SmallCaps Podcast

Akora Resources (ASX: AKO) managing director Paul Bibby joins Small Caps to discuss the company’s significant progress at its iron ore operations in Madagascar.

The company is developing the high-grade Bekisopa iron ore mine to serve the steel industry’s accelerating decarbonisation.

Akora has developed a two-stage process for bringing Bekisopa iron to market, with stage 1 set to produce 62% plus iron direct shipping ore (DSO) and stage 2 producing premium-priced +68% iron concentrate.

The company has already identified high-grade direct ship iron ore at surface over an expansive area at Bekisopa and continues to add to that with exploration success.

The company is also investigating the Satrokala iron ore project in Madagascar which offers considerable upside.

Recent activities have identified a continuous 10km long magnetic strike feature at Satrokala.

Article:
https://smallcaps.com.au/akora-resources-magnetic-anomaly-satrokala-iron-ore-project/

For more information on Akora Resources:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-ako/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Locksley Resources (ASX: LKY) president of US operations Matt Hartmann joins Small Caps to discuss the company's highly prospective Mojave rare earth element project in California.

Recently appointed to the role, Mr Hartmann has over 20 years of global mineral exploration and project development experience to the new role helping Locksley drive future exploration activity at Mojave.

The Mojave project is in the right neighbourhood being located just 1.4km of the world-class Mountain Pass project, the only producing rare earth mine in the USA.

Locksley has already confirmed Mojave's potential with exploration in 2023 in the North Block area of the project returning highly anomalous total rare-earth oxide results.

It also identified six catchment areas in the North Block area as being prospective for ongoing rare earth element exploration.

The company's upcoming exploration activities come at a time when global interest in rare earth elements is accelerating, with the US in particular making them a major critical mineral focus.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/locksley-resources-encouraged-promising-mojave-ree-sample-results/https://smallcaps.com.au/locksley-resources-intensifies-rare-earth-search-california-mojave-region/https://smallcaps.com.au/locksley-resources-strengthens-us-team-executive-appointed-mojave-ree/

For more information on Locksley Resources:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-lky/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

International Graphite (ASX: IG6) managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Worland joins Small Caps to discuss the recent breakthroughs in the company’s projects and forecasts of strong market growth for the key battery metal, graphite.

The company has shored up its balance sheet by reaching an agreement with its major shareholder Comet Resources and received a $1.3 million payment from the Australian Research and Development (R&D) Tax Incentive Scheme for the 2023 financial year.

The R&D refund provides International Graphite with additional working capital to support the execution of its strategy to develop an Australian battery anode material.

In mid-February, International Graphite successfully wet-commissioned its new graphite micronising plant in Collie, WA.

The 200 tonnes per annum qualification-scale microniser is the largest in Australia and a milestone in the development of a domestic graphite industry.

All these milestone comes at a time when the macro foundations for battery metal industry are strong with EV sales in the US hitting a record last year, while graphite prices are expected to spike after China recently made significant policy changes restricting the export of graphite.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/international-graphite-strong-purification-electrochemical-results-springdale-concentrate/
https://smallcaps.com.au/international-graphite-tightens-up-balance-sheet-comet-resources-agreement/
https://smallcaps.com.au/international-graphite-commissions-pioneering-microniser-plant-collie-wa/

For more information on International Graphite:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-ig6/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aurum Resources (ASX: AUE) non-executive director Mark Strizek joins Small Caps to discuss the company’s early drilling success at the Boundiali gold project in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa.

Aurum wrapped up the acquisition of Boundiali’s former owner and Côte d’Ivoire mining specialist PlusOr Global in mid-December.

Included in that acquisition was two drilling rigs and a considerable amount of support equipment .

Aurum has been utilising the rigs with great success, hitting a number of shallow, high-grade gold intersections in its ongoing diamond drilling program.

The company has now purchased a third diamond drill rig to add to its fleet, which will increase drilling capacity from 2,600m per month to ~4,000m per month from late April 2024.

Aurum has a strong cash balance of $3.9 million as of 29 February 2024, with a further $3.3 million expected following shareholder approval from the recent $7 million capital raising, allowing Aurum to accelerate Boundiali resource definition in 2024.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/aurum-resources-makes-bonanza-gold-hit-drilling-boundiali-project/
https://smallcaps.com.au/aurum-resources-expands-exploration-high-grade-gold-finds-boundiali/
https://smallcaps.com.au/aurum-resources-maiden-resource-boundiali-third-diamond-drill-rig-purchase/

For more information on Aurum Resources:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-aue/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peppermint Innovation (ASX: PIL) managing director and chief executive officer Chris Kain joins Small Caps to discuss the growing success of the company's strategic decision to build up its artificial intelligence and customer experience (CX) operations in late 2023.

The company has recently landed a number of global AI and CX contracts since reaching an agreement in December to add on XPON Technologies’ established and proven ‘application modernisation’ expertise via the acquisition of two of its wholly owned subsidiaries, Xpon Digital and Holoscribe Australia.

XPON Digital, renamed Peppermint Intelligence (PINT) has secured several key contracts with world-renowned organisations including a 9-year extension of an agreement with Amnesty International.

PINT will continue to has expand CX-powered software offering to the human rights specialists’ global campaigns.

PINT is now developing a ground-breaking AI-driven platform for a client that is aimed at matching and monetising people's skills and experiences with those needing help.

The platform fully automates the end-to-end journey and experience using engagement with AI.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/peppermint-innovation-ai-cx-rapid-growth-new-partnerships/
https://smallcaps.com.au/peppermint-innovation-raise-ai-powered-expansion

For more information on Peppermint Innovation:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-pil

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barton Gold (ASX: BGD) (OTCQB: BGDFF) managing director Alexander Scanlon joins Small Caps to discuss the latest mineral resource estimate upgrade at its Tunkillia project in South Australia.

The company recently unveiled its third Tunkillia JORC mineral resource estimate (MRE) in 12 months, with an aggressive drilling campaign lifting the project to 1.5 million ounces.

A key component to the increase was the inclusion of a new 115,216 ounce gold resource identified at Area 51.

Barton only announced the discovery of the approximately 500m long gold zone at Area 51 in September 2022.

Located to the northwest of the main 223 Deposit at Tunkillia, the Area 51 MRE has been identified through a 72 drill holes, including 6,058m of reverse circulation and 2,605.4m diamond drilling completed by Barton.

The Area 51 deposit is a satellite deposit approximately 4 km north of the Tunkillia Project, which in turn is located 530 km north-west of Adelaide in South Australia’s Gawler Craton.

Article:
https://smallcaps.com.au/barton-gold-tunkillia-resource-estimate-surges/

For more information on Barton Gold:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-bgd/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chariot Corporation (ASX: CC9) managing director Shanthar Pathmanathan joins Small Caps to discuss developments at the company's Black Mountain lithium project located in Wyoming, United States.

The newly listed Chariot recently expanded the footprint of Black Mountain by 206% with the application for 218 contiguous claims taking the entire project to 352 claims covering 2,686 hectares of tenure.

The acquisition of the new claims comes after Chariot raced off to a fast exploration start at Black Mountain.

Chariot is off to a strong start at the project with the receipt of promising results from its maiden drilling program at project.

The early results from the first 3 holes in its maiden program have also identified the potential for a range of base metals including copper, zinc and lead.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/chariot-black-mountain-project-significant-lithium-base-metals-potential/
https://smallcaps.com.au/chariot-corporation-resume-next-phase-black-mountain-lithium-hunt

For more information on Chariot Corporation:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-cc9/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

VHM Limited (ASX: VHM) chief executive officer and executive director Ron Douglas joins Small Caps to discuss the company's continuing run of success as it progresses the high-class Goschen rare earths and mineral sands project in Victoria.

The company’s is progressing its plans to be a near-term producer with the completion of a number of project-critical milestones required to advance the Goschen rare earths and mineral sands project (Goschen) into Construction, including the assembly of a board of directors with major mine construction experience, and the placement of the Goschen Environment Effects Statement on public exhibition.

In its recent string of highlights in Goschen’s development trajectory, VHM has successfully wrapped up negotiations for its first binding offtake agreement for Goschen Phase 1 products and secured 100% of the land required for the operational footprint of the Goschen Project.

As the company continues its focus on taking Goschen into production, VHM has added to its company’s total ore reserves and mineral resource and maintained its contiguous tenement holdings in the in North West Victoria into 2028, during the half-year ending 31 December 2023.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/vhm-accelerates-transition-explorer-developer-progress-goschen/
https://smallcaps.com.au/vhm-strikes-milestone-offtake-deal-shenghe-goschen-prospects/

For more information on VHM:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-vhm/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PharmAust (ASX: PAA) chief executive officer Michael Thurn joins Small Caps to discuss the company's ongoing success with its investigation into its lead treatment candidate monepantel (MPL).

PharmAust is focused on repurposing MPL for the treatment of human neurodegenerative disorders such as motor neurone disease (MND) / amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

New top-line Phase 1 MEND study results have found that PharmAust has taken a significant step towards helping people diagnosed with this rare and incurable disease.

Notably, new tests have found that MPL displays a superior safety, tolerability to the leading FDA approved drug Relyvrio.

Preliminary efficacy data also found a 58% reduction in the rate of disease progression for high dose Cohort 2 patients using the FDA primary efficacy endpoint.

The result has demonstrated the potential to provide meaningful clinical benefit to people living with MND/ALS.

PharmAust also recently created a “dream team” of scientists including internationally renowned experts in MND/ALS drug discovery and clinical development who will provide PharmAust with strategic guidance in the development of MPL

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/pharmaust-monepantel-study-shows-slowdown-mnd-progression/
https://smallcaps.com.au/pharmaust-world-class-scientific-advisory-board-fight-against-neurodegenerative-diseases/
https://smallcaps.com.au/pharmaust-monepantel-study-mnd-als-treatment-fast-track-fda-meeting/
https://smallcaps.com.au/pharmaust-begins-extended-study-mnd-treatment-successful-trial/

For more information on PharmAust:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-paa/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aurumin (ASX: AUN) managing director Brad Valiukas joins Small Caps to discuss the company's recent strategic moves focussed on building a mining company around its flagship Sandstone gold project in Western Australia.

With a history of production, Sandstone's current resource of 946,000 ounces of gold provides an ideal opportunity to take advantage of high gold prices.

Aurumin has identified a number of shallow, nearby targets to follow up as part of its plans to grow the known resource with an initial focus on compiling critical mass for early production.

Looking to take advantage of the significant legacy infrastructure and permitting in place, the future strategy is to grow an open pit inventory in the short term, allowing for a fast-track production start-up.

The already identified open pit resources include 307,000 ounces at Central Sandstone and 65,000 ounces at Johnson Range.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/aurumin-sets-stage-strong-2024-western-australian-gold-ventures/
https://smallcaps.com.au/aurumin-builds-sandstone-footprint-new-high-grade-gold-tenement/

For more information on Aurumin:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-aun/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.