Tag: Drilling

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Top Story – Bill Beament Leaves Northern Star In July.

Northern Star Resources Limited has provided an update. In their efforts to initiate a global search for an Independent NonExecutive Chair, Bill Beament will retire from the Northern Star Board, effective July 1, 2021. Mr Beament has agreed to take up an Executive Director role with Venturex Resources from July 1. Mr Beament said he fully appreciated the opportunity to help Northern Star generate exceptional results for all stakeholders. “I share the view that now is the right time for Northern Star to begin the search for an Independent Chair,” he said. “The Company is in an extremely strong position, with an outstanding team and some of the best gold assets in the world.”

Northern Star Non-Executive Director John Fitzgerald thanked Mr Beament for his outstanding contribution. “Bill has guided Northern Star through a period of exceptional growth, building a globally-significant gold company which generates substantial returns for Shareholders,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

The Northern Star Board has decided that Independent Non-Executive Director John Fitzgerald will perform the role of Independent Non-Executive Chair from then until the appointment of the new Chair.

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Diggers & Dealers Keynote Speaker Announced for 2021

 

A former advisor to President Nelson Mandela, a key author of twenty one books and a previous Principal Economist at the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) has been announced as the Diggers and Dealers key note speaker for 2021. Professor Ian Goldin.

Professor Goldin specialises in economics and has numerous credentials on the world economic stage. After a start in Africa, Professor Goldin lectures at Oxford, Harvard and Tsinghua Universities as well as providing advisory and consultancy services to thirty leading companies. His recent speaking engagements include the opening keynote at Google Zeitgeist, the Microsoft CEO Forum and TED. For the past twenty one years he has provided keynotes at the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos. Adding to an impressive list of achievements, Professor Goldin also was a previous Vice President of the World Bank. His address at Diggers and Dealers this year is sure to be thought provoking and insightful.

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BREAKING: KCGM Owners Make Joint Announcement

KCGM Super Pit Owners Northern Star Resources and Saracen Minerals have released information to the market this morning about their respective operations based on the lockdown imposed in Western Australia.
Saracen Mineral Holdings Limited and Northern Star Resources advises that it does not expect production and exploration at its West Australian operations to be impacted by the five-day lockdown measures announced yesterday by WA Premier Mark McGowan. All the Company’s operations are located outside the lockdown boundaries set by the Government. The Company will advise the market should these circumstances change. Saracen’s top priority at all times is the health and safety of its staff, business partners and the communities in which we operate and this is the basis of all its strategies for managing COVID-19.
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Morning News Bites – November 6

Gold and the US Election.

It would seem the gold market has factored in a win to Biden in the US elections with the price of gold rising by about US$40 in overnight trade (Australian time).  The Aussie dollar has risen against the greenback to ~US72.6c, which gives an Aussie gold price of ~$2,680.

As I type this Trump is giving a media briefing at the White House where he is claiming that the election has been rigged.  He claims it has been stolen from him by fraud.  This would seem to flag that more court challengers are on their way if, as expected on current count, Biden wins the required 270 Electoral College votes.

The Dow Jones Index also had a good day and rose 542 points indicating that it is not only the gold market looking upon the expected result favourably.  Given that Trump is sure to litigate in his quest to maintain office it will be interesting to see how all markets react to it over the coming weeks

Venture Reports on Results from Golden Grove North.

Venture Minerals (ASX: VMS) has released results from the first drill hole at Orcus which has intersected 33 metres of disseminated to semi-massive sulphides with Copper and Zinc at the Company’s highest priority VMS Drill Target at Golden Grove North. The sulphide intersection sits predominately within a chlorite-sericite altered sequence of foliated mafic volcanic which is a potential host for VMS style mineralisation.

Venture’s Managing Director commented “The first drill hole at Orcus has had immediate success with a strong intersection of sulphides containing Copper and Zinc. Venture eagerly awaits the assays to confirm the highly likely addition of both gold and potential silver mineralisation as it moves onto the next drill holes at Orcus, the Company’s highest priority VMS target at Golden Grove North.”

Venture has completed a visual inspection and preliminary hand-held XRF analyses on the RC chips and has verified the presence of copper and zinc within the pyrite dominated sulphides. Samples are being prepared for submitting to a laboratory for assay to confirm the observed mineralisation. X

The company claims the Orcus prospect already boasts a VMS style drill intersection of 22m @ 0.76 g/t Gold, 0.64% Copper & 1.3% Zinc from 38m to bottom of hole, including 10m @ 1.0g/t Gold, 0.74% Copper & 2.1% Zinc from 50m to bottom of hole, that sits on trend between the two recently delineated high priority VMS drill targets of Vulcan North and Vulcan West.

VRX Silica gets Aboriginal Heritage Nod.

VRX Silica (ASX: VRX) has announced the results of an Aboriginal heritage survey at its Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project (Arrowsmith North) and Arrowsmith Central Silica Sand Project (Arrowsmith Central), located approximately 270km north of Perth, Western Australia.

The comprehensive archaeological and ethnographic survey was conducted last month with Amangu representatives of the Yamatji Nation and Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) personnel over proposed initial mining and critical infrastructure areas.

Preliminary advice received by the Company from YMAC confirms that the Arrowsmith North Access Road, Services Corridor and Production Area are clear for the stated works to proceed for 10 years of production. The Arrowsmith Central Production Area and Arrowsmith Central Infrastructure Areas are cleared for 5 years of production.

VRX’s Managing Director Bruce Maluish said: “With the grant of Mining Leases for Arrowsmith North and Arrowsmith Central expected imminently, obtaining Aboriginal heritage clearance for our proposed works on both projects is an important step forward for their development.

“This continues our strong and supportive relationship and consultative approach with the local Yamatji Nation people and YMAC. We appreciate their efforts in progressing the conduct of the survey and report.”

Eagle Mountain Reports High-Grade Assays.

Eagle Mountain Mining (ASX: EM2) confirmed high grade assays from initial drilling at the Company’s 80% owned Oracle Ridge Mine Project in Arizona, USA.

Eagle Mountain’s intends to build a low-cost mining operation, which involves increasing the resource base both within the current mine area and in the near-mine vicinity. A surface diamond drilling program commenced at Oracle Ridge in early September 2020, designed primarily to target extensions of the high-grade portions of the existing NI43-101 Minerals Resources Estimate.

Assays results from holes WT-20-03 (upper part only) and WT-20-04 (selected zones) have been received and are reported as:  4.56m at 5.28% Cu, 50.7 g/t Ag and 0.77g/t Au from 184m, including 0.93m at 13.05% Cu, 127g/t Ag and 0.32g/t Au

Higher priority sections from four further drill holes have been submitted to the laboratory with assay results from three holes due in November 2020

Eagle Mountain Mining CEO, Tim Mason, commented: “This is an excellent start to our drill program at Oracle Ridge, which targeted zones outside the existing Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). The intercept of 4.56m at 5.28% Cu, 50.7 g/t Ag and 0.77g/t Au, including 0.93m at 13.05% copper and 127g/t silver is outstanding. The mineralisation in this zone is unconstrained for approximately 100m to the east, with follow up drilling planned to test extensions in this area.

Our goal is to build on the significant high-grade copper MRE, to support a potential future mining operation, with these assay results reinforcing our view that there is significant mineralisation outside the existing MRE at the Project. The drilling program has been extended to the end of CY2020, and we look forward to updating the market with further results over the coming months.”

Lucapa Raise $10 Million to Expand Processing Capacity.

Lucapa Diamond (ASX: LOM) has received firm commitments from professional and sophisticated investors to subscribe for 181,818,182 fully paid new ordinary shares in the Company at an issue price of $0.055 per share to raise $10 million before costs. The Placement involved the issue of 54,824,075 free attaching unlisted $0.08 options, expiring 2 years from the date of issue.

The oversubscribed capital raising, was cornerstoned by Ilwella Pty Ltd, a diversified investment vehicle of the Flannery family office and by Safdico International, a leading multinational diamond company and subsidiary of Graff International. The Company also welcomed new institutional investors to the register.

Lucapa intends to use the funds from the Placement to commission an expansion in the processing capacity of the Mothae kimberlite mine from 1.1Mtpa to 1.6Mtpa (+45%). This should materially increase production, revenues and due to economies of scale, improve unit operating costs and deliver improvements to earnings. The investment in Mothae is expected to cost $8.5 million, with the balance of the funds raised, net of costs, to be utilised for general working capital purposes.

Managing director Stephen Wetherall commented; “We are extremely pleased with the strong support shown by strategic and institutional investors in the value accretive expansion plan formulated by Lucapa and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho, our Mothae partner”.

“The Mothae expansion should see a material increase in the benefits derived by the Basotho nation and to our shareholders”.

 

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Morning News Bites – November 5

Wiluna Mining Increase Mineral Resource.

Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX: WMX)has reported an increase to the Mineral Resource for the Wiluna Mining Centre, as part of the Company’s ongoing Sulphide Development plan.

Wiluna reported a 4.24Moz @ 4.89 g/t High Grafe Mineral Resource at the Wiluna Mining Centre, which is 11% more than reported in September, and 8.04Moz @ 1.63 g/t total mineral resource for the company.

Mining studies will be conducted to assess various mining options ranging from selective high-grade underground mining to bulk open pit and underground mining, or a combination of methods.

Wiluna Mining Executive Chair, Milan Jerkovic, commented:  “Our ongoing $30 million drilling campaign has focused on high-grade areas with the potential to be mined at the start of our Sulphide Development schedule. Drilling has successfully added tonnes, improved the grade and improved the portion within Measured and Indicated confidence categories. We are delighted by these results because they build upon our strategy to enhance the very large, high-grade Wiluna Mineral Resource. Drilling has been supported by our team’s diligent efforts to extract maximum value from the large amount of existing historical drilling and mining data, including assaying of intervals of mineralisation from the historical core library which comprises over 800km of core. These efforts have contributed to the impressive growth in our Mineral Resource base.

Investigator’s Paris Silver Project Yields High Grades.

Investigator Resources (ASX: IVR) announced that the Paris Silver Project is the highest-grade undeveloped primary silver project in Australia. With a JORC 2012 resource of 9.3 Mt @ 139g/t Ag and 0.6% Pb for 42 Moz contained silver and 55 kt contained lead, Paris is a shallow, high-grade silver deposit amenable to open pit mining.

Investigator’s Managing Director, Andrew McIlwain said: “We believe these initial and preliminary results support our objective with this infill campaign of improving both the grade and confidence in the estimated resource.

“Drilling started on Line 8, at the northern edge of the “200m Zone” Indicated Resource block, and results from the 9 holes drilled in Lines 8 and 8.25, are expected to extend the Indicated Resource to the north. With some eyewatering grades seen in these early results, it bodes well for an increase in the average resource grade in this area”.

“These initial and incomplete results from only 9 holes, of a program total of 276, along with the geological logging of the drilling to date, augurs well for the success of this program. This has provided the confidence for the Board to approve an additional 5,500m of drilling to further improve the Paris resource.

“We will have assays coming through on a regular basis over the next few months and look forward to providing further updates on results”.

AusQuest Completes Initial Reconnaissance Results

AusQuest Limited (ASX: AQD) advised the market that the initial reconnaissance drilling program has been completed at the Gunanya Project in the Paterson Province of Western Australia under its Strategic Alliance Agreement with South32.

A total of seven Reverse Circulation drill holes (totalling 1,916m) spaced 200m apart across each anomaly were completed to test three magnetic targets in order to determine their potential to host gold and copper mineralisation similar to that found at Winu (by Rio Tinto) and Havieron (by Newcrest), located in the northern half of the Paterson Province.

Drill samples were collected at two metre intervals from each drill-hole and sent to Perth for analysis. Assay results are expected within three to four weeks, at which time an assessment of the drilling results will be undertaken.

AusQuest Managing Director Graeme Drew said the Company was pleased to have successfully completed initial reconnaissance drilling of the Gunanya targets even though not all the magnetic targets had been properly tested.

“We have seen signs of alteration and sulphide mineralisation, albeit pyrite, in both the basement lithologies and the overlying sediments,” he said. “but assays are required before any proper assessment of the drilling results can be made.”

“Final assay data should be available over the next 3-4 weeks and we look forward to reporting on the final results once we have had time to analyse the data” he continued.

Yandal Resource Estimate for Flushing Meadows.

Yandal Resources Ltd (ASX: YRL) released an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Flushing Meadows gold deposit, part of its 100% owned Ironstone Well gold project near Wiluna in the Yandal Greenstone Belt of Western Australia.

The prospect is located 60km south- west of the mining town of Wiluna in close proximity to a number of gold development projects and operating mines.  The estimate contains a total 7.4Mt @ 1.13g/t Au for 268,000oz and utilised sample data from 420 RC drill holes and four diamond drill holes.

Yandal Resources’ Managing Director; Mr Lorry Hughes commented:

“Compared to the 2019 Mineral Resource Estimate the new estimate has a 60% increase in tonnage and a 12% reduction in grade for an overall 40% increase in total contained ounces. Importantly the new estimate has a 109% increase in material reporting to the higher confidence Indicated Resource category and the bulk of the mineralisation is located above 100m vertical depth.

The mineralisation remains open at depth and there are high priority exploration targets along strike and in adjacent positions that are being drilled currently. The Company plans to aggressively pursue Resource growth over the next two years with a large proportion of the exploration budget directed within a 10km radius of Flushing Meadows including the Oblique and Quarter Moon prospects where significant historic mineralisation occurs.

The Company has a dual strategy to prepare our most advanced prospects ready for mining whilst pursuing exploration targets capable of hosting multi-million ounce gold deposits known to occur in areas close to our projects”.

US Election and Gold.

It would seem the price of gold is fluctuating slightly as the fortunes of both candidates change throughout the vote count.  Some analysts believe that a Biden win will be good for the gold price and conversely Trump winning would see downward pressure on the metal price.

At the moment, with Biden looking set to win the election we could see gold remain above the US$1,900 and move toward the $US$2,000 mark again.

Gold has remained fairly stable compared to the last US election when it became obvious that Trump would win and gold soared by about US$150 , but only briefly.

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This Afternoons Top Story – Is Age Just a Number In This US Election?

With the US elections in full swing it got me around to thinking about the age of both candidates and the obvious question for me was, are they both too old? I don’t intend to talk about their politics or policies and who would be better for the US and the world. As far as the US is concerned it is up to them for who they vote for and up to the rest of the world to deal with whoever they offer up. Also, I have no formal qualifications so what I express below comes from a personal view and nothing else.

The incumbent, Donald Trump, was born in 1946 and the person who is wanting to knock him out of office, Joe Biden, was born four years earlier in 1942. With age we are told comes experience, knowledge and wisdom. Also, with age comes health issues, which can detract from the performance of a person, and in some cases senility and other mental health issues can manifest.

With both candidates well into their 70s are they capable of dealing with this ever-changing world that, from my point of view, younger people are more adept at dealing with? Trump is renowned for his avid use of Twitter, a modern-day communication medium that young people love, but I don’t think he has grasped that Twitter rants at 3am are doing him more harm than good. Biden on the other hand seems to use social media discretely and probably leaves it up to one of his many media advisers to handle it all. As I have a dislike for social media, I score the eldest of the two more highly here.

Do these old candidates understand the world we live in and can they relate to the younger people and can the younger people relate to them? If there is no connection between these parties, or worse, animosity, then there is bound to be unrest for the next four years.

Both candidates have shown bouts of forgetfulness during the campaign. None more apparent than when Biden seemingly referred to Trump as George. Most pundits observed this as Biden referring to George W Bush who hasn’t been in the Whitehouse for 12 years. He later said he was mentioning some obscure person who works in the background, but it came over as a hollow excuse. Glory be to any politician who owns up to a mistake, which Biden should have done. They get far more respect from the hoi polloi than someone who tries on a lame excuse that everyone sees through.

I could go on about things that both candidates have done that question their suitability for the top job, but I will leave it at that. My opinion is that Americans are faced with a poor choice when they cast their vote that could determine where America fits in the political maelstrom that the world is faced with.

The argument for younger leaders can be best illustrated here at home where for the last 13 years our Prime Ministers have mostly been under the age of 60. I can hear you say we have had some duds, and I couldn’t agree more with you. Both sides have produced good and bad leaders in this time, but on the whole, we have been well served by energetic people that are capable of meeting the rigours of high office.

Prime Minister, Scott Morrison is only 52 years old, didn’t join a political office out of university but worked in marketing before becoming a politician. He was first elected in 2007 at the age of 39 and was promoted early to the front bench. He currently seems to be doing the job well and I think his life experience before entering politics bodes well for him. The other side of politics also has members that fall into the same category as Morrison and would do an equally good job if ever given the opportunity.

In conclusion, and at the age of 63, I believe we are better served by people who can withstand the physical and mental rigours of the job. These are people in their 50s who have experienced life and

should be mature, yet young enough to relate to the younger generation. We have had exceptions in Hawke and Howard and their mentorship would have been appreciated by following leaders.

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Morning News Bites – November 4

Neometals Completes Mini-Pilot Test Work.

On top of Neometals (ASX: NMT) yesterday announcing its venture into battery recycling it has released details of the successful completion of its mini-pilot test work campaign on the Company’s Vanadium Recovery Project. Results confirmed excellent vanadium chemical product purity (>99.5% V2O5), strong recoveries (>75%) and reduced residence time for Neometals’ patent pending hydrometallurgical process for recovering vanadium from Slag.

Neometals executed a collaboration agreement with Critical Metals, to jointly evaluate the feasibility of constructing a facility to recover and process high-grade vanadium products from vanadium-bearing steel by-product in Scandinavia.

The Mini-Pilot was constructed, commissioned and operated continuously through the campaign without any safety incidents or process challenges. Of particular significance was the achievement of chemical-grade vanadium pentoxide at high recovery rates and low residence times. Passing this major technical milestone is important and gives Neometals the strong confidence to continue its project development by commencing the PFS.

Neometals Managing Director Chris Reed commented: “We are very pleased with the results of the Mini-Pilot campaign. This substantially de-risks our patent-pending processing flow sheet and gives us the confidence to commence the PFS. We now shift our attention to the design phase of the larger proposed pilot plant which will leach material from three of SSAB’s steel operations in a mild carbonate solution at moderate temperatures and atmospheric pressure. The beauty of our process is that the main reagent is carbon dioxide, which we plan to capture from third-party emission to sequester some 65,000 tonnes in our leach Residue rendering it inert and available for secondary use.”

Marmota Strikes it Rich.

Marmota (ASX:MEU) has announced that the drilling program completed in September 2020 at Aurora Tank has achieved multiple successes.

Marmota Chairman, Dr Colin Rose, said: “ This has primarily been an extensional program, testing out new ground. It is also Marmota’s eighth drilling program at Aurora Tank. We are very fortunate that every one of those programs so far has been a success.

This program has yielded new high-grade extensions to the North, West and at depth, significantly extended the NW flank, and yielded our current highest 4m intersection. I am delighted that Aurora Tank keeps on growing, that underlying fundamentals are strong, and so too the potential rewards to shareholders.

Aurora Tank is fortunate to combine high-grade intersections that are close to surface, with excellent metallurgy, making Aurora Tank potentially amenable to low-cost low capex open-pittable heap leach methods, which are our clear focus. ”

Drilling yielded outstanding high-grade gold intersections including: 4m @ 70 g/t gold (from 64m downhole) and 4m @ 25 g/t gold (from 52m downhole).

Marmota has intersected very high grades close to surface [typically just 20m to 50m from surface], this program is also the first time that Marmota has also intersected high grade gold at depths below 80m. In particular, a reconnaissance hole designed to test for an extension to the west of the NW flank intersected 4m at 7.3 g/t at a depth of 120m downhole with follow up drilling required to prove it up.

Strandline to Power Up with Contract Power.

Strandline Resources (ASX: STA) has released details of its development of its Coburn mineral sands project in Western Australia by appointing Contract Power Australia as preferred contractor to build, own and operate the power generation facilities for the project.

Coburn’s purpose-designed power facility is based on a low-cost, low-emission solution integrating natural gas fuelled generation with state-of-the-art solar and battery storage technology. The proposed power solution will enable Strandline to capture energy supply cost savings relative to the DFS published in June 2020.

The power station is designed for a maximum demand capacity of 16 MW and average consumed power of ~10 MW. Natural gas will be supplied by others under an industry standard long-term LNG supply agreement and trucked to an on-site storage and re-vapourisation facility supplied by Contract Power. The LNG then feeds a set of efficient engine generators on an N+1 basis and has ~30% solar (renewable) penetration for the major stable loads.

Generation is at 11kV with step up to 22kV for power transmission to the project loads across the mine site.

Strandline Managing Director Luke Graham said the appointment marked another key step in its strategy to bring Coburn into production and establishes an important relationship with Contract Power, a leader in sustainable clean energy generation in Western Australia.

Pantoro Confirms Two High-Grade Lodes.

Pantoro (ASX:PNR) advised that further drilling and initial level development have confirmed the presence and continuity of two additional high grade lodes at the Wagtail Underground Mine at their Halls Creek Project. Both lodes extend the mineralisation at the Wagtail Underground Mine and are located in the hanging wall of the current Rowdies ore system.

Development and drilling defined a North East oriented splay lode (REV Lode) developing off of the current Rowdies lodes. The new REV Lode currently has a strike length of 50 metres and vertical extent of 100 metres. The lode remains open at depth and drilling is ongoing.

The REV Lode interacts with the newly discovered high grade North Striking Lode in the hanging wall.  The sulphide rich REV Lode appears to be a direct analogue to the Mother/Darcy lodes at Nicolsons, where significant upside was realised in the early stages of the projects development.

Managing Director, Paul Cmrlec said: “The discovery of these new lodes is great news for the Wagtail mine, and for the Halls Creek Project as a whole. The splay lodes at Nicolsons provided significant value to Nicolsons mine, and this discovery has the potential to provide the same upside at Wagtail.

The deepest drilling in the lode has returned some of the most exciting results to date, and the team at Halls Creek eagerly awaits the development of additional drilling platforms to enable the full drill out of this lode.

In addition to REV Lode extensions, we continue to test the existing lodes outside of the current Mineral Resource envelope and look forward to reporting extensions to mineralisation which may further increase the mines life.”

Horizon Cracks Good Grades at Crake Project.

Horizon Minerals (ASX: HRZ) announced further excellent high-grade drilling results from the 100% owned Binduli gold project area located 9km west of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the heart of the Western Australian goldfields.

The announcement comes off the back of a 29-hole, 2,460 metre drilling program that drilled to a depth of 144 metres at their Crake and Coote projects.  In particular the Crake project showed encouraging results with grades nearing 20g/t in some holes. The current Mineral Resource Estimate for Crake stands at 1.27Mt @ 1.82g/t Au for 73,820oz at a 1g/t Au lower grade cut-off and remains open to the north, west and at depth.

Commenting on the latest drilling results, Horizon Minerals Managing Director Mr Jon Price said: “Binduli has become an outstanding emerging gold camp with Crake continuing to grow in scale and quality and the adjoining Coote deposit now firming up to have similar potential. Both projects remain open with extensional RC drilling underway and we look forward to further drilling results this quarter from multiple rigs currently operating across the wider project area.”

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This Afternoons Top Story – Is Our ABC, Our ABC?

33 years ago, there was an ABC campaign that proudly told us that “Our ABC” only cost each Australian eight cents a day to operate.  Not bad value back then when you think of the services they provided.  It was only radio and TV as online services had not even been thought of then, but even so it was still great value.

The ABC provides a great service to the nation as a government owned entity. This service has increased with the addition of online services that gives us a lot of information at our fingertips. ABC rural services have been of great benefit to farmers and regional listeners and viewers; it has been part of the bush telegraph that many people rely on during the good times and when emergencies threaten communities.

The radio service first started in 1932 with TV being introduced in 1956.

Programs that have become iconic in Australians’ minds in past generations have also stood the test of time and are enjoyed by toddlers.  Play School is one such program that every Australian would have seen at some time and the show has followed the same format for decades.  The show has endured, and many Australian actors and wannabes have participated in its production.

Some iconic programs are now a thing of the past.  Blue Hills first ran on radio in 1949 and continued until 1976 and was a popular series that often-brought social issues into the program. The Argonauts Club that eventually evolved into the Children’s hour was also much loved and ran from 1933 to 1972.

Their news service has been second to none over the years and you can set your clock to the hour from when the Majestic Fanfare starts, to indicate a news bulletin is about to commence.  There was a huge backlash recently when the ABC announced it was going to drop its 7.45am, 15-minute radio news bulletin.  A lot of people thought it was a cynical exercise to try and embarrass the government over its decision to not increase the corporation’s budget by CPI.

And this brings me to my question of “is it still our ABC?”  Firstly, all other media organisations in this country a private companies or companies listed on the ASX.  Very few rely on any government funding and those that do receive some funds, receive it on the proviso of delivering a particular service.  These companies are responsible to their owners, including shareholders, and the commentary generally side with one side of the political spectrum.  For Instance, Sky News and the Australian newspaper are predominantly to the right of that spectrum and they do not shy away from that.

There has been increasing concern that the ABC has shifted too far left in its reporting of the news when it comes to politics and also that instead of reporting news it editorialises by journalists giving opinion. I have always believed that journalists should report the facts and allow the people consuming it to make up their own mind on any political implications.  Alas, across all media, it happens all to often these days that a report is spiked with an opinion.

And social media is becoming a trap for journalists who use this media to express their personal views on a government decision or to make a point about a politician.  With ABC journalists and producers, the target is often the right of politics and sometimes it can be seen in their reporting of politics.

I used to watch Sky Channel news and then switch over to watch the ABC News at 7pm.  I have cancelled my Foxtel subscription so no longer get to see Sky.  However, the reason I watched both bulletins was so I could get to see both slants on an issue and make up my own mind of what I thought of it.  I shouldn’t have to do that, especially with the ABC.

For a wholly government funded news service I don’t think we are getting balanced reporting at the moment.  I would much rather see just the facts and the viewer allowed to form their own opinion.  So, at the moment I think my eight cents has been devalued and I am not getting the same value I did 33 years ago.  This is a pity for me, as I still appreciate the ABC and all it has done for Australia over the many years it has been operating.

Written by Gary Brown. 

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Morning News Bites – November 2

Nexus Releases High Grade Assay Results.

Nexus Minerals (ASX: NXM) has released significant high-grade assay results from the Reverse Circulation holes drilled at the Pinnacles JV Gold Project, in the eastern goldfields of Western Australia. All RC drilling assay results have now been received from this program.

Nexus consultants have been engaged to undertake a pit optimization study and mine development plan options, to assist in determining the financial viability of establishing a gold mining operation at Pinnacles. Due to the pre-existing ore sale and purchase agreement with Saracen, Nexus believes there is minimal capital expenditure required to initiate mining, with any ore mined to be processed through Saracen’s Carosue Dam Operation. The Feasibility Study will incorporate this resource definition drilling, geotechnical drilling, environmental studies and metallurgical test work along with other key assessments and permitting.

The RC program successfully tested 3 specific areas of the proposed open pit and U/G operations and some of the grades included:

7m @ 6.25g/t Au from 54m, Including 4m @ 9.68g/t Au

9m @ 9.51g/t Au from 70m, Including 4m @ 20.13g/t Au

5m @ 6.86g/t Au from 99m, Including 2m @ 13.60g/t Au

Managing Director Andy Tudor said “The results received from this RC drill program have confirmed the grade profile we have modelled at the different levels of the proposed mining operation, in particular the high-grade mineralisation in the base of the proposed open-pit. We have also made significant advancements on the feasibility study inputs, with the end of year timeline for the completion of the study remaining our goal. The low capital cost of the development significantly de-risks the project metrics and accelerates the project time- line”.

Great Boulder Hopes Further Drilling Will Unlock Full Potential.

Great Boulder Resources [ASX: GBR] announced assays from the remaining seven RC holes at the Side Well gold project near Meekatharra in Western Australia. This report follows the original announcement on 19 October which included a best intersection of 7m @ 3.35g/t Au from 122m.

The RC program consisted of twelve RC holes for a total of 2,257m targeting strike extensions to mineralisation intersected in previous drilling. Immediately after this a 66-hole air-core (AC) program was completed for 6,166m, with east-west fences of holes drilled between the previous 400m-spaced lines to increase anomaly definition and provide information for future RC planning.

These results are approximately 2km north of the RC drilling and tested the conductive corridor highlighted in Doray’s 2013 Heli-TEM survey. Samples from the other 61 AC holes are expected to be received in the coming weeks (Figure 2).

Great Boulder’s Managing Director Andrew Paterson said that the initial results suggest Mulga Bill sits within a large mineralised system, with gold identified over more than 3km of strike and coincident with a deeper weathering profile and extensive shearing.

“These initial RC holes have given us a lot of information on Mulga Bill, particularly the rock types and alteration associated with the gold.

“Our air-core program covered more than 3km of strike which will be a valuable targeting tool for ongoing work. The southern-most line is 650m further south than any previous exploration drilling.

“The depth of weathering and variable shearing we’ve logged in the main corridor of Mulga Bill indicate this is a big system. We believe further drilling will be the key to unlocking its full potential.”

Red 5 Award Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contract.

Red 5 (ASX: RED) has advised that it has taken another key step towards the development of its 2.4Moz, 16‐year Life‐Of‐Mine King of the Hills Project (KOTH) in Western Australia, after issuing a Notice of Award for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract (EPC Contract) and the bulk earthworks for the Process Plant to multi‐disciplined mineral processing provider MACA Interquip (ASX: MLD).

The EPC contract and bulk earthworks – which encompass the KOTH processing facility, equipping of the bore fields, high voltage power distribution, workshop, warehouse and bulk earthworks – will be undertaken as a fixed‐price contract.

The Notice of Award provides for the immediate commencement of the design and procurement activities for the process plant as well as mobilisation of earthmoving equipment to site.

Red 5 Managing Director Mark Williams, said the award of the EPC Contract and bulk earthworks marked another important milestone for the Company as it prepares to make the transition to become a multi‐operational, mid‐tier gold producer.

“Our decision to award these key contracts and make commitments to significant long‐lead items prior to completing project debt funding reflects our confidence in the robustness of the King of the Hills Project,” Mr Williams said.

“Importantly, the commitments made to date are below budget for this stage of the KOTH Project, and should give our stakeholders confidence that we are well on track to progress the development of this major project, with production planned to start in June Quarter 2022.”

WA Government Launches Digital Resource for Jobs and Training.

The McGowan Government, in partnership with Western Australia’s resources sector, has launched a new digital resource to link Western Australians to jobs and training opportunities in the sector.

Premier Mark McGowan joined the Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) and Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) at the SkillsWest Careers and Employment Expo to announce the Working in WA’s Resources Sector webpage.

The online tool, accessed through Western Australia’s Jobs and Skills WA website, provides information on current and future training and employment opportunities in the resources sector, and advice on how they can be accessed.

The Working in WA’s Resources Sector webpage includes information on TAFE courses that have had fees reduced, with a focus on courses that relate to the resources sector.

Specific information on opportunities for Aboriginal people and women who are interested in working in the sector will also be available.

Premier Mark McGowan said:  “This new online resource will ensure Western Australians have all the information they need to prepare for a career in the resources sector.

“We have made it clear that employing workers from the eastern states is no longer viable for our State, and we want Western Australians to be trained for future jobs in the mining and oil and gas industries.”

Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery commented:  “There is such a diverse range of job opportunities in the resources industry and the McGowan Government has made training more affordable than ever.

“Working in WA’s Resources Sector is a fantastic tool to find out more about the industry and the training that is needed to kick start a resources career.

“I encourage all young people and jobseekers to check out the new web page and get into the city for the SkillsWest Careers and Employment Expo.”

Marvel Gold Successfully Rattles Tin for $5.7 Million.

Marvel Gold (ASX: MVL) has announced that it has received binding commitments to raise a total of $5.7 million (before costs) through the placement of 95 million shares at $0.06 per share to professional and sophisticated investors.

The Placement ensures the Company is fully funded to undertake a substantial growth-focused exploration program across its Mali gold exploration portfolio, with a focus on the Tabakorole and Lakanfla gold projects.

Managing Director Phil Hoskins, commenting on the capital raising:  “This is a fantastic time to be undertaking gold exploration in Mali, an underexplored and highly prospective country. The combination of Marvel’s exciting portfolio, focused exploration strategy, and well-credentialed team has seen a number of high-quality institutions join our register. Marvel’s strategy is to add value through exploration and discovery, a strategy supported by the well-documented decline in the mining reserves of global gold companies.

“Following this Placement, the Company will be fully funded to undertake systematic exploration programs with a primary focus on growing the 910,000oz Tabakorole mineral resource. We have also been encouraged by ongoing drilling at the Lakanfla Project which has proved the existence of a karst, which is a deposit model responsible for the 4.5Moz Yatela deposit 30km to the north of Lakanfla. With assays expected in December, this funding gives us flexibility to accelerate drilling should these extensive karsts prove to be mineralised.”

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Morning News Bites – October 30

Liontown to Roar After $12.5 Million Raising.

Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) has confirmed it has accepted firm commitments for a $12.5 million capital raising to underpin the continued advancement of its 100%-owned Kathleen Valley Lithium-Tantalum and Moora Gold-PGE- Nickel-Copper Projects in Western Australia.

As a result of the raising the Company’s flagship Kathleen Valley Lithium- Tantalum Project will be fully funded through to completion of a DFS in Q4 2021, underpinning the next stage of its journey to become a significant second-generation Australian lithium-tantalum producer.

The capital raising was undertaken at $0.23 per share and comprises:

– A $10.33 million placement via the issue of 44,923,913 New Shares to institutional and sophisticated investors within the Company’s 15% placement capacity in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 7.1; and

– A $2.17 million placement via the issue of 9,423,913 New Shares to the Company’s Directors (and their associates), subject to shareholder approval.

The issue price of $0.23 per New Share represents a 13.2% discount to the last closing price of $0.265 on Monday, 26th October 2020.

Liontown’s Managing Director, David Richards said:  “This placement further de-risks Liontown’s development pathway and puts us in a great position to advance our high-quality Kathleen Valley Lithium-Tantalum Project rapidly towards completion of a DFS and project financing. The strong demand from investors is testament to the quality, grade, scale and location of the Kathleen Valley Project – which is now firmly established as Australia’s fifth largest spodumene-lithium resource.”

Breaker Encouraged by Results at Lake Roe Project.

Breaker Resources (ASX: BRB) has reported strong drilling results from three areas outside the 1Moz open pit Resource at Bombora, situated within the Company’s 100%-owned Lake Roe Project, 100km east of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

The drilling is part of a major program underway to grow the Resource, expand an extensively de- risked open pit mining option and realise the full potential of a 30km gold system outlined by regional aircore drilling.

Breaker Executive Chairman Tom Sanders said the new results continued to demonstrate the growth potential at Lake Roe, where a pattern of drilling and consistent discovery has been established each quarter over five years. This bears all the hallmarks of new gold camp.

“We are now starting to close the drill spacing at Bombora and Kopai-Crescent in preparation for resource delineation drilling. It is too early to put a timing on the next resource update as we are still firming up the geometry and extent of the gold mineralisation in several areas.”

Pilbara Minerals to Acquire Altura Lithium Project.

Following the appointment of KordaMentha as the Receiver of Altura Mining (ASX:AJM), Pilbara Minerals  (ASX: PLS) has entered into an Implementation Deed with the senior secured loan noteholders of Altura which provides it with a path to potentially acquire the Altura Lithium Project through the purchase of the shares in Altura Lithium Operations Pty Ltd (“ALO”) for approximately US$175 million, subject to completion of the receivership process.

The acquisition of the Altura Project would provide Pilbara Minerals with an opportunity to consolidate the two neighbouring projects into a single integrated operation. Of particular interest to the Company is the opportunity to mine that section of the Altura orebody that is otherwise sterilised without access being granted to Pilbara Minerals’ ground to undertake mining activities.

Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director, Ken Brinsden, said:  “This potential acquisition represents a logical consolidation of two neighbouring operations to unite the greater Pilgangoora orebody, unlocking tangible synergies in both the short and long term”

If successful, Pilbara Minerals claims the acquisition will position the company as the largest pure-play ASX-listed lithium company by enterprise value and will provide strong leverage to the expected recovery in lithium prices, driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage applications evident across the world.

MACA and Carabella Place Mine in Care and Maintenance.

MACA Limited (ASX: MLD) in conjunction with Carabella Resources have agreed to place the Bluff PCI project mine on care and maintenance while the coal price remains below economic levels and uncertainty remains regarding Chinese Government policy relating to Australian metallurgical coal imports. The parties are working to fulfil current coal sales obligations with mining services expected to halt around the end of November 2020.

The carrying value of the receivable amount owing from Carabella for mining services performed and the working capital facility as at 30 June 2020 was $34.7M. Whilst the monthly balance fluctuates with the working capital cycle MACA expects the overall future recoveries to be materially in line with the carrying value of the receivable.

MACA CEO Mike Sutton said  “In conjunction with our client, Carabella, we believe it is prudent to cease operations until a sustained recovery in the PCI coal price occurs. MACA are able to redeploy the majority of the Bluff fleet to existing and new projects which are commencing shortly. A relocation of the Bluff fleet will reduce the expected capital expenditure for FY21 by $35M as a result.”

SOR Escalates Self-Charging Battery Development.

Further to an announcement they made earlier, Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR) subsidiary Australian Advanced Materials Battery has agreed to escalate development of the self-charging flexible battery technology under collaboration with the University of New South Wales . The team will fast-track ink scale up to achieve 1 litre of ink within the next 4 weeks. To provide perspective, 1 litre of Battery Ink has the capacity to produce more than 2000 printable battery cells.

SOR Managing Director Charles Murphy said: “It took years for our team to understand how to scale up our Nanocube Memory Ink to a 1 litre batch size. Achieving this within 4 weeks for the Battery Ink will provide strong evidence of the potential to harness our previous electronic ink experience. It’s an ambitious goal but it’s a challenge the team have taken on. We have also agreed with UNSW to pursue Federal Government ‘matching grant funding’ opportunities for integration of the Memory, Battery and Electronic Circuit ink technologies”.

The self-charging battery technology is being developed under a collaboration with the University of New South Wales and CSIRO partially funded by the Federal Government . The Battery cells generate electricity from humidity in the air or skin surface to self-charge themselves within minutes. No manual charging or wired power is required. They are created with a printable ink and are ideally suited for use in Internet of Things (IOT) devices.