
February 06, 2025
Kalgoorlie Gold Mining (ASX: KAL) (‘KalGold’ or ‘the Company’) announces the discovery of newly identified, extensive gold mineralisation at Pinjin (to be named “Lighthorse”).
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
- Thick, high-grade gold intercepts at Lighthorse include:
- KGAC24152: 17 m at 4.81 g/t Au from 48 m, including 8 m at 9.21 g/t Au from 52 m (hole ends in mineralisation)
- KGAC24153: 4 m at 4.72 g/t Au from 52 m (hole ends in mineralisation)
- These intercepts form a high-grade centre to previous results (ASX: KAL 18/12/24), including:
- KGAC24045: 8 m at 2.29 g/t Au from 60 m, including 4 m at 3.66 g/t Au from 64 m
- KGAC24036: 4 m at 1.05 g/t Au from 52 m
- Lighthorse is a KalGold-generated, greenfields gold discovery, characterised by:
- A 200 m wide primary gold target on the discovery section, open down dip.
- A 600 m strike, parallel to the Laverton Tectonic Zone, open to the northwest and southeast.
- Crosscutting mineralised structures extending over 800 m, open to the northeast.
- o A footprint larger than either KalGold’s Kirgella Gift or Providence gold deposits
- No outcrop, and no effective historic drilling.
- Extensive, contiguous, widely-spaced intercepts suggest a large primary gold system obscured by transported cover. Further drilling is required to define the system’s full extent.
- Lighthorse is located in the southeast of the Eastern Goldfields, an area which is becoming a focus for gold discovery and development. It is located:
- 1 km west of KalGold’s Kirgella Gift and Providence gold deposits,
- 12 km south of Hawthorn Resources’ (ASX:HAW) Anglo Saxon Gold Mine,
- 22 km northwest of Ramelius Resources’ (ASX:RMS) Rebecca Gold Project
- 30 km east of OzAurum Resources’ (ASX:OZM) high-grade gold discovery at Mulgabbie North
- A priority follow-up RC drill program is being fast-tracked for March 2025, pending rig availability.
For MD and CEO Matt Painter’s thoughts on the Lighthorse gold discovery, please see our video on the KalGold Investor Hub at https://investorhub.kalgoldmining.com.au/link/mepb1P
Commenting on the discovery, KalGold Managing Director Matt Painter said:
“This is what we’ve been chasing at Pinjin. Our systematic approach to exploration has paid off. Thick, high-grade gold mineralisation at Lighthorse is located just 1 km west of our Kirgella Gift deposit, beneath transported cover in an area of zero outcrop. This is a 100% KalGold generated discovery that reinforces the exceptional growth potential at Pinjin. The full extent of the emerging Lighthorse target is unconstrained at this stage, but we have already identified mineralisation over a 600 m northwest-southeast strike length, parallel to the local grain of the Laverton Tectonic Zone, and open along strike and at depth. Additional gold mineralised trends associated with cross-cutting structures are also evident, extending over 800 m and open to the northeast.
Follow up RC drilling is scheduled for March 2025. We also expect to follow up previously reported thick, shallow gold intercepts at Wessex (ASX: KAL 09/10/24), next door to the Anglo Saxon Gold Mine (HAW), in this upcoming RC drill program.
This is an incredibly exciting time at KalGold. Recently announced discoveries by some of our neighbours, together with this new Lighthorse discovery, are cementing this south-eastern part of the Eastern Goldfields as a hot spot for exploration, discovery, and development. KalGold holds an extensive and strategic footprint within this incredible, historically overlooked area.”
High-grade gold intercepts define the Lighthorse discovery at Pinjin
Drilling in December 2024 successfully expanded upon an extensive earlier aircore program at Kirgella West (Figure 1). The new drilling intersected thick, high-grade gold mineralisation beneath transported sediments (Table 1). Four of these five new holes returned significant gold intercepts, with two of the drill holes ending in mineralisation with the rig unable to penetrate the fresh, mineralised rock. Gold mineralisation is open along strike and down dip.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Kalgoorlie Gold Mining, 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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30 May
Kalgoorlie Gold Mining
Investor Insight
Kalgoorlie Gold Mining offers investors a compelling proposition through its strategic focus on low-cost gold exploration in Western Australia's prolific Eastern Goldfields, highlighted by its Lighthorse high-grade gold discovery at the Pinjin project.
Overview
Kalgoorlie Gold Mining (ASX:KAL) is a technically driven explorer targeting multi-million-ounce gold systems in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through rigorous geophysical interpretation, structural targeting, and systematic drilling, the company is applying modern techniques to historically overlooked terranes. Its focus is on discovering concealed gold deposits beneath shallow cover by leveraging a proven methodology that includes geophysical analysis, geochemistry, aircore reconnaissance and RC follow-up drilling.
At the heart of this strategy is the flagship Pinjin project, located along the underexplored southern extension of the Laverton Tectonic Zone, a prolific gold-bearing structure responsible for over 30 Moz of historical production from mines such as Sunrise Dam, Granny Smith and Wallaby. Positioned just 20 km north of Ramelius Resources’ Rebecca gold project, Pinjin is ideally situated in a district that has seen limited modern exploration. Kalgoorlie Gold has already delivered a maiden JORC 2012 inferred resource of 76,400 oz (2.34 Mt @ 1.0 g/t gold) at the Kirgella Gift and Providence prospects. These results confirm the presence of shallow mineralization and validate the company’s targeting model. Numerous structural targets have been identified throughout the project area, the majority of which remain untested.
Within Pinjin, the Light Horse Discovery is the company's highest-impact target, where RC drilling has confirmed thick, high-grade mineralization in altered mafic volcanics. The discovery validates Kalgoorlie Gold’s undercover targeting model and is being advanced toward a maiden resource.
Complementing this is the Bulong Taurus project, 35 km east of Kalgoorlie, which hosts the La Mascotte deposit with a JORC inferred resource of 138,000 oz gold (3.61 Mt @ 1.19 g/t). The project includes historic workings and satellite prospects within a structurally favorable corridor. While a secondary focus, heritage approvals are underway to enable follow-up drilling and assess near-term development potential.
To date, Kalgoorlie Gold has tested only around 10 percent of its known targets but has already encountered mineralization in roughly half of them – an exceptional hit rate that underscores the strength of its approach. As the company ramps up its exploration programs, it is positioning itself as one of the most compelling early-stage gold discovery stories in the Australian market.
Company Highlights
- District-scale Positioning: Kalgoorlie Gold controls an expansive, underexplored land package in the Laverton Tectonic Zone, south of major operations like Sunrise Dam and Wallaby and just 20 km north of the planned Rebecca gold mine.
- Lighthorse Discovery: Thick, high-grade gold intercepts under shallow cover confirm a significant greenfields discovery, with potential for resource definition and scale.
- JORC Resource Established at Pinjin: An initial 76,400 oz gold resource at Kirgella Gift and Providence validates the company’s targeting strategy.
- Systematic Exploration Success: >10 targets tested, ~50 percent hit rate with anomalous high-grade gold. Over 90 percent of the company’s target inventory remains untested.
- Experienced Leadership: Matt Painter, managing director, brings deep structural geology expertise and a strong history of generating successful exploration targets globally.
- Favorable Market Tailwinds: With gold trading near all-time highs, Kalgoorlie Gold offers leveraged upside through discovery-driven valuation re-rates.
Key Projects
Pinjin Project
The Pinjin project covers more than 350 sq km and is situated within the southern extension of the Laverton Tectonic Zone, a crustal-scale shear corridor accounting for >30 Moz of historical production. Despite its proximity to major mines, this southern area has seen minimal modern exploration.
Kalgoorlie Gold’s initial focus has been the Kirgella Gift and Providence prospects, where the company defined a JORC 2012 inferred resource of 2.34 Mt @ 1.0 g/t Au for 76,400oz. This estimate was derived from near-surface RC drilling down to ~100 metres, with mineralization remaining open at depth and along strike.
The company has also acquired geophysical datasets and conducted interpretation work to identify additional structural corridors and dilation zones likely to host mineralization. These were validated by soil sampling, structural mapping and aircore drilling. Work completed to date includes more than 16,000 metres of drilling, extensive geological mapping, and data reinterpretation, while upcoming plans involve deeper drilling, geophysics to enhance target definition, and continued aircore programs to expand the exploration footprint.
Lighthorse Discovery
The Lighthorse prospect, situated within the greater Pinjin project area, represents Kalgoorlie Gold’s most promising greenfields discovery to date. Discovered beneath shallow cover using the company's rigorous targeting methodology, Light Horse has yielded multiple thick, high-grade intercepts, confirming the presence of a significant mineralized system. RC drilling has returned standout results such as 2.2 g/t gold over 23 metres, 3.1 g/t gold over 14 metres, and 6.5 g/t gold over 7 metres. These intercepts occur in altered mafic volcanics and are interpreted to represent a robust gold system with potential for lateral and vertical continuity. The discovery validates Kalgoorlie Gold’s structural targeting model and supports the thesis that the region may host not just a single deposit, but a larger gold field. Currently, Lighthorse is the highest-priority drill target in the company’s pipeline. Near-term plans include further RC step-out and infill drilling to define mineralized zones, downhole geophysics to guide targeting of high-grade shoots, and eventual metallurgical sampling. A maiden resource is anticipated following the next phase of drilling, with the potential to rapidly advance toward scoping studies in 2026.
Bulong Taurus Project
Located just 35 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the Bulong Taurus project offers near-term optionality and brownfields upside. The project hosts the La Mascotte deposit, which contains a JORC 2012 inferred mineral resource of 138,000 oz at 1.19 g/t gold. This outcropping resource is located within the historical Taurus Goldfield and is surrounded by a suite of satellite targets, historical workings and underexplored geophysical anomalies. The geology is characterized by a mix of felsic and mafic volcaniclastic units, cut by northeast-trending structures favorable for gold deposition. Kalgoorlie Gold has undertaken mapping, sampling and historical data reprocessing to refine targeting, and is currently working with Traditional Owners to secure heritage clearances for further exploration. Planned future activities at Bulong Taurus include RC drilling to test extensions of La Mascotte, soil and geophysical surveys across adjacent prospects, and evaluation of development or joint venture options depending on resource scale and continuity. While not the company’s primary focus, Bulong Taurus offers strategic exposure to additional ounces near existing infrastructure.
Management Team
Dr. Matt Painter – Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Matt Painter is a geologist with over 25 years of experience in mineral exploration and project development. He holds a BSc (Hons) and a PhD in geology. Before joining Kalgoorlie Gold Mining, Painter served as general manager of exploration at Ardea Resources Limited, where he played a pivotal role in advancing the company's gold and nickel projects. His expertise lies in structural geology and the discovery of concealed mineral systems, which is instrumental in driving Kalgoorlie Gold Mining's exploration strategy.
Graeme Smith – Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary
Graeme Smith brings more than 30 years of financial and corporate governance experience to Kalgoorlie Gold Mining. He holds a Bachelor of Economics and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries, a Fellow of CPA Australia, and a Fellow of the Chartered Secretaries Australia. Smith has held senior financial roles across various ASX-listed companies, providing strategic financial oversight and ensuring compliance with corporate regulations.
Pauline Gately – Non-executive Chair
Pauline Gately is an accomplished non-executive director with over a decade of board experience across the mining, financial technology and consumer goods sectors. Her board contributions are underpinned by 20 years in investment banking, encompassing senior roles in investment strategy, economics and funds management. Gately is a graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a BA (Hons) in Economics and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting. She also serves as a non-executive director of Ardiden Limited.
Andrew Penkethman – Non-executive Director
Andrew Penkethman is a geologist with more than 25 years of technical and corporate experience in the resources sector. He has worked across exploration, feasibility studies, and operations within Australia and internationally. Penkethman is currently the managing director and CEO of Ardea Resources, bringing valuable insights into project development and strategic planning to the board of Kalgoorlie Gold Mining.
Scott Herrmann – Exploration Manager
Scott Herrmann oversees Kalgoorlie Gold’s exploration programs across its project portfolio. With a strong background in geology and mineral exploration, Herrmann plays a critical role in target generation and drill program execution, contributing to the company's discovery success.
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Unlocking gold deposits hidden under shallow cover in the heart of Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields
29 May
Farm-in at Pinjin Gold Project completed
4h
Equity Metals
Investor Insight
Equity Metals offers investors exposure to high-grade silver and gold discoveries in British Columbia through a dual-track strategy of expanding its flagship Silver Queen resource and advancing the newly acquired Arlington district.
Overview
Equity Metals (TSXV:EQTY,OTCQB:EQMEF,FSE:EGSD) is fast-tracking exploration at its 100 percent owned Silver Queen project in British Columbia, targeting resource expansion and derisking of one of the province's most prospective high-grade polymetallic deposits. Located within the prolific Skeena Arch near the historic Equity Silver and Huckleberry mines, Silver Queen boasts an NI 43-101 compliant resource of 62.8 million ounces (Moz) silver equivalent (indicated) and 22.5 Moz silver equivalent (inferred), with 2024 drilling extending known zones and identifying new mineralized areas.
Complementing this is the Arlington gold-copper-silver project, a newly acquired district-scale, never-before drill-tested project located in southern BC's Greenwood Mining Division. With analogues to historic producers like Phoenix and Buckhorn, Arlington is being aggressively explored with 3,000 meters of drilling underway, focused on delineating high-grade gold-enriched polymetallic mineralization.Parameters for the NI 43-101 Compliant Mineral Resource Estimate are in the Appendix and in the EQTY News Release, dated Dec 1, 2022
Together, Silver Queen and Arlington offer a balanced exposure to high-grade polymetallic and gold-rich systems. The former provides near-term resource expansion and development optionality, while the latter opens up district-scale discovery potential.
In addition, Equity Metals holds interests in the Monument and WO diamond properties in the Lac de Gras region (Northwest Territories), proximal to the Diavik and Ekati mines, and the La Ronge silica project in Saskatchewan. These projects offer upside optionality for strategic partnerships or asset sales.
Company Highlights
- Flagship High-grade Project – Silver Queen: Over 85 million silver-equivalent ounces defined in the heart of BC's Skeena Arch mineral belt, surrounded by Tier 1 infrastructure and historical producers.
- New Gold Discovery Potential – Arlington project: A district-scale, early-stage gold-copper-silver system with analogues to major past-producing skarn and vein-hosted mines in the region.
- Fully Funded for 2025: 9,000 meters of combined drilling is underway across both Silver Queen and Arlington with assay results expected to drive news flow through Q3 and Q4 2025.
- Experienced Management and Technical Team: Track record of discovery and mine development across North America, including the Penasquito and Eskay Creek mines and the Wind Mountain project.
- Exposure to Critical and Precious Metals: Balanced portfolio spanning silver, gold, copper and diamonds with optionality in battery materials (silica) and critical minerals.
Key Projects
Silver Queen Project
The Silver Queen project is Equity Metals’ 100 percent owned flagship asset located in central British Columbia’s prolific Skeena Arch, approximately 35 km south of Houston. This 18,871-hectare property consists of 17 crown-granted titles and 46 tenure claims in the Omineca Mining Division. Surrounded by past-producing and active mines, including the Equity silver mine, Berg, Endako and Mt. Milligan, the project benefits from established infrastructure such as roads, power and rail access.
Silver Queen hosts a high-grade polymetallic system featuring silver, gold, copper, lead and zinc mineralization. The project is underpinned by a robust NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate (as of December 2022) consisting of 62.8 million ounces (Moz) silver-equivalent (AgEq) in the indicated category grading 565 grams per ton (g/t) AgEq, and 22.5 Moz AgEq in the inferred category grading 365 g/t AgEq. This includes 3.46 million tons (Mt) of indicated resources averaging 189 g/t silver, 2.13 g/t gold, 0.24 percent copper, 0.6 percent lead, and 3.5 percent zinc, and 1.92 Mt of inferred resources grading 167 g/t silver, 0.82 g/t gold, 0.23 percent copper, 0.5 percent lead, and 2 percent zinc.
The mineralization occurs in multiple steeply dipping epithermal vein systems, subdivided into the No. 3, NG-3, Camp and Sveinson veins. Each exhibits distinct metal zonation – the Camp veins are silver-dominant, while the Sveinson, No. 3 and NG-3 show a stronger gold bias. Bonanza grades have been intercepted at multiple locations, including down-hole drill core intervals assaying up to 56,115 g/t silver over 0.3 metres in recent drill results. High sulphide and low sulphide vein environments have both been identified, suggesting a long-lived and multi-phase mineralizing event.
Since late 2020, Equity has completed 52,877 meters of drilling in 146 holes, targeting extensions and new zones of mineralization. In 2024 alone, four target areas – George Lake, Camp North, No. 3 North and Camp-Sveinson – were tested via 17,209 meters across 42 holes. Drilling resulted in the delineation of a 550-metre strike-length for mineralization in the George Lake target and a 400-metre strike-length for mineralization in the No. 3 North target, as well as several extensions of earlier identified veins in the Camp Deposit and a new discovery in the Camp North target. A 6,000-meter 2025 drilling program will further test these zones with updated modeling and resource growth expected in Q3 2025.
Metallurgical testing completed in both 1988 and 2022 yielded positive recoveries: 83 percent gold, 95 percent silver, 93 percent copper, 91 percent lead, and 98 percent zinc. A follow-up metallurgical program is planned to support preliminary development studies. With extensive underground development (~9 km of historic workings) and proximity to key infrastructure, the Silver Queen project is well positioned for advancement toward economic studies and ultimately, a potential strategic transaction.
Arlington Project
The Arlington project is a 3,584-hectare, early-stage exploration asset located in southern British Columbia’s Greenwood Mining Division, approximately 65 km south of Kelowna. The project sits within the prolific Quesnel Terrane and is accessible year-round via Highway 33 and a network of logging roads. The region hosts several historical producers including the Buckhorn, Phoenix, and Beaverdell mines, which have collectively yielded more than 2 Moz gold, 6 Moz silver and 500 Mlb copper.
Arlington encompasses multiple mineral occurrences and at least four deposit styles across a more than 5 km strike length. Historic and recent surface work has confirmed high-grade mineralization with rock samples returning values up to 11.67 g/t gold, 211 g/t silver, and 3.22 percent copper. The 2025 exploration program, currently underway, includes a 3,000-metre drill campaign primarily targeting the Fresh Pots gold-silver anomaly – a large (2 km x 1 km) intrusion-related gold system delineated by multi-element soil geochemistry and magnetic lows.
Other high-priority targets include:
- Rona Porphyry Target: A copper-molybdenum-gold system with pyroxenite intrusive-hosted mineralization. Rock chip assays have returned >1 percent molybdenum, 0.6 g/t gold, and 32.4 g/t silver. The area is characterized by a large copper-nickel soil anomaly and widespread argillic alteration in adjacent sedimentary rocks.
- Arlington Polymetallic Veins: A structurally controlled vein system with documented historic workings. Highlights include Arlington South (11.67 g/t gold, 3.22 percent copper) and Arlington North (1.86 g/t gold, 1.07 percent copper), suggesting vertical metal zonation and potential for stacked vein systems.
- Skarn and Replacement Targets: Notably at the Bru and Arlington zones, analogous to Buckhorn and Phoenix, where gold-copper magnetite skarns produced over 1 Moz historically.
In early 2025, Equity Metals completed a property-wide airborne magnetic/radiometric survey and LiDAR mapping campaign to refine targeting. Soil and till geochemistry, IP surveying and mapping continue across the license area to delineate follow-up drill targets for 2026.
Management Team
Lawrence Page – Chairman and Director
A seasoned mining executive with over four decades of experience, Lawrence Page has helped finance and develop several major discoveries including Penasquito (Mexico), Eskay Creek and Hemlo. He brings strategic oversight and a deep network within the exploration and capital markets community.
Joseph A. Kizis Jr. – President and Director
With over 40 years of mineral exploration experience, Joseph Kizis has been instrumental in advancing gold, silver and base metal projects across North America. He is also president of Bravada Gold and has played key roles in advancing Wind Mountain in Nevada and Homestake Ridge in BC.
Robert W.J. Macdonald – VP Exploration
Robert Macdonald leads Equity Metals’ technical team and brings extensive epithermal and porphyry system expertise. His past project experience includes Homestake Ridge in BC and Cerro Las Minitas in Mexico, and he is the Qualified Person for all technical disclosures.
Killian Ruby – CFO and Director
As president and CEO of Malaspina Consultants and a former senior manager at KPMG LLP, Killian Ruby brings financial discipline, governance strength and tax expertise. He also serves as CFO for several junior resource companies.
John Kerr – Director
A professional engineer with five decades of exploration experience, John Kerr has contributed to the discovery and development of projects such as Santa Fe and Mindora in Nevada, and Frasergold in BC.
Courtney Shearer – Director
Courtney Shearer has served in executive and advisory roles with multiple Canadian mining companies, including San Gold Corporation, where he led strategic evaluations and project planning initiatives.
Arie Page – Corporate Secretary
Arie Page provides legal and corporate compliance support and has served as corporate secretary for numerous public companies within the Manex Resource Group.
Appendix:
Silver Queen Mineral Resource Estimate (NI 43-101 Compliant, Dec. 1, 2022) (C$100 NSR cut-off)
- The current Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Garth Kirkham, P.Geo., of Kirkham Geosystems Ltd and Eugene Puritch, P. Eng., FEC, CET and Fred Brown, P, Geo. of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (“P&E”), Independent Qualified Persons (“QP”), as defined by National instrument 43-101.
- All Mineral Resources have been estimated in accordance with Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) definitions, as required under National Instrument 43-101 (“NI43-101”).
- Mineral Resources were constrained using continuous mining units demonstrating reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction.
- Silver and Gold Equivalents were calculated from the interpolated block values using relative process recoveries and prices between the component metals and silver to determine a final AgEq and AuEq values.
- Silver and Gold Equivalents and NSR$/t values were calculated using average long-term prices of $20/oz silver, $1,700/oz gold, $3.50/lb copper, $0.95/lb lead and $1.45/lb zinc. All metal prices are stated in $USD. The C$100/tonne NSR cut-off grade value for the underground Mineral Resource was derived from mining costs of C$70/t, with process costs of C$20/t and G&A of C$10/t. Process recoveries used were Au 70%, Ag 80%, Cu 80%, Pb 81% and Zn 90%.
- Grade capping was performed on 1m composites for the No. 3 and NG-3 veins and whole vein composites for the Camp and Sveinson veins. For the No. 3 and NG-3 veins Inverse distance cubed (I/d3) was utilized for grade interpolation for Au and Ag and inverse distance squared (I/d2) was utilized for Cu, Pb and Zn. Inverse distance squared (I/d2) was used for all metals in the Camp and Sveinson veins.
- A bulk density of 3.56t/m3 was used for all tonnage calculations in the No. 3 and NG-3 veins. A variable density with a 3.15 average was used for the Camp and Sveinson veins.
- Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves until they have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral Resource Estimates do not account for a Mineral Resource’s mineability, selectivity, mining loss, or dilution.
- An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration.
- All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate and therefore numbers may not appear to add precisely.
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6h
Zijin Mining to Acquire Major Kazakh Gold Mine for US$1.2 Billion
China’s Zijin Mining Group (OTC Pink:ZIJMF,HKEX:2899,SHA:601899), the country’s largest producer of gold and copper, has agreed to acquire Kazakhstan’s Raygorodok gold mine for US$1.2 billion.
The deal, announced on Monday (June 30) through a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, furthers the company’s ambition of becoming one of the world’s top three gold producers by 2028.
Raygorodok is reportedly among the largest and most technologically advanced gold projects in Central Asia. It produced 6 metric tons of gold in 2024 at a production cost of US$796 per ounce, excluding non-cash items.
With a remaining mine life of 16 years and average annual output of 5.5 metric tons of gold, Zijin expects the mine, located in Northern Kazakhstan, to boost both its earnings and production starting this year.
Raygorodok's total ore reserves are estimated at 94.9 million metric tons, containing approximately 100.6 metric tons (3.5 million ounces) of gold, based on a gold price of US$1,750 per ounce.
However, Zijin believes that considering the current market for the yellow metal, there is clear potential to expand production and reserves by improving the pit design under a higher gold price assumption. Furthermore, a US$420 million processing plant, operational since mid-2022, has significantly expanded the mine’s output capacity.
Annual production rose from 50,000 ounces in 2023 to an expected 190,000 ounces in 2025, using carbon-in-pulp and heap-leaching technologies that improve extraction efficiency from low-grade ore. As of the end of 2024, Raygorodok reported net assets of US$291 million and posted a net profit of US$202 million on US$473 million in revenue.
The asset is currently owned by Cantech, a Kazakhstan-based firm 65 percent held by V Group International, one of the country’s largest equity investment companies, and backed by US private equity firm Resource Capital Funds.
Through its subsidiaries, Zijin Gold International and Jinha Mining, Zijin signed definitive agreements to purchase all rights and interests in RG Gold and RG Processing, the Kazakhstan-based entities that own and operate the mine.
The acquisition is expected to close by the end of September of this year, pending regulatory approvals from both Chinese and Kazakh authorities.
Zijin Gold IPO in the works
Zijin operates gold mines in China and globally in locations such as Africa and South America.
But Raygorodok is set to become one of its flagship assets, aligning with the group’s goal of raising annual gold production by 35 percent — from 73 metric tons in 2024 to 100 to 110 metric tons by 2028.
The acquisition also serves a broader corporate strategy: the planned initial public offering (IPO) of Zijin Gold International, the group’s overseas gold division, on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Established in 2007, Zijin Gold International is being positioned as the vehicle for consolidating Zijin’s foreign gold assets and unlocking shareholder value. The IPO is expected to raise between US$1.5 billion and US$2 billion. Proceeds will be used for further expansion across Africa and South America.
The spinoff remains subject to approval from Chinese regulators, Zijin shareholders, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Zijin has emphasized that the listing will not affect its control over the subsidiary. Furthermore, Zijin Gold International will remain under Zijin's consolidated financial statements post-listing.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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6h
Mali Completes Takeover of Abandoned Gold Mines, Extends Push for Resource Sovereignty
Mali’s military-led government has completed its takeover of the Yatela and Morila gold mines.
Reuters reported on Monday (June 30) that according to the Malian government, control of the Yatela mine in Western Kayes and the Morila mine in Southern Sikasso has officially been transferred to the Society for Research and Exploitation of Mineral Resources of Mali (SEMOS), a newly formed entity in the country.
The Yatela mine was abandoned in 2016 by Sadiola Exploration Company — a joint venture between South Africa’s AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU,JSE:ANG) and Canada’s IAMGOLD (TSX:IMG,NYSE:IAG) — after the operators deemed continued production uneconomic despite leftover reserves.
Morila, once one of Mali’s flagship gold sites, was abandoned in 2022 by Australia’s Firefinch, which had taken over the site from Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) and AngloGold Ashanti. Mali’s government says Morila was left with “significant environmental and financial liabilities,” raising concerns about whether SEMOS can turn operations around profitably.
These moves are part of a broader push by Mali’s military government, which came to power after coups in 2020 and 2021, to restructure the gold sector and capture more revenue from high commodities prices.
Mali produces around 65 metric tons of gold annually, making it Africa’s second largest producer, yet it lacks an internationally certified refinery and is heavily dependent on foreign operators for both technology and market access.
Earlier this year, Business Insider Africa reported that the country had started construction on a Russia-backed gold refinery, another step meant to increase control over its natural resources.
Since taking power, Mali’s authorities have steadily pressured miners via higher taxes, tougher licensing conditions and new contract terms aligned with its 2023 mining code, which grants the state a bigger stake in operations.
Yet critics caution that simply taking over mines without clear management plans or technical expertise risks undercutting investor confidence and missing out on today's high gold price. Gold is up 28.5 percent year-to-date, hitting an all-time high of US$3,500 per ounce in April, driven by geopolitical fears and US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policy.
Mali's ongoing dispute with Barrick Mining
Mali’s relationship with Barrick has soured amid the country's move to exert resource sector control.
Earlier this month, a commercial court in Bamako ordered the temporary transfer of control of Barrick's flagship Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex to a state-appointed administrator for six months.
Judge Issa Aguibou Diallo appointed Soumana Makadji, a former health minister and certified accountant, to oversee the complex, participate in negotiations, and report to the court quarterly, but not to the government directly.
Barrick called the move “unjustified” and “unprecedented,” maintaining that it remains committed to its existing mining conventions and that the Malian government’s push to apply the 2023 mining code retroactively is legally invalid.
Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex, among the most productive gold mines in Africa, has been inactive since January after Malian authorities seized roughly 3 metric tons of gold over disputed taxes.
Since November 2024, the government has also blocked gold exports from the site, escalating tensions as the gold rally has boosted Mali’s hopes for greater revenue.
The government insists that Barrick must comply with its revised mining framework. Barrick, on the other hand, has started international arbitration to protect its long-term agreements.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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