Joint venture partners Tawana Resources and Alliance Mineral Assets announced today a 105% Reserve upgrade for the Bald Hill Lithium‐Tantalum Mine located in the eastern goldfields of Western Australia The Reserve upgrade reflects pit design changes resulting from increases to Indicated Resources following infill drilling completed in the second half of 2017. The Total lithium Resources of 26.5Mt at 1.0% Li2O now supports 9 years of production. The JV partners are currently reviewing options for significant expansion in processing capacity and concentrate production.

Westgold Resources Limited announced today an update of its underground exploration into virgin areas of Paddy’s Flat ore system at its Meekatharra Gold Operations.
Their first underground drilling into the virgin zones beneath the Fenian’s–Consol’s spurs have returned spectacular results providing high-hopes for a continuation of these prolific high-grade lodes at depth, and importantly an impending boost to the overall ounce per vertical metre of the ore system. Best results include:

Gascoyne Resources Limited advised today that it has poured it's first gold bar from the new 2.5Mtpa processing plant at the Company’s 100% owned Dalgaranga Gold Project.

Artemis Resources Limited advises today that it has submitted a wide-ranging Programme of Works (“POW”) with the Western Australian Government’s Department of Mines, Industry, Regulation and Safety (“DMIRS”) to start an extensive drilling, trenching and bulk sampling programme immediately west of Novo Resource Corp’s (“Novo”) Comet Well Project. In addition, Artemis also provided and update on gold nuggets recovered (3.6kg) from the current ground rehabilitation works underway at 47K Patch.

Syrah Resources Limited announced today that it has signed a purchase agreement for an industrial site for its Battery Anode Material (BAM) development in Vidalia, Louisiana. Under the terms of the agreement, the purchase price of US$1.225 million is for a 25 acre site with an existing building. 

In a strategy to focus its efforts on its larger long-life Murchison gold assets, the Board of Westgold Resources Limited has agreed to sell its South Kalgoorlie Operations to Northern Star Resources Limited. 
South Kalgoorlie Operations operates  Jubilee  Processing Plant as its mining hub.  In recent years the HBJ  Underground Mine has operated as the core feed with additional smaller open pit and low-grade stockpile sources providing approximately 60% of plant capacity. The remainder of plant capacity has been filled by toll processing third party ores from the region.

Blackham Resources Limited announced an operational update for the month of January at its Matilda-Wiluna Gold Operation. Access to high-grade zones in the M4 and Galaxy Pits was achieved late in the Dec’17 quarter, enabling record monthly gold production of 6,498oz. This resulted in Blackham achieving a record low monthly AISC in Jan’18 of A$1,158/oz, in comparison to an average realised gold price during the month of A$1,663/oz, demonstrating a clear step change in economics. Milled grade and gold production are expected to continue to improve.

After a protest at the steps of Parliment house today, the WA state Liberals unanimously decided to block a move by the WA state government to raise the gold royalty rate from 2.5 percent to 3.75 percent.
Opposition Leader Mike Nahan said after the meeting "This royalty increase would have imposed a significant risk to jobs in the industry, it is our view that the McGowan Government did not seek nor have a mandate to increase the gold rate"

Australian lithium developer, Pilbara Minerals Limited announced today that it has executed a binding terms sheet with Great Wall Motor Company, one of China’s largest automotive manufacturers, to further underpin the Stage 2 expansion of its 100%-owned Pilgangoora Lithium/Tantalum Project in Western Australia.

Australian Private equity house EMR Capital to take 80 pct stake in Zambia copper mine at the cost of $125m after it purchased copper zinc mine Golden Grove from MMG in December. The Lubambe Mine held equally by ARM and Vale International. EMR chief executive officer Jason Chang said the Lubambe acquisition reflected the firm’s confidence in the quality of the project as a long-life copper producer located in Zambia’s most prolific mining region, the Copperbelt.