Matt Birney

Venus Metals has received encouraging assays from ongoing geochemical surveys at its Youanmi lithium project in WA’s Murchison region including highlighting a new target at the company’s Manindi North prospect. The explorer says it received assays of rock chip samples from sub-cropping pegmatites in the area with results of up to 2.11 per cent lithium oxide.

ABx is looking to make the most of the warmer weather as it kicks off its latest drilling program ahead of schedule. The campaign will aim to expand the mineralised zone at two of its Tasmanian rare earths discoveries. The 120-hole program at the company’s Deep Leads and Rubble Mound rare earths prospects is set down for three months and the first results could start flowing in just a couple of weeks.

ASX-listed Javelin Minerals has commenced air-core drilling at its Husky project near Fifield in New South Wales where the company is on the hunt for rare earths in addition to precious and battery metals. The explorer has received the necessary approvals to complete up to 23 drill holes at the site that is considered prospective for gold and platinum group elements.

Venus Metals has highlighted a raft of high-priority rare earth targets at its Mangaroon North project in the Gascoyne region of WA following positive results from a recent reconnaissance field sampling program. The explorer collected 299 soil samples and 84 rock chip samples in addition to re-analysing 66 previous soil samples with results showing up to 2136 parts-per-million total rare earth oxides and 232ppm neodymium oxide.

Chimeric Therapeutics says all patients in a third cohort of its phase 1A CHM 1101 cell therapy clinical trial have advanced past the 28-day follow-up period without experiencing dose-limiting toxicities. In December the company completed the planned medicating of its third dose cohort as part of its study evaluating the safety of its CHM 1101 cell therapy to treat glioblastoma.

Infinity Lithium’s San José lithium project near the city of Cáceres in Spain has been given a boost after a local court ruling confirmed extraction activity and industrial development is allowed in key project areas. The company says the Contentious Administrative Court of Cáceres has ratified the correct granting of an Investigation Permit Ampliación Valdeflórez to Infinity subsidiary Extremadura New Energies.

DiscovEx Resources has closed the book on busy December quarter headlined by an intersection of bedrock and paleochannel gold at its Spartan prospect, part of its larger Edjudina project about 250km north-east of Kalgoorlie in WA. The project sits in the southern slice of the Laverton district and is close to several major gold deposits including AngloGold Ashanti’s 10 million ounce plus Sunrise Dam mine.

Lindian Resources is one step closer to 100 per cent ownership of its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi after completing the second tranche payment of $US7.5 million to former owner Rift Valley Resources. The latest figure is the second of four tranche payments with the third amount due in August this year and the fourth set for August 2026. The first portion of $US2.5 million was paid in August last year. Lindian agreed to pay Rift Valley a total of $US30 million for the project across the four tranches with $US20 million remaining.

Chimeric Therapeutics has dosed its first patient in its phase 1B trial that is the first of its kind to test NK cells in combination with chemical compound Vactosertib in patients with advanced colorectal and blood cancers. The trial will be based on the company’s CHM 0201 off-the-shelf cell platform that successfully demonstrated safety and efficacy during clinical trials completed at the Seidman Cancer Centre in Ohio last year.