motherlodetv.net
If you go to Google maps and look at the Dominican Republic you can see Barrick Gold’s huge Pueblo Viejo gold mine. It is the largest gold mine in the Americas and the fourth largest in the world. The mine has reserves and resources of over 15 million gold ounces.
It is a short exploration and drilling season in BC’s Golden Triangle. Jim Pettit, CEO of Aben Resources (V.ABN), knows the company has only four or five months to accomplish its program. Aben’s property is in the North Coastal Mountains where 30 or even 40 feet of snow could fall. “Winter drilling is possible,” said Pettit, “But it is a logistical nightmare and really, really expensive.”
Part of the job of an exploration company CEO is doing corporate presentations. Janet Lee-Sheriff, CEO of Golden Predator (V.GPY), was in Philadelphia to do a lunch presentation to a group of high net worth individuals. She began her presentation by showing Kaska Kayeh, a video about how the First Nations on whose land GPY is exploring, understand the land, the wildlife and the water and moving forward with mining interests. A video produced by Golden Predator and a former Kaska chief and featuring Kaska Elders speaking, often in their own language, about the sacredness of the land and how to work together.
Jeff Renwick and Richard Goldstein (l&r above) have been working together on the generic side of the pharmaceutical business for a decade. Developing drugs and drug delivery systems. Renwick has a total of 25 years in pharma and Goldstein was an investment banker. Their private company had two generic drugs in the pipeline and a good deal of work on extended release formulations.
Reaching Marcio Fonseca, CEO of Goldplay Exploration (V.GPLY), at the Beaver Creek Precious Metals Conference, gave us an opportunity to discuss the company’s San Marcial project where the company has been reporting a steady stream of drill results. The San Marcial project in the historic Rosario Mining District in Sinaloa, Mexico.
Argentina has been in the news. 60% interest rates, a recession and a temporary 8% export tax are not good news for miners. However, at this point, David Sidoo, CEO of Advantage Lithium (V.AAL) is cautiously optimistic. “It’s effecting all the juniors working in Argentina,” said Sidoo. “it surprised the market and it is going to be painful for the next twelve months. However, we have built a contingency into our Preliminary Economic Assessment. But it is important to explain to investors.”
Success in junior exploration depends on good management. Management which is able to find and acquire prospective properties and management which can evaluate those properties. But also management which can make the hard call to let a property go when it no longer makes sense for the company and its shareholders.
The great thing about “brownfields” exploration is what could be called predictable success. If you are drilling next to the shaft of a mine which was a successful gold producer it is a pretty good bet that you will hit mineralized rock.
As the companies come up to the starting gate for the great Canadian recreational cannabis sweepstakes we are seeing huge interest in the sector. The investment of 5 billion dollars in Canopy Growth by Constellation Beverages re-ignited the marijuana stock market in Canada. All of a sudden, Canada’s world-wide lead in the creation and financing of cannabis businesses looked to have an international scope.
Farhad Abasov, President and CEO of Millennial Lithium (V.ML), has experience with shifting markets for the resource he’s looking for. As the President and CEO of Allana Potash, as he explored in Ethiopia for potash, he watched as the entire potash market changed in a couple of years. Now he is watching the lithium marketplace gyrate as his company explores for lithium in Argentina.