Resources Top 5: D3E looks to feed South Africa's hunger for new energy sources

News.com.au

7 days ago

The restart of production testing at RBD10 well in South Africa's Free State delivers strong results
BM8 has the diamond drill spinning in its maiden drilling campaign at Bleiberg zinc-germanium project
NC1 remains confident nickel prices will strengthen in the medium term
Your standout small cap resources stocks for Tuesday, July 29, 2025
D3 Energy (ASX:D3E)
With its objective being to provide a new gas source for South Africa, which is hungry for energy to feed current and future domestic, commercial and industrial needs, D3 Energy is notching up impressive milestones.
The primary focus for the Australian-listed helium and natural gas exploration company is on the development of its flagship asset, ER315, in South Africa's Free State Province.
ER315 contains reserves and significant contingent and prospective resources and continues to deliver strong technical results, positioning D3E as a key player in the energy transition with shares lifting 25.93% to 34c.
The latest success comes from the restart of production testing at the RBD10 well, part of its multi-well production testing program at ER315.
RBD10 was drilled in February 2024 and subsequently tested in August 2024. Following testing, as is standard practice, it was shut in so other boreholes could be tested and the pressure monitored.
During this period pressure changes were detected at RBD10 in response to activity on other boreholes, indicating reservoir connectivity.
Of significance was the fact that despite this connectivity, the overall pressure trend continued to increase to above that recorded during initial testing.
DE3 said this was highly unusual and indicated that the reservoir was seeing recharge from source rocks below.
As such RBD10 was re-tested to compare it to RBD03, which also showed a similar pressure trend and was recently re-tested following a workover.
This flow testing began on July 21, 2025, and the 6.9-day results from the re-testing showed an average flow rate of 276 Mscfd, a 39% increase in the gas flow rate at RBD10 when compared to the initial test last year, which averaged 199 Mscfd for the first 6.9 days.
Total gas produced over the initial 6.9-day testing period was 1,894 Mscf and testing will continue for another seven days before the well will be shut in to analyse the pressure buildup data.
Battery Age Minerals (ASX:BM8)
In its quest to unlock Europe's strategic critical mineral potential, Battery Age Minerals has the diamond drill spinning in its maiden drilling at the Bleiberg zinc-germanium project in Austria.
This campaign started early in July and although there has been no material news since, shares have reached 7.5c, an increase of 27.12% on the previous close, prompting a price query from the ASX.
The diamond drill program of an initial 2000m with scope to expand is targeting high-grade zinc-lead-germanium mineralisation along a 10km strike identified through integrated geological datasets and recent fieldwork.
BM8 said the first modern drilling campaign undertaken at Bleiberg since mining operations ceased in the 1990s marked a major step forward in unlocking the development potential of one of Europe's most significant critical mineral projects.
Bleiberg mine reportedly produced ~5.5 million ounces of germanium during its operation, ranking it as the sixth-largest global source at the time of closure.
'This is a transformational moment for Battery Age. Our technical team has worked tirelessly to define compelling drill targets across what we believe is one of the most strategically positioned critical minerals projects in Europe,' CEO Nigel Broomham said.
'With drilling underway, we look forward to testing these targets with a view of expanding known mineralisation and uncovering potential major new discoveries across the Bleiberg system.'
Germanium plays a vital role in advanced technologies, including semiconductors, fibre and infrared optics, solar energy systems and military-grade photonics.
Its importance is growing rapidly due to its use in silicon-germanium chips, which underpin the next wave of high-speed, energy-efficient electronics.
Following the introduction of export sanctions by China, the world's leading producer, on germanium and gallium in 2024, concerns around global supply chain security have intensified.
This triggered policy responses across key markets, with the European Union officially recognising germanium as a strategic material under its Critical Raw Materials Act.
(Up on no news)
Despite a depressed nickel market, NICO Resources remains confident that prices will strengthen in the medium term with its Wingellina nickel-cobalt project in WA well positioned to hit the ground running.
Investors appear to share the positive sentiment and the company hit a 12-month high of 15c, a 30.42% lift on the previous close.
Wingellina, which has federal government Major Project Status, is a world-class oxide-type nickel-cobalt deposit with a reserve of 1.56Mt of nickel capable of producing about 40,000t of nickel and 3,000t of cobalt annually for at least 42 years.
While continuing to reduce discretionary expenditure until market conditions improve, during the current quarter Nico will focus on the following:
Continue to review, analyse and interpret bench-scale testwork results.
Advance the geo-metallurgical model for Wingellina orebody to assist in identification of orebody variability and mine planning and scheduling.
Further planning for an infill drilling program on the resource to facilitate the upgrading of the indicated resource to measured category.
Further planning for exploration and associated work on the Lewis calcrete deposit.
Continue the scope and definition documentation for the DFS.
Highfield Resources (ASX:HFR)
The high-margin, low-capex Muga potash project of Highfield Resources in Spain continues to progress toward development supported by a non-binding letter of intent for co-operation with Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co., a subsidiary of China Minmetals Corporation, and existing investor Yankuang Energy Group Co.
The parties have agreed to amend the agreement which sees the exclusivity period afforded to QSL extended to allow additional time to complete due diligence and advance key commercial terms of its proposed US$300m equity subscription.
This period will now expire on the earliest of:
September 15, 2025;
the date on which the parties have entered into binding documentation for the QSL cornerstone placement; or
the date on which QSL notifies the company that it has decided not to proceed with the transaction.
All parties share an intent to pursue a strategic transaction that supports Highfield's long-term vision of becoming a globally diversified potash producer.
The LOI also includes the proposed acquisition by Highfield of the Southey potash project of Yancoal Canada Resources Co. in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Dreadnought Resources (ASX:DRE)
The first drilling by Dreadnought Resources at Steve's Reward prospect within the Mangaroon gold project in WA's Gascoyne region has returned shallow, high-grade results.
Results received on July 24 from an RC discovery drilling program of 15 holes for 1,140m have seen the share price rise 20% to 1.2c.
Multiple veins coming to the surface were intersected and eight out of the 15 holes returned significant results, including:
4m at 4.1 g/t Au from 6m, including 2m at 6.8 g/t from 7m;
3m at 2.1 g/t from 48m;
1m at 3.7 g/t from 17m;
3m at 2.9 g/t from 7m; and
1m at 4.5 g/t from 6m.
'On the back of our recently announced gold-in-soil anomalies, Steve's Reward is rapidly growing, showing scale potential,' Dreadnought's MD Dean Tuck said.
'Exploring for a major gold discovery at Mangaroon is a key pillar of the 'Finding More Gold, Faster' strategy.'
Drilling will recommence at Steve's Reward in September 2025.