
- WORLD EDITIONAustraliaNorth AmericaWorld
February 26, 2025
Binding Agreement Executed for Acquisition of Majority Interest (1) in Belt-Scale Gold Project
Sarama Resources Ltd. (“Sarama” or the “Company”) (ASX:SRR, TSX- V:SWA) is pleased to advise that it has reached binding agreement (the “Agreement”) with Orbminco Limited (“Orbminco”) (ASX: OB1), an arm’s length third party, to acquire a majority(1) and controlling interest(1) in the under- explored, belt-scale 420km² Mt Venn Project (the “Project”)(2), located in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.
This follows Sarama’s recent acquisition of a majority interest in the nearby Cosmo Project (refer Sarama news release 6 December 2024). Together the projects create a 1,000km² well-positioned and underexplored landholding in the Laverton Gold District which is known for its prolific gold endowment (refer Figure 1) and recent discoveries.
Highlights
- Binding agreement executed for acquisition of 80% interest in belt-scale Mt Venn Project
- Located in the prolific Laverton Gold District, 35km from the producing Gruyere Gold Mine and less than 20km from Gold Road’s Golden Highway Deposit
- Project covers 420km² and features a favourable litho-structural setting, primarily in greenstone rocks
- Includes regional shear zone of ~50km strike length and 1-3km width extending full length of greenstone belt
- Advanced gold targets generated through historical exploration, including broad drill-defined gold mineralisation
- Highly complementary to Sarama’s recently acquired, underexplored and prospective Cosmo Project
- Creates 1,000km² exploration position in the Laverton Gold District, capturing 100km of strike length
- Land access agreement with Traditional Owners in place for exploration
- 100% scrip consideration with initial exploration funded by the November 2024 equity raise of A$2M
Sarama’s President, Executive Chairman, Andrew Dinning commented:
“We are very pleased to be nearing completion of the acquisition a majority interest in the Mt Venn Project and consolidating our position in the prolific Laverton Gold District of Western Australia. The addition of the Mt Venn Project will create a major 1,000km2 area-play and significantly enhances the probability of making the next big discovery in a region that continues to deliver new deposits in previously unexplored areas, including the regionally significant Gruyere Deposit just 35km east of the Mt Venn Project. Soil sampling programs at the Cosmo Project are progressing well, feeding into the process of bringing the Cosmo and Mt Venn Projects to account as expeditiously as we can.”
Mt Venn Project
The Project is comprised of 3 contiguous exploration tenements covering approximately 420km² in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, approximately 110km north-east of Laverton and 35km west of the regionally- significant Gruyere Gold Mine(3). The Project is readily accessible via the Great Central Road which services the regional area east of Laverton.
The Project captures the majority of the underexplored Jutson Rocks Greenstone Belt over a strike length of ~50km. Rocks within the belt feature a diverse sequence of volcanic lithologies of varying composition, together with pyroclastics and metasediments. Several internal intrusive units have been identified throughout the Project and are commonly associated with local structural features. A regionally extensive shear zone, spanning 1-3km in width, extends the entire length of the belt with subordinate splays interpreted in the southern area of the Project which provides a favourable structural setting for mineralisation.
Gold mineralisation was first discovered in the 1920’s with sampling returning very high grades and prompting the commencement of small-scale mining operations in the mid 1920’s. Multiple gold occurrences have since been identified throughout the Project, demonstrating the prospectivity of the system. Despite the identification of several km-scale gold-in-soil anomalies by soil geochemistry and auger drilling, many of these targets are yet to be properly tested. Encouragingly, drilling by Cazaly Resources Limited (“Cazaly”) (ASX: CAZ) at the Project intersected broad, gold mineralisation over several fences in weathered and fresh rock at the Three Bears Prospect, presenting a priority target for exploration (Cazaly news release 27 February 2017: “Widespread Gold & Zinc Mineralisation Defined”).
In addition to the attractiveness of the Project for gold, it is considered prospective for base metals and platinum group elements. Historical exploration work including auger geochemistry and geophysical surveys identified numerous targets for copper, nickel and zinc mineralisation. Several of these targets remain untested due to historical funding and land access constraints. Exploration in the belt to the immediate south of the Project area is noted to have intersected copper mineralisation of significant grade over a significant strike length(4).
In summary, the Project is located within a prolific gold district and has a favourable lithological and structural setting. A solid database of base-level historical exploration work by previous operators, including generation of drill-ready targets, provides a good platform for Sarama to advance the Project in conjunction with its activities at the Cosmo Project. The size and prospectivity of the landholding that Sarama will have in the Laverton Gold District upon completion of this transaction significantly enhances the chances of making an economic discovery, particularly given the infrastructure and proliferation of mines in the region which will have a favourable impact on the size threshold for finding something of economic value.
Figure 1 – Mt Venn and Cosmo Project Locations, Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Sarama Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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The Conversation (0)
20 May
Sarama Resources
Investor Insight
Sarama Resources offers a compelling investment opportunity driven by a +US$120 million fully-funded arbitration claim and two new belt-scale gold projects encompassing 1,000 km2 of the Cosmo Newbery and Jutson Rocks Greenstone Belts in Western Australia’s prolific Eastern Goldfields.
Overview
Sarama Resources (TSXV:SWA,ASX:SRR) is an Australian gold exploration and development company with two key value drivers: a fully funded, multi-million-dollar arbitration claim and two highly prospective gold projects in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields. Each of these presents significant standalone value, while together they offer strong upside and optionality for investors.
Sarama recently secured the Cosmo Newbery and Mt Venn Gold Projects, covering 580km² and 420km² respectively. These projects encompass the majority of the greenstone belts they are located within - regions historically underexplored but geologically similar to the nearby Dorothy Hills belt, host to Gold Fields’ +8Moz Gruyere Gold Mine. Both projects offer a compelling exploration opportunity in one of Australia’s most prolific gold provinces.
In parallel, Sarama is advancing a fully funded arbitration claim against the Government of Burkina Faso, seeking no less than US$120 million in damages. The claim is backed by a non-recourse loan facility, with leading international law firm Boies Schiller Flexner - renowned for securing large settlements - engaged to lead proceedings.
The Company is led by a highly experienced board and management team with a strong track record in gold discovery and development, including the +25Moz Kibali Gold Mine and the +3Moz Sanutura Gold Project.
Sarama’s Regional Exploration Strategy
Sarama’s regional strategy is centred on unlocking value across 1,000km² of contiguous, underexplored greenstone terrane in one of Australia’s most productive gold provinces. With 100% control of the Cosmo Gold Belt and a majority stake in Mt Venn, Sarama is strategically positioned between two of the region’s most prolific gold belts - Yamarna/Dorothy Hills to the east and Laverton to the west.
Both projects share key geological signatures with nearby multi-million-ounce deposits and benefit from existing infrastructure and access. The Company’s exploration efforts will focus on high-priority targets across both belts, with systematic programs planned throughout 2025 to rapidly advance discovery.
Together, Cosmo Newbery and Mt Venn offer a rare opportunity to explore at scale in a region that has delivered some of the largest gold discoveries in recent decades - yet remains largely underexplored.
Company Highlights
- Sarama Resources is advancing two key value drivers: a fully funded, multi-million-dollar arbitration claim and two highly prospective belt-scale gold projects in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields.
- The flagship Cosmo Gold Project spans 580km², covering much of the underexplored Cosmo Newbery Greenstone Belt. Complementing this, Sarama holds an 80% interest in the 420km² Mt Venn Project, located just 40km from both its Cosmo Project and Goldfields +8Moz Gruyere Gold Mine. The region has remained largely under-explored due to historical access restrictions, leaving considerable untapped potential.
- The Company is also pursuing a fully funded arbitration claim seeking not less than US$120 million in damages from the Government of Burkina Faso. This claim, related to the Sanutura Project, is supported by a non-recourse funding facility covering all legal costs, with formal proceedings initiated in December 2024.
- Sarama is led by a seasoned team with all members having over 30 years’ experience each and a strong track record in gold discovery and development.
Key Projects
Cosmo Newbery Gold Project
The Cosmo Gold Project is a unique, underexplored, belt-scale gold opportunity in Western Australia's prolific Eastern Goldfields. Sarama holds the entire Cosmo Newbery Greenstone Belt under granted exploration licenses covering approximately 583km². The belt is one of the few remaining greenstone belts in Western Australia to have seen little to no modern exploration.
The project is located approximately 85 km northeast of Laverton and 95 km west of the +8Moz Gruyere Gold Mine, operated by Gold Fields and Gold Road. The surrounding region hosts several world-class gold systems, including the Yamarna and Dorothy Hills belts to the east (home to Gruyere, the 1Moz Golden Highway, and 300koz Gilmore deposits) and the Laverton Belt to the west, with over 35Moz in gold endowment and 12Moz of historic production.
Cosmo shares strong geological and structural similarities with these prolific belts. Key elements of orogenic gold systems are present, including:
- Archaean greenstone lithologies
- Crustal-scale shear zones
- Felsic intrusions
- Localised faulting and shearing
- Historic gold mineralisation and high-grade rock chips (up to 52 g/t Au)
Despite gold first being discovered here in the 1890s, the region has seen virtually no modern exploration or drilling, offering a unique opportunity to unlock value in a highly prospective setting.
Project Highlights
- Proven Gold Terrane: Located in a world-class gold province surrounded by major deposits
- Scale and Control: 100% control of the entire Cosmo-Newbery Belt, spanning +50 km of strike
- Underexplored: Minimal historical exploration; no modern drilling of merit
- Historic Potential: Early gold discoveries in the 1890s with artisanal workings still visible
- Strategic Location: Proximal to major gold operations including the Gruyere Gold Mine and multiple large scale mines in the Laverton gold belt
Mt Venn Gold Project
The Mt Venn Gold Project is a large-scale, underexplored gold exploration asset in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields, located approximately 40 km east of Sarama’s Cosmo Newbery Gold Project and 40 km west of the +8Moz Gruyere Gold Mine. Sarama holds an 80% interest in the project, which spans 420km² across a substantial portion of the Jutson Rocks Greenstone Belt - a geologically prospective system with gold first discovered in the 1890s.
Mt Venn shares many geological similarities with the Cosmo Project, and is viewed as a complementary, belt-scale exploration opportunity. The project comprises three contiguous exploration tenements and hosts a 35km gold corridor, defined by semi-continuous gold-in-soil anomalies, historic workings, and encouraging drill intercepts. Historic drilling has returned multiple results of merit, including intercepts up to 8.5 g/t Au, over a 4km trend at the Three Bears Prospect.
Geologically, Mt Venn is highly prospective, featuring:
- Archaean greenstone lithologies
- A major regional shear zone running the full 50km length of the belt (1–3 km wide)
- Favourable structural and lithological settings for orogenic gold mineralisation
Despite early discoveries, the project will benefit from a systematic, project-wide approach to exploration and offers substantial discovery potential in a proven gold district.
Project Highlights
- Proven Gold Terrane: Covers a significant part of the Jutson Rocks Greenstone Belt in a region known for major gold discoveries
- Contiguous Tenure: 420km² across three tenements, including a 35km anomalous gold corridor
- Geological Potential: Hosts a large regional shear zone with associated gold mineralisation and strong structural controls
- Historic Workings: Gold discovered in the 1890s; limited systematic follow-up exploration
- Drill-Ready Targets: Historical drilling includes intercepts up to 8.5 g/t Au at the Three Bears Prospect
- Strategic Location: Positioned 40 km from Gruyere (+8Moz), 20 km from the 1Moz Golden Highway deposit, and 40 km from Sarama’s Cosmo Gold Project
Management Team
Andrew Dinning – Executive Chairman
Andrew Dinning is a founder and the Executive Chairman of Sarama Resources. Dinning has over 35 years of experience in the international mining arena and has worked in Australia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, West Africa, the UK and Russia. He has extensive mine management, operations and capital markets experience and has spent most of his career in the gold sector.
Dinning was a Director and President of the Democratic Republic of Congo-based Moto Goldmines Ltd from 2005 to 2009. He oversaw the development of the company's Moto Gold Project (Kibali Gold) from two million to more than 22 million ounces of gold. Dinning took the project from exploration to pre-development. The Moto Gold project was later taken over by Randgold Resources and AngloGold Ashanti for $600 million in October 2009.
Dinning has an MBA, a First-Class Mine Managers Certificate in Western Australia and South Australia and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining degree.
John (Jack) Hamilton - Vice-president of Exploration
Jack Hamilton is a founder and the Vice President of Exploration at Sarama Resources. Hamilton has 35 years of experience as a professional geologist. Hamilton has worked around the world for international resource companies. Before Sarama, he was the exploration manager for Moto Goldmines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At Moto Goldmines, he led the team that discovered the main deposits and resource at the world-class Moto Gold Project (now Kibali Gold) which has a resource of more than 22 million ounces.
Hamilton specializes in precious metal exploration in Birimian, Archean and Proterozoic greenstone belts. He has worked and consulted in West, Central and East Africa for the past 30 years with various companies, including Barrick Gold Corporation, Echo Bay Mines, Etruscan Resources Inc, Anglo American, Geo Services International and Moto Goldmines. Whilst at Moto Goldmines, he led the exploration team that took the Moto gold deposit from discovery to bankable feasibility. The Moto gold deposit was later sold to Randgold Resources and AngloGold Ashanti in October 2009.
Paul Schmiede - Vice-president of Corporate Development
Paul Schmiede is a major shareholder and the Vice President of Corporate Development at Sarama Resources. He is a mining engineer with over 30 years of experience in mining and exploration. Before joining Sarama Resources in 2010, Schmiede was Vice President of Operations and Project Development at Moto Goldmines. At Moto Goldmines, he managed the pre-feasibility, bankable and definitive feasibility study for the more than 22 million-ounce Democratic Republic of Congo-based Moto Gold Project (now Kibali Gold). Whilst at Moto Goldmines, he also managed the in-country environment, community studies and pre-construction activities. Before joining Moto Goldmines, he held senior operational and management positions with Goldfields and WMC Resources. At these companies, Schmiede was responsible for underground and open-pit operations as well as project development and planning.
Schmiede holds a first-class mine managers certificate in Western Australia and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining degree. He is also a fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Lui Evangelista - Chief Financial Officer
Lui Evangelista is Sarama's chief financial officer with 35 years of experience in accounting, finance and corporate governance with public companies. He has more than 20 years of experience in the mining industry - 10 years of which have been at the operational and corporate level with companies operating in Francophone Africa.
Evangelista held the positions of group financial controller and acting CFO at Anvil Mining which operated 3 mines in the DRC. He was an integral part of the senior management team that saw Anvil's market capitalization grow from C$100 million in 2005 to C$1.3 billion upon takeover by Minmetals in 2012.
Evangelista holds a Bachelor of Business in Accounting degree, a graduate diploma in business administration and a graduate diploma in applied corporate governance.
Simon Jackson - Non-executive Director
Simon Jackson is a founder, shareholder and non-executive chairman of Sarama Resources. Jackson is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of experience in the mining sector. He is the Chairman of Predictive Discovery and Non-Executive Director of African gold producer Resolute Mining. He has previously held senior management positions at Red Back Mining, Orca Gold and Beadell Resources.
Jackson specializes in M&A, public equity capital markets, management and corporate finance. His career has included corporate transactions in Canada, Australia, Africa and Indonesia. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.
Adrian Byass - Non-executive Director
Adrian Byass has more than 30 years of experience in the mining industry. He has focused his career on the economic development of mineral resources. He is skilled in economic and resource geology. Byass has experience ranging from production in gold and nickel mines to the evaluation and development of mining projects with listed and unlisted entities in multiple countries. He has also held executive and non-executive board roles on both ASX and AIM-listed companies.
Byass presently operates in a corporate and market-focused capacity on a national and international basis. He has board-level experience in mine development, capital raising and M&A in Australia and on overseas stock exchanges. Byass has played key roles in a range of exploration and mining projects in Australia, Africa, North America and Europe. These projects were based on a suite of commodities including gold, base and specialty metals.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and a Bachelor of Economics. Byass is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, a fellow of the Society of Economic Geology and a competent person for the reporting of mineral resources (JORC 2012).
Michael Bohm - Non-executive Director
Michael Bohm is a seasoned director and mining engineer in the resources industry. His career spans roles as a mining engineer, mine manager, study manager, project manager, project director, and managing director.
He has been directly involved in the development of multiple mines in the gold, nickel, and diamond industries, and made significant contributions to Ramelius Resources during its formative years. This experience is particularly important as Sarama is currently in the process of rebuilding its operations in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.
He is a current director of ASX-listed Riedel Resources and has previously been a director of ASX listed Perseus Mining, Ramelius Resources, Mincor Resources NL and Cygnus Metals.
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Promising new gold projects in Western Australia, plus a large fully funded arbitration claim.
04 August
Sarama Provides Update on Arbitration Proceedings
23 July
Sarama Resources Completes Mt Venn Gold Project Acquisition
Landholdings Increased to 1,000km² Over Two Belt-Scale Projects in Laverton Gold District
Sarama Resources Ltd. (“Sarama” or the “Company”) (ASX:SRR, TSX- V:SWA) is pleased to advise that it has completed the previously announced acquisition (the “Transaction”) of a majority interest(1) in the under-explored, belt-scale 420km² Mt Venn Project (the “Project”)(2), located in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.
This follows Sarama’s acquisition of a majority interest(3) in the nearby Cosmo Gold Project in December 2024. Together, these acquisitions create a 1,000km² landholding covering two well-positioned and underexplored greenstone belts in the Laverton Gold District, an area which is known for prolific gold endowment and significant recent discoveries (refer Figure 1).
Highlights
- Completion of Transaction for Sarama to acquire a majority interest(1) in, and control of, the Mt Venn Gold Project in Western Australia
- Located in the prolific Laverton Gold District, 35km from the producing Gruyere Gold Mine and less than 20km
- from Gold Road’s Golden Highway Deposit
- Project covers 420km² and features a favourable litho-structural setting, primarily in greenstone rocks
- Includes regional shear zone of ~50km strike length and 1-3km width extending full length of greenstone belt
- Advanced gold targets generated through historical exploration, including broad drill-defined gold mineralisation
- Creates 1,000km² exploration position in the Laverton Gold District, capturing 100km of strike length
- Mt Venn is 40km from Sarama’s Cosmo Project(3) that is target-rich and hosts approximately 45km strike of gold trends up to 1.8km in width(6).
- Initial exploration to be advanced by the recent equity raise of A$2.7M
Sarama’s Executive Chairman, Andrew Dinning commented:
“We are very pleased to have completed the acquisition of a majority interest in the Mt Venn Project, significantly expanding our footprint in the Laverton Gold District and consolidating a 1,000km² landholding with strong discovery potential, in a region that has delivered multiple high-quality gold deposits, including the nearby Gruyere Deposit.
Mt Venn lies just 40km from our Cosmo Gold Project(3), with both showing strong gold anomalism. Cosmo hosts approximately 45km of mineralised gold trends up to 1.8km wide(6), while Mt Venn's soil sampling, historic workings, early drilling, and polymetallic nature highlight potential for a large-scale mineralized system. We see considerable exploration upside across both projects and with compelling targets already identified, we look forward to unlocking their value through focused and systematic exploration.”
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Sarama Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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09 July
Completion of Tranche 1 Equity Placement & Cleansing Notice
29 June
A$2.7m Equity Placement to Fund Laverton Drilling Campaign
20h
LaFleur Minerals Provides Swanson Drilling Update, Acquires Key Swanson Claim, and Files Updated NI 43-101 Technical Report
LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) ("LaFleur Minerals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that to date, seven (7) diamond drill holes totaling 1,764 metres have been completed at its Swanson Gold Project ("Swanson") since drilling commenced in early July (Figure 1). Three (3) of these holes have been sampled, sawn, and sent to the assay laboratory for analysis, with final results expected in the coming weeks. The Swanson Gold Project is particularly well positioned as it lies in the heart of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt near Val-d'Or, Québec, a globally renowned gold district.
Drilling is currently focused on the northern part of the Swanson Gold Project near the Swanson Gold Deposit, which hosts an Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate. These regional exploration holes are testing geological, geophysical, and geochemical targets up to 3 km from the Swanson Gold Deposit and along strike of a major structural break. Visual core logging suggests that several of the completed holes intersected geological features similar to those hosting known mineralization at the Swanson Gold Deposit.
Key observations from core logging of the recent drill holes are summarized below:
- Pyrite and other sulphides are consistently observed in the drill holes, classic pathfinder minerals for gold.
- A 17.9-metre-wide sulphide-rich zone (true width currently unknown) in drill hole SW-025-038 is a standout intersection that may indicate the potential for gold mineralization; however, assay results are still pending.
- The presence of silicification, carbonate alteration, sericite, chlorite, fuchsite, and quartz veining are classic indicators of hydrothermal fluid movement, which often carries gold. The consistent appearance of shearing, stockwork veining, and brecciation also suggests structural controls that may localize gold mineralization. The presence of alteration and sulphides over multiple holes and rock types also increases the likelihood of defining a larger mineralized system.
- Fuchsite alteration in drill hole SW-025-036 is particularly notable as it is also an important pathfinder and frequently associated with gold mineralization in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt.
PRELIMINARY SWANSON DRILLING HIGHLIGHTS
Below is a brief summary of preliminary geological and mineralization observations from core logging of the recent diamond drill holes completed by the Company. Half-core samples have been securely sent to AGAT Labs ("AGAT") in Val-d'Or, Québec for sample preparation, fire assay, and four-acid ICP geochemical testing, with final analytical results still pending. AGAT is independent of LaFleur Minerals and fully certified and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015 standards.
- Drill hole SW-025-032: Strongly bleached basalts with silicification and carbonate alteration. Pyrite mineralization observed. Occasional quartz-carbonate-tourmaline veins with trace chalcopyrite.
- Drill hole SW-025-033: Altered, carbonate-rich basalts with well-developed shear zones and sericite. Disseminated and stringer pyrite observed. Contact with ultramafic rocks featuring chlorite-talc-carbonate stockworks.
- Drill hole SW-025-034: Alternating altered basalts and ultramafics, sheared with quartz veining. Disseminated and stringer style pyrite observed.
- Drill hole SW-025-035: Sequence includes altered basalts, ultramafics, and possible syenites with shearing and sericite alteration. Pyrite mineralization observed.
- Drill hole SW-025-036: Basalts, ultramafics, and intermediate porphyritic intrusives with significant quartz veining and pervasive fuchsite alteration. Pyrite mineralization observed.
- Drill hole SW-025-037: Pink syenite with sulphides, transitioning to a non-magnetic basalt with sulphides observed such as semi-massive pyrite and magnetite-rich intervals.
- Drill hole SW-025-038: Intersected altered tuffs, breccias, mafic/ultramafic flows, and felsic intrusives. A 17.9 m wide sulphide-rich zone was identified (true width currently unknown), composed of semi-massive to massive pyrite-pyrrhotite stockwork within a brecciated tuff, with strong sericite, chlorite, and silica alteration.
"We are very encouraged by the early progress of the Swanson drilling program and the geological and mineralization similarities seen in the recent drill core to the known Swanson Gold Deposit," said Paul Ténière, CEO of LaFleur Minerals. "We're particularly optimistic about the mineralized zone encountered in hole SW-025-038 and we look forward to releasing assay results in the near future."
Further drilling is ongoing, and additional updates will be provided by the Company as results become available. The fully funded and permitted drill program includes a minimum of 5,000 metres of drilling targeting priority areas identified through extensive historical data compilation and recent fieldwork, including the Swanson Gold Deposit, as well as the Bartec, Jolin, and Marimac target zones (Figure 2). This will include priority targets from over 50 promising targets identified to date.
ACQUISITION OF KEY MINERAL CLAIM FROM GLOBEX MINING ENTERPRISES
The Company also announces that it will acquire a key mineral claim from Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. ("Globex") located immediately adjacent to and east of the Swanson mining lease, which hosts the Swanson Gold Deposit. The mineral claim will be acquired through an arm's length asset purchase agreement dated August 14, 2025, between the Company and Globex (the "Purchase Agreement"). The consideration payable by the Company to Globex for 100% ownership of the mineral claim is a cash payment of C$2,500 due upon execution of the Purchase Agreement. Globex will retain a 2% Gross Metal Royalty (GMR) upon commencement of commercial production from the mineral claim.
NI 43-101 TECHNICAL REPORT UPDATE
LaFleur Minerals is also pleased to announce that it has filed an updated NI 43-101 Technical Report ("Technical Report") for the Swanson Gold Project that discloses the results of recent exploration programs by LaFleur Minerals and the 2024 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Swanson Gold Deposit, which remains unchanged. The Technical Report has an effective date of July 29, 2025 and has been filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and is available on the Company's website at www.lafleurminerals.com.
SITE VISIT DETAILS - BEACON GOLD MILL AND SWANSON GOLD PROJECT
LaFleur Minerals confirms a site visit and tour of its Beacon Gold Mill and Swanson Gold Project in the Val-d'Or region will occur on August 11-13, 2025. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the Company as soon as possible at info@lafleurminerals.com for further details and to confirm their attendance.
Figure 1: Drill Holes recently completed near the Swanson Gold Deposit
Figure 2: Swanson drilling target regions and proposed 2025 drill holes (in blue)
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
Visual estimates of mineral abundance or apparent mineralization observed in drill core are preliminary in nature and readers are cautioned they should not be relied upon as a substitute for analytical results. While the core appears to contain sulphides such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite, and quartz veining, laboratory assays are required to determine the actual grades and composition. There is no guarantee that the visual observations will correlate with assay results.
QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT
All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the Company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.
About LaFleur Minerals Inc.
LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) is focused on the development of district-scale gold projects in the Abitibi Gold Belt near Val-d'Or, Québec. The Company's mission is to advance mining projects with a laser focus on our resource-stage Swanson Gold Project and the Beacon Gold Mill, which have significant potential to deliver long-term value. The Swanson Gold Project is approximately 18,304 hectares (183 km2) in size and includes several prospects rich in gold and critical metals previously held by Monarch Mining, Abcourt Mines, and Globex Mining. LaFleur has recently consolidated a large land package along a major structural break that hosts the Swanson, Bartec, and Jolin gold deposits and several other showings which make up the Swanson Gold Project. The Swanson Gold Project is easily accessible by road allowing direct access to several nearby gold mills, further enhancing its development potential. Lafleur Minerals' fully-permitted and refurbished Beacon Gold Mill is capable of processing over 750 tonnes per day and is being considered for processing mineralized material from Swanson and for custom milling operations for other nearby gold projects.
ON BEHALF OF LAFLEUR MINERALS INC.
Paul Ténière, M.Sc., P.Geo.
Chief Executive Officer
E: info@lafleurminerals.com
LaFleur Minerals Inc.
1500-1055 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 4N7
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements related to the use of proceeds from the Offering. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
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06 August
First Quantum Secures US$1 Billion in Gold Stream Deal with Royal Gold
First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM,OTC Pink:FQVLF) has locked in a US$1.0 billion cash infusion through a gold streaming agreement with RGLD Gold AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD).
The Vancouver-based firm announced on Tuesday (August 5) that the streaming agreement is tied to its Zambian operations, covering future gold deliveries linked to copper output at its Kansanshi mine.
“Following a thorough evaluation of several deleveraging options, I am pleased to announce this milestone transaction which preserves exposure to all of the copper production at Kansanshi while still maintaining exposure to the majority of the Company’s gold production,” said First Quantum CEO Tristan Pascall in a press release.
“It is pleasing to form a new partnership with Royal Gold which is a strong endorsement of the operations at Kansanshi and its multi-generational ore body as well as Zambia as a leading African mining jurisdiction,” Pascall added.
The agreement provides First Quantum with long-term, unsecured capital that does not increase its debt load. Proceeds will be used for capital expenditures and repayment of existing bank loans. Furthermore, the company said that the transaction is expected to materially lower its net debt-to-EBITDA ratio.
While the arrangement commits First Quantum to deliver gold based on a formula tied to copper production, the company retains most of its gold upside.
Based on its 2026 and 2027 production forecasts, approximately 84 percent of its total gold output will still be exposed to spot market pricing. The company also retains full exposure to newly discovered near-surface gold zones at Kansanshi.
Under the terms of the agreement, First Quantum will deliver gold to Royal Gold on a stepdown basis: 75 ounces of gold for every million pounds of recovered copper produced until 425,000 ounces have been delivered, 55 ounces per million pounds for the next 225,000 ounces, and 45 ounces per million pounds thereafter.
First Quantum will receive 20 percent of the spot gold price per ounce delivered, rising to 35 percent if it secures a BB credit rating or maintains a net leverage ratio of 2.25x or lower for three straight quarters starting Q1 2026.
The deal also includes two optional acceleration provisions, allowing First Quantum to reduce future delivery commitments. The company can cut delivery thresholds by up to 20 percent at a value of up to US$200 million once it reaches the BB rating or leverage target.
A further 10 percent reduction, worth US$100 million, is possible upon achieving a leverage ratio of 1.25 times over four consecutive quarters, subject to meeting certain operational conditions.
The gold streaming deal is part of First Quantum’s continued efforts to strengthen its finances after recent setbacks at the Cobre Panamá mine.
In May, the company announced it had received government approval in Panama for its Preservation and Safe Management program at the Cobre Panamá mine. The approval enables the company to carry out environmental and safety measures funded through the export of 121,000 dry metric tons of copper concentrate currently stored on site.
The program does not represent a restart of full operations, but allows First Quantum to maintain the site and manage its obligations in line with Panamanian government requirements.
On the other hand, the deal also deepens Royal Gold’s exposure to a major African copper-gold asset at a time when the streaming and royalty company is making moves to expand its portfolio.
Just last month, Royal Gold announced a pair of major acquisitions: a US$3.5 billion all-share deal to acquire Sandstorm Gold (TSX:SSL)and a separate US$196 million cash deal for Horizon Copper (TSXV:HCU).
The transactions, announced in July, would create a streaming and royalty giant with 393 assets across six continents—including 80 that are currently cash-flowing.
Shares of First Quantum were up slightly in Tuesday trading following the announcement.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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06 August
Drilling discovers new ‘Monster’ gold zone near Main Hill at Mt York, WA
New results extend mineralisation from undrilled Main Hill area; additional drilling required to further define new zone
Kairos Minerals Ltd (ASX:KAI) (“KAI” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce results from a further 19 diamond holes, including a new, wide zone of gold mineralisation intercepted at its Mt York Gold Project in WA’s Pilbara, where current resources at the Main Trend sit at 1.4Moz Au. Results from Gossan Hill (7 holes), Breccia Hill (3 holes) and Main Hill (9 holes) (Table 1), are shown on the Leapfrog oblique-section (Figure 1) drill plan (Figure 2), long-section (Figure 3) and cross-section (Figure 4).
Highlights
- Best intercept of 53m @ 1.45 g/t Au from 212m incl 10m @ 2.95 g/t Au received from latest batch of drill results at 1.4Moz Mt York Gold Project
- Four diamond holes planned to follow up and test extensions of this extensional zone near Main Hill
- 52 holes for 13,536m completed at Mt York, ahead of schedule and on budget; Stage 1 is an 80-hole, 18,000m resource expansion program
- Results for 19 holes received, with excellent intercepts including:
- 3m @ 7.20 g/t Au from 181m (25MYDD020);
- 62m @ 0.78 g/t Au from 79m incl 25m @ 1.22 g/t Au from 79m (25MYDD023);
- 53m @ 1.45 g/t Au from 212m incl 10m @ 2.95 g/t Au from 239m (25MYDD031);
- 22m @ 1.30 g/t Au from 70m incl 7m @ 2.55 g/t Au from 83m (25MYDD039).
- Results expected to have a positive impact for an updated resource estimate later in 2025.
Drill hole 25MYDD031 returned 53m @ 1.45 g/t Au from 212m northwest of Main Hill that may well be an important new discovery in an area that had not previously been drilled. This is expected to have a very positive impact on the resource of the Main Trend.
Kairos’ team believes this area named ‘Monster’ by the Kairos geologists on site is a new structural zone, likely to be a large-scale fold flexure or closure in the BIF where thick, high-grade mineralisation has been drilled elsewhere at the Main Trend. The implications of a new fold zone or zones could have a significant, positive impact on the potential project resource size along the 3km Main Trend, and especially in the Main Hill area. Kairos geologists are currently looking at additional drill holes to target the concept and ultimately, grow the resources.
Stage 1 drilling aims to boost gold resources at Mt York and test extensions of high- grade shoots ahead of a mineral resource estimate (MRE) update expected in 2H CY25. Stage 2 drilling later in the year or early 2026 aims to convert Inferred resources to higher confidence Indicated resources.
Kairos Managing Director Dr Peter Turner said: “Drilling continues to provide nice surprises and we are beginning to understand the controls on the wide, higher-grade zones of mineralisation within fold flexures that we can map out and importantly, target over hundreds of metres along the 3km-long, continuously mineralised Main Trend.
To report a drill hole intercept of 53m @ 1.45 g/t Au in any gold project is a good result but this result is even more special – it is an extension of the largely untested Main Hill prospect where the mineralisation remains open in all directions and is an exciting, large target to drill.
We remain confident Mt York will become one of the Pilbara’s – and Western Australia’s – largest undeveloped gold resources with clean metallurgy, once drilling is complete.”
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Kairos Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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05 August
Asra Minerals: Unlocking Multi-million Ounce Gold Potential in WA’s Premier Goldfields
Asra Minerals (ASX:ASR) is unlocking the value of its resource portfolio and underexplored prospects in Western Australia’s renowned Leonora Goldfields. The company holds one of the largest and most prospective land positions in the district, strategically located near major gold producers, including Genesis Minerals (ASX:GMD) with its 8.9 Moz Leonora Operations, Vault Minerals (ASX:VAU) with the 1.9 Moz Darlot and 4.1 Moz King of the Hills mines, and Northern Star (ASX:NST), operator of the 4.2 Moz Thunderbox mine.
A strategic reset in late 2024 brought in a new CEO, technical team, and a focused drilling strategy targeting resource growth and project consolidation. With strong gold prices supported by global uncertainty and Western Australia’s stable regulatory environment, Asra’s historically underexplored and fragmented ground is now well-positioned for discovery, growth, and long-term value creation.
Asra Minerals’ flagship Leonora Gold Project covers over 936 sq km in Western Australia’s prolific Eastern Goldfields, one of the country’s most productive gold regions. The project is divided into the Leonora North and Leonora South areas and is strategically located near world-class gold operations, including Genesis Minerals’ Leonora Operations, Vault Minerals’ King of the Hills, and Northern Star’s Thunderbox mine—all within trucking distance. Asra’s tenements lie along highly prospective granite-greenstone contacts and major fault zones, including the Ursus Fault, a key structural control for high-grade orogenic gold mineralization.
Company Highlights
- District-Scale Gold Project in Tier-One Jurisdiction: 936 sq km landholding in WA’s Leonora region, proximal to more than 15 Moz of gold resources across neighboring major mines.
- JORC Resource of 200 koz at 1.8 g/t gold: Existing resource includes high-grade shallow mineralization at Orion, Sapphire, Mt Stirling and Stirling Well.
- Aggressive Growth Strategy: Targeting >500 koz resource base in 2025 through near-resource and greenfield drilling.
- Ongoing Exploration: Systematic exploration underway across the portfolio with multiple high-priority targets identified for further follow-up.
- New High-impact Leadership: Rebuilt management and technical team in late 2024, including renowned gold discoverers behind Gruyere (6.2 Moz) and Raleigh (1 Moz).
- Undervalued Opportunity: With a ~$10 million market cap, Asra offers substantial re-rating potential amid rising gold prices and renewed institutional interest.
This Asra Minerals profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
Click here to connect with Asra Minerals (ASX:ASR) to receive an Investor Presentation
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05 August
The Gold Standard: Facts and History
The gold standard. Today, the term denotes something that is the highest level of quality in its category.
Gold, with all its luster, has been sought after, fought over and prized for thousands of years. It’s been used as a sacred adornment and has projected the wealth and status of monarchs and nobility. And ever since the ancient Lydians minted the first gold coins around 550 BCE, the yellow metal has played an important role in the monetary system.
Over the millennia, gold has never lost its appeal, and by the end of the 19th century it had become a crucial component of how nations interacted with each other economically.
While it fell out of favor for fiat currencies in the middle of the 20th century, the idea that gold could once again underpin the global economy has never disappeared. So what exactly is the gold standard? What is the history the gold standard, and could it be revived again today? We explore this all below.
In this article
What is the gold standard?
The gold standard is a monetary system where a currency's value is pegged directly to gold and the currency can be exchanged for gold at that ratio, giving the currency intrinsic value. For example, a country could set a standard in which $1,000 is equal to 1 ounce of gold, and citizens could then exchange their currency for physical gold.
Some countries have also employed silver standards or double standards, which see a currency backed by either silver or by both gold and silver.
Why did the world establish a gold standard?
Copper, silver, gold and alloys like electrum have been the foundation of trade and currency for thousands of years, and while they each command value among investors and collectors today, their weight is a major problem.
To deal with this, paper money in the form of promissory notes was created, with the earliest uses being little more than IOUs. It wasn’t until seventh century China that trade guilds began to issue receipts-of-deposit that eliminated the need for merchants to carry large quantities of coins for wholesale transactions.
These notes weren’t meant for widespread use, but their development eventually led a group of merchants to create a more formal system in Szechuan in the 10th century. Each was printed using anti-counterfeiting techniques and affixed with a seal from the issuing bank. Whoever held the banknote could have it converted back into metal at any time.
Because these notes were lighter than their metallic counterparts, they became popular among traders along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East. Eventually, the notion of printed money found its way back to Europe via travelers like Marco Polo and William of Rubruck who moved along the route in the 13th century.
However, the concept of paper money didn't catch on in Europe for another 400 years, when Sweden issued the first banknotes in 1661. These notes were redeemable for quantities of coins from banks, meaning that merchants no longer had to carry large amounts of copper and silver, which were heavy and easy to steal.
Despite initial skepticism, the notes proved to be popular, and the idea spread across the continent. That said, it wasn't entirely smooth sailing. Over time, issuers realized that not all bank notes would be redeemed, and began to print notes beyond the value of the metal they held in reserve. Sweden's paper money quickly lost its value, and the country's government ultimately decided to pay back and withdraw the notes in 1664.
Outside of Sweden, a lack of regulation around who could issue notes meant that states, cities, trade organizations and anyone with a press was able to print money. As a result, counterfeits were made by unscrupulous people. This undermined confidence in paper money and contributed to high inflation rates.
It wasn’t until England passed the Bank Charter Act of 1844 that a modern-style central bank began to appear, with strict regulations around which entities could print paper money. The act restricted commercial banks’ ability to issue notes, giving that power to the Bank of England, and required new notes issued by the Bank of England to be backed at a rate of “three pounds seventeen shillings and ninepence per ounce of standard gold.”
Even as this world power moved toward a gold-backed system, other nations remained on bimetallic systems, setting a ratio between gold and silver to allow for interoperability that was stabilized by France. In the US, this ratio was set at 15:1 silver to gold by the Coinage Act of 1792, and was later updated to 16:1 when the act was amended in 1834.
Interestingly, gold rushes in California in 1849 and Australia in 1851 flooded the markets with gold, causing a 30 percent increase in wholesale prices and altering the ratio between the metals in France.
The tipping point came in 1871, when Germany, following its victory over France in the Franco-Prussian war, made the switch from a silver currency system to a currency backed solely by gold. This was considered a preemptive move to avoid being excluded from fixed-rate systems that had formed between industrialized nations.
By 1900, gold-backed currencies had become the standard for most of the world apart from a handful of exclusions, including China and some nations in Central America.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the gold standard?
In theory, the international gold standard provided an inherent mechanism for stability in the financial system, as trade imbalances would be self-correcting. This was called the price-specie flow mechanism by economist David Hume.
To illustrate, when a country had a surplus trade balance, the gold value of trade flowing out of the country would exceed the trade value of imports. Conversely, a deficit trade balance would have the opposite effect. This would cause inflation in countries with rising money supply and deflation in countries with decreasing money supply.
This rising and falling would subsequently cause trade with countries with high inflation to decrease due to high prices and trade with countries experiencing deflation to rise to take advantage of lower prices, bringing them back into balance.
While the gold standard provided relative stability to the global financial market in the long term it was far from perfect, as individual economies had reduced control over their own economic struggles. This was evidenced by the Panic of 1907 in the US, which began when two bankers tried and failed to corner the stock of United Copper. Their failure resulted in distrust of their banks and associates, ultimately sending panic through the markets and causing runs on banks and trusts.
This took place at a time when the effects of rising interest rates in Europe led to gold ceasing to move into the United States. This was compounded by the lack of an American central bank or lender of last resort, and with inflexibility under the gold standard, the US was left without a way to expand its monetary supply. This near collapse of the US financial system led to the eventual creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913, establishing an authority over US monetary policy.
The gold standard was further challenged in 1914 with the start of the First World War when major nations suspended the convertibility of domestic bank notes into gold and suspended the movement of gold over borders.
Born of necessity, this move provided greater flexibility for central banks to increase monetary supply without the limitation of physical holdings, ensuring war efforts could continue to be funded.
Even though these measures were meant to be temporary, they led to considerable chaos through the post-war period as nations worked to decrease high inflation caused by excess money supply while trying to return to the gold standard. Countries were left with limited choices: deflation or devaluation.
Britain chose deflation and returned to pre-war parity defining one pound sterling equal to 123.274 grains of gold. This had the effect of overvaluing the pound, which caused outflows in the gold supply. France, on the other hand, chose to devalue the Franc, which ultimately caused inflows of gold into its reserves.
For its response, the US chose to sterilize inflows of gold. The US paid a higher price than other countries, but instead of expanding monetary supply to match the influx, it maintained inventories and stabilized domestic pricing.
Despite US efforts to maintain its economy in the interwar period, global mass deflation provided a catalyst for the end of the gold standard as unemployment began to rise, ultimately triggering the Great Depression. This period marked the beginning of the end of the classical gold standard, and in 1931 Japan and the United Kingdom dropped the connection to gold, followed by the United States in 1933.
When did the gold standard end?
Against the backdrop of the Second World War, representatives from 44 nations met in the US in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in July of 1944. Discussions centered around the creation of a system that would provide efficient foreign exchange to create a more stable global economic system than what had arisen between the World Wars and ultimately caused the implosion of the global economy.
Plans for a new global economic system took years to develop, with competing ideas from famed economist James Maynard Keynes and Harry Dexter White, chief international economist for the US Treasury Department. Keynes proposed a grand vision to build an international central bank with its own reserve currency, while White suggested the establishment of a lending fund with the US Dollar as the reserve currency.
The agreement chose elements from both proposals but leaned in favor of White’s suggestion. It declared the US dollar would be pegged to the value of gold at US$35 per ounce. Additionally, the other 44 states who signed on to the accord would have their currencies pegged to the value of the US dollar with diversions of only 1 percent being permitted.
This system helped to minimize volatility of exchange rates and facilitated international trade.
To aid the functioning of the agreement, it also established two critical institutions: the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which would monitor exchange rates and provide support when needed, and the World Bank, which was originally established to manage funds and provide loans and assistance to nations to rebuild after WW2.
However, when the nations met in December 1945, only 29 had come to sign the agreement; the Soviet Union was notably absent. The USSR’s rejection of Bretton Woods marked a milestone in a developing rift that led to the Cold War.
In his election speech in February 1946, less than two months after the signing of Bretton Woods, Joseph Stalin blamed World War 2 on capitalism. “Marxists have more than once stated that the capitalist system of world economy … does not proceed smoothly and evenly, but through crises and catastrophic wars,” he said.
Less than a month later Winston Churchill gave his famed Sinews of Peace speech in Fulton, Missouri, in which he stated, “From Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.”
Bretton Woods policies came into full effect in 1958 with mixed results, and the US dollar struggled to maintain parity with gold throughout much of the 1960s in part due to increased domestic and military spending.
In 1971, under orders of US President Richard Nixon, the convertibility of the dollar into gold was suspended as the dollar became overvalued and the amount of gold in reserves was no longer sufficient to cover the monetary supply. There were attempts to revive the system, but by 1973 Bretton Woods collapsed and national currencies once again floated against each other.
Following the end of the agreement, the IMF allowed members to choose whichever exchange arrangement, allowing them to float against each other or a basket of currencies. However, members were prohibited from pegging their currencies to gold.
The gold standard today
The subsequent years following the collapse of Bretton Woods have seen the dominance of the United States in the global financial system. Though no longer tied to gold, it remains the world’s reserve currency.
Being tied to gold provided the economy with relative stability from inflationary pressures, but it also restricted the overall monetary supply and made it more difficult for borrowers to pay back loans.
Under the current system, central banks work to ensure that inflation remains in a range that can stimulate growth in the economy but not let it get to the point where it’s out of control and the cost of goods rises more quickly than wages.
Proponents of a gold standard today will point at the runaway inflation of the early 1980s and following the COVID-19 pandemic reasons why a gold standard is better for the overall economy and reduced volatility.
However, the lack of inflation under the gold standard was a criticism levelled by opponents. This was a particular issue in the late 1800s, when deflation was happening at a rate of 1 to 2 percent per year in the US. This resulted in loans becoming more costly, a problem in particular for the country’s farmers who relied on them to buy land and equipment.
Will we return to the gold standard?
Some analysts such as Jim Rickards believe in the return of the gold standard and have suggested that the BRICS nations are in the process of creating a new gold-backed currency, as evidenced by bulk purchases of gold by the Chinese central bank.
While a reserve currency for the BRICS nations may seem like a logical step for the bloc to facilitate trade between member nations, the likelihood that it will be backed by gold seems nonsensical to most analysts, as CPM Group Managing Director Jeffery Christian told Investing News Network in August 2023.
With regards to a return to a global or US gold standard, this also seems incredibly unlikely and ill-advised.
The total value of monetary supply of the world’s four largest central banks — the United States, European Union, Japan and China — sat at approximately US$95 trillion as of June 2025. The World Gold Council estimated that above-ground gold stocks stand at 216,265 metric tons as of the end of 2024.
At a gold spot price of US$3,000, which gold has held above for much of 2025, that gold would be worth just under US$23 trillion, far less than those central banks hold. Additionally, 45 percent of the world's gold is in the form of gold jewelry and just 14 percent, or about US$4 trillion, is in central bank holdings.
The US encountered problems with an insufficient supply of gold before the collapse of Bretton Woods. Going further back, reducing through devaluation or deflation wreaked havoc in the global post-war economy of the 1920s.
With greater wealth and far more money supply today, the economy would face far more headwinds and more disastrous potential should there be a shift back towards a gold standard.
To move to a gold-backed currency, a country would have to have enough physical gold in reserve to support its monetary supply. There isn’t enough gold in the world.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2019.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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05 August
Asra Minerals
Investor Insight
Asra Minerals is an emerging gold explorer with a compelling investment case as it focuses on strategic expansion and development of high-grade resources across its Leonora gold project in Western Australia.
Overview
Asra Minerals (ASX:ASR) is unlocking the potential of its portfolio of existing resources and underexplored prospects within Western Australia’s renowned Leonora Goldfields. The company controls one of the largest and most prospective land positions in the district, strategically surrounded by high-profile gold producers such as Genesis Minerals’ (ASX:GMD) with its 8.9 million oz (Moz) Leonora Operations; Vault Minerals (ASX:VAU), which operates the 1.9 Moz Darlot mine and 4.1 Moz King of the Hills mine; and Northern Star (ASX:NST), which operates the 4.2 Moz Thunderbox mine.
With existing JORC 2012 resources of 200,000 oz gold and a clear strategy to reach 500,000 oz in the near-term, Asra Minerals is leveraging its 936 sq km Leonora landholding in one of Australia’s most prolific gold belts. Asra’s tenements span 75 km of strike length, including two primary zones – Leonora North and Leonora South – each with resource-stage projects, brownfields upside and newly identified high-priority drill targets.
A strategic reset in late 2024 led to a new CEO, technical team and drilling strategy aimed squarely at resource growth and project consolidation. With global unrest supporting sustained high gold prices and WA’s regulatory stability, Asra’s ground – historically underexplored and fragmented – is now primed for discovery, growth and value creation.
Company Highlights
- District-Scale Gold Project in Tier-One Jurisdiction: 936 sq km landholding in WA’s Leonora region, proximal to more than 15 Moz of gold resources across neighboring major mines.
- JORC Resource of 200 koz at 1.8 g/t gold: Existing resource includes high-grade shallow mineralization at Orion, Sapphire, Mt Stirling and Stirling Well.
- Aggressive Growth Strategy: Targeting >500 koz resource base in 2025 through near-resource and greenfield drilling.
- Ongoing Exploration: Systematic exploration underway across the portfolio with multiple high-priority targets identified for further follow-up.
- New High-impact Leadership: Rebuilt management and technical team in late 2024, including renowned gold discoverers behind Gruyere (6.2 Moz) and Raleigh (1 Moz).
- Undervalued Opportunity: With a ~$10 million market cap, Asra offers substantial re-rating potential amid rising gold prices and renewed institutional interest.
Key Project
Leonora Gold Project
Asra Minerals’ flagship Leonora gold project spans more than 936 sq km in Western Australia’s prolific Eastern Goldfields. The asset is subdivided into the Leonora North and Leonora South project areas. The region hosts multiple world-class gold operations, including Genesis Minerals’ Leonora operations, Vault Minerals’ King of the Hills, and Northern Star’s Thunderbox mine, all within trucking distance. Asra’s tenements lie along the highly prospective granite-greenstone contacts and major fault systems such as the Ursus Fault, known for controlling high-grade orogenic gold mineralization.
Leonora South
The Leonora South project is 549 sq km with eight granted mining leases, located within the historic Kookynie goldfields. This area is host to numerous high-grade deposits, including Genesis Minerals’ Ulysses Hub (~2 Moz gold). Asra is focused on the Sapphire and Orion open pit deposits, which together comprise a JORC 2012 inferred resource of 48,014 oz grading at 2.2 grams per ton (g/t) gold. High-grade intercepts include standout results such as 166 g/t gold over 6 m from 135 m, including 248.8 g/t gold over 4 m (Sapphire), and 46.4 g/t gold over 4 m from 3 m (Orion), demonstrating a potential for bonanza-grade extensions at depth.
Diamond drilling completed in Q4/2024 confirmed down-dip continuity of high-grade gold zones approximately 30 to 50 m below historical intercepts, with assays such as 47.95 g/t gold over 1 m from 115.2 m, 23.12 g/t gold over 1 m from 148.7 m, and 23.97 g/t gold over 0.8 m from 161.2 m. A new 1,300 m RC and diamond-tail drilling program commenced in Q2/2025 to test these high-priority targets, aiming to significantly increase the resource base. The mineralized quartz veins at Sapphire and Orion trend east-northeast and dip steeply – 50 to 80 degrees – southwards and remain open at depth and along strike.
Exploration across Leonora South has identified 21 high-priority targets, of which 15 have never been drill tested. These were derived from detailed 2025 airborne magnetics, structural reinterpretation and geochemical mapping. Planned work includes follow-up aircore and RC drilling to expand the mineralized footprint, including at Gladstone and Jessop Creek, with approvals already received from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Leonora North
Situated 40 km northeast of Leonora and just 5 km from Vault’s King of the Hills mine, Leonora North is a brownfields gold asset with significant exploration and expansion potential. The area lies within the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane of the Yilgarn Craton and is hosted along the structurally controlled Ursus Fault Zone, a major gold-bearing shear corridor. The project contains multiple zones with a total JORC 2012 resource of 152,000 oz grading at 1.7 g/t gold, including:
- Mt Stirling–Viserion Deposit: 2.16 Mt @ 1.6 g/t gold for 111,000 oz (inferred), plus 391,000 t @ 2.1 g/t for 26,000 oz (indicated).
- Stirling Well: 198,000 t @ 2.3 g/t gold for 15,000 oz (inferred).
The Mt Stirling resource remains open along strike and at depth, with high-grade shoots identified to the north. The flat-lying Stirling Well orebody has potential for parallel lodes and deeper extensions into mafic host rocks. A major aeromagnetic and litho-structural reinterpretation, completed in December 2024, identified +20 high-priority gold targets across the northern strike extensions. Several of these are situated adjacent to the historically mined Diorite King Mine, which reportedly produced at high grades. The untested 12 km Ursus Fault corridor remains a key focus, with ~9 km still unexplored.
Importantly, Asra secured 100 percent ownership of the Mt Cutmore prospect in May 2025, consolidating a highly strategic zone within the Mt Stirling region. This acquisition covers multiple live and pending tenements, and enhances Asra’s ability to deploy a focused drilling campaign across the Leonora North project area. Drill permits have been secured, and both AC and RC programs are planned for H2/2025 to evaluate new geophysical anomalies, follow up on known mineralization, and grow the current resource base.
Management Team
Paul Stephen – Managing Director
A seasoned mining executive, Paul Stephen has held various executive and directorship roles across ASX and LSE-listed companies prior to joining Asra. He was a co-founder and executive director of Crusader Resources, where he was instrumental in the discovery, development and operation of the Posse Iron Ore mine in Brazil. During his tenure, he oversaw the delineation of over 2.6 million ounces of gold, significantly contributing to Crusader’s market capitalization exceeding AU$160 million.
Paul Summers – Non-executive Chair
Paul Summers has been a legal practitioner since 1985, and founded his own firm, Summers Legal in 1989. He has been Asra’s counsel for more than 10 years and has provided extensive advice and service during the recent takeover of Cascade Resources. Summers is currently lead counsel – commercial, corporate and property of Summers Legal and is familiar with the company’s affairs, projects and strategy.
Mathew Longworth – Non-executive Director
Mathew Longworth is a geologist with over 35 years’ experience in large projects, exploration and discoveries in Australia, Greenland, Africa, South America and the Pacific. He is currently chairman of Ardea Resources and Greenfields Exploration, and non-executive chairman of Northam Resources. As a director and chairman, he has guided companies through challenging corporate times including IPO listings, takeovers, major capital raisings, 249D notices and joint venture negotiations while maximizing value for shareholders.
Leonard Math - Non-executive Director, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary
Leonard Math is a chartered accountant with more than 15 years of resource industry experience. He was an auditor at Deloitte and is experienced with public company responsibilities including ASX and ASIC compliance, control and implementation of corporate governance, statutory financial reporting and shareholder relations. He previously held company secretary and directorship roles for a number of ASX listed companies.
Ziggy Lubieniecki – Technical Consultant
Ziggy Lubieniecki is a highly experienced geologist with over three decades of expertise spanning exploration, mining, management, property acquisition and company listings. His previous senior roles include chief mine geologist at Plutonic, exploration manager at Australian Platinum Mines, and executive director at Gold Road Resources. Along with a successful exploration track record, Lubieniecki is credited for the discovery of the 6.2 Moz Gruyere gold deposit.
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