Alien Metals Ltd on Tuesday said that its subsidiary, Iron Ore Company of Australia Pty Ltd, has signed a heritage agreement with the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC for the Vivash Gorge exploration licence.

Alien Metals is an Australia-focused minerals exploration and development company, currently developing a near-term, direct shipping, iron ore operation at the Hancock project in Pilbara, Western Australia. Iron Ore Co is its subsidiary.

Meanwhile, the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation administers the traditional lands and waters of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama people and the Pinikura people on their behalf. These lands and waters cover 10,888 square kilometres of Western Australia’s Pilbara region - where the Vivash Gorge project is based - between Onslow and Tom Price.

The agreement, which is for E 47/3071, allows Iron Ore to explore the licence co-operatively with the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people, while ensuring best practice protection of their cultural heritage.

The first step will now be to arrange heritage surveys as part of planning exploration campaigns at the Vivash Prospect, looking for potentially new prospects of Iron Ore resource.

‘The company and its board would like to thank the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation and its Board of PKKP Directors for their support in execution of the HPA,’ said Chief Executive Officer Troy Whittaker.

‘The Vivash Gorge prospect is an important part of the company’s strategy to develop and expand its Iron Ore operations in the Pilbara Region, Western Australia. Execution of this HPA allows the Company to unlock this strategic tenement that sits within close proximity to proven large scale production mines like Fortescue’s Eliwana and Rio Tinto’s Brockman 4.’

Alien Metals shares were trading 2.3% higher at 0.20 pence each in London on Tuesday afternoon.

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