Morning News Bites – August 24

In Today’s Morning News Bites for August 24. Fortescue Metals report 49% increase in net profit to a record $US4.7bn. QLD reports one new COVID-19 case overnight. Liberal call for branch clean-out. 

Fortescue Metals report strong results from FY20, exceeding production guidance with 178.2 million shipments of iron ore for the full year. Costs remain low: C1 costs came in at US$12.94 per wet metric tonne in FY20. The company achieved average revenue of US$79 per dry metric tonne in fiscal 2020, up 21% YoY and has guided for FY21 iron ore shipments of between 175-180 million tonnes. Former CEO, and current non-executive chairman Andrew Forrest said, ”Fortescue’s success allows Minderoo Foundation the capacity and the flexibility to continue its work and tackle new challenges as they arise for many years to come.”

Saturn Metals announce further results from ongoing RC drilling at the Apollo Hill deposit within its Apollo Hill Gold Project, 60km southeast of Leonora in the Western Australian goldfields. This drilling at Apollo Hill is a key part of the Company’s strategy to grow the Project’s 781,000oz Mineral Resource. A further resource upgrade is targeted for late 2020, incorporating results from drilling conducted since November 2019. All 13 holes reported intercepts above the Apollo Hill resource cut-off grade and all but one intersected mineralisation above the average resource grade. Other strong intersections include: 21m @ 0.94g/t Au from 184m – , 9m @ 1.0g/t Au from 179m and 14m @ 0.84g/t Au from 329m.

Kin Mining NL significant new assay results received from recent air-core drilling at the East Lynne prospect, located 3km north east of the proposed plant site at its Cardinia Gold Project near Leonora in Western Australia. The drilling commenced at East Lynne in early July as part of the extensive and ongoing Phase 3 Exploration Program. Significant widths and grades encountered in 400m line spaced AC drilling, with in-fill drilling to 200m line spacing underway. Results include 20m at 1.36g/t from 20m and 4m at 1.29g/t from 32m.

St Barbara reports its Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves positions for FY20. Group Ore Reserves increased year on year from 4.1 Moz of contained gold to 6.0 Moz, and Group Mineral Resources increased from 9.6 Moz of contained gold to 11.6 Moz. The increase in Resources and Reserves is due to the Atlantic Gold acquisition concluded in July 2019 and Simberi sulphide drilling completed in December 2019.

Zenith Minerals Wide mineralised gold zone confirmed at the Red Mountain Gold Project for Zenith Minerals. New gold assay results from the first 7 follow up RC holes of an ongoing drill program, confirm near surface, wide, mineralised gold zone at Red Mountain Gold Project in Queensland. This includes highlights of 12m @ 2.2 g/t Au from surface, including 8m @ 3.1 g/t Au and 5m @ 1.7 g/t Au from 25m, including 3m @ 2.6 g/t Au

Morning News Bites – August 20

In Today’s Morning News Bites for August 20. Qantas profits fall 91% as 6000 jobs are axed. Wesfarmers slashes the value of Target by $525 million. Pantoro reports Scotia Mining Centre has been expanded once again due to new zone discovery. 

The Scotia Mining Centre has once again been expanded with the discovery a new zone of near surface mineralisation at Green Lantern, south east of the existing Scotia open pit, located approximately 25 km south of Norseman in Western Australia. Commenting on the results Pantoro Managing Director Paul Cmrlec said, “We are excited about the long-term potential of the area, and continue to test additional surface targets while we commence the drill out of depth extensions to the existing high grade orebodies.”

Impact Minerals Limited announces that drilling has now commenced at the Platinum Springs Prospect at the company’s Broken Hill nickel-copper-platinum group metal (PGM) project in New South Wales. Three prospects to be drill tested to follow up previous drill intercepts such as: 2.75 metres at 3.5 g/t platinum, 7 g/t palladium, 0.4 g/t gold, 2% copper, 1.9% nickel and 11.6 g/t silver from 55 metres down hole; and 1.5. metres at 1.7% nickel, 1.3% copper, 4.3 g/t palladium, 3.05 g/t platinum and 1.08 g/t gold.

Minotaur Exploration and Avira Resources Ltd have signed a binding Terms Sheet under which, subject to it satisfying its due diligence requirements, Minotaur may acquire 100% ownership of the Pyramid tenement group located 180km south of Townsville. The project, covering 150km2, embraces two main areas prospective for gold, being the West Pyramid Range and East Pyramid Range. Historic high-grade gold drill intercepts, such as 35m @ 6.1g/t and 15m @ 5.65g/t, with ground electrical geophysics to refine mineralised trends.

Field work activities are underway at its 1,050km2 Kurnalpi project 50km east of Kalgoorlie, according to Riversgold Limited. Field crew have mobilised to site and commenced work, with Simon Bolster coordinating sampling activities on site and validating remote sensing regolith interpretation. Initial work will focus on the infill and extension of Farr-Jones and Cutler geochemical surveys where historical gold intercepts include highlights of; 10 metres at 11 g/t Au (Cutler) and 3 metres at 17.8 g/t Au (Farr-Jones).

Mandrake Resources Limited provides a progress update on drilling currently underway targeting gold mineralisation at the Berinka Pine Creek Gold Project in the Northern Territory. The reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme is focused on strong gold anomalies derived from historic soil, rock chip and trench sampling across four separate prospects – Vegetation Anomaly, Terry’s Gap, Cross and Sandy Creek.

 

 

Morning News Bites – August 14

Supplied by Illuka

Morning News Bites as earnings season continues.

Clive Palmer is set to head to the high court with his battle against the Western Australian government. NAB cash earnings for the third quarter drop 7% and Woolworths appoints a Chief Medical Officer.

Middle Island Resources has announced it’s Two Mile Hill open pit Mineral Resources is up 13% and has taken the total for the Sandstone Gold Project to 657,500oz.This announcement follows on from a 52% increase last week for Middle Island’s Shillington Mineral Resource. Further resource estimates are due for five new satellite open pit deposits are still to come.

Newcrest Mining recorded gold production of 2.2 million ounces for its FY20. The darling of Newcrest in Australia, Cadia mine in New South Wales delivered 843,000oz of gold, with 96kt copper and 575koz silver. According to Newcrest Managing Director and CEO Sandeep Biswas, “Drilling results from Havieron and Red Chris continued to expand the known mineralisation with high grade intercepts. Our ownership of Havieron over the year increased to 40% as we track towards 70% underpinning the future of Telfer. We are in the unique position of having three outstanding growth options from which we expect to add new production ounces to our portfolio in due course.” A final dividend of US17.5 cents per share (100% franked), taking full year dividend to US25 cents per share. Newcrest also announced its biggest profit in eight years.

Significants nickel copper sulphides have been intersected from diamond drilling at Legend Mining’s Mawson prospect. Highlights included 9.3m of heavy disseminated to net-textured sulphide from 132.2m – 141.5m downhole and 15.35m of net-textured, heavy disseminated and semi-massive sulphide from 219.1m – 234.45m downhole. Managing Director of Legend Mining Mark Wilson said “Geologically we have now intersected significant mineralisation several hundred metres to the east north-east of our previous discovery and our geophysical advice is that we probably have not hit the best part of this conductor.”

First pass gold hits have been delivered to Golden State Mining at its Yule South target. Target 1 returned best intercept of 8m @ 0.92g/t Au from 96m incl. 4m @ 1.81 g/t Au from 96m, while Target 5 returned best intercept of 19m @ 91ppb Au from 46m incl. 4m at 350ppb Au from 58m. These results were from reconnaissance Aircore drilling based on aeromagnetic interpretation. Managing Director Michael Moore said “We are pleased with the calibre of these first pass gold results, having drilled gold intersections in just our first two targets of an essentially untested regional project area in an emerging gold district. To drill a gold intersection of 8m @ 0.92g/t Au from 96m including 4m @ 1.81 g/t Au from 96m in only the second drillhole of the 199 hole program speaks volumes about our targeting and strategy up at Yule.”

Iluka Resources returned a solid net profit after tax of $113 million from its half year results to June 30 2020. This is despite the Mineral Sands revenue being down due to COVID-19 on the world markets. Managing Director Tom O’Leary said the impact of COVID-19 lead to a decline of 20% in mineral sands sales volumes, but appeared pleased with the position Iluka are in Tom O’Leary, said “Iluka has recorded a solid first half result given the impact of COVID-19 on zircon and titanium markets and the global economy broadly. Given the volatility experienced throughout the world over recent months, we’re pleased with the earnings and cash position we’ve delivered.