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Manuka Resources Limited
Overview
Manuka Resources Limited (ASX:MKR) is an ASX-listed mining company focused on gold and silver-gold projects in the Cobar Basin, one of Australia’s most prolific producers of base and precious metals. The company has 100 percent ownership of two fully permitted precious metals projects in the Cobar Basin - the Mt Boppy gold mine and Wonawinta silver project. In addition, MKR owns the Taranaki VTM iron sands project in New Zealand.
The company revealed a phased strategy focused on delivering maximum value to its shareholders. The first phase focuses on bringing back the Mt Boppy gold mine into production, and has released an optimised production plan for the mine restart. The second phase will involve restarting mining and production at the Wonawinta silver mine, while the third phase will see the development of the Taranaki vanadium titano-magnetite (VTM) project.
The Mt Boppy gold mine was historically one of the richest in NSW, Australia and produced ~500,000oz gold at an average grade of 15 grams per ton (g/t) gold. Accordingly, the company is very excited about its exploration potential.
The current focus is on establishing a processing plant at Mt Boppy and recommence on-site gold production from Q1 2025. The ore from the Mt Boppy mine was previously being processed at the 850,000 to 1 million tpa processing plant at Wonawinta, located nearly 150 kilometres south-west of Mt Boppy. This is about to change as MKR has determined that it could save significantly on transportation costs as well as production efficiencies by building an on-site processing plant at Mt Boppy, which will materially enhance the project economics.
MKR estimates the total cost of building the processing plant to be between AU$10 million and AU$15 million. Compared to this, the annual cost of hauling ore from Mt Boppy to Wonawinta is AU$6 million to AU$7 million (nearly 50 percent of the total capex). MKR anticipates Mt Boppy to deliver total EBITDA of >AU$90 million and cash flow of >AU$80 million over a five-year mine life. It is important to note that the current market capitalization of MKR is just AU$55.1 million, much lower than the anticipated five-year EBITDA and cash flow.
The initial five-year mine plan is largely focused on the screening and processing of gold-bearing waste material above ground on the Mt Boppy mine site. The company has been processing these wastes from June 2023 to December 2023 at its Wonawinta plant and now wants to optimize the process.
The cash flows from the Mt Boppy mine will be used to fund the restart of the Wonawinta silver mine, which is currently under care and maintenance. Wonawinta contains total resources of 38.8 million tons (Mt) at 42 g/t silver for 52.4 million ounces (Moz). Within this, there is a higher-grade component of 4.5 Mt at 97 g/t silver for 14 Moz. Manuka Resources is targeting a mineral resource update for Wonawinta in Q2 2024. The Wonawinta silver project will be the largest primary silver producer in Australia and expected to be back in silver production within 12 months.
The gold and silver market appears to be in an upward trend, with prices for both precious metals hitting their all-time high in 2024, which bodes very positively for MKR.
Company Highlights
- Manuka Resources is an ASX-listed mining company focused on exploring and developing gold and silver assets in the Cobar Basin in New South Wales, Australia.
- The company’s two principal assets – the Mt Boppy Gold Mine and the Wonawinta Silver Mine – are both located in the prolific Cobar Basin. In addition, MKR holds a 100 percent interest in the Taranaki VTM iron sands project, located in New Zealand.
- The primary focus is on bringing the fully permitted Mt Boppy mine back into production by Q1 2025. The company will establish an on-site processing plant at Mt Boppy and in turn free up the Wonawinta processing plant for silver production from the Wonawinta silver mine, which was being used to process Mt Boppy ore.
- The results of the recently completed sonic drill program coupled with an updated mineral resources estimate at Mt Boppy (100 percent increase in indicated gold ounces) improve confidence in the recommencement of gold dore production at Mt Boppy.
- A dedicated processing facility at Mt Boppy will improve the project economics and also allow for an additional revenue stream by freeing up the Wonawinta processing plant to process ore from the Wonawinta silver mine (placed on care and maintenance in February 2024).
- The cash flows from the Mt Boppy mine will be used to fund the planned restart of the Wonawinta silver mine.
- Elevated gold and silver prices should substantially benefit Manuka Resources, resulting in improved profitability and cash flows as it brings both its gold and silver projects into production.
Key Projects
Mt Boppy Gold Project
The Mt Boppy gold project comprises three mining leases, four gold leases and one exploration license, spanning an area of more than 210 sq km in the prolific Cobar Basin in New South Wales, Australia. The project was acquired by Manuka in 2019 and has a current mineral resource of 4.3 Mt at 1.19 g/t gold. This includes a combination of oxidized and transitional/fresh mineralization in the ground, as well as mineralized rock dumps and tailings.
Historically, Manuka Resources has processed its stockpiles and gold mineralized waste products through its Wonawinta processing plant. However, inefficiencies associated with trucking and processing ore at the distant Wonawinta plant has led the company to revise its strategy. It is now looking to construct a processing plant at Mt Boppy so that ore from the mine can be processed on-site. Mt Boppy has excellent infrastructure including a 48-person mine camp and is fully permitted for the proposed processing plant and on-site production.
As a precursor to the commencement of on-site production, Manuka Resources undertook a sonic drilling program at Mt Boppy to improve confidence in the mineral resource base. A 26-borehole, 506-meter sonic drilling evaluation program over the Mt Boppy rock dumps and dry tailings was completed in December 2023. The program led to a 100 percent increase in indicated resources compared to the previous estimate.
The updated mineral resource comprises 4.28 Mt at 1.19 g/t gold for 163 koz of contained gold, of which 82 percent is in the measured and indicated categories. A further high-grade subset of the resource (including open pit, rock dumps and tailings) comprising 1.8 Mt at 1.74 g/t containing 102 koz gold has been identified as a basis for future mine planning.
Following the results of the sonic drill program, MKR determined to establish a 200,000 tpa processing plant at Mt Boppy. The company estimates a five-year mine life and a total gold dore production of >48,000 oz over the initial mine life. The mine plan is fairly low in capex requirements with a total planned capital cost of AU$10 million to AU$15 million. Notably, the annual cost of ore haulage from Mt Boppy to Wonawinta plant is AU$6 million to AU$7 million. Thus, the on-site plant will offer significant cost savings and improve the project economics.
Manuka Resources anticipates Mt Boppy to deliver total EBITDA of >AU$90 million and cash flow of >AU$80 million over a five-year mine life.
Wonawinta Silver Mine Project
The Wonawinta silver mine project comprises one mining lease and seven exploration licenses spanning a total area of 920 sq. km. The Wonawinta project hosts a resource of 38.8 Mt @ 42.0 g/t silver, equating to 52.4 Moz contained silver. Within this there is a higher-grade component of 4.5 Mt at 97 g/t silver for 14 Moz silver.
The Wonawinta plant
The Wonawinta project is fully permitted with all the necessary infrastructure, including an 850,000 to 1 million tpa processing plant. The plant has been used for processing ore from Mt Boppy. The Wonawinta silver mine is currently under care and maintenance. The company is considering the possibility of resuming operations at Wonawinta, leveraging the improved silver price environment. Manuka is targeting a mineral resource update for Wonawinta by October 2024 and production in 2025.
Taranaki VTM Project
The Taranaki VTM project is located within New Zealand's exclusive economic zone, approximately 22 to 36 kilometres offshore, outside the 12 nautical mile boundary from the coastline. The project boasts a JORC resource of 3.2 billion tons at 10.17 percent iron oxide, 1.03 percent titanium dioxide and 0.05 percent vanadium oxide. It holds a mining license allowing initial extraction of 50 million tons annually, resulting in 5 million tons of VTM concentrate per year for 20 years (concentrate grade of 56 to 57 percent iron, 8.5 percent titanium dioxide and 0.5 percent vanadium pentoxide). At this extraction rate, the JORC resource provides approximately 60 years of potential mining inventory.
The project is anticipated to sit in the lowest quartile of the iron ore production cost curve. The next step for Manuka is to complete a bankable feasibility study on the project.
Management Team
Dennis Karp – Executive Chairman
Dennis Karp is a former commodities trader with nearly four decades of corporate experience. He started his career in 1983 and worked in HSBC until 1997 before moving to Tennant, one of Australia’s largest physical commodities trading companies with operations in Asia and Europe. He was a principal shareholder of Tennant Metals until 2010 and a managing director until December 2014. He founded ResCap in December 2014. Since then, he has participated in diverse resource projects and investment opportunities across base metals and bulk commodities. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Cape Town.
Alan Eggers – Executive Director
Alan Eggers has over 40 years of experience in the mining sector. He is a geologist and was the founder of Summit Resources, which became an ASX top 200 company and was acquired by Paladin Energy in 2007 for AU$1.2 billion. Throughout his career, he has held director positions at numerous companies. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Honours, and Master of Science degrees from Victoria University of Wellington. He is recognized as a fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists and holds memberships in AusIMM and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.
Anthony McPaul – Non-executive Director
Anthony McPaul possesses over 40 years of expertise in mining and mineral processing. He has overseen a diverse array of operational projects, spanning from base to precious metals, in both surface and underground mining operations. He has directly managed all facets of production and scheduling. He served in senior leadership roles at various companies, including CRA, Denehurst, MIM and, more recently, Newcrest. McPaul is currently the chairman of the NSW Minerals Council Board and Executive Committee, and he is also a member of the newly established Mineral Industry Advisory Council.
John Seton – Non-executive Director
John Seton is a lawyer with extensive experience in the mineral resources sector. He has served as director in several ASX and NZX listed companies. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University, Wellington, and a Master of Law (Honours) from the University of Auckland and is a chartered fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.
Haydn Lynch – Chief Operating Officer
Haydn Lynch has over 25 years of experience in M&A, capital markets and private equity. He has been involved in executing several domestic and cross-border transactions in various sectors including metals and mining, and industrials. He has held leadership roles in global investment banks, including Bankers Trust Australia, Investec Bank, RBC Capital Markets and Southern Cross Equities. He has undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering and economics from the University of Queensland and a Master in Commerce from the University of New South Wales.
Rod Griffith – Mining and Technical Consultant
Rod Griffith has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, both in Australia and internationally, working in senior management roles, including as chief operating officer and general manager. He has significant Central Western NSW experience with KBL Mining, Silver City Minerals, Girilambone Copper and Cobalt Blue, across a number of commodity groups and mining styles. He earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Surveying from the University of Newcastle, along with a postgraduate diploma in mining engineering from the University of Ballarat.
Phil Bentley – Chief Geologist
Phil Bentley has over 40 years of experience in the mining industry across New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia, holding senior geological roles as well as senior management and director positions. He has worked as a Chief Geologist at Randgold Resources and Randgold & Exploration, Global Head of Exploration at Trafigura Mining Services, and Principal Geologist Africa at CSA Global South Africa. He is a Qualified person under NI 43-101 (Canadia) and JORC (Australia) and is a Fellow of the South African Geological Society. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geology at Victoria University of Wellington. He also has a Masters of Science in Economic Geology at Victoria University of Wellington and a Master’s of Science in Mineral Exploration from Rhodes University, Grahamstown South Africa.
TEM | Yalgoo Update - Further Excellent Iron Results
Key Points
- Additional high-grade magnetite iron intercepted in RC drilling
- Consistent intercepts over >2 km of drilled strike length
- Identical outcropping geology mapped over a 5 km total strike length
- Potential for a large-scale iron ore deposit nearby other world-class processing facilities
Remorse Target
High-grade iron
In addition to the lab results for the first drillhole previously reported 1, the Company is pleased to announce the completion of drilling and that follow-up results in subsequent drillholes confirm the presence of high-grade iron at the Remorse Target. New results include:
WARDH00180 16m @ 32.6% Fe from 93m (pXRF)
WARDH00169 20m @ 32.3% Fe from 120m (pXRF)
and 11m @ 30.8% Fe from 182m (pXRF)
WARDH00166 7m @ 32.8% Fe from 96m (Lab)
WARDH00171 8m @ 30.1% Fe from 130m (pXRF)
* Portable XRF (pxrf) results are not comparable in reliability to authorised laboratory results and should be not relied on for quantitative purposes outside indicative demonstrations of potential order of magnitude of enrichments.
Background
TEM has completed the first phase of RC drilling at the Remorse Target of its flagship Yalgoo Project. In total, 21 RC holes were drilled for 4,005m. Samples have been Boxscanned (pXRF) and submitted to the lab and final assay results are expected in December 2024.
The previously reported iron intercept from the first hole drilled at Remorse was WARDH00160 of 32m @ 30.0% Fe from 96m (including 7m @ 37% Fe) (Lab).
The Remorse Target is part of Tempest's broader Yalgoo Project which spans over 1,000 square kilometres of prospective terrain for base metals, precious metals and iron ore.
Figure 01: Section through iron mineralisation WARDH00180
Figure 02: Section through iron mineralisation WARDH00169 and WARDH00163-165.
All samples collected have been analysed using a Boxscan unit which includes a mounted portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Although not as accurate as laboratory analysis, pXRF data when collected in a quality and consistent manner can also exhibit high accuracy and precision. The pXRF data has been compared with assays received to date (>800 samples) and has an average variance of -4.2% and a median of -4.3%. The results indicate the accuracy is considered acceptable for current exploration reporting purposes (and potentially an overall slight underestimation by pXRF).
Remaining assay results are due in December and are expected to correlate strongly with the pxrf results announced.
As previously advised, the drill program design was focused on the strong base metal geochemical anomaly exhibited at the Remorse Target 2. The planned holes were focused strongly on testing the 'hanging wall' stratigraphy at Remorse and were not initially focused on the newly identified iron layer. However, the program did result in the 4 most northerly drill holes intercepting the main magnetite layer and numerous holes intercepting adjacent magnetite-rich layers.
The widely spaced drilling shows continuity and consistency over more than 2 kilometres and identical iron-rich stratigraphy outcrops can be traced over an extensive 5-kilometre zone correlating with the original Remorse Target footprint.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Tempest Minerals 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.
Brunswick Exploration
Investor Insight
With multiple significant lithium discoveries under its belt and a proven exploration strategy that yields results, Brunswick Exploration makes a compelling investment proposition in the ever- expanding lithium space.
Overview
Brunswick Exploration (TSXV:BRW,OTCQB:BRWXF,1XQ:FF) is among the only public companies aggressively and systematically conducting grassroots exploration for lithium in Canada and Greenland using state-of-the-art exploration technology to identify high-potential targets. Specifically, the company has staked major under-explored pegmatite fields across Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Greenland.
Brunswick Exploration’s team of geologists begins by compiling available data and conducting research to identify locations where they believe the potential for minerals of interest might be
found. The technical field team is dispatched to conduct a prospecting program by gathering robust observational data using tried-and-true field geology techniques. The goal of the program is to reveal the presence of mineralization that may predict the presence of an unknown mineral deposit.
The company's exploration team is guided by its executive chairman Robert Wares, who co- founded the original Osisko Mining and was responsible for discovering the Canadian Malartic bulk tonnage gold mine. That mine was subsequently developed by Osisko into one of Canada's largest gold producers. Wares is an established and award-winning professional geologist with over 40 years of experience in mineral exploration and development.
Brunswick Exploration has identified five high-priority projects in the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay region of Quebec: Mirage, Elrond, Anatacau, PLEX and Mythril. In 2023, grassroots lithium discoveries were made at Mirage, Elrond and Anatacau, which are currently the focus of drilling.
In 2024, Brunswick Exploration successfully discovered Greenland’s first lithium-bearing spodumene pegmatitewithin the Ivisaartoq pegmatite field covered by the company’s Nuuk license. The Ivisaartoq pegmatite field is Mesoarchean in age and contains amphibolites, metasediments, ultramafics, gneiss, gabbros, granites and pegmatites. Following this discovery, the company is now seeking to expand its licence in the the Nuuk area, and has acquired new landholding in new regions in Western Greenland.
Company Highlights
- Brunswick Exploration (BRW) is a Montreal-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSXV under symbol BRW. The company is focused on grassroots exploration for lithium in Canada and Greenland, a critical metal necessary to global decarbonization and energy transition.
- This has generated one of the largest grassroots lithium portfolios globally.
- BRW's board includes Robert Wares, one of the founders of Osisko Mining.
- BRW was recognized as one of the Top 50 TSX Venture listed companies in 2023.
- The company has staked hundreds of untested prospective pegmatites measuring a minimum strike length of 500 meters and within 50 kilometers of infrastructure.
- In 2023, three discoveries were made in the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay region of Quebec at the Mirage, Anatacau Main and Elrond projects.
- Sirios Resources signed an agreement with Brunswick Exploration granting it the right to purchase a 0.5 percent net smelter return (NSR) held by Sirios on eight claims that are part of Brunswick Exploration's Mirage lithium property located in Eeyou Istchee James Bay.
- In 2024, BRW announced a newly discovered pegmatite outcrop from its Nuuk License making it the first confirmed lithium discovery in Greenland.
Key Projects
Mirage Project
The Mirage project comprises 427 claims with a total surface area of 21,230 hectares (staked and optioned claims), located roughly 40 kilometers south of the Trans-Taiga Highway in Quebec’s James Bay region. Fruitful discussions with a geologist that worked the area twenty- five years ago for gold exploration led to the staking of the BRW claims, as he recorded the presence of several angular pegmatitic glacial boulders hosting well-defined, decimetric spodumene crystals. The largest observed boulder measured 8 meters by 4 meters by 3 meters. In the fall of 2023, BRW discovered several high grade spodumene outcrops over a 2.5 kilometer trend as well as an adjacent 3.0 kilometer spodumene boulder train that has different mineralogy than the discovered outcrops.
In 2023, BRW completed a 5,000-meter drill program at the Mirage project. Phase 1 of the 26- hole program, aimed to test the continuity and widths of the six widest spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes that have been discovered to date on the property over a total cumulative strike length of 2,500 meters. Final drill results from the 2023 program at the Mirage project have outlined two new spodumene mineralized dykes (MR-5 and MR-6) with significant thickness and grade, all within the Central Zone. MR-23-28 intersected high-grade mineralization of 1.80 percent Li2O over 37.2 meters starting from surface in newly discovered dyke MR-6 located 500 metres northeast of MR-3. Evidence of potential stacking of dykes in Central Zone where MR-23-35 intercepted 11.5 meters grading 1.1 percent Li2O approximately 100 meters south of MR-3 in new dyke MR-5.
In H1 2024, a Phase II drilling campaign, containing 35 holes was completed at the Mirage project by targeting the extensions of known pegmatite dykes (MR-1 to MR-6) while new prospective outcrops have yet to be drill-tested. Results have generated up to 58.10 meters of 1.59 percent Li2O.
In 2024, Brunswick Exploration signed an agreement with Sirios Resources to repurchase an existing 0.5 percent NSR on certain claims within the Mirage project.
Elrond Project
The Elrond Project comprises 136 claims with a total area of 7,048 hectares, located roughly 12 kilometers east of the Billy Diamond Highway in Quebec’s James Bay region. Elrond is part of the Mythril option agreement with Midland Exploration whereby BRW can earn a maximum of 85 percent interest in the project.
In the fall of 2023, BRW uncovered a new, undocumented spodumene-bearing pegmatite, known as the Arwen showing, that is exposed over a surface area measuring approximately 250 meters by 100 meters, dipping very shallowly to the north. The pegmatite remains open in all directions.
The Arwen outcrop is well mineralized in spodumene throughout the showing with an apparent higher-grade zone, containing up to 30 percent spodumene, which has a visible extent of approximately 75 by 15 meters. The spodumene crystals are well formed and up to 30 centimeters in length with an off-white color and were confirmed through LIBS analysis and UV light.
In early 2024, the company completed a maiden drilling campaign at the Elrond project to test the Arwen spodumene-bearing pegmatite. The Arwen pegmatite is well mineralized and three representative grab samples returned values between 1 and 3 percent Li2O. A high-resolution airborne magnetic survey was flown in the fall of 2023 and suggests that the Arwen showing is emplaced in a favorable structural corridor that is 4 kilometers long and 500 meters wide. The target area is proximal to infrastructure, located approximately 12 kilometers from the Billy- Diamond Highway and drilling activities will be ground supported via a winter road.
Anatacau
Comprising the Anatacau Main and Anatacau West projects, these assets are under an option agreement with Osisko GP, a subsidiary of Osisko Development, under which Brunswick Exploration can earn a 90 percent interest in the projects. The Anatacau property is located just east of Arcadium’s (NYSE:ALTM) James Bay Lithium deposit (previously known as the Cyr deposit), which has a total mineral resource of 110.2 million tons (Mt) at 1.30 percent lithium oxide and a total ore reserve of 37.3 Mt at 1.27 percent lithium oxide.
BRW completed a maiden drill program at the Anatacau West property totalling 3,712 meters. 17 of the 18 drilled holes intersected spodumene mineralization that generated up to 26.5 metres at 1.51 percent Li2O.
In the summer of 2023, Brunswick discovered a significant lithium pegmatite outcrop, measuring at least 100 meters long by 15 meters wide known as the Anais showing in Anatacau Main. The outcrop is within a larger cluster of pegmatite dykes all of which contain high-grade lithium mineralization.
This discovery is located 22 kilometers east of Anatacau West and Arcadium’s James Bay project along a large-scale E-W deformation corridor which is host to the known lithium-bearing pegmatite dykes in the region.
BRW reported multiple high spodumene grain countson the Anatacau West property during a till sampling campaign undertaken in the summer of 2024. These highly encouraging results (up to 1,225 spodumene grains in a single sample) further reinforce lithium potential in the bedrock and delineate a new, highly prospective unexplored area at the Anatacau West property beyond the previously drilled pegmatites.
Greenland
Since its confirmation of Greenland’s lithium potential, Brunswick Exploration has a renewed focus on further strengthening its targets in Greenland. The company now controls one of the most significant grassroots exploration portfolios in the country and is the only company actively exploring for lithium in Greenland, according to president and CEO Killian Charles.
Nuuk Expansion
The Nuuk holdings host the new Ivisaartoq discovery within the Ivisaartoq belt. The company has applied to stake the adjacent Ujarassuit amphibolite belt that is up to 1 km in width and roughly 40 km in strike length. The company has also staked additional amphibolite belts within the Fiskefjord Complex, 95 kilometers north of Nuuk, and 75 kilometers southeast of the community of Maniitsoq. These belts are up to 4.5 km in width and 20 km in strike length. In total, the new claims contain hundreds of mapped and interpreted pegmatite outcrops including six that are between 500 and 2,000 meters in strike length for a total license expansion area of 33,138 hectares.
Disko Bay
The Disko Bay licenses are located roughly 30 to 80 km from the coastal city of Ilulissat, which is the third largest city in Greenland. The licenses are near multiple seaports and container terminals, including Ilulissat. The area is situated within the Aasiaat domain, part of the Paleoproterozoic Nagssugtoqidian Orogen, sandwiched to the south by the Archean North Atlantic Craton and to the north by the Archean Rae Craton. The Orogen extends west into the Trans-Hudson orogeny of Canada that continues to the lithium deposits near Snow Lake Manitoba and the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Multiple amphibolite and metasedimentary belts were acquired with some belts being over 20 km in strike length. The new claims have hundreds of mapped and interpreted pegmatite targets with a total license area of 49,639 hectares.
Uummannaq
The licenses are located roughly 70 km from the coastal city of Uummannaq, about 80 km north of Ilulissat. Uummannaq has a population of about 1,660, an airport and a ferry terminal as well as a nearby container terminal. The area is located within the Archean Rae Craton that is intermixed with the Paleoproterozoic Rinkian fold-thrust belt, both of which are in contact with the Paleoproterozoic Nagssugtoqidian Orogen to the south.
The new license contains multiple amphibolite and metasedimentary belts with dozens of mapped and interpreted pegmatites with a total license area of 9,770 hectares.Management Team
Robert Wares - Executive Chairman
Robert Wares is a professional geologist with more than 35 years of experience in mineral exploration and development. He was responsible for discovering the Canadian Malartic bulk tonnage gold mine, which was subsequently developed by Osisko Mining into one of Canada's largest gold producers. Wares was a co-winner of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada's "Prospector of the Year Award" for 2007. He was also named one of the "Mining
Men of the Year" for 2009 by the Northern Miner. He has a bachelor of science and an honorary doctorate in Earth sciences from McGill University.
Killian Charles - President and CEO
From 2017 to 2021, Killian Charles worked as VP of corporate development for Osisko Metals. Charles was previously the manager of corporate development at Integra Gold Corp, which was an advanced-stage gold development company until it was acquired by Eldorado Gold in July 2017. He worked as a mining analyst at Industrial Alliance Securities and Laurentian Bank Securities. Charles covered small and mid-cap exploration and production companies as a mining analyst. Charles holds a bachelor of science with a major in Earth and planetary sciences from McGill University.
Anthony Glavac - CFO
Anthony Glavac has more than 17 years of experience in financial reporting, including over 12 years in the mining industry. Since August 2017, Glavac has served as vice-president, and corporate controller for Falco Resources, and previously served as director, financial reporting and internal controls at Dynacor Gold Mines. Glavac spent 10 years at KPMG, working with both public and private companies, providing audit, taxation, strategic advisory and public offering services. Glavac is also involved with other public companies in the mining industry.
François Goulet - Exploration Manager, Quebec
François Goulet holds a master’s degree in structural geology from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM). In recent years he was president and CEO of Harfang Exploration, a gold project generator in the James Bay region. He has extensive experience working in the James Bay region of Quebec as well as international experience in a variety of exploration projects.
Goulet has worked for Virginia Mines, Unigold, Maya Gold and Silver, the Canadian Malartic Partnership, Glencore Canada and several other junior companies. He is a member of the board of directors of l’Association de l’exploration minière du Québec (AEMQ) and a registered geologist with the Ordre des géologues du Québec since January 2011.
Charles Kodors - Exploration Manager, Atlantic Canada
Charles Kodors is the Manager, Atlantic Canada at Brunswick Exploration Inc. and has been with the company since January 2021. Having 15 years of experience in the mining and exploration industry, he most recently served as an exploration manager for Osisko Metals and a senior exploration geologist for Kirkland Lake Gold. Charles Kodors received his B.Sc. from Brock University and is a registered professional geologist within the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Simon Hébert - Vice-president, Development
Simon Hébert is a professional geologist with over 13 years in the mining exploration industry. He began his career with Virginia Mines and Osisko Mining. Hébert has worked on several
metallogenic projects and in various environments, mainly in the Baie-James territory, Nunavik and the Northwest Territories. He was a mining director in April 2019 where he participated in the formation of NQ Mining Investment, where he subsequently became general manager in 2023. Hébert is a registered professional geologist and a member of the Ordre des Géologues du Quebec since 2012. He has sat on the AEMQ board of directors since 2019, serving as vice- president. He is president of the board of directors of the Table Jamésienne de concertation minière. Hébert holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Université Laval.
Rio Silver
Investor Insight
Rio Silver’s value proposition leverages a wholly owned 4,300 hectares of mineral concessions in a historic Peruvian mining district, a management team holding a 29 percent stake and over two decades of local experience, extensive exploration data and promising historical drill results.
Overview
Rio Silver (TSXV:RYO) is a precious metals mining and exploration company with a focus on the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metals deposits in South America. The company is currently focused on advancing its 100 percent-owned Niñobamba silver-gold project in Peru. The company has decades of experience navigating the mining regulatory landscape of Peru and considers itself to be well-positioned for the coming mining cycle.
Rio Silver’s flagship Niñobamba property is located in the Department of Ayacucho about 330 kilometers southeast of Lima. The 4,300-hectare property is wholly owned by the company and the project is drill ready. The Niñobamba project partially comprises a 2,200 hectare property which was previously owned by Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM) and Southern Peru Mining. The balance was held by AngloGold Ashanti and Bear Creek Mining but has since been strategically acquired and consolidated into Rio Silver’s property.
The Ninobamba project engulfs a collapsed caldera, an ancient volcano, where the Niñobamba North and South zones were mineralized in a hot spring environment within the wall rock of the caldera surrounded by areas that contain high-sulfidation mineralization with near surface silver and gold deposits modeled for Rio Silver using leapfrog 3D software. The neighbouring Jorimina deposit, 6.5 kilometers to the west, where Newmont spent more than US$7 million, concluded an internal, positive, preliminary economic assessment, detailing a predominantly gold-rich, low to mid-sulfidation deposit found in the floor structure of this collapsed caldera.
The company’s management and advisory team is made up of experienced industry veterans, some with as many as 25 years of experience working in Peru. The team has an in-depth understanding of the regulatory processes associated with mining exploration in the country.
To date, Rio Silver and other historical operators have completed US$10 million in exploration expenditure on the Niñobamba property. The company has low overhead expenditure and strong alliances in Peru that are helping it achieve new initiatives for enhanced sustainability.
The company now holds a 3 percent net smelter return (NSR) royalty with guaranteed minimum payments from a recent property sale and these initiatives enable more exploration by helping Rio Silver with sustaining costs.
Company Highlights
- Rio Silver owns six mineral concessions covering 4,300 hectares of wholly-owned land in a historic Peruvian mining district.
- The property was historically surrounded by big-name miners (Newmont, Southern Peru Copper) and is now wholly owned by Rio Silver.
- Experienced management team with more than two decades of mining experience in Peru.
- Extensive trenching completed at the Niñobamba zone.
- The management team holds a 29 percent stake in the company.
- US$10 million in exploration expenditure completed to date by Rio and historical operators.
- All the historical data has been collected from previous owners.
- Historical drilling on the Niñobamba property intersected 130 meters of 2.55 oz/t silver and 72.3 meters of 1.19 g/t gold.
- New gold zone identified include 56 meters at 98.9 g/t silver and 21.77 meters at 1.32 g/t gold, 102.46 g/t silver.
Key Project
Niñobamba Silver Project, Peru
Located 330 kilometers southeast of Lima in the Department of Ayacucho, the Niñobamba property is 100 percent wholly owned by Rio Silver. The property includes six mineral concessions covering 4,300 hectares. The district has historically been mined by major international gold miners including Newmont Goldcorp and Southern Peru Mining.
The property was initially explored by AngloGold (JSE:ANG) in 2001. Anglo drilled five widely-spaced core holes totaling 861 meters focusing in an area of intense hydrothermal surface alteration. AngloGold’s drilling highlights included assay results of 87.0 grams per tonne (g/t) silver over a drilled interval of 130 meters starting from a depth of 9 meters reported from drill hole DDH-2 and 54.0 g/t silver over a drilled interval of 96 meters starting from 23 meters reported from the AN-04 drill hole.
Adjacent zones acquired from major miners
In 2016, Rio Silver consolidated its property by acquiring the surrounding 2,200 hectares of adjoining land from Newmont Mining and Southern Peru Copper. These included the 2,000 hectare Jorimina zone, which is located about 6.5 kilometers west of the Niñobamba and is believed to be part of the same high-sulfidation silver-gold system identified in the main Niñobamba zones. Along with the property came an extensive database of information including results and reports from an exploration program by the mining majors which encompassed 553 hectares. Newmont’s exploration included mapping, 2,147 rock samples and induced polarization geophysics. This historic exploration indicated a gold anomalous area of more than 700 meters by 1,000 meters as well as four strong chargeability anomalies coinciding with gold-silver in rock anomalies.
Newmont’s historic data includes samples of 17.4 meters of 3.06 g/t gold and 200 meters of 0.26 g/t gold. Historic exploration in the Jorimina zone conducted by Newmont in 2009 and 2010 shows highlights of 72.3 meters of 1.19 g/t gold starting at 53-meter depth.
In 2024, Rio Silver completed a surface access agreement with the local community for one year at the Jorimina project after an environmental impact study and community workshops were also completed to represent the final steps of the drill permitting application process.
Exploration and trenching results
To date, extensive trenching has been completed by Rio Silver on the Niñobamba property. In 2012, the company began conducting surface trenching in areas proximate to historical drilling locations. Exploration has focused primarily on the north and south zones of silver mineralization approximately 400 meters apart with variable thicknesses. Surface sampling near trenches in the north zone returned highlights of 1.32 g/t gold and 102.46 g/t silver. Sampling near trenches in the south zone returned highlights of 42.62 meters of 130.98 g/t silver. Additional highlights can be found on Rio Silver’s website.Management Team
Chris Verrico - President, CEO, and Director
Chris Verrico has extensive experience with rural-remote infrastructure construction and contract mining throughout BC, the Yukon, Alaska and Nunavut. He has been a director for a dozen startup junior mining companies, most of which have become public companies. Verrico has managed numerous exploration projects in North America, Mexico and throughout western South America. He is currently the director of Juggernaught Exploration.
Christopher Hopton - CFO
Christopher Hopton has over 25 years of experience in senior accounting and financial roles. He is currently the CFO of Sirona Biochem.
Steve Brunelle - Chairman
Steve Brunelle is the former officer and director of Corner Bay Silver, which was acquired by Pan American Silver. He has 35 years of experience in mineral exploration throughout the Americas and is currently an Officer and Director for several TSXV companies.
Jeffrey J Reeder - Advisor
Jeffrey J Reeder is a professional geologist with more than two decades of experience working in Peru. Reeder possesses an in-depth understanding of the rules, practices, and processes involved in conducting mining and exploration in the country and is currently the president of Peruvian Metals that owns a custom toll milling facility in northern Peru.
Jim McCrea – Adviser
Jim McCrea has more than 30 years’ experience in exploration, mining geology and mineral resource estimation. He worked for junior mining/exploration companies and engineering companies SRK and Snowden. His geological expertise ranges from technical review and due diligence to resource estimation and feasibility studies. McCrea has experience in a range of commodities, but primarily gold, silver and copper, with particular focus on North and South America. He has performed ore body modeling and resource estimation for the successfully targeted takeover company Cumberland Resources by Agnico-Eagle Mines. More recently, McCrea completed many mineral resource estimations underpinning acquisitions such as Minera San Cristóbal S.A. of Bolivia, Arena Minerals and Montan Mining, to mention a few.
Edward J Badidaa, - Director
Edward J Badidaa is a professional accountant with over 40 years of financial management and corporate governance experience. He currently serves as a director for Patagonia Gold.
Richard Mazur - Director
Richard Mazur is the co-founder and past managing director of RLG International operating in over 30 countries worldwide with more than 300 employees.
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