Public Company News

North America-focused explorer Okapi Resources has extended the option date of its proposed acquisition of the Hansen uranium project in Colorado, US by 30 days to give both parties time to finalise and execute a definitive deal. The binding agreement with STB Minerals will allow Okapi to stretch its Tallahassee project resources by 81 per cent to 49.8 million pounds of triuranium octoxide.

Successful trials of one of its cancer killing technologies has given Chimeric Therapeutics the confidence to lock in a clinical platform deal that targets blood cancers and solid tumours. The company plans to convert the option it had over the Clinically validated, Off the shelf, Robust, Enhanced Natural Killer, or “CORE-NK” technology into an exclusive licence to develop multiple next- generation products.

Buru Energy and Chris Ellison's Energy Resources have agreed to restructure their interests in the area known as Permit L20-1 in the Carnarvon Basin through a farmout by Buru to Energy Resources. Buru will assign an additional 25 per cent interest and operatorship of the area in the onshore Carnarvon Basin to EnRes. The resulting permit interests will be Buru 25 per cent and EnRes 75 per cent.

Meeka Gold has appointed Paul Chapman as Chairman, succeeding Tim Moore in the role. The gold and rare earths company has also elevated Chief Executive Officer Tim Davidson to Managing Director, in addition to CEO. Both appointments are effective immediately. Chapman is a chartered accountant and resources sector veteran with more than 30 years' experience in Australia and the United States.

Gold and lithium explorer Ora Banda Mining has identified five new gold targets from a detailed mapping and rock chip sampling program in the Greater Callion area of the North-Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. The targets will be tested with a reverse-circulation drill rig as early as possible in the coming financial year. A mapping and sampling program is continuing to further delineate the geological and structural settings.

Venus Metals has begun a 2500m drilling program at its Pincher Well zinc-copper prospect that is part of its Youanmi base metals project 600km north-east of Perth. The RC drilling will target an historically strong induced polarisation anomaly. The anomaly is just south of previously drilled high-grade zinc mineralisation that threw up a 10m hit going 7.31 per cent zinc from 52m.

With the humble home getting smarter and smarter, the opportunities associated with smart home products are endless and ASX-listed Zimi Ltd has positioned itself in the vanguard of the new wave of players. Zimi's smart power points and switches are next level and the company already has product in the market via distribution agreements with a seriously big retailer and a wholesaler that supplies almost 1000 stores.

Estrella Resources has begun resource confirmation drilling at its Spargoville nickel project in Kambalda as it prepares to produce a definitive feasibility study of its 5A nickel mine resource. Drilling contractor Topdrive Drillers Australia has mobilised at the project, that Estrella acquired in late 2017 with planning ongoing for an open pit cutback at the site's 5A nickel mine.

Asra Minerals, formerly Torian Resources, has announced new high-grade gold hits at its Mt Stirling project near Leonora in WA, setting the scene for an anticipated resource upgrade, expected later this month. Following the discovery of rare earths at Mt Stirling back in January, Asra has opened up a second front at the project that is rapidly becoming a multi-mineral play.

ASX-listed Quantum Graphite has executed a binding offtake agreement with Swiss-based global metal and minerals trading group MRI Trading AG for 100 per cent of stage 1 production from its Uley 2 flake graphite mine. The five-year agreement will add flake graphite to MRI's existing mineral coverage and provide Quantum with access to the trader's customer base across Europe and Japan.

Estrella Resources says an appreciation in nickel prices will see it accelerate development plans for its Spargoville project located about 20km southwest of Kambalda, WA. The company picked up the rights to the operation during a lull in the nickel price and believes under current conditions it could be scrubbed up to be a lucrative play that warrants the mine's development.

Image Resources has revealed a more than ten-fold increase in its total mineral sand stocks in an updated mineral resource estimate following its acquisition of the McCalls project near Gingin in WA. The company's holding now stands at 6.4 billion tonnes after securing the asset in March in a deal worth $12 million.