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Major Step Out Extends VMS Mineralisation Over 100m Down Plunge
Alvo Minerals Limited (ASX: ALV) (“Alvo” or the “Company”) is pleased to release assay results from its extensional (Phase 2) diamond drill program at the C3 deposit at the Palma Project (“Palma” or “the Project”) located in Central Brazil. The Company has now completed over 18,800m of diamond drilling at Palma, continuing uninterrupted since listing in October 2021.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Assays received from extensional diamond drilling at the Palma Volcanic hosted Massive Sulphide (“VMS”) Project delivers high-grade mineralisation, including:
- PD3-069: 9m @ 2.5% CuEq* or 6.21% ZnEq from 342m
- Inc. 4m @ 5.1% CuEq or 12.5% ZnEq from 347m
- PD3-071: 4m @ 1.4% CuEq or 3.45% ZnEq from 433m
- PD3-069: 9m @ 2.5% CuEq* or 6.21% ZnEq from 342m
- Major step-out hole PD3-076 intersected a broad zone of sulphide mineralisation over 100m down- plunge from previous deepest intercept – assays pending
- Results follow significant high-grade extensional drill intercepts released in January 2023:
- PD3-059: 14m @ 3.0% CuEq from 228m; inc. 5m @ 7.3% CuEq from 237m
- PD3-065: 13m @ 1.5% CuEq from 333m; inc. 5m @ 3.1% CuEq from 340m
- PD3-065: 14m @ 1.7% CuEq from 376m; inc. 5m @ 3.6% CuEq from 379m
- Downhole Electromagnetic (“DHEM”) surveys completed on the deepest holes at C3 demonstrate conductive plates extend potential VMS mineralisation hundreds of metres down-plunge
- Alvo aims to incorporate the results from the recent extensional drill program at C3 to expand the Palma Project Mineral Resource Estimate1 (“MRE”) of 4.6Mt @ 1.0% Cu, 3.9%, 0.4% Pb & 20g/t Ag in Q3 CY2023
*Refer to the detailed explanation of assumptions and pricing underpinning the copper equivalent (CuEq) on page 9 of this announcement and in Section 2 of the attached JORC Code Table (Appendix 1)
Alvo is aiming to significantly expand the existing JORC 2012 MRE of 4.6Mt @ 1.0% Cu, 3.9% Zn, 0.4% Pb & 20g/t Ag that was based on only historical drilling performed by the CPRM. The drill results from Phase 1 and Phase 2 exceeded expectations on grade and thickness when compared to the existing MRE and the Company anticipates incorporating these into an updated MRE in Q3 CY2023.
Alvo has accelerated the regional exploration program across Palma which now covers >875km2 of contiguous and highly prospective ground in a known VMS district. The district, which is now 90% controlled by Alvo, has been idle for over 30 years since the first discovery in the 1970s and presents an extraordinary opportunity to make new discoveries by applying modern exploration techniques.
Rob Smakman, Alvo’s Managing Director commented on the latest results from C3:
"C3 continues to deliver the high-grades and widths we have come to expect from drilling this exceptional VMS deposit. We have now completed Phase 2 extensional drilling at C3 and will begin to update the MRE which we are confident will be a significant improvement on tonnes and grade when compared to the previous estimate, that was based solely on historical drilling by the Brazilian Geological Survey (CPRM).
We now turn our drilling attention to C1 where we have kicked off the Phase 2 extensional drill program, aiming to build on and extend the fantastic results we achieved there in CY2022. The drilling at C1 will utilise the DHEM in the same way we have at C3, allowing drilling to focus in on the best areas of the deposit.
We remain committed to making new discoveries at Palma and are advancing the regional exploration across multiple fronts, looking to build regional targets to a point where we are compelled to drill. I look forward to updating shareholders on the regional exploration which is progressing at pace and building multiple targets towards drilling. Every day we are closer to new a discovery.”
Diamond Drilling and DHEM Surveys at C3
Phase 2 diamond drilling at the C3 prospect has been completed, with the final hole (PD3-076) now completed and awaiting assays. The drilling announced in this update includes several holes targeting extensions to the mineralisation drilled historically by the Brazilian Government geological survey (CPRM) and more recently by Alvo in 2021 and 2022.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Alvo Minerals, 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.
Lundin Mining Announces Updated Share Capital and Voting Rights
News Provided by Canada Newswire via QuoteMedia
Top 5 Copper Stocks on the TSX in 2024
The first quarter of 2024 began with copper prices remaining steadfast, staying within the US$8,000 to US$8,500 per metric ton (MT) range.
However, the end of the quarter saw the red metal gain momentum on the LME and surge to a quarterly high of US$8,973 on March 18 before moving to set a two-year high on the London Metal Exchange of US$9,869 on April 30.
The dramatic gains came on the back of tightening concentrate supply to Chinese smelters, who cut supply as competition between upgraders caused treatment charges to fall to their lowest point since 2010. While supply for refined copper was expected to shift into a deficit in 2025, the lowered output from smelters is looking to move that ahead to later this year.
With higher copper prices affecting consumers, the effects have started to be felt by copper producers. So which companies have seen the biggest share increases on the TSX? Here are the Top 5.
Data for this article was retrieved on April 24, 2024, using TradingView's stock screener, and only companies with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included.
1. Taseko Mines (TSX:TKO)
Year-to-date gain: 73.91 percent; market cap: C$944.77 million; current share price: C$3.20
Taseko Mines is a copper producer and development company and holds a portfolio of assets in British Columbia, Canada and Arizona, US.
Its primary asset is the Gibraltar mine located in Central BC. The mine is Canada’s second largest open-pit copper mine after Teck Resources' (TSX:TECK.A,TECK.B,NYSE:TECK) Highland Valley mine. Gibraltar boasts an 85,000 MT per day processing capacity and in 2023 produced 123 million pounds of copper.
On March 25, Taseko acquired 100 percent ownership of the Gibraltar mine after it entered into an agreement with Dowa Metals and Mining (TSE:5714) and Furukawa (TSE:5715) to purchase the remaining 12.5 percent interest in the property. The company said the agreement was made as both Dowa and Furukawa are divesting themselves of their copper-mining investments.
In addition to Gibraltar, the company is also working to advance its Florence copper project located near Florence, Arizona. The mine is expected to enter commercial production in 2025, and when fully operational will produce approximately 85 million pounds of copper per year.
On January 16, the company provided an update for the project and announced it had secured an additional US$50 million in funding from Taurus Mining Royalty Fund in exchange for 1.95 percent of gross revenue from the sale of all copper from Florence. The company said the additional funds will allow it to accelerate construction at the site, with the build to begin in the second quarter.
Shares in Taseko reached a quarterly high of C$2.99 on March 27.
2. McEwen Mining (TSX:MUX)
Year-to-date gain: 57.81 percent; market cap: C$721.14 million; current share price: C$14.96
McEwen Mining is a mining company led by industry veteran Rob McEwen. It is working to advance its Los Azules copper project in San Juan, Argentina as well as the Fox Complex gold mines in Ontario, Canada, the Gold Bar mine in Nevada, United States and the San Jose gold mine in Argentina.
Shares of McEwen Mining saw their largest gains at the end of February and the beginning of March. This rising share price coincided with positive news from the company's Q4 and full-year 2023 report, which was released on February 29.
In the announcement, McEwen said it had 22 drills on site and was working toward delivering a feasibility study in Q1 2025. It also reported a 76 percent expected average copper recovery over a 27 year life-of-mine and projected after-tax net present value of US$262 million.
Owned by subsidiary McEwen Copper, the joint project is a partnership between McEwen Mining which holds 48 percent, Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) which holds 14.5 percent and Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) which holds 19.4 percent.
Shares in McEwen Mining reached a quarterly high price of C$13.36 on March 28.
3. First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM)
Year-to-date gain: 47.32 percent; market cap: C$12.94 billion; current share price: C$15.94
First Quantum Minerals is a copper mining and development company with a global portfolio of Assets.
Its primary asset has been the Cobre Panama mine located west of Panama City, Panama. The mine boasts 3 billion MT of proven and probable reserves and represents 1 percent of the World’s copper supply. The mine was ordered to close down in November 2023 after the Panamanian Supreme Court invalidated an extension to the mine's license.
In a December 2023 release, the company said it was working on developing a closure plan for the mine that it expects to present in June 2024, but also noted it is pursuing all appropriate legal avenues to protect its investment and rights.
In the company’s Q1 2024 financial update, released on April 24, First Quantum said it was continuing to work on a preservation and safe management plan for Cobre Panama, and was also working to deliver the 121,000 MT of concentrates that remain on site.
Due to the ongoing situation in Panama, the company noted that it has undergone a refinancing program to improve its balance sheet and improve liquidity. This program has included working out a prepayment agreement with Jiangxi Copper for US$500 million, the completion of a US$1.6 billion senior secured second-lien at 9.38 percent due in 2029, and the issuance of 139.93 million common shares to raise proceeds of US$1.15 billion.
In addition to the updates on its mine in Panama, First Quantum reported the production of 100,605 MT of copper through Q1, a 59,595 MT decrease over Q4 of 2023, which were largely attributed to the closure of Cobre Panama. These declines were partially offset at its Sentinel mine in Zambia where a year-over-year increase of 25,993 MT limited the loss to 38,148 MT of copper from the same period a year ago.
However, First Quantum noted that production may be impacted in 2024 as drought conditions in Zambia have led to the government declaring a national emergency. Due to El Nino, there have been reduced water levels in the Kafue and Zambezi Rivers and power generation throughout the country has been impacted.
The company has been working to mitigate these challenges and has entered into offtake agreements with third-party traders for power sourced from the Southern African Power Pool for a total of 80 megawatts. The agreements are expected to cost US$25 million.
Shares of First Quantum reached a quarterly high of C$15.01 on March 15.
4. Hudbay Minerals (TSX:HBM)
Year-to-date gain: 46.01 percent; market cap: C$3.70 billion; current share price: C$10.60
Hudbay Minerals is a copper production and development company with assets in BC and Manitoba, Canada; Arizona, US; and Peru.
The company has four producing mines. According to its management discussion and analysis (MD&A) for 2023, Constancia and neighboring Pampacancha mines in Peru produced 100,486 MT of copper. Copper Mountain in BC saw 12,154 MT of copper and Snow Lake in Manitoba produced an additional 19,050 MT of copper. In total, this represented a 27,518 increase in copper production for 2022.
In addition to its mining assets, the company is also working to advance its Copper World project in Arizona. In the MD&A, the company indicated it is working on receiving the final state permits for the site and expects to receive them sometime in 2024. The company is also in the process of completing a three prerequisites plan that is required for sanctioning which it expects in 2025.
When complete, the mine is expected to have a 20 year life span, and according to a mineral resource estimate included in a March 28 annual reserve and resource update, Hudbay reported proven and probable average grades of 0.54 percent copper from 385 million MT.
The company is also working on its greenfield Mason project in Nevada. Hudbay says it is developing the project as a long-term future asset and expects it to have a 27 year lifespan. Resource estimates from the site show measured and indicated average grading of 0.29 percent from 2.22 billion MT of ore, with additional inferred grading of 0.24 percent from 237 million MT.
Shares of Hudbay reached a quarterly high of C$9.48 on March 28.
5. Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN)
Year-to-date gain: 43.76 percent; market cap: C$23.03 billion; current share price: C$18.33
Ivanhoe Mines is a copper production and development company that operates the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine, one of the largest in the world.
Located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the mine is a joint venture between Ivanhoe, which holds a 39.6 percent stake, China’s Zijin Mining Group (OTC Pink:ZIJMF), which holds another 39.6 percent stake, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo with a 20 percent share and Crystal River Global, which holds the remaining 0.8 percent.
On April 3, Ivanhoe announced Q1 2024 production results for Kamoa-Kakula. In the report, Ivanhoe indicated that the mine had produced 86,203 MT of copper while achieving a quarterly mining record of 2.5 million MT of ore from Kakula and Kamoa 1 underground mines.
The company also said that ore was being stockpiled ahead of the anticipated early commissioning of the Phase 3 concentrator, which is now scheduled to come online in May of this year. In addition, Ivanhoe said it is working to upgrade power generation at the site from 58 megawatts to over 200 megawatts ahead of the completion of the phase 3 smelter in Q4 2024.
Once online, annual production at Kamoa-Kakula will increase to 650,000 MT of copper per year.
Shares in Ivanhoe reached a quarterly high of C$16.24 on March 15.
FAQs for investing in copper
Is copper a good investment in 2023?
Copper's price trended downward throughout 2023. Although many experts have a positive long-term outlook for the red metal based on supply concerns and its growing role in the energy transition, recession worries in countries across the globe are creating short-term headwinds for copper, which is heavily used in industry.
Investors who are interested in copper should make sure to perform their due diligence, as the volatility and unpredictability of markets and economies at the moment means that nothing is guaranteed.
What is copper used for?
Copper is used in many industries, from construction to electronics to medical equipment. In fact, in 2020, 32 percent of copper globally was used in equipment manufacturing and 28 percent in building construction.
Two other growing sectors for copper are the burgeoning electric vehicle and green energy industries. Electric vehicles require a significant amount of the red metal per vehicle.
How to invest in copper?
Investors can get exposure to copper in a variety of ways. Holding physical copper is possible, but plenty of storage would be required to hold any significant value of the metal.
For investors looking to invest in the metal without physically holding it, there are a few options. Copper stocks such as those on the TSX, TSXV and ASX are worth looking at. Additionally, there are copper exchange-traded funds and the copper options and futures markets on the London Metal Exchange.
How to invest in a copper ETF?
Copper exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a good way to diversify an investment portfolio, and they can be a more stable option compared to individual copper miners or explorers. There are multiple options available on the market, and they can usually be purchased in the same way one could purchase stocks through a broker or trading platform.
In May 2022, Horizons launched Canada’s first copper equities ETF, the Horizons Copper Producers Index ETF (TSX:COPP), which is focused solely on pure-play and diversified copper-mining companies.
There are two ETFs available on the US ARCA exchange as well. The Global X Copper Miners ETF (ARCA:COPX) tracks the Solactive Global Copper Miners Index, which includes copper miners, as well as copper explorers and developers. The other option is the United States Copper Index Fund (ARCA:CPER), which gives investors exposure to copper futures contracts by tracking the SummerHaven Copper Index Total Return (INDEXNYSEGIS:SCITR).
How much is copper worth?
The copper price is tracked in two ways: COMEX copper and London Metal Exchange (LME) copper. The COMEX and LME are both options and futures metal exchanges, with the former being headquartered in New York and the latter in London. COMEX copper is priced by the pound, while LME copper is priced per MT.
Where is copper mined and how is it processed?
Copper is mined throughout the world, with significant production found on every continent besides Antarctica. Chile was the top producer in 2022, putting out 5.2 million MT of the metal. Rounding out the top five are Peru and the Democratic Republic of Congo with 2.2 million MT each, China with 1.9 million MT and the US with 1.3 million MT.
Once copper is mined, the ore goes through multiple steps to reach a market-ready state. First, the ore is ground to roughly separate the rock from the copper, as copper typically only makes up 1 percent of the mined rock.
The resultant copper is then slurried with water and chemical reagents, after which air is used to float the copper to the top of the mixture. After the copper is removed from this, it is typically at 24 to 40 percent purity.
Lastly, the copper is refined at a refining plant or smelter using one of two methods, pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. Pyrometallurgy is employed for copper ore that is sulfide rich, while hydrometallurgy is used when the ore is oxide rich. The Investing News Network's guide on copper refining goes into further detail about how those processes work. Once these processes are complete, the copper is concentrated to up to 99.99 percent purity.
Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Top 5 Junior Copper Stocks on the TSXV in 2024
Coming off a volatile 2023, copper started the new year trading in the US$8,000 to US$8,500 range in January and February.
However, the red metal saw significant gains starting at the end of February and through March as news of production cuts from Chinese smelters began to make headlines. The cuts came as supply for concentrates became tight, sending treatment charges to their lowest point since 2010.
The results of the cuts pushed the price of copper on the London Metal Exchange to a quarterly high of US$8,973 per metric ton (MT) on March 20. The price has continued to see gains and reached a two-year high of US$9,814 on April 24.
With the demand for copper set to soar within the next several years, has this elevated pricing helped small-cap explorers on the TSXV? These are the five biggest gaining stocks since the start of 2024. Data for this article was gathered on April 24, using TradingView's stock screener, and all companies had market caps of over C$10 million at that time. Read on to see what's been moving their share prices.
1. Sandfire Resources (TSXV:SFR)
Year-to-date gain: 211.11 percent; market cap: C$266.07 million; current share price: C$0.28
Sandfire Resources America is a copper development company focused on its Black Butte copper project located east of Helena, Montana, in the US. In 2021, a state district court revoked the company's mine operating permit for Black Butte, halting construction activities of the underground mine.
Sandfire describes the project as one of the highest grade undeveloped copper deposits in the world; a resource estimate for the project's Johnny Lee deposit completed in 2020 reported measured and indicated resources of 10.9 million MT grading 2.9 percent copper for a total of 311,000 MT contained copper.
Shares of Sandfire soared following a February 26 decision by the Montana Supreme Court to reinstate the company's mine operating permit. The win is a crucial step for Sandfire to continue the construction of its mine.
The company has not released any further updates about the project. Shares of Sandfire reached a quarterly high of C$0.29 on March 4.
2. American Eagle Gold (TSXV:AE)
Year-to-date gain: 171.7 percent; market cap: C$67.31 million; current share price: C$0.72
American Eagle Gold is a copper and precious metals exploration company working to advance its NAK property in Central BC, Canada.
Hosted within the Babine copper-gold district, the NAK property has seen historical exploration dating back to the 1960s. American Eagle completed the acquisition of the site in December 2021, and has drilled 17 holes for a total of 13,854 meters during 2022 and 2023 exploration programs.
On January 8, the company announced results from the final hole of its 2023 program, which returned the highest grading. It reported a 302 meter intersection containing 0.53 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold, 0.4 percent copper, 1.27 g/t silver and 431.4 parts per million molybdenum.
The company’s most recent update for the project came on March 15, when it announced it was fully funded to begin a 15,000 meter drill program that is scheduled to start in May. The program will focus on expanding and outlining near-surface potential and connecting the northern and southern targets at the property.
Shares of American Eagle reached a quarterly peak of C$0.71 on March 28.
3. Libero Copper (TSXV:LBC)
Year-to-date gain: 160 percent; market cap: C$24.24 million; current share price: C$0.52
Libero Copper is an exploration company focused on its flagship Mocoa project located in Putumayo, Colombia.
The site consists of six concession contracts that cover an 11,391 hectare land package. The deposit was first discovered as part of a 1973 geochemical survey backed by the United Nations and Colombian government. The site saw subsequent exploration between 1978 and 1983, then again by B2Gold (TSX:BTO,NYSE:BTG) from 2008 until 2012.
The project was acquired by Libero in 2018 from B2Gold (TSX:BTO,NYSE:BTG), but has seen limited exploration. However, a resource estimate from November 2021 reported inferred values of 4.6 billion pounds of copper and 510.5 million pounds of molybdenum from 636 million MT grading 0.33 and 0.036 percent, respectively.
In 2024, Libero has raised funds, announcing the closing of C$3 million private placement on February 15, followed by an additional C$2.86 million private placement on March 11.
Shares of Libero reached a quarterly high of C$0.80 on March 13.
4. Koryx Copper (TSXV:KRY)
Year-to-date gain: 155.56 percent; market cap: C$21.21 million; current share price: C$0.115
Formerly Deep-South Resources, the company announced in November 2023 that it would be changing its name to Koryx Copper to better represent its core values.
The company is focused on the advancement of copper exploration projects in Namibia and Zambia.
Its flagship asset is the Haib copper project located in Southern Namibia near the border with South Africa. In an amended preliminary economic assessment released on January 8, the company indicated 20 million MT per year of ore processing with 85 percent copper recovery for a yearly production of 38,337 MT of copper and an additional 51,081 MT of copper sulfate.
Since the start of 2024, Koryx has published a number of assay results from exploration at Haib, the most recent came on April 24. In the announcement, the company highlighted grades of 0.49 percent copper over 207 meters, including an intersection of 0.58 percent copper over 92 meters.
The company said it was pleased with the results and they are demonstrating the average grade could be higher than previous resource estimates indicate. Koryx also said there were nine holes from the drill program that have yet to be reported.
Shares of Koryx reached a quarterly high of C$0.80 on March 28.
5. Chakana Copper (TSXV:PERU)
Year-to-date gain: 133.33 percent; market cap: C$26.44 million; current share price: C$0.105
Chakana Copper is a copper exploration company focused on developing its Soledad project in the Ancash region of Peru.
The site hosts high-grade copper, silver and gold mineralization across 4,200 hectares. An initial inferred resource estimate released in February 2022 shows the site hosts 191,000 ounces of gold, 11.7 million ounces of silver and 59,200 MT of copper.
On January 15, the company announced the closing of C$3 million in upsized funding with an investment from Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI) and former President and CEO of Sprott Holdings (TSX:SII,NYSE:SII) Rick Rule. At the time, the company said it would use the bulk of the proceeds to drill untested targets at the southern half of Soledad.
Chakana followed up on April 5, announcing that a 3,000-meter drill program had commenced at the Mega-Gold, La Joya and Estremadoyro targets at Soledad. The new program will mark more than 62,000 meters of drilling at the site since 2017.
Shares of Chakana reached a quarterly high of C$0.10 on March 28.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Far Northern Resources Quarterly Report 31 March 2024
During the March quarter 2024, Far Northern Resources Ltd (ASX: FNR) successfully raised $4.165 million and was accepted to admission to the official list of the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). Shares in FNR started trading on 12 April 2024. The initial Public Offering (IPO) raised $4,165,000 through the issue of 20,825,000 shares at an issue price of $0.20. The total undiluted shares on issue at the date of listing was 70,961,135 with FNR having a Market Capitalisation of $14,192,227 and an Enterprise Value (EV) of $10,027,227.
- Far Northern Resources successfully raised $4.165M and satisfied the listing conditions to enable the quotation of its shares on ASX
- FNR acquired 100% of Premier Mining and Bridge Creek Mining post 31 March
- Director Conducted Site Visit to Bridge Creek in the NT
- Directors conducted Pre-Listing Road Shows Brisbane, Sydney, and Perth
- Rock Chip sampling over copper anomalies at Empire - see announcement 15 April 2024.
FNR has accumulated an exciting package of tenements in the Northern Territory and Queensland that are highly prospective for Gold and Copper. Exploration will commence shortly in the Northern Territory while a rock chip program has been conducted in North Queensland at the Empire project over the southern end of the Empire Mining Lease (see FNR’s announcement dated 15 April 2024).
This article includes content from Far Northern Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Mining Exploration Entity or Oil and Gas Exploration Entity Quarterly Cash Flow Report
True North Copper Limited (ASX:TNC) (True North Copper, TNC or the Company) is pleased to provide its mining exploration entity or oil and gas exploration entity quarterly cash flow report.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from True North Copper, 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.
True North Copper March 2024 Quarterly Report
True North Copper Limited (ASX:TNC) (True North Copper, TNC or the Company) is pleased to provide the following quarterly update and Appendix 5B for Q3 FY24.
HIGHLIGHTS
Funding and Strategic Partnerships
- A$42M (USD28M) USD-denominated senior secured loan facility (Loan Facility) with Nebari Natural Resources Credit Fund II LP (Nebari)1. The Loan Facility is provided in two tranches. Drawdown of Tranche 1 – USD$18M (approximately A$27M) occurred 9 February 20242.
- Binding offtake and toll-milling agreements with Glencore International AG(Glencore) for 100% of copper concentrate from TNC’s Cloncurry Copper Project (CCP) and toll-milling services of up to 1Mt of ore per year for the CCP’s Life of Mine (LoM)5.
Cloncurry Copper Project Mining Preparedness
- Mining restart study confirms positive CCP project economics. Study reported anticipated mine revenue of A$367M with free cash flow of A$111M, and a pre-tax NPV10 of A$88M over a 4.6 year mine life, at USD$8,500/t Cu price and USD$1,850/oz Au price (0.7 A$:USD exchange rate)6.
- Wallace North Mine preparation and mobilisation progressed. Wallace North is scheduled as the first open pit (one of four – Wallace North, Great Australia Mine [GAM], Taipan and Orphan Shear) to be mined as part of the mining restart at the CCP6. Mining ramp-up will initially build ore stockpiles, with mining expected to start Q4 FY24. Oxide copper-gold ore will be transported by road train to the Cloncurry Operations heap leach. Sulphide ore will be transported to a nearby concentrator for toll treatment under TNC's toll-milling agreement with Glencore7.
Resources and Reserves
- Maiden Wallace North Ore Reserve. Mine designs produced a maiden Wallace North Ore Reserve totalling 0.7Mt (Probable) grading 1.01% Cu and 0.46g/t Au for 6.8kt Cu and 10.0koz Au8.
- CCP’s total Ore Reserves increased. Addition of the Wallace North Ore Reserve raises TNC’s Cloncurry Copper Project (CCP) total Reserves to 4.7Mt Probable Ore Reserves grading 0.80% Cu and 0.13g/t Au, containing 37.5kt of copper and 20.0koz of gold8, with MEC advancing a further GAM upgrade in Q4 FY24.
- Mt Oxide Project Resources: Vero Resource metallurgical studies completed on schedule allowing revised Vero Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) incorporating 2023 confirmation drilling to be reported in Q4 FY24.
Copper Sulphate Production
- Copper Sulphate Crystal sales totalled 164.9t (45.6t contained Cu) Q3 FY24. Operational costs were substantially reduced in line with depleting production from existing stockpiled ore. Operations were disrupted with frequent high intensity weather events.
Exploration
- 2024 Exploration Program announced. Aggressive exploration strategy targeting transformative discoveries across TNC’s more than 850 sq km of tenure package within the Mt Isa Inlier10.
- TNC awarded Queensland Government $300,000 Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI) Grant. The CEI grant will be used towards delivery of leading edge MIMDAS Induced Polarisation, Resistivity and Magnetotelluric geophysical surveysat the Mt Oxide. The exploration aims to identify massive and disseminated sulphide mineralisation at Mt Oxide11.
- Cloncurry Projects - prioritised targeting for geophysics on mining and exploration tenure completed. TNC will schedule geophysical contractors for commencement during Q4 FY24.
- Camp Gossans prospect (Mt Oxide) - strongly anomalous copper-cobalt zones. Anomalous Cu, Co & As zones identified from multiple gossanous breccia structures that are up to 16m wide with a combined strike length of over 500m12.
- Cloncurry and Flamingo Projects – surface exploration – confirms prospectivity of multiple underexplored Cu-Au mineral systems. Highly encouraging copper and gold assays returned from rock chip sampling confirms prospectivity of multiple underexplored Cu-Au mineral systems.
Corporate
- TNC’s cash balance and receivables totalled A$3.1M as at 31 March 2024. Trade Receivables - $A0.1M. ▪ Environmental Bonds required under the Company’s tenements secured by A$13.47m in restricted cash.
- Final tranche of share placement announcement 17 November 2023 was settled on 16 January 2024. Settlement occurred following the Company’s major shareholder Tembo Capital Holdings receiving FIRB approval for the transaction. The Company subsequently issued 54,166,667 fully paid ordinary shares at 12 cents per share of which 36,286,100 shares were issued to settle the short-term loan provided by Tembo Capital Holdings UK and the remaining 17,880,567 shares were issued for cash totalling $A2.15M.
- A$5M placement by Millinium Capital Managers Limited as trustee for MP Materials and Mining Group Fund - comprising the issue of 41,666,667 fully paid ordinary shares in the Company (Shares) at an issue price of A$0.12 per Share (Placement)3. Settlement of $1 million of this placement occurred on 26 April 2024 with the remainder to be settled no later than 31 May 20244.
COMMENT
True North Copper’s Managing Director, Marty Costello said:
The global demand for copper continues to rise against a backdrop of diminishing supply, creating exceptionally favourable market conditions as True North Copper prepares to become Australia’s next copper producer.
This quarter has marked a significant and rapid transformation. We have entered into strategic partnerships and created critical pathways for our future mining operations, including an off-take and toll-milling agreement with Glencore. In terms of financing, we secured a US$28M (~A$42M) of debt funding from Nebari and separately Millinium Capital Partners has agreed to make a substantial investment by subscribing for A$5M at $0.12 per share.
We have also executed significant project milestones this quarter. The completion of our CCP Mining Restart Study confirmed the CCP is a low-risk, low-cost operation with a short payback period. Additionally, we finalised the maiden Wallace North Reserve.
Thanks to the hard work of our Mining Operations Team, and following some cost cutting and improvements to management control and reporting processes, we are prepared and ready to deliver on our Cloncurry Copper Project Mining Restart Plan with mining expected to commence at Wallace North in Q4 FY24.
We are also committed to developing the Vero Resource at our Mt Oxide Project into our next mine. This quarter, we progressed the re-estimation of the Vero Resource and mine optimisation studies. We look forward to announcing these Q4 2024."
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