Iron ore keeps WA budget humming, with higher than expected price driving $3.2b surplus Nickel and lithium royalties nose dive as low prices threaten WA miners Industrial land preparation, a critical minerals processing hub and smoother approvals processes among the carrots waved at resources sector Iron ore royalties will come in almost $4 billion above the WA Government’s budget in 2023-24, salvaging a $3.2 billion surplus stung by blowouts in an expansion of the Perth train network and falling lithium and nickel royalties. Lithium’s position as the State’s third largest resources earner b ..read more

MinRes still keen on third party lithium processing hub despite breakdown of Lake Johnston plant deal Orica boss Sanjeev Gandhi says gold, copper, coal and iron ore are all keeping commodity demand high, but nickel and lithium miners are providing less work Small lithium players among top ressie gainers, while general materials space sags Mineral Resources’ (ASX:MIN) plans for a third lithium processing plant in the Goldfields are up in the air after it was revealed Chris Ellison’s mining giant had pulled out of a deal to buy a disused nickel plant. But the $15bn miner says it remains keen t ..read more

Alliance Nickel has double bagged a hefty gain today on the back of Major Project Status granting by the Australian government Also receiving good news from governmental bods is PEC and RCR, with useful cash injections Caprice Resources is turning heads, too, with a Niobium-REE project acquisition   Here are some of the biggest resources winners in early trade, Thursday May 9.   Alliance Nickel (ASX:AXN) Whoa, another double bagger making headlines today. Is nickel clawing its way back as an investible asset/sector? The jury may be out on that one given negativity surrounding major ..read more

Golden Mile Resources has received a research and development tax boost It’s a big boost for the company’s flagship Quicksilver nickel-cobalt project in WA G88 is in the process of reviewing and strategising domestic and international project opportunities   Special Report: Golden Mile Resources has just bagged itself a nice payday from the ATO for research and development funding related to its Quicksilver flagship nickel-cobalt project. Breaking news: A bunch of people actually quite like the Australian Tax Office this morning. This morning, critical metals and gold exploration junior ..read more

Gravity surveying at the Destiny project over magnetic features defines new high priority targets Targets have potential to host niobium, REE or nickel-copper-PGE mineralisation Grid-spaced survey over three targets to be carried out before drilling   Special Report: Gravity surveying at St George Mining’s Destiny project in WA’s Eastern Goldfields region has defined new high priority targets with the potential to host niobium, rare earths or nickel-copper-PGE mineralisation. Destiny covers 3,350km2 of ground in the Coolgardie mineral field over 110km of the Ida Fault, a major crustal-b ..read more

S&P Global Ratings lifts 2024 gold price forecast past US$2000/oz for first time after three revisions Copper and met coal also expected to stay stronger for longer as supply shortages and production cost blowouts hit Capstone Copper reports March results as ASX materials stocks end week on a medium-high note   S&P Global has picked up its gold price forecast and plopped it above US$2000/oz for the ‘first time’ in a sign even bears have been forced to respond to rising bullion demand. Its medium term outlook has also been lifted for copper and met coal, in response to brighter c ..read more

S&P/ASX 200 fell 2.94% in April as all Australian equity indexes fell except Emerging Companies Utilities and Materials the only ASX sectors in positive territory for April, up 4.77% and 0.61% respectively Rincon Resources  tops the winners chart in April as news of its uncovering of a ‘bullseye’ target excite investors After a five-month winning streak Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed April down 2.94% with large-cap companies continuing to lag and only emerging companies in the black with a 2.76% gain. Looking at key economic points released in April and Australia’s inflation cam ..read more

  Gold and copper lead the winners in a massive month for commodities Bulks and battery metals also get in on the act, with only cobalt and graphite down amongst our tracked metals Lithium and rare earths bounce of lows in month of recovery   WINNERS   Gold Price: US$2307/oz % Change: +4.18% Gold, gold, gold for the ASX. Appropriately for an Olympic year gold prices are running near record highs (this will not in and of itself make an Olympic Gold substantially more valuable, those are gilded). In fact as many as 8 record highs have been recorded this year as bullion has run a ..read more

Stockhead’s ‘Garimpeiro’ columnist Barry FitzGerald is back in the studio for another instalment of The Explorers Podcast. In this episode Barry chats to David Riekie, executive director at Adavale Resources (ASX:ADD). The company’s Lake Surprise burgeoning uranium portfolio sits in Australia’s most prospective region for uranium in South Australia, with initial exploration underway at the Mundowdna South tenement. It’s simultaneously tending to its Kabanga Jirani and Luhuma nickel projects in Tanzania, with fieldwork expected to recommence in the June quarter. Tune in below! On mobile?  ..read more

Up to $435,000 in government co-funding awarded as part of EIS scheme Funds to be used for upcoming diamond drilling and electromagnetic surveys Dante is surrounded by major critical minerals deposits in the West Musgrave region   Special Report: Terra Metals has been awarded up to $435,000 in government co-funding grants for diamond drilling and electromagnetic surveying of its highly prospective Dante copper-gold-nickel-PGE project in WA’s West Musgrave region. The Musgrave block, a region covering 140,000km2 in central Australia, is at the junction of three major crustal elements: th ..read more