Bulls N' Bears (Commercial Content)

Lithium Australia has entered into a joint venture with Galan Lithium that sees the latter pick up an 80 per cent stake in the Greenbushes South lithium project from Lithium Australia. As a result of the JV deal, Lithium Australia retains a 20 per cent free carried exposure to the lithium commodity while also freeing up cash to advance its downstream and battery technology projects.

ASX-listed gold and base metals explorer, Middle Island Resources has expanded its ground position surrounding the surface copper oxide mineralisation discovered at its 100 per cent-owned Barkly copper-gold project in the NT’s East Tennant mineral district. The company has broadened its footprint around the recent Crosswinds copper discovery by 26 per cent to a colossal 4,411 square kilometres by applying for two new tenements.

Mako Gold has started the new year with a bevy of more bonanza gold drill hits at the Tchaga prospect as part of its flagship Napie gold project in Côte d’Ivoire. The latest set of assays from the company’s continuing 10,000m RC and diamond drilling program were punctuated by a cracking 41m going 4.51 g/t gold from 17m and 1m at 107 g/t from 71m.

AVZ Minerals has taken another decisive step towards production, with the company’s metallurgical test work successfully generating a high-purity lithium sulphate product for potential use in the production of lithium-ion batteries. The current testing program forms a key part of the development program over its Manono lithium-tin project in the central Africa, which is also assessing the viability of downstream processing at the evolving operation.

Okapi Resources has completed due diligence on the historic Enmore gold project 30 kilometres south-east of Armidale nearby the recently revived Hillgrove gold-antimony mine in north-eastern NSW and decided to press ahead with the staged acquisition of the asset. Enmore boasts a pair of advanced walk-up drill targets that have returned high-grade gold values from rock chip sampling work and drilling undertaken by previous owners.

Comet Resources has kicked an early goal in 2021 with initial field work across its Barraba base-metal project in NSW returning high-grade copper assays. Surface sampling at the historic Murchison mine has unearthed samples grading up to 4.6 per cent copper, 4.0 per cent zinc and 0.7 per cent cobalt, confirming the high-grade nature of the mineralisation across the prospect.

Legend Mining has bounded into the new year releasing its best nickel intercept to date from the company’s Mawson discovery in WA’s Fraser Range. The drill bit has carved out a 31.1 metre string of massive sulphide core which weighs in at an impressive 2.80 per cent nickel and 2.04 per cent copper from 200.7 metres down-hole, pointing to the deeper potential of the ore system.

Calidus Resources has bought out another royalty tied to its developing Warrawoona gold project in WA’s East Pilbara region that it says will help boost cash flows from the new mining and processing operation. The company sewed up the 1.25 per cent profit royalty over the granted mining leases at Warrawoona, leaving one remaining 1.25 per cent profit royalty attached to the same tenements.

ASX-listed Venture Minerals has the drill rods spinning at its Kulin prospect, cutting some diamond core to follow up solid gold assays from trenches dug on its 100 per cent-owned ground, east of the massive Boddington gold mine in WA’s South West region. One trench uncovered 31m at 1.0 g/t gold and a second unearthed 20m at 0.6 g/t gold.

ASX-listed explorer, PolarX has struck a deal that gives it an exclusive option to acquire the historic Humboldt Range gold-silver project in north-western Nevada in the US nearby two producing mines. The Perth-based company says rock chip and grab samples taken at Humboldt Range between 2005 and 2009 maxed out at 3,384 grams per tonne gold and 2,836.6 g/t silver.

88 Energy has added a historic oil project to its armoury of petroleum assets picking up the old Umiat oil discovery that sits immediately south of its Project Peregrine on the North Slope of Alaska where planning is well advanced for the spudding of the Merlin-1 well next month. The undeveloped Umiat project hosts gross 2P reserves independently estimated at 123.69 million barrels of oil.

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.

Image Resources has posted a bumper year of sales from its mining operations in WA, with the mineral sands producer delivering over 310,000 tonnes of heavy mineral sands concentrates for the year. The solid production figures represent a 20 per cent jump in overall production from the previous year and an impressive $174 million in annual revenue.

Novo Resources is set to join the big league, with the company having received approval to make the move to the main board of the Toronto Stock Exchange. The change signals a significant shift in the company’s status as it continues to develop the Beatons Creek gold mine in Western Australia and prepares to join the ranks of the world’s gold producers.

Gold has stood the test of time proving it to be a stand-out performer in 2020 following the onset of COVID-19. March saw the price of the yellow metal fall to US$1,486 per ounce before rising by a stunning 40 per cent to hit an all-time US$2,067 per ounce high in August. What does 2021 hold for gold?

CZR Resources is set to cut costs for its developing Robe Mesa iron ore operation in WA’s Pilbara region after putting in place a memorandum of understanding with the owners of the port facilities at Onslow, which is located 180km to the west of the company’s developing iron ore project. The use of Onslow port drastically reduces the haulage distance from the mine gate to port.

AVZ Minerals will end 2020 on a high-note after locking in a 5-year offtake deal with China’s largest lithium compound producer, Ganfeng Lithium. The coup will see Ganfeng purchase up to 160,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate per annum from AVZ’s world-class Manono lithium-tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The deal sees AVZ clear yet another hurdle on its development pathway as Manono edges ever closer to production.

Godolphin Resources has hit more gold at its Mt Aubrey gold project in NSW’s revered Lachlan Fold Belt, around 100km northeast of Orange. The best drill hole from its Phase 2 RC drill program hit multiple zones including 8m at 0.60 g/t gold from 56m, 2m at 1.22 g/t gold from 84m and 2m at 1.01 g/t gold from 96m.

Unlisted South Australian gold explorer, Barton Gold has easily raised $2.4 million in a private placement of convertible notes for working capital and corporate costs as it readies for a follow-up drilling program at its flagship Tarcoola gold project in SA’s revered Gawler Craton.

Infinity Lithium has taken a significant step forward in the development of its massive San Jose lithium project in Spain, with a key local Government body granting the company a “Investigation Permit Ampliación a Valdeflórez”. The permit grants the company legal title over the principal project tenure which has been set aside for its proposed milling and processing operations.

ASX-listed pharmaceutical innovator, PharmAust, will begin manufacturing Monepantel tablets for two important Phase 1 and Phase 2 human trials to study the drug’s impact on Motor Neuron Disease and certain cancers. It will be the first time PharmAust has used its Monepantel drug in tablet form to investigate its anti-cancer activity in humans.