Matt Birney

After a significant weather-related exploration setback at its exciting Yidby gold discovery in the Murchison region of WA, Surefire Resources is back in the field with a turbocharged exploration program that will look to follow up on prior stellar drill results. The drill rods are set to start turning again in September, a drone survey has been commissioned and a 500-strong soil sampling campaign has now been completed.

ASX listed Valor Resources has finalised the evaluation of targets at its Cluff Lake uranium project in Canada and will kick-off a boots-on-ground exploration program in September to further assess the highest priority targets. Initial exploration targeting was conducted using all available geological and geophysical datasets to prioritise areas for further ground reconnaissance to be completed.

ASX listed Legend Mining has boosted the known extent of the mineralisation at its flagship Mawson nickel-copper sulphide project in WA. The mineralised intrusive footprint at Mawson now extends more than 1.4 kilometres, with gravity modelling suggesting the intrusion potentially extends across more than 3 kilometres of strike and importantly, there is a big increase in the size of the magnesium-oxide rich ultramafic core.

ASX-listed aspiring Vietnam nickel developer Blackstone Minerals has engaged the Korea Development Bank and corporate adviser BurnVoir Corporate Finance to jointly pull together a debt funding package for the development of its Ta Khoa nickel project about 160 kilometres west of Hanoi. Perth-based Blackstone is currently contemplating a potentially “vertically integrated” upstream and downstream lithium-ion battery metals processing operation at Ta Khoa.

Element 25 has completed its ramp up to Stage 1 production levels at the company’s flagship Butcherbird manganese mining operation in Western Australia. The company says the mine has now achieved a “steady state” of manganese output and is looking to manufacture a high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate product for use in the burgeoning lithium-ion battery market.

ASX-listed gold developer, Classic Minerals has nailed multiple high-grade gold intercepts from depth extension drilling at its Kat Gap project 170km south of Southern Cross in WA. Best numbers include a cracking 1m interval going 44.43 g/t gold within a wider 6m intersection grading 8.94 grams per tonne gold from 142m. Classic recently commenced trial mining at Kat Gap in anticipation of full-scale production planned for next year.

ASX-listed Buru Energy has spudded a second highly anticipated well in its exploration program in the Canning Basin, Western Australia’s largest onshore basin. The Rafael 1 conventional oil exploration well located 150 kilometres east of Broome is targeting 69 million barrels of oil. A seismic program to define new prospects for future drilling is next on the agenda.

Blue Star Helium has clinched a vital initial consent from US authorities as part of a new protracted pathway towards an eventual approval allowing it to drill a first exploration well at its exciting Las Animas helium project in Colorado. The ASX-listed US helium player now hopes to secure an all-important drilling permit in relation to its planned maiden well at the project’s Enterprise prospect later this year.

Emu NL is back on the bit in Western Australia with the tenacious ASX-listed explorer set to plough more than 6,500 metres of drilling into its Monte Cristo and Gnows Nest gold discoveries south of Yalgoo. Previous drilling over the prospects uncovered a bounty of high-grade mineralisation, with better intercepts including an impressive 3m at 42.17 grams per gold from 77m.