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Diamond Drilling Program Expanded and High-Grade M1 Intercept Returned
Warriedar Resources Limited (ASX: WA8) (Warriedar or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on drilling progress and assay results from its Golden Range Project, located in the Murchison region of Western Australia (Figure 1).
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Drilling activities along the ‘Golden Corridor’ progressing well; current Reverse Circulation (RC) program complete (28 holes for 5,024m) and diamond tails program expanded to 2,500m (approx. 1,900m complete across 19 holes).
- Represents the first diamond drilling undertaken at the 2.3km-long Ricciardo deposit, and the nearby M1 deposit, by any operator in ten years.
- Assay results for the first diamond hole at M1 (infill focus) were significantly higher grade than expected:
- 8.9m @ 8.93 g/t Au from 156m, incl. 2m @ 23.83 g/t from 158.3m
- M1 offers clear high-grade extension potential, which is planned to be a focus of further drilling in H2 2024.
- Diamond holes drilled beneath the Silverstone Central pit (Ricciardo), in an area with no historical drilling, returned:
- 7m @ 2.59 g/t Au from 229m, incl. 1m @ 10.81 g/t Au from 233.7m
- 4.6m @ 1.20 g/t Au from 235m
- Extensional RC drilling under the Eastern Creek pit (Ricciardo) returned:
- 7m @ 2.54 g/t Au from 170m, incl. 1m @ 7.48 g/t from 172m
- 9m @ 1.42 g/t Au from 180m
- Ricciardo and M1 both sit in the 25km-long ‘Golden Corridor’ at Golden Range, which hosts six discrete deposits (18 historic pits) that are all open at depth and possess immediate growth potential.
- Diamond drilling set to be completed in mid-August, with all assays expected by mid-September and update of the Ricciardo MRE targeted for Q4 2024.
- Further growth-focussed drilling of the ‘Golden Corridor’ planned for H2 2024.
The results reported in this release are for a further eight (8) of the diamond holes and the first nine (9) of the RC holes drilled in the current program (representing all outstanding results received to date). Results for the first four (4) diamond holes were previously reported (refer WA8 ASX release dated 3 July 2024). The new results continue to demonstrate the outstanding Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) growth potential that exists at Ricciardo, M1, and along the broader ‘Golden Corridor’ trend.
Figure 1: The Golden Range and Fields Find Projects. Mines and projects within trucking distance of the Warriedar tenure are shown. The location of the Ricciardo deposit within the 25km-long ‘Golden Corridor’ at Golden Range is annotated.
M1 deposit
The M1 deposit is located 7km north of the Ricciardo deposit, and right alongside the existing processing plant (refer Figure 2); within the 25km long Golden Corridor trend.
Initial results have been returned from diamond tails drilled at the M1 deposit, with significant intersections returned in both holes. The holes were planned to test the existing MRE model,
Figure 2: The Golden Corridor within the Golden Range Project. The M1 deposit is located 7km north of the Ricciardo deposit. The image on the LEFT is gravity over shaded residual magnetic RTP.
potential parallel lodes and gaps within the MRE area. This drilling represents the first time this deposit has been revisited and drilled since 2013.
Hole M1RC191 was drilled in the centre of the modelled resource area and returned significantly higher grade than expected (refer Figure 3). This is an excellent result and aids Warriedar in the larger goal of building high-priority MRE areas for rapid development.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Warriedar Resources Limited, 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.
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Warriedar Resources
Overview
Warriedar Resources (ASX:WA8) is an advanced gold and copper exploration company backed by a highly skilled team of experts, Warriedar maintains an incredibly strong and stable portfolio of gold assets in both Western Australia and Nevada. Between its three projects – Golden Range, Fields Find and Big Springs – it currently holds more than 2 million ounces of high-grade gold resources with blue-sky potential for growth, and a robust pipeline of high-quality drill targets. Warriedar is well-funded for its planned 2024 drill programs focused on rapidly building its gold resources.
Two of its brownfield projects – Golden Range and Fields Find – are located in Western Australia's Murchison Province, widely known as an active mining and exploration region. Both projects are situated on previously mined and underexplored land, and surrounded by successful, operating gold and base metal mines. Golden Range hosts approximately 950,000 oz gold resource and an existing 800 ktpa processing plant and associated infrastructure (placed on care and maintenance during 2019 by its previous owner). To the east of Golden Range is the Fields Find project, which contains significant levels of gold, copper and nickel.
Warriedar’s Big Springs gold project in Nevada, USA, is adjacent to First Majestic Silver’s Jerritt Canyon gold mine complex, an operating mine with a production history of over 10 Moz gold. Big Springs has an existing resource base of approximately 1 Moz gold within a granted mining licence, surrounded by approximately 93 square kilometers of prime exploration ground prospective for Carlin-style gold.
Warriedar also prides itself on the expertise and experience of its leadership team, driving the company towards successfully achieving its goals and increasing shareholder value. Geophysicist Dr. Amanda Buckingham serves on Warriedar's board of directors, bringing three decades of experience to her role. Mark Connelly, Warriedar’s non-executive chairman, is a financial and commercial executive with extensive experience in the resource industry. Dianmin Chen, a seasoned mining engineer, completes the complementary skill set of the board.
Company Highlights
- Warriedar Resources is an advanced gold and copper exploration company with a portfolio of assets well-positioned to take advantage of the positive gold market.
- Two of the company's three projects are located in the Murchison Province of Western Australia.
- Golden Range, a 945,000-oz gold project with on-site infrastructure that includes an 800-ktpa plant.
- Fields Find, which hosts the historic Warriedar copper mine.
- The company also maintains a 1.01-million-ounce gold project in Nevada, USA, known as Big Springs.
- All three projects are underexplored, with significant resource potential.
- Warriedar is backed by a highly skilled team with decades of experience and leadership in mining and exploration.
- The company is expected to have a steady newsflow through 2024, with a well-funded drilling plan aimed at rapidly expanding its gold resource.
Key Projects
Golden Range
Situated in the middle of Western Australia's highly active Murchison exploration and mining province, the Golden Range project is strategically positioned between several major operating mines and advanced exploration projects. Together with the nearby Fields Find project, it represents a belt-scale opportunity, covering a combined area of 813 square kilometres.
A brownfields project with considerable past exploration and development, Golden Range hosts a gold resource of 945,000 ounces along a dominant central shear corridor. Existing on-site infrastructure includes an 800-ktpa oxide processing plant, which was placed on care and maintenance by the project's previous owner in 2019. This provides Warriedar with an accelerated, low-capital-intensity pathway to future gold production pending the success of an ongoing exploration program.
Project Highlights:
- Prime Location: Golden Range is bordered by multiple existing mines and deposits, each serving as a valuable analogue to the resources it may potentially contain. These include: Deflector Copper-Gold Mine, owned by Silver Lake Resources (ASX:SLR); Rothsay Gold Mine, owned by Silver Lake Resources; Mt. Magnet. owned by Ramelius Resources (ASX:RMS); Mt Gibson, owned by Capricorn Metals (ASX:CMM); and Golden Grove Copper-Zinc-Silver-Gold mine, owned by 29Metals (ASX:29M).
- Untapped Potential: Historical drilling at Golden Range was largely focused on shallow oxide gold in proximity to the existing mill, with an average drill depth of 42 metres. Historical pits on-site range in depth from 20 to 80 metres, with an average depth of 60 metres. This leaves substantial exploration upside for primary gold discoveries both below and along strike from existing shallow open pits.
- Exploration Results: Warriedar undertook an aggressive exploration program in 2023, which included drilling as well as airborne and ground electromagnetic (EM) surveying at both Golden Range and Fields Find. A total of ~ 36,000m of Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling was completed, resulting in the extension of 5 of the 5 gold Resources drilled (all in Mining Leases) and the advancement of several key Prospects. Importantly, the 2023 work highlighted where the 2024 focus should be – along the main mineralized shear within a 25 km long trend called the Golden Corridor. This trend already hosts 736 koz Au across 6 deposits and 16 historic pits. Results from 2023 and early 2024 included:
- Ricciardo (RDRC019): 32 m @ 3.59 g/t gold from 148 m (ended in mineralization)
- Ricciardo (RDRC020): 6 m @ 4.69 g/t gold from 142 m
- Ricciardo (RDRC002): 7 m @ 4.48 g/t from 251 m
- Ricciardo (RDRC031): 11 m @ 3.43 g/t gold from 149 m
- Windinne Well (WORC056): 4 m @ 5.17 g/t from 52 m
- Austin (AURC086): 20 m @ 1.98 g/t gold, 7.2 g/t silver, 844 ppm lead from 160 m
- Rothschild (BRRC083): 18 m @ 2.43 g/t gold from 191 m
- Mugs Luck (MLRC209): 8 m @ 2.28 g/t gold from 72 m
The Ricciardo deposit, an existing 476-koz resource in the middle of the Golden Corridor along the main shear. Assay results from drilling undertaken at the Ricciardo deposit confirmed the presence of high-grade shoots below existing oxide open pits and demonstrated the excellent exploration potential for further discoveries at Ricciardo
- Current MRE: The current mineral resource estimate for Golden Range is 945 koz contained within 19,429 kt at 1.5 g/t gold:
- 20 koz contained within 282 kt at 2.2 g/t gold measured.
- 441 koz contained within 8,887 kt at 1.5 g/t gold indicated.
- 485 koz contained within 10,080 kt at 1.5 g/t gold inferred.
- Exploration Roadmap: Warriedar has a clear line of sight on pursuing substantial resource growth and exploration success for its Western Australia projects. The focus during 2024 will be drilling for quality gold ounces to grow existing resources along the Golden Corridor, and drilling for new discoveries along the 70 km shear (ground all held by Warriedar).
Fields Find
The Fields Find Project and the location of key prospects.
Located just to the east of Golden Range, Fields Find is most notable for its highly irregular geology. Due to an intrusive complex within the greenstone sequence, the area is known to contain elevated levels of nickel, copper and gold. Although the brownfields project has been the site of previous exploration, the focus was exclusively on gold with one notable exception.
At Fields Find's southwest corner stands the historic Warriedar copper mine, which is located at the end of Warriedar's target zone, known as the Warriedar Corridor. It is also worth noting that the Murchison Province is generally known to be rich in copper with both the Golden Grove and Deflector copper mines in geological proximity.
Project Highlights:
- Copper Region: The Murchison province is known for its rich copper resource. Fields Find also encompasses the Warriedar Corridor.
- Exploration Results: Warriedar carried out a decent exploration program during 2023 which included drilling, airborne and ground-based EM surveying, at Fields Find. Results include:
- At the Rothschild gold deposit: the main gold lode along the entire strike length of the deposit was extended at depth by 150 m. Assay results included: 18 m @ 2.43 g/t gold from 191 m (BRRC083), 11 m @ 3.39 g/t gold from 197 m (BRRC081).
- New 2023 airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data covering a substantial part of the tenure which was previously un-flown. Follow-up ground EM identified several well constrained priority 1 targets, ready for drilling. Many of these are located with the layered mafic-ultramafic intrusion (the Fields Find Intrusive Complex).
- Drilling at Fields Find West confirmed a multi-phase porphyry intrusive system hosting polymetallic mineralisation comprising gold, copper, molybdenum and silver. At the Mopoke Prospect within this porphyry system, assay results returned 4 m @ 5.00 g/t gold from 92 m (MOR005).
Big Springs
Located in the prolific Nevada Gold Trend, the Big Springs Gold Project stands adjacent to First Majestic Silver's (TSE:FR) Jerritt Canyon Gold Mine Complex, which has a production history of more than 10 Moz gold. The project itself has an existing resource base of roughly 1 Moz gold and is surrounded by approximately 93 square kilometres of exploration ground prospective for Carlin-style gold.
Warriedar is currently collecting the necessary geoscience data to optimise its drill targets while also advancing its exploration permitting. It plans to recommence its drilling program upon approval of expanded permits, with a suitable partner.
The company believes the tenement package offers enormous untapped potential for growth in existing gold resources.
Project Highlights:
- Current MRE: The mineral resource estimate for Big Springs is 1,014 koz contained within 15,490 kt at 2 g/t gold:
- 129 koz contained within 860 kt at 4.7 g/t gold measured
- 428 koz contained within 6,000 kt at 2.2 g/t gold indicated
- 459 koz contained within 8,630 kt at 1.7 g/t gold inferred
Management Team
Mark Connelly - Non-executive Chairman
Mark Connelly is a seasoned financial and commercial executive with extensive resource industry experience in management leadership and board roles. His direct operational and capital markets experience spans many jurisdictions including Australia, North America, South America, Africa and Europe.
Connelly’s North American operating and development experience includes several years based in the U.S. working for Newmont Mining, one of the world’s leading gold mining companies. This included extensive exposure to and knowledge of Newmont’s flagship Nevada gold operations.
Connelly also has an outstanding track record of shareholder value growth and realisation, particularly over the last decade. This includes the development and eventual sale of Papillon Resources for approximately US$570 million and the US$597 million consolidation of Endeavour Mining with Adamus Resources.
Amanda Buckinghamn - Managing Director and CEO
Dr. Amanda Buckingham is a geophysicist who has been involved in mineral exploration for 30 years. She co-founded award-winning and industry-leading geophysical consulting firm Fathom Geophysics in late 2007, based in both Australia and the United States.
Buckingham has extensive exploration experience globally. Her early career involved work as a geoscientist and project manager at majors such as Rio Tinto, listed juniors in both Canada and Australia and several years consulting at SRK.
She also co-founded Cygnus Metals (ASX:CY5) and Desert Minerals (ASX:DM1). She is currently a director of several private companies and a research fellow at the University of Western Australia.
Dianmin Chen - Non-executive Director
Dr. Dianmin Chen is a mining engineer with more than 35 years of experience in metal mining. He has held a wide range of roles in the mining industry including technical, production and management positions in Australia, China and Canada.
Chen held executive roles with Sino Gold (general manager), Citic Pacific Mining (chief operating officer), CaNickel (executive director and CEO) and Norton Goldfields (managing director and CEO) and served as a non-executive director for several publicly listed companies in Australia and Canada, including Kalgoorlie Mining, Bullabulling Gold Mines, Sherwin Iron, Norton Goldfields, NKWE Platinum and CuDeco. He is currently a non-executive director of Global Lithium Resources (ASX:GL1).
Chen holds a Bachelor of Engineering in mining, a PhD in mining geomechanics and a WA First Class Mine Manager’s Certificate of Competency.
Stuart Burvill - GM Corporate/General Counsel
Stuart Burvill is a legal, commercial and compliance manager and civil and structural engineer with over 30 years of experience in mining, petroleum, energy, shipbuilding, defence and civil infrastructure development including rail, roads, bridges and tunnels.
Burvill has extensive experience in M&A, corporate and project finance, capital raising, ownership and funding structuring, joint ventures, construction contracts and disputes, corporate governance and administration and enterprise risk management. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), Bachelor of Laws, MBA and Grad Dip in Applied Corporate Governance.
Graeme Morissey - Chief Financial Officer
Graeme Morissey joins Warriedar from previous director-level roles in the audit divisions of global accounting firms EY, KPMG and Grant Thornton. He has over 15 years of direct experience in servicing clients within the mining exploration and development sector. This includes specific expertise extending across compliance with Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and Department of Mines regulation.
Morissey has also consulted directly with CFOs within the Australian mining sector, which has included optimisation of internal reporting processes on performance, cash flow forecasting, and adherence to budgets. He is a chartered accountant and a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.
Morissey holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University in Canada.
David Palumbo - Company Secretary
David Palumbo from Mining Corporate is a chartered accountant and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors with over 14 years of experience across company secretarial, corporate advisory and the financial management and reporting of ASX-listed companies. He currently acts as company secretary for a number of ASX-listed companies and serves on the board of Krakatoa Resources (ASX:KTA) and Kaiser Reef (ASX:KAU).
Steve McMillin - Exploration Manager (Nevada)
Steve McMillin is a highly experienced and well-respected exploration geologist. He has over 35 years of practical mineral exploration experience in the United States, with particular expertise in Carlin-style gold projects in Nevada.
Before joining Warriedar Resources, McMillin was at Jerritt Canyon Gold for seven years, including as chief mine geologist. The producing Jerritt Canyon Gold Mine is located only 20 kilometres away from Big Springs along the same mineralisation trend. During his time there, he led underground near-mine exploration and resource development, helping to discover 12 new economic deposits and develop several.
Prior to 2016, McMillin was chief mine geologist at Fire Creek with Klondex, senior exploration geologist with Midway Gold at the Spring Valley and Pan-Goldrock deposits, senior mine geologist at Jerritt Canyon with AngloGold and Queenstake Resources and project geologist with Newmont Exploration in Nevada.
He is a certified professional geologist with American Institute of Professional Geologists, and member of the Geological Society of Nevada and the Society of Economic Geologists.
Thomas Dwight - Exploration Manager (Western Australia)
Thomas Dwight has worked in mineral exploration for several years across Australia and within multiple commodities. He has previously focused on Western Australia gold exploration, including the development of the Tampia Hill Resource with Explaurum Operations, but also has experience in porphyry copper mineralisation managing exploration for Duke Exploration in Queensland.
During his time in the industry, his focus has been exploration, project development and database management. Dwight holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of Otago, majoring in geology/earth science.
Peng Sha - Chief Geologist
Peng Sha is a geologist with more than 12 years experience in the exploration and evaluation of copper, gold, lead, zinc, silver, rare earth and lithium mining and exploration projects. He has extensive expertise working with several different deposit types across prospective mining jurisdictions, including Australia, Serbia, China and Latin America.
Sha held senior geologist roles in Global Ore Discovery, Ballarat Gold Mine and AuKing Mining. He was also the exploration manager for Zijin Mining Serbia, where he led the exploration team in the development of annual greenfield and brownfield exploration programmes for world-class porphyry, high and low sulphidation epithermal gold and copper deposits and VMS lead-zinc-silver deposits.
Sha holds a Master of Applied Science, Geology and an Honours Degree in Economic Geology (first class) from James Cook University. He is a member of the Society of Economic Geologists and AusIMM.
First Diamond Drilling Results at Ricciardo Deliver High-Grade Gold Extensions
Warriedar Resources Limited (ASX: WA8) (Warriedar or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on drilling progress and release the first results from diamond drilling undertaken at the Ricciardo deposit within its Golden Range Project, located in the Murchison region of Western Australia (Figure 1).
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Next phase of drilling activities progressing strongly at Ricciardo and M1.
- Approximately 5,030m RC (29 holes) and 1,420m diamond drilling (16 holes) completed to date.
- The first diamond drilling undertaken at the 2.3km long Ricciardo deposit by any operator in ten years.
- Assay results returned for the first four (4) diamond tails (255m) of the program at Ricciardo have seen all holes intersect significant gold intervals, including:
- 19m @ 4.94 g/t Au from 188m (RDRC039 DD) * includes contiguous final RC result of 4m @ 14.49 g/t from 188m
- 12m @ 6.98 g/t Au from 110m (RDRC040 DD) inc. 3m @ 22.12 g/t Au from 112m
- 16m @ 2.30 g/t Au from 243m (RDRC055 DD) inc. 6m @ 3.13 g/t Au from 252m
- 17m @ 2.38 g/t Au from 264m (RDRC055 DD) inc. 8m @ 4.03 g/t Au from 273m
- Delivers further high-grade extensional success to existing Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) model below the Silverstone North pit (Holes 40, 55) and infill confidence to MRE below northern end of the Ardmore pit (Hole 39).
- These outcomes build on the growth in high-grade deposit margins delivered at Ricciardo from the significant RC program executed earlier this year.
- Ricciardo sits in the middle of the 25km-long ‘Golden Corridor’ at Golden Range, which hosts six discrete deposits (18 historic pits) that are all open at depth and possess immediate growth potential.
- The ‘Golden Corridor’ is Warriedar’s key exploration focus in 2024.
This is the first diamond drill program at Ricciardo since 2014, when just three (3) diamond holes were drilled by the previous operator.
The results reported in this release are for four (4) (255m) of the 16 (1420m) diamond holes drilled to date. Approximately 2,200m of diamond drilling is planned as part of the current phase of combined RC and diamond drilling at Ricciardo and M1.
The results from these initial four diamond holes extend the high-grade shoot below the Silverstone North pit and infill a previous gap in the high-grade zone of the MRE below the northern part of the Ardmore pit (adding confidence and continuity to the MRE in this area).
These outcomes, while stemming from only a small part of the overall current phase of drilling, continues to demonstrate the outstanding MRE growth potential that exists at Ricciardo and along the broader ‘Golden Corridor’ trend.
Figure 1: The Golden Range and Fields Find Projects Mines and projects within trucking distance of the Warriedar tenure are shown. The location of the Ricciardo deposit within the 25km-long ‘Golden Corridor’ at the Golden Range Project is annotated
The Ricciardo gold system (within the Golden Range Project) spans a strike length of approximately 2.3km, with very limited drilling having been undertaken below 100m depth. Ricciardo possesses a current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 8.7 Mt @ 1.7 g/t Au for 476 koz gold.1 The oxide material at Ricciardo has been mined by previous operators.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Warriedar Resources Limited, 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.
Update on acquisition of Deferred Assets
Warriedar Resources Limited (ASX: WA8) (Warriedar or the Company) provides an update on the Deferred Assets arrangement announced to the ASX on 28 November 2022.
The Company acquired subsidiary DC Mines Pty Ltd (DC Mines) in February 20231 . DC Mines had acquired the Golden Range and Fields Find Projects from Minjar Gold Pty Ltd (Minjar) in 2022. Under the 2022 Asset Sale Agreement between Minjar and DC Mines, completion of the acquisition of four tenements the subject of the acquisition (E59/1324-I, M59/386-I, M59/387-I and M59/425-I (Deferred Assets)), was deferred pending the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions precedent related to consents or approvals from third parties.
The date for satisfaction of the conditions precedent has now passed and the Asset Sale Agreement has been terminated with respect to the Deferred Assets.
The Deferred Assets included an existing JORC-compliant Mineral Resource of 4.0 Mt at 1.0 g/t Au for 129.8 koz Au (Mt Mulgine). The Company’s Mineral Resource table has been updated to reflect this change and is provided below.
Warriedar Managing Director and CEO, Amanda Buckingham, commented:
“We are resolutely focussed on our strategy to rapidly build high-grade Mineral Resources within the ‘Golden Corridor’ at Golden Range. This is a 25km long trend hosting 6 known gold deposits, 18 historic shallow open pits and an existing Mineral Resource of 736koz gold – and which comprises the great majority of the existing Mineral Resources defined at our Golden Range Project. Mt Mulgine does not form part of the Golden Corridor and was not a focus area for our growth drilling activities.”
Engage with this announcement at the Warriedar InvestorHub
This announcement has been authorised for release by: Amanda Buckingham, Managing Director.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Warriedar Resources Limited, 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.
Analyst Report Cites Warriedar’s High-grade Gold Play, Copper Potential in Upside Valuation
Description:
With a hugely untapped high-grade gold resource and compelling potential base metal discoveries, Warriedar Resources (ASX:WA8) is poised for a significant upside in its current market valuation, according to a new report from analyst firm East Coast Research.
“Applying a peer-based EV/resource multiple approach, we derive the valuation of AU$0.09 in a base case scenario and AU$0.11 per share in a bull case scenario,” analyst Behzad Golmohammadi wrote in the report.
Warriedar Resources is an advanced gold and copper exploration company with an existing resource base of about 2 million ounces of gold between its projects in Western Australia (Golden Range and Fields Find) and Nevada, USA (Big Springs). The analyst report cites Warriedar’s successful exploration to date of Golden Range and Fields Find with highly encouraging results suggesting a potential for high-grade gold discoveries and a porphyry system hosting polymetallic mineralisation, including gold, copper, molybdenum and silver.
“Successful resource expansion from the upcoming aggressive drilling campaigns, enhanced by
positive metallurgy and new discovery potential could drive a substantial rerating, in our view,” Golmohammadi wrote.
The report also cited the current positive gold outlook that is expected to drive gold prices higher, adding to the upside potential of Warriedar Resources.
Report highlights include:
- Warriedar Resources holds a largely underexplored portfolio of high-grade gold assets, with significant base metals discovery potential, in tier 1 jurisdictions surrounded by existing gold deposits and producing mines.
- The company’s diverse exploration programmes in 2023 yielded encouraging results, highlighting the substantial inherent potential in Warriedar’s key projects.
- A positive gold outlook expected to drive gold prices higher
- Using a sum-of-the-parts-driven asset base comparable valuation methodology and a conservative resource estimates assumptions, East Coast Research’s valuation of Warriedar is at AU$0.09 per share in the base-case scenario and AU$0.11 per share in the bull-case scenario, representing a price/NAV of 0.41x, which offers ~150 percent upside probability for potential investors.
For the full analyst report, click here.
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Further High-Grade Gold Success at Ricciardo
Warriedar Resources Limited (ASX: WA8) (Warriedar or the Company) is pleased to release the results of drilling undertaken at the Ricciardo deposit (previously known as Silverstone) within its Golden Range Project, located in the Murchison region of Western Australia.
HIGHLIGHTS:
GOLDEN RANGE
- Assay results for the remaining (3) RC holes drilled at the Ricciardo deposit have been received, with all holes intersecting significant gold intervals including:
- 4m @ 14.49 g/t Au from 188m, ending in mineralisation (RDRC039)
- 12m @ 1.91 g/t Au from 74m, ending in mineralisation (RDRC040)
- 7m @ 1.17 g/t Au from 119m (RDRC038)
- Results continue to increase the known extent of the high-grade shoot beneath the historic Ardmore pit.
- Drilling demonstrates significant additional mineralisation outside the current Mineral Resource model, with mineralisation remaining open at depth.
- These results build on the high-grade results already released for the Ricciardo deposit.
- Ricciardo sits in the middle of the 25km-long ‘Golden Corridor’ at Golden Range, which hosts six discrete deposits (18 historic pits) that are all open at depth and possess immediate growth potential.
- The ‘Golden Corridor’ is Warriedar’s key exploration focus in 2024, with further growth-focussed RC drilling set to commence in the next week.
FIELDS FIND
- Results from drilling at Rothschild continue to extend mineralisation along strike to the east (and remains open).
- New greenfields gold zone intersected at Provenance, located approx. 700m north of the Rothschild deposit.
Today’s results extend the high-grade shoot below the Ardmore pit and broaden the mineralisation envelope. Drilling continues to demonstrate the outstanding Mineral Resource growth potential that exists at Ricciardo and along the broader ‘Golden Corridor’ trend.
Assay results from drilling carried out at the Fields Find Project late last calendar year have also been received. Drilling at Fields Find successfully extended Rothschild to the east and highlighted a new greenfields discovery at the Provenance prospect (approximately 700m north of Rothschild).
Figure 1: The Golden Range and Fields Find Projects Mines and projects within trucking distance of the Warriedar tenure are shown. The location of the Ricciardo deposit within the 25km-long ‘Golden Corridor’ at the Golden Range Project is annotated.
Robust high-grade depth extensions continue at Ricciardo
The Ricciardo gold system (within the Golden Range Project) spans a strike length of approximately 2.3km, with very limited drilling having been undertaken below 100m depth. Ricciardo possesses a current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 8.7 Mt @ 1.7 g/t Au for 476 koz gold.1 The oxide material at Ricciardo has been mined by previous operators.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Warriedar Resources Limited, 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 Ended 31 March 2024
Warriedar Resources Limited (ASX: WA8) (Warriedar or the Company) is pleased to report on its activities for the quarter ended 31 March 2024.
HIGHLIGHTS
Golden Range and Fields Find Projects, Western Australia
- Drilling activities for CY2024 commenced at the Golden Range Project with a reverse circulation (RC) program at the Ricciardo deposit, twenty-one (21) holes drilled for 3,500m drilling.
- Ricciardo sits in the middle of the 25km-long ‘Golden Corridor’ at Golden Range, which hosts six discrete deposits (18 historic pits) that are all open at depth and possess immediate growth potential.
- Assay results from three (3) holes drilled in December and eighteen (18) holes drilled in February were received during the quarter, with all holes returning significant gold mineralisation. Results include:
- 32m @ 3.59 g/t Au from 148m, incl. 1m @ 10.85 g/t Au from 151m
- 8m @ 11.40 g/t Au from 166m, incl. 3m @ 22.38 g/t Au from 167m
- 3m @ 5.61 g/t Au from 114m, incl. 1m @ 11.20 g/t Au from 114m
- 11m @ 3.43 g/t Au from 149m
- 6m @ 4.69 g/t Au from 142m
- 8m @ 2.63 g/t Au from 160m
- 9m @ 1.97 g/t Au from 201m
- 20m @ 1.03 g/t Au from 177m
- 14m @ 1.15 g/t Au from 114m
- Results demonstrate the excellent potential for further Resource growth along the ‘Golden Corridor’, below and between historic open pits.
- Assay results from a further three (3) holes drilled beneath the Ardmore pit are pending, with results anticipated this month.
- Further growth-focused drilling along the ‘Golden Corridor’ is planned for Q2 CY2024.
- Proposed Plan of Operation (PoO) application continues to progress.
Corporate
- Resignation of Non-Executive Director Mr Mingyan (Joe) Wang.
- Successful bookbuild for A$6.0 million two-tranche equity placement, with binding commitments received from new and existing shareholders.
- Cash of A$4.8 million as at 31 March 2024 and zero debt (excluding typical trade creditor balances).
Western Australian Projects
The Golden Range and Fields Find Projects (the Projects) are located approximately 350 km northeast of Perth and 260 km east-southeast of Geraldton (Figure 1). The total consolidated land package of the Projects is 813 km2, extending for over 70 km of strike from north to south and covering much of the central Yalgoo-Singleton and Warriedar Archean greenstone belts.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Warriedar Resources Limited, 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.
New High-Grade Gold Discovery at Golden Ridge, NE Tasmania. Grades up to 99.4g/t Au Recorded
Flynn Gold Limited (ASX: FG1, “Flynn” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the discovery of an extensive system of gold bearing quartz veins within historical workings located approximately 250m north of the historic Trafalgar Mine at its 100% owned Golden Ridge Project in Northeast Tasmania (see Figure 1).
Highlights
- New high-grade gold vein zone discovered in trenching 250m north of the Trafalgar mine at the Golden Ridge Project, NE Tasmania where Flynn is currently drilling
- 17 out of 36 grab rock chip samples assayed over 10g/t Au, including 99.4g/t Au, 76.6g/t Au and 67.1g/t Au
- Gold hosted in multiple sub-parallel quartz-sulphide veins over a minimum 65m wide zone
- Assays from initial trench channel sampling include high-grade mineralised intervals:
- 11.0m @ 2.0g/t Au including 3.3m @ 6.3g/t Au, and
- 16.5m @ 1.3g/t Au including 1.5m @ 6.8g/t Au and 4.0m @
- 2.4g/t Au
- The new vein zone discovery significantly expands the gold mineralised footprint at the Trafalgar prospect
- Diamond drilling is underway to test gold mineralisation at depth below the trenching.
- For further information or to post questions go to the Flynn Gold Investor Hub at https://investorhub.flynngold.com.au/link/DP47lr
Managing Director & CEO Neil Marston, commenting on the results said:
“The company is excited by the discovery of multiple high-grade gold veins approximately 250m north of the main Trafalgar gold deposit at Golden Ridge in Northeast Tasmania. These gold veins were exposed in trenching over an area of historical mine workings which appear unrecorded since they were dug about a century ago.
“The vein system potentially expands the footprint of gold mineralisation at Trafalgar to a 500m wide corridor which remains open in all directions, once again confirming the potential for significant scale at the Golden Ridge Project.”
“With so many high-grade gold assays recorded at the surface we have adjusted our on- going diamond drilling program to test beneath these old workings and we look forward to reporting the results of this drilling shortly.”
Figure 1 - Location of Flynn Gold tenements in NE Tasmania.
Field Mapping and Trenching Program
Following up on recent gold-in-soil anomalies1 Flynn geologists have discovered an area of previously unmapped historical prospecting trenches, pits and adits which are believed to have been excavated as late as the 1930’s. The main feature of the historical workings is a 240m long North-South trench which was possibly part of a historic water race that exposed the gold bearing veins during its construction. Flynn recently re-excavated part of this historical trench and has added new trenching nearby (Figure 3).
As a result of the trenching work, Flynn has mapped and sampled 19 in-situ quartz- sulphide veins over a width of 65m to date, with initial grab samples collected recording gold grades up to 76.6g/t Au from in-situ outcropping veins (Figure 3).
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Flynn Gold, 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.
Adrian Day: "Extremely Rare" Gold Stock Opportunity Won't Last
Speaking to the Investing News Network, Adrian Day, president of Adrian Day Asset Management, explained what factors are behind gold's price rise and why gold stocks haven't performed as well as might be expected.
He also shared his thoughts on when gold equities will finally move higher.
"I think when companies start to report their second quarter earnings later this month, we're going to start to see some very attractive cashflow numbers — better than the first quarter, and better than the year-ago comparisons," Day said.
"I've got to think that investors, when they see two back-to-back quarters of strong cashflow numbers, are going to start to look at these companies," he added from the sidelines of the recent Rule Symposium.
Watch the interview above for more of Day's thoughts on what's next for gold and gold stocks.
You can also click here to view the Investing News Network's Rule Symposium playlist on YouTube. Recorded presentations from the Rule Symposium are available here.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Affiliate Disclosure: The Investing News Network may earn commission from qualifying purchases or actions made through the links or advertisements on this page.
What Was the Highest Price for Gold? (Updated 2024)
Gold has long been considered a store of wealth, and the gold price often makes its biggest gains during turbulent times as investors look for cover in this safe-haven asset.
The 21st century has so far been heavily marked by episodes of economic and sociopolitical upheaval. Uncertainty has pushed the precious metal to record highs as market participants seek its perceived security. And each time the gold price rises, there are calls for even higher record-breaking levels.
Gold market gurus from Lynette Zang to Chris Blasi to Jordan Roy-Byrne have shared eye-popping predictions on the gold price that would intrigue any investor — gold bug or not.
While some have posited that the gold price may break US$3,000 per ounce and carry on as high as US$4,000 or US$5,000, there are those with hopes that US$10,000 gold or even US$40,000 gold could become a reality.
These impressive price predictions have investors asking, what was the highest gold price ever? The answer to that question is revealed below. And by looking at how the gold price has moved historically, it’s possible to understand what that means for the yellow metal in the future.
How is gold traded?
Before discovering what the highest gold price ever was, it’s worth looking at how the precious metal is traded. Knowing the mechanics behind gold's historical moves can help illuminate why and how its price changes.
Gold bullion is traded in dollars and cents per ounce, with activity taking place worldwide at all hours, resulting in a live price for the metal. Investors trade gold in major commodities markets such as New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. London is seen as the center of physical precious metals trading, including for silver. The COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange is home to most paper trading.
There are many popular ways to invest in gold. The first is through purchasing gold bullion products such as bullion bars, bullion coins and rounds. Physical gold is sold on the spot market, meaning that buyers pay a specific price per ounce for the metal and then have it delivered. In some parts of the world, such as India, buying gold in the form of jewelry is the largest and most traditional route to investing in gold.
Another path to gold investment is paper trading, which is done through the gold futures market. Participants enter into gold futures contracts for the delivery of gold in the future at an agreed-upon price. In such contracts, two positions can be taken: a long position under which delivery of the metal is accepted or a short position to provide delivery of the metal. Paper trading as a means to invest in gold can provide investors with the flexibility to liquidate assets that aren’t available to those who possess physical gold bullion.
One significant long-term advantage of trading in the paper market is that investors can benefit from gold’s safe-haven status without needing to store it. Furthermore, gold futures trading can offer more financial leverage in that it requires less capital than trading in the physical market.
Interestingly, investors can also purchase physical gold via the futures market, but the process is complicated and lengthy and comes with a large investment and additional costs.
Aside from those options, market participants can invest in gold through exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Investing in a gold ETF is similar to trading a gold stock on an exchange, and there are numerous gold ETF options to choose from. For instance, some ETFs focus solely on physical gold bullion, while others focus on gold futures contracts. Other gold ETFs center on gold-mining stocks or follow the gold spot price.
It is important to understand that you will not own any physical gold when investing in an ETF — in general, even a gold ETF that tracks physical gold cannot be redeemed for tangible metal.
With regards to the performance of gold versus trading stocks, gold has an interesting relationship with the stock market. The two often move in sync during “risk-on periods” when investors are bullish. On the flip side, they tend to become inversely correlated in times of volatility.
According to the World Gold Council, gold's ability to decouple from the stock market during periods of stress makes it “unique amongst most hedges in the marketplace.” It is often during these times that gold outperforms the stock market. For that reason, it is often used as a portfolio diversifier to hedge against uncertainty.
What was the highest gold price ever?
Gold hit US$2,483.35, its all time highest price at the time of this writing, on July 17, 2024. Gold broke through the important psychological level of US$2,000 per ounce in late 2023 on rising expectations that the US Federal Reserve would begin to reverse course on interest rates, and climbed throughout Q2 to over US$2,450 in May.
While interest rate cuts have yet to materialize as of mid-July, gold climbed to its new all-time high in the wake of July 15 comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell in which he indicated the central bank would be willing to cut interest rates before inflation reaches its 2 percent target.
Fears of a looming recession — or the strong belief that a recession is already here — are also highly supportive for gold heading as we head deeper into 2024.
Gold price chart, July 17, 2014, to July 18, 2024.
Chart via Quotemedia.
Despite these recent runs, gold has seen its share of both peaks and troughs over the last decade. After remaining rangebound between US$1,100 and US$1,300 from 2014 to early 2019, gold pushed above US$1,500 in the second half of 2019 on a softer US dollar, rising geopolitical issues and a slowdown in economic growth.
Gold’s first breach of the significant US$2,000 price level in mid-2020 was due in large part to economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To break through that barrier and reach what was then a record high, the yellow metal added more than US$500, or 32 percent, to its value in the first eight months of 2020.
The gold price neared that level again in early 2022 as Russia's invasion of Ukraine collided with rising inflation around the world, increasing the allure of safe-haven assets. In 2023, continued inflation and subsequent rate hikes from the Fed threatened the possibility of a recession, once again pushing gold above US$2,000 and even putting it in sight of its then all-time high.
The evolving banking crisis in the spring of 2023 and the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October also placed upward pressure on gold, allowing it to test its previous all-time high.
What's next for the gold price?
What's next for the gold price is never an easy call to make. There are many factors that affect the gold price, but some of the most prevalent long-term drivers include economic expansion, market risk, opportunity cost and momentum.
Economic expansion is one of the primary gold price contributors as it facilitates demand growth in several categories, including jewelry, technology and investment. As the World Gold Council explains, “This is particularly true in developing economies where gold is often used as a luxury item and a means to preserve wealth.” Market risk is also a prime catalyst for gold values as investors view the precious metal as the “ultimate safe haven,” and a hedge against currency depreciation, inflation and other systemic risks.
Going forward, in addition to the Fed, inflation and geopolitical events, experts will be looking for cues from factors like supply and demand. In terms of supply, the world’s five top gold producers are China, Australia, Russia, Canada and the US. The consensus in the gold market is that major miners have not spent enough on gold exploration in recent years. Gold mine production has fallen from around 3,200 to 3,300 metric tons each year between 2018 and 2020 to around 3,000 to 3,100 metric tons each year between 2021 and 2023.
On the demand side, China and India are the biggest buyers of physical gold, and are in a perpetual fight for the title of world’s largest gold consumer. That said, it's worth noting that the last few years have brought a big rebound in central bank gold buying, which dropped to a record low in 2020, but reached a 55 year high of 1,136 metric tons in 2022.
The World Gold Council has reported that central bank gold purchases in 2023 came to 1,037 metric tons, marking the second year in a row above 1,000.
"We think that gold has entered into a new phase of this bull market," Adam Rozencwajg, managing partner at Goehring & Rozencwajg, told the Investing News Network (INN) in a June 2023 interview. "It probably started in the third and fourth quarter of last year, and it really revolves around central banks' behavior as much as anything else. I think it's going to propel gold much much higher in this leg of the bull market."
Joe Cavatoni, North American market strategist at the WGC, told INN in an email at the end of Q1, “As central banks continue to be significant buyers and geopolitical risks and global uncertainties drive investors towards the perceived safety of gold, the current environment underscores gold’s importance as a strategic asset for portfolio diversification and risk mitigation. Therefore, while there may have been a perception of western disinterest in gold, recent developments indicate a sustained and broad-based demand for the precious metal.”
At the beginning of Q3, INN spoke with Brien Lundin, editor of Gold Newsletter, at the Rule Symposium in Boca Raton, Florida.
"I think clearing US$2,400 for good — trading a few weeks above that level would be key," Lundin said. "Eventually I think we're going to go much higher. The timing of that is always the hard part. Getting back to where I think we're going to be at the end of this cycle, I think the gold price is going to be somewhere between US$6,000 and US$8,000."
Should you beware of gold price manipulation?
As a final note on the price of gold and buying gold bullion, it’s important for investors to be aware that gold price manipulation is a hot topic in the industry.
In 2011, when gold hit what was then a record high, it dropped swiftly in just a few short years. This decline after three years of impressive gains led many in the gold sector to cry foul and point to manipulation. Early in 2015, 10 banks were hit in a US probe on precious metals manipulation. Evidence provided by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) showed “smoking gun” proof that UBS Group (NYSE:UBS), HSBC Holdings (NYSE:HSBC), the Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) and other firms were involved in rigging gold and silver rates in the market from 2007 to 2013.
Not long after, the long-running London gold fix was replaced by the LBMA gold price in a bid to increase gold price transparency. The twice-a-day process, operated by the ICE Benchmark Administration, still involves a variety of banks collaborating to set the gold price, but the system is now electronic.
Still, manipulation has by no means been eradicated, as a 2020 fine on JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) shows. The next year, chat logs were released in a spoofing trial for two former precious metals traders from the Bank of America’s (NYSE:BAC) Merrill Lynch unit. They show a trader bragging about how easy it is to manipulate the gold price.
Gold market participants have consistently spoken out about manipulation. In mid-2020, Chris Marcus, founder of Arcadia Economics and author of the book “The Big Silver Short,” said that when gold fell back below the US$2,000 mark after hitting close to US$2,070, he saw similarities to what happened with the gold price in 2011.
Marcus has been following the gold and silver markets with a focus specifically on price manipulation for nearly a decade. His advice? “Trust your gut. I believe we’re witnessing the ultimate ’emperor’s really naked’ moment. This isn’t complex financial analysis. Sometimes I think of it as the greatest hypnotic thought experiment in history.”
Investor takeaway
While we have the answer to what the highest gold price ever is as of now, it remains to be seen how high gold can climb, and if the precious metal can reach as high as US$5,000, US$10,000 or even US$40,000.
Even so, many market participants believe gold is a must have in any investment profile, and there is little doubt investors will continue to see gold price action making headlines this year and beyond.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2020.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
AU$1.50 Valuation for Siren Gold ‘Achievable,’ says Analyst Report
Description:
Australian analyst firm Martin Place Securities has released an investment review of Siren Gold (ASX:SNG), an ASX-listed gold exploration company with a portfolio of assets in the historic Reefton goldfields in West Coast New Zealand, citing the potential for the company to achieve between AU$1.00 and AU$1.50 share price in two years.
“SNG has continued exploration on its tenement holdings in favourable geological terrains at Reefton and also at the 0.588 Moz Sams Creek porphyry project about 120 km
north of Reefton in 81 percent/19 percent joint venture with OceanaGold (TSX:OGC),” the report said.
The report noted the company’s high-grade, deep gold mine potential with antimony as a co-products at its Reefton goldfield property.
“SNG sees potential for several +million oz gold deposits to be discovered at Reefton along strike and especially down dip at the old mines, and recent work at Lyell and Auld Creek in the north and at Langdons is providing strong evidence for the potential for a large scale aggregated antimony resource,” the report said.
Report highlights:
- SNG has been showing an “active and dynamic” track record since its listing in October 2020.
- SNG has attractive tenements located in the Reefton line of lode within the West Coast Goldfields, with similar geology as the prolific Victorian Goldfields.
- Potential for getting to more than 2 Moz resource, and a two-year target of AU$1.50 is achievable
- Confirmed resources may lead to a quicker pathway to production.
For the full analyst report, click here.
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Modern Mining Technologies Changing the Face of the Industry
Mineral resource companies use new technologies to identify deposits while improving safety and lowering costs.
The importance of the results brought by technological applications in mining exploration is proportional to the increased use of autonomous systems, big data, artificial intelligence, robotics and remote sensing.
Origins and evolution
Technology has improved its efficiency since Stone Age labourers dug shafts as deep as 100 metres in French and British chalk deposits. They were extracting flint pebbles, from which they made tools.
For thousands of years, mining was a slow, labourious and dangerous activity. Workers dug mine shafts using hand tools. Next, came picks and shovels, which gave way to fire. Piling firewood near the rock face and setting it alight weakened and fractured the rock.
Panning for gold was popular during 19th century gold rushes. A miner filled a pan with soil or gravel and water. As the miner swirled the pan, the gravel separated and washed away. The gold and heavier minerals stayed behind, in the pan.
Later miners used a rocker. They shoveled gravel onto a perforated iron plate and poured water over it. Small particles fell through the holes where they landed on an apron that dispersed them evenly, perpendicular to the bottom and sides of the cradle. As the material passed through the cradle, gold became trapped.
Placer mining uses water to recover heavy minerals from alluvial deposits. Denser gold sinks faster than lighter sand and gravel in places where fast water currents slow down.
Piston-powered and compressed air drills increased the capability and efficiency of hard rock mining. Electric conveyor belts and the mechanized loading of mine cars and vehicles replaced manual loading and hauling. Steam pumps controlled the water trying to flood shafts. Gas and battery-powered lamps replaced candles and oil-wick lamps.
Technological innovations in mineral exploration
Recognizing the demanding and costly realities of charting measurements using portable X-ray fluorescence, near-infrared spectroscopy, cameras and goniometers when scanning geological core samples, Geotek developed BoxScan.
It can acquire six different datasets using a single technician without controlling each core or introducing human error in the measurements.
BoxScan throughput speed is easily tailored for individual projects. That includes measurement frequency, measurement type and measurement time, which permits the automatic acquisition of geotechnical and geochemical parameters.
Australian firm Tempest Minerals (ASX:TEM) is one mineral exploration company that’s leveraging the BoxScan technology. Collected soil samples at the Remorse target on its Yalgoo project were scanned and analysed with BoxScan. These findings helped inform a drilling program that may uncover the site’s potential.
Drones in mining
The fact that drones can measure accurately to 25 millimetres and are significantly less costly to operate makes them ideal for surveying and planning. The modern prospector doesn’t walk and camp for weeks next to a packed mule. Nor is a helicopter required to ferry them in and out of a site.
Software advances allow viewing of how a surface has changed over time when elevation, slope and terrain mapping data are collected and compared with information gathered from previous flights.
Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) uses drones to track work progress and collect stockpile data, especially in areas that are difficult to reach. Drones assist BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) in collecting information on mining surfaces as well as measuring stockpile volumes. It also uses the technology to monitor buildings, cranes and towers, and prevent workers from being injured while working at heights.
Specialized mine drones do not require GPS for navigation, which is a good thing considering GPS is often unavailable in mining locations.
Automation and autonomous technologies
Rio Tinto’s autonomous trucks receive topographical route information from drones. Instead of a driver a central controller operates the trucks through a supervisory system.
From the Western Australia Pilbara region to port facilities, an autonomous train network of 200 locomotives covers 1,700 kilometres of track. These trains reduce risks at level crossings and respond to speed restrictions and alarms. They also eliminate the requirement to transport drivers to and from trains mid-journey, saving travel costs.
From remote locations using a single console, a controller plans the activities of drills on multiple Rio Tinto mine sites. Charge trucks automate the process of pumping explosives into drill holes. Computers and data analytics determine the correct explosive type and quantity, which reduces waste and improves blast efficiency.
AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) runs an autonomous drill fleet at its hard rock Tropicana mine. The fleet contributes to worker safety while increasing productivity.
Big data in mining
As mining automation combines with faster communication speeds, expect rapid growth of mining-related data. Big data platforms collect structured and unstructured data from diverse, unrelated sources.
When examined and interpreted, this data can ensure ideal extraction and flow, and reduce time lost in maintenance and delays.
Resource companies like Tempest Minerals, rely on historical and current exploration data to make informed decisions on drilling targets. Technologies that automate reporting and analysis of these massive amounts of information can provide a competitive advantage for any company that leverages these tools.
Investor takeaway
Advances in mining technology offer safer, accurate, cost-effective and more sustainable methods of finding and extracting materials from the earth. Resource companies that effectively employ these systems present a compelling investment opportunity, demonstrating a strategic approach to creating shareholder value.
Dave Chapelle is a freelance writer based in Ontario.
This INNSpired article is sponsored by Tempest Minerals (ASX:TEM). This INNSpired article provides information which was sourced by the Investing News Network (INN) and approved by Tempest Mineralsin order to help investors learn more about the company. Tempest Minerals is a client of INN. The company’s campaign fees pay for INN to create and update this INNSpired article.
This INNSpired article was written according to INN editorial standards to educate investors.
INN does not provide investment advice and the information on this profile should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. INN does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company profiled.
The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Readers should conduct their own research for all information publicly available concerning the company. Prior to making any investment decision, it is recommended that readers consult directly with Tempest Mineralsand seek advice from a qualified investment advisor.
GMV Minerals
Investor Insight
GMV Minerals is an attractive investment proposition with both gold and lithium projects that have compelling market economics, in well-established mining jurisdictions in the USA.
Overview
Junior exploration and development company GMV Minerals (TSXV:GMV,OTCQB:GMVMF) is advancing two major projects in Arizona and Nevada, both positioning the company to take full advantage of a continuing gold bull market and the exponentially rising demand for lithium - a mineral facilitating the global push for decarbonization and energy transition.
The Mexican Hat gold project, located in Arizona, is a high-quality, 5,000-acre gold asset with an inferred resource of 688,000 ounces of gold and compelling positive preliminary economic assessment, including a 10-year mine life, low CAPEX and very strong pre-tax NPV.
In Nevada, GMV has a three-year option agreement to earn a 100 percent interest in the Daisy Creek lithium project located in Lander County. Nevada currently hosts the only producing lithium mine in North America, and is home to Thacker Pass, the largest known lithium deposit in the US. GMV now controls or owns 165 lode claims covering 3,408 acres at Daisy Creek. The claims are close to operating gold mines and have access to existing power lines, water and paved highways. Following a high-resolution radiometric and magnetic helicopter survey in October 2023 and a field sampling program in December 2023, GMV is now drill-permitted to test the Nevada property.
Company Highlights
- GMV Minerals is a junior gold development company focusing mainly on its gold asset Arizona and recently acquired lithium option in Nevada.
- GMV’s 100 percent owned Mexican Hat gold project in Arizona is notable for its estimated 10-year mine life, low capex and a discounted pre-tax US$153 million NPV using a US$1,600 per oz base case. At US$2,240 per ounce the PEA indicates a discounted pre-tax NPV of US$395 million.
- Mexican Hat hosts an inferred 688,000 ounces of gold, excellent metallurgical results and a low strip ratio.
- In Nevada, GMV has a three-year option agreement to earn a 100 percent interest in the Daisy Creek lithium project located in Lander County.
- Both Daisy Creek and Mexican Hat are situated in safe, mining-friendly jurisdictions with readily available and experienced service providers. Each asset is also situated close to existing infrastructure, further reducing initial capex.
- GMV is also noteworthy for its tightly held share structure, with 24 percent of shares held by management and advisors.
Key Projects
Mexican Hat
A low-sulphidation epithermal gold deposit, GMV’s 100-percent owned Mexican Hat contains an estimated gold resource of 688,000 ounces across 5,000 acres. As GMV's flagship project, the company aims to further expand this resource through drilling, ultimately moving from an inferred resource estimate to a measured and indicated estimate. The mine development itself will consist of two pits — a smaller southeast pit will be mined first, followed by a larger pit to the north.
Mexican Hat project in Arizona
Highlights:
- Established Infrastructure: Located in close proximity to considerable transportation and power infrastructure, and a skilled workforce.
- Well-established Mining Process: GMV plans to extract minerals from Mexican Hat through heap leaching, a mining process known for its low capital investment and operating costs, fast payback, lack of tailings, low energy and water requirements, and simple setup and operation.
- Area Geology: Primary mineralization consists of gold and oxides in a metasomatic assemblage of chlorite, carbonate, epidote and minor silica arranged along a series of fractures and fault zones within a tilted conformable package of tertiary rock.
- Mineral Resource Estimate: The results of Mexican Hat's 2020 MRE include an inferred resource of 688,000 ounces at 0.58 grams per ton (g/t) gold in 36.73 Mt with a cut-off of .20 g/t gold and a strip ratio of 2.36.
- Preliminary Economic Assessment: Mexican Hat's PEA, conducted with the updated 2020 MRE, indicates a 10-year mine life; $100 million NPV; $67.80 million initial capex; 29.30 percent IRR after tax at $1,600/ounce of gold; and average annual gold production of 52,250 ounces.
Daisy Creek Lithium Project
View across the Basin showing historical trenching from the 1970s; material trenched is a claystone.
Located in Lander County, Nevada, Daisy Creek consists of 165 lode claims. Initially targeted for uranium by multiple oil and mining companies in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the project instead proved rich in lithium, displaying values of up to 2 percent in clay-altered volcanic tuffs, which geologists noted was likely hectorite-based.
Because there was very little demand for lithium at the time, Daisy Creek largely sat ignored and forgotten. It was not until several decades later that two of the geologists involved in the project's original drilling program noted multiple similarities between Daisy Creek and Lithium America's highly prospective Thacker Pass discovery. GMV plans to conduct a field program to confirm these observations.
Highlights:
- Full Ownership: In May 2023, GMV entered into a three-year option agreement with Daisy Creek's original owner, which will see it eventually gain a 100 percent interest in the project.
- Area Geology: Daisy Creek is part of a mountainous formation primarily composed of crystal-rich, early Miocene era ash-flow tuff. Said formation covers roughly 200 square miles with a volcanic complex that contains a collapse-type or graben structure filled with finely laminated tuffs that likely host anomalous lithium reserves. The basin that hosts the project itself covers approximately 18 square miles and consists primarily of finely laminated fissile sediments.
- Pre-existing Infrastructure: Daisy Creek is situated near several operating gold mines and has access to power, water and paved highways, considerably lowering the initial capital investment that will be required to develop the project.
- Prospective and Promising: Daisy Creek displays similar geology to Lithium America's Thacker Pass deposit, with a mineral reserve of 3.7 Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent at 3,160 ppm lithium.
Management Team
Ian Klassen — President and CEO
Ian Klassen has 30 years of experience in public company management, public relations, government affairs, entrepreneurship, media relationship strategies and project management. Klassen is the president of a North American mineral exploration company and sits on the board of directors of several private and public companies. Previous to his management activities within private and public companies, he held a variety of positions within federal Canadian politics, including as senior political advisor to the Minister of State (Transportation), and as chief of staff, Office of the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons. Klassen graduated with an undergraduate honors degree from Western University in 1989. In 1992, he received the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in recognition of his significant contribution to his community and country.
Dr. D.R. Webb — Acting Project Manager
Dr. D.R. Webb graduated with a geological engineering degree from the University of Toronto, where he obtained awards for the highest marks in both third-year and fourth-year field camps. He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in geological sciences at Queen’s University and Western University, respectively, where his focus was on the structural and geochemical controls of gold mineralization in the Yellowknife Greenstone Belt. Webb is credited for discovering both the largest granitic-hosted gold deposit in the Northwest Territories and the largest gold deposit in the Yellowknife Greenstone Belt found in the past 30 years. He served as president and director of Tyhee Gold, where he and his team developed a high-grade gold deposit into production, becoming Mongolia’s first hard-rock gold mine. He later advanced his discoveries in Yellowknife into a multimillion-ounce resource, completed economic and engineering analysis and initiated both feasibility studies and permitting.
Webb also developed the Mon Gold Mine into the most recently permitted gold mine in the Yellowknife Gold Belt, operating for seven years and then shutting down in 1997. Webb is a consultant to the industry, providing services throughout the world and sits on the board of Lake Victoria Mining Company and Metallis Resources, several private corporations, and is on the advisory council for the Centre of Training Excellence in Mining. Webb co-authored the qualifying report on Fortune Minerals’ Nico Deposit, recommending the acquisition of what is now the largest bismuth resource in the world.
Michele Pillon — Chief Financial Officer
Michelle Pillon is an accountant with several years of experience in the junior mining exploration sector. Since 1988, Pillon has been providing accounting and regulatory assistance to public and private companies.
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