Matt Birney

Terrain Minerals has recently completed a first pass program of exploration over its Smokebush project in the South Murchison mineral field of Western Australia. Initial reconnaissance and sampling over three priority targets returned impressive assays in excess of 17 grams per tonne gold. A site visit has also thrown up more targets for follow up drill testing by the Perth-based, ASX-listed company.

ASX-listed biotech, PharmAust, has added a fifth site to its expanding network of anti-cancer trial sites for canines, securing the Brisbane Animal Hospital as the latest location for its Phase II anti-cancer trial in dogs with B cell lymphoma. The addition of the site in Brisbane expands the trial that is already underway in Perth, Melbourne and two centres in Sydney.

Troy Resources has been out in the field surrounding its Karouni gold mining operations in South America, scouting for potential new gold discoveries off the back of the highest-grade drill intercept ever recorded in the region. Activities at the Upper Itaki, Kaburi Hills and Potaro–Kuribrong prospect areas, all within cooee of Troy’s existing Karouni Mill, are now hitting high gear.

Altech Chemicals’ green credentials for its disruptive new kaolin clay-based high purity alumina production processes appear to stack up well against the industry standard alkoxide process that uses high-grade aluminium metal as a feedstock, according to the Perth based company. Altech says its numbers show that its HPA process produces substantially fewer greenhouse gas emissions and consumes much less energy per tonne of HPA produced.

ASX-listed MGC Pharma has secured a key market in Europe after signing an exclusive, commercial wholesale supply agreement with Polish NGO, Cannabis House Association and the University of Lodz to supply a large-scale research project in Poland. Under the deal, MGC Pharma will supply its medicinal cannabis-based, cannabinoid medicine products to up to 250 pharmacies and provide scientific support to the commercial research study whilst gathering participant data.

ASX-listed explorer, St George Mining, has a foothold on some early stage multi-metal exploration ground in the sought after Paterson Province in the eastern Pilbara region of WA. The company has one granted tenement in the Paterson covering over 35 kilometres, that, according to management, holds the same geological characteristics as the behemoth Telfer gold mine that has produced over 32 million ounces of gold and 1 million tonnes of copper to date.

In a Target Statement made to the ASX, Spectrum Metals’ Board has unanimously urged its shareholders to accept the friendly take-over bid by Ramelius Resources. The ASX300 listed company’s implied offer of 15 cents per Spectrum share is a serious 70% increase to its 30-day volume weighted average share price of just over 8 cents. Ramelius’ offer represents an implied value of about $231m for Spectrum’s Penny West gold project.

After scratching away at the dam wall for a while, it seems that the wall is now crumbling for ASX-listed mining software provider K2fly, with a wave of giant mining companies signing on recently for its unique “RCubed” resource governance software. Latest potential devotees to K2fly’s software include BHP Billiton spin off, South 32, and Vale Australia, a subsidiary of Vale S.A, the largest iron ore producer in the world today.

ASX-listed Infinity Lithium has executed a binding agreement to divest its African potash assets and the Perth company is now set to focus 100% on its San Jose industrial lithium project in Spain that is looking to lever burgeoning demand for lithium-ion batteries in Europe. Infinity has a 75% interest in San Jose that, according to its pre-feasibility study, is set to deliver 15,000 tonnes per annum of battery-grade lithium hydroxide.