Weekly Brief 24th April
This week the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on Wednesday as we take a moment to appreciate the planet we live on and reflect upon our relationship with it.
Promoting the importance of living in harmony with nature and the Earth, it has come a long way since 1970 as now, in 2020, organisers have had to have to hold the first ever Digital Earth Day, in a world that is more environmentally conscious than ever before. It has been a week full of celebrations, as the day after Earth Day was William Shakespeare’s 456th birthday. You may assume life during his time alive was vastly different from our own, but we have more in common with him than you think: the current pandemic crisis is one that would have been familiar to Shakespeare as the plague hit London at the beginning of his career and closed down all the theatres for 18 months. Much like many of us, he only had his creative mind and pen and paper to keep him company during self-isolation but, unlike many of us, he composed two of his narrative poems, ‘Venus and Adonis’ and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’ – and with that as an intimidating example, what will you create in lockdown?!
Client News
Armadale Capital (AIM: ACP) welcomed Mr Matt Bull, an experienced geologist, to the Board of the company as Non-Executive Director. Having been Technical Director since 2016 and a driving force of the Mahenge Liandu Graphite Project, successfully establishing it as a long-life low-cost graphite project with a US$358m NPV and IRR of 91%, he is undoubtedly ideally qualified for this new role and will continue to support the company as it transitions to an emerging producer in the coming years.
Harvest Minerals (AIM: HMI) announced outstanding results from a three-year agronomic trials on coffee plants using KPfértil, its direct application natural remineraliser produced at its 100% owned Arapua Project in Brazil. The testwork, which was conducted by independent consultants Santinato & Santinato Cafés Ltda, confirmed that KPfértil can and should be used to replace conventional fertilisers as a source of potassium and phosphate, with results showing that it increased the value of the coffee produced by increasing both the proportion of the largest coffee cherries (which hold the coffee bean) and the yield.
Jangada Mines Plc (AIM: JAN) has concluded its diamond drilling programme at its Pitombeiras Vanadium Project in Brazil, with 19 drill holes for a total of 1,360.80 metres completed. The programme evaluated the structural corridor associated with the known vanadium titanomagnetite (‘VTM’) mineralisation with 16 holes intersecting significant VTM mineralisation With consistent grades and widths. Upon receiving the remaining 11 drillhole results, Jangada will be in a position to calculate and report an initial JORC mineral resource estimate, followed by a Preliminary Economic Assessment.
MGC Pharma (ASX: MXC) found successful research results from their ongoing pre-clinical research program that supports and directs novel cannabinoid formulations in the development of treatment for glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive primary brain tumour. This program is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Biology and the Neurosurgery Department at the University Medical Centre in Slovenia. This is a significant step for MGC as they continue their pioneering research into the use of their core intellectual property of cannabinoid compounds for effective treatment on cancerous cells. Further research will now focus on the most effective CBG and CBD combination doses and doses of cannabinoids to approach treatment of patients and avoiding the unwanted effects of THC, using the in-vitro diagnostic platform.
Emmerson Plc (LSE: EML) has finalised some of the ongoing Feasibility Study components for the mine access design and costing for its world-class Khemisset Potash Project in Morocco, making it their fourth completed workstream. With total costs of $34.1 million, including contingency, it is a slight reduction on the Scoping Study estimate and represents a 95% reduction in capital cost. Emmerson is confident the results of the Feasibility Study will demonstrate a world class, low capex, high margin potash project as it continues to progress well and on schedule.
LHV, the financial and payment services provider, unveiled its latest client, London-based TransferGo, one of the world’s fastest growing money transfer companies. As well as its wide range of services, including safeguarding accounts, Virtual IBANs, currency exchange, and liquidity services, LHV will provide TransferGo with access to real time € and £ payments via Single Euro Payment Area (‘SEPA’) Instant and Faster Payments schemes respectively. In less than two years LHV has trebled its client base to well over 100 thanks in large part to its ‘one stop shop’ offering that covers all the financial needs of its customers.
You may have missed…
Ferro-Alloy Resources (AIM: FAR) spoke with Proactive Investors this week on their development plans for the Balasausqandiq vanadium deposit in Kazakhstan.
Jubilee Metal’s Plc’s (AIM: JLP) CEO Leon Coetzer spoke to Directors Talk about the effect of COVID-19 on the business, sharing his optimism for the future.
Women in Mining’s 100 Global Inspirational Women In Mining nominations have opened, showcasing the amazing talent and contributions of women in the industry. https://www.womeninmining.org.uk/wim-100-nominations/
In light of Earth Day, here are some positive stories from around the world of ways people are helping our planet:
One dedicated man has in India planted a tree every day since 1979 to create a forest larger than Central Park.
Thailand imposed a plastic bag ban, and people got very creative with new ways to carry their shopping from a pressure cooker to construction cones.
Global forest loss over the last 35 years has been more than offset by new growth.
With less people visiting the beaches in India, sea turtles came ashore for the first time in years to lay 60 million eggs.
The indigenous women in Oaxaca, Mexico are making biodegradable face masks out of palms to donate to those who need them most.
The Matterhorn in Switzerland (of Toblerone fame) has been a literal beacon of hope with messages and world flags are being projected onto it to give people a sign of solidarity.
Global Earth Day Programs you can take part in from home.
And if you were looking for a way to celebrate Shakespeare’s ‘Bard-day’…
Pay homage to the playwright by using the words he invented that have become part of the English language such as: addiction, assassination, bedazzled, belongings, cold-blooded, dishearten, eventful, fashionable, inaudible, scuffle, swagger, uncomfortable, scuffle, pageantry…to name a few! And that’s not even mentioning the turns of phrase of his we use too, such as ‘love is blind’, ‘green-eyed monster’, or ‘in a pickle’.
With so much we still do not know about his life, archeologists continue to investigate the evidence available and reveal new clues.
Although you might not be able to visit the Shakespeare’s Globe and see the performances, they have made their production of Romeo and Juliet available to watch online, and Sir Patrick Stewart is reading a sonnet a day on Twitter.
Some of the top fun facts you probably didn’t know about Shakespeare.
If you’re looking for ways to watch one of his plays online, look no further: the National Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night is available online, the Royal Shakespeare Company have 18 full plays available to watch, and BBC iPlayer have various plays and adaptations available.
Today is also the Hubble telescope’s 30th birthday, and it brings us its best pictures!