Vulcan Energy has demonstrated brine reinjection capacity above design assumptions at its Lionheart lithium and geothermal project in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley.
The LSC-3a well, drilled to 3,743 metres, achieved estimated injection capacity of 64 litres per second, exceeding the project’s design assumption of 40 litres per second by approximately 60%. Lionheart is designed to produce 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually, alongside renewable electricity and geothermal heat, over an anticipated 30-year operating life. Vulcan has completed seven of 28 planned wells.
Reinjection is essential for maintaining reservoir pressure and sustaining production. Although the results support a key engineering assumption, performance must be confirmed across the wider wellfield. Further work includes developing the LSC-4 and LSC-5 reinjection wells and refining the reservoir model, with results relevant to project financing and capital requirements.
Kingsrose secures permit for Finnish PGM exploration
Kingsrose Mining has received an exploration permit and enforcement order from Finland’s mining authority, Tukes, for Area 6 of its Penikat platinum-group-metals project.
The permit allows up to 5,000 metres of drilling during the August-to-March exploration season, while the enforcement order permits a restricted programme of 3,000 metres annually during appeal proceedings.
The appeal deadline is 20 November 2026, and Kingsrose plans to begin drilling in January 2027. The permit will initially remain valid for four years after becoming legally binding, with potential extensions. Drilling must maintain buffers of approximately 100–200 metres from protected areas, depending on ground conditions. Penikat targets platinum-group metals, nickel and copper. The project remains at the exploration stage, with drilling required to establish whether mineralisation has sufficient grade, continuity and scale to support a compliant resource. Legal challenges could still affect the timing and conditions of exploration.
Latitude 66 expands gold-cobalt exploration in Finland
Latitude 66 has launched a 2,500-metre diamond drilling programme at its Kuusamo Schist Belt project, targeting an expansion of its existing gold-cobalt resource ahead of further prefeasibility work. The project contains 7.3 million tonnes grading 2.7 g/t gold and 0.08% cobalt, equivalent to approximately 650,000 ounces of gold and 5,840 tonnes of contained cobalt. Around 90% of the resource is classified as Indicated. The K1 deposit accounts for approximately 510,000 ounces of gold and 5,010 tonnes of cobalt.
Drilling is targeting an electromagnetic conductor extending 320 metres along strike and 650 metres down-dip. Previous drilling returned an intersection of 5.6 metres grading 7.3 g/t gold.
Resource growth to inform mine planning
Latitude 66 is evaluating a development concept combining open-pit and underground mining. Additional mineralisation could affect mine-life assumptions, infrastructure requirements and processing plant design.
The cobalt component offers potential additional value, but its contribution will depend on whether metallurgy supports recovery into a saleable product without materially increasing processing costs or reducing gold recovery. The immediate milestone is the release of assay results, which will determine whether the current programme identifies additional gold-cobalt mineralisation beyond the existing resource boundaries.
