VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 10, 2024 / Granite Creek Copper Ltd. (TSXV:GCX)(OTCQB:GCXXF) (“Granite Creek” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce drill results from the 2024 drill campaign on at its wholly owned Carmacks copper-gold-silver project located in central Yukon, Canada. As previously mentioned, the Company identified a new zone within the Carmacks project called the Gap Zone (see news release dated October 3, 2024), located between existing high-grade, pit-constrained resources. The exploratory drill program intercepted copper mineralization in all four drill holes, laying the foundation for a follow-up resource definition and expansion drilling campaign. See below for selected drill results.
Table 1 – Selected Assay Results
Drillhole
From(m)
To(m)
Length*(m)
Cu(%)
Au(g/t)
Ag(g/t)
CRM24-026
172.21
180.15
7.94
0.13
0.017
0.7
CRM24-027
250.00
253.70
3.70
0.94
0.124
5.8
and
258.50
279.75
21.25
0.53
0.072
3.3
Including
261.30
270.30
9.00
0.70
0.090
4.4
CRM24-028
255.04
269.99
14.95
0.40
0.037
2.7
CRM24-029
247.00
261.85
14.85
0.51
0.059
3.4
Including
254.60
259.00
4.40
0.77
0.093
6.5
Figure 1 – Gap Zone plan view showing drill locations and traces
The Gap Zone lies between the proposed 147 and 2000S pits and was first identified by a 2022 geophysical IP survey (see news release dated November 21, 2022). Likely representing a fault offset from the main 147 Zone, the Gap Zone has the potential to add significant tonnage and extend the mine life envisioned by the 2023 Preliminary Economic Assessment (see news release dated January 19, 2023)
Granite Creek President and CEO, Timothy Johnson, stated, “The success of this drill program highlights the continued prospectivity of the Carmacks project. There remain multiple untested drill targets on the project, both proximal to the proposed pits as outlined int the 2023 PEA, as well as distal areas and across the northern sector which has seen only modest exploration. The project hosts significant copper-gold-silver resources and has the potential for major expansion across the 177 square kilometre land package in this top mining jurisdiction.”
Carmacks Deposit
The 177 sq km, Carmacks project contains over 824 Mlbs Measured and Indicated and 29 Mlbs Inferred copper equivalent (“CuEq”) metal within a National Instrument 43-101-compliant, high-grade resource of 36.2 million tonnes grading 1.07 % CuEq (0.81% Cu, 0.31 g/t Au, 3.41 Ag)1. The road accessible project is located along the Freegold Road, a Resource Gateway Road currently being upgraded by the Yukon government and is within 20 km of the Yukon electrical grid. The project is also situated within the Minto Copper Belt, a roughly 80 km long belt of rocks known for high grade occurrences of copper-gold-silver mineralisation.
The 2023 Carmacks Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”), completed by SGS Canada, identified increased resources along with improved recovery as prime means of increasing the Net Present Value (“NPV”) of the project. Work completed this year by Kemetco Research (see news release dated January 17, 2024) demonstrated that recoveries exceeding the target outlined in the PEA can be achieved. The just completed drill program was designed to show that significant resource expansion is possible and specifically targeted areas that could lead to an expanded mine life as envisioned by the PEA.
About Granite Creek Copper
Granite Creek Copper is a focused on the exploration and development of critical minerals projects in North America and more recently on geologic hydrogen. The Company’s projects consist of its flagship 177 square kilometer Carmacks project in the Minto copper district of Canada’s Yukon Territory on trend with the formerly operating, high-grade Minto copper-gold mine and the advanced stage LS molybdenum project and the Star copper-nickel-PGM project, both located in central British Columbia. Recent acquisitions include the Union Bay geologic hydrogen project as well as entering into a letter of intent to acquire the Duke Island ultramafic project for it’s geologic hydrogen potential, both projects located in the state of Alaska. More information about Granite Creek Copper can be viewed on the Company’s website at www.gcxcopper.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Timothy Johnson, President & CEO Telephone: 1 (604) 235-1982 Toll Free: 1 (888) 361-3494 E-mail: info@gcxcopper.com Website: www.gcxcopper.com
Qualified Person
Debbie James P.Geo, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. Ms. James is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and supervised the 2024 drilling program. She is not independent of the Company because she has received employment income from the Company and holds stock in the Company.
1Mineral Resources are reported within a conceptual constraining pit shell that includes the following input parameters: Metal prices of $3.60/lb Cu, $1,750/Au, $22/oz Ag, $14/lb Mo and pit slope angles that vary from 35° for overburden to 55°for granodiorite host, metal prices are in US$. Metallurgical recoveries reflective of prior test work that averages: 85% Cu, 85% Au, 65% Ag in the oxide domain and 90% Cu, 76% Au, 65% Ag in the sulphide domain. Mo recovery is assumed to be 70% in both oxide and sulphide domain. Totals and Metal content may not sum due to rounding and significant digits used in calculations. Cu Eq calculation is based on 100% recovery of all metals using the same metal prices used in the resource calculation: $3.60/lb Cu, $1,750/Au, $22/oz Ag, $14/lb Mo.
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information”. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding expected use of proceeds from the private placement and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Granite Creek Copper believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Granite Creek Copper and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 28, 2024 / Metallic Minerals Corp. (TSXV:MMG)(OTCQB:MMNGF) (“Metallic Minerals” or the “Company”) announces that the Company has applied for TSX Venture Exchange approval to extend the expiry date on certain share purchase warrants (the “Warrants”).
Per the application, 4,800,000 Warrants that were originally issued as part of a private placement transaction on June 8, 2022 (see June 9, 2022 news release) exercisable at $0.50 per warrant and expiring December 8, 2024 will now be extended to an expiry date of June 8, 2025.
In addition, the Company proposes to extend the expiry date for 735,500 warrants issued pursuant to a private placement transaction on June 30, 2022 (see June 17, 2022 news release) exercisable at $0.50 per warrant and expiring on December 30, 2024 will now be extended to June 30, 2025.
All other terms and conditions of the Warrants remain unchanged.
About Metallic Minerals Metallic Minerals Corp. is a resource-stage mineral exploration company, focused on copper, silver, gold, and platinum group elements in top North American jurisdictions. Our objective is to create shareholder value through a systematic, entrepreneurial approach to making exploration discoveries, growing resources, and advancing projects toward development.
At the Company’s La Plata project in southwestern Colorado, the expanded NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate highlights a significant porphyry copper-silver resource containing 1.2 Blbs copper and 17.6 Moz of silver1, with numerous additional targets showing potential for a district-scale porphyry system. The Company announced a 9.5% strategic investment focused on La Plata by Newmont Corporation in May 2023 with two subsequent top up investments in 2024. The U.S. Geological Survey has identified the La Plata mining district as a critical minerals resource area under the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative program and has completed significant geologic and geophysical studies to enhance understanding of the critical mineral potential in the district. The La Plata project is located between the communities of Mancos and Durango, Colorado, north of Highway 160.
In Canada’s Yukon Territory, Metallic Minerals has the second-largest land position in the historic high-grade Keno Hill silver district, directly adjacent to Hecla’s operations, with more than 300 Moz of high-grade silver in past production and current M&I resources. The inaugural Resource Estimate at the Company’s Keno Silver project added 18.2 Moz silver equivalent2 to the Company’s total resources in 2024. Hecla is the largest primary silver producer in the USA and soon to be Canada’s largest with full production at its Keno Hill operations in 2024.
The Company is also one of the largest holders of alluvial gold claims in the Yukon and is building a production royalty business by partnering with experienced mining operators.
Metallic Minerals is led by a team with a track record of discovery and exploration success on several major precious and base metal deposits in North America, as well as having large-scale development, permitting and project financing expertise. The Metallic Minerals team is committed to responsible and sustainable resource development and has worked closely with Canadian First Nation groups, US Tribal/Native Corporations, and local communities to support successful project development.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, statements about expected results of operations, royalties, cash flows, financial position and future dividends as well as financial position, prospects, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Metallic Minerals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, unsuccessful operations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration, development of mines and mining operations is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Metallic Minerals and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
North Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – December 2, 2024) – Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) (“Lion One” or the “Company”) is pleased to release the Company’s financial results for Q1 FY 2025, and announces that the Company has entered into an agreement to amend certain terms and draw down a further USD $4,000,000 (“Tranche 3”) of its Senior Secured Financing Facility (the “Financing Facility”) provided by Nebari.
Financial Highlights Q1-FY25
During the three-month period ended September 30, 2024, the Company achieved the following:
Mine operating income of CAD$1,529,978
Record revenue of CAD$10,468,452
3,129 ounces (oz) of gold sold, and 1,093 oz of silver sold
Average realized gold selling price of CAD$3,332 per oz
Cost of sales per gold oz of CAD$2,843 (net of silver revenue)
Mine Operations Highlights Q1-FY25
During the three-month period ended September 30, 2024, the Company achieved the following mining physicals:
Total 54,829 tonnes mined
21,852 tonnes of waste mined
32,977 tonnes of mineralized material mined at average grade of approximately 4.83 Au g/t
Total capital development of 283 meters
Total operating development of 666 meters
Decline advancement of 163 meters and vertical development of 155 meters
Mine production during the quarter was impacted by mine equipment availability in July and August as two underground loaders and a single boom jumbo were out of service for repairs. A new underground loader arrived on site in September resulting in improved equipment availability. Despite the mine equipment utilization issues, the mine was still able to deliver 32,977 tonnes of mineralized materials at 4.83 g/t Au, including 28,922 tonnes of mineralized materials at 5.16 Au g/t and 4,055 tonnes of lower grade mineralized materials at 2.46 Au g/t. The Company will stockpile the lower grade materials (mineralized materials below 3 Au g/t) with the intention of feeding the lower grade mineralized materials once the mill expansion has been completed and excess milling capacity is available.
In the near term, the Company will continue to add mining equipment to improve equipment availability and invest in critical mine infrastructure projects such as the raise bore and mine ventilation project which started in October 2024 and scheduled for completion in January 2025.
Pilot Plant Operations Highlights Q1-FY25
During the three-month period ended September 30, 2024, the Company achieved the following mill physicals:
31,391 tonnes of mineralized material processed at an average head grade of 4.6 Au g/t
Record 3,639 oz of gold recovered
2,889 oz gold doré poured
3,129 oz gold refined and sold
Overall 78.2% recovery achieved for the quarter
Record 81.3% recovery achieved in September
81 days of mill operations in the quarter
11 days of mill downtime, including 9 days for scheduled mill maintenance
Approximately 1,889 oz of mineralized material (primarily gold) was retained within the mill circuit as in process store of metal as of September 30, 2024, with an additional 112 oz of gold doré stored in inventory.
Mill production during the quarter was impacted by a scheduled nine-day mill maintenance shutdown in July 2024, which was conducted to maintain and upgrade the Tuvatu processing plant facilities. These upgrades will have a significant impact on processing efficiency and cost savings moving forward. Major upgrades completed during the shutdown include re-lining the primary ball mill with rubber liners, replacing the bowl/mantle for the cone crusher, replacing the #1 conveyor belt, replacing the grinding and gravity circuit piping with flexible slurry hoses, and installing new detox feed pumps and feed splitter box for the detox circuit. Despite the down time from July, the Company nevertheless achieved a record quarterly gold production of 3,639 oz recovered for the three-month period ending September 30, 2024. This marks three consecutive quarters of record production during the pilot plant phase of operations at Tuvatu.
The Company advises that it has not based its current mine development plan on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, and as a result there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level either of the recovery of minerals or of the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit.
Drilling Highlights Q1-FY25
Lion One has a total of five drills currently operating at Tuvatu. Three drills are located underground and are engaged in grade control and infill drilling, while two drills are located on surface, engaged in near mine exploration, extension, and infill drilling.
During the three-month period ended September 30, 2024, the Company completed 9,809.9 meters of diamond drilling in 65 completed holes, with a further 5 drill holes still in progress.
September 2024 Quarter Exploration Summary
Activity
Number
# of drill holes completed
65
# of drill holes in progress at end of Quarter
5
# of meters drilled
9,809.9
# of drill core samples submitted for analysis
13,984
# of channels excavated and sampled
164
# of samples from channel sampling
1,701
# of surface rock chip samples collected
96
# of samples analyzed in Lion One Laboratory
20,748
On October 1, 2024, the Company reported significant new high-grade gold results from near-mine exploration and infill drilling at the West Zone target, located 300 m to the west of to the Tuvatu Gold Mine in Fiji.
Highlights of West Zone exploration and infill drilling:
105.20 g/t Au over 2.1 m (including 248.35 g/t Au over 0.3 m) (TUDDH-636, from 67.8 m depth)
70.07 g/t Au over 2.1 m (including 73.43 g/t Au over 1.2 m) (TUDDH-647, from 144.5 m depth)
102.38 g/t Au over 1.2 m (TUDDH-645, from 97.7 m depth)
19.82 g/t Au over 5.1 m (including 68.88 g/t Au over 0.9 m) (TUDDH-636, from 34.5 m depth)
146.61 g/t Au over 0.6 m (including 289.85 g/t Au over 0.3 m) (TUDDH-645, from 164.3 m depth)
24.16 g/t Au over 3.3 m (including 96.78 g/t Au over 0.3 m) (TUDDH-652, from 173.5 m depth)
49.72 g/t Au over 0.8 m (including 78.61 g/t Au over 0.4 m) (TUDDH-755, from 52.94 m depth)
42.44 g/t Au over 1.8 m (including 61.66 g/t Au over 0.6 m) (TUDDH-636, from 60.6 m depth)
7.68 g/t Au over 4.2 m (including 28.63 g/t Au over 0.3 m) (TUDDH-645, from 142.4 m depth)
14.86 g/t Au over 2.0 m (TUDDH-636, from 228.8 m depth)
*All drill intersects are downhole lengths, 3.0 g/t cutoff.
Subsequent to the quarter end, on November 12, 2024, the Company reported that development of a new near-surface roscoelite-bearing high-grade gold zone had commenced at Tuvatu. Roscoelite is a rare green to black vanadium bearing mica mineral, the presence of which is a defining characteristic of alkaline gold systems such as Tuvatu. It is directly associated with higher-grade gold occurrences and as such it is an important indicator mineral in these systems.
An initial bulk sample of the near-surface roscoelite zone at Tuvatu returned 11.6 g/t gold from 861 tonnes of mineralized materials mined at full mining widths. The Company is enhancing its mine plan with this gold-rich roscoelite material, which is already being processed through the pilot plant.
Roscoelite veining is directly related to high-grade gold mineralization at the nearby Vatukoula gold mine in Fiji where over 7 million ounces of gold have been produced over the last 95 years. Roscoelite is also observed in association with gold mineralization at the Porgera gold mine in PNG, which has been a top ten ranked gold mine globally and which has produced over 25 million ounces of gold. Vatukoula and Porgera are both alkaline gold systems similar to Tuvatu. At Porgera, the most economically significant veins are the Stage II quartz-roscoelite-pyrite veins with native gold, found in the Roamane fault zone. Similar Stage II quartz-roscoelite-pyrite veins are also observed in the new near-surface roscoelite zone at Tuvatu.
Nebari Tranche 3 Draw Down
In addition to releasing the quarterly financial results, the Company also announces that it has entered into an agreement to amend certain terms and drawn down a further USD $4,000,000 (“Tranche 3“) of its Senior Secured Financing Facility (the “Financing Facility“) provided by Nebari Gold Fund 1, LP, Nebari Natural Resources Credit Fund I, LP, and Nebari Natural Resources Credit Fund II, LP (collectively, “Nebari“), previously announced on January 13, 2023 and January 2, 2024. Including the gross up for the original issue discount, Tranche 3 represents a further US$4,347,826 of principal under the Financing Facility. Proceeds from the Financing Facility have to date facilitated construction and commissioning of the Company’s 100% owned Tuvatu Gold Mine in Fiji, and Tranche 3 will facilitate investments as part of a Mine Enhancement Plan to stabilise and increase current production and prepare the mine to support future expansion of the process plant.
The Company has now fully drawn down the Financing Facility. In addition to amending the terms of the Financing Facility to facilitate drawing down Tranche 3, the Company amended certain reporting covenants.
Interest on the first USD $23 million drawn in Tranche 1 of the Facility remains at 8% (plus three-month SOFR), and amortization is on the Maturity Date 42 months from the original closing date, and no closing fees were payable. The USD $8 million drawn under Tranche 2 was subject to an 8% original issue discount and interest remains at 10% plus SOFR, with progressive amortization over 42 months from the Tranche 2 funding date, and closing fees equal to 2% of the amount funded. The USD $4 million drawn under Tranche 3 is subject to an 8% original issue discount and interest is 10% plus SOFR, with progressive amortization over 6 months from 30 June 2025, with closing fees equal to 2% of the amounts funded.
In connection with the drawdown of Tranche 3, the Company has agreed to issue Nebari an aggregate of 4,142,759 common shares in the capital of the Company as a loan bonus in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company has also agreed to amend the exercise price of the 15,333,087 share purchase warrants issued to Nebari as part of the Financing Facility to an exercise price of $0.38 per warrant. All other terms of the warrants remain the same, including the acceleration provision that requires Nebari to exercise the warrants that can be triggered upon the volume weighted average price of the Company’s common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange being in excess of 200% of the exercise price of the warrants on each of 20 consecutive trading days. The issuance of the share loan bonus and amendment of share purchase warrants is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
Competent Persons Statement The information in this report that relates to mineral exploration at the Tuvatu Gold Project is based on information compiled by the Lion One team and reviewed by Melvyn Levrel, who is the company’s Senior Geologist. Mr Levrel is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’ (JORC code). Mr Levrel consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
Mr. Patrick Hickey, P. Eng., MBA, who is an officer of the Company, is a Qualified Person under the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for the development and engineering content of this report.
Lion One Laboratories / QAQC Lion One adheres to rigorous QAQC procedures above and beyond basic regulatory guidelines in conducting its drilling, sampling, testing, and analyses. The Company operates its own geochemical assay laboratory and its own fleet of diamond drill rigs using PQ, HQ and NQ sized drill rods.
Diamond drill core samples are logged and split by Lion One personnel on site and delivered to the Lion One Laboratory for preparation and analysis. All samples are pulverized at the Lion One lab to 85% passing through 75 microns and gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that return grades greater than 10.00 g/t Au are re-analyzed by gravimetric method, which is considered more accurate for very high-grade samples.
Duplicates of 5% of samples with grades above 0.5 g/t Au are delivered to ALS Global Laboratories in Australia for check assay determinations using the same methods (Au-AA26 and Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyses 33 pathfinder elements by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES (method ME-ICP61). The Lion One lab can test a range of up to 71 elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 23 important pathfinder elements with an aqua regia digest and ICP-OES finish.
About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Walter Berukoff, Chairman & CEO
Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or 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 labor 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.
Diamond drilling program focused on expanding the mineral resource estimate within the conceptual open pit. Program will focus on the top 200 meters from surface by increasing drill density with the goal of extending known mineralization toward the surface to reduce the overall strip ratio and add to the ounce profile of the Moss Gold Project.
Discovery focused geophysical and geochemical program aims to define drill targets along 23 kms of prospective structural corridors that have not been systematically explored.
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – November 25, 2024) – Goldshore Resources Inc. (TSXV: GSHR) (OTCQB: GSHRF) (FSE: 8X00) (“Goldshore” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce it has awarded its resource expansion diamond drill program and its top of bedrock sonic drilling program to Laframboise Drilling Inc. and Forages Technic-Eau Inc., respectively. In parallel, the Company announces it has awarded the geophysical program to Abitibi Geophysics.
Michael Henrichsen, CEO of Goldshore commented, “We are very pleased to have awarded the contracts for our winter resource expansion and discovery-based exploration programs. The resource expansion targets we have identified have the potential to deliver ounces within the top 200 meters from surface, within the conceptual open pit, and could improve the economic performance of the deposit, building on the forthcoming Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) scheduled for release in Q1 2025. In addition, the first systematic discovery-based geophysical and top of bedrock sonic drill programs will give the Company the opportunity to develop robust drill targets that we feel will ultimately lead to a discovery and the uncovering of additional ounces at the project.”
Resource Expansion Drilling
The in-pit diamond drill program consists of approximately 15,000 meters of drilling focused on the top 200 meters from surface (Figure 1) with the goal of expanding the current mineral resource estimate (“MRE”) and reducing the strip ratio of the deposit through the following three avenues.
Strategic infill to increase drill density in locations where mineralized drill intercepts are currently too widely spaced to be included in the inferred mineral resource category;
Extending known mineralized shear zones laterally along strike; and
Extending mineralized shear zones intersected at depth at the Moss Gold Project towards surface where no shallow drilling has occurred.
Figure 1: Illustrates the upcoming 15,000 meter drill program within the conceptual open pit associated with the current MRE. This drill program is targeting resource expansion within the top 200 m from surface.
The discovery focused exploration program is designed to define robust drill targets along 23 kilometers of prospective structural corridors in the area of the Moss Gold Project. This focus area has not seen systematic exploration due to extensive till and muskeg that cover the prospect structural corridors.
The sonic drill program will sample the top of bedrock over the prospective structural corridors on 50 to 100 meter centers along 400 and 800 meter spaced lines to define areas of gold mineralization (Figure 2). The program will consist of up to 200 drill holes along the Moss Gold Project extensions and 12 kilometer long Kawa trend.
The geophysical program will consist of a 40 line-kilometer pole-dipole survey over the Moss Gold Project and a 235 line-kilometer gradient array survey with select IP pole-dipole lines planned across the 23 kilometers of prospective structural corridors (Figure 3). These surveys will allow the Company to obtain the resistivity and chargeability signature of the Moss Gold Project which has never been the subject to modern ground based geophysical surveys, and to look for similar geophysical responses in the 23 kilometers of prospective structural corridors.
Figure 2: Focus area for top of bedrock sonic drill program along the prospective mineralized structural corridors. Drill holes will be spaced 50 to 100 meters apart on 400 or 800 meters spaced lines.
Figure 3: Focus area for ground based induced polarization geophysics surveys across the Moss Gold Project and prospective mineralized structural corridors.
Peter Flindell, PGeo, MAusIMM, MAIG, Vice-President, Exploration, of the Company, and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101“), has approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.
About Goldshore
Goldshore is a growth-oriented gold company focused on delivering long-term shareholder and stakeholder value through the acquisition and advancement of primary gold assets in tier-one jurisdictions. It is led by the ex-global head of structural geology for the world’s largest gold company and backed by one of Canada’s pre-eminent private equity firms. The Company’s current focus is the advanced stage 100% owned Moss Gold Project which is positioned in Ontario, Canada, with direct access from the Trans-Canada Highway, hydroelectric power near site, supportive local communities and skilled workforce. The Company has invested over $60 million of new capital and completed approximately 80,000 meters of drilling on the Moss Gold Project, which, in aggregate, has had over 235,000 meters of drilling. The 2024 updated NI 43-101 MRE, dated March 20, 2024 and prepared by Apex Geoscience Ltd., has expanded to 1.54 million ounces of Indicated gold resources at 1.23 g/t Au and 5.20 million ounces of Inferred gold resources at 1.11 g/t Au. The MRE only encompasses 3.6 kilometers of the 35+ kilometer mineralized trend, remains open at depth and along strike and is one of the few remaining major Canadian gold deposits positioned for fast track through this development cycle.
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements.” Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “projects,” “potential” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will,” “would,” “may,” “could” or “should” occur.
Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements relating to expectations regarding the exploration and development of the Moss Gold Project, potential mineral resource expansion drill targets, timing and completion of a mineral resource expansion drill program, the impact of an expansion drill program on reducing the strip ratio, the targeted increase in the ounce profile of the Moss Gold Project, and the release of an updated PEA and other statements that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, among others: the foregoing exploration and development goals of the Company may not occur on the timetable anticipated or at all; the PEA may not be completed on the timetable expected or at all; the Company may require additional financing from time to time in order to continue its operations which may not be available when needed or on acceptable terms and conditions acceptable; risks related to compliance with extensive government regulation; domestic and foreign laws and regulations could adversely affect the Company’s business and results of operations; and the stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies and these fluctuations may adversely affect the price of the Company’s securities, regardless of its operating performance. The forward-looking information in this news release is based on management’s reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this news release, including that the Company’s business and financial position and general economic conditions will not be adversely affected; that the expansion drill program will be completed and on the timetable expected; and that the PEA will be completed on the timetable anticipated.
The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
North Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – November 19, 2024) – Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (“Lion One” or the “Company”) is pleased to report an intensification of roscoelite-targeting efforts at Tuvatu and announces the return of Sergio Cattalani to Fiji to lead the technical team in these efforts. The company is also pleased to announce the additions of Ivan Maldonado and Alexander Valencia as the new Mine Geology Manager and Senior Mine Geologist respectively at the Company’s Tuvatu Gold Mine in Fiji.
Roscoelite Targeting
A new significantly mineralized structure has been exposed in the near-surface underground workings at Tuvatu. This structure has consistently returned very high-grade gold since it was first identified in September from underground face sampling. The structure is associated with abundant roscoelite, a feature which is characteristic of several large alkaline gold deposits such as Porgera1, Cripple Creek2, and Vatukoula3 (see Figure 1 below). An initial underground bulk sample from this structure has returned 11.6 g/t gold from 861 tonnes of material fully diluted (November 12, 2024 News Release).
Figure 1. Visible gold and roscoelite vein underground at Tuvatu. Top: Abundant visible gold and roscoelite from exposed vuggy quartz-roscoelite vein seen in-situ underground at Tuvatu. The gold displays a “wire gold” textural habit indicating the rapid deposition of gold from hydrothermal fluids. Bottom: Close-up image of visible gold in quartz-roscoelite vein. Tungsten-carbide scratcher used for scale.
The new structure has been continuously mapped and mined for over 100 m in the E-W direction and appears to extend further to the east of the current underground workings. While roscoelite-bearing mineralized structures have been identified in drill core at Tuvatu, this is the first time that a significant roscoelite-bearing lode array with high-grade gold has been identified and exposed continuously over a significant distance underground.
Notably, this structure is striking E-W and dipping at approximately -20° to the north. This is an orientation that has not previously been defined or predicted in the Tuvatu geological model, though it has been identified in recent structural analysis.
Roscoelite-bearing structures represent an important target-type at Tuvatu as they are directly associated with high-grade gold. Lion One management has therefore determined that a dedicated effort be allocated to better characterize these lode types, with the goal being to define specific criteria that can be used to identify additional structures with similar attributes at Tuvatu. The current underground exposure of a high-grade roscoelite-bearing structure provides the Company with an invaluable opportunity to carry out detailed sampling and analysis to better understand the mineralogy, geochemistry, and orientation of these structures in situ. Sergio Cattalani has returned to Fiji to lead these efforts on site. Mr Cattalani has over 40 years of experience and as the former Senior Vice President of Exploration for Lion One Metals from mid-2021 to the end of 2023, he is intimately familiar with the deposit and is ideally suited to lead these efforts.
One of the Company’s primary objectives is to develop a detailed understanding of the spatial mineralogical and grade characteristics of the exposed roscoelite structure, and to document if/how the structure and associated gold mineralization varies with proximity to cross-cutting structures of different orientations. The conceptual model, strengthened by direct observations underground, suggests that high-grade “blow-out” zones (or “shatter zones” as described at Vatukoula) are produced at the intersection of multiple structures with different orientations, as has previously been observed in deposits with similar alteration and grade characteristics to Tuvatu, such as the Porgera gold mine.1 Mr. Cattalani has been charged with investigating precisely how the gold grades, widths, and alteration type and intensity vary along the exposed roscoelite-bearing structure with proximity to the cross-cutting, predominantly steeply dipping, structures that are widely prevalent at Tuvatu. An increased understanding of both the primary characteristics of these roscoelite-bearing structures, as well as their structural interactions, will enable the company to efficiently interrogate and augment the extensive database at Tuvatu to effectively target additional similar features throughout the deposit, and to thereby enhance and expand the long-term mine plan at Tuvatu.
Strengthened Fiji Technical Team
Lion One Metals is pleased to welcome Mr Ivan Maldonado and Mr Alexander Valencia to the Lion One technical team in Fiji. Both Mr Maldonado and Mr Valencia bring extensive technical experience to Lion One, and both will be working with the production geology team at Tuvatu.
Ivan Maldonado, P.Geo. – Mine Geology Manager Mr. Ivan Maldonado is a professional geoscientist with over 17 years’ experience in mine production, resource modeling, and brownfields exploration in Mexico and Canada. Mr Maldonado gained significant experience with Red Lake Gold Mines at the Campbell mine & Cochenour mine where he spent six years in positions such as Underground Production Geologist, Exploration Geologist and Resource estimation Geologist, followed by six years at Newmont’s Borden gold mine where he rose to the rank of Senior Underground Production Geologist.
Mr. Maldonado’s past experiences as a production geologist includes positions at Pan American Silver’s Dolores open pit mine, and Goldcorp’s San Dimas underground gold-silver mine, both in Mexico.
Alexander Valencia MSc. G.I.T. CAPM – Senior Mine Geologist Mr. Alexander Valencia is a professional geoscientist with over 12 years’ experience in the mining industry, specializing in resource modeling and with expertise in the exploration of Porphyry Cu-Au, Epithermal Au-Ag, VMS, Orogenic and Skarn deposits. Mr Valencia also has experience in open-pit and underground mining production, ground control, and slope stability and gained significant experience over the last four years as Underground Production Geologist at Newmont’s Borden, Porcupine, and Hoyle Pond gold mines in Ontario.
Mr. Valencia’s prior experience includes one year as a Geological Technician at Glencore’s Kidd Creek Mine, and five years as a Geologist Engineer for ESCARTEC and Constructora Villacreces Andrade in Quito, Ecuador.
The Company also announces that Mr. Alex Nichol has resigned from his role as Vice President, Exploration and Geology, to pursue other opportunities. The Company thanks Mr. Nichol for his hard work and significant contributions to Tuvatu and extends their best wishes to him on his future endeavors.
Lion One Chairman and CEO Walter Berukoff commented: “We are delighted to welcome Ivan and Alexander to Fiji where their expertise will be invaluable to our team at the Tuvatu Gold Mine. I also wish to thank Alex Nichol for his valuable contributions to the Company and wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavours.”
References:
Ronacher, E. (2002). The Porgera gold deposit: Fluid characteristics, ore deposition processes, and duration of the ore forming event. [Doctoral Thesis, University of Alberta].
Kadel-Harder, I. K., Spry, P. G., McCombs, A. L., Zhang, H. (2020). Identifying pathfinder elements for gold in bulk-rock geochemical data from the Cripple Creek Au-Te deposit: a statistical approach. Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, v. 21.
Scherbath, N. L., & Spry, P. G. (2006). Mineralogical, Petrological, Stable Isotope, and Fluid Inclusion Characteristics of the Tuvatu Gold-Silver Telluride Deposit, Fiji: Comparisons with the Emperor Deposit. Economic Geology, v 101.
Competent Persons Statement The information in this report that relates to mineral exploration at the Tuvatu Gold Project is based on information compiled by the Lion One team and reviewed by Melvyn Levrel, who is the company’s Senior Geologist. Mr Levrel is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’ (JORC code). Mr Levrel consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
Lion One Laboratories / QAQC Lion One adheres to rigorous QAQC procedures above and beyond basic regulatory guidelines in conducting its drilling, sampling, testing, and analyses. The Company operates its own geochemical assay laboratory and its own fleet of diamond drill rigs using PQ, HQ and NQ sized drill rods.
Diamond drill core samples are logged and split by Lion One personnel on site and delivered to the Lion One Laboratory for preparation and analysis. All samples are pulverized at the Lion One lab to 85% passing through 75 microns and gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that return grades greater than 10.00 g/t Au are re-analyzed by gravimetric method, which is considered more accurate for very high-grade samples.
Duplicates of 5% of samples with grades above 0.5 g/t Au are delivered to ALS Global Laboratories in Australia for check assay determinations using the same methods (Au-AA26 and Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyses 33 pathfinder elements by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES (method ME-ICP61). The Lion One lab can test a range of up to 71 elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 23 important pathfinder elements with an aqua regia digest and ICP-OES finish.
About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Walter Berukoff, Chairman & CEO
Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or 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 labor 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.
(Bloomberg) — President-elect Donald Trump nominated Chris Wright, who runs a Colorado-based oil and natural gas fracking services company, to lead the Energy Department.
Wright, the chief executive officer of Liberty Energy Inc., has no previous Washington experience. He’s made a name for himself as a vocal proponent of oil and gas, saying fossil fuels are crucial for spreading prosperity and lifting people from poverty. The threat of global warming, he has said, is exaggerated.
“Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy,” Trump said in a statement Saturday. “He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas. Most significantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics.”
Trump said Wright, if confirmed, would also sit on the newly formed Council of National Energy that will be chaired by Doug Burgum, Trump’s nominee to lead the Interior Department.
The Energy Department has a disparate mission that includes helping to maintain the nation’s nuclear warheads, studying supercomputers and maintaining the US’s several hundred million-barrel stockpile of crude oil.
It also plays a key role in approving projects to export liquefied natural gas, something that was paused during Biden’s administration. Trump has vowed to undo the pause.
While the department has little authority over oil and gas development, Wright will play a leading role in helping Trump carry out his energy priorities.
Trump’s selection of Wright, whose company is among the largest providers of fracking services globally, is a show of support for the hot-button oil and gas extraction method that Trump frequently touted during the campaign to attack his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.
Harris said she’d consider banning the technique during her 2020 primary run and reversed course in her 2024 campaign.
‘No Climate Crisis’
Wright’s company published a 180-page paper this year that concluded climate change “is far from the world’s greatest threat to human life,” and that “hydrocarbons are essential to improving the wealth, health, and life opportunities for the less energized.”
“There is no climate crisis. And we are not in the midst of an energy transition either,” Wright said in a video posted on his LinkedIn page. “Humans, and all complex life on earth, is simply impossible without carbon dioxide — hence the term carbon pollution is outrageous.”
Wright holds engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California at Berkeley. He describes himself on his Denver-based company’s website as a “tech nerd turned entrepreneur and a dedicated humanitarian.”
While Wright has warned that subsidies for wind and solar drive up power prices and increase grid instability, he does support alternative energy. He serves on the board of small modular reactor developer Oklo Inc., and his company is an investor in geothermal energy and sodium-ion battery technology.
“I’m not here to protect market share for oil gas,” he said during a 2022 interview with Bloomberg Television. “We should do credible things, mostly driven by market forces. But shoveling subsidies at wind and solar, which are 3% of global energy, that’s not meaningfully going to change greenhouse gas emissions. But it is going to drive electricity prices up.”
Wright is also on the board EMX Royalty Corp., a global mining royalties firm, according to his company bio.
Trump named Wright with backing from Continental Resources Chairman Harold Hamm, a Trump energy adviser and donor. Hamm said in an interview with the Houston-based trade publication Hart Energy that Wright was his choice for the job.
If confirmed by Congress, Wright would play a leading role in Trump carrying out his campaign pledge to declare a national emergency on energy. Trump has cast such a declaration as helping increase domestic energy production — including for electricity — which he says is needed to help meet booming power needs for artificial intelligence.
Under the first Trump administration, the Energy Department played a critical role in the president-elect’s efforts to revive US coal power, an initiative he’s hinted he may attempt again.
Wright would also oversee Trump’s promise to refill the nation’s emergency cache of crude oil. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has a capacity of more than 700 million barrels, reached lows not seen since the 1980s following the Biden administration’s unprecedented drawdown of a record 180 million barrels in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump’s first energy secretary, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, called for eliminating the agency entirely during a run for president in the 2012 cycle. He later apologized and vowed to defend the agency “after being briefed on so many of the vital functions” it plays.
Initial Bulk Sample Returns 11.6 g/t Gold from 861 Tonnes
North Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – November 12, 2024) – Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (“Lion One” or the “Company”) is pleased to report that the development of a new high-grade near-surface roscoelite zone has commenced at the company’s 100% owned Tuvatu high-grade alkaline gold mine on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji.
Lion One CEO Walter Berukoff stated, “Quartz-roscoelite veining is the most economically significant mineral assemblage at several world class alkaline gold deposits that are similar to Tuvatu. Roscoelite is a defining characteristic of these alkaline systems and it is directly associated with high-grade gold. An initial bulk sample of the near-surface roscoelite zone at Tuvatu has returned 11.6 g/t gold from 861 tonnes of material mined at full mining widths. We are now enhancing our mine plan with this gold-rich roscoelite material, which is already being processed through the pilot plant”.
Roscoelite veining is directly related to high-grade mineralization at the nearby Vatukoula gold mine in Fiji where over 7 million ounces of gold have been produced over the last 85 years. Roscoelite is also observed in association with gold mineralization at the Porgera gold mine in PNG, which has been a top ten ranked gold mine globally and which has produced over 25 million ounces of gold.
At Porgera, the most economically significant veins are the Stage II quartz-roscoelite-pyrite veins with native gold, found in the Roamane fault zone.1 At Tuvatu the high-grade Stage II veins also ubiquitously occur with roscoelite – a rare dark green to black vanadium rich mica mineral.2 This same mineral assemblage is observed in the near-surface roscoelite zone at Tuvatu, which consists of a series of intersecting flat and sub-vertical banded veins composed primarily of low-temperature chalcedonic quartz intergrown with roscoelite, pyrite, lesser sphalerite and galena, and native gold. This same mineral assemblage is also observed at the high-grade Zone 500 at 500m depth in Tuvatu, at the West Zone near-mine expansion target 300 m to the West of Tuvatu, as well as in drill core throughout the Tuvatu deposit (Figure 1). See news releases: Lion One drills 20.86 g/t Au over 75.9 m from Zone 500, June 6, 2022, and Lion One drills 105.2 g/t Au over 2.1 m from near-mine exploration at the West Zone, October 1, 2024.
Tuvatu is optimally located on Fiji’s Viti Levu lineament, with a tectonic history and structural setting that created ideal conditions for the vertical ascent of deep alkalic magmas and the formation of the Navilawa volcanic caldera. Within the caldera, the precipitation of metals from hydrothemal fluids occurred through episodic phases of boiling, mixing and cooling. The presence of roscoelite in direct association with high-grade gold mineralization reflects a rare combination of criteria, shared by other notable world-class alkaline gold deposits, thus underscoring the enormous potential for Tuvatu as part of a potentially much larger high-grade alkaline gold system within Fiji’s Navilawa Caldera.
Figure 1. Example high-grade mineralization from Porgera3 (left), the new near-surface roscoelite zone at Tuvatu (center), and Zone 500 at Tuvatu (right; TUG-141 drill core, 492.5 m depth, 25.23 g/t Au). High grade mineralization at Porgera, Zone 500, and the new near-surface roscoelite zone at Tuvatu all consist of veins composed of quartz-roscoelite-pyrite with native gold.
Figure 2. Location of the new roscoelite zone in relation to underground developments. The new roscoelite zone is in Zone 2 of Tuvatu, in the northwest part of the deposit, approximately 65 m below surface. Preliminary evidence indicates that the zone extends to additional levels below the current underground workings.
Figure 3. Location of the new roscoelite zone in relation to Zone 500. Mineralization observed in the new near-surface roscoelite zone is like that observed in the high-grade Zone 500, which is approximately 350 m below the current underground workings.
The near-surface roscoelite zone at Tuvatu is located 65 m below surface and consists of a series of flat-lying and vertical veins. The strongest gold mineralization occurs in blow-out zones at the intersection of these structures (Figure 4). The primary vertical structures in this zone consist of quartz vein arrays with roscoelite and minor base metal sulfides, while the primary flat-lying structures consist of low-temperature quartz-roscoelite-pyrite veins. Both sets of veins contain high-grade gold. This is a very similar scenario to that observed at the Porgera gold mine, wherein there are high-grade ore shoots formed at the intersection of early Stage I base metal veins with later Stage II quartz-roscoelite-pyrite veins, with both sets of veins containing gold.1,4 In the near surface roscoelite zone at Tuvatu there is evidence of multiple stacked flat-lying quartz-roscoelite-pyrite veins, which would produce multiple stacked shoots of high-grade mineralization at the intersection of vertical structures below the current underground workings.
Figure 4. Simplified conceptual illustration of intersecting structures in the near-surface roscoelite zone. Multiple flat-lying quartz-roscoelite-pyrite veins have been observed underground.
1. Ronacher, E. (2002). The Porgera gold deposit: Fluid characteristics, ore deposition processes, and duration of the ore forming event. [Doctoral Thesis, University of Alberta]. p 55. Link to report 2. Schmidt, D. (2023). Petrographic Characterization and Evolution of the Alkalic-Type Epithermal Tuvatu Au-Te Deposit, Fiji. [Masters Thesis, Colorado School of Mines]. P50. Link to report 3. Supplied image of Porgera rock sample. 4. Cameron, G. (1998). The Hydrothermal Evolution and Genesis of the Porgera Gold Deposit, Papua New Guinea. [Doctoral Thesis, Australian National University]. p 53. Link to report
Competent Persons Statement The information in this report that relates to mineral exploration at the Tuvatu Gold Project is based on information compiled by the Lion One team and reviewed by Melvyn Levrel, who is the company’s Senior Geologist. Mr Levrel is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’ (JORC code). Mr Levrel consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
Lion One Laboratories / QAQC Lion One adheres to rigorous QAQC procedures above and beyond basic regulatory guidelines in conducting its drilling, sampling, testing, and analyses. The Company operates its own geochemical assay laboratory and its own fleet of diamond drill rigs using PQ, HQ and NQ sized drill rods.
Diamond drill core samples are logged and split by Lion One personnel on site and delivered to the Lion One Laboratory for preparation and analysis. All samples are pulverized at the Lion One lab to 85% passing through 75 microns and gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that return grades greater than 10.00 g/t Au are re-analyzed by gravimetric method, which is considered more accurate for very high-grade samples.
Duplicates of 5% of samples with grades above 0.5 g/t Au are delivered to ALS Global Laboratories in Australia for check assay determinations using the same methods (Au-AA26 and Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyses 33 pathfinder elements by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES (method ME-ICP61). The Lion One lab can test a range of up to 71 elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 23 important pathfinder elements with an aqua regia digest and ICP-OES finish.
About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Walter Berukoff, Chairman & CEO
Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or 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 labor 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. – November 7, 2024) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (FSE: 6E9)(the “Company” or “EMX”) is pleased to report results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 (in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted).
In Q3 2024, EMX continued on a strong uptrend due to robust royalty production and strong metal prices. Strong performance during the quarter was marked from Caserones, Gediktepe, and Leeville. EMX continued to invest capital generating and acquiring royalties around the world while our partners invested significant capital to expand operations at existing mines, advance towards the development of new mines, and explore for new opportunities.
Summary of Financial Highlightsfor the Quarter Ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:
Three months ended September 30,
Nine months ended September 30,
(In thousands of U.S. dollars)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Statement of Income (Loss)
Revenue and other income2
$
7,027
$
12,925
$
19,272
$
19,075
General and administrative costs
(1,537)
(1,364)
(5,379)
(4,662)
Royalty generation and project evaluation costs, net
(3,090)
(3,505)
(8,931)
(8,527)
Net income (loss)
$
1,194
$
2,441
$
(5,055)
$
(6,007)
Statement of Cash Flows
Cash flows from operating activities
$
(187)
$
7,122
$
326
$
2,787
Non-IFRS Financial Measures1,2
Adjusted revenue and other income
$
9,660
$
14,527
$
26,711
$
26,108
Adjusted royalty revenue
$
8,817
$
12,744
$
24,310
$
21,951
GEOs sold
3,560
6,608
10,607
11,358
Adjusted cash flows from operating activities
$
1,760
$
8,863
$
5,762
$
7,880
Adjusted EBITDA
$
5,071
$
10,168
$
12,933
$
13,390
Strong Revenue Growth Excluding $6,676,000 in catch-up payments received in Q3 2023 related to the Timok royalty, adjusted revenue and other income1 increased by 23%3 and adjusted royalty revenue1 increased by 45%3 compared to Q3 2023.
Development of Flagship Assets Significant investment by Zijin Mining Group at Timok through continued development of upper and lower zonesIncreased exploration activity by Zijin Mining Group and Lundin Mining within EMX’s existing royalty footprints.
Exceeding Adjusted Royalty Revenue1 Guidance The Company expects to exceed its 2024 adjusted royalty revenue1 guidance range of $22,000,000 to $27,500,000.
Other Q3 2024 Highlights Excluding catch-up payments received in Q3 2023, adjusted EBITDA1 increased 45%3 compared to Q3 2023.Working capital of $41,825,000 as at September 30, 2024.
Outlook
The Company previously announced 2024 guidance of GEOs sales of 11,000 to 14,000, adjusted royalty revenue of $22,000,000 to $27,500,000 and option and other property income of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. The Company is currently on pace to achieve the upper end of its annual guidance for GEOs sold, and exceed adjusted royalty revenue, while aiming for the lower end of our option and other property income guidance.
The Company is excited about the prospect for continued growth in the portfolio for 2024 and the coming years. The driver for near and long term growth in cash flow will come from the large deposits at Caserones in Chile and Timok in Serbia. At Caserones, Lundin has initiated an exploration program which is intended to expand mineral resources and mineral reserves while at the same time looking to increase throughput at the plant. At Timok, Zijin Mining Group Co. continues to increase its production rates in the upper zone copper-gold deposit while developing the lower zone, which we believe will be one of the more important block cave development projects in the world. Zijin also highlighted a recently discovered exploration target south of the Cukaru Peki mine and within EMX’s royalty footprint. Analysis of recent satellite imagery over the Brestovac license, which contains the Cukaru Peki Mine and is covered by EMX’s royalty, shows substantial development of new drill pads with numerous drill rigs visible in the images in the southeast corner of the license.
In terms of other producing royalty assets, the Company expects Gediktepe, Leeville, and Gold Bar South to mirror what occurred in 2023. In Türkiye, Gediktepe continues to perform well and is ahead of its production forecast for 2024 (as of the end of Q3) and production rates at Balya North continued to increase in Q3. New and compelling exploration results were announced at the Viscaria copper-iron-silver development project in Q3 and the new owner/operator of Gediktepe highlighted potential for additional oxide gold and polymetallic sulfide mineralization beyond the currently defined resources. We are also excited about the advancement of Diablillos in Argentina by AbraSilver Resource Corp. where the company continues to expand the mineral resource. These developments are all examples of the remarkable optionality that exists through EMX’s global royalty portfolio.
EMX believes it is well positioned to identify and pursue new royalty and investment opportunities, while further filling a pipeline of royalty generation properties heading into 2025. As the Company continues to generate revenues from its producing royalty assets and from other option, advance royalty and pre-production payments across its global asset portfolio, various opportunities for capital redeployment will be evaluated. Such opportunities may include the direct acquisition of royalties, continued organic generation of royalties through partner funded projects, purchase of strategic investments, share buybacks through the Normal Course Issuer Bid or debt repayment. Through the astute allocation of capital, EMX will seek to build upon its recent years of success and continue creating value for shareholders into the future.
Third Quarter Results for 2024
In Q3 2024, the Company recognized $9,660,000 and $8,817,000 in adjusted revenue and other income4 and adjusted royalty revenue4, respectively, which represented a 23%5 and 45%5 increase, respectively, compared to Q3 2023. The increase is largely due to a 72% increase in royalty revenue from Gediktepe and a 44% increase in royalty revenue from Leeville when compared to Q3 2023.
The following table is a summary of GEOs4 sold and adjusted royalty revenue4 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:
2024
2023
GEOs Sold
Revenue (in thousands)
GEOs Sold
Revenue (in thousands)
Caserones
1,063
$
2,633
831
$
1,602
Timok6
499
1,236
3,987
7,689
Gediktepe
1,354
3,353
1,014
1,955
Leeville
449
1,112
401
773
Balya
139
344
295
568
Gold Bar South
42
104
31
59
Advanced royalty payments
14
35
51
98
Adjusted royalty revenue
3,560
$
8,817
6,608
$
12,744
Included in the quarterly revenue for Caserones was a true up of $412,500 (Q3 2023 – $111,000) due to a higher than expected revenue in the prior quarter. The true up in the current period was mainly driven by positive provisional pricing adjustments on prior period concentrate sales, higher than estimated sales and higher than estimate realized copper prices.
The following table is a summary of GEOs1 sold and adjusted royalty revenue1 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:
2024
2023
GEOs Sold
Revenue (in thousands)
GEOs Sold
Revenue (in thousands)
Caserones
3,232
$
7,439
3,630
$
7,033
Timok6
1,789
4,089
3,987
7,689
Gediktepe
3,569
8,149
2,098
4,056
Leeville
1,374
3,163
1,019
1,971
Balya
367
852
380
730
Gold Bar South
150
346
98
193
Advanced royalty payments
127
272
145
279
Adjusted royalty revenue
10,607
$
24,310
11,358
$
21,951
Net royalty generation and project evaluation costs decreased from $3,505,000 in Q3 2023 to $3,090,000 in Q3 2024. Royalty generation costs include exploration related activities, technical services, project marketing, land and legal costs, as well as third party due diligence for acquisitions. The decrease in net royalty generation and project evaluation costs was predominately attributable to the timing of the 2024 and 2023 annual share-based compensation grants. The 2024 annual grant occurred in Q2 2024 while the 2023 grant occurred in Q3 2023. This timing difference generated a $472,000 decrease in costs when compared to Q3 2023.
Not inclusive of the net royalty generation and project evaluation cost, EMX earned $345,000 in royalty generation revenue in Q3 2024 (Q3 2023 – $1,507,000).
Third Quarter Corporate Updates
Appointment of Stefan Wenger as Chief Financial Officer
During the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company announced the appointment of Mr. Stefan L. Wenger as Chief Financial Officer effective October 1, 2024. Mr. Wenger was previously the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Royal Gold, Inc., one of the mining industry’s leading royalty companies, from 2006 to 2018.
Credit Agreement with Franco-Nevada Corporation
In August 2024, the Company entered into a $35,000,000 credit agreement with Franco Nevada Corporation with a maturity date of July 1, 2029. Upon closing, the Company used the proceeds of the loan to repay the outstanding balance of the Sprott Credit Facility and for general working capital purposes.
Normal Course Issuer Bid
During Q3 2024 the Company repurchased and returned to treasury 692,189 common shares at a cost of $1,223,000. The Company then cancelled, pursuant to the Company’s Normal Course Issuer Bid, 684,253 common shares. Subsequent to period end, the Company repurchased 2,156,754 shares for a total cost of $3,322,000.
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 and Latin America, except for Caserones. Consulting Chief Mining Engineer Mark S. Ramirez, SME Registered Member #04039495, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and consultant to the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the above technical disclosure with respect to the Caserones Mine. 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, Türkiye and Australia.
Shareholder Information – The Company’s filings for the year are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR 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.
About EMX – EMX is a precious, and base 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”. 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 information” or “forward-looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding the future price of copper, gold and other metals, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, the Company’s growth strategy and expectations regarding the guidance for 2024 and future outlook, including revenue and GEO estimates, refinancing outstanding debt and the timing thereof, the acquisition of additional royalty interests and partnerships, the purchase of securities pursuant to the Company’s NCIB or other statements that are not statements of fact. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “plans,” “projects,” “estimates,” “assumes,” “intends,” “strategy,” “goals,” “objectives,” “potential,” “possible” or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material assumptions, including those listed below, which could prove to be significantly incorrect, including disruption to production at any of the mineral properties in which the Company has a royalty, or other interest; estimated capital costs, operating costs, production and economic returns; estimated metal pricing (including the estimates from theCIBC Global Mining Group’s Consensus Commodity Price Forecasts published on January 2, 2024), metallurgy, mineability, marketability and operating and capital costs, together with other assumptions underlying the Company’s resource and reserve estimates; the expected ability of any of the properties in which the Company holds a royalty, or other interest to develop adequate infrastructure at a reasonable cost; assumptions that all necessary permits and governmental approvals will remain in effect or be obtained as required to operate, develop or explore the various properties in which the Company holds an interest; and the activities on any on the properties in which the Company holds a royalty, or other interest will not be adversely disrupted or impeded by development, operating or regulatory risks or any other government actions.
Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, failure to maintain or receive necessary approvals, changes in business plans and strategies, market conditions, share price, best use of available cash, copper, gold and other commodity price volatility, discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries, mining operational and development risks relating to the parties which produce the gold or other commodity the Company will purchase, regulatory restrictions, activities by governmental authorities (including changes in taxation), currency fluctuations, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility and competition.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the impact of general business and economic conditions, the absence of control over mining operations from which the Company will receive royalties from, and risks related to those mining operations, including risks related to international operations, government and environmental regulation, actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, risks in the marketability of minerals, fluctuations in the price of gold and other commodities, fluctuation in foreign exchange rates and interest rates, stock market volatility, as well as those factors discussed in the Company’s MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and the most recently filed Annual Information Form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2023, 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.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained or incorporated by reference, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Future-Oriented Financial Information
This news release may contain future-oriented financial information (“FOFI”) within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, about prospective results of operations, financial position, GEOs and anticipated royalty payments based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action, which FOFI is not presented in the format of a historical balance sheet, income statement or cash flow statement. The FOFI has been prepared by management to provide an outlook of the Company’s activities and results and has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including the assumptions discussed under the headings above entitled “2024 Guidance”, “Outlook” and “Forward-Looking Statements” and assumptions with respect to the future metal prices, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, realization of mineral reserve estimates and the timing and amount of estimated future production. Management does not have, or may not have had at the relevant date, or other financial assumptions which may have been used to prepare the FOFI or assurance that such operating results will be achieved and, accordingly, the complete financial effects are not, or may not have been at the relevant date of the FOFI, objectively determinable.
Importantly, the FOFI contained in this news release are, or may be, based upon certain additional assumptions that management believes to be reasonable based on the information currently available to management, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: (i) the future pricing of metals, (ii) the future market demand and trends within the jurisdictions in which the Company or the mining operators operate, and (iii) the operating cost and effect on the production of the Company’s royalty partners. The FOFI or financial outlook contained in this news release do not purport to present the Company’s financial condition in accordance with IFRS, and there can be no assurance that the assumptions made in preparing the FOFI will prove accurate. The actual results of operations of the Company and the resulting financial results will likely vary from the amounts set forth in the analysis presented in any such document, and such variation may be material (including due to the occurrence of unforeseen events occurring subsequent to the preparation of the FOFI). The Company and management believe that the FOFI has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management’s best estimates and judgments as at the applicable date. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks including the risks discussed under the heading above entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s public disclosures, FOFI or financial outlook within this news release should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results.
Non-IFRS Financial Measures
The Company has included certain non-IFRS financial measures in this press release, as discussed below. EMX believes that these measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. These non-IFRS financial measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These financial measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers.
Non-IFRS financial measures are defined in National Instrument 52-112 – Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure (“NI 52-112”) as a financial measure disclosed that (a) depicts the historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow of an entity, (b) with respect to its composition, excludes an amount that is included in, or includes an amount that is excluded from, the composition of the most directly comparable financial measure disclosed in the primary financial statements of the entity, (c) is not disclosed in the financial statements of the entity, and (d) is not a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar representation. A non-IFRS ratio is defined by NI 52-112 as a financial measure disclosed that (a) is in the form of a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar representation, (b) has a non-IFRS financial measure as one or more of its components, and (c) is not disclosed in the financial statements.
The following table outlines the non-IFRS financial measures, their definitions, the most directly comparable IFRS measures and why the Company use these measures.
Non-IFRS financial measure
Definition
Most directly comparable IFRS measure
Why we use the measure and why it is useful to investors
Adjusted revenue and other income
Defined as revenue and other income including the Company’s share of royalty revenue related to the Company’s effective royalty on Caserones.
Revenue and other income
The Company believes these measures more accurately depict the Company’s revenue related to operations as the adjustment is to account for revenue from a material asset
Adjusted royalty revenue
Defined as royalty revenue including the Company’s share of royalty revenue related to the Company’s effective royalty on Caserones.
Royalty revenue
Adjusted cash flows from operating activities
Defined as cash flows from operating activities plus the cash distributions related to the Company’s effective royalty on Caserones.
Cash flows from operating activities
The Company believes this measure more accurately depicts the Company’s cash flows from operations as the adjustment is to account for cash flows from a material asset.
Gold equivalent ounces (GEOs)
GEOs is a non-IFRS measure that is based on royalty interests and calculated on a quarterly basis by dividing adjusted royalty revenue by the average gold price during such quarter. The gold price is determined based on the LBMA PM fix. For periods longer than one quarter, GEOs are summed for each quarter in the period.
Royalty revenue
The Company uses this measure internally to evaluate our underlying operating performance across the royalty portfolio for the reporting periods presented and to assist with the planning and forecasting of future operating results.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and adjusted EBITDA
EBITDA represents net earnings or loss for the period before income tax expense or recovery, depreciation and amortization, finance costs. Adjusted EBITDA adds all revenue from the Caserones Royalty less any equity income from the equity investment in SLM California (Caserones Royalty holder). Additionally, it removes the effects of items that do not reflect our underlying operating performance and are not necessarily indicative of future operating results. These may include: share based payments expense; unrealized and realized gains and losses on investments; write-downs of assets; impairments or reversals of impairments; foreign exchange gains or losses; and other non-cash or non-recurring expenses or recoveries.
Earnings or loss before income tax
The Company believes EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are widely used by investors and analysts as useful indicators of our operating performance, our ability to invest in capital expenditures, our ability to incur and service debt and also as a valuation metric.
Reconciliation of Adjusted Revenue and Other Income and Adjusted Royalty Revenue:
During the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company had the following sources of revenue and other income:
(In thousands of dollars)
Three months ended September 30,
Nine months ended September 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Royalty revenue
$
6,184
$
11,142
$
16,871
$
14,918
Option and other property income
310
1,409
990
3,109
Interest income
533
374
1,411
1,048
Total revenue and other income
$
7,027
$
12,925
$
19,272
$
19,075
The following is the reconciliation of adjusted revenue and other income and adjusted royalty revenue:
Three months ended September 30,
Nine months ended September 30,
(In thousands of dollars)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Revenue and other income
$
7,027
$
12,925
$
19,272
$
19,075
SLM California royalty revenue
$
6,162
$
4,002
$
17,409
$
17,586
The Company’s ownership %
42.7
40.0
42.7
40.0
The Company’s share of royalty revenue
$
2,633
$
1,602
$
7,439
$
7,033
Adjusted revenue and other income
$
9,660
$
14,527
$
26,711
$
26,108
Royalty revenue
$
6,184
$
11,142
$
16,871
$
14,918
The Company’s share of royalty revenue
2,633
1,602
7,439
7,033
Adjusted royalty revenue
$
8,817
$
12,744
$
24,310
$
21,951
Reconciliation of GEOs:
Three months ended September 30,
Nine months ended September 30,
(In thousands of dollars)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Adjusted royalty revenue
$
8,817
$
12,744
$
24,310
$
21,951
Average gold price per ounce
$
2,477
$
1,929
$
2,292
$
1,933
Total GEOs
3,560
6,608
10,607
11,358
Reconciliation of Adjusted Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Three months ended September 30,
Nine months ended September 30,
(In thousands of dollars)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities
$
(187)
$
7,122
$
326
$
2,787
Caserones royalty distributions
1,947
1,741
5,436
5,093
Adjusted cash flows from operating activities
$
1,760
$
8,863
$
5,762
$
7,880
Reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:
Three months ended September 30,
Nine months ended September 30,
(In thousands of dollars)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Income (loss) before income taxes
$
1,226
$
4,515
$
(4,439)
$
(2,225)
Finance expense
921
1,298
3,066
3,809
Depletion, depreciation, and direct royalty taxes
2,230
1,595
6,018
3,237
EBITDA
$
4,377
$
7,408
$
4,645
$
4,821
Attributable revenue from Caserones royalty
2,633
1,602
7,439
7,034
Equity income from investment in SLM California
(1,276)
(733)
(3,484)
(2,988)
Share-based payments
359
1,538
1,902
1,763
Loss (gain) on revaluation of investments
(1,778)
160
(3,004)
869
Loss (gain) on sale of marketable securities
307
(39)
2,253
420
Foreign exchange (gain) loss
(51)
401
204
1,366
Loss (gain) on revaluation of derivative liabilities
(283)
(336)
(176)
62
Loss on revaluation of receivables
–
124
–
–
Other losses
–
–
2,326
–
Loss on debt settlement
783
–
783
–
Impairment charges
–
43
45
43
Adjusted EBITDA
$
5,071
$
10,168
$
12,933
$
13,390
1 Refer to the “Non-IFRS financial measures” section below and on page 29 of the Q3 2024 MD&A for more information on each non-IFRS financial measure. 2 Included in Q3 2023 and Q3 YTD 2023 was $6,676,000 (3,462 GEOs sold) and $4,783,000 (2,480 GEOs sold) respectively, in catch-up payments from the Timok royalty that relate to prior periods (2021 – $1,587,000, 2022 – $3,196,000, Q2 YTD 2023 – $1,893,000) 3 Excluding $6,676,000 in catch-up payments received in Q3 2023 from the Timok royalty that relate to prior periods (2021 – $1,587,000, 2022 – $3,196,000, Q2 YTD 2023 – $1,893,000) 4 Refer to the “Non-IFRS financial measures” section below and on page 29 of the Q3 2024 MD&A for more information on each non-IFRS financial measure. 5 Excluding $6,676,000 in catch-up payments in Q3 2023 from the Timok royalty that relate to prior periods. 6 Included in Q3 2023 and Q3 YTD 2023 was $6,676,000 (3,462 GEOs sold) and $4,783,000 (2,480 GEOs sold), respectively, in catch-up payments from the Timok royalty that relate to prior periods (2021 – $1,587,000, 2022 – $3,196,000, Q2 YTD 2023 – $1,893,000)
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 4, 2024 / Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. (TSXV:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF)(FSE:J0G) (the “Company” or “Stillwater”) is pleased to announce results of rhodium (“Rh”) assays conducted on core from resource expansion drilling on its 100%-owned Stillwater West platinum group element, nickel, copper, cobalt, and gold (“PGE-Ni-Cu-Co + Au”) project in Montana, USA, adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwater’s world-class critical minerals mining operations.
Highlights include:
As shown in Table 1, widespread rhodium was returned in drill results at potentially significant co-product grades including:
1.13 g/t Rh in an interval that totaled 7.96 g/t Pt+Pd+Au+Rh (“4E”) over 1.2 meters in CM2023-03, starting at 308.8 meters and set within 14.6 meters of1.38 g/t 4E including 0.118 g/t Rh; and
0.162 g/t Rh over 3.7 meters in CM2023-01 starting at 407.8 meters within an interval of 0.99 g/t 4E.
Supply constraints have resulted in elevated rhodium prices since 2017. At its current two-year average price of USD 6,500/oz, and three-year year average price of USD 9,500/oz, rhodium equates to more than five times the current value of palladium or platinum.
Results are expected to expand upon the 115,000 ounces of rhodium defined in the January 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) and are similar to results from past campaigns which returned 0.103 g/t Rh over 7.9 meters in hole CM2020-05, and 0.100 g/t Rh over 6.1 meters in hole CM2007-02.
Rhodium is mined solely as a co-product at grades that are often below 0.1 g/t. South Africa dominates global production, and there is very little mine supply in North America.
Sibanye-Stillwater, adjacent to Stillwater’s Stillwater West project across 32 kilometers in the Stillwater Igneous Complex, is the primary US producer of Rh, mining the highest-grade PGE deposit in the world, the J-M Reef deposit.
Recent announcements concerning lay-offs and reduced production at Sibanye-Stillwater (as a result of depressed global palladium prices) have brought bipartisan support for mining jobs in Montana and US critical mineral supply from Senators Jon Tester (D) and Steve Daines (R), both of Montana, in addition to support from other local, state, and federal officials.
Rhodium has a high melting point, is highly corrosion resistant, and is critical in catalytic converters, along with platinum and palladium, for cleaner vehicle emissions.
Complete results from the expansion drill campaign, which focused on the west side of the DR and Hybrid deposits at Chrome Mountain, are being incorporated into updated block models driven by an updated 3D geologic model as announced October 16, 2024. Figure 1, updated from that release, demonstrates the impressive grade and scale of mineralization at the Stillwater West project with wide intervals at successively higher grades contained within very wide bulk-tonnage grade intervals across the 9.5-kilometer-long area that contains the current deposits, including:
13.2 meters of 2.31% Ni, 0.35% Cu, 0.115% Co, and 1.51 g/t 4E starting at 37.6 meters and within 400.8 meters of continuous mineralization in hole CM2021-05;
50.2 meters of 1.05 g/t 4E plus 0.19% Ni and other values within 728.1 meters of continuous mineralization in hole CM2021-01; and
44.1 meters of 0.57% Ni, 0.34% Cu, 0.045% Co, and 0.74 g/t 4E starting at 32.8 meters and within 367.6 meters of continuous mineralization in hole CZ2021-01.
Metallurgical testing completed by AMAX confirmed recovery of rhodium along with palladium and platinum in preliminary bench-scale flotation testing at the CZ deposit area in the early 1970s.
Past work previously reported by the Company included surface sample results of up to 5.78 g/t Rh at the HGR target in the Iron Mountain area, and 1.07 g/t Rh at Chrome Mountain in reconnaissance-scale rock sample programs (see June 11, 2020, news release).
Early results for other rare PGEs show potential for additional value from iridium, osmium, and ruthenium which often occur along with platinum, palladium, and rhodium at Stillwater West.
Table 1 – Final results from resource expansion drilling including recent rhodium assay results.
Highlighted significant intercepts with grade-thickness values over 7 percent-meter recovered NiEq are presented above, except as noted. Recovered Nickel Equivalents (“NiEq”) are presented for comparative purposes using conservative long-term metal prices (all USD): $8.00/lb nickel (Ni), $4.00/lb copper (Cu), $22.00/lb cobalt (Co), $1,000/oz platinum (Pt), $1,950/oz palladium (Pd), $1,850/oz gold (Au), and $10,000/oz rhodium (Rh). NiEq is determined as follows: NiEq% = [Ni% x recovery] + [Cu% x recovery x Cu price/ Ni price] + [Co% x recovery x Co price / Ni price] + [Pt g/t x recovery / 31.103 x Pt price / Ni price / 2,204 x 100] + [Pd g/t x recovery / 31.103 x Pd price / Ni price / 2,204 x 100] + [Au g/t x recovery / 31.103 x Au price / Ni price / 2,204 x 100]. In the above calculations: 31.103 = grams per troy ounce, 2,204 = lbs per metric tonne, and 100 and 0.01 convert assay results reported in % and g/t. The following recoveries have been assumed for purposes of the above equivalent calculations: 85% for Ni and 90% for all other listed metals, based on recoveries at similar nearby operations. Total metal equivalent values include both base and precious metals. In terms of dollar value, 0.20% nickel equates to a copper value of 0.40%, or a palladium value of 0.48 g/t, using the above metal values. Intervals are reported as drilled widths and are believed to be representative of the actual width of mineralization.
Table 2 – Drill Hole Location and Depths
Michael Rowley, President and CEO, commented, “The strength and sheer scale of mineralization at Stillwater West continues to impress us as we add mineralization at several grade cut-offs, providing us with excellent optionality on potential mine methods as we advance towards our vision of becoming a primary source of critical minerals in the US. The polymetallic nature of our deposits is also strongly in our favor as the longest lived and most profitable mines in the world are almost without exception large and polymetallic. Anglo American’s Mogalakwena mines and Ivanhoe’s Platreef mine – our geologic parallels in South Africa’s Bushveld Complex – are excellent examples of large-scale polymetallic critical minerals mines in similar geology. Armed with these drill results and our new understanding of the layered geology of the Stillwater Complex per our updated 3D geologic model as announced recently, we now have the components necessary to update our current resource estimate. We look forward to further announcements from our flagship asset in addition to updates from our non-core assets.”
Dr. Danie Grobler, Vice-President of Exploration, commented, “The wealth of exploration drilling and assay data available on the Stillwater West project area greatly advanced our understanding of the mineralization controls and detailed geological interpretation. Recent drill results further support our geological models and understanding of mineralization controls within the main target areas. The current models now confirm continuity of the mineralized zones and their correlation with the A and B Chromitite horizons within the lower part of the Peridotite Zone. Both these chromite-rich horizons, viewed as thick stratiform ‘reef’- type horizons, are PGE-enriched and particularly rich in rhodium. More importantly, the reported high-grade rhodium results have now been confirmed to correlate with these two specific chromitite units and correspond to geochemical and geophysical anomalies associated with our existing resource areas defined during 2023. This largely confirms our understanding of their occurrence, and our ability to effectively target extensions and new areas”.
Recent Events in Global Platinum Group Elements Markets, Including US Government Support In September 2024, Sibanye-Stillwater announced a substantial reduction in operations at the mines beside Stillwater West, primarily as a result of low global palladium prices. The response from the community and also local, state and federal governments was swift and supportive, with Senators Tester and Daines for example announcing bipartisan support for Montana mining jobs and US critical mineral production to bolster domestic supplies and counter foreign dumping with the intent to drive prices down. These actions were focused on palladium but similar comments and lobby efforts have been applied to nickel, cobalt, and other critical minerals in recent years, as a result of a flood of cheaper metal from Russia and Chinese-funded operations in Indonesia, the DRC, and other locations.
In October 2024, the US government approached the G-7 nations with a proposal for sanctions on Russian palladium in a further demonstration of the US’ desire to counter foreign supplies and allow its domestic resources to advance.
Most recently, Sibanye-Stillwater celebrated the publication of the final regulations for Section 45X of the Inflation Reduction Act from the US Department of the Treasury which clarified important points that will likely result in significant tax credits for production of critical minerals from their US operations.
The importance of having proactive and supportive government cannot be understated as the US looks to expand its supply chains of critical minerals.
The Company has been working with the US Geological Survey for over six years, is the industry partner on Department of Energy grants totaling USD 2.75M to date, and is actively pursuing additional government funding for critical mineral supply.
Figure 2 – Stillwater Critical Minerals President and CEO Michael Rowley with Federal politicians from Montana in May 2024 at the Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. From L-R: Senator Jon Tester (D), Representative Matt Rosendale (R), Michael Rowley, Representative Ryan Zinke (R), and Senator Steve Daines (R).
Upcoming Events
Stillwater’s President and CEO, Michael Rowley, will be available for meetings and presenting at the following events:
Precious Metals Summit – Zurich, CH, November 11-12, 2024. For more information, click here.
121 Mining Events – London, UK, November 14-15. For more information, click here.
About Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. Stillwater Critical Minerals (TSXV:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF)(FSE:J0G) is a mineral exploration company focused on its flagship Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co + Au project in the iconic and famously productive Stillwater mining district in Montana, USA. With the addition of two renowned Bushveld and Platreef geologists to the team and strategic investments by Glencore plc, the Company is well positioned to advance the next phase of large-scale critical mineral supply from this world-class American district, building on past production of nickel, copper, and chromium, and the on-going production of platinum group, nickel, and other metals by neighboring Sibanye-Stillwater. An expanded NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate, released January 2023, positions Stillwater West with the largest nickel resource in an active US mining district as part of a compelling suite of nine minerals now listed as critical in the USA.
Stillwater also holds the high-grade Drayton-Black Lake- gold project adjacent to Nexgold Mining’s development-stage Goliath Gold Complex in northwest Ontario, currently under an earn-in agreement with Heritage Mining, and the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu-Co critical minerals project on trend with Nickel Creek Platinum‘s Wellgreen deposit in Canada‘s Yukon Territory. The Company also holds the Duke Island Cu-Ni-PGE property in Alaska, now subject to an LOI towards an earn-in agreement with Granite Creek Copper, and maintains a back-in right on the high-grade past-producing Yankee-Dundee in BC, following its sale in 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Michael Rowley, President, CEO & Director – Stillwater Critical Minerals Email: info@criticalminerals.com Phone: (604) 357 4790 Web: http://criticalminerals.com Toll Free: (888) 432 0075
Quality Control and Quality Assurance 2023 drill core samples were analyzed by ACT Labs in Vancouver, B.C. Sample preparation: crush (< 7 kg) up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g) and pulverize (mild steel) to 95% passing 105 µm included cleaner sand. Gold, platinum, and palladium were analyzed by fire assay (1C-OES) with ICP finish. Selected major and trace elements were analyzed by peroxide fusion with 8-Peroxide ICP-OES finish to insure complete dissolution of resistate minerals. Following industry QA/QC standards, blanks, duplicate samples, and certified standards were also assayed.
Mr. Mike Ostenson, P.Geo., Managing Geologist at Stillwater, is the qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, and he has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Stillwater Critical Minerals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Stillwater Critical Minerals and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
