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A Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) is now underway at Impact Minerals Limited’s (ASX: IPT) advanced Lake Hope High Purity Alumina (HPA) Project in Western Australia.
The Project, in which Impact is earning an 80% interest, offers the Company the opportunity to become a low-cost entrant into the HPA chemical market, a high-margin business forecast to grow strongly over the next decade (ASX Release March 21st 2023).
Lake Hope contains a globally unique deposit of high-grade aluminium clay minerals in the top few metres of a playa salt lake, which has unique physical and chemical properties that will allow for low- cost mining and offsite metallurgical processing via a novel and cost-disruptive acid leaching process.
Preliminary economic studies indicate that the production of HPA and related products from Lake Hope will be cost-competitive with current producers and other developers in Australia and globally (ASX Release March 21st 2023).
Impact has appointed the following experienced companies to undertake the work programs for the PFS, which will be completed over the next 12 to 18 months, as well as the work required to lodge a Mining Lease Application in early Quarter 3 this year:
Maiden Resource Estimation: H and S Consultants, Brisbane. H and S are well-known resource estimation specialists with specific experience in resource calculations for deposits in Western Australian playa lakes.
Environmental and Approvals Process Consultants: Biota Environmental Services, Perth. Biota will complete flora and fauna surveys and also help coordinate the approvals process for the Mining Lease Application.
Metallurgical Consultants: Strategic Metallurgy, Perth. Strategic will help oversee and manage the optimisation test work programme for the novel acid leach process, which is currently already underway at ALS Laboratories in Perth. Strategic will also complete process flow sheet design and preliminary engineering studies.
Mining Studies: The Mining Engineer Mine Consulting (TME). TME will complete initial mine optimization studies for Lake Hope, which will likely be mined on a campaign basis every few years.
Financial Modelling: Platek Analytics. Platek Analytics will review Impact’s internal economic model for both the PFS and a Scoping Study, which will be released following the completion of the Mineral Resource Estimate.
The entire PFS will be managed by Roland Gotthard, who discovered the Lake Hope Project and has now joined Impact as Project Manager.
Impact's Managing Director, Dr Mike Jones, said: “We have hit the ground running since announcing the transformational joint venture at Lake Hope. At short notice, we have assembled a first-class team of consultants to complete the Pre-Feasibility Study work programs over the next 12 to 18 months and drive us towards production. In addition, this work will allow us to release a Maiden Resource and an initial Scoping Study over the next two months, as well as lodge a Mining Lease application in the third Quarter of this year. We have never been busier as we become the next "playa” in HPA.”
About the Lake Hope Project
The Lake Hope Project covers numerous prospective salt lakes between Hyden and Norseman in southern Western Australia, a Tier One jurisdiction (Figure 1). It comprises one granted exploration licence (E63/2086), covering the Lake Hope deposit already discovered, together with five further exploration licence applications (ELA63/2317, 2318 and 2319, and ELA74/673 and 764) which are poorly explored. The tenements cover about 238 km2 and are all 100% owned by Playa One.
Figure 1. Location of Playa One tenements with options for trucking and off-site processing.
Geology
The salt lakes of Western Australia are well known for their unique and complex hydrogeochemistry, which has led to the formation of a wide variety of economic minerals and brines within the playa systems. These include the world-class Yeelirrie uranium deposit (>100 Mlb U3O8), significant potash brines, gypsum and lime-sand resources.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Impact 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.
IPT:AU
Impact Minerals Limited
Investor Insight
With a mining lease application underway and a scoping study that shows excellent economics, Impact Minerals’ game-changing, advanced Lake Hope high-purity alumina project makes for a compelling investment case.
Overview
Impact Minerals (ASX:IPT) is an exploration and development mining company focused on discovering and developing new resource projects within Australia. Lake Hope, a transformational acquisition by the company and its current flagship asset, is a high-purity alumina (HPA) project in Impact’s home territory of Western Australia, a tier-one jurisdiction.
This advanced-stage project allows the company to fast-track the asset toward development, firmly establishing the company on the road to production and increasing shareholder value.
HPA is a high-value product with various uses in several industries that are key to the transition to a low-carbon world. It is mainly used in LED lighting, micro-LED screens, and ceramic-coated separators in lithium-ion batteries. Both these markets are forecast to grow dramatically over the next decade, and a looming supply shortage is predicted for 2026.
HPA is also necessary for producing synthetic sapphire and scratch-resistant glass. With these ever-widening applications for HPA, demand for this resource is expected to grow from US$3.18 billion to US$12.21 billion by 2030 with a compounded annual growth rate of about 20 percent.
Lake Hope is the company’s current focus as it moves towards production, and where a very shallow, high-grade resource of HPA precursor material has been identified in the top two meters of a dry salt lake. The deposit has unique physical and chemical properties that will allow for inexpensive digging and mining, with transportation to a processing facility off-site in an established industrial area. This will accelerate the approvals processes required to get into production.
With a mining lease application pending, Impact aims to bring Lake Hope, which contains almost 1 million tons of potential HPA, into production when the forecast average price for 4N HPA (99.99 percent Al2O3) and related products is about US$20,000 per ton. The ‘4N’ designation indicates the purity grade, making it suitable for high-tech end uses.
Outstanding economics from the latest scoping study released by the company shows Lake Hope’s potential to be the lowest-cost producer of HPA globally by up to 50 percent.
Lake Hope has a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 3.5 million tons at 25.1 percent alumina (Al2O3) for a contained 880,000 tons of alumina. The company also received heritage clearances for the entire Lake Hope deposit further de-risking the project and providing another critical component in the company’s application for a mining lease.
Impact completed a bulk sampling and test pits program at the Lake Hope project in December 2023, and later reached a key milestone by producing HPA greater than 99.99 percent (4N) purity from the metallurgical processing of lake clays acquired from Lake Hope.
In February 2024, a new proprietary metallurgical process for producing HPA from the lake clays was identified. Impact produced 99.99 percent (4N) Al2O3 from a low-temperature leach (LTL) process. The LTL process may lower the capital and operating costs to produce HPA compared to the sulphate process which underpinned the recent scoping study. The LTL process will be included in the ongoing pre-feasibility study in parallel with the sulphate process at marginal extra cost to determine the best processing route to HPA. The PFS is due to be completed in late 2024.
A comparison of the LTL process and the sulphate process
The company is well funded to finance the pre-feasibility study at the Lake Hope High Purity Alumina project and exploration activities at the Arkun battery minerals project.
Impact Minerals has been awarded a $2.87 million grant for the commercialisation of its innovative process to produce High Purity Alumina (HPA) from the Lake Hope deposit. The grant is under the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) program which fosters short-term, industry-led research collaborations. The grant is part of an estimated $6.4 million research and development project to be completed within three years and designed to provide Impact with the relevant information required to complete a definitive feasibility. A key component of the grant funding will be to construct a pilot plant, which is a key goal for 2025, and this will provide consistent material for off-take and qualification trials.
Impact Minerals was also one of the inaugural cohort of seven companies selected to be part of the prestigious BHP Xplor program. BHP Xplor, an accelerator program introduced by BHP in August 2022, is designed to help provide participants with the opportunity to accelerate their growth and the potential to establish a long-term partnership with BHP and its global network of partners.
The BHP Xplor funding was used to identify new target areas for copper and other energy metals around the Broken Hill area in New South Wales, eastern Australia, where Impact has been quietly adding to its ground position for several years.
Additionally, the company is exploring its large Arkun battery metals project, also in Western Australia which covers nearly 2,900 square kilometres. Three new exploration licence applications were submitted recently immediately north of the Arkun project along trend from the recently discovered REE soil geochemistry anomalies at Hyperion, Swordfish and Horseshoe, and the Caligula copper anomaly. These anomalies require drill testing which will occur in 2024 and is an exciting development in the emerging mineral province of southwest WA.
A strong management team with over 50 years of combined industry experience leads the company. With a mining and exploration geology degree, Dr. Mike Jones, managing director, launched a long career consulting and leading mining organizations. Peter Unsworth, the non-executive chairman, has more than 35 years of experience in multiple financial sectors, such as securities industries and wealth management. Paul Ingram, a non-executive director, has led several mining companies since 2003. Impact Minerals has the experience and expertise to lead the company to success.
Company Highlights
- Impact Minerals is an exploration and development mining company focused on rapidly moving its flagship Lake Hope high-purity alumina (HPA) project toward production.
- The Lake Hope project has a high-grade maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 3.5 million tonnes at 25.1 percent alumina (Al2O3), for a contained 880,000 tonnes of alumina that can be converted to HPA.
- HPA is used throughout multiple industries, and the overall HPA market is projected to grow by a CAGR of 18.4 percent by 2030.
- A pre-feasibility study is currently in progress and scheduled to be completed by Q4 2024. A mining lease application for the Lake Hope High Purity Alumina (HPA) was recently lodged with the aim of being granted by 2026.
- The company’s project portfolio also includes assets with high-grade mineral deposits of a range of base, critical and precious metals.
- Impact Mineral’s 2,000-square-mile Arkun nickel-copper-PGE project in Western Australia has produced encouraging assays that motivate further exploration. Maiden drill programmes are planned for early 2025.
- The company is also exploring its Broken Hill copper project in New South Wales following a major grant under the auspices of the BHP Xplor program in 2023..
- A strong management team leads the company with experience in geology, mining and corporate finance.
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Developing the lowest-cost HPA project in Australia
Angkor Resources
Investor Insight
Angkor Resources is an emerging energy and mineral development company blending traditional oil and gas with copper and gold exploration in Cambodia, while generating revenue through oil production and carbon capture projects in Canada. With over a decade of operational experience in Southeast Asia and a reputation for sustainable practices, the company is strategically positioned to deliver both growth and resilience for investors.
Company Highlights
- Diversified Energy & Mineral Portfolio: Exposure to high-impact oil and gas exploration in Cambodia (Block VIII), recurring energy revenues in Canada, and copper-gold porphyry systems with gold epithermal near-surface prospects in Cambodia.
- Near-term Catalysts:
- Results from copper porphyry in Cambodia within 30 to 60 days;
- Seismic completion and interpretation for drill targets on Block VIII within 90 days; and
- Acquisition of oil production for increased recurring revenue streams.
- Transformational Asset: Block VIII is Cambodia’s first onshore oil and gas exploration license, strategically located near export infrastructure. Potential minimum targets estimated at 25 to 50+ million recoverable barrels.
- Revenue-backed Model: EnerCam Canada provides recurring revenue streams via oil production, water disposal, gas processing, and carbon capture solutions, insulating Angkor from over-reliance on equity markets.
- Strong ESG Commitment: Recognized at the United Nations for sustainability, Angkor integrates carbon capture, community partnerships and environmental responsibility into every project.
- Aligned Shareholder Base: Over 40 percent insider ownership with regular insider buying, demonstrating management’s confidence in long-term growth.
Overview
Founded in 2009 and publicly listed in 2011, Angkor Resources (TSXV:ANK,OTCQB:ANKOF) has built a unique dual-focused enterprise across energy and minerals in Asia and North America.
On the energy side, the company is advancing acquisition of cash flow through oil production and carbon capture in Canada, and is poised for transformational growth through the first-ever onshore oil and gas exploration program in Cambodia. Its Canadian subsidiary, EnerCam Exploration, is already generating revenue from oil production, water disposal and gas processing, while also implementing carbon gas capture and conversion solutions for provincial markets. In Southeast Asia, Angkor’s Cambodian subsidiary, EnerCam Resources, is spearheading a national-scale initiative to bring Cambodia its first domestic hydrocarbon energy, with exploration activities underway on the company’s Block VIII concession.
On the mineral side, Angkor has positioned itself as a first-mover in Cambodia’s underexplored mineral belts, holding licenses at Andong Meas and Andong Bor. These projects target both precious and base metals, with copper porphyry systems and high-grade gold mineralization now confirmed through exploration results.
Angkor’s strategy is designed to mitigate shareholder risk by diversifying revenue streams, blending recurring Canadian cash flow with high-impact exploration upside in Cambodia. The company’s management emphasizes hydrocarbons and copper as priorities, noting the potential value of 25 million recoverable barrels in Cambodia alongside significant copper-gold discoveries.
Key Projects
Onshore Cambodia – Block VIII Oil & Gas Concession
Angkor’s flagship asset is Block VIII, a 4,300 sq km oil and gas concession in Cambodia’s underexplored onshore sedimentary basin. The license, structured under a 30-year Production Sharing Agreement with renewal options, represents the first onshore hydrocarbon exploration license in the country. Geoscientific studies conducted by Danish, Canadian and European experts have identified strong indications of a foreland basin system and rift formations with significant petroleum potential. Over 21 natural oil seeps have been mapped and testing of the seeps by Schlumberger confirms the presence of hydrocarbons. Gas showings are also evident across the block.
The block is ideally located adjacent to export infrastructure, close to port with highway access to Phnom Penh and proximity to a deepwater port. Cambodia currently imports all of its petroleum products, making Block VIII strategically important both nationally and regionally. EnerCam, Angkor’s subsidiary, is implementing Cambodia’s first onshore 2D EnviroVibe seismic program, designed to minimize environmental footprint while mapping structural traps and stratigraphic features.
Technical projections suggest that once commercial quantity of recoverable hydrocarbons is proven, Block VIII could host Cambodia’s first onshore oil production. Angkor’s phased development plan includes completing seismic interpretation, definition of drill targets or additional 3D seismic followed by stratigraphic test wells and eventual development drilling. This project is expected to be the company’s most significant value driver and is prioritized as its number one corporate focus.
Canadian Energy & Carbon Capture – EnerCam Exploration
In Canada, Angkor operates through EnerCam Exploration Canada, which is a 40 percent interest holder in oil production and carbon solutions across 30 well sites spanning 516 hectares in Saskatchewan. These wells, shut in since 2018 due to low oil prices and mismanagement by previous operators, have been systematically refurbished and restarted. EnerCam participates in the full production cycle, including oil recovery, water separation and gas handling.
A key milestone was the acquisition of the pipeline network and compressor station, which resolved historical venting issues and allowed EnerCam to capture associated gas. This gas is converted into natural gas energy and sold into provincial markets. Angkor’s Canadian revenue streams also include water disposal fees, gas plant operations, and oil production revenues, supplemented by ongoing carbon capture and enhanced recovery of water conversion and injection wells projects.
Angkor holds a 40 percent interest in oil and gas production ventures in Saskatchewan, ensuring a recurring revenue stream. This platform not only offsets G&A costs but also provides a foundation for emission control and potential for further gas capture with surrounding producers in the area.
Cambodia Mineral Properties – Copper and Gold Portfolio
Through its subsidiary Angkor Gold Cambodia, the company holds a strategic portfolio of copper and gold assets in prospective belts. These licenses include Andong Bor and Andong Meas.
The Andong Bor license has emerged as a cornerstone of Angkor’s mineral portfolio. In June 2025, the company confirmed the presence of a copper-gold porphyry system, the first discovery of its kind in Cambodia. This breakthrough positions the project as a potential district-scale copper-gold system. Further drilling is expected to test depth extensions and delineate mineralized zones.
At the Andong Meas license, exploration has revealed high-grade gold mineralization, with surface samples returning assays up to 70 grams per ton (g/t) gold across a 0.8 km by 1.5 km area. This anomaly remains largely untested by drilling and represents a significant near-term target for resource expansion.
Management Team
Delayne Weeks – CEO
With over 25 years of global development experience spanning finance, business development, economic development and ESG initiatives. She has spearheaded Angkor’s CSR programs in Cambodia, earning UN recognition for sustainability leadership. Weeks has overseen Angkor’s transition into energy and its expansion into cash-flowing operations.
Mike Weeks – President, Executive VP Operations
Brings over four decades of operational and executive experience in international resource projects. Mike Weeks is president of Angkor Gold Corp. Cambodia and EnerCam Resources Cambodia. He has had a long and successful career in the oil and gas industry with over 30 years’ experience in project management of petroleum-related industries. Weeks also spent more than 15 years negotiating with foreign governments in developing and implementing natural resource licenses. His experience includes oil production in North Africa, engineering and design in Europe, the development of gas processing facilities and field and plant operations in Canada. Weeks has worked with international oil and gas producers including AEC West, Wintershall, Zuetina, Encana and Amoco.
Dennis Ouellette – VP Exploration, Minerals
Professional geologist with over 40 years of exploration experience in Canada, Central America and Asia. Dennis Ouellette has been a federal geologist in the Yukon for over five years, overseeing the exploration and mining industry across the Yukon by all industry participants. He leads Angkor’s mineral exploration programs, including the copper porphyry discovery at Andong Bor and a second porphyry target on Andong Meas. Ouellette has worked in multiple Canadian provinces, Nevada and Guatemala, and was the industry advocate director for the Yukon Chamber of Mines and president of Yukon Prospectors Association
Keith Edwards – Technical Manager, EnerCam Resources Cambodia
Keith Edwards is a senior geophysicist with over 39 years’ experience in all aspects of geophysics, from acquisition through processing to interpretation. He is known for his proven innovative problem-solving capabilities in software development, consulting services, interpretation and management. Edwards spent 12 years at Kuwait Oil company mentoring junior staff and performing many quantitative seismic interpretation projects. He developed several MatLab applications for Seismic Facies Classification, VSP integration, 3D design and many others.
