I have been waiting for a couple of years to write this story. For years Lion One has been my biggest holding because the story is so simple to understand. I’ve written half a dozen pieces on the company and the last one I wrote was seven months ago. I called it, Buying Lion One is like Stealing. And few listened. The shares were $.97 at the time. Between then and now the stock has barely edged higher in spite of excellent results such as their May 31 press release showing 584 grams of gold per tonne over 0.30 meters.
I love the chat boards. You get to see just how stupid some people can be in their failed attempts to look smart. Here is what someone said on the CEO.CA Lion One board in response on May 31st.
@NabtaPlayaEgypt Tuvatu continues to be restricted to returning very narrow (1/3 meter average) high grade shoots which unless such systems are spaced relatively close en-echelon, may not be economic to mine. At the rate that drilling returns are coming in, that it could take another 2-3 years minimum to create a significant resource update.
Someone wrote me privately and asked what I thought about the comment. Here is how he posted my response.
@WisGuy1 BM response: “Absolute rubbish. There is a similar mine a stone’s throw away that has produced millions of ounces of gold of similar grade and thickness.”
(Click on images to enlarge)
Investing in Lion One at a profit is about as difficult as learning how to fall off a bike. If you can handle that, you can make money on Lion One, because there is an identical age and grade alkaline deposit located about 40 km to the Northeast called the Vatukoula Gold mine. In production from 1932 the Vatukoula mine has produced over seven million ounces of gold and shows a resource of an additional four million ounces.
The deposits are identical in age, grade and type of deposit. So anyone saying you can’t mine a 584-gram intercept of gold over 0.30 meters is blowing smoke.
Lion One is fully permitted to go into production. They built their own assay lab and it is run to industry standards so assays that might take 2-3 months in Canada take 2-3 days in Fiji. Lion One plans on production to begin in Q3/Q4 of 2023.
Lion One has a current 43-101 showing just over 910,000 ounces of gold at an average of 5.61 g/t to 5.8 g/t. I had a short conversation with Wally Berukoff about the production plans. He is shooting for annual numbers of around 100,000 ounces of gold. That is pretty much the magic number. The market will not take any company seriously below that number.
Because of silly Covid restrictions put in by the government of Australia and Fiji, Lion One has been pretty much delayed for two years. The stock hit a high of $2.67 in July of 2020 based on excellent results before drifting lower to a low a month ago of $.88. I’ll stand by every word I said in my piece from November of last year. Buying Lion One is like stealing. They have the goods.
Wally realized the project could not be run remotely from Perth so last year he put in a brilliant on site team in Fiji. If you watch this video, I think you will agree with me in saying that this is one of the most professional teams I have ever seen in twenty years.
Currently the company has about $34 million in cash in the treasury. They have six drills turning with two more on order. The incredible latest hole shows they have tapped into a feeder pipe. They will continue to drill to upgrade and increase the near surface gold resource for near term production but I expect them to pincushion the feeder to determine all its limits.
The worst thing that can happen to any stock is for shareholders to become bored. Once they do, they bail out at the first opportunity to break even. While the stock going up 17.5% on the news with over two million shares trading on the news, I suspect that was a lot of weak hands selling. Look for a couple of quiet days without a lot of price movement and then for the shares to go higher, perhaps much higher. The incredible results of the past two years tell me the high of $2.67 will be revisited soon. Lion One is still cheap.
Until the news of the incredible latest intercept hit the market my personal shares have been underwater for most of the last two years. My average price was $1.18 and it took this news to bring me into profit. But I have believed this story since I first heard it and continued to add to my position as the price dropped. I have never sold a single share and right now I am really glad.
Lion One is an advertiser. I love the company; I love the management and the team that Wally has put together. It will be a mine. It will be profitable and it will be a hell of a lot bigger than anyone imagines today. I expect majors will be sniffing around soon wanting to pick up a piece of it while it’s still cheap. That isn’t going to last long. As with the case of Newfound Gold, intercepts similar to this do not occur in a vacuum. There will be more record-breaking hits in the future.
I own shares and have participated in PPs in the past and will in the future. I am biased so do your own due diligence.
Lion One Metals LIO-V $1.34 (Jun 06, 2022) LOMLF OTCQX 156 million shares Lion One website
North Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – June 6, 2022) – Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) (“Lion One” or the “Company”) is delighted to announce the discovery of a major new feeder structure at its Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. Hole TUG-141, targeting a complex network of high-grade structures called the 500 Zone, has encountered the longest high-grade intercept yet recorded at Tuvatu, 20.86 g/t Au over 75.9m, including 43.62 g/t Au over 30.0m which includes 90.35 g/t Au over 7.2m. The new discovery is located at depth beneath the current resource fully within the permit boundaries of the Tuvatu mining lease.
High-grade intercepts from TUG-141 include:
20.86 g/t Au over 75.9m from 443.4-519.3m
including 35.25 g/t Au over 37.5m from 471.3-508.8m
including 43.62 g/t Au over 30.0m from 477.6-507.6m
including 90.35 g/t Au over 7.2m from 494.4-501.6m
and notable individual high-grade assay intervals including:
– 138.15 g/t Au over 0.30m from 450.9-451.2m
– 396.16 g/t Au over 0.30m from 479.1-479.4m
– 103.54 g/t Au over 0.30m from 498.6-498.9m
– 340.07 g/t Au over 0.30m from 498.9-499.2m
– 600.42 g/t Au over 0.30m from 499.5-499.8m
– 244.37 g/t Au over 0.30m from 502.5- 503.1m
– 230.18 g/t Au over 0.30m from 507.3-507.6m
– 105.58 g/t Au over 0.30m from 518.7-519.0m
Lion One CEO, Walter Berukoff, stated: “Like the initial discovery of the high-grade 500 Zone drilled two years ago, I believe this new robust high-grade gold feeder mineralization encountered by hole TUG-141 represents a substantial discovery for Lion One. The notable high grades and continuity of mineralization of this intercept demonstrate Tuvatu’s potential to become a large-scale, high-grade underground gold mine. I have long encouraged our team to find that “gold room” at Tuvatu, and hole TUG-141 leads me to believe they have found it. We have only to look at other notable large alkaline Au deposits as direct analogues to better understand what this latest discovery tells us, and it is clear that the discovery of a major high-grade feeder such as this should be viewed as very promising. I am confident that Tuvatu will one day fall in the ranks of notable multi-million ounce Au deposits such as Porgera and Vatukoula. I commend our team on this truly outstanding discovery and I look forward to continued successful execution of both our exploration strategy to realize growth at Tuvatu and our development strategy targeting the commencement of gold production in the second half of 2023.”
Lion One Senior VP of Exploration, Sergio Cattalani, commented: “The mineralized intercepts reported by TUG-141 represent a highly significant development. The grades and continuity observed by the intercepts in hole TUG-141 are of a magnitude not previously documented at Tuvatu, and highlights the largely untapped potential of this deposit. The significance of having identified what may be a new principal feeder conduit for Tuvatu confirms the model that has driven this deep exploration program since the discovery of hole TUDDH-500 in July 2020. Our immediate priority is to follow up of this significant discovery with additional drilling in what remains a relatively poorly drilled portion of the Tuvatu system. Lion One, is now more than ever, convinced of the potential of Tuvatu to become a prominent, multi-million ounce Au deposit at the top of the Au grade distribution worldwide.”
Lion One Technical Advisor, Quinton Hennigh, commented: “Alkaline gold systems tend to be deep-rooted and very structurally complex. Exploring them can be analogous to drilling a tree from the top down. In the shallow part of the system, one finds the upper “branches,” or gold-bearing lodes, but as exploration persists to depth, bigger and bigger “branches,” or lodes, are encountered ultimately leading to the “trunk,” the feeder. The way this remarkable discovery at Tuvatu has unfolded is quite similar to the experience at Porgera, where after approximately ten years of diligent drilling, the high-grade Romane Fault Zone was discovered beneath a myriad of smaller lodes. What is most exciting about this discovery is that now that we have a clear idea where the deep fluid-tapping conduit of this system is located, we can effectively chase it to depth, and alkaline gold systems are known to persist to great depths, sometimes as deep as 2 km. Considering this intercept is only approximately 500m below surface, this discovery is wide open for growth at depth.”
TUG-141 was drilled in the area between modelled 500 Zone lodes 500A, 500C and 500F (Figure 1) where it intersected continuous high-grade Au mineralization grading 20.86 g/t Au over 75.9m that is predominantly hosted by intensely altered, fractured and brecciated andesite. The highest grade core of this zone is characterized by hydrothermal breccia displaying extreme silicification, potassic alteration and sulfidation with regular occurrences of visible gold (Figure 2). In addition, the presence of abundant roscoelite (a vanadium mica mineral) is very encouraging and is a mineral synonymous with the high-grade zones of world-class alkali gold systems such as Cripple Creek in Colorado and Porgera in Papua New Guinea. Some fragments within portions of this breccia are visibly milled, or rounded, indicating vigorous fluid flow. Observations of fracture patterns and textures ranging from incipient and in-situ to full-on brecciation (Figure 2) point to this zone being a dilational breccia that likely formed along a major structural intersection where stresses were being released at the time of mineralization. Rapid depressurisation accompanying seismic movement along such a dilational zone would allow rapid ascent of hydrothermal fluids resulting in silicification, K-metasomatism, sulfidation and rapid precipitation of Au. Textures of minerals observed in veins and open spaces is consistent with a rapid depositional regime.
Lion One is concurrently undertaking a two-pronged exploration drill campaign: 1) shallow infill drilling to enhance definition of its current resource in preparation for mine planning, and 2) deep drilling focussed on better understanding the geometry and extent of the underlying high-grade feeder network. As part of the latter program, hole TUG-141 targeted the upper portion of the 500 Zone at depths between approximately 450-550m where it is projected to connect with the base of lodes making up the Inferred resource. As discussed above, TUG-141 drilled into a very wide and exceptionally high-grade zone, 20.86 g/t Au over 75.9m, cored by hydrothermal breccia (Figure 2). Such a zone of extreme fracturing and brecciation has never before been observed at Tuvatu. It is significant to note that the bulk of this mineralized interval is hosted within andesite rather than by intrusive monzonite, the typical host rock for many lodes at Tuvatu. The significance of this observation has yet to be determined.
Furthermore, it is also notable that the nearest drill holes to TUG-141 are TUG-135 (70m below), TUG-136 (45m to the E), and TUG-138 (60m to the W), indicating that there is considerable space for a substantial increase in the ultimate size of the feeder conduit. All three of these holes have returned previously reported bonanza grade mineralization, similar in tenor and texture to that in TUG-141, including:
24.92 g/t Au over 3.70m from 415.7-419.4m in hole TUG-135 including 159.3 g/t Au over 0.30m;
87.83 g/t Au over 1.5m from 445.1-446.6m in hole TUG-136 including 108.41 g/t Au over 0.60m;
and 23.14 g/t Au over 3.0m from 571.5-574.5m in hole TUG-138 including 118.6 g/t Au over 0.30m.
The area remains open at depth. This target has now become of utmost importance for follow up drilling.
In addition to the impressive intercept of 20.86 g/t Au over 75.9m discussed above, hole TUG-141 encountered numerous other significant mineralized intercepts both above and below this interval including:
Above the high-grade intercept
3.93 g/t Au over 5.7m from 101.7-107.4m including 12.17 g/t Au over 0.30m
4.48 g/t Au over 10.2m from 109.8-120.0m including 38.27 g/t Au over 0.30m
10.98 g/t Au over 1.5m from 291.3-292.8m including 17.20 g/t Au over 0.60m
5.63 g/t Au over 19.2m from 311.7-330.9m including 20.50 g/t Au over 3.00m from 322.2-325.2m, which includes 71.01 g/t Au over 0.30m and 13.75 g/t Au over 0.60m
3.33 g/t Au over 4.50m from 366.3-370.8m including 7.40 g/t Au over 1.20m
11.38 g/t Au over 2.1m from 380.7-382.8m including 22.30 g/t Au over 0.90m
1.97 g/t Au over 13.5m from 391.8-405.3m including 15.25 g/t Au over 0.30m
2.82 g/t Au over 3.90m from 425.1-429.0m including 8.47 g/t Au over 0.30m
Below the high-grade intercept
3.08 g/t Au over 1.50m from 524.1-525.6m including 7.50 g/t Au over 0.30m
In aggregate, all mineralized intercepts reported from hole TUG-141 total 1,909 g/t Au-meters.
Complete results, received to date, from hole TUG-141 are summarized below in Table 1. This is the first drill hole in this part of the Tuvatu alkaline gold system, and as such, orientation and true thicknesses of mineralized intercepts discussed above are not known at this time. Further drilling is required to better understand this new discovery. At the time of writing, hole TUG-141 is still being drilled, and is currently >600m in depth with other mineralised structures yet to be assayed.
Figure 1. Plan view (upper) and vertical section looking E (lower) of the trace of TUG-141 and selected drill holes relative to the 500 Zone lodes modeled to date. TUG-141 was drilled from underground along the Tuvatu exploration decline. The traces of known lodes UR2 and UR4, and modelled lodes of the 500 Zone feeder are shown in red.
Figure 2. Compilation of photographs from TUG-141. (A) Abundant visible gold grains (0.2-2mm) in highly altered potassium metasomatized groundmass and roscoelite. (B) Visible gold (~2mm grains) associated with coarse pyrite in a silicified breccia. (C & D) Intensely silicified and pyritized andesite with microfractures of visible gold (~0.5mm grains).
Figure 2 (continued). (E) Vuggy breccia with coarse pyrite and silicified-sulfidized ground mass. Breccia clasts are angular to sub-rounded. (F) Coarse pyrite breccia with silicified-sulfidized ground mass. (G) Network fracture stockwork ~1-5mm veins with two generations of pyrite. The clasts are highly altered silicified andesite, with the veins containing quartz-pyrite. (H) Network fracture stockwork veins at multiple angles, with intense silicification, quartz-carbonate infill and pyrite.
Mineralization is observed as two generations of pyrite; an earlier bright euhedral pyrite that forms coarse crystals in the core of the veins and breccia, and a darker brownish, spongy pyrite that typically forms extremely fine-grained encrustations or overgrowths on earlier pyrite and wallrock fragments, as well as lining the edges of most veins (Figure 2). Quartz occurs commonly as bluish grey, amorphous to locally colloform silica. Open space vuggy textures are common, as are visible gold grains. Highest grades (up to 600 g/t Au) appear to be associated with an interval of intense pervasive silicification and sulfidation by up to 30% or more extremely fine-grained pyrite developed throughout the host rock, giving the rock an overall massive chocolate brown appearance (Figure 2). The intensity of replacement suggests this is a zone of very high and sustained fluid flux.
Table 1: Table showing all drilling intervals returning >0.5 g/t Au for hole TUG-141. Intervals > 3.0 g/t Au, which is the cutoff grade used for the current resource, are shown in red, and intervals >9.0 g/t Au, which is the average grade of the resource, are bolded.
Sample ID
From (m)
To (m)
Interval (m)
Grade (g/t Au)
TUG08584
71.7
72
0.3
0.96
TUG08535
101.7
102
0.3
3.96
TUG08536
102
102.3
0.3
12.17
TUG08537
102.3
102.6
0.3
5.35
TUG08538
102.6
102.9
0.3
1.42
TUG08539
102.9
103.2
0.3
3.09
TUG08541
103.5
103.8
0.3
1.19
TUG08542
103.8
104.1
0.3
8.64
TUG08543
104.1
104.4
0.3
7.67
TUG08544
104.4
104.7
0.3
7.56
TUG08545
104.7
105
0.3
7.90
TUG08546
105
105.3
0.3
3.53
TUG08548
105.6
105.9
0.3
0.60
TUG08549
105.9
106.5
0.6
4.83
TUG08452
107.1
107.4
0.3
1.42
TUG08456
109.8
110.1
0.3
15.41
TUG08457
110.1
110.4
0.3
0.74
TUG08458
110.4
110.7
0.3
1.12
TUG08459
110.7
111
0.3
5.28
TUG08460
111
111.3
0.3
0.80
TUG08462
111.6
111.9
0.3
2.66
TUG08463
111.9
112.2
0.3
1.45
TUG08464
112.2
112.5
0.3
1.22
TUG08466
112.5
112.8
0.3
1.50
TUG08467
112.8
113.1
0.3
2.67
TUG08468
113.1
113.4
0.3
3.47
TUG08469
113.4
113.7
0.3
2.92
TUG08470
113.7
114
0.3
2.93
TUG08471
114
114.3
0.3
8.74
TUG08473
114.6
114.9
0.3
7.36
TUG08474
114.9
115.5
0.6
0.90
TUG08475
115.5
115.8
0.3
7.20
TUG08476
115.8
116.1
0.3
3.14
TUG08477
116.1
116.4
0.3
0.92
TUG08479
116.7
117
0.3
3.62
TUG08481
117
117.3
0.3
15.85
TUG08482
117.3
117.6
0.3
2.06
TUG08483
117.6
117.9
0.3
1.95
TUG08484
117.9
118.2
0.3
0.58
TUG08485
118.2
118.5
0.3
5.51
TUG08486
118.5
118.8
0.3
6.35
TUG08487
118.8
119.1
0.3
38.27
TUG08488
119.1
119.4
0.3
3.02
TUG08489
119.4
119.7
0.3
1.41
TUG08490
119.7
120
0.3
2.19
TUG08494
122.4
122.7
0.3
1.35
TUG08946
213.6
213.9
0.3
2.11
TUG08947
213.9
214.2
0.3
0.97
TUG08948
214.2
214.5
0.3
3.03
TUG09446
214.5
214.8
0.3
0.82
TUG08949
214.8
215.1
0.3
1.50
TUG09401
215.1
215.4
0.3
1.61
TUG09402
215.4
215.7
0.3
1.75
TUG09407
216.9
217.2
0.3
3.22
TUG09408
217.2
217.5
0.3
0.18
TUG09409
217.5
217.8
0.3
0.62
TUG09423
222.9
223.2
0.3
0.72
TUG09432
226.5
226.8
0.3
1.41
TUG09444
233.4
233.7
0.3
1.32
TUG09445
233.7
234
0.3
3.13
TUG09447
234
234.3
0.3
6.30
TUG09448
234.3
234.6
0.3
2.08
TUG09529
274.8
275.1
0.3
0.77
TUG09536
276.6
276.9
0.3
0.59
TUG09540
277.8
278.1
0.3
0.64
TUG09566
291.3
291.6
0.3
14.77
TUG09567
291.6
291.9
0.3
4.01
TUG09568
291.9
292.2
0.3
16.55
TUG09569
292.2
292.5
0.3
17.85
TUG09570
292.5
292.8
0.3
1.75
TUG09582
299.1
299.4
0.3
2.12
TUG09583
299.4
299.7
0.3
1.94
TUG09584
299.7
300
0.3
0.63
TUG09585
300
300.3
0.3
1.13
TUG09586
300.3
300.6
0.3
0.99
TUG09587
300.6
300.9
0.3
0.79
TUG09588
300.9
301.2
0.3
4.31
TUG09591
301.8
302.1
0.3
1.58
TUG09594
302.7
303
0.3
0.92
TUG09595
303
303.3
0.3
0.78
TUG09605
308.1
308.4
0.3
1.28
TUG09614
311.7
312
0.3
1.35
TUG09616
312
312.3
0.3
2.61
TUG09617
312.3
312.6
0.3
0.08
TUG09619
313.2
313.5
0.3
4.56
TUG09620
313.5
313.8
0.3
3.54
TUG09621
313.8
314.1
0.3
2.47
TUG09622
314.1
314.4
0.3
1.65
TUG09625
315.3
315.6
0.3
1.25
TUG09626
315.6
315.9
0.3
7.71
TUG09628
316.8
317.1
0.3
0.54
TUG09629
317.1
317.4
0.3
2.57
TUG09631
317.4
317.7
0.3
1.00
TUG09633
318
318.3
0.3
1.42
TUG09634
318.3
318.6
0.3
3.11
TUG09635
318.6
318.9
0.3
5.42
TUG09636
318.9
319.2
0.3
4.25
TUG09637
319.2
319.5
0.3
7.68
TUG09638
319.5
319.8
0.3
5.78
TUG09639
319.8
320.1
0.3
0.85
TUG09641
320.4
320.7
0.3
3.19
TUG09642
320.7
321
0.3
3.49
TUG09643
321
321.3
0.3
7.93
TUG09644
321.3
321.6
0.3
2.40
TUG09645
321.6
321.9
0.3
2.04
TUG09646
321.9
322.2
0.3
7.42
TUG09647
322.2
322.5
0.3
18.75
TUG09648
322.5
322.8
0.3
12.75
TUG09650
322.8
323.1
0.3
12.55
TUG09651
323.1
323.4
0.3
15.64
TUG09652
323.4
323.7
0.3
19.67
TUG09653
323.7
324
0.3
13.55
TUG09654
324
324.3
0.3
15.18
TUG09655
324.3
324.6
0.3
11.27
TUG09656
324.6
324.9
0.3
14.62
TUG09657
324.9
325.2
0.3
71.01
TUG09658
325.2
325.5
0.3
5.61
TUG09659
325.5
326.4
0.9
0.60
TUG09660
326.4
326.7
0.3
3.97
TUG09661
326.7
327
0.3
4.93
TUG09662
327
327.3
0.3
11.64
TUG09663
327.3
327.6
0.3
15.86
TUG09667
328.5
329.4
0.9
0.98
TUG09668
329.4
329.7
0.3
2.77
TUG09669
329.7
330
0.3
2.58
TUG09670
330
330.3
0.3
6.51
TUG09671
330.3
330.6
0.3
4.28
TUG09672
330.6
330.9
0.3
6.21
TUG09694
345.3
345.6
0.3
0.60
TUG09695
345.6
345.9
0.3
4.62
TUG09696
345.9
346.2
0.3
4.07
TUG09697
346.2
346.5
0.3
1.76
TUG09699
346.8
347.1
0.3
2.13
TUG09703
348.3
348.6
0.3
33.25
TUG09704
348.6
348.9
0.3
3.52
TUG09703
348.3
348.6
0.3
33.25
TUG09707
350.1
350.4
0.3
12.62
TUG09710
351.3
351.6
0.3
3.20
TUG09711
351.6
351.9
0.3
0.51
TUG09733
366.3
366.6
0.3
1.26
TUG09734
366.6
366.9
0.3
2.37
TUG09736
367.5
367.8
0.3
0.80
TUG09737
367.8
368.1
0.3
11.02
TUG09738
368.1
368.4
0.3
7.96
TUG09739
368.4
368.7
0.3
3.68
TUG09740
368.7
369
0.3
6.95
TUG09741
369
369.3
0.3
1.82
TUG09742
369.3
369.6
0.3
1.29
TUG09744
369.9
370.2
0.3
4.11
TUG09745
370.2
370.5
0.3
3.89
TUG09746
370.5
370.8
0.3
4.54
TUG09759
380.7
381
0.3
2.63
TUG09760
381
381.6
0.6
23.15
TUG09761
381.6
381.9
0.3
20.60
TUG09762
381.9
382.2
0.3
6.13
TUG09763
382.2
382.5
0.3
3.37
TUG09764
382.5
382.8
0.3
0.64
TUG09777
391.8
392.1
0.3
1.08
TUG09778
392.1
392.4
0.3
1.08
TUG09779
392.4
392.7
0.3
0.89
TUG09781
392.7
393
0.3
0.55
TUG09783
393.6
393.9
0.3
0.65
TUG09784
393.9
394.2
0.3
0.54
TUG09785
394.2
394.5
0.3
2.90
TUG09786
394.5
394.8
0.3
2.34
TUG09787
394.8
395.1
0.3
3.74
TUG09788
395.1
395.4
0.3
2.82
TUG09789
395.4
395.7
0.3
1.98
TUG09790
395.7
396
0.3
1.55
TUG09792
396.3
396.6
0.3
2.25
TUG09794
396.9
397.2
0.3
0.44
TUG09795
397.2
397.5
0.3
1.78
TUG09796
397.5
397.8
0.3
3.20
TUG09797
397.8
398.1
0.3
1.27
TUG09798
398.1
398.4
0.3
15.27
TUG09799
398.4
398.7
0.3
2.96
TUG09801
398.7
399
0.3
5.34
TUG09802
399
399.3
0.3
2.38
TUG09803
399.3
399.6
0.3
2.93
TUG09804
399.6
400.5
0.9
4.00
TUG09805
400.5
400.8
0.3
0.68
TUG09806
400.8
401.1
0.3
2.41
TUG09807
401.1
401.4
0.3
2.06
TUG09808
401.4
401.7
0.3
1.61
TUG09809
401.7
402
0.3
1.67
TUG09811
402.3
402.6
0.3
1.46
TUG09812
402.6
402.9
0.3
0.91
TUG09814
403.2
403.5
0.3
3.71
TUG09817
403.8
404.1
0.3
0.77
TUG09819
405
405.3
0.3
1.56
TUG09811
402.3
402.6
0.3
1.40
TUG09812
402.6
402.9
0.3
0.95
TUG09814
403.2
403.5
0.3
3.57
TUG09817
403.8
404.1
0.3
0.83
TUG09819
405
405.3
0.3
1.61
TUG09824
406.8
407.1
0.3
2.78
TUG09827
408
408.3
0.3
1.21
TUG09828
408.3
408.6
0.3
0.72
TUG09829
408.6
409.2
0.6
1.14
TUG09831
409.2
409.5
0.3
3.27
TUG09832
409.5
409.8
0.3
0.90
TUG09836
410.7
411
0.3
1.86
TUG09837
411
411.3
0.3
2.11
TUG09838
411.3
411.6
0.3
3.40
TUG09839
411.6
411.9
0.3
0.70
TUG09842
412.8
413.1
0.3
0.93
TUG09843
413.1
413.4
0.3
0.76
TUG09848
416.1
417
0.9
0.63
TUG10354
418.8
419.1
0.3
0.82
TUG10355
419.1
419.4
0.3
0.65
TUG10360
420.6
420.9
0.3
0.75
TUG10361
420.9
421.2
0.3
1.05
TUG10362
421.2
421.5
0.3
1.59
TUG10363
421.5
421.8
0.3
1.23
TUG10367
422.7
423
0.3
0.68
TUG10368
423
423.3
0.3
0.72
TUG10373
425.1
425.4
0.3
2.48
TUG10374
425.4
425.7
0.3
2.83
TUG10375
425.7
426
0.3
3.52
TUG10376
426
426.3
0.3
3.77
TUG10377
426.3
426.6
0.3
8.47
TUG10378
426.6
426.9
0.3
1.64
TUG10379
426.9
427.2
0.3
1.53
TUG10381
427.2
427.8
0.6
4.11
TUG10382
427.8
428.1
0.3
1.65
TUG10383
428.1
429
0.9
0.86
TUG10387
429.9
430.2
0.3
0.72
TUG10393
433.2
433.5
0.3
2.04
TUG10394
433.5
433.8
0.3
0.85
TUG10395
433.8
434.1
0.3
0.76
TUG10408
440.4
440.7
0.3
2.36
TUG10413
443.1
443.4
0.3
1.02
TUG10414
443.4
443.7
0.3
6.82
TUG10417
444.9
445.2
0.3
17.94
TUG10418
445.2
445.5
0.3
5.83
TUG10423
447
447.3
0.3
1.16
TUG10425
448.2
448.5
0.3
4.54
TUG10426
448.5
448.8
0.3
0.76
TUG10428
450
450.3
0.3
4.94
TUG10429
450.3
450.6
0.3
1.53
TUG10431
450.6
450.9
0.3
0.97
TUG10432
450.9
451.2
0.3
138.15
TUG10434
451.5
451.8
0.3
0.76
TUG10435
451.8
452.1
0.3
1.25
TUG10436
452.1
452.4
0.3
1.35
TUG10438
452.7
453
0.3
1.65
TUG10439
453
453.3
0.3
4.70
TUG10440
453.3
453.6
0.3
2.57
TUG10441
453.6
453.9
0.3
4.99
TUG10444
454.8
455.1
0.3
14.02
TUG10445
455.1
455.4
0.3
2.07
TUG10446
455.4
455.7
0.3
1.09
TUG10447
455.7
456
0.3
1.28
TUG10448
456
456.3
0.3
2.55
TUG10453
459
460.2
1.2
1.14
TUG10454
460.2
460.8
0.6
1.00
TUG10455
460.8
462
1.2
1.74
TUG10456
462
462.3
0.3
1.28
TUG10457
462.3
462.6
0.3
24.98
TUG10458
462.6
462.9
0.3
87.13
TUG10459
462.9
463.8
0.9
11.34
TUG10461
464.4
465
0.6
0.67
TUG10463
465.9
466.2
0.3
0.91
TUG10464
466.2
466.5
0.3
1.36
TUG10466
466.5
466.8
0.3
1.27
TUG10467
466.8
467.1
0.3
1.28
TUG10468
467.1
467.4
0.3
3.79
TUG10469
467.4
467.7
0.3
20.93
TUG10470
467.7
468
0.3
20.64
TUG10471
468
468.3
0.3
19.40
TUG10473
468.6
468.9
0.3
3.46
TUG10474
468.9
469.2
0.3
2.78
TUG10475
469.2
469.5
0.3
2.10
TUG10482
471.3
471.6
0.3
0.81
TUG10483
471.6
471.9
0.3
1.03
TUG10484
471.9
472.2
0.3
6.72
TUG10485
472.2
472.5
0.3
0.88
TUG10486
472.5
472.8
0.3
1.45
TUG10487
472.8
473.1
0.3
9.05
TUG10488
473.1
473.4
0.3
1.35
TUG10490
473.7
474
0.3
0.48
TUG10492
474.3
474.6
0.3
0.78
TUG10493
474.6
474.9
0.3
1.37
TUG10494
474.9
475.2
0.3
1.43
TUG10496
475.5
475.8
0.3
1.67
TUG10497
475.8
477
1.2
1.80
TUG10498
477
477.6
0.6
2.64
TUG10500
477.6
477.9
0.3
93.49
TUG10501
477.9
478.2
0.3
1.01
TUG10502
478.2
478.5
0.3
34.17
TUG10503
478.5
478.8
0.3
94.57
TUG10504
478.8
479.1
0.3
35.04
TUG10505
479.1
479.4
0.3
396.16
TUG10506
479.4
479.7
0.3
25.06
TUG10507
479.7
480
0.3
7.09
TUG10508
480
480.3
0.3
4.06
TUG10509
480.3
480.6
0.3
31.63
TUG10510
480.6
480.9
0.3
5.3
TUG10511
480.9
481.2
0.3
114.95
TUG10512
481.2
481.5
0.3
1.90
TUG10513
481.5
481.8
0.3
0.83
TUG10514
481.8
482.1
0.3
9.99
TUG10516
482.1
482.4
0.3
0.71
TUG10517
482.4
482.7
0.3
6.64
TUG10518
482.7
483
0.3
6.05
TUG10519
483
483.3
0.3
6.64
TUG10520
483.3
483.6
0.3
2.47
TUG10521
483.6
483.9
0.3
0.93
TUG10522
483.9
484.2
0.3
5.15
TUG10523
484.2
484.5
0.3
10.90
TUG10524
484.5
484.8
0.3
14.76
TUG10525
484.8
485.1
0.3
20.24
TUG10526
485.1
485.4
0.3
21.93
TUG10527
485.4
485.7
0.3
20.79
TUG10528
485.7
486
0.3
32.89
TUG10529
486
486.3
0.3
16.13
TUG10531
486.3
486.6
0.3
2.55
TUG10532
486.6
486.9
0.3
13.04
TUG10533
486.9
487.2
0.3
5.42
TUG10534
487.2
487.5
0.3
3.95
TUG10535
487.5
487.8
0.3
4.89
TUG10536
487.8
488.1
0.3
4.24
TUG10537
488.1
488.4
0.3
4.41
TUG10538
488.4
488.7
0.3
5.21
TUG10539
488.7
489
0.3
1.80
TUG10540
489
489.3
0.3
16.42
TUG10541
489.3
489.6
0.3
7.17
TUG10542
489.6
489.9
0.3
6.47
TUG10543
489.9
490.2
0.3
4.07
TUG10544
490.2
490.5
0.3
4.75
TUG10545
490.5
490.8
0.3
4.86
TUG10546
490.8
491.1
0.3
7.13
TUG10547
491.1
491.4
0.3
11.64
TUG10548
491.4
491.7
0.3
35.68
TUG10549
491.7
492
0.3
22.53
TUG10551
492
492.3
0.3
10.72
TUG10552
492.3
492.6
0.3
25.23
TUG10553
492.6
492.9
0.3
16.77
TUG10554
492.9
493.2
0.3
20.86
TUG10555
493.2
493.5
0.3
23.61
TUG10556
493.5
493.8
0.3
5.85
TUG10557
493.8
494.1
0.3
6.41
TUG10558
494.1
494.4
0.3
4.25
TUG10559
494.4
494.7
0.3
36.13
TUG10560
494.7
495
0.3
19.66
TUG10561
495
495.3
0.3
72.65
TUG10562
495.3
495.6
0.3
241.21
TUG10563
495.6
495.9
0.3
31.77
TUG10564
495.9
496.2
0.3
51.52
TUG10566
496.2
496.5
0.3
25.17
TUG10567
496.5
496.8
0.3
100.35
TUG10568
496.8
497.1
0.3
12.86
TUG10569
497.1
497.4
0.3
4.68
TUG10570
497.4
497.7
0.3
33.81
TUG10571
497.7
498
0.3
37.11
TUG10572
498
498.3
0.3
20.74
TUG10573
498.3
498.6
0.3
26.29
TUG10574
498.6
498.9
0.3
103.54
TUG10575
498.9
499.2
0.3
340.07
TUG10576
499.2
499.5
0.3
269.25
TUG10577
499.5
499.8
0.3
600.42
TUG10578
499.8
500.1
0.3
73.02
TUG10579
500.1
500.4
0.3
13.41
TUG10581
500.4
500.7
0.3
1.85
TUG10582
500.7
501.3
0.6
13.32
TUG10583
501.3
501.6
0.3
26.54
TUG10584
501.6
501.9
0.3
9.04
TUG10585
501.9
502.2
0.3
4.79
TUG10586
502.2
502.5
0.3
3.93
TUG10587
502.5
502.8
0.3
126.85
TUG10588
502.8
503.1
0.3
361.90
TUG10589
503.1
503.4
0.3
1.95
TUG10590
503.4
503.7
0.3
3.27
TUG10591
503.7
504
0.3
32.78
TUG10592
504
504.3
0.3
23.63
TUG10596
505.2
505.5
0.3
8.07
TUG10598
505.8
506.1
0.3
18.51
TUG10599
506.1
506.4
0.3
53.78
TUG10602
506.7
507
0.3
7.50
TUG10604
507.3
507.6
0.3
234.39
TUG10605
507.6
507.9
0.3
2.22
TUG10606
507.9
508.8
0.9
0.58
TUG10612
510.3
510.6
0.3
3.37
TUG10613
510.6
510.9
0.3
1.32
TUG10614
510.9
511.2
0.3
5.53
TUG10616
511.2
511.5
0.3
24.91
TUG10617
511.5
511.8
0.3
64.47
TUG10618
511.8
512.1
0.3
72.56
TUG10619
512.1
512.4
0.3
13.35
TUG10620
512.4
512.7
0.3
2.08
TUG10621
512.7
513
0.3
1.59
TUG10622
513
513.3
0.3
0.74
TUG10623
513.3
513.6
0.3
0.94
TUG10624
513.6
513.9
0.3
0.53
TUG10625
513.9
514.2
0.3
1.17
TUG10626
514.2
514.5
0.3
23.17
TUG10627
514.5
514.8
0.3
0.85
TUG10628
514.8
515.1
0.3
2.39
TUG10629
515.1
515.4
0.3
1.03
TUG10631
515.4
515.7
0.3
0.83
TUG10632
515.7
516
0.3
1.74
TUG10633
516
516.3
0.3
3.50
TUG10634
516.3
516.6
0.3
0.59
TUG10636
516.9
517.2
0.3
0.80
TUG10637
517.2
517.5
0.3
2.99
TUG10638
517.5
517.8
0.3
0.76
TUG10639
517.8
518.1
0.3
3.34
TUG10640
518.1
518.4
0.3
8.94
TUG10641
518.4
518.7
0.3
12.80
TUG10642
518.7
519
0.3
105.58
TUG10643
519
519.3
0.3
34.42
TUG10644
519.3
519.6
0.3
0.55
TUG10645
519.6
519.9
0.3
0.80
TUG10656
522.6
522.9
0.3
0.59
TUG10657
522.9
523.2
0.3
0.88
TUG10658
523.2
523.5
0.3
0.76
TUG10659
523.5
523.8
0.3
1.09
TUG10660
523.8
524.1
0.3
0.61
TUG10661
524.1
524.4
0.3
2.11
TUG10664
525
525.3
0.3
5.56
TUG10666
525.3
525.6
0.3
7.50
TUG10667
525.6
525.9
0.3
0.87
TUG10668
525.9
526.2
0.3
0.78
TUG10693
543.9
544.2
0.3
0.63
TUG10695
544.5
544.8
0.3
0.75
TUG10696
544.8
545.1
0.3
0.59
TUG10699
545.7
546
0.3
0.81
TUG10701
546
546.3
0.3
0.63
TUG10702
546.3
546.6
0.3
0.59
TUG10706
547.5
547.8
0.3
0.52
TUG10719
554.1
554.4
0.3
0.84
Table 2: Survey details of diamond drill holes referenced in this release
Hole No
Coordinates (Fiji map grid)
RL
final depth
dip
azimuth
N
E
m
(TN)
TUG-135
3920759
1876459
139.2
689.4
-64
149
TUG-136
3920759
1876459
139.2
617.4
-58
151
TUG-138
3920759
1876459
139.2
746.4
-64
163
TUG-141
3920759
1876459
139.2
633.0 *
-55°
162°
* Current depth, hole is still drilling
Qualified Person In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”), Sergio Cattalani, P.Geo, Senior Vice President Exploration, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and is responsible for the technical and scientific content of this news release.
QAQC Procedures Lion One adheres to rigorous QAQC procedures above and beyond basic regulatory guidelines in conducting its sampling, drilling, testing, and analyses. The Company utilizes its own fleet of diamond drill rigs, using PQ, HQ and NQ sized drill core rods. Drill core is logged and split by Lion One personnel on site. Samples are delivered to and analysed at the Company’s geochemical and metallurgical laboratory in Fiji. Duplicates of all samples with grades above 0.5 g/t Au are both re-assayed at Lion One’s lab and delivered to ALS Global Laboratories in Australia (ALS) for check assay determinations. All samples for all high-grade intercepts are sent to ALS for check assays. All samples are pulverized to 80% passing through 75 microns. Gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that have returned grades greater than 10.00 g/t Au are then re-analysed by gravimetric method. For samples that return greater than 0.50 g/t Au, repeat fire assay runs are carried out and repeated until a result is obtained that is within 10% of the original fire assay run. For samples with multiple fire assay runs, the average of duplicate runs is presented. Lion One’s laboratory can also assay for a range of 71 other elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 9 important pathfinder elements. All duplicate anomalous samples are sent to ALS labs in Townsville QLD and are analysed by the same methods (Au-AA26, and Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyses for 33 pathfinder elements by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES (method ME-ICP61).
About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One’s flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One’s CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lion One Metals Limited “Walter Berukoff“ Chairman and CEO
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “proposed”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
North Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – May 31, 2022) – Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) (“Lion One” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce results from ongoing infill drilling at its Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji.
Results for the first 11 holes of Lion One’s Phase 2 infill program on Zone 5 of their fully permitted Tuvatu alkaline gold deposit are here reported. The results to date indicate significant new intercepts of high- to bonanza-grade Au mineralization that was not known to occur as part of the existing resource model. The Phase 2 infill drill program was designed to confirm the location, size, and continuity of the known mineralized lodes, in a portion of the orebody slated for early production (Figure 1A).
Top Intercepts include:
18.47 g/t Au over 1.20m from 104.7-105.9m, and 584.07 g/t Au over 0.30m from 122.4-122.7m from TUDDH-586 (new)
24.72 g/t Au over 0.60m from 187.4-188.0m, incl. 43.34 g/t Au over 0.30m from 187.7-188.0m from TUDDH-580 (new)
25.23 g/t Au over 1.20m from 70.9-72.1m, incl. 78.02 g/t Au over 0.30m from TUG-139
18.77 g/t Au over 2.10m from 118.8-120.9m, incl. 26.07 g/t Au over 1.50m from TUDDH-577
11.95 g/t Au over 2.70m from 55.9-58.6m, incl. 35.91 g/t Au over 0.60m from TUDDH-578
11.18 g/t Au over 1.20m from 153.5-154.7m, incl. 40.05 g/t Au over 0.30m from TUDDH-580
The mineralization reported here is considered to be a highly significant development, representing a substantive addition of Au mineralization at grades well in excess of the average resource grade, intersected at relatively shallow levels in the orebody. As a result, the new high-grade mineralization defined by the ongoing infill drill program can be expected to substantially enhance the early part the production stream and hence the immediate economic viability of Tuvatu.https://embed.fireplace.yahoo.com/embed?ctrl=Monalixa&m_id=monalixa&m_mode=document&site=sports&os=android&pageContext=%257B%2522ctopid%2522%253A%25221542500%253B1480989%253B1481489%2522%252C%2522hashtag%2522%253A%25221542500%253B1480989%253B1481489%2522%252C%2522wiki_topics%2522%253A%2522Lion%253BExploration_diamond_drilling%2522%252C%2522lmsid%2522%253A%2522a0V0W00000HOPDcUAP%2522%252C%2522revsp%2522%253A%2522newsfile_64%2522%252C%2522lpstaid%2522%253A%252290214f74-cd87-30c8-9d72-a6dbadcf0260%2522%252C%2522pageContentType%2522%253A%2522story%2522%257D
Results of the ongoing infill drill program to date are summarized below in Table 1. Highlighted in blue on Table 1 are specific drill intercepts that are outside of the mineralized lodes that make up the existing resource model. Each of these additional intercepts has the potential to add width, grade, and continuity to the resource in this portion of the Tuvatu orebody.
Lion One CEO Walter Berukoff, stated “We are confident that the high-grade intercepts indicated by our infill programs and the increased drilling density will lead to a more robust resource model overall with higher localized grades earlier in the production schedule at Tuvatu. Furthermore, when considering the substantially higher grade near-surface infill results reported here, along with the continuing success of the deep drilling program, this underscores the significance of Tuvatu as a potentially multi-million ounce, world-class high-grade Au producer. As we expand our drilling fleet to eight rigs and our laboratory capacity to 12,000 samples per month, we are well positioned to continue securing impressive results from all three tiers of our exploration strategy: from ongoing near-surface infill drilling; from extensions of deep high-grade feeder targets at Tuvatu; and from our pipeline of regional targets in the surrounding Navilawa caldera”.
Since the start of Phase 2 infill drill program in February 2022, Lion One has to date completed approximately 3,700m out of a planned 8,000m of infill drilling. This news release reports the results from approximately 2,375m of drilling, equivalent to approximately 30% of the planned program.
Infill Drilling Program
Two phases of infill drilling have been planned at Tuvatu with the aim of infilling areas within the current resource and thus augmenting the data density, to further improve the resolution of the geological model in portions of the deposit scheduled for earliest production. Phase 1 infill drilling was completed over Zone 2 (Figure 1A) in mid-February 2022, adding over 8,400m of new drill data, including 7,475m of new drilling and 955m of sampling of previously unsampled historic drill core (see Feb. 23, 2022 News Release).
This release presents final assay data from the initial 11 drill holes completed as part of the Phase 2 infill program, which is planned for approximately 8000m of diamond drilling from surface and underground, and is aimed at upgrading the resource database in Zone 5 of the Tuvatu orebody (Figure 1). The program as planned includes 30 holes totalling 5,400m carried out from 4 separate drill stations at surface, and 34 holes totalling 2,600m carried out from 6 underground drill stations. Phase 2 infill drill program began February 17, 2022 with drill hole TUDDH-577, and is expected to require 5-6 months of drilling using three rigs (two from surface and one from underground) to complete.
The results from the initial approximately 2,375m of drilling in Zone 5 (Figure 2), representing approximately 30% of the planned program total, indicate consistent high-grade to locally bonanza-grade Au mineralization for known mineralized lodes in this portion of the current resource (Table 1). Additionally, the results from the initial 30% of the Phase 2 infill program indicates significant new high-grade mineralization not previously known to occur prior to this program, and therefore not included in the current resource statement.
Overall, results to date suggest higher-than-expected continuity and widths of mineralization, locally at grades above the calculated average grade of the deposit. Indeed, the Phase 2 infill program is confirming, and in certain instances, extending previously modelled lodes in this part of the resource. Intercepts of exceptionally high-grades (e.g. 584.07 g/t Au in TUDDH-586) are in line with bonanza results documented from several intercepts from the previously completed Phase 1 infill drill program, providing further support to the expectation of an overall increase in average grades of the lodes scheduled for earliest phases of mining.
Numerous mineralized intervals, including the 584.07 g/t Au bonanza-grade intercept in hole TUDDH-586 as well as 43.34 g/t Au over 0.30m from 187.7-188.0m in hole TUDDH-580, occur fully outside of existing modelled lodes (Table 1, highlighted), adding to our understanding of the lode geometry, as well as to the overall inventory of high-grade mineralization slated for early production at Tuvatu.
As per the Phase 1 infill program, numerous strategically located historic holes have also been identified for resampling, the results of which will be reported in future news releases.
Figure 1: A) Oblique view looking N060° and down 17° showing the current conceptual mine plan ore panels (gold) highlighting the location of Zone 2 and Zone 5, the exploration decline (yellow) and the planned Zone 5 infill drilling program (blue). The planned drilling consists of 4 surface and 6 underground drill stations. B) Oblique view looking N060° and down 40° showing the UR1 to UR5, URW1A, URW1C, and URW3 lodes (transparent gray), exploration decline (yellow) and the planned Zone 5 infill drilling program (blue).
Figure 2: Composite vertical section looking N through Zone 5 at Tuvatu, showing the UR1 to UR5, URW1A, URW2A, and URW3 lodes (blue labels) and the trace of the infill drilling reported in this release (yellow traces). Solid lines are in the section, dotted lines are projected to this section.
Table 1: Drilling intervals returning >0.5 g/t Au (intervals > 3.0 g/t Au cutoff are shown in red, and intervals >9.0 g/t Au or longer than 1.2m are bolded). Intercepts that are outside of the current geological model are highlighted in light blue.
Hole ID
From (m)
To (m)
Interval (m)
Grade (g/t Au)
TUDDH-577
7.2
8.1
0.9
1.25
59.1
60.3
1.2
1.13
100.8
101.4
0.6
0.86
118.8
120.9
2.1
18.77
including
118.8
120.3
1.5
26.07
127.5
127.8
0.3
16.30
135.6
136.2
0.6
1.09
138.6
138.9
0.3
24.66
182.2
182.8
0.6
0.65
TUDDH-578
45.4
45.7
0.3
0.72
55.9
58.6
2.7
11.95
including
55.9
56.5
0.6
35.91
and
58.0
58.3
0.3
22.39
64.3
65.2
0.9
0.58
82.3
82.9
0.6
0.77
100.6
101.5
0.9
1.39
TUDDH-579
22.0
22.3
0.3
0.73
126.1
126.4
0.3
2.43
129.7
131.8
2.1
0.94
135.1
135.4
0.3
13.56
140.5
142.3
1.8
2.88
including
140.5
140.8
0.3
11.62
and
142.0
142.3
0.3
5.2
161.2
163.6
2.4
1.78
TUDDH-580
8.0
9.2
1.2
4.53
46.7
47.3
0.6
1.67
81.8
82.4
0.6
0.78
83.6
85.1
1.5
1.48
153.5
154.7
1.2
11.18
including
153.5
153.8
0.3
40.05
157.7
158.6
0.9
0.66
159.5
159.8
0.3
0.66
165.2
167.0
1.8
1.11
including
166.7
167.0
0.3
5.01
173.6
173.9
0.3
0.76
187.4
188.0
0.6
24.72
including
187.4
187.7
0.3
6.12
including
187.7
188.0
0.3
43.34
192.8
196.4
3.6
1.88
including
193.1
193.4
0.3
11.17
including
194.6
194.9
0.3
4.11
TUDDH-581
20.9
21.2
0.3
4.12
81.8
82.4
0.6
0.76
100.4
101.0
0.6
1.56
106.4
107.0
0.6
0.82
168.5
170.0
1.5
4.41
including
168.5
168.8
0.3
8.27
and
168.8
170.0
1.2
3.25
179.3
182.0
2.7
1.32
186.8
187.1
0.3
0.54
206.6
206.9
0.3
3.07
208.4
209.9
1.5
1.91
212.3
213.2
0.9
0.69
226.1
227.9
1.8
2.39
including
227.0
227.3
0.3
7.48
249.8
250.7
0.9
1.38
251.9
252.2
0.3
2.38
307.4
308.9
1.5
1.55
TUDDH-582
47.6
48.5
0.9
3.21
91.8
93.6
1.8
3.81
including
92.4
93.6
1.2
5.22
99.3
102.0
2.7
3.33
including
99.3
100.2
0.9
5.77
TUDDH-583
7.5
8.1
0.6
2.26
46.5
47.1
0.6
1.02
72.0
72.3
0.3
1.48
87.3
88.5
1.2
0.69
96.3
96.9
0.6
2.68
114.0
114.3
0.3
1.62
121.5
122.7
1.2
1.48
126.9
128.7
1.8
1.93
including
128.4
128.7
0.3
4.39
132.0
132.3
0.3
25.32
137.4
137.7
0.3
0.66
138.9
140.1
1.2
3.11
including
138.9
139.2
0.3
7.12
241.2
241.5
0.3
1.48
TUDDH-586
9.3
11.1
1.8
4.28
including
10.2
11.1
0.9
7.91
63.6
64.2
0.6
0.53
67.8
68.4
0.6
1.8
84.6
84.9
0.3
5.95
98.1
98.4
0.3
2.95
104.7
105.9
1.2
18.47
116.7
117.3
0.6
0.55
122.1
122.7
0.6
292.69
including
122.4
122.7
0.3
584.07
127.5
127.8
0.3
1.68
129.3
129.9
0.6
10.74
133.2
133.8
0.6
3.41
141.6
143.7
2.1
1.75
including
142.5
142.8
0.3
7.33
238.5
241.2
2.7
0.95
TUDDH-587
17.2
17.5
0.3
0.69
62.8
63.4
0.6
1.11
76.6
76.9
0.3
1.57
89.5
89.8
0.3
0.59
103.6
103.9
0.3
2.34
146.2
146.5
0.3
4.43
159.1
160.9
1.8
1.66
232.9
233.5
0.6
6.43
including
232.9
233.2
0.3
11.40
234.7
235.9
1.2
4.27
including
235
235.6
0.6
5.42
237.4
238.6
1.2
8.89
TUG-139
17.8
18.1
0.3
1.42
22.0
22.3
0.3
0.82
26.5
26.8
0.3
1.47
28.9
29.2
0.3
1.42
31.0
31.3
0.3
0.75
48.7
49.6
0.9
1.49
54.4
59.2
4.8
4.20
including
54.7
55.0
0.3
5.91
and
55.0
55.3
0.3
12.60
and
55.6
55.9
0.3
7.27
and
55.9
56.2
0.3
5.70
and
57.1
57.4
0.3
15.09
70.9
72.1
1.2
25.23
including
70.9
71.2
0.3
8.96
and
71.2
71.5
0.3
8.32
and
71.5
71.8
0.3
5.00
and
71.8
72.1
0.3
78.02
82.3
82.6
0.3
2.78
91.6
91.9
0.3
1.66
95.5
95.8
0.3
1.84
TUG-142
20.4
20.7
0.3
1.15
29.4
29.7
0.3
1.49
31.2
36.3
5.1
0.65
41.4
42
0.6
1.88
45.3
45.6
0.3
0.69
61.3
63.7
2.4
3.55
including
62.5
63.1
0.6
8.14
additional results pending
Table 2: Survey details of diamond drill holes referenced in this release
Hole No
Coordinates (Fiji map grid)
RL
final depth
dip
azimuth
N
E
m
(TN)
TUDDH-577
3920435
1876442
314.0
197.9
-39
268
TUDDH-578
3920520
1876513
348.6
150.3
-59
267
TUDDH-579
3920435
1876513
348.6
239.0
-49
269
TUDDH-580
3920435
1876513
348.6
284.9
-60
265
TUDDH-581
3920435
1876513
348.6
311.6
-70
265
TUDDH-582
3920435
1876442
314.0
120.2
-49
267
TUDDH-583
3920435
1876513
348.6
303.2
-44
289
TUDDH-586
3920435
1876513
348.6
302.3
-55
289
TUDDH-587
3920435
1876513
348.6
256.8
-63
289
TUG-139
3920480
1876411
103.1
123.3
+13
091
TUG-142
3920480
1876411
103.1
85.8
-30
090
Qualified Person
In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”), Sergio Cattalani, P.Geo, Senior Vice President Exploration, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and is responsible for the technical and scientific content of this news release.
QAQC Procedures
Lion One adheres to rigorous QAQC procedures above and beyond basic regulatory guidelines in conducting its sampling, drilling, testing, and analyses. The Company utilizes its own fleet of diamond drill rigs, using PQ, HQ and NQ sized drill core rods. Drill core is logged and split by Lion One personnel on site. Samples are delivered to and analysed at the Company’s geochemical and metallurgical laboratory in Fiji. Duplicates of all samples with grades above 0.5 g/t Au are both re-assayed at Lion One’s lab and delivered to ALS Global Laboratories in Australia (ALS) for check assay determinations. All samples for all high-grade intercepts are sent to ALS for check assays. All samples are pulverized to 80% passing through 75 microns. Gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that have returned grades greater than 10.00 g/t Au are then re-analysed by gravimetric method. For samples that return greater than 0.50 g/t Au, repeat fire assay runs are carried out and repeated until a result is obtained that is within 10% of the original fire assay run. For samples with multiple fire assay runs, the average of duplicate runs is presented. Lion One’s laboratory can also assay for a range of 71 other elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 9 important pathfinder elements. All duplicate anomalous samples are sent to ALS labs in Townsville QLD and are analysed by the same methods (Au-AA26, and Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyses for 33 pathfinder elements by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES (method ME-ICP61).
About Lion One Metals Limited
Lion One’s flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One’s CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lion One Metals Limited “Walter Berukoff“ Chairman and CEO
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “proposed”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – May 24, 2022) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (FSE: 6E9) (the “Company” or “EMX”) is pleased to announce the execution, by its wholly-owned subsidiary Bronco Creek Exploration Inc., of an exploration and option agreement (the “Agreement”) for the sale of Richmond Mountain LLC, the owner of the Richmond Mountain gold project (“Project”) to Stallion Gold Corp. (“Stallion”). The Agreement provides EMX with cash payments and work commitments during Stallion’s earn-in period, and upon earn-in a retained 4% net smelter return (“NSR”) royalty interest, annual advance royalty payments, and certain milestone payments.
Richmond Mountain is a Carlin-style gold project located in the Eureka district of central Nevada. The Eureka district hosts both Cretaceous age base metal mineralization as well as younger, Eocene age Carlin-style mineralization and is one of a select few districts with multi-million-ounce Carlin-style gold deposits in the state1. The Project was acquired by EMX and despite being within an established district has undergone only limited work consisting of geochemical sampling and a shallow reconnaissance drill program which did not test the key target area. The Eureka district has recently seen a resurgence in major exploration activity with the acquisition of the past producing Ruby Hill Mine by i-80 Gold Corp. in 2021, and recent work by other junior companies in the remainder of the district.
The Agreement with Stallion represents EMX’s execution of the 13th option agreement for western USA gold projects since 2020. Richmond Mountain is a good example of the royalty generation aspect of EMX’s business model, whereby prospective ground within a major Nevada gold district was identified, acquired inexpensively via staking open ground, and then partnered for exploration advancement at no additional cost to EMX. The Company will also maintain exposure to exploration success upon Stallion’s option exercise with pre-production payments and a retained royalty interest.
Commercial Terms Overview. Pursuant to the Agreement, Stallion can earn 100% interest in the Project by: (a) making execution and option payments totaling $500,000 over a five-year option period, and (b) completing $1,500,000 in exploration expenditures before the fifth anniversary of the Agreement.
Upon Stallion’s option exercise and earn-in, EMX will retain a 4% NSR royalty interest on the Project. Stallion may buy back up to a total of one and one-half percent (1.5%) of the royalty by first completing an initial half-percent (0.5%) royalty buyback for a payment of $750,000 to the Company prior to the third anniversary of the option exercise. If the first buyback is completed, Stallion may purchase an additional 0.5% for $1,000,000, and a third 0.5% increment for $1,200,000 at any time prior to commercial production. Beginning on the first anniversary of the option exercise, Stallion will also make annual advance royalty (“AAR”) payments of $100,000.
Additionally, after the option has been exercised, Stallion will make payments in gold ounces (or the USD equivalent) at certain Project milestones: (a) 200 ounces of gold upon completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment; (b) 400 ounces of gold upon completion of a Prefeasibility Study; and (c) 650 ounces of gold upon completion of a Feasibility Study.
Richmond Mountain Overview. The Richmond Mountain project is located at the southern end of the Battle Mountain-Eureka trend and consists of 117 unpatented lode mining claims covering 9.6 square kilometers (Figure 1). Carlin-style mineralization consisting of jasperoid and decalcified carbonate-bearing rocks outcrop on the southern portion of the property within a north-south oriented structural feeder zone. This structural zone is subparallel and analogous to other structures that host Carlin-style gold mineralization elsewhere within the Eureka district. Examples include Lookout Mountain, Windfall, and the Ruby Hill Mine and Archimedes open pit2 where the younger, mineralized Eocene structures cut and overprint Cretaceous iron and base metal-rich skarn and carbonate replacement mineralization.
A key target at the Richmond Mountain project is where outcropping mineralized structures plunge northward on the Project under post-mineral cover and trending towards the eastern boundary of the Cretaceous Graveyard Flats intrusion and related contact aureole. The contact aureole hosts base metal mineralization elsewhere in the district and represents a compelling target environment. In addition, the older base metal mineralization and related reduced-iron rich rocks in the contact aureole could provide a chemical trap for the younger, gold-rich fluids resulting in potentially higher grades.
Previous work on the Project has outlined outcropping drill targets through soil and rock chip geochemistry in the south, and CSAMT geophysical surveys in the north that indicate prospective host units are within reasonable target depths. Two shallow drill holes (i.e., < 500 m) were completed on the western side of the property by a previous partner that did not penetrate post-mineral cover, suggesting the concealed target area remains entirely untested. In addition, prospective host rocks are interpreted to become more shallow from west to east across the Project.
EMX regards the Richmond Mountain project as a highly prospective gold project within a Nevada Carlin-style district which hosts a significant upper tier mining operation at Ruby Hill and is significantly underexplored relative to similar districts in Nevada. The Company looks forward to the Stallion team testing the target concepts in the near term.
Comments on Nearby Deposits and Mines. The nearby deposits and mines provide geologic context for EMX’s Project, but this is not necessarily indicative that the Project hosts similar tonnages or grades of mineralization.
QUALIFIED PERSON
Michael P. Sheehan, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.
About EMX. EMX is a precious, base and battery metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “EMX”, and also trade on the Frankfurt exchange under the symbol “6E9”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain “forward-looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (the “MD&A”), and themost recently filed Annual Information Form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2021, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.
Figure 1. Location Map of the Richmond Mountain Project.
1 NBMG, 2019. The Nevada Mineral Industry 2019. Ruby Hill Mine production and resources: Pp. 116-117.
2Dilles, P. A., Monteleone, S. E., & Wright, W. A. (1995). West Archimedes: a new gold discovery at the Ruby Hill property, Eureka district, Eureka County, Nevada. In Geology and ore deposits of the American cordillera, Programs with Abstracts, Geological Society of Nevada symposium, Reno/Sparks, Nevada A (Vol. 24).
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – May 16, 2022) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (FSE: 6E9) (the “Company” or “EMX”) is pleased to report results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (“Q1 2022”). The Company’s filings for the quarter are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov, and on EMX’s website at www.EMXroyalty.com. Financial results were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR Q1-2022
Financial Update
All dollar amounts in this news release are Canadian dollars (CDN) unless otherwise noted.
Adjusted revenue and other income[1] of $3,369,000 included $1,154,000 in income from the effective Caserones copper royalty interest in Chile.
Royalty generation costs of $5,397,000 of which the Company recovered $2,695,000 from partners.
General and administrative costs totaled $2,688,000. Impacting general and administrative costs, were higher professional fees, relating to the Barrick settlement of the Bullion Monarch litigation in the US, as well as the payment or accrual of annual compensation awards and adjustments.
Share-based payments totaled $626,000 compared to $542,000 in Q1 2021. The aggregate share-based payments relate mainly to the fair value of restricted share units (“RSUs”) vested during the period.
Finance expenses of $1,787,000 associated with the Sprott Credit Facility and the SSR VTB note. The Company also recognized a gain on modification of the Sprott Credit Facility of $5,008,000 resulting from an extension of the maturity date.
For the quarter, the Company had a loss from operations of $4,427,000 and net income of $23,547,000.
Adjusted cash provided by operating activities1 of $20,928,000.
Other significant items affecting income for the three months ended March 31, 2022 included $23,846,000 of net proceeds received (after settlement of legal fees) relating to the Barrick settlement with Bullion Monarch, unrealized fair value gains on investments of $6,329,000, deferred income tax expense of $5,339,000, and foreign exchange adjustments of $1,038,000.
As at March 31, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $44,970,000, investments, long-term investments and loans receivable valued at $30,511,000, and loans payable of $59,226,000.
Corporate Updates
Suspension of Filing of Notice of Arbitration EMX suspended the filing of its Notice of Arbitration to Zijin Mining Group Ltd (“Zijin”) and commenced discussions with Zijin with the goal of reaching a mutually acceptable resolution.
Settlement of the Bullion Litigation The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Bullion Monarch Mining, Inc., (“Bullion”) reached a settlement with Barrick Gold Corporation (“Barrick”) and Barrick affiliates and subsidiaries (“Barrick Entities”) with respect to Bullion’s claim of non-payment of royalties by the Barrick Entities to Bullion on production from properties in the Carlin Trend, Nevada. Bullion initiated litigation in 2008, before EMX acquired Bullion in 2012. Pursuant to the settlement, Barrick paid Bullion US$25 million. Of the US$25 million settlement, US$6.175 million was paid as a fee to Bullion’s Reno, Nevada lawyers. The settlement of the lawsuit does not affect our 1% gross smelter return royalty from portions of Nevada Gold Mine’s Leeville, Carlin East, Four Corners, and other northern Carlin Trend underground gold mining operations (the “Leeville Royalty”), which will continue to be paid.
Acquisition of Additional Royalty Interest on Caserones Subsequent to Q1, EMX acquired an additional (effective) 0.3155% Net Smelter Return (“NSR”) royalty on the Caserones Copper-Molybdenum Mine located in northern Chile for US$25.74 million. When combined with EMX’s (effective) 0.418% NSR interest acquired in August 2021 (see EMX news release dated August 17, 2021), EMX now holds an effective 0.7335% NSR royalty.
Impact of Covid 19 EMX continues to monitor developments regarding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”), with a focus on the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. EMX has implemented COVID-19 prevention, monitoring and response plans following the guidelines of international agencies and the governments and regulatory agencies of each country in which it operates. EMX’s priority is to safeguard the health and safety of its personnel and host communities, support government actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and assess and mitigate the risks to business continuity.
Royalty Generation Updates
EMX’s royalty and mineral property portfolio consists of over 272 properties in North America, Europe, Turkey, Latin America and Australia (See Figure 1). The Company’s portfolio is comprised of the following:
Producing Royalties
5
Advanced Royalties
9
Exploration Royalties
155
Royalty Generation Properties
103
Figure 1. EMX’s royalty and mineral property portfolio.
During Q1 2022, the Company’s royalty generation business was active in North America, South America, Europe, Turkey, and Australia. The Company spent $5,397,000 and recovered $2,695,000 from partners. During the quarter the Company also completed 3 partnerships across the portfolio all the while continuing to replace partnered properties with new mineral properties.
Highlights from Q1 2022 include the following:
In the US the Company added to its growing royalty portfolio with the completion of two new royalty agreements, the advancement of eight partner-funded work programs, including ongoing drill projects, and new generative work leading to new acquisitions.
In Canada, partners continued to advance the portfolio with multiple field programs, including drill programs, while EMX received $89,000 in cash payments and $Nil share equity payments.
EMX continued to expand its asset portfolio in Fennoscandia with the generation of several additional exploration properties. Nickel and other battery metals continue to be a focus of the Fennoscandia operations.
EMX’s South American royalty portfolio advanced through drill programs conducted by AbraSilver Resource Corp. Aftermath Silver Ltd, Austral Gold Ltd., and Pampa Metals Corp.
In Australia, partner Many Peaks Gold achieved a public listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) and commenced drilling at the Company’s Queensland Gold project with results anticipated in Q2. As per the option agreement and in connection with the initial public offering, Many Peaks Gold Pty Ltd. issued to the Company 1,175,000 shares valued at $215,000 as an option fee.
At the end of Q1, 2022, technical reports were filed for EMX’s Caserones Copper-Molybdenum Mine Royalty in Chile, EMX’s Gediktepe Polymetallic Deposit Royalties in Turkey and for EMX’s Timok Royalty in Serbia that covers the newly commissioned Cukaru Peki Copper and Gold Mine.
Financing Updates
Sprott Credit Facility The Company entered into a credit facility in Q3 2021 with Sprott Private Resource Lending II (Collector), LP (“Sprott”) totaling US$44 million (the “Credit Facility”). On January 24, 2022, the Company signed a credit agreement modification extending the maturity date to December 31, 2024. In connection with the extension, an additional 1.50% of the principal (US $660,000) was added to the principal balance as at January 24, 2022.
Private Placement with Franco-Nevada Subsequent to Q1 2022, the Company completed a $12,580,000 (US$10,000,000) private placement with Franco-Nevada Corporation (“Franco-Nevada”). The proceeds were used to acquire the additional (effective) NSR on the Caserones open pit mine in northern Chile (see EMX’s news release dated April 14, 2022).
Franco-Nevada purchased 3,812,121 units at $3.30 per unit. Each unit consisted of one common share of EMX and one warrant to purchase one common share of EMX for $4.45 exercisable until April 14, 2027. The shares issued upon closing and the shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants will be subject to a four-month restricted resale (hold) period expiring August 15, 2022. Franco-Nevada now owns approximately 3.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of EMX on an undiluted basis.
Investment Updates
As at March 31, 2022, the Company had investments totaling $28,010,000 which included $22,808,000 in various public and private entities, and $5,202,000 in non-current investments. The Company will continue to generate cash flow by selling certain of its investments when appropriate. Much of the investment portfolio was derived from royalty deals completed as part of our organic royalty generation business.
Strategic Investment in Premium Nickel Resources Subsequent to Q1 2022, the Company completed a strategic investment in Premium Nickel Resources Corporation (“PNR”), a private Canadian company advancing nickel-copper-cobalt and platinum group element (“PGE”) projects in Botswana. EMX now owns 5,412,702 shares or 6.3% of the issued and outstanding shares of PNR having purchased an additional one million shares in April 2022. This purchase was part of a recent financing completed by PNR at US$2.00 per share.
PNR recently acquired the Selebi and Selebi North nickel-copper-cobalt mines and signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the Selkirk nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE mine, which are located in Botswana’s prolific Selebi-Phikwe and Tati nickel mining districts. In February 2022, PNR announced the signing of a non-binding letter of intent providing for a business combination with North American Nickel, which trades on the TSX-V (NAN), as a path to go public.
OUTLOOK
The year 2022 will see an increase in revenue and other income coming from our cash flowing royalties including Caserones in Chile, Leeville in Nevada, and potentially Timok in Serbia (pending conclusion of the royalty rate discussions with Zijin). Likewise, Gediktepe and Balya in Turkey have been commissioned and are scheduled to contribute to 2022 cash flows. As in previous years, production royalties will continue to be complemented by option, advance royalty, and other pre-production payments from partnered projects across the global asset portfolio. The Company plans to give production guidance for 2022 later this year.
Subsequent to Q1 2022, EMX acquired an additional (effective) 0.3155% royalty interest on Caserones and completed a $12,580,000 (US$10,000,000) private placement Franco-Nevada and a strategic investment in PNR.
The Company will continue to strengthen its balance sheet over the course of the year by looking to retire portions of our long-term debt, continuing to evaluate equity markets (including the filing of a shelf prospectus), and the ongoing monetization of the Company’s marketable securities.
EMX is well funded to identify new royalty and investment opportunities, while further filling a pipeline of royalty generation properties that provide opportunities for additional cash flow, as well as exploration, development, and production success.
INVESTOR RELATIONS UPDATE
EMX is provided with investor relations services by Scott Close, who has provided his services from Colorado since June 1, 2007, initially as a consultant and, since Oct 1, 2010, as an employee, and by Isabel Belger, who has provided her services from Germany since January 1, 2018, as a consultant. Neither Scott nor Isabel provides their services on a fixed term basis, and EMX expects to continue to retain their services for the foreseeable future. Their services cover all aspects of liaising with shareholders and the financial investment community. The annual cost for investor relation services has been approximately US$130,000 per year over the past five years which is, has been and will continue to be paid from EMX’s cash on hand. Both have also been granted, from time to time, stock options to purchase EMX shares in accordance with EMX’s stock option plan and TSX Venture Exchange policy.
QUALIFIED PERSONS
Michael P. Sheehan, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the above technical disclosure on North America, Latin America, and Strategic Investments. Eric P. Jensen, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the above technical disclosure on Europe, Turkey, and Australia.
About EMX. EMX is a precious, base and battery metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “EMX”, and also trade on the Frankfurt exchange under the symbol “6E9”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain “forward looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (the “MD&A”), and themost recently filed Annual Information Form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2021, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.
[1] Adjusted revenue and other income, and adjusted cash provided by (used in) operating activities are non-IFRS financial measures with no standardized meaning under IFRS and might not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other issuers. Refer to the “Non-IFRS financial measures” section on page 20 of the Company’s MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2022 for more information on each non-IFRS financial measure.
Joining us for a conversation or legendary Rick Rule of Rule Investment Media and David Cole of EMX Royalty as will discover why mineral royalties are powerful financial instruments.
About EMX Royalty: EMX Royalty Corporation has a long-standing track record of success in exploration discovery, royalty generation, royalty acquisition, and strategic investments. Our diversified, three-pronged business approach provides exposure to multiple upside opportunities while minimizing the impact on EMX’s treasury.
EMX’s business model is designed to efficiently manage the risks inherent to the minerals exploration and mining industry. Key elements and resulting advantages of our unique approach are: We organically generate royalties through low-cost property acquisition and early-stage exploration to build value, and then develop partnerships with quality companies to advance the projects, with EMX retaining a royalty interest and receiving pre-production payments. Our organic royalty growth is supplemented by purchases of royalties from other parties, as well as strategic investments. Cash flow from royalties, advance royalties, and other property payments are supplemented by returns from strategic investments and provide “self-funding” operating capital for our ongoing business initiatives. Using this model, we sustainably grow the royalty portfolio, with minimal dilution to our shareholders. EMX’s royalty and property portfolio spanning five continents and consists of a balanced mix of precious metal, base metal, and other assets.
Joining us for a conversation are two of the most prolific names in the natural resource space, both legends in their own right, as we are joined today with Rick Rule of Rule Investment Media and David Cole of EMX Royalty.
Maurice Jackson:
I must say it’s an absolute delight to be speaking with you both today, as I hold you both in the highest regard personally and professionally, as we plan to discover why mineral royalties are powerful financial instruments. We have a lot of ground to cover today, gentlemen, so let’s get to it.
Maurice Jackson:
Mr. Rule, you have a proven track record of nearly 50 years as a wealth builder for you and your clients through resource stocks. What are you seeing right now that gives you the courage and conviction that resource stocks may present a once in a lifetime opportunity?
Rick Rule:
First of all, you’re always not wise to contradict your host, but I’ve had a couple of these opportunities in my lifetime. So I don’t think it is a once in lifetime opportunity. But I, as you point out, have been lucky enough to see the opportunity before that’s in front of me now. And it was extremely pleasant to participate in. Natural resource bull markets are wonderful financial events if you participate in them early enough.
Rick Rule:
And my own belief, is that right now we are in the latter stage of the beginning of a precious metals bull market. And we’re probably in an earlier stage in a broader natural resource bull market. And the idea to participate in two real bull markets where the outcome is a probability, not a possibility, is extraordinary.
Rick Rule:
It is seldom before in my life have the fundamental factors that are in front of me come together simultaneously that has given me the courage of my convictions with regards to the probabilities of the outcome, is what I’m talking about. And that’s what feels good to me now.
Maurice Jackson:
Given the reasons you just convey to us, investors and speculators alike are seeking prudent ways to preserve their capital, and if possible, sweeten the deal with the delivery of some nice returns. About a decade ago, you introduced me a business model that offers investors both of these virtues, and I’m referring to the concept of mineral royalties. For someone new to the conversation, would you please share what are mineral royalties and why are mineral royalty companies a strategic part of your portfolio?
Rick Rule:
What I’ve learned over time is that having an economic interest in a revenue stream where my gross is my net is a very good thing. What a royalty is, is a part of the revenue stream of a mine or an oil well or something else. But you don’t bear any establishing capital risk, any sustaining capital risk or any operating cost risk.
Rick Rule:
So to the extent, as an example, that you disagree with a management team over some of their expenses, it doesn’t matter. You just get the check. Your gross is your net. A mineral royalty too is a timeless interest pretty much. And that means that most of the surprises that you can have are pleasant surprises.
Rick Rule:
If you are lucky enough to own a royalty on a tier one mineral discovery, my experience has always been that big discoveries yield surprises and small deposits yield surprises too. But big discoveries yield pleasant surprises, and small discoveries yield unpleasant surprises.
Rick Rule:
So a mineral royalty, which is established on a, let’s say, a 1 to 1.5 million ounce gold deposit, which feels attractive over 30 years might end up producing two, two and a half million dollars. The additional exploration expense that goes into establishing the lengthening of your royalty, the operating costs, the sustaining capital costs, the taxes, all that stuff doesn’t matter. Remember on a royalty for the most part, your gross is your net, which is very pleasant.
David Cole:
With regards to mineral royalties, what also comes to mind is the concept of optionality. Mineral royalties are phenomenal financial instruments, particularly in an inflationary environment, for the very reasons that you laid out and that discovery optionality and advancement of engineering techniques, all of which are multiplicative, make royalties fantastic instruments to hold.
Maurice Jackson:
And David, if you would expand on that word optionality, that may be a new term for readers.
David Cole:
Sure. So that’s the chance that things might go super well or super bad. And the couple of guys, Black Scholes got a Nobel prize for defining a formula, how to calculate what optionality is worth and options trade in the marketplace. And with respect to royalties, what we’re talking about is the chance that things can go well.
David Cole:
And as Rick pointed out, the cost that goes into the exploration and discovery work, development work, production work et cetera, et cetera, is born by the counterparty, not by the royalty holders. So we’re exposed to all that upside optionality. And that’s one of the things that makes a portfolio of royalty so powerful.
Maurice:
Mr. Cole, you’re the CEO of the royalty generator and I’m referring to EMX Royalty. Please introduce us to the value proposition that EMX Royalty presents for investors along with your current share price.
David Cole:
Well, I’m more than happy to talk about that. And first of all, it all revolves around this concept the royalties are fantastic instruments, and different royalty companies accumulate royalties in different ways. There’s royalty financings to advance mine projects. There’s purchasing of existing royalties. And then there’s royalty generation.
David Cole:
We love to generate royalties through the prospect generation business model, acquiring prospected mineral rights around the world, adding value by doing good geology and coalescing data, selling that onto an industry, hungry for discovery opportunity. And as Rick said, I’ve never seen an industry more hungry for discovery opportunity than we have today across the periodic table.
David Cole:
And we love doing that. We love selling them on for cash shares and of course, a royalty. We also buy royalties to augment that portfolio, to create that portfolio effect and to further advance the optionality.
Maurice Jackson:
And you do that organically. That’s what I find very intriguing about your business model.
David Cole:
That is our defining factor. That’s our hedgehog, and we’ve sold by example, Maurice, 83 projects in the last four years. We have track record of just selling projects right and left. And when I’m talking about selling projects, what I mean is we stake mining claims, or we acquire mining licenses from governments, add value, and then move them onto a counterparty, junior companies, and major companies.
David Cole:
And in the junior company deals, it’s commonly cash payments and share payments. We’ve done exceedingly well with the share payments over our nearly 20-year history and always a production royalty at the end. With major companies, which we also love to do business with, we’ve done six deals with Rio Tinto, the largest mining company in the world the last four years, as one example. And there, it’s more focused on the inground expenditures, cash payments, and of course the royalty at the back end.
David Cole:
And we’re just delighted to have the capital across our portfolio being expended by our counterparties, but also their expertise employed across that portfolio, which is enhancing this concept of discovery optionality, which is where the big win comes from. Of course, there’s commodity price optionality as well, which is a hot topic in an inflationary environment.
Maurice Jackson:
Now, before we delve into specific projects, multi-pronged question. Mr. Cole, how many projects are in the EMX property bank and how many of those projects are now in the harvest mode of generating royalties?
David Cole:
So when you use the word bank, that’s probably a good word to use. So we have approximately 300 mineral property positions globally, more than a dozen countries. We’ve always taken a broad approach. We’ve cast a broad net to find value, and that’s a very strong base of pyramid.
David Cole:
And then EMX does have half dozen producing assets or assets that are just about to become producing at the top of the pyramid. And we’re at the transitionary point where we’re going from a junior company that’s been building a portfolio of mineral property positions and royalties to one that has strong cash flow. And we’re right at that tipping point this year.
Maurice Jackson:
And we’re going to highlight five of those here in just a minute. Rick, in the resource space, precious metals seemed to dominate the conversation. But I’d like to get your thought on base metals and in particular, the outlook for copper.
Rick Rule:
I think the two easiest things to think about is that the driver for copper is the ascent of humankind to the extent that there are almost eight billion people on earth and more people every day. And to the extent that humankind has a responsibility, I believe, to take the poorest half of humanity and increase their wellbeing, that automatically comes to copper.
Rick Rule:
Many readers may not know that 1.2 billion people on earth have no access to electricity. And another 2 billion people on earth have access to intermittent or unaffordable electricity. We’ve done a great job as humankind the last 30 years in increasing the material a lot of the poorest of the poor. But we have a lot more to do, and an important transition from a subsistence lifestyle to a more fulfilling lifestyle, at least part of the material translation is electricity, and electricity is copper.
Rick Rule:
At the same time that we need to continue to increase access to electricity for the poorest half of humanity, the other half of humanity wants to increase their electrical consumption too electric vehicles, power, gadgets, all those types of things. All requires copper. While this happens, in other words, while demand for copper is inexorably higher and where the rate of increase is probably increasing, we have under-invested as an industry in copper exploration production for 30 or 35 years.
Rick Rule:
The truth is most of the world’s great copper mines are a bit like me. They’re old, they’re past their prime. Bingham Canyon has been producing for 120 years. Chuquicamata has been producing for 105 years. Grasberg has producing for my whole lifetime, which is to say 69 years. You don’t stand at the top of a pit, throw in fertilizer and water and have it grow more copper. That’s not the way it works.
Source: https://wikitravel.org/en/Chuquicamata
Rick Rule:
So five years from now, what you see is that these old behemoths become longer and longer and longer of tooth. While as a consequence of three decades of under investment and exploration production, there’s nothing to take their place. And if there is something to take their place, increasingly, there are political and economic roadblocks put in front of them. There’s a wonderful copper deposit here in the United States called Resolution that the world’s been talking about for 20 years. And it’s probably 10 years away from permitting and production, not in time to make any difference in a supply outlook.
Rick Rule:
So, to the extent that one is able to make a copper discovery, the appetite among the major copper producers to buy these projects, to replace the old behemoths, which are long of tooth. And the incredible interest that governments and consumers have about increasing the material wellbeing of their citizens, which is a fancy way of saying increasing demand for copper, means that an intelligently constructed copper exploration royalty development program, I say intelligently crafted. Part of the problem in the last 30 years has been that not only haven’t we invested enough money, we’ve invested most of the money that we’ve invested stupidly.
Rick Rule:
So we’ve been both unwitting and unscrupulous in the mining business with regards to copper. But the result of that is that successful efforts in the copper business pay absolutely tremendous rewards and will continue to, I think. Most people in the west when they think about copper, they think about Tesla or something like that. And that’s fine. That’s wonderful.
Maurice, I’ll point out if you don’t mind that Dr. Richard Schodde is our consulting and advisor on the mineral economic side out of Australia, MinEx Consulting. He believes that conservatively, the planet will consume as much copper in the forthcoming 20 to 25 years as has been consumed by humanity throughout all the history cumulatively.
David Cole:
And when you think about that with respect to the under-capitalized situation in the copper industry, it’s very, very dynamic situation. It’s very difficult not to be extraordinarily bullish copper. And Rick mentioned that Bingham Canyon Mine, one of the largest open pit mines in the world is where open pit mining was first invented. The globe currently consumes the entire endowment of that deposit annually. So it’s an interesting situation for the copper business.
Maurice Jackson:
Sticking with copper, Mr. Cole, let’s visit the EMX property banking, and get acquainted with some of your royalties beginning in Chile at the Caserones Mine where EMX recently increased its position there. Tell us about the royalty and why the increase.
David Cole:
So well, first of all, as said, we’re very bullish copper, have always believed in having a diversified portfolio and copper has been a key component to that. Scott Close who heads our investor relations team, likes to call Caserones, Casherones. This is a very long live asset. Officially, it’s a 17-year-mine life, but as geologists, we’ve looked at it. We see 25-plus years of production here just from the existing deposit as it is open ended at depth, and copper cutoff grades have a long history of decreasing over time because of these various factors that we’re pointing out.
David Cole:
So this is a very long lived assets. It’s like having a 30-year bond that pays in pounds of copper. And we do see a little bit of upside with respect to production coming from that, but we’re very bullish copper prices. And we did have the opportunity to buy at a fair valuation, a 0.4% royalty on that deposit. And then the opportunity came along for us to augment that as additional family members who owned this royalty wanted to sell and liquidate.
“We have under-invested as an industry in copper exploration production for 30 or 35 years”. ~ Rick Rule
David Cole:
And so we had the chance to increase that, and we did it as that next bite was larger than we could afford by ourselves. We brought in Franco-Nevada as a partner, and we have a huge amount of respect for Franco-Nevada. They’re the leader in the mining royalty space. And if you would’ve asked me who’s the best company to be a strategic investor in EMX, I would’ve said Franco-Nevada.
David Cole:
Very happy to get them across the line and become a shareholder in EMX, part and parcel to us taking that further bite and increasing our exposure to Caserones. And that’s not our only copper exposure in the world. Of course, we have a royalty on the Timok Project, which is one of the largest ongoing copper-gold discoveries on the planet.
Maurice Jackson:
Why would Franco Nevada the biggest, most successful company in the mineral royalty sector want shares in EMX?
“I think there is going to be an increasing demand for electrification for well to do people. But the real opportunity is increasing the material living standards for the bottom half of humanity. We have an obligation to do it. We’ve done a good job of it over the last three decades, it’s going to continue. And the driver is going to be copper”. ~ Rick Rule
David Cole:
And we’re delighted to have them on board. They’ve been giving us accolades for the royalty generation work for many years. We know these folks well from our history. I used to work with some of them at Newmont Mining Corporation, and they would come up to me. David Harquail once said, “Dave, we believe that your royalty generation work is topnotch and hats off to you for doing that.”
David Cole:
And ultimately, it was that that carried him across the line and got them to invest in the company. But ironically, it was associated with a royalty purchase. But Franco Nevada recognized the power and the integration of buying royalties as well as growing them organically to build your portfolio.
Maurice:
All right, I’ve thrown you some softballs here. Here’s a tough one. EMX has recently deployed a substantial amount of capital lately acquiring cash flowing and/or soon to be cash flowing royalties and taking on debt to do so. Does this really make sense in the long-term health of the company? I mean, is this really in the best interest of the shareholders?
David Cole:
Absolutely, absolutely. So, our calculated risk adjusted internal rate of return on the monies that we’ve invested into purchasing these portfolio of royalties vastly exceeds the cost of that capital. And speaking of cost of capital, one of the important goals here is to populate the top of the pyramid, increasing our cash flow, and enabling us to move across that border from a junior company to a mid-tier company with strong cash flows, which will significantly reduce our cost of capital as we able to form a relationship with major senior banks. And we’re in those discussions now.
David Cole:
So this is all part of our strategy to prudently grow our portfolio. And particularly in an inflationary environment, paying a 7% coupon rate to borrow some money to buy things that have double digit internal rates of return is smart business.
Maurice:
Rick, as a shareholder, how significant is it when you see Franco-Nevada paying a premium to own a 3.5% stake in EMX?
Rick Rule:
I like good partners. I’ve been a Franco-Nevada shareholder on and off because of course they disappeared for a while since 1982, and I hold them in very high regard. Dave has done a good job, I think, of attracting other sophisticated shareholders in EMX.
Rick Rule:
But certainly, I’m attracted to EMX as a shareholder. What price they paid is really a matter of their own concern, the fact that they paid a premium. I think if you look at the nature of the royalty transaction, the premium was explained.
“That’s what separates us from the crowd. And that’s why we’re the only junior or mid-tier royalty company that Franco Nevada has ever bought stock in and hold stock in currently“. ~ David Cole
Rick Rule:
But the truth is that in Franco-Nevada, EMX has a partner that should they have an opportunity that is time sensitive and attractive, they have a partner that could stroke a $250 million check or a $350 million check overnight without blinking an eye. And a partner that has the sophistication and the courage to be able to do that, that’s what’s important.
Maurice:
Rick, we just highlighted copper. What is your outlook on the opportunity before us in nickel?
Rick Rule:
Well, nickel, you could also say is also an electric metal. It’s in tighter supply than copper. Most of the marginal nickel production that we’ve seen in the world in the last 30 years is lateritic nickel, which is nickel that occurs in tropical environments, often Indonesia and the Philippines. And the production of lateritic nickel is extremely environmentally degrading and also extremely energy intensive. So you need to break down nickel between lateritic nickel and primary sulfide deposits.
Rick Rule:
Primary nickel sulfide deposits are very rare and extraordinarily valuable. A primary nickel mine, even at today’s nickel, makes an awful lot of money. In the very near term, the nickel price looks inexorably higher because the world’s most important nickel producer is Russia. The political difficulties between Russia and the rest of the world, including the fact that because Russia has been kicked out of the SWIFT banking systems means that even if they sell nickel, they can’t get paid for it in any currency that they can spend.
Rick Rule:
But looking beyond that, the uses of nickel in batteries, in stainless steel, in metallurgical applications, nickel is tied very, very directly like copper to the ascent of humankind. But primary nickel deposits are even rarer than high-quality primary copper deposits.
Maurice Jackson:
David, about two weeks ago, EMX announced that it had made a strategic investment in privately held Premium Nickel Resources, which holds a trio of defunct nickel, copper and cobalt mines in Botswana of all places. Now, this seems to be a big deviation from the EMX business model. What’s going on there?
David Cole:
Well, it’s actually a key part of our business model to make strategic investments. And so it’s quite synergistic with our royalty generation work. We’ve got smart economic challenges around the world, identifying properties to acquire. And occasionally, they come across an opportunity to invest in a company where we cannot, not buy the stock.
David Cole:
And you may recall the investment that we had in Russia of all places, that we liquidated at a substantial profit. That was a strategic investment in an ongoing copper and gold development story. We did exceedingly well on and happy to have our money out of Russia back in 2018 and have not gone back, I’ll point out.
David Cole:
But that’s an example of us making strategic investments. Our track record over a nearly 20-year pathway here has been quite good. We’ve netted out over 50 million USD from our strategic investments. And we’ve had a couple bumps on the chin. We’re comfortable with taking risk and the wins have far outweighed the losses.
David Cole:
This is our next major strategic investment, absolutely delighted for the very reasons that Rick pointed out to have that nickel exposure. And we think that the premium nickel asset in Botswana is going to be in the top five nickel sulfide systems on the planet. We’re very bullish about that opportunity.
Maurice Jackson:
Multimillion dollar question here, can you provide us with an update on the situation with Zijin Mining in Serbia at the giant Timok copper-gold mine?
David Cole:
Everybody wants to know the answer to that. Of course, I can selectively disclose information, but I can say that we are in negotiations with Zijin. They’ve been quite professional and communicative to work with, and I’m confident that we’ll come to a mutual agreement.
Maurice Jackson:
All right. The Balya silver-lead-zinc mine in Turkey, it’s been ramping up for a while now. What’s the latest there?
David Cole:
So the exploration results have been phenomenal. The deposit continues to grow. They’ve decided that they will build a second mill, which we’re delighted that will substantially enhance our cash flow long-term. And they are entering into commercial production now. I expect the first royalty check to come in within the next couple of months, actually. And I do expect production to ramp up from multiple underground headings over the course of the next five years. Five years from now, it’s going to be a substantial annual royalty for us.
Maurice Jackson:
Can you give us an update on the Gediktepe gold oxide and polymetallic mine? And when will this royalty start cash flowing?
David Cole:
That one’s also just a couple months away, Maurice. And so that’s an interesting royalty in that the royalty on the upper oxide zone, which is gold and silver enriched, is 10%. That was part of the sales price when the predecessor to SSR sold that on to the current operator, Lidya, and that 10% kicks in after 10,000 ounces have been poured. And we’re right at 4,000 ounces right now. They are in production, they’re placing ore on the pad. They did have a tough winter season, so that slowed them down a little bit, but they’re only a few weeks behind.
David Cole:
And we’re seeing greater in production as they head into summer. As soon as they cross the 10,000th ounce, which will be just a few months out, probably June or July, then we’ll start to receive royalty payments on that, and that is a 10% royalty. And that’s on the upper oxide zone, which we believe will have about a five-year mine life. And then it goes into the polymetallic sulfide zone, which is dominated by zinc and copper, two commodities we love. And that’s a 2% royalty in perpetuity on that zone.
David Cole:
So that’s another key asset within the portfolio that starts to cash flow in a few months.
Maurice Jackson:
Now that 10% is just remarkable. With all the new royalty cash flow and pending royalties poised to begin paying, what will the cash flow look like for EMX for the remainder of 2022?
David Cole:
Yep. So we will be coming out with guidance in two quarters, and we’re diligently working on that. And our bankers are talking to us about that. And that’s part of our shelf filing that we’re also in the process of, and this is all part of our maturing from a junior company that’s been building a portfolio to a mid-tier company with strong cash flows. And so, as soon as we provide that guidance, Maurice, you’ll be one of the first to know.
Maurice Jackson:
Right, looking forward to it. Leaving the property bank, Rick, I know you have a very stringent, selective criteria for companies that make the grade, if you will, before you will commit your capital. Now, we just heard Mr. Cole referenced that EMX has five attractive royalties and more on the way along with an attractive share price, in my opinion.
Maurice Jackson:
That all sounds compelling, but you taught me years ago that the competitive advantage for a shareholder is found in the board of directors, management, and technical team. Why are the people equally, if not more, important to you as a shareholder than the given project, and specifically the team that comprises EMX royalty?
Rick Rule:
Bad people can screw up good rocks. If the wrong team controls the cash flow, they get it and the shareholders don’t, simple as that. The second thing of course, is that luck favors the trained observer. And you need luck in exploration. Dave has done a great job over 20 years. He’s a geologist himself, but I would say his true talent is hiring and motivating and keeping very good geologists.
Rick Rule:
So, what has always attracted me to EMX has been the technical IQ per dollar of market cap. The fact that although the team has done a decent job of buying royalties, what I think the real secret sauce is the fact that they have generated royalties by generating 300 exploration concepts that other people have bought into. It can take a decade for prospect generation to work for you. But prospect generation, in my own portfolio, has been by far the most capital efficient exploration speculation that I have done. What the EMX team did is they figured out a better payments mechanism.
Rick Rule:
For most of my life, I invested in teams that had great intellectual capital that generated projects, and they ended up getting a carried interest in the project. The problem with that is that they sometimes didn’t have the ability to carry the load as the project went into production. And well, they had a lot of exploration expertise, they maybe didn’t have construction or development expertise.
Rick Rule:
What David did is he really simplified the way they got paid. Rather than get paid in the ability to own on a subsidized basis, a minority interested in operation that they may not know how to operate, he developed a circumstance where they got paid a carried interest by way of a royalty, which is ultimately a safer and probably a more valuable instrument.
Rick Rule:
The same intellectual capital that he has hired and deploys in the exploration business can be used to both source and evaluate either merchant banking opportunities, which is to say those companies that he invests in strategically or royalties. So I think it’s important that the exploration IQ that has been assembled within EMX turns out to be a strategic advantage in moving their asset base forward.
Maurice Jackson:
Now, Rick, we’ve heard you convey the merits of owning mineral royalties, and we’ve heard the virtues that EMX royalty presents to the market. Before we close, what did I forget to ask?
Rick Rule:
Well, I think, the important question to ask any company that’s beginning to mature is how are the capital allocation decisions made. What would be as, an example, the capital cost assumptions around the debt that they took on and what sort of pro forma delta would occur between cost of capital to return on capital employed? How strategically will the decision be made internally as to whether to emphasize the merchant banking business, the royalty generation business, or the royalty acquisition business?
Rick Rule:
And then finally, I think, the royalty acquisition business is extremely competitive. I would ask Dave to describe the competitive advantage that he may feel against the 30-some odd other players in the mineral royalty space.
Maurice Jackson:
All right, Mr. Cole. So, you know what’s up for our next interview.
David Cole:
It boils down to our alpha, which is on the technical side. And we believe that astute business decisions are rooted in solid technical understanding. And we’ve always had a strong technical team here at EMX to drive those business decisions so that we can have that astute allocation of capital.
Maurice Jackson:
Last question for you, Rick, tell us about the Rule Symposium, which will be held this year at the beautiful Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Florida, July 26th through the 29th.
And I thought you’d never ask, Maurice. As both of you know, or all of you, frankly, to have put on natural resource investing conferences, the majority of those, the live ones took place in Vancouver, BC. A couple years ago because of COVID, we had to discontinue that one for a while. And we’d like to bring it back to BC, but the truth is with the COVID circumstance and public health administrations and two countries doing their level best to thwart my franchise, we decided to bring the conference down to the United States because most of the attendees are, in fact, American.
Rick Rule:
We searched around the country for a resort that was of the same quality that we expected, and one that had the facilities that we needed. And we found one in Boca Raton. The Boca Resort has a long and fabled history. It’s just undergone a spectacular renovation. They put hundreds of millions of dollars in it. They’re renting rooms to our attendees for $295 a night. Their rack rate is about a thousand, truly spectacular location.
Rick Rule:
The conference itself has a long and storied history. We’ve always had great speakers. We have Jim Rickards, Danielle DiMartino Booth, Doug Casey, the normal sort of gurus. But what’s always made our conference set apart is really two things. One, we have always had what I call the living legends, which is to say, we’ve always had the speakers, people who have built multi-billion dollar businesses in natural resources from scratch. It isn’t all gurus. There’s a lot of jockeys there and they are great jockeys. We’ll have that this year.
Rick Rule:
In addition to that, every exhibitor at our conference is owned either in Sprott managed accounts or in my own account. That doesn’t mean sadly that every stock I own goes up. What it does mean is that my attendees can rest assure that every exhibitor has been vetted. We know them well enough that we in fact, own them.
Rick Rule:
The important part of a live conference is that you get to see the interaction between the exhibitors and the speakers. I remember four years ago, I guess in Vancouver, following at a discreet different distance, Robert Friedland, one of the best resource entrepreneurs in history. And I watched him walk around the exhibit hall. I watched him speak to exhibitors. I took note of which exhibitors he talked to and which exhibitors made him smile and which exhibitors made him frown. I think the opportunity to follow Robert Friedland on a resource stock shopping trip is worth the price of admission.
Rick Rule:
By the way, with regards to the price of admission, every investment product, every investment education product that Rule Investment Media has ever offered over the last 30 years has come with a complete money back guarantee. If you come to the conference, you pay the tuition, and you don’t think it was worth your money? Email me. I’ll give you your money back.
Maurice:
One important factor that maybe you forgot to highlight there is the intellectual capital that you get from other investors. And the lifelong relationships that I’ve had an opportunity to forge has just been, I can’t put a price tag on that.
Rick Rule:
Oh, that’s a very good point. There’s going to be 500 high net worth investors there. And the idea that all the IQ in the room flows from the dais to the room is stupid. Watching fellow investors, listening to the questions that they ask the exhibitors, listening to the questions and the conversations they have amongst each other, listening to the conversations in the workshop, absolutely invaluable. And as I say, if you aren’t prepared to make money on it, there’s a money back guarantee.
Maurice:
Now I know the next question everyone has is how do I register? We’ve got that taken care of for you CLICK HERE. Check the description box below. Also, just visit www.provenandprobable.com. And the link will be on the right side of our homepage just below the weekly precious metal special through Miles Franklin Precious Metals Investments. Mr. Cole, before we close, what would you like to say to shareholders?
David Cole:
Buy the depths, yeah. As Rick likes to say, you want to use the cycles to your advantage rather than be used by the cycles.
Maurice:
Mr. Cole, for someone that wants to learn more about EMX royalty, please share the website address.
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – April 20, 2022) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (FSE: 6E9) (“EMX”) is pleased to announce a strategic investment in Premium Nickel Resources Corporation (“PNR“), a private Canadian company advancing nickel-copper-cobalt and platinum group element (“PGE“) projects in Botswana. EMX owns 5,412,702 shares or 6.3% of the issued and outstanding shares of PNR, having recently purchased an additional one million shares as part of a US$17.5 million financing completed by PNR at US$2.00 per share.
PNR recently acquired the Selebi and Selebi North nickel-copper-cobalt mines and signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the Selkirk nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE mine, which are located in Botswana’s prolific Selebi-Phikwe and Tati nickel mining districts, respectively (see Figure 1). The combined Selebi-Phikwe and Tati districts were a leading producer of nickel and copper from initial production in 1972 through closure of the mines at a time of low nickel prices in 2016. PNR intends to modernize and revitalize the mines it recently acquired and further evaluate the exploration potential within the project areas.
In addition to the recent asset acquisitions, in February PNR signed a non-binding letter of intent with North American Nickel Inc. (“NAN“) providing for a business combination of PNR and NAN which would be effected as a reverse takeover (“RTO“) (see NAN News Release dated February 17, 2022). The RTO will provide a public listing and near-term liquidity for PNR shareholders. NAN currently owns 8.9% of PNR, with a warrant to acquire an additional 15% of the equity in PNR (the “Warrant“). As a result of the RTO transaction, PNR shareholders will hold approximately 75% of the outstanding common shares of the resulting issuer, with NAN’s shareholders holding the remaining 25% and NAN’s Warrant would be extinguished. The RTO transaction is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals1.
Selebi Phikwe District. The metamorphosed magmatic sulfide nickel-copper-cobalt deposits of the Selebi Phikwe District are located in the Limpopo Mobile Belt of northeastern Botswana. The deposits were discovered in the early 1960’s, with mining operations commencing in 1972 and continuing through 2016. Together with its concentrator and smelting facilities, the Selebi-Phikwe District became one of world’s premier nickel mining complexes in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Operational inefficiencies, issues with the smelting complex, and low nickel prices led to closure of the mines in 2016. The mines and mining complex were operated by BCL Limited (“BCL“) and were subject to a recent liquidation process.
Two of the principal mines in the district, Selebi and Selebi North, have been acquired by PNR (See NAN News Release dated February 10, 2022), both of which include substantial underground infrastructure (shafts, rail, power and water) and unmined historical resources. PNR is currently conducting exploration and engineering programs as part of a redevelopment plan that has been approved by the liquidators of BCL and the Botswana government.
Tati Mining District. The Tati Mining District is located 75 kilometers north of Selebi-Phikwe, near Francistown. Several mines occur in the district, including the Phoenix open pit nickel-copper mine and the nearby underground Selkirk nickel-copper-PGE mine. High grade nickel-copper-PGE mineralization was mined at Selkirk between 1989 and 2002 and direct shipped to the BCL Smelter at Selebi-Phikwe. A former owner of the Selkirk Mine, Norilsk Nickel Ltd, advanced the project to the feasibility stage and was preparing Selkirk as an open pit mining operation when it sold the mine to BCL in 2014.
Similar to the BCL assets at Selebi-Phikwe, assets of the Tati Nickel Mining Company were included in the recent liquidation process, which included the Selkirk Mine. PNR recently signed an asset purchase agreement with the liquidator to acquire the Selkirk Mine (see NAN News Release dated February 14, 2022) and has been conducting metallurgical tests and resampling of historical drill core.
PNR Activities at Selebi and Selkirk. The acquisition of the Selebi, Selebi North and Selkirk Mines by PNR followed an extensive period of evaluation, due diligence and data compilation and negotiations for acquisition of the assets. Proposed work by PNR at Selebi and Selebi North includes exploration drilling of prioritized geophysical targets, metallurgical and engineering studies, and upgrading of underground infrastructure. Proposed work at Selkirk will include continued metallurgical studies, exploration programs to update historical resources, and environmental studies.
Importantly, PNR is planning to design its own processing plant infrastructure and tailings facilities at Selebi and Selkirk which will be spatially and operationally independent of the historical concentrator plants and smelting facilities at Phikwe. Upon commencement of production, PNR intends to produce both copper concentrate and nickel-cobalt concentrate products for sale.
As a strategic shareholder, EMX has maintained an active dialog with the management team at PNR and has made site visits to the project areas. EMX looks forward to continuing its active relationship with the resultant issuer following completion of the RTO.
In recent years, EMX began seeking strategic investment and royalty generation opportunities in nickel and associated battery metal elements such as cobalt and PGE’s. EMX’s investment into PNR is another example of this approach and provides EMX with additional commodity diversification and exposure to the battery metals market.
Comments on nearby mines and deposits. The nearby mines and deposits discussed in this news release provide context for PNR’s assets, which occur in a similar geologic setting, but this is not necessarily indicative that the PNR properties will host similar mineralization.
Dr. Eric P. Jensen, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.
About EMX. EMX is a precious, base and battery metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol EMX, and also trade on the Frankfurt exchange under the symbol “6E9”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.
For further information contact:
David M. Cole President and Chief Executive Officer Phone: (303) 973-8585 Dave@EMXroyalty.com
Scott Close Director of Investor Relations Phone: (303) 973-8585 SClose@EMXroyalty.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain “forward-looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserve and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “MD&A”), and the most recently filed Revised Annual Information Form (the “AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2021, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.
Figure 1. Location map for the Selebi-Phikwe and Tati Mining Districts in Botswana.
1 Investors are cautioned that there can be no definitive assurances that the RTO transaction will be approved and closed, or that the indicative terms specified by PNR and NAN will ultimately be adopted.
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – April 14, 2022) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (FSE: 6E9) (“EMX” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired an additional (effective) 0.3155% Net Smelter Return (“NSR“) royalty on the Caserones Copper-Molybdenum Mine located in northern Chile for US$25.74 million. When combined with EMX’s 0.418% NSR interest acquired in August 2021 (see EMX news release dated August 17, 2021), EMX now holds an effective 0.7335% NSR royalty. Franco-Nevada Corporation (“Franco-Nevada”) has concurrently acquired a 0.4582% (effective) NSR royalty on similar terms.
Since acquisition, Caserones has generated pre-tax cash flow to EMX in Q2, Q3 and Q4 of fiscal 2021 totalling $3.6 million from EMX’s effective 0.418% interest. As part of the royalty purchase, EMX will receive royalty distributions covering Q1 of fiscal 2022 for the additional interest acquired.
To finance its purchase of the additional NSR royalty, EMX has agreed to complete a private placement with Franco-Nevada for C$12.58 million (US$10 million). On completion, Franco-Nevada will own approximately 3.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of EMX on an undiluted basis. EMX is delighted to have Franco-Nevada as a shareholder.
Caserones Overview. The Caserones open pit mine is developed upon a significant porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit in the Atacama Region of the northern Chilean Andean Cordillera, 162 kilometres southeast of the city of Copiapó. The mine is operated by SCM Minera Lumina Copper Chile SpA (“Minera Lumina”), which is owned by JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation.
Caserones produces copper and molybdenum concentrates from a conventional crusher, mill and flotation plant, as well as copper cathodes from a dump leach, solvent extraction and electrowinning plant. In 2020, the mine produced 104,917 tonnes of fine copper in concentrate, 2,453 tonnes of fine molybdenum in concentrate, and 22,056 tonnes of fine copper in cathodes (results for 2021 have not yet been released by Minera Lumina). The Caserones open pit has operated with an average waste to ore strip ratio of 0.47, has an estimated 17 years remaining in its current mine plan (as at year-end 2020), along with excellent exploration potential.https://embed.fireplace.yahoo.com/embed?ctrl=Monalixa&m_id=monalixa&m_mode=document&site=sports&os=android&pageContext=%257B%2522ctopid%2522%253A%25221542500%253B1577000%2522%252C%2522hashtag%2522%253A%25221542500%253B1577000%2522%252C%2522wiki_topics%2522%253A%2522Franco-Nevada%253BRoyalty_payment%253BShares_outstanding%253BCalifornia%253BCompany%253BPrivate_placement%2522%252C%2522lmsid%2522%253A%2522a0V0W00000HOPDcUAP%2522%252C%2522revsp%2522%253A%2522newsfile_64%2522%252C%2522lpstaid%2522%253A%2522238b4c30-4b4b-3615-902e-17d479fd2222%2522%252C%2522pageContentType%2522%253A%2522story%2522%257D
Acquisition Details. The Caserones mine is subject to a 2.88% NSR royalty created in a 2009 agreement between SCM Minera Lumina Copper Chile S.A., as purchaser, and Compañía Minera Caserones (“CMC“) and Sociedad Legal Minera California Una de la Sierra Peña Negra (“SLM California“), as vendors. CMC and SLM California originally acquired the mineral concessions that overlie the Caserones deposit. Ownership of the 2.88% NSR royalty is currently divided between CMC (32.5%) and SLM California (67.5%). SLM California’s sole purpose is to distribute its royalty income to its shareholders as dividends and pay Chilean taxes on its income.
EMX has purchased today a further 16.23% of the shares of SLM California for US$25.74 million pursuant to share purchase agreements with existing shareholders of SLM California.
Private Placement. Franco-Nevada will purchase 3,812,121 units at C$3.30 per unit for total proceeds of C$12,580,000. Each unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one warrant to purchase one common share of the Company for five years at an exercise price of C$4.45. The shares issued upon closing and issuable upon the exercise of the warrants are and will be subject to a four-month restricted resale (hold) period. Proceeds from the placement totalling C$12,580,000 will be used towards the acquisition of the additional Caserones (effective) royalty interest.
Qualified Person. Eric P. Jensen, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators and an employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified, and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.
About EMX. EMX is a precious, base and battery metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol EMX, and also trade on the Frankfurt exchange under the symbol “6E9”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.
For further information contact:
David M. Cole President and Chief Executive Officer Phone: (303) 973-8585 Dave@EMXroyalty.com
Scott Close Director of Investor Relations Phone: (303) 973-8585 SClose@EMXroyalty.com
Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain “forward looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding completion of the transactions, perceived merits of properties, exploration results, budgets and potential, estimated mine life, mineral reserves and resource estimates, timelines, strategic plans, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential”, “upside” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors. It is possible EMX may not complete the transaction, as a result of failure to fulfill conditions of closing, unavailability of financing or for other reasons EMX cannot anticipate at this time.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “MD&A”), and the most recently filed Annual Information Form (the “AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2021, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.
KELOWNA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 12, 2022 / Diamcor Mining Inc. (TSX.V:DMI), (OTCQB:DMIFF), (FRA:DC3A), (“Diamcor” or, the “Company”) announced today that the Company’s gross revenues from tenders and sales held in its fourth quarter, ending March 31, 2022, increased to (USD) $1,301,978, a 21% increase over the previous quarter. Total carats sold during the fourth quarter decreased by 12% to 4,787.89 when compared to the 5,441.88 sold in the previous quarter. This, however, was largely due to the timing of tenders during the fourth quarter, and the decision by the Company in March 2022 to retain and instead offer approximately 2,000 additional carats at upcoming tenders during the current quarter. Despite the lower volume sold during the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2022, the average dollar per carat of (USD) $271.93 achieved during the period increased by 38% over the previous quarter. The increase in the average price per carat achieved during the period was primarily due to significant price increases experienced early in the quarter which appear to be due to rough diamond shortages in various categories.
Progress of Accelerated Upgrades
The Company also announces that its efforts to increase current processing volumes and efficiencies during the last quarter continued, and further results of these efforts are expected to be realised during the current quarter. The reconfiguration and installation of the Project’s X-Ray diamond sorting units and final recovery systems remained a priority during the quarter, and these efforts, along with the installation of additional screening systems now nearing completion, remain on schedule to advance the Company’s continued increases in processing volumes. These accelerated upgrades position the Company to take advantage of any potential rough diamond shortages associated with on-going international sanctions, which may impact a significant portion of the world’s rough diamonds supply originating in Russia.
Acceleration Highlights
Processing Volume Increases – The installation of additional screening equipment to compliment the previously completed phase one upgrades and specifically increase efficiencies in the removal of soil and clay fines at the Project’s Main Treatment Plant are now nearing completion. These refinements are expected to be operational prior to the end of April 2022 and to increase current hourly feed-rates and processing volumes by approximately 60%.
Water Recovery Improvements – Initial revisions to the Project’s water recovery systems aimed at supporting additional tonnages have also been completed. The construction and delivery of a larger purpose-built water recovery system continues to progress on schedule, with delivery targeted prior to the end of the current quarter. All water recovery system additions are designed to ultimately lower water consumption on a per ton basis through improvements in the recovery of wastewater, and provide the potential for further increases to processing volumes moving forward.
Reductions in Operating Costs on a Per Ton Basis – In addition to providing the potential to increase processing volumes, the screening upgrades are expected to provide the added benefit of lowering the Project’s operating costs on a per-ton basis by reducing consumables due to added screening efficiencies. Material handling and equipment cycle times are also expected to improve.
Continued Support of Further Growth – The collective upgrades completed to date have retained much of their original design and scope to ensure they continue to support the Company’s ongoing larger growth plans.
No Disruptions to Current Operations – The installation of the upgrades to date have been completed in conjunction with ongoing processing as envisioned, and have not caused any material disruptions to operations.
“The progress made during the quarter has strategically positioned our Company with the potential to supply quality buyers with increased volumes of rough diamonds at a time when potential shortages are anticipated moving forward,” stated Mr. Dean Taylor, Diamcor CEO.https://embed.fireplace.yahoo.com/embed?ctrl=Monalixa&m_id=monalixa&m_mode=document&site=sports&os=android&pageContext=%257B%2522ctopid%2522%253A%25221542500%253B1577000%253B1480989%2522%252C%2522hashtag%2522%253A%25221542500%253B1577000%253B1480989%2522%252C%2522wiki_topics%2522%253A%2522Company%253BTSX_Venture_Exchange%253BTiffany_%2526_Co.%253BProject%253BStargate_SG-1_(season_4)%253BDiamond%2522%252C%2522lmsid%2522%253A%2522a077000000LnOyOAAV%2522%252C%2522revsp%2522%253A%2522accesswire.ca%2522%252C%2522lpstaid%2522%253A%252202b7c941-b464-37df-ad39-2fbcb91eeeb9%2522%252C%2522pageContentType%2522%253A%2522story%2522%257D
About Diamcor Mining Inc.
Diamcor Mining Inc. is a fully reporting publicly traded junior diamond mining company which is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol V.DMI, and on the OTC QB International under the symbol DMIFF. The Company has a well-established operational and production history in South Africa and extensive prior experience supplying rough diamonds to the world market.
About the Tiffany & Co. Alliance
The Company has established a long-term strategic alliance and first right of refusal with Tiffany & Co. Canada, a subsidiary of world famous New York based Tiffany & Co., to purchase up to 100% of the future production of rough diamonds from the Krone-Endora at Venetia Project at then current prices to be determined by the parties on an ongoing basis. In conjunction with this first right of refusal, Tiffany & Co. Canada also provided the Company with financing to advance the Project. Tiffany & Co. is owned by Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH), a publicly traded company which is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (Euronext) under the symbol LVMH and on the OTC under the symbol LVMHF. For additional information on Tiffany & Co., please visit their website at www.tiffany.com.
About Krone-Endora at Venetia
In February 2011, Diamcor acquired the Krone-Endora at Venetia Project from De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited, consisting of the prospecting rights over the farms Krone 104 and Endora 66, which represent a combined surface area of approximately 5,888 hectares directly adjacent to De Beers’ flagship Venetia Diamond Mine in South Africa. On September 11, 2014, the Company announced that the South African Department of Mineral Resources had granted a Mining Right for the Krone-Endora at Venetia Project encompassing 657.71 hectares of the Project’s total area of 5,888 hectares. The Company has also submitted an application for a mining right over the remaining areas of the Project. The deposits which occur on the properties of Krone and Endora have been identified as a higher-grade “Alluvial” basal deposit which is covered by a lower-grade upper “Eluvial” deposit. The deposits are proposed to be the result of the direct-shift (in respect to the “Eluvial” deposit) and erosion (in respect to the “Alluvial” deposit) of material from the higher grounds of the adjacent Venetia Kimberlite areas. The deposits on Krone-Endora occur in two layers with a maximum total depth of approximately 15.0 metres from surface to bedrock, allowing for a very low-cost mining operation to be employed with the potential for near-term diamond production from a known high-quality source. Krone-Endora also benefits from the significant development of infrastructure and services already in place due to its location directly adjacent to the Venetia Mine.
Qualified Person Statement:
Mr. James P. Hawkins (B.Sc., P.Geo.), is Manager of Exploration & Special Projects for Diamcor Mining Inc., and the Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 responsible for overseeing the execution of Diamcor’s exploration programmes and a Member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (“APEGA”). Mr. Hawkins has reviewed this press release and approved of its contents.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements represent our best current judgement, they are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company’s ability to control or predict and which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Further, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
WE SEEK SAFE HARBOUR
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Russia causes a dramatic change in the global diamond market
Mountain Province Diamonds- a top-tier company with significant scale
Diamcor Mining- A junior diamond miner with potential
A potential bottom in DMI/DMIFF shares
A diamond is a pure solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure, a diamond cubic. At room temperature and pressure, another solid form of carbon is graphite, a chemically stable form of the element. Diamonds form under high temperatures and pressure that cause the carbon atoms to bond and form crystals.
It takes carbon up to 650 million years to become fossil fuels. Transforming carbon into a diamond takes one to 3.3 billion years, approximately 25% to 75% of the earth’s age.
Diamonds occur in greater number and quality in the ocean, but the extraction process is expensive and challenging. Ocean miners dredge the ocean floor, bring the material onto mining ships, and sift it for diamonds. Mining diamonds from the earth’s crust involves releasing igneous emplace rocks with explosives as the encased diamonds are carried up with intrusive rocks from the earth’s mantle. Most diamond mines are around one hundred miles below the earth’s surface.
Rough diamonds look like shiny pebbles. Experts cut and polish the rocks that become the centerpiece of jewelry cherished worldwide. Only 20-30% of mined diamonds have a suitable quality for jewelry; the remainder goes to industrial applications. The industrial diamonds are too badly flawed, irregularly shaped, poorly colored, or too small for gems. However, they are critical for cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing procedures because of a diamond’s hardness and heat conductivity.
The first Soviet leader, Vladimir Lenin, once said, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.”
The international diamond business is experiencing that phenomenon in early 2022, courtesy of his successor.
Russia is the leading producer- Canada is third Like many commodities, diamond production occurs in regions where the earth contains minable reserves.
The chart highlights that Russia has the largest diamond reserves with approximately 650 million carats, over double the country with the second-most reserves, Botswana. While diamonds are synonymous with South Africa, the nation is home to the fourth leading reserves behind Russia, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While the DR Congo has the third most reserves, Canada is the third-leading diamond-producing country.
As the chart illustrates, in 2020, Canada produced 17.2% of the worlds’ diamonds.
Russia causes a dramatic change in the global diamond market
On February 24, 2022, the world changed as the Russian military invaded Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin does not consider Ukraine a country but a part of Western Europe. Meanwhile, the watershed event occurred on February 4, 2022, when President Putin and Chinese President Xi signed a $117 billion trade agreement and shook hands on “no-limits” support. The Chinese-Russian alliance paved the way for Russia’s invasion of the country that the US, Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan, and allies worldwide consider a sovereign country in Eastern Europe. Russian success in Ukraine could pave the way for China’s reunification with Taiwan.
Sanctions on Russia leading to retaliatory measures are likely to choke off commodity supplies to the west. Russia is a leading producer and exporter of diamonds, oil, nickel, wheat, fertilizer, and a host of other raw materials.
The geopolitical landscape has deteriorated to the most dangerous level since World War II. War, sanctions, and trade embargos distort market prices, impacting the global supply chain and creating fundamental supply and demand imbalances. The dark cloud of war and tensions between Russia-China and the West may have a diamond lining for companies producing commodities to fill the gaps created by supply shortages and rising prices.
On February 24, the diamond market underwent a substantial change.
Mountain Province Diamonds- a top-tier company with significant scale
The DeBeers Group controls companies in the diamond mining, diamond processing, and diamond trading sectors. Still, it is the second-leading diamond company behind Alrosa, the Russian mining giant that distributed 38.5 million carats in 2021. De Beers distributed 30.78 million carats.
When most people think of diamonds, De Beers is the brand name that glistens like the stones. De Beers has been around since 1888 with South African roots. Today, the company calls London home, with the mining giant Anglo American (NGLOY)owning 85%. While price transparency in the diamond market can be opaque, prices have appreciated.
The price index rose from 204.20 in July 2020 to 230.30 in March 2022, a 12.8% increase.
Mountain Province Diamonds is a Canadian diamond producer that operates a joint venture with De Beers, owning the world’s fifth-largest diamond mine, Gahcho Kue, in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Mountain Province Diamonds also owns 100% of the Kennady North Project and explores for diamonds in the Northwest Territories through targeted drill programs with 13.6 million carat reserves and inferred resources of 7.35 million carats ten kilometers from the Gahcho Kue mine. A summary of some of the company’s other highlights includes:
The highest-grade diamonds in the De Beers portfolio at 1.55 carats per ton of reserves.
The second most favorable mining jurisdiction in Canada.
A commitment to sustainability through environmental stewardship.
Exploration territory of 107,000 hectares of 100% owned claims/leases surrounding Gahcho Kue.
Mountain Province Diamonds traded on the TSX in Canadian dollars under MPVD.TO. The company trades in the over-the-counter market in the US under the symbol MPVDF.
Source: Barchart
As the chart highlights, MPVDF shares fell to a low of 17.41 cents in March 2020 as the global pandemic gripped markets across all asset classes. The stock has moved higher with diamond prices and production success, making higher lows and higher highs with the price at 62.83 cents on March 16, over 3.6 times higher than the March 2020 low.
Diamcor Mining- A junior diamond miner with potential
Diamcor Mining Inc. is a junior diamond mining company that identifies, acquires, and operates unique projects with “near-term production potential.”
While many people think of De Beers synonymously with diamonds, the other name that comes to mind is Tiffany & Company. Diamcor established a long-term strategic alliance and the first right of refusal with Tiffany & Co, Canada, a subsidiary of Tiffany & Co in the US, for the purchase of up to 100% of the future production of rough diamonds from the Krone-Endora at Venetia Project at current market prices. Tiffany & Co. provides financing for the project. Diamcor acquired the Krone-Endora at Venetia project from DeBeers. The mine is co-located directly adjacent to the De Beers Venetia Diamond Mine in the Limpopo province of the Republic of South Africa. The project is a rare eluvial deposit, a direct shift of material from the higher grounds of the Venetia Kimberlite clusters onto the lower surrounding areas of Krone-Endora. The property is approximately 500 kilometers north-northeast of Johannesburg. The Venetia mine is the world’s third-largest diamond mine and South Africa’s leading mining, accounting for over 50% of annual production.
Some of Diamcor’s highlights include:
Accelerated phase two of a three-phase processing upgrade to increase volumes as the demand for rough diamonds has continued to be robust.
Diamcor’s most recent rough diamond sale yielded an average price of over $300 per carat, a 60% increase from the December 2021 price.
The project has revenue flows with demonstrated profitability.
The project has $70 million in development to date with significant infrastructure in place and a 30-year mining right.
A high percentage of the project’s diamonds are gem quality and can be found just 50 feet below surface.
Diamond reserves are likely on 95% of the project area that has not been defined, leading to significant growth potential.
US and European sanctions will limit the number of industrial and gem-quality diamond flows from Russia, pushing prices higher and availability lower. The world will be looking for new sources, and Diamcor’s project is far enough along and positioned to meet the increasing demand.
A potential bottom in DMI/DMIFF shares Diamcor Mining Inc trades on the TSX under the symbol DMI.VN. On the Us over-the-counter market, the symbol is DMIFF. The shares have moved appreciably higher since the late 2020 low.
Source: Barchart
As the chart highlights, DMIFF shares rose from a low of $0.046 in late December 2020 to $0.2425 on March 16, over five times higher. In October 2021, the shares peaked at 43.0 cents, over nine times higher than the late 2020 low. DMIFF returned a higher percentage gain than Mountain Province Diamonds (MPVDF) since its 2020 low.
It takes over a billion years for a diamond to form, making the stones a forever asset. Meanwhile, sanctions on Russia will limit the precious stones supplies, which could create an exciting opportunity for Diamcor, a mining company with lots of upside potential.
Written By: Andrew Hecht, on behalf of Maurice Jackson of Proven and Probable.
Any investment involves substantial risks, including, but not limited to, pricing volatility, inadequate liquidity, and the potential complete loss of principal. This document does not in any way constitute an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any investment, security, or commodity discussed herein, or any security in any jurisdiction in which such an offer would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
