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Astral Resources NL (ASX: AAR) (Astral or the Company) is pleased to report an updated JORC compliant (2012 Edition) Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the 100%-owned Feysville Gold Project (Feysville), located 14km south of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia (refer to Figure 2 below).
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Updated JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 5.0Mt at 1.2g/t Au for 196koz of contained gold completed for the 100%-owned Feysville Gold Project (Feysville), located 14km south of Kalgoorlie in WA (Feysville MRE).
- The Feysville MRE includes maiden MREs for both the Kamperman and Rogan Josh deposits, as well as an updated MRE for the Think Big deposit.
- Mineral Resources have been estimated using a 0.39g/t Au lower cut-off and constrained within pit shells derived using a gold price of A$2,500 per ounce (consistent with the price used for the current MRE at the Mandilla Gold Project (Mandilla) reported on 20 July 20231 (Mandilla MRE), noting that, at that time, the spot gold price was considerably less than it is today.
- Mineralisation encompassing the Kamperman and Rogan Josh MREs was discovered at an average cost of approximately $19 per ounce. This compares to Astral’s peer group, members of which are currently trading at enterprise values in the range of $38 to $82 per mineral resource ounce2.
- The oxide and transitional deposits at Rogan Josh and Think Big total 1.6Mt at 1.3g/t Au for 68.2koz of contained gold. Combined with the 2.0Mt at 1.3g/t Au for 83.8koz of contained gold at Kamperman, Astral considers there to be significant potential to increase the production target for the Mandilla Pre-Feasibility Study (Mandilla PFS), with work well underway.
- The Mandilla Scoping Study (Mandilla Scoping Study) reported during September 20233 included processing lower grade material of approximately 4.5Mt of Mandilla ore grading less than 0.70 g/t Au during the first five years of operations. The higher grade Feysville ore is expected to displace this ore, contributing significant economic upside to the Mandilla PFS compared to the Mandilla Scoping Study.
- The Mandilla PFS is likely to incorporate a pit shell design parameter of at least A$2,600 per ounce for mine optimisation. This exceeds the gold price parameter of A$2,500 incorporated in the calculation of Mineral Resources for both Mandilla and Feysville and, therefore, is likely to support a relatively high conversion rate of Mineral Resources into the Mandilla PFS production target.
- Including the Mandilla MRE of 37Mt at 1.1g/t Au for 1.27Moz of contained gold4, Astral’s total gold MRE is now calculated to be 42Mt at 1.1g/t Au for 1.46Moz of contained gold (Group MRE) (refer to Table 10).
Astral Resources’ Managing Director Marc Ducler said: “When we returned to drilling at Feysville in November 2022, we did so with a view to building critical mass to support our flagship Mandilla Gold Project. As our understanding of Feysville increased, we formed the view that the highly-underexplored Feysville tenement package had the potential to contribute several 100,000-ounce open pit opportunities to the broader Mandilla Gold Project as contemplated in the Mandilla Scoping Study3.
“With today’s Feysville MRE announcement, Astral is well on the way to delivering on this potential.
“The Mineral Resource Estimates across both Mandilla and Feysville are now consistently reported within pit shells incorporating a A$2,500 gold price and cut-off grades of 0.39g/t Au.
“While we acknowledge that using a gold price of A$2,500 to constrain the Feysville MRE is too conservative given the current spot gold price exceeds A$4,000, we intend to update the Group MRE using a more appropriate gold price and cost assumptions as the current data becomes available through advancement of the Mandilla PFS. To adjust revenue pricing assumptions prior to gaining certainty over cost assumptions is not considered appropriate.
“Importantly, the maiden Kamperman MRE has yielded a 1.3g/t open pit resource with a 5.9:1 strip ratio. Given our intention is to use a gold price of at least A$2,600 for pit design for the Mandilla PFS, we are very confident that a strong conversion of this resource into the production target will be achieved and, hence, make a material contribution to the economics of the Mandilla PFS.
“It is also important to note that the Kamperman deposit offers further significant growth potential based on the results of the recent 31-hole/3,834 metre reverse circulation (RC) drill program recently completed. These results are not included in the Kamperman MRE; however, one of the reported intercepts – 3 metres at 177g/t Au from 74 metres as part of a broader intersection of 25 metres at 24.3g/t Au from 68 metres in hole FRC3785 – is quite outstanding and suggests there to be scope for considerable upside with further drilling.
“Similarly, the supergene deposits present at both the Think Big and Rogan Josh MREs are also likely to have a very high conversion rate into a production target.
“Astral remains committed to further increasing the Group MRE through extensional drilling, as well as increasing the geological confidence levels – and, hence, MRE categories – through further in-fill drilling. Two rigs are currently on site at Mandilla, a diamond drill (DD) rig and an RC rig, with the RC rig expected to relocate to Kamperman before the Christmas period for further in-fill and extensional drilling.
“Astral expects to report revised MREs for both Mandilla and Feysville in Q1 next year, ahead of the anticipated completion of the Mandilla PFS in Q2 2025.”
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This article includes content from Astral Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
AAR:AU
Mawson Finland Limited
Investor Insight
With its focused and strategic goals of advancing, expanding and de-risking its highly prospective gold and cobalt resource in Finland, Mawson Finland is well-placed to become a key player in Europe’s growing precious metals and battery markets.
Overview
Mawson Finland (TSXV:MFL) is a relatively new listed exploration-stage mining development company focused on gold-cobalt in northern Finland. The company is advancing its 100 percent owned Rajapalot gold-cobalt project in Finland's Lapland region. The project covers 18,000 hectares and boasts an inferred resource of 9.8 Mt consisting of 867,000 oz gold at 2.8 g/t and 4,311 tonnes of cobalt at 441 parts per million (ppm). The company aims to de-risk and expand this project, targeting resource growth through drilling. A completed preliminary economic assessment (PEA) estimated a net present value (NPV) of US$211 million and a 27 percent internal rate of return (IRR) based on US$1,700 gold price, with significant upside from greenfield exploration.
Mawson Finland is driven by a highly experienced local management and technical team, and supported by a strong Finnish investor ownership, all committed to rapidly advancing the Rajapalot project. Noora Ahola, the CEO of Mawson Finland, is a seasoned mining professional with over a decade of experience working on the Rajapalot gold-cobalt project. Based in Rovaniemi, Finland, Ahola has played a key role in advancing the project under its previous owner, Mawson Gold, and in bringing in a roster of Finnish investors into the company. Mawson Finland has a tight shareholder structure, with 19 million shares outstanding and no warrants.
Committed to sustainable development, Mawson Finland places a strong emphasis on environmental stewardship and community engagement. The company adheres to Finland’s rigorous environmental regulations, conducting its operations with a focus on minimizing the ecological impact in the area in which it operates. The ethical sourcing of cobalt, a metal critical for electric vehicle batteries, aligns the project well with current global efforts to ensure responsible supply chains for green energy technologies.
Company Highlights
- Mawson Finland is a newly listed exploration company focused on advancing its gold-cobalt project in the Lapland Region of Finland, a tier 1 mining jurisdiction.
- The project hosts multiple high-grade zones, which have been the focus of extensive exploration activities.
- The completed PEA on Rajapalot has an inferred resource of 9.78 million tonnes containing 867,000 ounces of gold and 4,311 tonnes of cobalt with grades of 2.8 g/t and 441 ppm, respectively. Additionally, the PEA includes an NPV (5 percent) of US$ 211 million with a 27 percent IRR.
- Cobalt, a key by-product of the Rajapalot project, is crucial for the manufacturing of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and renewable energy storage solutions.
Key Project
Rajapalot Gold-Cobalt Project
The Rajapalot gold-cobalt project is the cornerstone asset of Mawson Finland, situated in the Lapland region of northern Finland, a tier 1 location. Covering approximately 18,000 hectares, the project is distinguished by its significant gold and cobalt mineralization, making it one of the notable dual-commodity projects in Europe.
The project hosts multiple high-grade gold-cobalt zones, including Palokas, South Palokas, Raja and Rumajärvi. These zones have been the focus of extensive exploration activities, leading to the delineation of a substantial inferred mineral resource. The resource estimates indicate the presence of both gold and cobalt, with gold grades and cobalt credits enhancing the overall economic potential of the project. The mineralization remains open at depth and along strike, suggesting considerable upside from resource expansion through further drilling.
Rajapalot is characterised by its favourable geology within the Paleoproterozoic Peräpohja Belt. The mineralization is associated with metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Anomalous gold is known to correlate with elevated levels of cobalt, bismuth, and other minerals. The area’s geological similarities to other significant mining districts add to the Project’s prospectivity.
Mawson Finland has undertaken comprehensive exploration programs, including diamond drilling, geophysical surveys, and geological mapping. These efforts have not only expanded the known mineralized zones, but have also identified new targets for future exploration. The company’s strategy focuses on both increasing the resource base and advancing the project towards a feasibility study.
Mawson Finland has completed and reported on its 2024 drill results. The company’s goal remains increasing its gold and cobalt resources at the Rajapalot project. The upcoming results will focus on expanding known high-grade zones and testing new exploration targets, with the goal of boosting both the gold and cobalt resources. These efforts are part of the company’s broader strategy to demonstrate the full potential of the project and to continue growing the resource.
Management Team
Neil MacRae - Executive Chairman
Neil MacRae is a capital markets professional with 29 years of experience in investor relations, commodities trading and corporate development within the global mining industry. MacRae holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary and started his career in 1994 with Mitsui & Co. (Canada). Over the years, he has held various management and investor relations roles with companies such as First Majestic Silver, Sherwood Copper (merged with Capstone in 2008), Farallon Mining (sold to Nyrstar in 2011), NovaGold Resources, and Santacruz Silver Mining. MacRae was previously a director of Mawson Gold.
Noora Ahola - President, CEO and Director
Noora Ahola is a forestry engineer with a masters degree in natural resources and Landscape Management. She has developed strong experience within the Finnish environmental administration, applying environmental and other land-use legislation for nature protection and other purposes. Her most recent roles include managing director of Mawson Oy and interim CEO and environmental director of Mawson Gold. She also worked at The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Lapland (ELY-Centre) in the nature protection unit as a manager for a program based on developing biodiversity and ecological connections between Natura 2000 sites. As environmental director at Mawson Gold, Ahola set environmental policy, and was responsible for permitting, environmental monitoring and management and research plans. She was responsible also for identifying and managing key environmental risks associated with Mawson Gold’s projects and for ensuring all ESG factors are effectively addressed and managed. Ahola continues to represent Mawson Oy as a director in the Lapland Chamber of Commerce and Finnish Mining Association boards. She is also a member of the national Chamber of Commerce delegation.
Nick DeMare – Chief Financial Officer
Nick DeMare, a chartered professional accountant, has been president of Chase Management since 1991, providing accounting, management, securities regulatory compliance and corporate secretarial services to private and public-listed companies. DeMare also serves as an officer and/or director of a number of public-listed companies. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and is a member in good standing of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia.
Pinnacle Silver and Gold
Investor Insight
Pinnacle Silver and Gold presents a compelling investment opportunity in the precious metals sector as it continues to advance its existing projects and pursue new opportunities, offering investors an attractive entry point into the dynamic world of silver and gold exploration.
Overview
Pinnacle Silver and Gold (TSXV:PINN) stands out as a promising player in the precious metals exploration sector. With its strategic focus on high-potential projects, commitment to responsible mining practices, and experienced leadership team, the company is well-positioned for growth.
As an exploration company focused on silver and gold projects in the Americas, Pinnacle is strategically positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for these valuable resources. The company's investment appeal stems from several key factors:
- A robust pipeline of projects at various stages of exploration and development
- Strategic focus on high-potential areas in North and South America
- Effective capital management practices
- Aggressive expansion strategy through strategic acquisitions
The company’s business strategy involves the acquisition of past-producing mines that can be put back into production quickly to generate cash flow. By focusing on high-grade, underground mines, Pinnacle can leverage low capex, a smaller operational footprint, easier and faster permitting process and protection against metal price volatility. At the same time, the company conducts brownfield exploration for resource expansion, increasing its potential for district-scale discovery.
Pinnacle's emphasis on creating shareholder value is evident in its approach to project selection and development. The company's portfolio is carefully curated to balance near-term production potential with long-term growth prospects, offering investors exposure to both immediate returns and future upside.
Company Highlights
- Pinnacle Silver and Gold is a Canada-based exploration and development company dedicated to building long-term shareholder value with its silver- and gold-focused assets in North and South America.
- The company has built an asset portfolio entirely within mining-friendly jurisdictions with clear legal requirements and regulations that provide confidence in the future of each project.
- Both the Argosy Gold Mine and North Birch Project are located in the Red Lake District in Northwestern Ontario, a region famous for gold production.
- The company's expansion to Mexico, through a recent agreement, gives it access to the prolific and resource-rich Sierra Madre Trend and further diversifies its portfolio of high-grade assets.
- The company is led by an impressive management team with decades of experience managing mining companies that operate in the Americas.
Key Projects
Argosy Gold Mine Project
The 100 percent owned Argosy Gold Mine project is located in the northern part of the Birch-Uchi Greenstone Belt of the Superior Province of the Precambrian Shield, and just 10 km northwest of First Mining Gold’s Springpole deposit, which contains 4.7 million ounces of gold in the indicated category. The Birch-Uchi Belt lies between the prolific Red Lake and Pickle Lake Greenstone Belts and contains similar geology. Located 110 kilometres east-northeast of Red Lake, the property hosts the most significant past-producing gold mine in the Birch-Uchi Belt, with 101,875 oz of gold produced at 12.7 grams per ton (g/t) between 1931 and 1952.
Diamond drilling in October 2002 by a previous operator confirmed the extension of the gold mineralization below the old workings with intercepts of 11.75 g/t over 1.55 m and 14.39 g/t over 0.7 m on the Number 2 Vein, 100 m below the old mine development. Additional intercepts of 14.67 g/t over 1.7 m on the Number 3 Vein, and 12.02 g/t over 1.29 m on the Number 8 Vein highlight the potential to build resources on parallel, un-mined veins.
There is exceptional exploration potential on the property and the company is actively expanding its exploration efforts to delineate the full extent of the mineralization.
North Birch Gold Project
The 3,850 hectare, 100 percent owned North Birch gold project lies in the northwestern corner of the Birch-Uchi Greenstone Belt in the Red Lake mining division of northwestern Ontario, roughly 110 km northeast of the town of Red Lake. The Birch-Uchi Belt is considered to have similar geology to the Red Lake Belt but has seen less exploration and is about three times larger. The North Birch project covers a geological setting identified from airborne magnetic surveys and interpreted as a favorable environment for gold mineralization. The property covers an intensely folded and sheared iron formation similar in appearance to the one hosting Newmont Goldcorp’s Musselwhite Mine (past production, reserves and resources exceed 8 million ounces of gold), some 190 kilometers to the northeast. In addition, the stratigraphy underlying the bulk of both properties is interpreted as Cycle I volcanics, which are thought by some workers to be equivalent to the Balmer Assemblage, host of the prolific Campbell/Red Lake gold orebody (more than 20 million ounces of gold in past production and reserves) in the adjacent Red Lake Greenstone Belt.
Located about 4 km from the Argosy Gold Mine, North Birch has undergone minimal previous exploration, making it a largely grassroots prospect. The property covers an interpreted geological setting that is considered to be highly prospective for both iron formation hosted and high-grade quartz vein hosted gold mineralization.
Expansion into Mexico - El Potrero Gold-Silver Project
In a strategic move to diversify its portfolio, Pinnacle has signed a letter of intent for an option to acquire a high-grade El Potrero gold-silver project in the Sierra Madre Trend of Mexico. This expansion underscores the company's commitment to growth and its ability to identify and secure promising opportunities in key mining jurisdictions.
El Potrero lies within 35 km of four operating mines, including the 4,000 tons-per-day (tpd) Ciénega mine by Fresnillo, Luca Mining’s 1,000 tpd Tahuehueto mine, and the 250 tpd Topia mine owned by Guanajuato Silver. The El Potrero property had undergone small-scale production from 1989 to 1990 and contains a 100 tpd plant that can be refurbished/rebuilt at relatively low cost.
The property hosts a 4 km strike length of a northwest-southeast trending epithermal vein system with high-grade gold and silver mineralization. The veins are brecciated and hosted in andesitic volcanics of the Tertiary Lower Volcanic Series near the contact with the overlying Upper Volcanic Series. Multiple small mines, accessible by adits into the side of the hill, exist along the system and some have been exploited in the 1980’s and possibly before. Vein widths are reported to be in the 0.5 to 10 meter range. Vein textures indicate the mines may be sitting fairly high in the epithermal system implying good potential to extend the mineralization to depth.
Under the terms of the agreement, Pinnacle will earn an initial 50 percent interest immediately upon commencing production. The goal would then be to generate sufficient cash flow with which to further develop the project and increase the company’s ownership to 100 percent subject to a 2 percent NSR. If successful, this approach would be less dilutive for shareholders than relying on the still challenging equity markets to finance the growth of the company.
Management Team
Robert Archer - President and CEO, Director
Robert Archer has more than 40 years’ experience in the mining industry, working throughout the Americas. After spending more than 15 years with major mining companies, Archer held several senior management positions in the junior mining sector and co-founded Great Panther Mining, a mid-tier precious metals producer, where he served as president and CEO from 2004 to 2017 and director until 2020. He joined Pinnacle as a director in March 2018 followed by his appointment as CEO in January 2019 and president in October 2021. Archer is a professional geologist and holds an Honours BSc from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.
David Cross - CFO
David Cross is a CPA and CGA with over 21 years’ experience in the junior sector with a focus on finance and corporate governance. He is currently a partner of Cross Davis and Company LLP Chartered Professional Accountant, which specializes in accounting and management services for private and publicly listed companies within the mining industry, and has recently been appointed CFO of Ashburton Ventures.
Colin Jones - Independent Director
Colin Jones is principal consultant for Orimco Resource Investment Advisors in Perth, Australia. He has almost 40 years’ experience as a mining, exploration and consulting geologist in a number of different geological environments on all continents. He has managed large exploration and due diligence projects, and has undertaken numerous bankable technical audits, technical valuations, independent expert reports and due diligence studies worldwide, most of which were on behalf of major international resource financing institutions and banks. Jones holds a Bachelor of Science (Earth Sciences) degree from Massey University, NZ.
David Salari - Independent Director
David Salari has worldwide experience in the design, construction and operation of extractive metallurgical plants. He is an engineer with more than 35 years of experience in the mining and mineral processing field. He is currently the president and CEO of DENM Engineering.
Ron Schmitz - Independent Director
Ron Schmitz is the principal and president of ASI Accounting Services, providing administrative, accounting and office services to public and private companies since July 1995. Schmitz has served as a director and/or chief financial officer of various public companies since 1997, and currently holds these positions with various public and private companies.
Ǫuarterly Activity Report 30 September 2024
Highlights
- Updated geological modelling with multiple intra-pluton porphyry copper centres close to surface identified from surface geochemical surveys within the Yataga Copper Project
- Porphyry centres concentrated along a structural belt have been identified as analogous to the Highland Valley Copper Mine, where a series of porphyry copper deposits host Canada’s largest open pit copper mine (production of >130kt in 2021)
- Termite mound sampling programmes have identified a combined area of 8km2 of copper-in- soil anomalism with significant potential for expansion
- 220-line km airborne electromagnetic survey complete with results pending
- 20+-line km ground based Pole-Dipole Induced Polarisation (PDIP) and Magnetotelluric (MT) Survey underway
- Geochemistry and geophysics programme results will feed into upcoming optimised drilling program planned for early 2025
- Acclaimed ǪLD geologist, Dr Gregg Morrison appointed as Technical Advisor to the Project
- $1.5M Placement underway through issue of 61M fully paid ordinary shares at $0.025 per share to sophisticated and professional investors
Located within the Georgetown mining district, EMU’s Georgetown tenements cover a richly endowed but under-explored area of Far North Ǫueensland with a history of significant mining activity and mineral discoveries.
EMU is earning an 80% interest in 3 exploration permits for minerals (EPM’s), covering 850km2 in the Georgetown mining district, Ǫueensland, under a Heads of Agreement and Joint Venture Agreement with Rugby Resources Ltd (TSXV:RUG). The district has a substantial mineral endowment with more than 1,000 mines, prospects and identified mineral occurrences.1
Figure 1. Georgetown Tenements Location
Definitions and Nomenclature
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This article includes content from EMU NL, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Quarterly Activities Report for the Period Ending 30 September 2024
Key Highlights
- Reverse Circulation drilling commenced on the Ashburton Proterozoic unconformity uranium project in Western Australia. 7 drill holes were completed in the September Quarter for a total advance of 1028m.
- Equivalent U3O8 concentrations from this phase of Ashburton reverse circulation drilling have been calculated from downhole gamma surveys, and include:
- ARC001 6.98m @ 1,617 ppm eU3O8 from 101.84 meters
- ARC002 4.36m @ 2,205 ppm eU3O8 from 109.89 meters
- ARC003 3.96m @ 1,516 ppm eU3O8 from 86.89 meters
- ARC004 6.02m @ 801 ppm eU3O8 from 83.55 meters
- ARC006 3.45m @ 5,129 ppm eU3O8 from 137.62 meters incl 0.34m @ 16,050 ppm eU3O8 from 139.11 meters
- ARC007 1.30m @ 503ppm eU3O8 from 123.37 meters
- Drilling on the Ashburton Project is ongoing with RC and Diamond drilling during the December Quarter
- Two geophysical surveys (IP and magnetics) have been completed at Cerro Chacon in Argentina and the Company is awaiting the final interpretation.
- Auger drilling at Sierra Cuadrada highlights extensive areas of near surface uranium mineralisation: the largest being 6km long and 3km wide and remains open.
- Mineralisation varies in thickness from 0.5m to 4m, with an average thickness 1.5m.
- Multiple areas are being evaluated to identifying priority areas for follow up trenching, mapping and determination.
- An additional 39 tenement applications for uranium exploration have been lodged in Argentina totalling 1785km2. Tenements are located in the provinces of Rio Negro and Chubut. Tenements are prospective for sandstone hosted uranium mineralisation and include both hard rock and in-situ recovery targets.
- The Company has established an experienced in country team with the appointment of country manager, project managers and geologists for both gold and uranium.
Figure 1: Locality maps highlighting Piche’s Australian Projects in Western Australia and its Argentinean
Australia – Uranium - Ashburton Project
A reverse circulation drilling programme commenced on the Ashburton uranium project during the September Quarter. A total of 7 drill holes were completed during the quarter for a total advance of 1028m. The reverse circulation drilling is ongoing, and a diamond drilling programme will also commence early in the December Quarter.
The September Quarter drilling programme was undertaken at, and along strike of the Angelo A prospect where no exploration activities have been carried out in the last 40 years. The drilling programme was planned to confirm the results from previous exploration by drilling several twin holes, to test a revised model for the control of the uranium mineralisation and explore for extensions to the mineralisation identified between 1973 and 1984.
Results from the first seven reverse circulation drill holes completed have been received and six of those have returned significant high grade uranium mineralisation.
Drilling is targeting Proterozoic unconformity style uranium mineralisation, similar to that seen in two of the most significant uranium jurisdictions in the world: the Pine Creek Geosyncline in Australia and the Athabasca Basin in Canada.
Drilling was preceded by a detailed heritage clearance survey.
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This article includes content from Piche Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.