The Conversation (0)
October 04, 2022
Challenger Exploration (ASX: CEL) (“CEL” the “Company”) is pleased to announce results from Phase 1 drilling targeting the CV-A and CV-B Au-Ag-Cu soil anomalies in the Colorado V concession ("Colorado V", the "Project") in El Oro Province, Ecuador. The results build on the first five CV-A and CV-B drill holes, all of which intersected over 450 metres of mineralisation, and confirm two Au-Cu-Ag-Mo discoveries of significance in Colorado V. Three of five drill holes reported in this release intersected over 500 metres of, and ended in, mineralisation.
Highlights
- Next 5 drill holes on the CV-A and CV-B soil anomalies in Colorado V, Ecuador, significantly expand the scale of mineralisation with results including 402.8m at 0.6 g/t AuEq (refer to Table 2).
- Intersection of 62.5 metres at 1.8 g/t AuEq within 181.0 metres at 1.0 g/t AuEq in CVDD-22-010 opens the potential for the Colorado V anomalies to contain significant higher grade zones.
- 773.9m at 0.4 g/t AuEq2- 0.3 g/t Au, 1.3 g/t Ag, 0.1 %
Cu, 11.8 ppm Mo from 114.5m including ;
402.8m at 0.6 g/t AuEq2 - 0.4 g/t Au, 1.7 g/t Ag, 0.1 % Cu, 10.9 ppm Mo from 182.3m including;
299.8m at 0.7 g/t AuEq2 - 0.5 g/t Au, 1.8 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu, 11.7 ppm Mo from 182.3m including;
180.9 m at 1.0 g/t AuEq2- 0.7 g/t Au, 2.4 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu, 9.5 ppm Mo from 182.3m including;
62.4 m at 1.8 g/t AuEq2 - 1.5 g/t Au, 2.7 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu, 7.0 ppm Mo (CVDD-22-010) (Hole ending in mineralisation) - 732.3 m at 0.3 g/t AuEq2- 0.2 g/t Au, 1.2 g/t Ag, 0.04%
Cu, 8.0 ppm Mo from 73.9m including;
247.2m at 0.5 g/t AuEq2 - 0.4 g/t Au, 1.7 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu, 5.8 ppm Mo from 251.0m including
50.7 m at 0.9 g/t AuEq2 - 0.8 g/t Au, 1.8 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu,5.1 ppm Mo (CVDD-22-007) (Hole ending in mineralisation) - 504.3 m at 0.3 g/t AuEq2- 0.3 g/t Au, 1.4 g/t Ag, 0.1%
Cu, 1.8 ppm Mo from 96.4m including;
276.1m at 0.4 g/t AuEq2 - 0.25 g/t Au, 1.5 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu, 1.9 ppm Mo from 97.9m Including
116.1m at 0.5 g/t AuEq2 - 0.4 g/t Au, 2.6 g/t Ag, 0.1% Cu, 2.0 ppm Mo (CVDD-22-006) (Hole ending in mineralisation)
- 773.9m at 0.4 g/t AuEq2- 0.3 g/t Au, 1.3 g/t Ag, 0.1 %
Cu, 11.8 ppm Mo from 114.5m including ;
- Confirms both CV-A and CV-B as significant bulk gold discoveries with continuous mineralisation:
- over a true width of 600 metres in CV-A and 400 metres in CV-B;
- 500 metres of the 1 kilometre strike drilled to date in both anomalies;
- from surface to almost 800 metres vertically at CV-A and surface to 500 metres at CV-B.
Commenting on the results, CEL Managing Director, Mr Kris Knauer, said
“These next 5 holes from Colorado V confirm our expectation that these two recent discoveries at the Project have the potential to be significant on the world stage. Three of these five drill holes ended in mineralisation and intersections such as 402.8 metres at 0.6 g/t AuEq, including 62.4 metres at 1.8 g/t AuEq, confirm we have a major gold porphyry system with multiple centers.
This round of results not only significantly extends the mineralisation from the discovery holes at the CV-A and CV-B anomalies, both of which are just a few kilometres along strike from the 17-million ounce Cangrejos Gold Project1. It confirms both CV-A and CV-B as having the same geology, the same surface footprint, and the same mineralisation as Cangrejos.
The results include an intersection of 181.0 metres at 1.0 g/t AuEq including 62.5 metres at 1.8 g/t AuEq within a broader intersection of 402.8 metres at 0.6 g/t AuEq and 774 metres at 0.4 g/t AuEq to the end of the hole. This intersection confirms that the mineralisation at CV-A has a true width of over 600 metres and extends from surface to almost 800 metres and remains open at depth. Importantly, this is the first indication of wide zones of higher-grade mineralisation in the Company's drilling at Colorado V.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Challenger Exploration, 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.
CEL:AU
5h
Financing Update on the Cobar Basin Silver & Gold Production Strategy
Manuka Resources Limited (ASX:MKR, “Manuka” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update on progress of the Company’s Cobar Basin silver and gold production strategy and the restart of the existing 1Mtpa Wonawinta processing plant.
Highlights
- Independent Technical Due Diligence and Legal Due Diligence completed and provided to prospective Financiers.
- Terms Sheets received from multiple parties for the refinancing of existing debt and funding of the Wonawinta Silver Mine restart.
- Silver and Gold prices remain strong with current spot prices increasing the NPV of the Cobar Basin Production Plan to A$153M1.
- Manuka is currently assessing the feasibility of a cut-back of the Mt Boppy open pit (Mineral Resource of 0.4Mt at 4.23g/t Au for 53.5koz Gold)2 to augment and add significant value to the Cobar Basin Production Plan.
Background
Manuka recently released a 10-year production plan based on its 100% owned silver and gold assets located in the prolific Cobar Basin3. The plan comprises the mining and processing of 10.7Mt containing 19.2Moz of silver plus gold credits (Table 1). The Production Target is underpinned by 61% Reserves.
The capital expenditure required to bring the Wonawinta processing plant back into production in Q1 2026 is estimated to be A$18.9M. At an assumed silver price of A$50/oz and average All-In Sustaining Cost of A$35/oz, the project delivers an average EBITDA of A$22M per annum at an IRR of 109% and NPV8 of A$101M.
Financing Progress
The Company advises that it is in discussion with financiers to provide funding to refinance existing debt and bring the Wonawinta processing plant back into production.
Prospective financiers have been provided with independent technical and legal due diligence reports to support their preparation of terms. To date, terms sheets have been received from multiple parties by the Company and are under consideration. The Company aims to reach binding terms on a financing facility early in the third quarter.
The Company further advises that the security shares held by GAM Company Pty Ltd4 have been purchased by existing shareholder and prominent investor Antanas Guoga. The associated convertible notes have been extinguished.
Mt Boppy Gold Mine – Open Pit Cut Back
The Mt Boppy Gold Mine is located 50km east of Cobar and 151km by road to the Wonawinta processing plant. The Mt Boppy Gold Mine comprises an existing open pit with a Resources of 0.4Mt at 4.23g/t Au and a collection of mineralised rock dumps and tailings totaling 2.2Mt at 0.84g/t Au (Table 2). Approximately 0.2Mt from the rock dumps and tailings (less than10%) is included in the Cobar Basin production plan.
Historically one of New South Wales richest gold mines, Mt Boppy is estimated to have produced ~500,000 ounces of gold at ~15g/t Au. The existing open pit was last mined by Manuka in 2021 when ore grading >4g/t Au was extracted and hauled to Wonawinta for processing. Production was halted after a severe weather event caused flooding in the pit and instability in the pit wall.
The Company is currently undertaking a re-optimisation and reassessment of open pit designs to determine the feasibility of recovering the approximately 53.5koz of gold contained in the existing In Ground Resource. The In Ground Resource remains open at depth and along strike and is prospective for mineralisation of the tenor historical mined at Mt Boppy.
The Company aims to report on the result of the re-optimisation and reassessment of Mt Boppy Gold Mine open pit cut back during the upcoming quarter.
MKR Executive Chairman commented:
“Following the release of our updated Cobar Basin production plan, we have moved rapidly to enter into productive discussions with a number of prospective funders for our development strategy. With technical and legal due diligence reports now complete we are confident of securing a financing facility in the upcoming quarter and bringing Wonawinta back into production in the new year.
In parallel, we are progressing a study on a cut-back at the Mt Boppy Gold Mine. With an in-situ gold grade of over 4g/t, the open pit cut back opportunity presents as a potentially high margin gold operation that will augment, and add significant value to, our Cobar Basin production plan.
We look forward to providing further updates to the market on our financing progress and Cobar Basin production strategy in the near future, along with our plans for the re- optimisation of the Mt Boppy Gold Project.”
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Manuka 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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Randy Smallwood: Silver Set for Bull Run, Gold Wakeup in the West
Randy Smallwood, president and CEO of Wheaton Precious Metals (TSX:WPM,NYSE:WPM), shares his updated thoughts on the gold and silver markets.
He also discusses Wheaton's project pipeline and the company's hunt for more assets.
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.
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NevGold: Portfolio of Gold, Antimony and Copper Projects in Tier 1 jurisdictions in the US
NevGold (TSXV:NAU,OTCQX:NAUFF,FSE:5E50) is advancing a portfolio of high-quality oxide and porphyry gold projects in Nevada and Idaho, targeting the discovery and growth of a multi-million-ounce gold-equivalent resource. With a market capitalization of under C$50 million, the company offers substantial upside potential. As NevGold continues to expand resources and de-risk its assets, it is well-positioned for a meaningful valuation re-rating over the next 12 to 18 months.
NevGold is actively advancing three projects with fully funded drill programs, metallurgical studies, and resource updates following its recent capital raise. The company is well-positioned to capitalize on rising gold and copper prices, surging strategic demand for antimony, and heightened interest from major mining companies seeking high-quality, undervalued juniors. Backed by a proven team with deep expertise in mine development and M&A, NevGold offers a compelling growth opportunity in the current commodity cycle.
The Limo Butte Project is NevGold’s cornerstone development asset, located in eastern Nevada within a highly prospective Carlin-style gold district.
Company Highlights
- Multi-million-ounce Target: NevGold is on track to define 5+ Moz gold equivalent in combined resources at Limo Butte and Nutmeg Mountain by Q4 2025.
- Gold+Antimony Critical Metals Advantage: Limo Butte is emerging as a significant near-surface oxide gold-antimony system – one of only two of its kind in the United States.
- Substantial Resource Base: Nutmeg Mountain contains a 2023 NI 43-101 compliant oxide gold resource of 1.28 Moz (indicated + inferred), with strong exploration upside and favorable heap-leach characteristics.
- District-scale Copper Exposure: Zeus offers early-stage copper-gold-molybdenum potential in a highly active porphyry belt, adjacent to a Barrick-backed discovery.
- Strategic Location, Strategic Commodities: All projects are located in mining-friendly jurisdictions with excellent infrastructure, low geopolitical risk, and growing US demand for domestic gold and critical mineral supply.
- Fully Funded Growth: Recent C$6 million financing supports 2025 drill campaigns, metallurgical testwork, and updated NI 43-101 estimates across the portfolio.
- Tight Capital Structure & Strong Support: Backed by strategic shareholders including GoldMining and McEwen Mining.
- Significant Valuation Gap: Trading at a fraction of peers such as Perpetua Resources (~C$1.7 billion), despite similar resource and jurisdictional advantages.
This NevGold profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
Click here to connect with NevGold (TSXV:NAU) to receive an Investor Presentation
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Germany, Italy Face Pressure to Repatriate US$245 Billion in Gold as Trust in US Custody Wavers
Germany and Italy are facing mounting domestic pressure to repatriate more than a third of their gold reserves — worth an estimated US$245 billion — currently held in New York by the US Federal Reserve.
Germany and Italy hold the world’s second and third largest gold reserves, trailing only the US. A substantial portion of this metal is stored overseas, primarily in Manhattan’s Federal Reserve Bank.
This longstanding arrangement, based largely on postwar financial realities and New York’s role as a major global gold-trading hub, is now being questioned by officials and commentators across Europe’s political spectrum.
Fabio De Masi, a former member of European Parliament now affiliated with Germany’s new left-wing populist BSW party, told the Financial Times there are “strong arguments” to bring more of Germany’s bullion back home.
Taxpayers Association of Europe (TAE) President Michael Jäger echoed the same sentiments last month: "Trump wants to control the Fed, which would also mean controlling the German gold reserves in the US," he told Reuters.
"It's our money, it should be brought back."
Similar calls are being echoed in Italy, where economic commentator Enrico Grazzini recently warned that “leaving 43 per cent of Italy’s gold reserves in America under the unreliable Trump administration is very dangerous for the national interest." He was writing in Il Fatto Quotidiano ahead of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Washington.
Fueling this renewed concern are statements made by US President Donald Trump, who earlier this month warned that he may have to “force something” if the US Federal Reserve does not lower interest rates.
Trump has also made direct appeals to the Department of Energy to stimulate oil production, signaling what critics interpret as increasing politicization of independent institutions like the Fed.
The TAE has urged both Germany and Italy to reconsider their reliance on the Fed. “We are very concerned about Trump tampering with the Federal Reserve Bank’s independence,” Jäger said. “Our recommendation is to bring the (German and Italian) gold home to ensure European central banks have unlimited control over it at any given point in time.”
Public skepticism over the safety of foreign gold holdings is not new.
In Germany, a grassroots movement that began in 2010 eventually prompted the Bundesbank to repatriate 674 metric tons of gold from New York and Paris between 2013 and 2017. The operation, which cost 7 million euros, resulted in half of Germany’s reserves being stored domestically by 2020. Nevertheless, 37 percent of its gold remains in the US.
Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party once echoed similar sentiments while in opposition, pledging in 2019 to bring Italy’s gold back home. But since assuming power in 2022, Meloni has largely gone silent on the issue.
Skepticism about US stewardship is not limited to political rhetoric.
According to the World Gold Council's latest survey on central bank gold reserves, 43 percent of the central banks surveyed plan to increase their gold holdings in the coming year — a record high.
The overwhelming majority of respondents (95 percent) expect global central bank gold reserves to keep rising, citing gold’s performance during crises, its inflation-hedging capabilities and its role as a diversifier. Notably, 59 percent of central banks surveyed reported holding at least part of their gold reserves domestically, up from 41 percent in 2024.
Although the Bank of England remains the most popular vaulting location, the World Gold Council's survey reveals growing caution over US custodianship: only 7 percent of respondents said they planned to increase domestic storage last year, but the figure jumped significantly in 2025.
New bill calls for US gold audit
Adding another layer of complexity is the push in Washington for greater transparency about America’s gold reserves. House Bill 3795, introduced by Representative Thomas Massie and backed by three co-sponsors, calls for the first comprehensive audit of US gold holdings in over six decades.
The bill would mandate a full inventory and assay of gold stored at Fort Knox, West Point and the Denver Mint, as well as a forensic accounting of all transactions involving US gold over the last 50 years.
“There are a lot of legitimate questions surrounding America’s gold holdings,” said Jp Cortez, executive director of the Sound Money Defense League, in a recent interview with the Investing News Network. He added:
“The question as to who actually owns the bars outright is really the most crucial question. And if it is shown that America does not actually own the gold, if the gold is there, but America does not own it, (or) if it has been pledged or leased or swapped or otherwise encumbered in any way … this would be a huge, huge detriment to the US and the global economy.”
Cortez emphasized that prior audits of US gold reserves have been insufficient.
“These aren't audits that have been done on the metal itself, but rather the storage containers that the metal is supposedly stored in," he said. “Owners or operators of a depository who functioned like this would go to jail.”
He also pointed out that much of the gold held by the US government is impure by modern market standards, having been melted down from older coinage. That means even if the bars are there, refinement questions will remain.
While Trump has not explicitly endorsed HB 3795, he has expressed interest in the issue, stating, "We're actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there. Because maybe somebody stole the gold. Tons of gold."
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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.
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Chris Temple: Gold, Uranium the Best Stories Now; Plus Silver Outlook
Chris Temple, founder, editor and publisher of the National Investor, discusses the factors moving gold and the gold stock gains still to come.
Temple also shares his outlook for uranium and silver.
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.
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24 June
LaFleur Minerals Targets 2026 Production with Funded Drilling and Mill Restart Planning Underway
LaFleur Minerals (CSE:LFLR,OTCQB:LFLRF,FWB:3WK0) CEO Paul Ténière has outlined his company’s plans to complete at least 5,000 meters of diamond drilling at the Swanson gold project while planning for the restart of its 100 percent owned Beacon gold mill in Val-d'Or, Québec.
“We had the idea of looking at the Swanson project, in general, more on a district scale. And so as a result of all the work we've done, including recent IP surveys, we've generated several drilling targets,” Ténière said.
One of the goals of the drill program is to increase the resource, he added.
“(Drilling) will be focused on not just the Swanson deposit itself, but also on other targets … And our aim for that is to actually increase our existing resource to a million ounces.”
The chief executive also shared the financing strategy for the restart of the Beacon mill.
“We're getting a lot of (funding) interest,” Ténière said. “They do see a great opportunity with Beacon as there’s not a lot of mills that are available at the moment in the Abitibi.”
LaFleur is anticipating the Beacon mill restart will cost between C$5 million and C$6 million to complete all the necessary repairs and maintenance at the site. The company expects the mill will be in full production by early 2026.
Watch the full interview with LaFleur Minerals CEO Paul Ténière above.
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