Marvel Discovery Corp. (TSXV:MARV)(Frankfurt:O4T1)(OTC PINK:IMTFF); ("Marvel" or the "Company") announces it has received its work permit and has commenced its 2021 exploration program on the Blackfly Gold Project. The permit issued by the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines enables Marvel to conduct its 2021 program of trenching, line cutting and diamond drilling. In advance of having "boots on the ground", the Company compiled all available historical data and remodeled the geophysical surveys including Marvel's 2020 airborne magnetic survey. The geophysical report offered a new interpretation of the structural geology of the project plus directed the Company's exploration team to several new gold mineralization targets
"We are excited to be commencing our activities on the Blackfly gold project." stated Mr. Karim Rayani, Marvel's President and Chief Executive Officer, "the property has a rich history dating back as early as 1898, geological mapping indicates alteration/mineralization for up to a 5km distance, grades at the historic shaft have been reported as high as 167g/t Au. With the benefit of our recent airborne geophysical surveys plus the results of all earlier exploration programs, Marvel's exploration team will be zeroing in on the highest priority targets."
During the first days of the field work, Marvel's geological team conducted mapping and sampling of surface exposures. The team noted the area containing the TerraX Mineral Inc.'s 2009 discovery was underlain by sheared and altered granodiorite and a northeast trending diorite dike. The dike appears to be the cause of the linear magnetic anomaly that was identified by Marvel's airborne geophysical survey reported in a news release dated, December 9, 2020.
The team also noted that the dike and granodiorite are variably altered to chlorite-ankerite-silica-sericite-pyrite. The most intense alteration comprises strongly bleached sericite-quartz-pyrite commonly within well-foliated shear zones and along quartz vein alteration halos.
Much of the observed mineralization on the property consists of narrow veins of quartz with ankerite and chlorite. The main sulphide mineral is pyrite occurring in vein seams and strongly bleached quartz - carbonate - sericite - pyrite alteration halos about the veins with locally up to 25% euhedral cubic pyrite. Some veins range up to 2m locally. Local fine-grained chalcopyrite was observed in several veins. At the northern extent of the area of mapping and sampling, a 10-40 cm quartz vein contains up to 5% coarse galena crystals and fine-grained pyrite and chalcopyrite within altered diorite.
The first 41 samples of Blackfly project field work have been delivered to the assay lab.
Marvel's Blackfly Gold Project
The Property is located in the developing Atikokan gold mining camp along and within the Marmion Lake Fault Zone, approximately 13.6 kilometers ("km") southwest along strike of Agnico Eagle's Hammond Reef Gold Deposit. The Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources at the Hammond Reef Gold Deposit is currently an estimated 3.32 million ounces of gold (123.5 million tonnes grading 0.84 g/t gold) mineral reserves, and 2.3 million ounces of measured and indicated mineral resources (133.4 million tonnes grading 0.54 g/t gold). The Hammond Reef gold property lies on the Hammond shear zone, which is a northeast-trending splay off of the Quetico Fault Zone ("QFZ") and intimately associated with gold mineralization.
Assessment file records indicate the original Blackfly gold discovery was made in 1897, making the occurrence one of the earliest found in the Atikokan gold mining camp. The project's 45-foot shaft was sunk in 1898 shortly after gold was discovered. Several companies have added to the database of the Property including: Rebair Gold Mines Ltd. (1945 to 1948), Steeprock Mines Ltd. (1949 and again in 1961), Aavdex Corporation (2004) and TerraX Minerals Inc. (2009 to 2012).
Highlights of the Blackfly Gold Project include:
Grab samples taken near the historic shaft in 2010 ranged from 87 to 167 g/t Au;
Blackfly Main Vein returned 1.07 m @ 15.1 g/t Au from hole BF10-04;
Blackfly Northeast gold zone showed 2.0 m @ 10.96 g/t Au from hole BF11-11;
Geological mapping indicated the structural lineament which hosts the Blackfly Vein and bears similar alteration/mineralization can be traced for up to 5 kilometers.
2021 Exploration Program
The 2021 exploration program on the Project is a continuation of the work initiated in 2020 that included a compilation of historical information and reports and completion of its high-resolution airborne magnetics and time-domain electromagnetic data collection over 203 line-kilometers at 100m spacing. Several geophysical anomalies were identified and targets for follow-up were recommended. Marvel's geological team has begun the initial program work of prospecting, bedrock mapping and rock sampling. Trenching is planned for further definition of the gold mineralization associated with the known anomalies and geological structures. Diamond drilling is planned for the summer field season with 16 drill holes.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mike Kilbourne, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Marvel Discovery Corp.
Marvel, listed on the TSX Venture Exchange for over 25 years, is a Canadian based emerging resource company. The Company is systematically exploring its extensive property positions in:
Exploits Zone, Newfoundland (Slip and Victoria Lake - Au Prospects)
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Marvel Discovery Corp. "Karim Rayani" Karim Rayani President/Chief Executive Officer, Director Tel: 604 716 0551 email: k@r7.capital
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information:
Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion of the proposed Arrangement. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Project diversity has become one of the resource industry’s best strategies for minimizing risks and maximizing exposure to exceptional discoveries in mineral exploration projects. Companies with a diversified portfolio covering battery metals, gold, energy and rare earth elements demonstrate that mining players don’t always have to put all their eggs in one basket.
Diversification across world-class mining countries, like Canada, presents even more exceptional economic upside. Investors can gain exposure from Ontario’s prolific multi-million-ounce gold camps while leveraging the country’s hottest iron and copper mines in Newfoundland and Labrador. With the right company, operating a broad portfolio can mitigate risk without foregoing the opportunity for serious growth.
Marvel Discovery (TSXV:MARV) is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on generating, acquiring and exploring diverse mineral opportunities across Canada. The company holds a robust project portfolio covering gold, uranium, rare earth elements (REE), lithium, nickel, platinum group elements (PGE) and battery metals.
The company’s projects host mineral richness across a wide spectrum of metals and leverage lengthy histories of mining and exploration in prolific jurisdictions, of which many are seeing an exciting revitalization.
Marvel Discovery’s outstanding gold project portfolio provides the company with even more upside potential. Leveraging advantageous positioning in two of Canada’s hottest gold mining provinces, the company has identified and acquired multiple promising gold assets. They include the Blackfly project in Ontario, and Slip, Gander, Golden Brook and Victoria Lake gold projects in Newfoundland and Labrador. Its gold portfolio poses exceptional exploration and high-grade gold mineralization opportunities.
Marvel Discovery’s Blackfly gold property is located in the historic Atikokan district in Ontario. Blackfly is strategically positioned in one of the province’s earliest gold camps and in proximity to Agnico Eagle’s Hammond Reef gold deposit, which has an estimated open-pit mineral reserve of 3.30 million ounces of gold (123.5 million tonnes grading 0.84 g/t gold).
The Slip Gold project is 10 kilometers west of Newfound Gold’s (TSXV:NFG) Queensway project, the largest-ever consolidation of property within the Central Newfoundland gold belt. Drill results at Queensway continue to demonstrate its potential to be a significant high-grade gold discovery. Historic work at Slip Gold indicates that both Queensway and Slip Gold are hosted in similar structural settings.
The Victoria Lake gold projects, Victoria Lake and Victoria Lake Southwest, in Newfoundland further contribute to the company’s gold portfolio. Historic work at Victoria Lake has indicated it is hosted within similar structural settings to Marathon Gold’s (TSX:MOZ) Valentine Lake gold deposit, which is only 18 kilometers away. Valentine Lake is poised to be the largest gold mine in Atlantic Canada. Preliminary grab samples from Victoria Lake ranged in value from 15.5 grams per ton (g/t) to 24.9 g/t gold and 18.6 g/t to 139.9 g/t silver.
Marvel Discovery’s Victoria Lake Southwest project is a 6,325 hectares land position contiguous to the Falcon Gold, Benton Resources and Buchans Minerals land package. Victoria Lake Southwest includes 253 new gold claims near existing prolific deposits, such as Matador Mining’s Cape Ray deposits, which host 837,000 ounces of gold. Additionally, it’s positioned 40 kilometers west of the Valentine gold deposit which hosts 6.8 million ounces (Moz) of gold.
The company Marvel has formed a strategic partnership with Falcon Gold Corp with the goal of exploring prospective claims acquired in the Hope Brook and Baie Verte Brompton Districts. The combined total of both projects covers 115,17 hectares and will be explored together on a 50-50 Joint Venture basis. This Alliance further empowers Marvel and Falcon to work together sharing in the potential upside of this impressive land package while reducing costs and capital.
Marvel Discovery’s projects also include four rare earths, nickel and uranium projects that span across the entire country. This diverse spread of assets includes the Wicheeda North, Duhamel, East Bull and Highway North properties. The projects offer the company excellent exposure to Canada’s most prospective base and battery metal mining jurisdictions, including Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
At the Duhamel project, time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) surveys that were completed identified high-priority targets, which prompted Marvel to send in a field crew for follow-up.
Future plans for the company include listing Power One, a spin-off company and previous subsidiary, to take ownership of its Serpent Rivers Pecors uranium project and the Wicheeda REE property.
In March 2022, Marvel acquired two large claim groups, the KLR and Walker, which provided the company with a highly advantageous position along the Key Lake fault adjoining both Cameco and Fission's property boundaries. The two claim groups collectively cover 14,190 hectares along the east, north and northwestern directions.
Company Highlights
Marvel Discovery focuses on generating, acquiring and exploring opportunities in Canada. The company’s robust project portfolio includes 10 highly prospective properties covering lithium, uranium, gold, nickel, rare earth elements and titanium.
The company's portfolio provides substantial exposure and mineral diversity, covering the most prolific mining jurisdictions in the country, which include Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Marvel Discovery holds six highly prospective gold properties. These include the high-grade Blackfly property, which is tied to Agnico Eagles' Hammond Reef deposit in Ontario. Additionally, the company is one of the largest landholders of claims in Central Newfoundland, which are tied to the deposits of New Found Gold and Marathon Gold. These projects position the company exceptionally well for significant gold discovery and development opportunities.
The Blackfly gold property is situated near Agnico Eagle's Hammond Reef gold deposit, which is estimated to hold an open-pit mineral reserve of 3.3 million ounces of gold.
Marvel Discovery boasts a robust management team with years of experience and a proven track record in corporate finance, project development, and resource-based operations.
Marvel Discovery is in the process of listing its equity holding Power One Resources Corp., a spin-off company for its uranium/nickel project.
Marvel Discovery is actively exploring the Highway North, KLR & Walker Claims, properties that lie within the Wollaston-Mudjactic Transition Zone of the eastern Athabasca Basin. The properties adjoin both Cameco's and Fission's property boundaries.
The company signed a joint venture agreement with Carmanah Minerals Corp., to earn a 50-percent interest in the Walker Claims located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. Marvel holds a considerable share position now in Carmanah and will be the operator.
Marvel Discovery’s Saskatchewan uranium property lies along the Key Lake fault adjoining both Cameco (TSX:CCO) and Fission’s (TSX:FCU) property boundaries. The company now owns a total of 16,763 hectares, following its acquisition of the KLR and Walker Claims covering 14,190 hectares along the east, north and northwestern directions.
Diamond Drilling Program Completed: Marvel received the necessary permits to complete an inaugural diamond drilling program at the DD and Highway Zone within the KLR-Walker Uranium project. A total of 1,343 meters were completed through six diamond drill holes. Two holes were completed at the Highway Zone and four holes were completed at the DD Zone. Each drill hole has an average length of 224 meters.
Encouraging Historical Production: Highway North Claims contain two known mineralizations. The Key Lake deposit has previously produced 4.2 million tonnes of product with an average grade of 2.1 percent U3O8. Additionally, only 21 drill holes have been drilled between 1980 and 2008, which verify the presence of uranium but left much of the asset unexplored.
Walker Claims Indicate Additional Uranium: Collectively known as the Walker Claims, this claim group covers 10,595 hectares and is contiguous to the Fission 3.0 Hobo Lake uranium assets. This claim group hosts 10 uranium showings and several unexplored EM targets.
Joint Venture with Carmanah Minerals: Marvel Discovery also signed a joint venture agreement with Carmanah Minerals Corp. (CSE: CARM) to earn a 50 percent interest in the Walker Claims. Marvel and Carmanah would each own 50 percent of the project with Carmanah funding $1.5 million in exploration expenditures, paying $400,000 in cash and issuing 3.5 million shares and 3.5 million warrants.
Newfoundland and Labrador Gold Projects
Marvel Discovery has more than 115,000 hectares of gold assets throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Its Golden Brook assets, which include Hope Brook and Baie Verte properties, are a joint venture partnership with Falcon Gold Corp. Its additional assets in the province are systematically being explored for high-grade gold deposits.
Golden Brook JV (Marvel – Falcon) Gold:
The Golden Brook is a large land package hosting crustal-scale structures. Falcon has formed a strategic partnership with Marvel Discovery Corp. with the goal of exploring prospective claims recently acquired in the Hope Brook and Baie Verte Brompton Districts. The combined total of both projects covers 115,170 hectares and will be explored together on a 50-50 joint venture basis.
The Hope Brook Zone is 10 kilometers away from Sokoman-Benton’s new high-grade lithium discovery. The 35 grab and chip samples noted in the Sokoman-Benton NR (September 16th, 2021) were collected over a 2-kilometer distance. Initial permits for the first phase of exploration on the company’s Hope Brook project include high-resolution magnetic gradiometry surveys and prospecting crews to the area.
The Baie Verte Zone is linked to more than 100 gold prospects and zones and is located near the Four Corners Project held by Triple Nine Resources. The Four Corners Project consists of iron-titanium-vanadium mineralized rock which has been outlined for 3,000 meters in strike with intercepts 200 meters wide and 600 meters vertically. The project contains sufficient tonnage and grades to warrant developing a world-class mineral resource.
Gander Zone (South, North, East) Gold: Composed of 28,950 hectares and contiguous to New Found Gold and Sassy Resources. Marvel is a major landholder within the central Newfoundland gold belt.
The Gander South claims lie along the highly prospective northeast trending Dog Bay-Appleton-Grub Line fault system, where Newfound Gold’s (TSXV:NFG) Queensway Gold project is located.
Gander completed a structural interpretation of the high-resolution magnetic survey at the 6,850-hectare Gander East strategically located in the Exploits Subzone and the Gander Zone and is contiguous to New Found Gold Corp’s Queensway Project.
The company has begun a surface reconnaissance exploration program at Gander East. Work is being completed toward further defining drill targets in preparation for Marvel's inaugural Phase 1 drill program planned for early 2023.
Slip Gold Project: The Slip Gold project has similar structural settings to New Found Gold’s Queensway project. It is host to gold mineralization within altered intrusive rocks and quartz veins historically sampling up to 44.5 g/t gold on surface.
The Slip Gold project spans approximately 3,700 hectares and leverages strategic positioning within the Exploits Subzone, a hotspot for a potential district-scale gold camp.
It is tied to Marathon Gold, which is Northern Atlantic’s largest gold deposit, hovering around 4.6 million ounces.
Victoria Lake Gold Project: The Victoria Lake Gold Project is contiguous with Marathon Gold’s Valentine Lake 4-Moz gold deposit. Sampling and prospecting in 1995 from Vein #3 reported one grab sample assaying 162.7 g/t gold and 220.8 g/t silver and exhibiting similar style gold-bearing veins within regional structural corridors.
Victoria Lake Southwest Project: This new land position, called Victoria Southwest, consists of 253 claims (6,325 hectares) and is contiguous to Falcon Gold and Benton Resources.
The property is positioned 40 kilometers west of the Valentine gold deposit that hosts 6.8 Moz of gold. Falcon has immediate plans to begin high-resolution magnetic surveys upon approval of exploration permits.
Benton Resources prospected the area, identifying abundant mineralized quartz vein material containing trace- to several-percent sulfides. Analysis of these grab samples assayed between 1.65 g/t to 18.2 g/t gold and between 5.4 g/t to 87.10 g/t silver in subcrop samples.
Quebec Battery Metals - Duhamel Property
The Duhamel property is located 200 kilometers northwest of the city of Saguenay, Quebec, in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region currently containing seven occurrences of nickel-copper-cobalt sulphides and one titanium-vanadium-chromium occurrence.
Promising Drill Results: Drill intercept highlights in the property include 1.27 percent nickel, 0.33 percent copper, and 0.12 percent cobalt over 3.0 meters by Virginia Gold Mines in 2000 that contained massive sulfides.
Extended Holding Following TDEM Exploration: In 2022, Marvel received the heliborne magnetic and TDEM survey results over the Duhamel nickel-copper-cobalt and titanium-vanadium-chromium property, prompting the company to expand its land holding in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Anorthosite Suite from 42 claims to 102 claims for a total of 5,300 hectares for staking costs.
Follow-up Sampling Pending Results: The completed TDEM surveys highlighted high-priority targets, resulting in Marvel sending in a follow-up field crew. The crew used a portable XRF instrument to confirm ultramafic rocks containing nickel, cobalt and copper. Samples from the ground crew are presently awaiting lab analysis.
In 2022, the company applied for a drill program on the Duhamel nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group property and a notice was sent to the Nitassinan de Mashteuiatsh First Nation for their review. Marvel Discovery is planning for an inaugural drill campaign of 2,000 meters with plans to test 10 to 20 target areas with hole depths ranging from 100 to 200 meters.
Ontario Properties
Marvel Discovery’s Ontario properties include a variety of mineral deposits, including gold, nickel and PGEs. Many of the assets are in close proximity to existing known deposits and producing mines, indicating the potential of the company’s Ontario properties to become world-class mines.
Blackfly Gold Property: The Blackfly gold property comprises 64 unpatented mining claims totaling 1,296 hectares near the historical Atikokan gold camp in Ontario, Canada. The company has already completed phase 1 drilling, with assays up to 50.6 g/t gold. The property is located along and within the Marmion Lake fault zone, approximately 13.6 kilometers southwest along the strike of Agnico Eagle’s Hammond Reef gold deposit, which has an estimated 208 million tonnes grading 0.67 g/t gold containing 4.5 Moz of gold.
Assays from phase 1 drilling indicate high-grade gold throughout the property, with assays including:
Black Fly Northeast Zone: Drill hole BF21-19 intersected multiple gold domains, including 50.60 g/t gold over 0.50 meters from 39.20 to 39.70 meters and together with hole BF21-18, extends the Black Fly Northeast Zone by 130 meters to the northeast.
Black Fly Main Zone: Drill hole BF21-13 intersected 1.06 g/t gold over 9.3 meters from 14.30 to 27.70 meters. Drill hole BF21-16 intersected 0.79 g/t gold over 7.70 meters from 7.30 to 15 meters. Drill hole BF21-14 intersected a broad mineralized zone with 18.20 meters grading 0.21 g/t gold, including 1.74 g/t gold over 1 meter.
Mosquito Zone: Drill hole BF21-15 intersected multiple gold domains, including 1.96 g/t gold over 0.30 meters from 7.70 to 8 meters, corresponding to the 2021 discovery of up to 52.50 g/t gold in a grab sample. Visible gold was noted in this drill hole at 7.70 to 8 meters depth.
Initial work documented by D.K. Burke in 1941 reported two gold vein shoots to the north and south of the property. The southern shoot averaged 11.90 g/t gold over a thickness of 0.33 meters along a strike of 21.60 meters and the northern shoot averaged 13.44 g/t gold over 0.27 meters within a 32-meter strike length.
The project presents exciting exploration potential as a high-grade system that has never been drilled to depth. Marvel has the option to earn 100 percent in the project subject to cash and exploration conditions
East Bull Property: Marvel has100-percent interest in the East Bull Property in the East Bull Lake Intrusive Complex, contiguous to Grid Metals’ and Canadian Palladium’s East Bull Lake Palladium Projects east of Elliot Lake, Ontario.
The claim group consists of 15 mining claims totaling 5,352 hectares. Total magnetic intensity of regional OGS surveys indicates a northwest extension to the EBLI onto Marvel’s ground.
Drilling in the area by Grid Metals Corp returned intercepts of 77 meters grading 0.80 g/t palladium equivalent in April 2021, and Canadian Palladium’s project hosts a compliant resource of 11.10 million tons grading 1.50 g/t palladium equivalent.
British Columbia – Wicheeda North Project
The Wicheeda North is a rare earth element property that consists of six mineral claims, which encompass 2135.6 ha. in the Cariboo mining division in British Columbia. The property is immediately northwest of the Wicheeda Property, which hosts the Wicheeda Carbonatite, currently being explored by Defense Metals Corp.
Close Proximity to Producing Mines: The claim block is in proximity of the Defense Metals (TSXV:DEFN) Wicheeda rare earth mineral project, which hosts 4.89 million tonnes (Mt) at 3.02% light rare earth oxide (LREO) and an inferred resource of 12.1 Mt at 2.90 LREO using a cut off 1.5% total metal.
Assays Indicate Highly Prospective Property: Past exploration on the property includes airborne geophysical surveying from 2010, which successfully mapped Wicheeda’s magnetic and conductive geological properties across a 29.4-sq-km area. The property remains highly prospective for Marvel.
Management Team
Karim Rayani - CEO, President and Director
For the past 15 years, Karim Rayani has focused on financing domestic and international mineral exploration and development. Most recently, Rayani was head of Bloomberry Capital, a Vancouver-based merchant bank and capital advisory firm. Prior to this, he worked independently as a management consultant and financier. Rayani is currently chair of R7 Capital Ventures, director of Fiber Crowne Manufacturing and chair of District 1 Exploration. Rayani has developed an extensive network of contacts throughout North America and Europe, focusing on corporate development and finance.
Brian Crawford - Chief Financial Officer and Director
Brian Crawford holds a B.Com. from the University of Toronto and brings extensive experience as a senior financial executive. He has held positions in both public and private companies and has served as a partner in a national firm of chartered professional accountants. Brian is a founder and/or co-founder of several companies currently listed on the TSXV (TSX Venture Exchange) or the CSE (Canadian Securities Exchange). Presently, Brian serves as a director, corporate secretary, and/or CFO of multiple TSXV or CSE listed companies, which include Colibri Resource Corporation, Searchlight Resources Inc., CBLT Inc., and Tempus Capital Inc.
Fraser Rieche - Director
Fraser Rieche has a bachelor of arts in economics and has 25 years of experience in international project management, logistics planning and corporate finance. Rieche has worked with resource-based industries and financial institutions worldwide. He has helped develop and finance mining projects in both North America and South America, along with energy, oil and gas, fisheries and forestry projects in many different areas of the world.
Diana Alvarez - Corporate Secretary, Director
Diana Alvarez is a paralegal with 15 years of experience working in corporate and securities law. Having worked for some of the leading law firms in Vancouver, she is well-versed in corporate compliance, governance and administration of publicly traded companies. Alvarez has spent her career focused on resource issuers and has a diploma in paralegal studies.
White Gold Corp. (TSX.V: WGO, OTCQX: WHGOF, FRA: 29W) (the " Company ") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement of: (i) flow-through common shares at a price of C$0.33 per share (each a "FT Share "); and (ii) common shares in the capital of the Company at a price of C$0.30 per common share (each a " Common Share "), and for total gross proceeds of approximately C$5,116,000 (the " Offering ").
"We are very appreciative for the continued support for our exciting and impactful exploration activities to advance our significant gold deposit and other recent high-grade gold discoveries on our district scale land package in the prolific and under explored White Gold District." stated David D'Onofrio, Chief Executive Officer.
Pursuant to an investor rights agreement between the Company and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (TSX: AEM, NYSE: AEM) (" Agnico ") dated December 13, 2016, Agnico has indicated that it intends to maintain its pro rata interest in the Company at 19.85% on a post-offering basis through the acquisition of Common Shares.
The gross proceeds received from the sale of the FT Shares will be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" as defined in subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the " Tax Act ") on the Company's properties in the White Gold District of the Yukon Territory, and renounced to subscribers in the Offering with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023. Such Canadian exploration expenses will also qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Tax Act. The net proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares will be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
Participation by Agnico in the Offering will be considered a "related party transaction" pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61- 101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (" MI 61-101 "). The Company will be exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval in connection with Agnico's participation in the Offering in reliance of sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101. A material change report will be filed in connection with the participation of Agnico in the Offering less than 21 days in advance of the closing of the Offering, which the Company deemed reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of potential financing opportunities and complete the Offering in an expeditious manner.
Closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about December 8, 2023 and is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the " TSXV "). The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day from the closing date of the Offering in accordance with applicable securities legislation.
About White Gold Corp. The Company owns a portfolio of 17,584 quartz claims across 30 properties covering approximately 350,000 hectares representing over 40% of the Yukon's emerging White Gold District. The Company's flagship White Gold project hosts four near-surface gold deposits which collectively contain an estimated 1,152,900 ounces of gold in Indicated Resources and 942,400 ounces of gold in Inferred Resources ( 1) . Regional exploration work has also produced several other new discoveries and prospective targets on the Company's claim packages which border sizable gold discoveries including the Coffee project owned by Newmont Corporation with Indicated Resources of 2.14 Moz at 1.23 g/t Au, and Inferred Resources of 0.23 Moz at 1.01 g/t Au (2) , and Western Copper and Gold Corporation's Casino project which has Measured and Indicated Resources of 7.6 Blb Cu and 14.5 Moz Au and Inferred Resources of 3.3 Blb Cu and 6.6 Moz Au (3) . For more information visit www.whitegoldcorp.ca.
(1) See White Gold Corp. technical report titled "2023 Technical Report for the White Gold Project, Dawson Range, Yukon, Canada ", Effective Date April 15, 2023, Report Date May 30, 2023, NI 43-101 Compliant Technical Report prepared by Dr. Gilles Arseneau, P.Geo., available on SEDAR+. (2) See Newmont Corporation 10-K: Annual report for the year ending December 31, 2022, in the Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Resources section, dated February 23, 2023, available on EDGAR. Reserves and resources disclosed in this Form 10-K have been prepared in accordance with the Regulation S-K 1300, and do not indicate NI43-101 compliance. (3) See Western Copper and Gold Corporation technical report titled "Casino project, Form 43-101F1 Technical Report Feasibility Study, Yukon Canada", Effective Date June 13, 2022, Issue Date August 8, 2022, NI 43-101 Compliant Technical Report prepared by Daniel Roth, PE, P.Eng., Mike Hester, F Aus IMM, John M. Marek, P.E., Laurie M. Tahija, MMSA-QP, Carl Schulze, P.Geo., Daniel Friedman, P.Eng., Scott Weston, P.Geo., available on SEDAR+.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "proposed", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, the Offering, including all regulatory approvals; the use of proceeds from the Offering; the Company's objectives, goals and exploration activities conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company's properties; future growth potential of the Company, including whether any proposed exploration programs at any of the Company's properties will be successful; exploration results; and future exploration plans and costs and financing availability.
These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: the expected benefits to the Company relating to the exploration conducted and proposed to be conducted at the White Gold properties; the receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals for the Offering; the completion of the Offering on the terms described herein, or at all; failure to identify any additional mineral resources or significant mineralization; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on the Company's properties; business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and mineral exploration; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); the unlikelihood that properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; soil sampling results being preliminary in nature and are not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit; title to properties; and those factors described in the most recently filed management's discussion and analysis of the Company. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Contact Information: David D'Onofrio Chief Executive Officer White Gold Corp. (647) 930-1880 ir@whitegoldcorp.ca
Franco-Nevada Corporation (" Franco- Nevada ") (TSX: FNV) (NYSE: FNV) notes that its partner, First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (" First Quantum "), has issued an update reporting that due to the continued illegal blockades at the Punta Rincon port and roads to the site, the Cobre Panama mine has suspended commercial production and is applying a program of preservation and safe maintenance of the plant and facilities.
For more detailed information, please refer to First Quantum's news release dated November 28, 2023 .
Franco- Nevada further notes that its revised 2023 GEO guidance issued on November 20, 2023 , remains unchanged as it assumed no further contributions from Cobre Panama from such date.
Forward- Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, respectively, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the safe maintenance and preservation of facilities at Cobre Panama, and Franco-Nevada's revised guidance for 2023. The outcome of these matters could have a material adverse impact on the revenue Franco-Nevada derives from its streaming arrangements relating to Cobre Panama and on Franco-Nevada's results of operations and financial condition. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
For additional information with respect to risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to Franco-Nevada's business and assets, please refer to Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Information Form filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on www.sedarplus.com and Franco-Nevada's most recent Annual Report filed on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on www.sec.gov . The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only and Franco-Nevada does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Strike Gold: A Comprehensive Guide for Savvy Investors
The Investing News Network (INN) spoke with analysts, market watchers and insiders about which trends will
impact gold in the coming months.
✓ Trends
✓ Forecasts
✓ Top Stocks
Table of Contents:
Gold Price Update: Q1 2023 in Review
Gold Price Update: Q2 2023 in Review
Gold Price Update: Q3 2023 in Review
Lobo Tiggre: Gold Stocks are My Highest-Conviction Trade for 2024
Tavi Costa: Gold Price Breakout is "Inevitable," Don't Lose Focus Now
Top 10 Gold-mining Companies
A Sneak Peek At What The Insiders Are Saying
“When gold turns, it can turn very, very dramatically, this time in particular because so many people are underinvested in gold and gold stocks.”
— Adrian Day, Adrian Day Asset Management
“I do think probably in the first half of 2023, gold and silver and miners are going to put in what I think is going to be a major bottom — a supercycle bottom that's going to lead to a multi-year rally.”
— Chris Vermeulen, TheTechnicalTraders.com
“Gold is in a bull market in every currency in the world except the US dollar.”
— Rick Rule, Rule Investment Media
Who We Are
The Investing News Network is a growing network of authoritative publications delivering independent,
unbiased news and education for investors. We deliver knowledgeable, carefully curated coverage of a variety
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Gold has seen a thunderous start to 2023 — thanks to significant economic disruptions, it's jumped in value while continuing to play a key role as a safe haven.
The precious metal's run has created tremendous opportunities for gold bulls, especially as it appears to be stabilizing above the US$2,000 per ounce mark, with experts pointing to potentially higher points this year.
Here the Investing News Network (INN) provides a recap of what happened in the gold market in the first three months of 2023.
Narrative changing after disappointing 2022
Greg Taylor, chief investment officer at Purpose Investments, told INN that many investors were disappointed with gold last year due to its flat performance, even with high levels of inflation.
“(Investors) just got really frustrated with it and it hadn't really worked. Now it's starting to work and people are taking another look at it,” Taylor said.
The expert added that since the US dollar was up and enjoyed a strong period last year, it “offset a lot of the inflation reasons for people to own gold.”
But heading into this year, Taylor said, the gold investment cycle has seen new life.
The financial expert explained that even as central banks prepare to pause or slow the pace of their rate hikes, inflation remains higher than they would like.
“We're starting to hear more and more concerns that there's potential stagflation,” Taylor said. “When you get stagflation, that's the perfect snare for gold.”
More investors appreciating gold in 2023
Shree Kargutkar, managing partner at Sprott (TSX:SII,NYSE:SII), told INN that despite gold's success so far in 2023, he still doesn’t think most investors have exposure to the yellow metal.
“I would say the average investor today is not really invested in gold. Rather, the average investor today is a speculator as far as the bullion is concerned,” Kargutkar said.
The Sprott expert explained that holdings in precious metals bullion exchange-traded funds have declined approximately 15 percent from their peak in the second half of 2020.
“People have actually been reducing their allocation to gold. And the average investor has been spectating for admission,” Kargutkar said.
When discussing the role of gold in an investor’s portfolio, Taylor cautioned that he doesn’t think gold should take a dominant role. “But having a sleeve of real asset exposure in the 5 to 10 percent range is probably not a bad, bad percentage to look at,” he said.
For his part, Kargutkar said the recent move in gold could create a bigger spotlight for the asset class. “My guess is it will probably make people want to perhaps take a second look at the metal as an important constituent of a portfolio,” he said.
US banking crisis boosts gold's safe-haven appeal
Gold’s tremendous rise can be attributed to a variety of factors in the global economic spectrum, but a major driver has been the fallout from US banking issues.
Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank faced serious bank runs after losing the confidence of their users, leading to two of the biggest bank collapses in US history.
This chaos was accompanied by the emergency rescue acquisition of Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) by UBS (NYSE:UBS), which was in part organized by Swiss authorities.
The pressure points these events created caused panic to settle into the economic landscape, allowing gold to fulfill its role as a safe haven for the investing class.
Gold first crossed the US$2,000 level in March, and has found some stability above the coveted price mark.
Gold price chart, January 1, 2023, to April 20, 2023.
Aside from banking issues, gold continues to be affected by moves from the US Federal Reserve.
Following its meeting in March, the central bank announced a 25 basis point rate hike, saying it remains committed to its goal of curbing inflation. Investors are now watching closely to see what it will do at its next meeting in May.
Economists polled by Reuters are expecting to see another 25 basis point interest rate increase from the central bank, despite recent data points from the consumer price index and the producer price index.
Both price markers show inflationary pressures are easing — in fact, the March drop in the producer price index was the biggest decline since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Even so, inflation is still far from the Fed's target of 2 percent.
At the same time, the Fed may not be able to hike much further. Its latest meeting minutes indicate that it expects a “mild recession” in the second half of 2023, spurred by the banking crisis outlined earlier.
“Given their assessment of the potential economic effects of the recent banking-sector developments, the staff’s projection at the time of the March meeting included a mild recession starting later this year, with a recovery over the subsequent two years,” the central bank states in its meeting recap.
The Fed's next meeting runs from May 2 to 3.
Investor takeaway
After what many deemed a weaker year for gold in 2022, 2023 has been incredibly bullish for the precious metal.
EY's Theo Yameogo told INN it’s important to remember the nature of the market, and how these jumps have come and gone in the past. “It's just a reminder that this is cyclical,” he said.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Gold remained at historically high levels in the second quarter, although it fell below US$2,000 per ounce.
The US Federal Reserve was in focus during Q2, with investors closely watching the American economy for hints on the central bank's next move. While the summer is often a slower time, some experts believe it's a good chance to position.
Here the Investing News Network (INN) presents a recap of the Q2 period for the gold market.
How did the gold price perform in Q2?
The gold price spent a decent amount of time above US$2,000 in Q2, but has since pulled back.
The yellow metal remained near or above that level through April and May, but in June its price strength began to decline. It finished the second quarter around US$1,920, although by mid-July it was back up around US$1,970.
Gold price chart, January 1, 2023, to July 20, 2023.
Actions from the US Federal Reserve continue to impact gold, and at its June meeting it left interest rates unchanged at 5 to 5.25 percent. The decision came after 10 consecutive increases from the central bank.
Fed officials have said the goal is to take time to review the effects of its aggressive hiking strategy.
Since the June meeting, experts have been debating what the Fed will do next. While some market watchers are surprised the Fed has been able to raise rates as far as it has and don't think it will be able to go much further, the latest "dot plot" projections from Fed officials tell another story — they show two more hikes of 25 basis points each are possible in 2023.
In the gold space, there's a broad consensus that a change in tactics from the Fed could provide a price boost.
As part of its half-year update, the World Gold Council said global economies appear to be nearing the end of their tightening cycles. “As monetary policy likely transitions from tightening to on-hold, market consensus is for a mild contraction in the US this year, and slow growth in developed markets,” the organization states in its report.
“In this context and following gold’s positive returns in H1, we expect gold to remain supported on the back of range bound bond yields and a weaker dollar,” the World Gold Council also notes.
According to the association, gold has been one of the only true positive investment assets so far in 2023, especially as the economy was hit with uncertainty in North America from several staggering bank runs.
Gold ETF inflow streak ends in June
In another report, the World Gold Council states that June brought the end of a three month streak for inflows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are often seen as a safer way to get exposure to the market.
Gold ETFs saw outflows of US$3.7 billion in June, concentrated in Europe and in North America.
“The early June strong equity market performance in key markets likely shifted focus away from risk-off assets such as gold,” the World Global Council said, noting that global gold ETF holdings fell 56 metric tons to 3,422 metric tons.
“And the majority of outflows occurred when the gold price dropped during the second half of the month amid hawkishness from major central banks in the face of obstinate inflationary pressure.”
Summer offers gold investors time to position
John Feneck, portfolio manager and consultant at Feneck Consulting, recently told INN that investors should take advantage of the summer doldrum months to better position themselves in the gold space.
"Summertime and in December as well, when people aren't doing their homework, is when we're doing most of our work, because this is when you can pick up some huge bargains. If you feel like doing something with them and disposing of them later next year or the year after, you're going to make some considerable money we think," he said.
Watch the full interview with Feneck above.
Investor takeaway
The Q2 period offered a bit of a stopping point for gold as the Fed broke off from its rate hike strategy. Now investors are looking ahead at the second half of the year for catalysts that could push it above US$2,000 once again.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
The gold price began Q3 on a relatively high note, but was approaching US$1,800 per ounce by its end.
The yellow metal was pushing back toward the US$2,000 mark at the start of the period, but wasn't able to maintain that level. The quarter culminated in a precipitous decline that saw gold break through support.
What has caused gold to retreat so quickly? Read on to learn more about what factors have affected its price over the last three months, and about significant gold-related news released during that time.
How did the gold price perform in Q3?
Gold tends to underperform in when interest rates are high, which was the case in Q3. At its July meeting, the US Federal Reserve raised rates for the 11th time since March 2022, adding 25 basis points for a range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent — the highest in 22 years. The gold price fell steadily in the two weeks after the decision, slumping to US$1,885.70 on August 17.
After seeing some support from mid-August to mid-September, gold went into a tailspin to close the quarter at US$1,848.80. The drop came as the Fed announced on September 20 that it would hold rates steady, and as Chair Jerome Powell suggested the central bank is in a good position to deliver a “soft enough” landing.
Central banks continue buying gold
While higher rates continued to put pressure on gold this past quarter, global central bank buying has helped maintain the precious metal's price level. July and August saw central banks pick up 55 metric tons (MT) and 77 MT of gold respectively, bringing the total to 219 MT for the three months ended in August.
Leading the way is China, which has purchased 155 MT of the yellow metal since the start of the year as it tries to minimize its US dollar exposure. Its central bank currently holds gold reserves of 2,165 MT, accounting for 4 percent of global reserves.
With the Russia-Ukraine war on its doorstep, Poland has also been a significant buyer of gold, adding another 18 MT in August and bringing its yearly total to 88 MT. That moves it closer to its intended buying target of 100 MT for the year.
Sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have renewed the BRICS nations' interest in finding an alternative to the US dollar as the global reserve currency.
Member nations Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa are keen to break from the US dollar, but it’s China in particular that has been working for several years to establish its own currency as an alternative, with increasing uptake. When the BRICS countries met from August 22 to 24, some market participants believed they might announce a new BRICS currency — perhaps one backed by gold or another commodity. But ultimately no such announcement was made at the meeting.
Many analysts believe the idea is untenable unless China and India are able to find common ground and resolve long-standing differences — and even if they did so, a BRICS currency wouldn't necessarily be backed by gold.
“The lack of information out there is extremely important in understanding what you’re looking at. There’s a lack of information because there is a lack of development,” Jeffrey Christian, managing partner at CPM Group, explained to the Investing News Network (INN) in the lead-up to the BRICS meeting.
“They do see a desire to cooperate among themselves to counter decades of hegemonic activity by the US and to a lesser extent Europe,” he continued. “But the idea of a central currency makes no sense. None of the countries really want to tie their currencies to Russia. The idea of a different currency backed by gold is a non-starter.”
M&A activity makes headlines
The massive deal between gold giants Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) and Newcrest Mining (ASX:NCM,TSX:NCM) inched closer to completion through the third quarter. The deal, which will see Newmont acquire 100 percent of Newcrest, reached significant milestones as the companies received key approvals from Australia, Japan and Papua New Guinea.
Newmont shareholders met on October 11 to vote, with 96 percent of them voting in favor of the transaction. Newcrest shareholders are set to vote on October 13. Newmont has been trading lower since it announced its intention to acquire Newcrest on February 5, while Newcrest's share price has reacted more favorably.
Though this may be the biggest gold deal of the year, 2023 continues to be hot and is on track to bring in the highest level of mergers and acquisitions for the mining sector in a decade.
Other notable M&A announcements in the sector during Q3 include the completion of a merger between GCM Mining and Aris Gold on September 26 to create Aris Mining (TSX:ARIS,NYSE:ARMN). The resultant company has operations in Colombia and produced 60,193 ounces of gold in its most recent quarter.
Aside from that, Canada’s Silvercorp Metals (TSX:SVM,NYSEAMERICAN:SVM) announced on August 6 that it has entered into a binding scheme implementation deed to acquire Australia’s OreCorp (ASX:ORR). The acquisition would give Silvercorp a US$630 million market cap and access to OreCorp’s multimillion-ounce Nyanzaga gold project in Northwest Tanzania. The project is expected to produce 240,000 ounces of gold per year once complete.
David Erfle, editor and founder of Junior Miner Junky, told INN at the end of Q3 that he sees growth potential in gold stocks, but with limited interest from retail investors, more M&A activity is necessary to bring interest to the market.
“A lot of (companies) are at the feasibility stage, or the construction stage or the finance stage, and their market cap is two or three or sometimes four times less than the equity it would take to build the mine,” he said. “What I'd like to see is several of these companies merge, so you have one company with a handful of these projects — maybe $150 million, $200 million in the bank, access to capital and also tack on a big board US listing. Then you're more liquid, you're more attractive."
Biggest IPO of the year is golden
July 7 brought Indonesia’s biggest initial public offering (IPO) this year and one of the world’s best-performing IPOs so far in 2023: PT Amman Mineral Internasional (IDX:AMMN). The company raised the equivalent of over US$713 million in its IPO, and shares have since surged 250 percent in value, giving the firm a market cap of US$29 billion.
The company's most significant asset, Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara — which includes the Batu Hijau mine, the second largest gold mine in Indonesia — was purchased from Newmont in 2016. The copper-gold mine produced 172,000 ounces of the yellow metal during the first half of the year.
So, why has gold retreated?
Even though there have been strong gold sector developments over the past three months, larger economic trends have made investments like Treasuries more attractive and have dulled gold's luster. The yellow metal's relatively flat growth over the past few years has also prompted investors to look for more immediate gains elsewhere.
With the US economy and dollar staying strong and no relief from high interest rates until at least 2024, it's not looking good for investors who hope gold will break through US$2,000 in the coming months.
However, the Fed has indicated that it's tracking the economy closely and has acknowledged that a recession hasn't been completely avoided. The central bank will meet again from October 31 to November 1 to determine whether another hike will be needed and to outline its steps for the beginning of next year.
Investor takeaway
Following a solid start to the year for gold, the third quarter brought setbacks for the metal, which is subject to both broad market forces and investor appetites. While retail and institutional investors may continue to shy away from gold for interest-bearing assets, central bank buying looks set to persist and may be a factor in price stabilization in Q4.
At the same time, Q4 has already brought a great deal of geopolitical instability. The invasion of Ukraine remains an issue for investors and, if it worsens, it could push the price of gold higher. Additionally, a burgeoning conflict in Israel has already pushed the price of the yellow metal up nearly 1 percent since hostilities began on October 7.
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.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Lobo Tiggre: Gold Stocks are My Highest-Conviction Trade for 2024
In a recent interview, Lobo Tiggre, editor and founder of IndependentSpeculator.com, shared his highest-conviction trade for 2024. While he's still a uranium bull, he sees the most opportunity in gold stocks next year.
Back in July, Tiggre's focus had narrowed to uranium and he was feeling bearish on gold in the near term. But now he sees various factors lining up for gold, including a US recession, geopolitical concerns, inflation and central bank buying.
"Maybe it means a little bit more for me to say I'm looking at (gold)," he told the Investing News Network. "I'm looking at the recession — it's here on a global level and I think it's here in disguise in the US. But I think the disguise falls."
Watch the interview above for more from Tiggre on gold, as well as uranium and silver. You can also click here for the Investing News Network's full New Orleans Investment Conference playlist on YouTube.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Tavi Costa: Gold Price Breakout is "Inevitable," Don't Lose Focus Now
Speaking at the New Orleans Investment Conference, Tavi Costa, partner and portfolio manager at Crescat Capital, discussed sentiment in the resource sector, including where he sees opportunity today.
"Everyone is sort of waiting for this breakout in gold, otherwise there's no party," he said on the sidelines of the event. "Everyone is just waiting patiently, and in my view it's going to happen — it's inevitable that we're going to see a breakout. Then other commodities should follow, and then the valuations of companies should be rerated."
In terms of timing, Costa said that back in 2018 he started looking closely at CAPEX trends among mining companies. "You can kind of see when that bottoms out you tend to see a bull market in commodities. You just don't know on the macro side what the trigger is going to be, but the foundation of the thesis is there," he explained.
"I feel like everything is really coming together right now, (but) the sentiment is really bearish," Costa continued. "I am not that way at all. I'm extremely bullish, I'm really focused right now ... you don't want to lose focus at the wrong time."
Moving forward, he expects to see the traditional 60/40 portfolio fall by the wayside. "Those two allocations need to be redefined," he said. "I think commodities are going to play a role there. I think gold is going to be one of those assets that is going to be competing with Treasuries, just like central banks have been changing their allocation." Notably, he pointed out that recent research shows 70 percent of advisors have portfolios with less than 1 percent gold.
"I think (gold is) going to be one side. And then a basket of commodities will probably take the other side. And I would say emerging markets, especially rich resource economies like Brazil, will probably take a part of the equity market portion."
Watch the interview above for more of Costa's thoughts on gold and the resource sector. You can also click here for the Investing News Network's full New Orleans Investment Conference playlist on YouTube.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Regardless of how the gold price is doing in any given year, the top gold-mining companies are always making moves.
Right now, the yellow metal is in the limelight — stimulated by increasing global inflation, geopolitical turmoil and recession fears, the price of gold has broken past the US$2,000 per ounce level multiple times in 2023.
Rising demand for gold alongside concerns over gold mine supply have pushed the metal to record highs in recent years, and market watchers are eyeing world's top gold-mining companies to see how they respond to current market dynamics.
According to the most recent US Geological Survey data, gold production increased by approximately 2 percent in 2021, and by a mere 0.32 percent in 2022. China, Australia and Russia were the top three countries to produce gold last year.
But what were the top gold-mining companies by production in 2022? The list below was compiled by the team at Refinitiv, a leading financial markets data provider. Read on to find out which companies produced the most gold last year.
Newmont was the largest of the top gold-mining companies in 2022. The firm holds significant operations in North and South America, as well as Asia, Australia and Africa. Newmont produced 185.3 metric tons (MT) of gold in 2022.
In early 2019, the miner acquired Goldcorp in a US$10 billion deal; it followed that up by starting a joint venture with Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX,NYSE:GOLD) called Nevada Gold Mines; is 38.5 percent owned by Newmont and 61.5 percent owned by Barrick, which is also the operator. Considered the world’s biggest gold complex, Nevada Gold Mines was the top-producing gold operation in 2022 with output of 94.2 MT.
Newmont’s gold production guidance for 2023 is set at 5.7 million to 6.3 million ounces (161.59 to 178.6 MT).
Barrick Gold lands in second place on this list of top gold producers. The company has been active on the M&A front in the last five years — in addition to merging its Nevada assets with Newmont in 2019, the company closed its acquisition of Randgold Resources the prior year.
Nevada Gold Mines is not Barrick's only asset that is a top-producing gold operation. The major gold company also holds the Pueblo Viejo mine in the Dominican Republican and the Loulo-Gounkoto mine in Mali, which produced 22.2 MT and 21.3 MT, respectively, of the yellow metal in 2022.
In its annual report for 2022, Barrick notes that its full-year gold production was slightly less than its stated guidance for the year, rising a little over 7 percent from the previous year’s level. The company has attributed this shortfall to lower production at Turquoise Ridge due to unplanned maintenance events, and at Hemlo due to the temporary water inflows that impacted mining productivity. Barrick has set its 2023 production guidance at 4.2 million to 4.6 million ounces (119.1 to 130.4 MT).
Agnico Eagle Mines produced 97.5 MT of gold in 2022 to take the third spot on this top 10 gold companies list. The company has 11 operating mines in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico, including 100 percent ownership of two of the world's top gold-producing mines — the Canadian Malartic mine in Quebec and the Detour Lake mine in Ontario — which it acquired from Yamana Gold (TSX:YRI,NYSE:AUY) in early 2023.
The Canadian gold miner achieved record annual production in 2022, and also increased its gold mineral reserves by 9 percent to 48.7 million ounces of gold (1.19 million MT grading 1.28 grams per MT gold). Its gold production for 2023 is expected to reach 3.24 million to 3.44 million ounces (91.8 to 97.5 MT). Based on its near-term expansion plans, Agnico Eagle is forecasting production levels of 3.4 million to 3.6 million ounces (96.4 to 102.05 MT) in 2025.
Coming in fourth on this top gold-mining companies list is AngloGold Ashanti, which produced 85.3 MT of gold in 2022. The South African company has nine gold operations in seven countries across three continents, as well as numerous exploration projects around the world. AngloGold's Kibali gold mine (a joint venture with Barrick as the operator) in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the fifth largest gold mine in the world, having produced 23.3 MT of gold in 2022.
In 2022, the company increased its gold production by 11 percent over 2021, coming in at the top end of its guidance for the year. Its production guidance for 2023 is set at 2.45 million to 2.61 million ounces (69.46 to 74 MT).
Polyus produced 79 MT of gold in 2022 to take fifth place among the top 10 gold-mining companies. It is the largest gold producer in Russia and holds the highest proven and probable gold reserves globally at more than 101 million ounces.
Polyus has six operating mines located in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East, including Olimpiada, which ranks as the world's third largest gold mine by production. The company expects to produce approximately 2.8 million to 2.9 million ounces (79.37 to 82.21 MT) of gold in 2023.
Gold Fields comes in at number six for 2022 with gold production for the year totaling 74.6 MT. The company is a globally diversified gold producer with nine operating mines in Australia, Chile, Peru, West Africa and South Africa.
Gold Fields and AngloGold Ashanti recently joined forces to combine their Ghana exploration holdings and create what the companies claim will be Africa's biggest gold mine. The joint venture has the potential to produce an annual average of 900,000 ounces (or 25.51 MT) of gold over the first five years.
The company’s production guidance for 2023 is in the range of 2.25 million to 2.3 million ounces (63.79 to 65.2 MT). This figure excludes production from Gold Fields' Asanko joint venture in Ghana.
Kinross Gold has six mining operations across the Americas (Brazil, Chile, Canada and the US) and East Africa (Mauritania). Its largest producing mines are the Tasiast gold mine in Mauritania and the Paracatu gold mine in Brazil.
In 2022, Kinross produced 68.4 MT of gold, which was a 35 percent year-on-year increase from its 2021 production level. The company attributed this increase to the restart and ramp-up of production at the La Coipa mine in Chile, as well as to higher production at Tasiast after the resumption of milling operations that were temporarily suspended in the prior year.
Newcrest Mining produced 67.3 MT of gold in 2022. The Australian company operates a total of five mines across Australia, Papua New Guinea and Canada. Its Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea is the world's seventh largest gold mine by production.
According to Newcrest, it has one of the largest group gold ore reserves in the world. With an estimated 52 million ounces of gold ore reserves, its reserve life is approximately 27 years. The number one gold-producing company on this list, Newmont, made a proposal to combine with Newcrest in February; the deal closed successfully in November.
Better known for its copper production, Freeport-McMoRan produced 56.3 MT of gold in 2022. The vast majority of that production originates from the company's Grasberg mine in Indonesia, which ranks as the world's second largest gold mine by production.
In its Q3 results for this year, Freeport-McMoRan states that long-term mine development activities are underway at Grasberg's Kucing Liar deposit. The company anticipates that the deposit will ultimately produce more than 6 billion pounds of copper and 6 million ounces of gold (or 170.1 MT) between 2028 and the end of 2041.
Zijin Mining Group rounds out this top 10 gold companies list with production of 55.9 MT of gold in 2022. The company's diverse metals portfolio includes seven gold-producing assets in China, and several others in gold-rich jurisdictions such as Papua New Guinea and Australia.
In 2023, Zijin presented its revised three year plan through 2025, as well as its 2030 development goals, one of which is to move up the ranks to become a top three to five producer of gold and copper.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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