Matt Birney

Horizon Minerals’ toll milling of stockpiled low-grade ore from its Boorara open pit mine in the historic WA Goldfields has yielded profitable results, with the company banking $770,000 from the initial campaign of 69,700 tonnes milled at a reconciled grade of 0.92 grams per tonne gold for 1,857 ounces. It said its second campaign was underway and due to be completed in January.

Middle Island has kicked off a detailed magnetics and radiometrics survey over its prospective Barkly copper-gold project area located in the emerging Tennant Creek mineral hub in the Northern Territory. The company is also marching forward with the Crosswinds copper discovery, also in the NT having recently completed a 2 kilometre IP survey following up on initial copper oxide mineralisation identified in October.

Superior Resources has intersected sulphide mineralisation in its third consecutive drill hole targeting a large, induced polarisation anomaly at the company’s Bottletree Copper prospect within its Greenvale project in Queensland. The company believes it may be onto a potential porphyry system west of the induced polarisation anomaly indicated by an enormous 1.5km by 1km intense copper and gold soil anomaly coincident with a large magnetic feature.

Perth-based gold-miner Wiluna Mining is ringing in the new year with the successful commissioning of the sulphide ore concentrate plant at its namesake project in WA. As part of its major production ramp-up plan the company is looking to treat 750,000tpa through the plant as it targets 90,000-100,000ozpa of gold in concentrate production by the end of the 2022 financial year.

Oar Resources says the maiden exploration program at its Douglas Canyon Gold Project in the US has yielded “very encouraging” initial results which included intersecting a massive 213m silica matrix brecciated quartz vein. Laboratory results from Douglas Canyon, located in the prolific Walker Lane Gold-Silver district of Nevada, are expected in the new year.

Brightstar Resources continues to deliver sparkling results with significant shallow gold intercepts at its flagship Cork Tree Well prospect near Laverton in WA. The latest strikes include 26m going 2.97 g/t gold from 111m downhole and 17m at a respectable 3.09 g/t gold from 139m. These intersections are wider than the previous intercepts but still maintain similar metal tenor.

Horizon Minerals has reached an agreement to acquire the remaining 50 per cent of the high-grade Penny’s Find gold project from Labyrinth Resources. Horizon will transfer $500,000 cash, $250,000 worth of Horizon shares and a series of smaller payments including net smelter royalties pending Horizon bringing the project into production which lies 50 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie.

After three years of R&D development, including bench and pilot trials, feasibility studies and engineering investigations, Neometals and its joint venture partner, engineering colossus SMS Group, have successfully commissioned its first commercial lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Hilchenbach, Germany with operations to start early next year. The plant will process up 10 tonnes per day of battery-grade metal sulphate chemicals safely recycled into new battery production.

In a milestone achievement, Memphasys has landed the first sale of the company’s revolutionary trademarked Felix bio-separation technology placed by a women’s centre in Coimbatore, India. The centre will be the first to use the system for clinical IVF with the order including a Felix console plus an initial supply of single-use cartridges. The Felix business model is based on recurring sales of the cartridges so the initial sale may represent ongoing business.