The Conversation (0)
BPH Energy Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects
GET YOUR FREE INVESTOR KIT
BPH Energy
Investor Insight
Australia’s looming energy crisis has created an opportunity for innovative, low-carbon alternative energy sources to emerge and BPH Energy’s strategic position in this rapidly expanding market makes it an intriguing investment proposition.
Overview
Australia is on the verge of an energy crisis. Inaction by the Australian government on gas and energy security has resulted in a gas market that is very nearly running on empty, with extreme price hikes and the possibility of significant losses in employment and capital. Against the backdrop of a global clean energy transition, natural gas represents a critical fuel for this transition. The switch to renewable energy cannot occur overnight, and natural gas offers an avenue for a gradual transition.
Natural gas represents a low-carbon, low-emission alternative to traditional energy sources, and could even be leveraged for sustainable energy.
BPH Energy (ASX:BPH) intends to do precisely that. An investment company headquartered in Western Australia, BPH has already invested in two highly promising businesses in the energy sector. The first, Advent Energy, is an unlisted oil and gas exploration and production company.
The second, Clean Hydrogen Technologies, has developed a CO2-free method of processing gas into hydrogen and conductive carbon.
BPH has a diversified portfolio with an investment in medical technology company Cortical Dynamics, providing yet another avenue for potential growth.
In February 2024, BPH Energy raised a further AU$2.25 million to execute its next phase of hydrocarbon and Cortical Dynamics funding.
Company Highlights
- BPH Energy is an ASX-listed investment company based in Western Australia.
- The company recently completed a $1.9 million placement to fund further investment in Hydrogen, PEP11 and its carbon gas storage strategy.
- BPH holds a 36.1 percent interest in Advent Energy Limited, and with Advent a 19.5 percent interest in Clean Hydrogen Technologies, and a 17 percent interest in Cortical Dynamics.
- Clean Hydrogen Technology is in the process of upscaling into a much larger commercial operation.
- Cortical Dynamics has the potential to expand its technology not just into the EU marketplace, but globally thanks to a licence and cooperation agreement with Philips.
- The global hydrogen market is projected to grow from less than US$100 billion in 2021 to over US$200 billion by 2030. Demand is projected to reach up to 73 million metric tons by 2050.
- The Australian Corporation and Consumer Commission has warned that developed gas reserves in eastern and southeastern Australia may be unable to meet demand by the end of 2025.
- Due to the predicted gas supply shortfall, Advent Energy's PEP11 asset has generated significant interest among investors and displays the potential for a significant uplift in value.
- PEP11 also has the potential to fill the gap represented by the impending gas shortage.
- BPH Energy's investee company Cortical Dynamics has secured FDA 510(k) clearance in the USA for its flagship technology, the Brain Anaesthesia Response Monitor or BARM™ system version 1.
Key Investments
Advent Energy
An unlisted oil and gas exploration company based in Western Australia, Advent maintains two major assets. The offshore Petroleum Export Permit 11 (PEP11) represents its most compelling asset. Jointly owned by Advent subsidiary Asset Energy (85 percent) and Bounty Oil & Gas NL,(15 percent) the exploration area covers 4,649 square kilometers.
PEP11's estimated prospective recoverable gas resources is 5.7 trillion cubic feet. With this resource alone, BPH and Advent could potentially fulfill the energy needs of most of Victoria and New South Wales for the next several decades. Advent is in the process of applying to the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) to enable drilling, and recently succeeded in a Federal Court Appeal.
Advent also holds Retention Lease 1, an onshore permit in the Bonaparte Basin.
Highlights:
- Well-positioned Assets: PEP11 is situated less than 50 kilometers from the Sydney-Newcastle greater metropolitan area. In addition to this:
- The Sydney Basin is a proven hydrocarbon basin with excellent potential for further discovery of natural gas.
- It represents the closest potential carbon storage (geosequestration) area to NSW carbon sources which collectively represent 30 percent of Australia's total CO2 output.
- PEP11 may also have potential as a CCS (geosequestration) project in the Sydney Basin.
- Majority Ownership: Asset Energy holds an 85 percent stake in PEP11.
- A Proven Petroleum Basin: Ongoing hydrocarbon seeps have been confirmed in PEP11 along with geophysical indications of escaping gas. The asset's prospectivity is supported by the seismically-indicated gas features historically observed by Advent and a 2011 geochemical report.
Clean Hydrogen Technologies
Based in the United States, Clean Hydrogen Technologies (CHT) leverages its unique catalysts alongside a bespoke engineering process to generate clean hydrogen and conductive carbon from natural gas. The technology uses a process called thermo-catalytic pyrolysis, which combines heat, and a catalyst and has no oxygen. Importantly the process produces no CO2 emission. CHT is currently in the process of commercialization, announcing in February 2024 that it is moving from proof-of-concept to production.
Highlights:
- Patents: Clean Hydrogen has filed two comprehensive patents in the United States with plans to file additional patents in the coming months.
- US-focused and Funding Potential: Clean Hydrogen plans to operate primarily in the United States, allowing it to leverage the federal government's $9.5-billion hydrogen industry investment and $1.2-trillion infrastructure investment and Jobs Act.
- High Investment Potential: BPH Energy with Advent has a 19.5-percent stake in Clean Hydrogen. These investments have the capacity to substantially increase in value with the burgeoning hydrogen market.
Medical Technology Investment
Cortical Dynamics
Cortical Dynamics is an Australian neurotechnology developer and medical device manufacturer focused on developing the next generation brain function monitors by employing the latest theories and technologies in the field.
Headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, Cortical Dynamics is focused on commercializing its core product, the Brain Anaesthesia Response Monitor System (BARM), which was developed with the objective of better detecting the effect of anesthetic and analgesic agents on human brain activity. BARM aids anesthetists in keeping patients optimally anesthetized and pain-free during operations using general anesthesia.
BARM was specifically developed to solve several problems associated with anesthetic and analgesic delivery in the operating theater and negative post-operative consequences. Its proprietary algorithms are based on innovative developments in understanding how the brain's rhythmic electrical activity or EEG is produced.
Highlights:
- Physiology-based algorithm: Unlike other monitors, BARM’s algorithms are based on the individual patient’s physiological processes that produce electrical activity in the brain, providing more interpretable and personalized monitoring of their response to anesthetic agents.
- Global patents: Cortical has an extensive and growing global patent portfolio, and has secured FDA 510(k) clearance in the USA for its flagship technology, the Brain Anaesthesia Response Monitor or BARM™ system version 1.
- Regulatory Approvals: BARM version 1 is approved by regulatory bodies in Australia, the European Union and Korea. However, Cortical will be commercializing version 2, which is an enhancement of version 1 made possible through a technical partnership with the Austrian Institute of Technology in Vienna.
- Business Model: Cortical intends to sell BARM V2 devices with associated recurring sales of the disposable single-use head sensors to hospitals or day surgeries, internationally.
BARM Sensors
- World-class Team: A team of experienced researchers, biomedical engineers and corporate financiers make up Cortical Dynamics, with a global network of key opinion leaders and clinicians advising the company on the development of the BARM technology based on real challenges they face in the operating room.
- Philips Partnership: Cortical Dynamics has a non-exclusive license and cooperation partnership with global medical industry player Philips Electronics North America to interface the BARM system with Philips’ operating theater monitors.
- Artificial Intelligence App: Partially funded through a grant, the Cordyan is an AI-based app that has been developed to help clinicians, researchers and hospitals better understand the implications of using anesthetic agents on humans.
Management Team
David Breeze — Managing Director and Executive Chairman
David Breeze is a corporate finance specialist with extensive experience in the stock broking industry and capital markets. He has been a corporate consultant to Daiwa Securities, manager of corporate services for Eyres Reed McIntosh, and state manager and associate director for the stock broking firm BNZ Norths. Breeze is a fellow of the Institute of Company Directors of Australia. He has published in the Journal of Securities Institute of Australia and has also acted as independent expert under the Corporations Act. He has worked on the structuring, capital raising and public listing of more than 70 companies involving more than $300 million, covering a range of areas including oil and gas, gold, food, manufacturing and technology. Breeze is chairman of Grandbridge Limited, a public investment and advisory company and MEC Resources, a public company investing in exploration companies that target potentially large energy and mineral resources. He is also chairman of Advent Energy.
Tony Huston
Tony Huston has been involved for over 35 years in engineering and hydrocarbon industries for both on and offshore exploration/development. His early career experience commenced with Fitzroy Engineering, primarily working on the development of onshore oil fields. In 1996, Huston formed his own E&P company on re-entry of onshore wells primarily targeting shallow pay that had been passed or ignored from previous operations. This was successful and the two plays opened up 15 years ago and are still in operation. His focus over the last 10 years has been to utilize new technology for enhanced resource recovery, which has been demonstrated in various fields, including US, Mexico, Oman, Italy and Turkmenistan.
Charles Maling
Charles Maling was formerly the communications officer for the Office of the Western Australian State Government Environmental Protection Authority, advising the chairman of the EPA on media issues. Maling has worked with the Western Australian State Government Department of the Environment for 14 years and a further eight years for the EPA. His administrative roles included environmental research (including a major study on Perth Metropolitan coastal waters and Western Australian estuaries) environmental regulation and enforcement, and media management.
Dr Sunil Nagaraj - Chief Scientist (Cortical Dynamics)
Dr. Sunil Belur Nagaraj obtained his master’s degree from the University of Victoria in Canada in 2010; and doctoral degree from University College Cork, Ireland in 2015. His doctoral research centered around the development of AI-based real-time brain monitoring, utilising EEG recordings to monitor brain activity. After a role as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital in the USA. Nagaraj assumed the position of an assistant professor of medicine at the University Medical Centre Groningen in The Netherlands for two years. Concurrently, he dedicated three years to working as a scientist at Royal Philips, where he specialised in sleep disorders at the Innovation Forum, highlighting its potential to provide future insights into heart-brain connectivity.
Throughout his career, Nagaraj has demonstrated exceptional research acumen, with a patent and 21 high-impact journal articles to his name, amassing over 650 pioneering research papers and has been recognised through several national and international grants, enabling him to conduct cutting-edge studies that contribute significantly to the advancement of medical technology.
Justinian Cu-Au Prospect Extended Over 3km with 5.3g/t Au and Cu to 16%
Augustus Minerals has received new assays from ongoing soil sampling and rock chip sampling programs conducted on the Justinian prospect and adjacent areas at the Ti- Tree Project, in Western Australia
- High grade rock chips assaying up to 16% copper and up to 5.32g/t gold have been identified from field work over a 3.3 x 1.1km area
- The copper and gold identified in rock chips supports the anomalous soil sampling results from the recent regional survey.
- The soil and rock chip results define areas of Cu and Au anomalism related to splays of the Ti-Tree Shear wrapping around the Crawford Granite.
- Other anomalous soils have identified areas for further mapping and rock chip sampling north and west of Crawford Bore, and west of Coo Creek Broken Hill Style target.
- Elevated copper and lead in soils identified on a NE trending shear at Howell’s Gap
- Strong base metal anomalism over the Moogooree carbonate hosted Zn-Pb target.
Mapping and field work is continuing to increase the definition and tenor of anomalies to drill targets for future programs.
The soil samples, sieved in the field to pass -80#, were scanned by Portable Spectral Services (PSS) at their West Perth office under controlled conditions. In the western Ti-Tree area, above background levels of Cu, Pb and Zn were returned which defined adjacent or frequently coincident trends (Figure 2). Figure 3 shows Cu-in-soils and copper in rock chips. The validity of the soil anomalies was validated by some overlap between historic sampling using traditional wet assay methods and the new pXRF data.
Gold-in-soils was determined by 50g Fire Assay at Intertek’s Perth laboratory.
Figure 1 Prospects and VTEM Survey areas
Table 1 Significant Rock Chips Justinian (>0.1% Cu, 0.1g/t Au or 0.1% Pb).
Justinian Prospect
Review of soil sampling data from the regional soil program has identified several new targets and/or extensions to existing prospects.
Previous rock chip sampling1 identified gold to 10.1g/t at Justinian (Figures 1 and 2). Further rock chips within the soil anomaly have returned assays to 5.32g/t Au (WA001301) and 16% Cu (WA001310) (Table 1).
Justinian also shows anomalous levels of lead and zinc (Figure 2).
The mineralisation is dominantly hosted within the Leake Springs Metamorphics, a complex package of pelitic schist and fine-grained often garnet rich psammite.
Figures 3 and 4 show Au and Cu respectively in soil (pXRF results) and rock chips (four acid digest or aqua regia digest) at the Justinian prospect. The validity of the soil anomalies was validated by some overlap between historic sampling using traditional wet assay methods and the new pXRF data.
The Justinian prospect has been extended to cover a 3.2km x 1.1km area containing several distinct soil anomalies which appear to be coincident with diffracted splays of the Ti-Tree Shear around the Crawford Granite intrusions. It is possible that the diffraction around the more rigid granite bodies is causing dilation where the Ti-Tree Shear splays penetrate the host Leake Springs Metamorphics.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Augustus Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Prospective IOCG Target Identified at the Coober Pedy Copper Project, SA
- Magnetic and gravity responses highlight the potential for IOCG mineralisation.
- Limited historical drilling data provides evidence for an alteration footprint.
- Project located at northern end of the world-class Olympic Dam IOCG Province.
AusQuest’s Managing Director, Graeme Drew, said the Company was encouraged by the results of the survey, which confirmed the potential for large-scale copper-gold discoveries within a Tier-1 mineral province.
“The recent gravity survey has provided support for the occurrence of IOCG-style mineralisation within our Coober Pedy Project, which is located at the northern end of a world-class IOCG Province which already hosts several major copper-(gold) deposits, including Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Prominent Hill, as shown in Figure 1,” he said.
Figure 1: Coober Pedy Project Location Plan showing major deposits in the area.
A detailed gravity survey was completed by Daishsat Geodetic Surveyors (400m x 100m grid with selected in-fill lines at 200m) outlining possible targets for drilling. A residual gravity image is provided below showing two anomalous areas within a broader gravity response (~5km x 2km), that are associated with historic drill-holes that were found to contain potassic alteration (Figure 2).
Correlation with available aeromagnetic data shows that the gravity anomalies are offset from the stronger magnetic responses, suggesting the possibility of hematite rather than magnetite as a possible cause for the gravity anomalies (Figure 3).
Figure 2: Residual Gravity Image showing location of gravity stations and historic drill-holes (Vale 2015) containing potassic alteration
Figure 3: First Vertical Derivative magnetic image plus residual gravity contours showing the location of historic drill-holes relative to the magnetic and gravity anomalies.
Analysis of available geochemical data contained within historical company reports provided by Government (PIRSA)*, was used to highlight the presence of potassic alteration within both drill-holes (GAW_RC01 and RC02), and the presence of additional proximity indicator elements, including an enrichment in iron (Fe) within drill-hole GAW_RC01, that suggests the possibility of a nearby IOCG system.
The close association of hematite and magnetite with IOCG mineralisation is well known in the IOCG Province of South Australia, which hosts the world-class deposits of Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Prominent Hill, and is the main reason why magnetic and gravity surveys are commonly used to identify targets for drilling in these areas.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Ausquest limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Deep Diamond Drilling Commences on Large Copper-Mo Porphyry System
- Diamond Drilling has commenced to target a large copper-molybdenum porphyry system at Minnie Springs.
- The deeper diamond drilling is designed to target beneath a 3km long by 1km wide copper molybdenum soil anomaly.
- Previous drilling at Minnie Springs intersected mineralisation, geology and an alteration halo consistent with the zoning of a large porphyry copper / molybdenum system.
- The drilling is supported by a co-funded drilling grant of up to $110,000 for 700m deep diamond drill holes under the WA Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) for the Minnie Springs prospect.
Andrew Ford, GM Exploration
“The commencement of the diamond drilling marks an exciting time for Augustus, with the first hole testing below the existing molybdenum mineralised zone and targeting a high- grade copper core of a porphyry system”
The diamond program scheduled for completion mid-November.
Minnie Springs
Minnie Springs hosts porphyry related Copper - Mo mineralisation that was previously drilled by Equatorial Mining and Catalyst Metals. A molybdenum Exploration Target has previously been defined by SRK Consulting for the historic drilling area as outlined below (Table 1)1.
Alteration mapping suggests a potential tilting of the Minnie Springs system to the northeast, with untested potential for higher grade Copper - Mo mineralisation below existing drilling within the potassic altered zone (Figure 1).
Table 1. Exploration target size estimate for Minnie Springs Molybdenum depositNote: Based on ~300 ppm Mo cut-off at 100% recovery.
Clarifying Statement: The potential quantity and grade of the exploration target is conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resources, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource.
Figure 1. Schematic cross section looking northwest showing porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit model (Pour and Hashim 2012 – inset at right) rotated 90 degrees and superimposed on existing and planned drilling2.
The program is supported by the WA Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) drilling grant of up to $110,000 for two 700m deep diamond drill holes at the Minnie Springs prospect.
The drilling is designed to provide a 550m deep, geological/geochemical/structural cross- section through the large 3km long by 1km wide copper molybdenum porphyry system.
Previous drilling at Minnie Springs intersected mineralisation, geology and alteration halo consistent with the zoning of a porphyry copper / moly system.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Augustus Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
High-grade REE & P2O5 Trench Results Returned from Tundulu to Assist with Metallurgy
Highlights:
- A total of 63 metallurgical samples were collected from 37 sample locations along high-grade historic trench (TUTR10) at Tundulu
- Sampling results returned up to a high of 3.35% TREO and 27.5% P2O5 over the sampled 83m length of trench TUTR10:
- an exciting component of the sampling results is the average HREO, being 13% of the TREO basket
- undetectable to very low levels of deleterious elements including mercury, lead and cadmium in the phosphorus (P) rich rocks confirms the exceptional grade quality of the phosphate at Tundulu; and
- the sampling is representative of the mineralised Bastnaesite and Apatite carbonatite rock types exposed within the trench
- Selected samples are being collected to form a 150kg composite to be sent for metallurgical analysis
- 5 bioavailability composite samples were also taken across various historical trenches at Tundulu, targeting phosphate-rich rocks, to determine the solubility of phosphate in the samples and understand its potential for direct fertilization
- Majority of samples showed excellent P solubility (using 2% citric acid) of over 40%, with one returning solubility of 81%. This is above the industry threshold of 9.4% P2O5 solubility using Citric Acid as the reagent in the acid leach process
- 9 samples representing predominant lithologies at Tundulu have been collected and will also be sent to RSC Australia for petrographic examination to validate the historical mineralogical and rock composition
- Samples from the Company’s recent reconnaissance soil and rock chip program at the Ngala Hill PGE, Cu & Ni Project have been submitted to SGS South Africa for analysis, with results expected towards the end of the month
Tundulu REE Project
Tundulu is formed of several hills in a ring around a central vent called Nathace Hill where the majority of the historic surface sampling and drilling was undertaken. The predominant geology at Nathace Hill is REE apatite hosting carbonatites and feldspathic breccia and comprises a large inner agglomerate vent. Mineral rich carbonatite also occurs at Tundulu Hill east of Nathace and Makhanga Hill west of Nathace and is previously unexplored and prospective for REEs and niobium mineralisation.
REE mineralisation remains open towards southern and western directions of Nathace Hill and potentially extends beyond the boundaries of the previously established mineralised area over Tundulu Hill. Initial indications of mineralisation appear to be high in valuable MREEs and low measurable radioactive uranium
(U) and thorium (Th). This compares favourably to Lynas Rare Earths’ Mount Weld Central Lanthanide Deposit where Th and U concentrations in the ore are approximately 660 ppm and 25 ppm respectively.1
Figure 1. Map of Tundulu license area (EL0731)
A total of 63 metallurgical samples were collected from 37 sample locations along high-grade historic trench (TUTR10) at Tundulu.
Sampling results returned up to a high of 3.35% TREO and 27.5% P2O5 (average of 0.85% TREO and 8.26% P2O5) over the sampled 83m length of trench TUTR10. The average HREO component of the TREO basket was 13%, with high-value heavy rare earth elements Dy & Tb contributing 2.5%. Undetectable to very low levels of deleterious elements including mercury, lead and cadmium in the P-rich rocks confirms the exceptional grade quality of the phosphate at Tundulu.
The sampling is representative of the mineralised Bastnaesite and Apatite carbonatite rock types exposed within the trench. Select samples are being collected to form a 150kg composite to be sent to for metallurgical analysis.
5 bioavailability composite samples were also taken across various historical trenches at Tundulu, targeting phosphate rich rocks. ‘Bioavailability’ is used for analysis on phosphorous rock sources to determine the solubility of phosphate in soils. This analysis is useful in determining whether a particular phosphate rock type is suitable for direct fertiliser applications where the phosphate would be applied directly to the soil for uptake.
The analysis has been undertaken at Nagrom metallurgical and analytical laboratory in Kelmscott, Western Australia under standard atmospheric conditions using 2% citric acid. The majority of samples showed excellent phosphorus (P) solubility of over 40%, with one returning solubility of 81%. The exceptional quality of the phosphate-rich rocks at Tundulu is manifested by their undetectable to very low levels of deleterious elements including mercury, lead and cadmium.
The metallurgical test work will aim to evaluate historical studies undertaken at Tundulu and assess the findings from a 2017 metallurgical report, completed by the previous operators of the licence. The test work will initially focus on validating the beneficiation results achieved by the previous laboratory.
Conducting test work at this early stage enables the Company to ascertain the preliminary viability of producing two product streams: namely a REE commercially saleable concentrate and a mixed phosphate concentrate containing rare earths.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from DY6 Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
BPH Energy Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects