to mechanical completion and has produced about 100 tonnes of xenotime concentrate for commissioning into the hydrometallurgical plant. The company can now start production of export quality rare earth carbonate, making it the only significant dysprosium and terbium producer outside of China.

Calima Energy has raised $25m through an oversubscribed two tranche private placement of 462.97 million shares priced at 5.4c each to fund its upcoming drilling campaign in the revered Montney oil and gas play in Canada. The placement was corner-stoned by Australian boutique fund manager Tribeca Investment Partners, who has also agreed to arrange a project development finance facility of up to $40m.

Research house EverBlu Capital has set a price target of 17c a share for aspiring copper producer Hot Chili, based on its 80% ownership of the flagship Productora copper project in Chile. EverBlu says the $30m company could be worth as much as AUD$511m if Hot Chili could process a higher-grade ore blend, by incorporating 10% of its annual sulphide ore feed from small satellite copper mine deposits currently being developed by the company.

Terrain Minerals has outlined a number of new gold exploration targets on its Wild-viper exploration licence that completely surrounds its Great Western gold project, north of Leonora in W.A. The company will shortly commence reconnaissance geological mapping and soil sampling programs over the areas of interest. Terrain also said this week that drilling results from its RC drill program at the Red Mulga exploration play near Geraldton are imminent.

Artemis Resources' JV partner Novo Resources has shown that a highly prospective gold-bearing conglomerate unit strikes for at least 1.2km at the Purdy's Reward project near Karratha. Recent field work has located fault structures and a distinctive mafic marker horizon that control the distribution of gold. The JV partners are presently diamond drilling at Purdy's Reward and preparing to take bulk samples of the deposit.

Strike Energy's Jaws-1 horizontal coal seam gas well in the Cooper Basin of South Australia, is currently flowing water at a rate of about 1,100 barrels per day and rising with the electric submersible pumps operating near their lowest setting. This indicates significant reservoir inflow from the targeted Vu Upper coal seam and the company will continue to ramp up water production until sustained operations are achieved.

Infinity Lithium has started a scoping study that will look into the potential for the company to economically produce lithium hydroxide alongside its San Jose lithium mine in western Spain. The study is due to be released in September and could result in the company progressing its ongoing feasibility study towards producing a higher value lithium hydroxide battery chemical product rather than lithium carbonate.

Myanmar Metals has commenced a 15,000 metre resource development drilling campaign at its Bawdwin polymetallic mine in central Myanmar. The program is expected to grow the project's mineral resource estimates and define a large ore reserve, underpinning a feasibility study due for release in late 2019. The drilling will also allow a more thorough evaluation of the mine's copper-cobalt-nickel potential and help delineate extensions of the existing lodes.

Babylon Pump and Power has secured a $1.5m asset finance facility from National Australia Bank to support its contract to supply power generation to BHP's Mining Area C surplus water pipeline project. The facility and $4.5m raised through a convertible loan issue gives the company cash reserves to grow its asset fleet and pursue larger contracts.

Blackstone Minerals has discovered new cobalt and gold mineralisation at its Erebor prospect, located less than a kilometre from the company's flagship, Little Gem project area in British Columbia, Canada. It is the first new find of cobalt in the district since the 1930's. The company is also awaiting results from a geophysical survey and assays from regional soil, rock chip and stream sediment sampling programs.

Neometals will demerge its valuable Barrambie project and associated non-lithium technology assets into a new ASX listed entity, allowing the parent company to focus on its advanced lithium business. The new company will oversee the initial development of the massive Barrambie titanium-vanadium project and create a direct shipping operation of magnetic concentrates out of W.A.