Sirius Minerals PLC (LON:SXX) is set for its biggest share price catalysts yet, according to City broker Liberum Securities.
Securing project finance for the North Yorkshire polyhalite mine is the ‘final hurdle’ in the way of unlocking a possible US$7bn valuation, says Liberum analyst Richard Knights.
In other news, excitement continues to mount at Strategic Minerals PLC (LON:SML), with the company having completed planning for the maiden drilling programme at the Hanns Camp nickel/copper project.
The permit of work has been granted by the Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum, paving the way for the commencement of drilling, which remains on track for mid-late May.
Stratex International plc’s (LON:STI) chief executive Bob Foster is to step down from the board of Canada-listed peer Tembo Gold (CVE:TEM).
Tembo has tenements in Tanzania, but Foster said Stratex’s focus is now on its interests the west of Africa.
Botswana Diamonds PLC (LON:BOD) it raised £500,000 through a placing at 1.5p per share, leaving it fully funded for its exploration plans over the remainder of this year.
Money raised from the placing, which represents approximately 9.9% of the enlarged share capital, will pay for its share of exploration in Botswana being undertaken currently by joint venture partner Alrosa.
Over at Shanta Gold (LON:SHG) the group is restructuring its finances as its expands underground at the New Luika mine in Tanzania.
The gold miner will raise US$15.25mln in total, US$10mln (£6.9mln) through a share placing and a further US$5.25mln in a silver by-product streaming agreement.
China Nonferrous Gold (LON:CNG) has agreed a US$130mln loan with CNMC International Capitals Company Limited to refinance the loan facility with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, under which USD$115 million is currently drawn, and for working capital.
Copper and gold explorer Metminco (LON:MNC) has raised A$0.6mln from a share purchase plan offer to shareholders.
The money will be applied to complete the acquisition of Minera Seafield from RMB Australia Holdings, development of the Miraflores project in Colombia and working capital. Shares were issued at 0.21p.
Shares in companies operating in Mongolia received a boost as Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) and its partners finally agreed terms for the expansion of the massive Oyu Tolgoi copper mine.
Oyu Tolgoi, the largest industrial project ever undertaken in Mongolia, is owned 66/34 by Turquoise Hill (NYSE:TRQ), in which Rio has a 51% stake, and the government.
Work currently underway at the Co-O mine in the Philippines, supports Medusa Mining Limited's (ASX:MML) production guidance of 108,000 ounces of the yellow metal for 2016, its chief has said.
Speaking in a market briefing, newly hired Boyd Timler said the findings of a mine review, which started in December, had fed into current work.
Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded its target price for Breedon Aggregates Ltd (LON:BREE) to 80p with renewed confidence in the group’s potential , believing that approval for its construction materials business acquisition was in sight.
In the recent note, the broker sees further "sizeable acquisitions and synergies" from its recent acquisition of Hope Construction Materials.
Red Rock Resources Plc (LON:RRR) said generating cash flows was its focus as it updated on activities and said its acquisition of a stake in Africa-focused gold firm Goldstone Resources Limited (LON:GRL) was now complete.
For its 9.645% stake, the firm issued the vendor Unity Mining Ltd (ASX:UML) with over 21.3mln new Red Rock shares and will also issue it with the same number of options with the right to exercise each into a Red Rock shares at 0.66p for two years.
Metal Tiger PLC (LON:MTR) said it was very pleased with latest drill assays from its joint venture in the Kalahari Copper Belt, Botswana, which have extended the strike length and found significant copper and silver.
Notably, one of the results from T3, or Target 3, showed an intersection, which contained nine times more silver than any previous silver assay reported at the prospect.
Metal Tiger Plc (LON:MTR) has invested £125,000 in Irish exploration group Conroy Gold and Natural Resources (LON:CGNR).
It has agreed to buy 675,675 Conroy Gold shares priced at 18.5p each. It also receives warrants to acquire more shares at 37p each over a 30 month period.
The share subscription gives Metal Tiger a 6.1% stake in Conroy.
Copper miner Rambler Metals & Mining PLC (LON:RMM CVE:RAB) has won the John T Ryan safety award after its Ming mine recorded the lowest accident rate in Canada in 2015.
Rambler reported no lost time accidents or medical aid injuries during the year and since 2011 staff have worked 1,673 person days without incident.
Coloured gems specialist Gemfields PLC (LON:GEM) said its Kagem emerald and Montepuez mines are both on track to meet annual production targets.
First quarter production data demonstrated the inherent variability in the mining process, with production and grades at Kagem this year lower than last year, owing to the fluid nature of the mineralisation and a higher-grade zone having been encountered during the first quarter of last year, while at Montepuez production and grades were up year-on-year.
Xtract Resources (LON:XTR) says it is mining ore at record levels from its Chepica gold mine in Chile now that it has opened up three more levels.
”We have opened up reef development on 5, 6 and 7 level and stoping has commenced on 6 level,” said Jan Nelson, chief executive.
Arian Silver Corporation PLC (LON:AGQ, CVE:AGQ) has paid US$25,000 for the exclusive right to evaluate Tierra Nueva Mining's (TNM) Noche Buena gold and silver tailings project.
Back in February, Arian announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with TNM to evaluate the private company's portfolio of mineral properties located in northern Mexico's Zacatecas state.
Eurasia Mining plc (LON:EUA) and Metal Tiger Plc (LON:MTR) have extended an option deal for the potential acquisition of a gold and silver tailings recovery project in Russia.
The original arrangement, with Russian company OOO Golden Sands, gave the partners six months to conduct due diligence before making a decision on the acquisition of a 67% stake in the Semenovsky Tailings Project (STP).
Diamond producer DiamondCorp PLC (LON:DCP) said demand and prices for rough and polished stones have been improving with signs that the cycle has bottomed.
The company, which owns 74% of the Lace mine in South Africa, joined the ranks of diamond producers this year and sold its first consignment of diamonds in April, so the upturn in the diamond market is fortuitous.
Metal Tiger Plc (LON:MTR) chief executive Paul Johnson described the start of 2016 as “one of the most important and value generative periods” in the company’s history.
“Across all material areas of our business we have made tremendous progress,” he said.
On AIM, Metal Tiger shares gained as much as 400% in recent months as it advanced its own exploration projects, and continued investing in other natural resources companies.
Shares in lithium explorer European Metals Holdings Ltd (LON:EMH, ASX:EMH) shot up almost 12% as its Cinovec deposit in Czech Republic got a boost as the company struck an option deal to use a processing technology owned by Lepidico Limited.
The L-Max technology was previously used successfully in the scoping study on Cinovec ore, which saw battery grade lithium carbonate produced.
Metminco Ltd (LON:MNC ASX:MNC) will develop the Miraflores gold deposit first once it completes the acquisition of the Quinchia project in Colombia, Bill Howe its managing director said.
Howe confirmed he expects the deal to complete next month and that it provided an excellent fit with its copper exploration that should generate early cashflow.
Russian gold miner Petropavlovsk PLC (LON:POG) has disposed of two non-core assets for a total of US$20 million, it told investors.
It has inked a deal on the sale of its shares in Ilyinskoye, a firm which holds the license for the Visokoe deposit, to one of the largest Russian gold miners - Yuzhuralzoloto.
Armadale PLC (LON:ACP) is to continue exploration at its Mpokoto in the DRC with an auger drilling campaign.
The company is still waiting for Africa Mining Contracting Services group (A-MCS) to complete due diligence before its provides US$20mln of construction finance.
Aureus Mining Inc (LON:AUE TSX:AUE) has submitted new plans for the New Liberty gold mine in Liberia as part of a proposed redrawing of its debt repayment schedule.
As part of the process, the miner’s lenders, Nedbank, Rand Merchant Bank and the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa have agreed to defer further the first repayment until 31 May.