We’ll be updating this and all subsequent Mining News Review posts on a more-or-less daily basis. We will add to this review chronologically with the most recent updates appearing at the bottom. If there appears to be a significant news release that we have not discussed, please feel free to bring it to our attention in the comments section (subscribers only please) and we’ll make an effort to add it to the discussion if warranted.
Belo Sun Mining (TSX-V: BSX; Pink Sheets: VNNHF)
Belo Sun Continues to Extend Gold Mineralization at Volta Grande – December 14, 2010
Construction challenges aside, we like this Brazilian project and consider the prospects for a future gold mine at Volta Grande to be good. The mineralization contains higher grade sections that should help with economics and the project could support an operation of above-normal size (200,000+ ounces of gold per year). We’d like to see the capital costs come down with one possibility being to develop the project in stages or perhaps to increase cutoff grades. Although we have not fully validated the project in our model, it does look leveraged to higher gold prices and becomes particularly-attractive above $1,250 per ounce (a level we suspect mining companies may consider baseline in the coming two years). [Silverax]
Wolverine Minerals (TSX-V: WLV; Pink Sheets: WLRMF)
Wolverine Announces Acquisition Of Option To Acquire 21 Yukon Gold Properties, Closing Of Private Placement And Filing Of Technical Reports – December 14, 2010
Decent win so far for private placement participants who are sporting 200% paper gains upon closing excluding the warrant or flow through tax benefits. The “acquisition of option to acquire” the extensive Yukon land package from Strategic Metals (TSX-V: SMD; Pink Sheets: SMDZF) provides lots of exploration opportunity and it may be worthwhile to watch the company closely in the latter stages of next year especially if the shares come down toward the private placement level in the last Spring or early Summer. [Silverax]
Richfield Ventures (TSX-V: RVC; Pink Sheets: RVCTF)
Richfield Extends Blackwater Southward with BW 97 – December 14, 2010
Over the past year, we have watched with great fascination Richfield’s adroit drilling of a property that had previously hosted what was generally assumed to be a smallish gold deposit clustered in several mineralized pipes of limited size. A methodical approach of grid-based drilling, however, has now disabused the market of such thinking, revealing Blackwater to be a bulk-tonnage gold deposit with surface dimensions of approximately 300 by 800 meters for the 100+ gram-meter envelope. That’s perhaps a 2+ million ounce gold deposit grading around 1 gram per tonne gold with decent initial metallurgical results and near surface as well. Arguably ahead of itself at C$5, we feel that a good trading opportunity could present itself on a pullback toward C$3 or perhaps a bit lower. That said, a huge amount of work lies ahead to move the project through the development plan and it wouldn’t be uncharacteristic for the market to get bored in the meantime. Release of the NI43-101 resource report next Spring followed by pre-feasibility later in the year may provide some excitement but possibly of a temporary nature. In any case, the latest drilling is starting to define the edges of the deposit although there is a small chance the gold system could open back up to the South under cover. [Silverax]
Galway Resources (TSX-V: GWY; Pink Sheets: GWYRF)
Galway Intercepts 24.0 Meters of 8.4 G/T Gold and 96.0 Meters of 1.6 G/T Gold, and Reiterates its Fractional Land Position – December 15, 2010
The impressive-looking assays come from the Pie de Gallo and Northeast areas which have not been expanded meaningfully by this latest drilling, although they do confirm good continuity within these two moderate-sized zones. What Galway needs to do now is bravely step out a bit to see if their property has a meaningful amount of gold. Buyers responsible for spiking the shares on the basis of these results haven’t looked at the drill map carefully. As for fractional land positions internal to Ventana’s (TSX; VEN; Pink Sheets; VENGF) claim, we don’t feel Galway would get substantial payment for them. Mining will more-than-likely be underground, rendering these several-meters-wide slivers irrelevant (for example, the mine engineers could plan to locate the pillars there). That said, Galway may still have speculative value at current prices especially if its neighbors keep moving toward mine development. [Silverax]
Mantra Resources (ASX: MRU; TSX: MRL; Pink Sheets: MNRZF)
ARMZ MAKES ALL CASH OFFER FOR MANTRA RESOURCES VALUED AT A$1.16 BILLION – December 15, 2010
It appears M&A in U3O8 is picking up and the price being paid here, over $10 per pound of resource (including inferred) is quite encouraging. On a separate note, the three main players in Peru’s Macusani Plateau (on a combined basis) should have a 100 million pound resource under their belts next year, which should go a long way in helping to overcome the geographical and logistics challenges of the remote location. With 3 active uranium explorers plus Bear Creek’s (TSX-V: BCM; Pink Sheets: BCEKF) huge Corani silver deposit, I like the eventual odds of Macusani becoming a future uranium and silver mining district. As if giving a positive nod of approval to the odd pairing of uranium and silver, a certain other junior explorer has been on a roll recently. [Silverax]
Eagle Hill Exploration (TSX-V: EAG; Pink Sheets: EHECF)
Eagle Hill Intersects Near Surface, High Grade Gold at Windfall Lake Including 18.82 g/t Over 9.90 Meters and 53.64 g/t Over 4.55 Meters – December 15, 2010
The essential substance of these holes was a very high-grade one meter intercept and that is what should be mentioned first. Secondary importance is the wider mineralized envelope grading 2-4 grams per tonne. Windfall lake is known for extremely high-grade intercepts of gold. It is also known for random grade distribution and no apparent continuity, something that 25 and 40 meter stepouts aren’t going to change. [Silverax]
Bayfield Ventures (TSX-V: BYV; Pink Sheets: BYVVF)
Bayfield Drills 89.96 g/t Gold Over 1.1m Within 46.6m of 2.28 g/t Gold in Rainy River, NW Ontario – December 14, 2010
This is a preferable way to report a narrow high-grade intercept that is contained within a wider mineralized envelope. As Otto points out, there is a lot of grade “smearing” going on with Bayfield’s longer interval but as long as it is placed into proper perspective there is little reason to get upset about it. There are many companies abusing investors’ credulity by showcasing narrow high grade intercepts as bulk gold discoveries. That’s not the problem here but rather the overstatement of the importance and relevance of Bayfield’s claim blocks in respect of the Rainy River gold deposit. The fact is Bayfield’s land is not critical to the mine plan at Rainy River and the most prospective target for Bayfield isn’t a bulk open pit deposit but rather high grade gold at depth in narrow but long ore shoots. The individual shoots at Rainy River have very little if any lateral continuity but they can extend for many hundreds, if not several thousands, of meters downdip. This may be visualized as a stack of straws although on Bayfield’s land so far it seems to be just a single straw. [Silverax]
Supatcha Resources (OTCBB: SAEI)
SEC Suspends Trading in Supatcha Resources – December 17, 2010
Not much more than a week after we commented on Supatcha’s unusual trading activity it get suspended by the SEC. Not that we expected it to get suspended, but we certainly aren’t surprised. Here’s a quick excerpt:
Moscow-based Onexim, controlled by billionaire investor Mikhail Prokhorov, said in a statement that it “categorically denies any involvement with Supatcha Resources Inc. A news release by that company indicating that Mr. Prokhorov is involved in an unsolicited bid to purchase shares is completely false.”
The unofficial queen of the cybervigilantes is Janice Shell, a 50-year-old art historian who lives in Milan and got hooked on busting online con men after she was burned in an Internet investment scheme two years ago. A tireless–even obsessive–pursuer of online malefactors, Shell says she spends 12 hours a day trolling the Internet, looking for crooks. Thanks to this single-minded dedication, she has become a celebrity–at least to those who hang out on Silicon Investor. There are two threads devoted just to her: “Janice Shell for President” and “Janice Shell–A Retrospective.”In the past two years, Shell says she has exposed an investor relations director with a murder rap, a so-called biotech company that really sold kitty litter, and a CEO who claimed to have run the largest corporation in Nevada but who was really the head of a two-man air-conditioning repair shop. “God help us if [Shell] ever goes to work for the hypester pump-and-dump gang,” one admirer gushed in an August posting. “Being an international sex symbol is hard work, but someone has to do it.”
In June, Shell took note of a mining company called Mountain Energy. What caught her eye, she says, were postings announcing that the stock, then trading for pennies, would soon hit $5. Shell started digging, and here is what she says she found out: An “informant” told her that Mountain Energy’s management team had once been charged with fraud. She also heard that the firm’s main asset–a tract of land Mountain Energy claimed was worth $200 million–was worth little more than $100,000.
Between June and August, Shell posted her findings on Silicon Investor, warning investors to stay away. During that time the stock, which had earlier climbed 200%, fell from $1.70 to 22 cents. That’s when trouble began. Investors who had already bought Mountain Energy stock were furious. “These Bulletin Board Stock Guardian Angels…why don’t they want us honest investors to make money?” complained one. Finally, in late July the SEC halted trading in the stock. So far it hasn’t taken any further action, but it still has its eye on the company. Meanwhile, the company’s management has resigned and dismissed all its employees. “A lot of people were really hard on her; they didn’t believe her, but she was right all along,” says Bill Liang, a medical researcher at Harvard who invested $3,000 in Mountain Energy. “We should have listened.”
What’s Mountain Energy’s side of the story? FORTUNE tried calling company headquarters. The phone was disconnected.
Shell has been accused of being an underhanded broker, a short-seller…and a whole lot worse. (“Well, Miss Janice, protector of the small investor,” reads one typically creepy Silicon Investor posting, “you must be very tired of being the north end of a south bound donkey, a.k.a. horse’s a**.”) She’s even received death threats. But Shell isn’t fazed–she’s far too busy defending her fellow investors, whether they like it or not. “There are a bunch of psychos out there–I’m not exaggerating–each one weirder than the next,” she warns.
How easy is it to con online investors? Shell wanted to find out. Last April Fools’ Day, she and seven other cybervigilantes set up a phony IPO for a firm that promised it could cure the year 2000 problem. They named the firm FBN (for Fly By Night) Associates, established a Website for it, and started a forum on Silicon Investor where they announced FBN’s public offering. The site was a doozy: It included information about FBN’s hot product, seductively named NeuralNet2000; a section on careers at FBN; and a slew of glowing press releases with headlines like “FBN Cures Y2K Bug.” They even created a very legitimate-looking issue of FORTUNE with a cover story about FBN. There was one small giveaway: a press release that noted, “FBN to receive papal blessing.” But even that did nothing to slow people’s interest in FBN’s IPO: Shell was inundated with E-mails requesting the prospectus and other information about the company. “Now that I know how people do these things, I’m thinking maybe I should do it myself,” says Shell with a laugh. “I could make a lot of money.”
Has Janice turned evil since 1998 as Supatcha claims? Maybe, but more than likely Supatcha’s grasping at straws. Here’s a screenshot of their “hijacked” home page for posterity:
And now the chart:
The halt was only put on through December 31, 2010, so it will be interesting to see what happens on Monday, January 3, 2011. [Zurbo]
Silver Predator (CNSX: SPD)
Golden Predator (TSX: GPD)
Silver Predator Signs Definitive Agreements – December 13, 2010
An excellent deal for Golden Predator, a company recently profiled in our Royalty Company report. Silver Predator will issue its sister company a minimum of 15 million shares to exercise the property options associated with transaction, which are currently valued at about $18 million. [Zurbo]
Molybdenum Market
Molybdenum Expected to Hover around Lower End of $11-$14/lb Range in 2011 – December 15, 2010
From the article:
Mr Pablo Bascur MD of Chile based consulting firm MolyExp told BNamericas that “Current excesses in inventories, mostly in China and controlled by Asian companies, are not expected to be depleted in the near future, even if some stockholders cash in to pursue other investments.”
…
According to Mr Bascur’s estimates, added to excess production of 53 million pounds from 2009, the molybdenum market will see a surplus of 100 million pounds in 2011. Molybdenum prices could only go higher than USD 14 per pound in 2011 if western economies show a much stronger pace of recovery, but peaks will not last more than a few weeks.
With global consumption of under 500 million pounds, a 100 million pound surplus is huge. If Mr Pablo Bascur proves to be a trustworthy source of information then this certainly isn’t the best of news for the mega-moly projects looking for project funding. Fotunately for Moly Mines (ASX/TSX: MOL) and General Moly (AMEX/TSX: GMO) they’ve already secured theirs, but if these and projects come online then this will only further exasperate the supply/demand imbalance and put further downward pressure on prices. Be careful out there. [Zurbo]
New Gold (AMEX/TSX: NGD)
New Gold Announces Closing of $150 Million Undrawn Revolving Credit Facility – December 15, 2010
On the prowl with nearly $600 million in readily available cash and credit. Time to start speculating on likely targets. [Zurbo]
United Mines, Inc. (OTCBB: UNMN)
United Mines, Inc. Signs Letter of Intent with a Major Chinese Investment Group – December 16, 2010
When a CEO ends a press release paraphrasing Lao-Tzu, your eyebrows should be raised:
Mr. Martin added his variation of Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu, “A journey of 10,000 miles starts with the first step.” That first step has now taken place.
Buyer beware. Need we say more? [Zurbo]
Benton Resources (TSX-V: BTC; Pink Sheets: BNRJF)
Benton Sells Bermuda Property to Stillwater Mining for $14 Million – December 16, 2010
With this latest transaction we welcome our newest “Cash King”. Benton Resources is now trading slightly below the combined value of its cash and investments. [Zurbo]
Starcore International Mines (TSX: SAM; Pink Sheets: SHVLF)
Starcore Reports First Quarter of 2011 – December 16, 2010
The weight of Starcore’s poorly timed and ill conceived hedge at $731/oz is proving unbearable, with the company unable to post a profit even at record gold prices. The following chart says it all:
Now things are so bad that the company’s outstanding hedge liability is 2x greater than the market cap of the company. Wake us up in 2013 when Starcore is scheduled to pay off the last of its hedges, and then maybe this will be something of interest. Until then, and without any major developments, it is hard to imagine getting too excited about this one. [Zurbo]
Disclaimer: We own shares in several of the companies mentioned in this analysis (Metal Augmentor subscribers know which ones), but no compensation has been received from any of the companies mentioned. This is not investment advice; should you seek investment advice we recommend you discuss the company with a licensed investment advisor or broker.
OROCO RESOURCE CORP. ANNOUNCES POSITIVE PRELIMINARY ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
TSX-V: OCO
http://www.orocoresourcecorp.com/News-Releases/Dec-15-10.html
Gold-Ore Commences Exploration Diamond Drilling on Satellite Targets
Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA, December 16, 2010 /FSC/ – Gold-Ore Resources Ltd. (TSX: GOZ), announces that an exploration diamond drilling program has commenced near its Bjorkdal Gold Mine in Sweden. This drilling will test several satellite targets located three to five kilometers from the mine complex.
During 2010, Gold-Ore completed an airborne magnetic survey covering the Company’s 66 square kilometer exploration concessions and collected till samples that were processed to recover heavy mineral concentrates. Gold grains were recovered from till samples in several areas on the property. Selective areas were also flown with a Time Domain Electro-magnetic survey to further define the targets.
Gold rich base metal volcanic-hosted massive sulphide (VHMS) deposits occur throughout the Skelleftea Mining District at the interface between metavolcanic and metasediment rocks. This contact can be traced for 13 kilometres across Gold-Ore’s concessions and is the same contact that hosted the nearby Boliden deposit that contained 5.0 million ounces of gold associated with a VHMS deposit. The drill program will initially test four VHMS targets and continue throughout the winter. It is anticipated that each target will be tested with 4 to 6 holes averaging 125 metres in length. Results will be released in a timely manner. Gold-Ore is well funded to evaluate any mineralization intersected in the program and is planning an aggressive exploration program for 2011.
About Gold-Ore
Gold-Ore Resources is a gold mining and exploration company currently focused in the Skelleftea mining district in northern Sweden. The Company’s primary asset is the Bjorkdal Gold Mine, which is cash flow positive and unhedged. In addition to Bjorkdal, the Company also has other assets in the district, including the mineral rights to approximately 66 square kilometres surrounding the mine site, as well as the Norrliden Polymetallic Deposit.
For more information please contact the Company at (604) 687-8884 or Troy Winsor at 1-800-663-8072. Bjorkdal property information is posted on the Company’s web site at http://www.goldore.ca
If you like the BSX project, you might want to look at some of the other Forbes and Manhattan Gold projecs
Crocodile Gold(CRK)(Australia)
Sulliden Gold(SUE)(Peru)
Avion Gold(AVR)(West Africa)
Alexis Minerals(AMC)(Canada)
Alder Resources (ALR) (Columbia)
Mark Eaton CEO of BSX, became an advisor to Apogee Minerals (APE) AUG 24th 2010. Since then the stock has done 320%. Apogee is a Silver project worth taking a look at.
East Asia Deepens EMD024 and Reports 6.59 g/t Gold Over 60 Metres, Within 2.55 g/t Gold Over 201 Metres; Scout Drilling at Sipopok Hits Miwah-Type Horizon
@Bart
Yes and maybe some brains that know how to monetize their growing resources.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/East-Asia-Minerals-Appoints-ccn-1108428057.html?x=0&.v=1
Solid good news just seems to keep coming out nice and steady. Happy to own a nice chunk of this one.
Expecting a sweet payday next year.
Orphaned Victoria Gold Corp is getting back in the buy zone. Closed today at US .87 on the pink sheets(VITFF).
@rob
Rob, take your pick. EAS.V or ATC.V or ER.TO tough decisions :O
@Bart
you forgot ITH. all world class operations unfolding.
easy decision- buy them all on weakness and accumulate for the payoff.
missed ATC but am waiting for a pullback.
@camzio
A disappointing PEA announcement by Oroco for its lack of standard disclosure. Notably, these is no mention of average overall grade which is a serious problem since there is no production schedule. That said, using what we believe to be reasonable production assumptions fair value looks to be about C$0.70 per share. Not the most attractive project out there, but with the low CAPEX bill the odds of it being developed into a mine are greatly improved.
the Pretium Resources IPO has closed. Looks like it starts trading tomorrow on the TSX, symbol PVG.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/streetwise/pretiums-ipo-closer-to-finish-line/article1837113/
not sure on all the details of the IPO but it appears the price was C$6.
Pretium is the spinoff(?) from SSRI/SSO of the snowfield/brucejack properties (30mozau+/-)near and very similar too Seabridge’s properties. With an intial MC of about C$500 mm vs. Seabridge’s $1.5 billion I think it’s a pretty good value. Seabridge’s story is a bit farther along and Pretium no doubt will be diluting to develop it’s resource. However I intend to jump in with both feet if I can get it near the IPO price.
Recent News /December 21, 2010
Macusani Yellowcake Announces Additional High Grade Intersections at Kihitian Uranium Property, Peru.
At their site, go to the news section for additional info., linked here:
http://macyel.com/
@GL
Thanks GL, These results continue to remain preliminary and not very informative in terms of sizing the deposit but do suggest the sub-horizontal uranium structures are complex and will require extensive drilling to delineate. There is perhaps an interaction between focusing features that concentrate mineralization and dilations that extend it across bulk tonnages at the expense of grade. I believe it remains to be seen if the uranium concentrations are distinct local features perhaps involving secondary mechanical or chemical (oxidation) enrichment processes as opposed to more widespread geological features associated with original formation. The prospects for a major deposit with elevated grades (above the typical Macusani grade of 0.02% U3O8) could be better in my opinion if the deposit is associated with the primary and not secondary geological processes. I’m looking forward to reviewing the technical report on this property.
@rob
You could get the IPO price on Tuesday — it seems like a very good deal when we consider not only Seabridge but also Novagold and Northern Dynasty having similar-sized “impossible” deposits yet trading at much higher market caps. I feel like Pretium is priced as if it was still summer when gold was a couple of hundred dollars lower — a move to $8 or $9 seems intuitively reasonable.
@Ibe mo
“Like” enough to keep an eye on but not buying at this stage. We do know about and have looked at most of the other Forbes and Manhattan companies but so far not bowled over by any of them. Sulliden and Avion have obviously done very well recently as they are in the sweet spot of mid-tier size gold projects that start to look really good above $1,000 gold.
@Ibe mo
Apogee has made a big rise on the back of some progress at Pulacayo this year as well as the silver price and perhaps the appointment of the advisor as you point out but the geo-political situation at Potosi in particular and Bolivia in general hasn’t improved much. I’m underwhelmed by a 30 million ounce silver deposit to be mined underground at less than 3 ounces silver per ton and employing conventional flotation to produce zinc and lead concentrates. At 5 cents the stock had good rebound value but I have trouble finding compelling value at 30 cents.