Abzena plc (LON:ABZA) has agreed to be taken over by the world’s largest healthcare-focused private equity house in a deal worth £34.4mln. WCAS, which since 1979 has invested US$9bn in 90 companies, is offering 16p a share – a 167% premium to Wednesday’s closing price.
Microbiome skincare company SkinBioTherapeutics PLC (LON:SBTX) said it has successfully managed to scale-up production with no detrimental impact on the effectiveness of its technology.
Shanta Gold Limited (LON:SHG) hailed the success of its cost-cutting programme as it swung into profit at the half-year stage.
Eland Oil & Gas PLC (LON:ELA) told investors that the new Opuama-10 well, in Nigeria, is now complete and is set to be handed over to the production team imminently. Opuama-10 will shortly been tested for initial production rates, though Eland highlighted that it is expected to yield 4,000 to 6,000 barrels of oil per day, in line with expectations. It would bring field production to between 28,000 and 30,000 bopd.
Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited (LON:COPL) (CVE:XOP) has informed investors of a dispute between its 50% owned Nigerian joint venture company ShoreCan and partner Essar. The company, in a stock market statement, said the disagreement concerns certain aspects of a document that governs the relationship between ShoreCan and Essar.
MySQUAR Limited (LON:MYSQ) has soft launched its cross-border transfer (remittance) service, the first offering on its mobile money platform.
BigDish Plc (LON:DISH) has acquired Looloo, a web and app-based restaurant and travel discovery business focused on the Philippine market.
VR Education Holdings Plc (LON:VRE) will launch its Titanic VR experience on PC, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality at 2pm today.
Kibo Energy PLC (LON:KIBO) has said its recent application to secure water permits for the Mbeya Coal to Power Project has been provisionally approved by the Lake Rukwa Water Basin Board.
Amur Minerals Corporation (LON:AMC) said the 2018 drill programme at its wholly owned Kun-Manie nickel copper sulphide project in the Far East of Russia is well advanced. Robin Young, CEO of Amur Minerals, commented: "With our drill programme being over 80% complete and having experienced no down time at the rigs, work is swiftly advancing toward completion of our three key objectives in this year's drill effort.”
Capital Drilling Ltd (LON:CAPD) today reported what it described as “another strong half yearly result”, with the company pleased with both financial performance and the execution of its strategy. The Africa-focused drilling contractor to the mining sector delivered US$54.5mln of revenue, down 4.6% against the 2017 comparative, as a result of lower fleet utilisation amid a relocation of assets to West Africa.
Anglo Pacific Group PLC (LON:APF) (TSX:APY) has acquired a 4.25% stake in Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corp (TSX:LIF) (LIORC) for an investment cost of C$65.5mln.
Ariana Resources plc (LON:AAU) has reported a jump in quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) gold production at the Kiziltepe mine in Turkey, part of its Red Rabbit joint venture with Proccea Construction Co.
Aminex plc (LON:AEX) has announced that Keith Phair, currently its senior non-executive director will become the company’s interim chairman with effect from 31 August 2018. The oil explorer announced on 12 July 2018 that the company’s founder Brian Hall will step down as its chairman with effect from that same date.
Savannah Resources Plc (LON:SAV) has said the Portuguese Directorate General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) has rejected six of a total of nine exploration licence applications in northern Portugal made by Savannah's subsidiary, Slipstream Resources Portugal LDA. In a statement released after the market close on Wednesday, the AIM quoted resource development company pointed out that the applications were pending at the time that Savannah acquired its shareholding in Slipstream in May 2017.
Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd (LON:FOG, CVE:FO) and partner Origin Energy have agreed to accelerate exploration activity for the Beetaloo shale project. Together they now deem the Stage 1 campaign to be complete, essentially meaning that in light of the 2014 successes – drilling three vertical wells and one horizontal, fracture stimulated well – that it is now appropriate to move ahead.
Summit Therapeutics PLC announced that it has been awarded an additional US$12mln under its contract with the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The AIM-listed group said the funds will support the Phase 3 development programme for ridinilazole, the company's precision new mechanism antibiotic for the treatment of C. difficile infection.
Peter Addison, the non-executive chairman of Stratex International plc (LON:STI), has announced his retirement from the company while Chris Worcester, an independent non-executive director, is also bowing out.
The infrastructure upgrade programme at Range Resources Limited’s (LON:RRL) Beach Marcelle oil field onshore Trinidad is underway. In a stock exchange announcement, the junior oiler also confirmed the details of the two wells to be drilled at the project later this year.
IronRidge Resources Limited (LON:IRR) has uncovered what it describes as large, coherent gold targets on its project in Chad after a successful trenching programme. The highlights from Dorothe prospect included four metres at almost 19 grams per tonne of the precious metal, including a two-metre section at 36 grams.
Horizonte Minerals Plc (LON:HZM TSX:HZM) has provided an update on progress at its flagship Araguaia nickel project in Brazil. The AIM-listed miner said that the final results of a 43-101 feasibility study for the project were being prepared and are planned to be announced to the market in October 2018, while a final estimate for capital expenditure on the project was being prepared for internal review.
Pan African Resources plc (LON:PAF) has announced the first gold pour at its Elikhulu tailings retreatment plant in South Africa.
Custodian REIT PLC (LON:CREI) shareholders have voted against a resolution to disapply pre-emption rights to 20% of the company’s share capital at its annual general meeting (AGM). The real estate investment trust said that at its AGM on 19 July, shareholders had approved a resolution to disapply pre-emption rights to 10% of its share capital but had not voted above the required 75% threshold to approve a second resolution for a further 10%.
Cello Health plc (LON:CLL), the global healthcare-focused advisory group, announced the appointment, with immediate effect, of two independent non-executive directors - Clifford Tompsett and Jo LeCouilliard - both of whom have extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
Sativa Investments PLC (AQSE:SATI), the UK's first medicinal cannabis investment vehicle, has appointed Jonathan Peter Wearing as an independent non-executive director and Angus Jeremy Kerr as a non-executive director of the company. The group also said Noel Lyons, its independent non-executive director, has resigned from the company.