Matt Birney

Valor Resources has identified two substantial new anomalies at its Ichucollo and Huancune targets from an induced polarisation survey across the company’s Picha copper and silver project in Peru. The explorer says the latest discoveries are coincident with significant surface copper mineralisation identified from channel sampling and combine with a previously identified anomaly for a strike length of more than 6km.

Balkans-focused mineral explorer Adriatic Metals has delivered another swag of high-grade base metal intercepts from an ongoing extensional drilling campaign at the company’s Vares silver operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The current campaign is designed to confirm whether high-grade mineralisation at the project’s existing resource, Rupice, continues along strike to the north-west in an area recently predictably coined Rupice Northwest.

North America focussed mineral explorer American West Metals has appointed highly experienced mining executive Daniel Lougher as its new Non-Executive Chairman effective from February next year. Lougher previously served as Managing Director for nickel developer Western Areas, leading the company to a $1.3 billion acquisition by mega miner IGO Limited. He will initially serve as the company’s Non-Executive Director from November this year before transitioning to Chairman.

Explorer St George Mining has moved quickly on its discovery of high-grade lithium-bearing rock chip samples at the company’s Mt Alexander project near Leonora, launching its first lithium-focused drill campaign at the project. The 20-hole 2,000m program’s initial focus is Mt Alexander’s Jailbreak prospect where high-grade lithium in outcropping pegmatites has been confirmed by the rock chip assays.

Indonesia-focused gold explorer Sihayo Gold has unveiled some compelling drill hits including a standout strike of 11.1m going 7.49 g/t, inside a larger 31.5m hit at 4.29 g/t from 259m in North Sumatra. The results form part of a seven-hole, 2216m diamond drilling campaign designed to test deeper-lying mineralisation below and south of the company’s planned Sihayo open-pit mine.

Askari Metals has inked a binding heads of agreement with private company LexRox Exploration Services to acquire a 90 per cent interest in its advanced lithium, tantalum and tin project in Namibia, Africa. The advanced project bears visible spodumene mineralisation on its surface with recent rock chip assays delivering high-grade results up to 3.1 per cent lithium oxide, 3.2 per cent tin, 452ppm tantalum and 3387ppm rubidium.

White Cliff Minerals has added to its rare earth portfolio after acquiring the Lake Tay project in addition to applying for a further 10 exploration licences surrounding the area 120km south-west of Norseman. The company has signed a binding agreement with Hurricane Prospecting for the purchase of the three granted exploration licences that make up the project for $30,000 in cash, $125,000 in White Cliff shares and 2 per cent of net smelter rights.

Emerging battery metals producer Neometals is edging closer to developing its vanadium recovery plant in Finland after government authorities granted an environmental permit for the operation. The company is planning a joint venture with private operator Critical Metals to recover the high-purity vanadium pentoxide from a by-product slag that is created during the steel-making process.

Junior explorer Asra Minerals has added critical minerals cobalt and scandium to its rollcall of rare earths at its flagship Mt Stirling project in Western Australia. The latest round of drilling was targeting zones of rare earths mineralisation within the shallow blanket of weathered rocks and hit thick zones of scandium oxide mineralisation with anomalous cobalt.