Aura Energy higher after restarting field activities in Mauritania

Aura Energy Limited was 7.5% higher in London after the dual-listed company said it has restarted field activities on its Tasiast South tenements in Mauritania, Africa. Aura has completed the first gravity survey over the entire greenstone area. The company has mobilised two geophysical crews from gravity specialist, GeoFocus, from South Africa, to carry out detailed gravity surveying on all three of Aura’s tenements at Tasiast South. 2.35pm: Woodbois increase its forestry interest in Gabon Woodbois Ltd (LON:WBI) has increased its forestry interest in Gabon by 75% in a deal worth US$1.5mln. After initially agreeing to acquire 56,000 hectares in Mimongo, close to its existing operations, it has opted to buy 71,000 hectares. It will hand over an initial US$900,000 and US$150,000 per quarter from October. The news sent the shares 5.3% higher. 1.40pm: Bidding war for Vectura hots up Vectura Group PLC was 5.1% higher at 172.4p after the bidding war for the drug delivery specialist got hotter. The company has received an increased bid from tobacco giant Philip Morris International, trumping a previously improved offer from private equity firm Carlyle Group. Carlyle’s most recent offer of 155p was given the Vectura board’s backing last week but it has now withdrawn the advice to accept the offer. 12.45pm: Active Energy hit by outage at Ashland facility Active Energy Group PLC (LSE:AEG) lost one-sixth of its value at 0.475p after one of the reactors at the Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Facility failed while operating. Consequently, production of Coalswitch at the Ashland Facility has been temporarily suspended. The cause of this failure will require a detailed assessment, which is already underway. Except for the reactors, all other equipment at the Ashland facility remains operational. 11.50am: H&T does not take long to find new CFO H&T Group PLC (AIM:HAT) was 6.2% heavier at 290p after it announced the appointment of a new chief financial officer alongside its interims. Diane Giddy will join H&T from FirstRand Ltd on 1 November. “Her broad banking and financial experience will add considerable value to the group,” said Peter McNamara, the group’s chairman. 10.55am: Infrastructure India slumps as it warns of labour shortages affecting its biggest asset Infrastructure India PLC, down 31% at 0.9p, was the top faller in London after a downbeat trading update. The infrastructure fund revealed the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on its largest asset, Distribution Logistics Infrastructure. The company has sustained delays in construction and completion schedules, delays with regulatory approvals due to government bottlenecks and irregular and lumpy volumes as a result of 15 months of severe market turbulence, Infrastructure India said. The most significant challenge for construction, particularly during the second wave of infections this year, was the reduced availability of labour, it added. 10.00am: Zephyr Energy lifted by drilling result Zephyr Energy PLC (LSE:ZPHR) headed north, rising 155 to 6.3p, after it completed the drilling of the State 16-2LN-CC well in the Paradox Basin, Utah. The well successfully encountered the primary Cane Creek reservoir target, along with secondary targets in overlying reservoirs. Some 4,555 ft of Cane Creek reservoir was penetrated including the lateral part of the well, Zephyr noted. Initial results indicate hydrocarbon charge across the entirety of the Cane Creek reservoir, it added. 9.05am: Bluejay way is up Bluejay Mining PLC, up 23% at 11.5p, was the top riser on Monday morning after announcing a joint venture. The exploration company, which has projects in Greenland and Finland, has announced a joint venture agreement with KoBold Minerals, a mineral exploration company that uses machine learning to guide exploration for new deposits rich in the critical materials for electric vehicles. Judging by the way it crammed their names into the headline of its stock market announcement, Bluejay expects us to be impressed that KoBold is backed by Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com’s head honcho, and Bill Gates, the former boss and co-founder of Microsoft. Nightcap, the bars operator that listed in the middle of the UK lockdown, was 7.0% firmer at 23p after announcing a new site for its London Cocktail Club chain. The new site is … er … in Bristol. The site is expected to be open before the end of the year and will have an unrestricted capacity of 310. Cider-based cocktails all round! Nightcap currently has a further five sites in legal negotiations across several of its brands.