Traders Cafe with Zak Mir: Ariana, Discoverie, Diurnal, Echo, Hurricane, Oscillate, Poolbeg, Rambler, Tekcapital, Tertiary, Xtract, Zoo

Clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company Poolbeg Pharma (POLB) updated on new patent filings for its PredictViral™ platform that estimates disease severity and contagiousness in people who are recently infected with a respiratory virus. The company said expanding on existing PredictViral™ IP, these latest patent applications have been submitted in the UK and aims to protect a method of predicting whether an individual exposed to a respiratory virus (such as Influenza, RSV, hRV) will have a higher severity of disease and / or be more likely to be contagious. Poolbeg will continue to focus on expanding its IP portfolio as required.

End-to-end cloud-based localisation and media services to the global entertainment industry, Zoo Digital (ZOO) unveiled the launch of its mastering services division to support leading content creators to deliver for next day air on major streaming services and platforms. The company said the mastering services division provides an additional revenue source and further enhances its position as a provider of end-to-end localisation and media services to the global media and entertainment industry.

UK intellectual property investment group Tekcapital (TEK) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just released voluntary sodium reduction goals for the food industry "to provide measurable voluntary short-term (2.5-year) goals for sodium content in commercially processed, packaged, and prepared foods to reduce excess population sodium intake."

UK based oil and gas company Hurricane Energy (HUR) provided its 2021 interim report and half-year results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2021, and updated on Lancaster field operations and net cash balances as of 30 September 2021. Revenues were of $124.5 million from four liftings of Lancaster crude (H1 2020: $81.9 million from seven liftings). Cash production costs were of $24.8/bbl (H1 2020: $18.2/bbl). The company generated $75.9 million of operating cash flow (H1 2020: $21.9 million), equivalent to $38.0/bbl (H1 2020: $8.2/bbl). Profit after tax for the period of $42.8 million (H1 2020: loss after tax of $307.8 million), so a sharp swing into the black.

Rambler Metals and Mining (RMM) said that it will shortly issue a total of 880,928 shares at a price of 16.7142p each in respect of a conversion notice received on 13 October 2021 by Riverfort Global Opportunities (RGO) and YA II PN, Ltd of $200,000 principal of the unsecured, subordinated convertible note agreement with Riverfort and YA II.

Latin American focused upstream energy company, Echo Energy (ECHO) said that it has completed the first in a programme of sixteen proposed well interventions and workovers to bring non-producing reserves back in to production at Santa Cruz Sur. The first intervention has now been successfully completed on a well in the Chorillos block. For the operation, a surface hydraulic pumping unit was used to induce flow and over a 100-hour period, the well delivered a cumulative 305 bbls of high-quality oil as part of this intervention and flow induction process, a rate equivalent to c.76 bopd.

Xtract Resources (XTR) unveiled preliminary unaudited results for all alluvial and hard rock mining contractors for the Manica Concession for the three-month period ended 30 September 2021. The total mining contractor gold production was 49.34Kg for the quarter, equivalent to approximately 1,586 ounces including initial hard rock production from Guy Fawkes of 170 equivalent ounces of gold. A total of 13.60Kg (equivalent to approximately 437 ounces) was attributable to Explorator. The value of the Explorator share of gold produced was $784,998. Gold sales in period hit 152 ounces. The combined attributable revenue to Explorator from gold sales and other income for the Period amounted to $373,781. Xtract said the Guy Fawkes development continued during the period and Fairbride had progressed.

Sabien Technology Group (SNT), which provides solutions in the heating, cooling, and transportation sectors, said that it is in exploratory discussions with Proton Technologies Canada Inc.. These have the purpose of examining the scope for co-operation between the two companies during October 2021 related to the potential synergies between their respective technologies and projects. Sabien said it is keen to understand the potential for its waste-to-fuel process being deployed in conjunction with Proton's hydrogen production technology.

Tertiary Minerals (TYM) updated from its Pyramid Silver-Gold Project in Nevada, USA, where analytical results from the company's recently completed Phase 2 trenching has extended the strike and width of recently discovered silver mineralisation at North Ruth. The second phase of trenching has confirmed and extended the existing discovery. Silver and gold mineralisation has now been shown to extend over a strike extent of at least 530m; Trench 1 EXT, an extension to trench 1, revealed a zone width of up to 59 metres; Grades as high as 595g/t silver (17.35 ounces/ton) and 0.66g/t gold were intersected.

AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company Ariana (AAU) said that the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning has now formally provided its approval of the EIA. Tavsan is part of Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.S. and is 23.5% owned by Ariana.

Specialty pharmaceutical company Diurnal (DNL) said that it has signed a distribution agreement with ExCEEd Orphan, a company providing full business solutions for the treatment of rare diseases, for the distribution and marketing of Alkindi(R) (hydrocortisone granules in capsules for opening) and Efmody(R) ( hydrocortisone modified-release hard capsules) in Central and Eastern European countries.

discoverIE Group (DSCV), the international designer, manufacturer and supplier of customised electronics to industry, issued a trading update for the six months ended 30 September 2021. The strong order growth reported in the second half of the last financial year and the first quarter of the current financial year has continued. Revenue for the first half remained well ahead of both the Covid-impacted prior year and the pre-Covid year ended 31 March 2020. Together with continued strong operational execution and despite foreign exchange headwinds in the period, group performance for the first half is ahead of the board's expectations.

There was further director buying at Oscillate (MUSH). Yesterday, Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi, bought 1,000,000 ordinary shares of the Company, at a price of 2.02p. He now has 4.75% of the issued share capital.