Highfield Resources (ASX: HFR) chief executive officer Ignacio Salazar joins Small Caps to discuss the company's recent game-changing strategic corporate deal.

The company recently signed a transformative proposed transaction to finance its Muga potash mine in Spain and acquire a potash project (Southey) in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Muga has attracted vital funding interest with the signing of a Letter of Intent for cooperation with Yankuang Energy Group. The proposed transaction would entail the funding of US$220 million of equity capital from strategic investors.

Yankuang Energy intends to provide up to US$90 million to support the cornerstone placement with the other strategic investors providing the rest.

Muga is considered shovel-ready, and Highfield recently signed the contract for the construction of the civil works and the ramps at Muga.

For more information on Highfield Resources:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-hfr/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BPH Energy (ASX: BPH) managing director David Breeze joins Small Caps to discuss the continuing delays impacting the proposed testing of the PEP 11 oil and gas exploration licence off the coast of New South Wales.

At a time when the Federal government and east coast gas users are crying out for more supplies, BPH and its investee company Advent Energy keep on running into roadblocks in their plans to drill a well on a large gas target in PEP 11.

The recent NSW government move to bring in a Bill to potentially ban oil and gas activities in the waters off its coastline is the latest frustration for those looking to find gas reserves that can help overcome energy issues that have been forecast to potentially lead to major blackouts in New South Wales and Victoria.

A recent report by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) found Victorian gas production capacity has decreased, which means there will be an increasing amount of winter gas supply required from Queensland.

AEMO’s recent Victorian Gas Planning Report update indicated this will continue, with the planned closure of Longford’s gas plant 1 starting in July 2024 and Gas Plant 3 later in the decade.

To try and overcome the NSW and Victorian government's anti-gas stance, the Federal government has continually had to rely on Queensland’s LNG producers to carry the load.

A commercial discovery in PEP 11 could potentially be a game-changer for the east coast.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/bph-energy-advent-preparations-seablue-1-drilling-pep-11/
https://smallcaps.com.au/energyquest-address-east-coast-gas-shortfall-energy-crisis-looms/

For more information on BPH Energy:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-bph/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

iTech Minerals (ASX: ITM) managing director Michael Schwarz joins Small Caps to discuss the company's recent success in developing a significant graphite play on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.

iTech has achieved a significant 300% resource upgrade at its Eyre Peninsula graphite project.

The upgraded Eyre Peninsula graphite project mineral resource estimate now stands at 35.2 million tonnes at 6.0% total graphitic carbon.

Meanwhile, iTech has obtained exceptional recoveries of around 93% using an industry standard flotation circuit on a bulk concentrate sample of 3.4kg graphite from its Lacroma graphite project.

The next step will be assessing the bulk sample with spheroidization and purification test work aimed at producing a purified spherical graphite product that meets industry standards for battery anode material in lithium-ion batteries.

iTech is now processing to the next phase of developing this project aimed at helping the world meet the graphite shortages that many analysts are predicting over the next decade.

According to Whatech, the global graphite market reached $35.6 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $58 billion by 2031, growing with a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/itech-minerals-high-purity-graphite-concentrate-production-lacroma/
https://smallcaps.com.au/itech-minerals-resource-upgrade-eyre-peninsula-graphite/

For more information on iTech Minerals:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-itm/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mitre Mining (ASX: MMC) chief executive officer Tim Laneyrie joins Small Caps to discuss the continued success the company is achieving at its exciting Cerro Bayo silver-gold project in southern Chile.

With around $10.3 million in the bank, Mitre is stepping up its exploration activity at Cerro Bay with the aim of lifting the project's current 50 million ounces of silver equivalent mineral resource to 100 million ounces of silver equivalent.

That aim was recently boosted when Mitre obtained rock chip assays of up to 10,466 grams per tonne silver equivalent.

That find confirmed the discovery of another potential swarm of silver-gold veins at Cerro Bayo.

It also highlighted the upside at Cerro Bayo where Mitre is putting together an exceptional pipeline of drill targets.

The company is fast-tracking its testing of those new targets with a second drill rig being transported to site.

Articles:
https://smallcaps.com.au/mitre-mining-price-target-canaccord-cerro-bayo-acquisition/https://smallcaps.com.au/mitre-mining-identifies-new-silver-gold-veins-cerro-bayo-chile/

For more information on Mitre Mining:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-mmc/

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 company's developments in a number of areas and the huge potential of its Philippines target market.

A major focus currently is the company's 5-year agreement to deliver, service, and maintain a white-label mobile app platform for the large Mass-Specs Cooperative Development Centre.

The company is working with MASS- SPECC to deploy the app to more than 340 cooperatives with approximately 3.4 million members.

The collaboration will back MASS-SPECC’s Vision of leveraging Peppermint’s proven EMI licenced bizmoto mobile app platform in the huge Philippines market.

With a population of 110 million people, a vast majority of which are in their mid-20s, the Philippines has strong digital presence with 118% mobile penetration.

However, 90% of Filipinos do not have a credit score and 70% of the population is unbanked.

Peppermint believes it's e-wallet money services, non-bank lending solutions and digital payment services via an established technology platform is the answer to providing Filipinos with an easy to use and easy to access digital finance solution - opening up new opportunities for the local population and Peppermint.

Article:
https://smallcaps.com.au/peppermint-innovation-accelerate-ai-expansion-after-stellar-results/

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resouro Strategic Metals (ASX: RAU) chief executive officer Christopher Eager joins Small Caps to discuss the company's upcoming listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Resouro is a Canadian mineral explorer concentrating its efforts on discovering and developing critical mineral resources in Brazil.

The company's primary focus is on its Tiros project in Minas Gerais, which is rich in rare earth elements and titanium, and two gold projects—Novo Mundo and Santa Angela—both situated in the state of Mato Grosso.

The company raised $8m at $0.50 per share and is set to list on the ASX on Friday the 14th of June 2024.

Resouro also listed on the TSX-V under ticker 'RSM' in April 2022 and will remain dual-listed once trading commences on the ASX. The company also has its securities traded on the OTC market in the US and FRA market in Germany.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RareX (ASX: REE) chief executive officer James Durrant joins Small Caps to discuss the company's plan to significantly increase its niobium exposure with the acquisition of a district-scale project in Western Australia.

Already the holder of significant niobium and rare earths resources at its Cummins Range project in northern WA, RareX has now added six highly prospective tenements at the new Khaleesi project.

Khaleesi is located along strike from the rich Ponton Dyke, which has returned some of Australia’s best rare earth intersections.

RareX is already preparing to fast-track an exploration program which will target areas of elevated niobium within the project area.

Niobium is a critical metal that is considered rare and difficult to find. It is attracting growing interest around the world as new uses for its many unique capabilities are uncovered.

The global niobium market size was valued at $3.5 billion in 2022 and is tipped to reach $4.3 billion in 2028, with a CAGR of 3.78% during 2024-2030.

Niobium has been listed as a critical metal in many jurisdictions due to it being an essential component in many high-strength corrosion-resistant low-alloy (HSLA) steels and superalloys and because of its high supply risk; a single country, Brazil, is responsible for over 90% of global niobium production.

New technology uses for the metal are expected to drive market growth in coming years.

Article:
https://smallcaps.com.au/rarex-secures-acquisition-historic-district-scale-khaleesi-niobium-project/

For more information on RareX:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-ree/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Copper Search (ASX: CUS) chief executive officer Duncan Chessell joins Small Caps to discuss the company's upcoming drill program which will test to prime prospects at the Peake project.

Using a significant library of data and in-depth studies, Copper Search will focus on the large-scale Paradise Dam and Douglas Creek copper prospects which have been prioritised from an initial 40 geophysical anomalies.

Paradise Dam is estimated to have 3km of strike and was identified from structural analysis and an induced polarisation (IP) geophysics survey completed in January 2024.

The Douglas Creek prospect is a large-scale shallow classic IOCG- style coincident “magnetics and gravity” anomaly only recently cleared for drilling after consultation with the traditional owners over the last two years.

While copper prices have slid back from record highs in recent days as traders look to grab an early profit, analysts are forecasting they may have to hit as high as A$22,500 (US$15,000) per tonne due to supply constraints.

Along with its IOCG exploration activities, Copper Search is undertaking an early-stage geochemical sampling program to assess the gold potential on its Mt Denison claim.

Article:
https://smallcaps.com.au/copper-search-timely-drill-program-soaring-copper-prices/

For more information on Copper Search:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/asx-cus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.