Public Company News

Aruma Resources has received the tick of approval to drill its Mount Deans lithium-tantalum project after its “program of work” was approved for actioning. A heritage survey is now the final hurdle before Aruma can unleash a rig at the exciting WA lithium project. The project sits within WA’s ‘lithium corridor’ 120 kilometres south of Kalgoorlie that has previously identified spodumene mineralisation along 1.4km strike.

Junior explorer, Native Mineral Resources has put its foot on what looks to be a compelling exploration tenement prospective for copper, gold, zinc, lead and silver, some 100 kilometres west of Cairns in north Queensland. The property is host to a mineralised breccia pipe, curiously named the “Maneater Breccia”, where a single historical drill hole intercepted more than 300 metres of sulphides down-hole.

ASX-listed, Blackstone Minerals has teamed up with leading supply chain “traceability” provider, Circulor to launch a nickel and cathode precursor traceability system for its Ta Khao nickel operations in Vietnam. The collaboration will empower Blackstone to demonstrate its compliance with environmental, social and governance sustainability metrics, stretching from its mining operations through to the refined final products.

ASX-listed Lithium Australia is continuing to carve out an envious position in the white-hot lithium market after its 90 per cent owned subsidiary Envirostream, rubber-stamped a deal with Bunnings to collect spent batteries from its all its Australian stores and selected stores in New Zealand. The company says the agreement was reached in anticipation of the Battery Stewardship Council’s Battery Stewardship Scheme.

ASX-listed Globe Metals & Mining has applied for a novel patent covering its metallurgical technology that could slash operational and capital costs and improve recovery of niobium at its exciting Kanyika niobium project in Malawi. The company recently released jaw-dropping results from a feasibility study on the project where a total EBITDA figure of US$3.74 billion across an initial 23 year mine life was envisaged.

Barton Gold has teased out more gold around the northern edges of the Perseverance pit floor at the Tarcoola gold project in South Australia. The strikes continue a run of success for Barton following the gold zone discovered at Perseverance West last year. Notable shallow drill hits were recorded including 1m grading 2.51 g/t gold from 26m and 1m grading 7 g/t gold from 37m.

Victory Mines has continued to make the case for possible northern extensions to the gold lode that was mined some years ago in the old Coogee open pit at its Coogee gold project near Kalgoorlie. Latest assays include 4 metres going 9.34 grams per tonne gold from 175 metres that hosts a 2m intersection grading 16.15 g/t from 176m.

Blackstone Minerals has locked in Tier 1 engineering, mineral processing and metallurgical consultants Wood and ALS to perform critical roles in the delivery of a definitive feasibility study at its Ta Khoa nickel refinery in Vietnam. The consultants will aim to provide project management, engineering, cost estimation, execution planning services and hydrometallurgical testing for the Ta Khoa nickel refinery.

Perth-based Lithium Australia’s wholly owned subsidiary, VSPC is now producing commercial quality lithium titanium oxide lithium battery anode powder. VSPC says its LTO exceeds industry performance benchmarks and that further research and development, including work on niobium-based anode powders, is underway. Lithium Australia is building an armoury of lithium battery technology in readiness for the lithium boom.

ASX-listed explorer, Venus Metals has substantially extended its high-grade mineralisation at the Link prospect within its Youanmi project. Latest drilling has intercepted high grade gold intercepts 200m down plunge of the existing resource, demonstrating strong continuity of mineralisation. These results point to a potential increase to the current resource estimate with many drill results still pending.

Newly listed Askari Metals has nailed its first field campaign at the company’s Horry project in the mineral rich Kimberley region with high grade copper and gold rock chip samples that have allowed it to map initial copper mineralisation over 400m in one location. Best copper results were 3.67 per cent, 3.13 per cent and 1.12 per cent and one gold sample yielded 13 grams per tonne.

Empire Energy is ramping up its activities in the Beetaloo Sub-basin in the Northern Territory with its Carpentaria-1 well securing an encouraging post shut in average flow rate of 0.364 million cubic feet of gas per day. The result is up 45 per cent from the pre-shut in rate. The company says the results appear to underline the development potential of its Beetaloo Sub-basin acreage in the NT.