Public Company News

Solara Minerals' Wilgeena gold project, 15km from Westgold's 481,000-ounce Peak Hill and Catalyst's 243,000-ounce Hermes deposits in WA's Murchison region, reveals significant gold potential. Historical shallow drilling hit high-grade intercepts including 5m at 1.98g/t gold, with minimal follow-up. Solara plans to test multiple gold and copper targets near key structural trends to leverage the data to unlock value in one of the state's most productive goldfields.

Horizon Minerals has taken a major step towards becoming a standalone mid-tier gold producer, with its pre-feasibility study at the Black Swan project near Kalgoorlie progressing strongly. The work includes refurbishing the existing crushing and grinding circuit as well as adding a new carbon-in-leach gold plant, setting the stage for a final investment decision in the December quarter and potential construction in 2026.

NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals has unveiled positive results from two studies using its stem cell therapy in kidney transplantation. Eight out of 10 patients in a small case series, facing severe organ rejection, retained their donor kidney. A second study showed the treatment was safe and may improve graft function in deceased-donor transplants. The findings have bolstered the company's plans for a wider clinical development in the multibillion-dollar global market.

American West is completing key pre-feasibility study activities at its Storm copper project, northern Canada's only near-term copper development. Permitting and environmental studies are progressing at the project, which is supported by Canada's critical minerals strategy. High-grade visible copper mineralisation suggests Storm has resource expansion potential, while its strategic importance positions it for rapid development.

Thunderbird Resources has landed high-grade gold results at the company's Kookabookra project in NSW, with rock chip assays of up to 17.35g/t at its Bear Hill prospect, 2.79g/t at Butchers Reef and a 23g/t gold hit within an inferred possible 400m strike length at the new Kojak target. Ongoing soil sampling and mapping support the potential for a large-scale intrusive-related gold system. Thunderbird plans to run a drill campaign to test recent IP anomalies and historical drilling.

Corazon Mining is set to kick off a new round of exploration at its recently acquired Two Pools gold project, within a prospective but underexplored region that has produced more than 6M ounces of gold since 1990. The company also recently raised $2 million through a placement and has appointed experienced mining executive Simon Coyle as MD to advance exploration in a geologically promising region near major gold mines.

A survey at Kalgoorlie Gold Mining's Pinjin project in WA's Eastern Goldfields has refined targets for a 6200m RC drilling program starting in September, focusing on a 1.6km-long strike at its recent Lighthorse prospect. Diamond drilling at its Kirgella Gift and Providence prospects, backed by $130,000 in state funding, aims to unlock deeper gold potential.

Bulls N' Bears ASX Runner of the Week is… Kaili Resources, after its share price broke records by flying up 8333% in a day on news of it was drilling for rare earths in South Australia. Magnetite Mines flew too on its own SA rare earths project, also on the Lime Coast, Argent Biopharma acquired a set of cannabis biotech ahead of a targeted US listing and Octava revealed a microbe-based bioleaching breakthrough at its lithium-rare earths play in WA's Gascoyne region.

Octava Minerals has lit up the market with a suite of eye-catching bioleaching results from its Byro rare earths and lithium project in WA's Gascoyne. Partner, European biomining specialist BiotaTec, used microbes to extract up to 75 per cent of the key magnet metals and about 40 per cent of the lithium in samples in record time. The results point to serious potential for a rapid, low-cost heap-leach operation.

According to charts and data just trotted out by the Bank of America's global research chief strategist. we've walked back to the dot-com peak on multiple metrics. While the air may be getting a little thin at the top of the market, Dollar Bill reckons it's still a mighty good time for a climb in the small cap foothills.

Lindian Resources has bagged $91.5 million in new funds from a heavily oversubscribed raising to kick off stage one construction at its world-class Kangankunde rare earths mine in Malawi. Iluka Resources is already on board with an offtake deal for 6000 tonnes of concentrate per year for 15 years and a $20 million construction loan, allowing Lindian to reach first production in late 2026.

Pilot Energy has received a $3.887 million Petroleum Resource Rent Tax refund after oil production ceased at its joint venture Cliff Head oil field. The refund, paid via operator Triangle Energy Operations, was attributed to funds spent on abandoning, decommissioning and rehabilitating the Western Australian offshore production site. Pilot is cashed up after also raising $6.8 million in a recent share and convertible note issue.