Resources Top 5: This popular lithium play has spiked 780pc in 2021

Canadian court approves Sayona’s ~$107 million acquisition of the mothballed North American Lithium (NAL) operation
Geological modelling confirms multiple new gold, base metal and iron ore targets at Tempest’s ‘Euro’ project
Rock phosphate miner Fertoz will start mining operations at ‘Fernie’ in July.

Here are the biggest small cap resources winner in early trade, Wednesday June 30.

SAYONA MINING (ASX:SYA)

A Canadian court has approved Sayona’s ~$107 million acquisition of the mothballed North American Lithium (NAL) operation, which will be integrated into the nearby Authier project to create a world scale lithium hub.

“This is a pivotal point for not only ourselves and our bid partner Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL), but also Québec and its future as a leading player in the clean energy industry of the 21st century,” Sayona’s Brett Lynch says.

“We look forward to executing our turnaround plan in integrating NAL with our flagship Authier Lithium Project to transform the operation and create a world‐scale Abitbi lithium hub, advancing our plans for downstream processing in Québec.”

The $450m market cap stock is up 780% year to date.

$1.62 billion market cap Piedmont is up 170% over the same period.

OZAURUM RESOURCES (ASX:OZM)

(Up on no news)

Last Monday, the recently listed explorer revealed a new “widespread high grade gold zone” at the Mulgabbie’ project, a stone’s throw from Northern Star’s (ASX:NST) Carosue Dam operations in WA.

Highlight results from shallow, early-stage drilling included 4m @ 5.02 g/t gold from 24m.

This 2.2km long, 150m wide zone “potentially represents the near surface footprint of significant primary gold mineralisation” – AKA the next Carosue Dam.

“The Company is eagerly awaiting pending assay results of the final 180 AC holes that were drilled and looks forward to updating the market in due course,” Ozaurum says.

WESTAR RESOURCES (ASX:WSR)

(Up on no news)

Like Ozaurum, Westar is a recently listed explorer hunting big gold deposits in WA.

In May, it kicked off a maiden 5000m drilling program at the ‘Gidgee South’ project, where a geological review identified priority undrilled targets “that have the potential for a maiden gold discovery”.

Assays are pending.

TEMPEST MINERALS (ASX:TEM)

Early-stage geological modelling confirms multiple new gold, base metal and iron ore targets at the explorer’s ‘Euro’ project in WA.

Euro is wedged between 4 current major operations: Karara (Iron), Shine (Iron), Mt Mulgine (Gold/Tungsten) and Rothsay (Gold/Copper) and shares the same geology.

Yet despite this, much of the project remains underexplored.

The Kiev target in particular has a similar ‘signature’ to Silver Lake Resources’ (ASX:SLR) 1 million ounce Rothsay mine, the company says.

Advanced planning and approvals are in progress for upcoming drilling.

FERTOZ (ASX:FTZ)

“The largest supplier of organic rock phosphate in North America” will start mining operations at ‘Fernie’ in Canada in July.

“Following on from a record first quarter orders 2Q contracts and orders have again been very strong and now necessitate Fernie operations to start,” the company says.

“Contracts and orders now exceeding 10,000 tonnes require filling and delivery into Q321 and Q421, hence cashflows to follow thereon after.”

The $30m market cap stock is up 175% year to date.