The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries (ASX: XSO) slipped 12.1 points, or 0.36%, to 3,314.30 on Monday, leaving the small-cap benchmark down 9.7 points, or 0.29%, over the past five trading sessions.
Several small-cap companies continue to move ahead with project development, regulatory and exploration milestones, with Rumble Resources progressing its Western Queen mine plans, Livium positioned to benefit from new battery stewardship rules, Andromeda Metals securing patent protection and West Coast Silver launching a government-backed geophysical campaign.
Rumble advances Western Queen underground development
Rumble Resources Ltd (ASX:RTR, OTC:RTRFF) has provided an update on its proposed underground mine development at the 100%-owned Western Queen Gold and Tungsten Project, about 90 kilometres northwest of Mount Magnet in Western Australia.
Western Queen hosts a June 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate of 5.13 million tonnes at 2.6 g/t gold for 433,600 ounces of contained gold, including Indicated Resources of 2.46 million tonnes at 2.9 g/t for 227,700 ounces.
Rumble intends to mine ore from Western Queen and process it at the Kirkalocka gold plant, around 180 kilometres southeast of the project.
The company entered a Toll Milling and Blending Agreement in May 2026 with Gylden Resources Pty Ltd and Kirkalocka Gold SPV Pty Ltd to process Western Queen material at the Kirkalocka facility.
Livium eyes growth from NSW battery scheme
Livium Ltd (ASX:LIT, OTC:LMMFF, FRA:3MW) has welcomed the commencement of New South Wales' mandatory battery product stewardship scheme under the Product Lifecycle Responsibility Regulation 2026, which came into effect on October 1.
The regulation represents Australia's first mandatory battery stewardship scheme and shifts the industry from voluntary participation towards greater producer responsibility.
Funded collection programs, expanded drop-off networks and mandatory recycling standards are expected to increase the amount of battery material diverted from waste streams to compliant recyclers.
Livium said its Envirostream business, one of Australia's leading lithium-ion battery recyclers, was well positioned to benefit as collection and recycling volumes increase.
Andromeda secures first HPA process patent
Andromeda Metals Ltd (ASX:ADN, OTC:ANDMF) has secured its first patent covering the company's proprietary process for producing high-purity alumina (HPA) and smelter-grade alumina, with protection granted in South Africa.
The patent is the first granted from a broader portfolio of national applications covering technology that underpins Andromeda's HPA Project.
The milestone follows the company's successful pilot-scale production of HPA at a measured purity of 99.9986% and a strategic HPA supply heads of agreement with Traxys North America aimed at developing a pathway into the US market.
Andromeda has spent more than eight years developing and optimising the process using kaolin sourced from its Great White Project.
HPA is used in a range of high-value applications including lithium-ion batteries, LEDs, semiconductors, synthetic sapphire and advanced ceramics.
West Coast Silver launches Elizabeth Hill geophysics
West Coast Silver Ltd (ASX:WCE, OTC:ERWWF, FRA:8N70) has started a geophysical survey campaign at its flagship Elizabeth Hill Silver Project in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
The program will test around four kilometres of the Munni Munni Fault Zone for potential repeats of the high-grade Elizabeth Hill silver system, which historically produced 1.2 million ounces of silver at an average head grade of 2,194 g/t.
The Western Australian Government is contributing $114,312 through its Co-Funded Geophysics Exploration Incentive Scheme, covering 50% of the cost of the company's induced polarisation and controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotelluric survey program.
The work forms part of West Coast Silver's broader near-mine and regional exploration campaign around Elizabeth Hill.
