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James Bay Minerals (ASX: JBY) has successfully utilised modern aerial survey technology to unveil a number of high-priority lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite targets across its Aqua property in the James Bay region of Quebec, Canada (reports Small Caps).

Mitre Mining (ASX: MMC) has moved to acquire the “company-changing” Cerro Bayo silver-gold project in Chile for $5 million (reports Small Caps).

Chalice Mining has been given the go-ahead to launch the next stage of drilling across its potentially lucrative Julimar metals discovery on Perth’s doorstep (reports The West Australian).

On target to commence imminent maiden uranium production at the Honeymoon mine in South Australia, Boss Energy (ASX: BOE) has added another string to its bow with the signing of an agreement to acquire an interest in the rich Alta Mesa in-situ recovery (ISR) project in South Texas (reports Small Caps).

Next door neighbours Hammer and Carnaby highlight the scope for mergers. Plus, M&A value-creation can take time and brokers line up to back rare earths play Meteoric.

By Barry FitzGerald. 

The Santa rally paused towards the end of the week as investors assessed the speed at which the recovery is moving, with the most telling comment from a Goldman Sachs analyst who said: “there are no bears left”.

By Tim Treadgold.

RED 5 managing director Mark Williams has a point: the consolidation of gold mining in the Leonora region of Western Australia stretches back further than this year’s burst of activity (writes Barry FitzGerald on MiningNews).

Lacaze’s bullish take is good news for the growing band of ASX ionic clay rare earths explorers, including newcomer Equinox, which has just pegged a big position in Brazil.

By Barry FitzGerald.

The economic recovery, which is laying the foundations for 2024 to be a bumper year for investors, became a little clearer this week as U.S. growth accelerated, inflation fell in Australia and the OECD said Australian interest rates have peaked.

By Tim Treadgold.

Geopacific Resources is emerging with renewed vigour under the leadership of its new CEO, James Fox, and a revamped Board boasting extensive project development and corporate experience.

Reports Stockhead.

RareX has secured land at Wyndham Port for product storage and transfer, solidifying the supply chain from its flagship Cummins Range rare earths and phosphate project in the Kimberly region of WA (reports Stockhead).

Critical Resources (ASX: CRR) has confirmed it will look at incorporating waste ore and direct spodumene sorting technologies into the development configuration for the Mavis Lake lithium project in Canada (reports Small Caps).

A Perth-based explorer has fortuitously staked its claim to a vast tract of rare earths-rich ground in Brazil, amid a rush for the elements in the South American country involving West Australian mining big wigs Gina Rinehart and Tolga Kumova (reports The West Australian).

New World Resources has expanded its Javelin volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) project in Arizona, USA, staking new claims covering 350 acres including the very high-grade Red Cloud VMS deposit and the nearby Rudkins prospect (reports Stockhead).

Chalice Mining believes it is “enhancing” the underground potential of its Gonneville nickel-copper-PGE project near Perth in Western Australia after step-out drilling recorded hits such as 8m grading 5.83 grams per tonne 3E (palladium-platinum-gold) and 1.12% copper from 543m, and 16m at 6.17gpt 3E from 478m (reports MiningNews).

Boss Energy (ASX: BOE) has reached another milestone in its re-development of the historic Honeymoon mine in South Australia with the generation of production-grade uranium during pre-flushing of the start-up wells (reports Small Caps).

Plus, EQ emerging as a national champion in the critical tungsten game

Uranium set the pace in a strong week for commodities, hitting a 15-year high of US$80.25 a pound, with gold and iron ore not far behind, as reminders of last week’s suggestion in this column that financial markets have reached an inflection point ahead of a strong New Year.

Reverse circulation (RC) and air core (AC) drilling at the Eos deposit within Astral Resources’ (ASX: AAR) Mandilla gold project in Western Australia has returned some of the best bedrock gold intercepts to date (reports Small Caps).

Pioneer Lithium (ASX: PLN) has identified nine new pegmatites during inaugural prospecting and scouting activities at its wholly-owned LaGrande project in Canada’s James Bay region (reports Small Caps).