Jupiter Mines
Jupiter Mines (ASX: JMS) reported a solid quarter of sales and production from the Tshipi Manganese Mine, in the three months to June 30.
Jupiter has a 49.9% beneficial interest in Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining Proprietary Limited (Tshipi), which operates the Tshipi Manganese Mine (Tshipi) in the southern portion of the Kalahari manganese field.
Reported on a 100 per cent basis, Tshipi reported production of 921,488 tonnes for the quarter, an increase of 9 per cent on the previous quarter.
June 2023 quarter sales of 812,166 tonnes was 14 per cent down compared with the previous quarter, which was particularly strong, although a 30,000 tonne shipment has been “rolled over” into the September 2023 quarter. Tshipi is planning higher sales during the September quarter.
Tshipi recorded an EBITDA of A$49.0 million and an NPAT of A$34.1 million for the quarter, a decrease on the previous quarter (A$73.0 million and A$50.2 million, respectively). The decrease was attributable to lower prevailing manganese prices compared to the previous quarter, as well as the lower sales volumes for the quarter.
Jupiter has changed its financial year end from 28 February to 30 June as of 1 March 2023, and as a result the Tshipi mine has also changed its financial year end accordingly. Tshipi has amended the timing of its dividend payments to its shareholders (including Jupiter) and its next dividend will be for the half year ended 31 December 2023. On this basis, Jupiter expects to distribute its next dividend to shareholders once this dividend is received.
View Jupiter Mines June 2023 Quarterly Activities Report
FBR
FBR Limited (ASX: FBR) reported strong sales and activity for the June quarter, including the sale of two homes from the Company’s Wellard Portfolio for a total of A$1.1 million.
Receipts from customers over the quarter totalled A$1.2 million – up significantly from A$0.04 million in the previous quarter.
The robotic technology company also advised that it had completed a A$9.14 million funding transaction with M & G Investment Management in April, for three next-generation Hadrian X® robots for expedited use in the US.
In May, it was reported that FBR’s first next-generation Hadrian X® robot had achieved a new sustained lay speed record of over 300 blocks per hour, with US format concrete masonry blocks. The layspeed far surpassed the highest ever recorded peak lay speed of its predecessor, the Hadrian 109.
Final testing of outdoor build activities is planned FBR’s facilities in the coming months, after which the next-generation Hadrian X® will be available for commercial work.
St George Mining
St George Mining Limited (ASX: SGQ) has signed off on a busy June quarter during which the West Australian battery metals explorer received promising assays from its Mt Alexander lithium project in the Goldfields and prepared to drill at the Ajana base metals asset in the Mid West.
“We are pleased to report on significant achievements by St George in the June quarter, with the highlight being the confirmation by assays of further high-grade lithium at Mt Alexander. In addition, the very thick 121m pegmatites intersected at Mt Alexander have been confirmed by assays as highly fractionated, supporting the potential that we intersected the distal zone of a large lithium-bearing pegmatite system, executive chairman John Prineas said.
“These types of pegmatites are what is required for large mineral deposits and these results continue to support the lithium prospectivity at Mt Alexander. We are also encouraged by recent excellent results of Delta Lithium at its nearby Mt Ida Project1 and the confirmation by Hancock Prospecting that it will proceed with a lithium exploration joint venture for Mt Bevan, which has ground that wraps around our Mt Alexander tenure.”
In parallel to advancing Mt Alexander, drilling is now underway at Ajana while St George also expects to shortly hit the Woolgangie project, in the Goldfields, with the drill bit to test for rare earths and lithium.
View St George’s June quarterly activities and cashflow report
VRX Silica
VRX Silica (ASX: VRX)’s quarter was underpinned by a major advance in the approvals process for the Arrowsmith North silica sand project. The Environmental Review Document (ERD) was accepted by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) for publication and a four-week Public Environmental Review (PER) period.
This PER and response process are the final steps before the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA) prepares an assessment report including recommendations to the Western Australian Environment Minister on whether the proposal should be approved.
