Piedmont Lithium Boosts Project Resource

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Piedmont Lithium (ASX: PLL) announced an initial Mineral Resource estimate for the company’s Central property in North Carolina, in the United States.

Piedmont Lithium declared the estimate at 2.8 million tonnes at 1.34 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O) claiming approximately 50 per cent – around 1.41 million tonnes – of the Mineral Resource being classified in the Indicated Resource category.

The company said the Central Mineral Resource estimate (MRE) was based on 18 diamond core holes and the deposit remains open in all directions.

Piedmont Lithium declared its project-wide Mineral Resources now total 19 million tonnes at 1.15 per cent Li2O.

“We are very pleased with the initial high-grade Mineral Resource Estimate at Central,” Piedmont Lithium president and CEO Keith D. Phillips said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“This is a property with great potential and the MRE is based on only 18 drill holes, 16 of which encountered thick, high-grade mineralisation.

“We hope to expand our land holdings in this area and ultimately drill out a substantially larger resource at Central.

“Phase 4 drilling continues with three rigs operating on the Core property and we expect a material resource upgrade in June.

“The Piedmont project is quickly becoming one of the largest hard-rock lithium projects in North America, while enjoying all the benefits of our unique North Carolina, USA location.”

 

Email: info@piedmontlithium.com

Website: www.piedmontlithium.com

 

FYI Resources Completes RC Phase of Drilling Program

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: FYI Resources Limited (ASX: FYI) has completed the first phase of a detailed metallurgical drilling program underway at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Cadoux kaolin project (EL/4673) in Western Australia.

FYI Resources said the combined RC and diamond drilling program was designed to meet several key technical project objectives and contribute to delivery of a robust bankable feasibility study for FYI’s integrated high purity alumina (HPA) strategy.

The RC component of the program has been completed and samples were prepared at site and sent for a series of tests including standard kaolin suite analysis to determine the element grades and quality as well as testing the in-situ moisture of the kaolin to determine specific gravity (mass) of the deposit and other characteristics of the kaolin chemistry in relation to refining of HPA.

FYI indicated that analysis of the results is pending and will be reported to the market once received.

A major purpose of the drilling campaign is to upgrade the project’s current Measured Resource to Proven Reserve status.

To provide further project information, six RC holes were extended to provide hydrological information to calculate the water supply for the onsite beneficiation process and to incorporate the hydrological results into the project environmental study and mine plan.

“The drilling went particularly well, and we are very interested in integrating all of the results and applying it to our on-going test work programs including the pilot plant,” FYI Resources managing director Roland Hill said in the company’s announcement to the Australian securities Exchange.

“We will also be incorporating the information into our BFS and broader mine plan and environmental and permitting studies.

“To expedite FYI’s HPA development timeline efficiently, the drilling will be utilised as the grade control determining the mining plan on the first phase of mining.

“The detailed drilling campaign is consistent with our strategy of delivering a world leading HPA project, with the lead into production being de-risked.”

 

Website: www.fyiresources.com.au

 

Middle Island Resources Identifies Fresh Gold Targets

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Middle Island Resources (ASX: MDI) has been encouraged by results of a recent geochemical aircore drilling program on several Weights of Evidence (WoE) targets defined within the company’s 100 per cent-owned Sandstone gold project in Western Australia.

Middle Ialnd said the new gold targets are close to five known deposits it had previously identified in fresh drilling at southern end of the Sandstone gold project.

The results from geochemical aircore drilling on several Weights of Evidence (WoE) targets have defined several new blind gold anomalies defined beneath a blanket of transported sheetwash cover with a further 18, including higher priority, WoE targets still to be tested.

Three cohesive gold anomalies, with peak values up to 337ppb gold (0.34g/t) were defined over individual strike lengths of approximately 160 metres, some of which remain open beyond the sampled area.

Each of the anomalies is consistent with nearby, high-grade open pit deposits that have been mined and processed.

All new gold anomalies lie within 2.5 kilometres of Middle Island’s 600,000 tonnes per annum Sandstone gold processing plant, consistent with an area hosting the highest density of gold deposits within the entire Sandstone greenstone belt.

The company said that the correlation between the position and orientation of the anomalies, and previous success enjoyed at the project’s Davis prospect, provides considerable confidence that other Sandstone WoE targets may generate similar anomalies.

Each of these new WoE targets enhances the potential of a mill recommissioning decision, consistent with Middle Island’s primary objective.

Further aircore and reconnaissance RC drilling will be planned to respectively extend and test the WoE anomalies in order to understand the nature and tenor of associated saprolitic and bedrock mineralisation.

“The receipt of further encouraging exploration results from the recently completed aircore geochemical drilling is extremely pleasing,” Middle Island Resources managing director Rick Yeates said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“All gold anomalies associated with these WoE targets lie on permitted Mining Leases and within 2.5 kilometres of the company’s 600,000 tonnes per annum Sandstone gold processing plant, enhancing their potential to contribute to a mill recommissioning decision.

“Following initial exploration success at Davis, the latest results also serve to further confirm the validity of the WoE study, with a further 18 targets (many of which are higher priority) yet to be tested.

“I acknowledge the efforts of the small, but effective, MDI team that is progressing our exploration strategy, while simultaneously progressing our consolidation strategy, consistent with the company’s stated objectives.”

 

Email: info@middleisland.com.au

Website: www.middleisland.com.au

 

Kin Mining Updates Cardinia MRE

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Kin Mining (ASX: KIN) has completed an update of the Mineral Resource Estimates for the company’s Cardinia gold project in Western Australia.

Kin Ming said that all 16 deposits within the project have been reviewed.

Mineral Resources for six deposits have been remodelled, estimated, optimised and reported (Mertons Reward, Mertondale 3-4, Bruno, Lewis, Kyte and Helens).

An additional six Mineral Resources have been re-optimised and reported (Tonto, Mertondale 5, Fiona, Rangoon, Michelangelo and Leonardo).

The remaining four deposits remain unchanged (Eclipse, Quicksilver, Forgotten Four and Krang).

The updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Cardinia gold project is 17.2 million tonnes of gold mineralisation at a grade of 1.41 grams per tonne gold for 782,000 ounces.

Kin Mining explained the main drivers of the change, compared to the previous estimate of 22.5 million tonnes at a grade of 1.46g/t gold for 1.05 million ounces, are the lower gold price assumption of $2,000 per ounce (previously $2,200 per ounce), updated optimisation parameters including revised open pit wall angles, testwork derived metallurgical recoveries and updated 2019 mining and processing costs.

New geological interpretations have also provided new resource models for the four key deposits of Lewis (incorporating Bruno), Helens, Kyte and Mertondale East (Mertons Reward and Mertondale 3-4).

“The updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Cardinia gold project provides Kin with a solid foundation to now deliver an updated Ore Reserve Estimate as part of the upcoming PFS to be released later in the current June quarter,” Kin Mining managing director Andrew Munckton said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“By adopting a more conservative approach across a number of key parameters, including the assumed gold price, the updated resource models can be used to determine the optimal development pathway for the project where risk and reward can be quantified when the modifying factors for the Ore Reserve Estimate are selected.”

 

Email: info@kinmining.com.au

Website: www.kinmining.com.au

 

Cygnus Gold Commences Drilling at Gold Road Joint Ventures

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Cygnus Gold (ASX:CY5) has commenced drilling at the company’s Wadderin and Stanley projects, located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.

Aircore (AC) drilling commenced over the weekend on the Wadderin project in collaboration with Cygnus’ Joint Venture partner Gold Road Resources.

The company explained the AC rig is testing targets identified by surface sampling at Wadderin before mobilising to the Lake Grace project, also in JV with GOR, to test bedrock anomalies identified in AC drilling from early-2019.

Drilling has also commenced at Cygnus’ 100 per cent-owned Stanley project where a reverse circulation (RC) rig is testing the Kepler Zone before heading to McDougalls to further test widespread gold mineralisation identified earlier this year.

“Cygnus Gold’s Stanley project is developing into an exciting story with our new geological understanding of the high-grade zone at Kepler, and the targets at McDougalls that have received little deeper drilling,” Cygnus Gold managing director James Merrillees said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“We’re also looking forward to the aircore program and drilling the first deeper RC holes at Lake Grace in partnership with Gold Road, who have provided us with outstanding support to date.

“Multiple rigs, drilling simultaneously across several projects is further evidence of the Cygnus team’s ability to work openly and effectively with landholders and local communities to gain access for our exploration programs.”

 

Email: info@cygnusgold.com

Website: www.cygnusgold.com

 

Canyon Resources Confirms Minim Martap as Tier-1 Project

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Canyon Resources (ASX: CAY) reported positive initial assays from an aircore drilling campaign on the company’s Minim Martap bauxite project in Cameroon.

Canyon Resources said the results have demonstrated the project’s thick, high-grade, low contaminant bauxite from surface.

The current drilling program aims to increase the scale, grade and categorisation of the existing project resource of 550 million tonnes at 45.5 per cent total aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and total 2.06 per cent silicon dioxide (SiO2) and then test new and previously untested bauxite plateaux to add additional high-grade tonnage.

Canyon has received results from the first batch of assays that it claims demonstrate very high-grade bauxite, at greater than 50 per cent Al2O3 and less than 2.5 per cent total SiO2, including hole BE-19-0040 which averages 14 metres at 56.47 per cent Al2O3 and 1.72 per cent SiO2, including 5m at 62.06 per cent Al2O3 and 0.66 per cent SiO2.

The company believes that its aircore rig has been far more effective at penetrating the bauxite plateaux than auger drilling rigs used previously.

“The first batch of assay results have validated the company’s view that the Minim Martap project is a very high-grade low contaminant bauxite deposit,” Canyon Resources managing director Phillip Gallagher said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“It’s exciting that the drilling rig has consistently drilled holes substantially deeper than the depth of resources previously reported on the bauxite plateaux and with higher grades.

“We are confident that we will be able to increase the scale and grade of the existing resource and will soon commence work on the untouched large southern bauxite plateaux on the Minim Martap and Makan permits that were identified by our recent LiDAR survey, which identified 70 new target bauxite plauteaux.”

 

Email: info@canyonresources.com.au

Website: www.canyonresources.com.au

 

Galan Lithium Extends Third Candelas Hole

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Galan Lithium (ASX: GLN) announced completion of drilling, casing and sampling of the third drillhole (C‐03‐19) at the company’s Candelas lithium brine project located in Catamarca province, Argentina.

The drillhole is located approximately 2.5 kilometres south of the maiden drillhole (C‐01‐19, figure 1) that included results such as 192 metres at 802mg/l Li with low impurities.

Galan Lithium carried out downhole geophysics following its initial termination of the drillhole, results from which indicated that highly conductive and high Specific Gravity (SG) brine was still being encountered to the bottom of the hole.

The company decided to deepen the hole to a final depth of 454m.

Several packer tests were performed using the downhole data as guidance which indicated a preferred section from 313m to 454m with conductivities in excess of 200mS/cm and SG readings approximately 1.19g/cm3.

The hole was then cement cased to 315m and left open to the bottom of the hole within the brine section.

“Final samples have now been undertaken with results expected in the next fortnight to allow for the Easter break,” Galan Lithium said in its ASX announcment.

The company has now commenced drilling drillhole 4 (C‐04‐19), around 3km south of C‐03‐19 and 5.3km south of drill hole C‐01‐19 on CSMAT Line 3.

 

Website: www.galanlithium.com.au

 

Gold Road Resources and Gruyere JV Closer to Gold Goal

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THE BOURSE WHISPERER: Gold Road Resources (ASX: GOR) is close to commissioning the company’s Gruyere gold project Joint Venture with Gold Fields Limited.

Gold Road informed the market that the Gruyere process plant is nearing completion, currently at 97 per cent completion, with finishing works in progress across the site.

Recent activity on site has included:

The Primary Crushing system was ore commissioned in January delivering material to the coarse ore stockpile and is in the process of being handed over to the operations team.

The Gruyere Power Station and high voltage sub-stations across the site are fully commissioned, enabling power supply for commissioning activities.

Water systems around the process plant are fully commissioned as is the Yeo Borefield in the southern section which has delivered water to the main transfer station ahead of the process plant.

Dry commissioning activities are in progress including the coarse ore reclaim and mill feed circuits, the grinding area SAG and Ball Mills, CIL, thickeners and reagents areas.

Gold Road declared Gruyere is on target for first gold production in the second half of the June 2019 quarter and within the previously announced Final Forecast Capital Cost estimate of $621 million (100 per cent basis) of which $284 million is attributable to Gold Road.

Mining activities scaled up to double shift operations in January, as scheduled, with total mining movement tracking ahead of plan.

From the start of construction to the end of the March 2019 quarter, Gruyere has mined 4.9 million BCM (bank cubic metres) of material from the open pit as budgeted in the Gruyere Feasibility Study.

To date, approximately 800,000 tonnes of ore have been mined and stockpiled in preparation for the process plant start-up.

The company explained that the substantial ore stockpile largely de-risks mining related aspects of the operation during the commissioning and ramp-up phases.

 

Email: perth@goldroad.com.au

Website: www.goldroad.com.au

 

Hillgrove Sells Rights to Develop Pumped Hydro Energy Storage

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THE BOURSE WHISPERER: Hillgrove Resources (ASX: HGO) recently sought proposals from the private sector to develop, own and operate a Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) project at the company’s Kanmantoo mine site in South Australia.

As a result, Hillgrove has entered into binding agreements to sell the right to develop, own and operate the PHES project to AGL Energy Limited for $31 million.

Hillgrove Resources said the $31 million will be payable over an estimated 18 to 36 month period with staged payments based on the achievement of the following PHES project milestones.

The PHES project is expected to have generating capacity of 250MW and eight hours of storage, making it the largest storage capacity in South Australia.

The project received the thumbs up from the SA government with the Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan saying it fell into line with its policy of matching storage capacity with renewable energy resources.

“We are delighted to work with AGL on the delivery of this project which will transform a former mining site into one of the lowest cost electricity storage projects in Australia, at a time when synchronous generation and bulk storage is critically needed,” Hillgrove Resources managing director Steven McClare said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Although the progression of the PHES will prevent long term mining of the portion of the underground exploration target directly beneath the existing pit, the Board determined the AGL PHES offer represented a lower risk and higher value proposition to shareholders.”

 

 

Website: www.hillgroveresources.com.au

 

VRX Silica Fields Strong Silica Sand Interest

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THE BOURSE WHISPERER: VRX Silica (ASX: VRX) declared it has received strong interest for the purchase of large tonnages of silica sand products from the company’s two Arrowsmith silica sand projects and its Muchea silica sand project north of Perth in Western Australia.

VRX Silica released Silica Sand Product Catalogues for silica sand products capable of production from the Arrowsmith and Muchea projects in February.

These included two products from each of Arrowsmith and Muchea for the glassmaking industry and four products from Arrowsmith for the foundry industry.

The company has identified numerous markets in the Asia-Pacific region and has met with several potential offtake customers for the sale of silica sand products from Arrowsmith and Muchea.

VRX Silica indicated it will be able to commit to binding offtake agreements following the approval of Mining Permits at its silica sand projects.

“We are encouraged by the strong interest for silica sand products from our Arrowsmith and Muchea projects, and the fact that this has arisen in the brief time since our testwork determined product types and the distribution of our Silica Sand Products Catalogue to potential customers across the Asia-Pacific region,” VRX Silica managing director Bruce Maluish said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“We expect to receive further enquiries for silica sand products and will look to progress this strong interest into binding offtake agreements before committing to funding arrangements for processing plant requirements.”

 

Email: info@vrxsilica.com.au

Website: www.vrxsilica.com.au