It’s possible that a domestically-listed gold explorer, which boasts a not-too-shabby evolving flagship project in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, may be looking to lithium to help boost its languishing market valuation. No doubt the WA-based junior is also hoping that a farm-in agreement it made back in 2022 with a fellow exploration house will garner some much-needed shareholder interest sometime in the future. When Austgold Ltd (ASX: AUC) presented at Vertical Events’ RIU Explorers Conference in February last year, its share price was around the 0.05 cents mark, giving it a market capitalisation of $105 million. By the same time this…
A West Australian junior involved in a number of exploration projects is confident it has come across an iron oxide-gold-copper (IOCG) deposit in its home state. Late last year, Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX:M2R) said that a review of historical drilling data had “potentially” revealed very significant magnetite iron opportunities at its wholly-owned Whaleshark project, which sits within the Carnarvon Basin in WA’s Ashburton region. Field work conducted in the area by Western Mining Corporation (WMC) in the 1990s whilst exploring for an IOCG intersected significant widths of magnetite-rich banded iron formation (BIF) averaging above 25 per cent iron beneath younger…
Joint venture partners Covalent Lithium, Wesfarmers and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM) have opened of the Mt Holland lithium mine and concentrator project. The Mt Holland lithium project consists of an open-cut mine and concentrator, located 110km southeast of Southern Cross in the Wheatbelt region, and a refinery currently being constructed in the Kwinana Industrial Area. With an expected cost of $2.6 billion, the project is supporting 1,000 jobs during construction and 350 jobs during operations. Mt Holland will produce 380,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate per year, which will be refined into 50,000 tonnes of battery-quality lithium hydroxide.…
BMG Resources Limited has announced promising results from its ongoing exploration review of the Dragon project neighbouring WA1 Resources’ site in the West Arunta region of Western Australia. Multiple targets showing structural and magnetic features have been identified at the Dragon Project — features similar to those that represent mineralised carbonatites at WA1 Resources’ ground and the nearby Aileron Project of Encounter Resources. BMG’s Dragon Niobium-REE Project is immediately adjacent to and shares a 30-kilometre-long border with the West Arunta Project of WA1 Resources. BMG Non-Executive Chairman John Prineas said: “Our ongoing review of exploration data for the West Arunta…
Pantera Minerals Limited has announced a substantial expansion of its Smackover Brine Project in North America, with the acquisition of 3,553 acres, representing a 26 per cent increase in leased acreage. The company's total net leased acreage now surpasses 17,000 acres. The bulk of the new acreage comes from a key lease with a mineral owner covering 2,194 acres, placing Pantera in a unique position of strength. This expansion not only enhances the project's scalability but also consolidates Pantera's control, with 100 per cent ownership of the project now under its purview. Pantera, the sole junior company listed in the…
A West Australian-based lithium explorer looks well-positioned to capture significant upside when the alkali metal’s market moves into its anticipated recovery mode. In 2023, Global Lithium Resources Ltd (ASX:GL1) spent a great deal of its corporate time sizing up its wholly-owned outcropping Manna pegmatite project in its home state of WA, completing a large-scale 60,000 metre reverse circulation and diamond drilling campaign which covered infill and extensional targets. The junior also started metallurgical and geotechnical programs that have since carried over into 2024. Located around 100 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the state’s Goldfields, Manna currently enjoys an indicated and…
Hillgrove Resources has commenced production of its first copper concentrate from the Kanmantoo mine in South Australia, following the successful completion of the processing facility; both milestones were met within the company's target timeframe of Q1 2024. The transition from explorer to producer makes Hillgrove Resources one of only a few copper producers on the ASX. Hillgrove Resources CEO and Managing Director Lachlan Wallace said: “Operations will be bedded down at Kanmantoo as we ramp up to steady stage production and our attention will turn to growing the business by converting future exploration and development opportunities.” “The project is well-positioned…
Oar Resources Limited (ASX: OAR), an exploration and development company focused on battery and critical minerals, has reported significant progress in its global expansion and financial performance for the first quarter ending 31 March 2024. The company has signed a binding agreement to acquire 100 per cent interest in two Exclusive Prospecting Licences (EPL) located in Namibia's Erongo Region, a well-known uranium mining jurisdiction. This move positions Oar in a major uranium-producing region, enhancing its portfolio with valuable uranium prospects. In Brazil, Oar has expanded its presence by securing pegging applications for uranium and rare earth element (REE) prospects in…
Alderan Resources Limited (AL8) is gearing up for a Stage 1 diamond drilling program at the New Years prospect, part of its Frisco copper-gold project in Utah, USA. The program, scheduled to commence in June 2024, will consist of four holes totalling 540 metres, with an additional six holes (1,500 metres) planned for Stage 2 pending the results of the initial drilling. The company has also begun soil sampling over the composite New Years magnetic anomaly to extend coverage from the 1960s, with grades up to 0.31% Cu. The anomaly, double the size of the Cactus anomaly, forms part of…
Pantera Minerals Limited (PFE), a key player in the exploration and development of lithium resources, is poised to capitalise on the growing demand for lithium in the United States. The surge in demand, driven by the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage solutions, presents a significant opportunity for Pantera. A recent article by Fastmarkets highlighted the critical role of lithium in the green energy revolution. As the US transitions to a cleaner energy future, lithium-ion batteries are becoming essential for powering EVs, grid-scale energy storage systems, and other applications. Fastmarkets forecasts a substantial growth in US…
Critical mineral explorer, Litchfield Minerals Limited (ASX: LMS), has announced the discovery of several new chargeability targets at the historic Mount Irene Mine in Canada. The findings, revealed after a successful Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) survey in March 2024, signify a significant breakthrough in the company's exploration efforts. The GAIP survey, known for its precision and depth, has identified multiple new chargeability targets extending towards the northwest (NW) of Mount Irene. These targets indicate the potential for substantial extensions to the known mineralised reefs, opening new avenues for exploration and development. Among the key highlights of the GAIP survey…
Alderan Resources Limited (ASX: AL8) is making significant progress in its exploration efforts, with updates on its copper exploration project in Utah, USA, and its lithium projects in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Utah Copper Exploration: Preparations for drilling at the New Years copper-gold prospect in Utah's Frisco project are proceeding rapidly. The company is finalising the precise locations and orientation of a planned three-hole diamond drilling program, aiming to commence drilling this quarter. Alderan already has permitted drill sites within the Frisco project area, with the permit expected to be amended for the new locations. Brazil Lithium Exploration: Alderan's stream sediment…
American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR | OTCQX: ARRNF and AMRRY) has released the findings of the Halleck Creek Scoping Study Technical Report by Stantec Consulting Services Inc., highlighting the project's potential as a low-cost, scalable, and world-class rare earth elements (REE) venture in Wyoming, USA. The study projects an attractive NPV8 of US$673.9 million and NPV10 of US$505.1 million (pre-tax), with an IRR of 22.5 per cent and a 2.9-year payback period based on a three million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) operating scenario. Initial capital expenditure is estimated at US$456.1 million, including a US$76 million contingency. The life of mine…
In a move to accelerate the Halleck Creek project, American Rare Earths (ARR) has successfully filed a Licence to Explore for Minerals by Dozing with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality in the US. This application is a critical step towards initiating test mining operations, as the company seeks approval for two test pits at the Cowboy State Mine site. The test mining is aimed at securing the necessary ore volumes for processing at a pilot facility, setting the stage for the future scaling of an operable mine and processing unit at Halleck Creek. American Rare Earths CEO Donald Swartz…
