Morning Briefing: IAMGOLD Sells Stake in Rosebel
Welcome to Mining Stock Daily. I’m Trevor Hall. And I’m Paul Harris.
Today is Tuesday October 18th.
Gold rallied overnight on Monday, running up from $1654 per ounce to as high as $1674, but once the Comex opened, the yellow metal was given a ride on the down elevator back to $1652 before bouncing to settle at $1655. For some reason, the same catalyst that triggered a rally in stock futures overnight didn't affect the S&P 500 in the cash market after the NYSE opened. Silver followed gold higher, running from $18.30 per ounce to as high as $18.90 before experiencing the same undue influence as gold after the Comex opened. Silver, however, also correlates with the S&P 500 and thus didn't fall as much as gold, trading back down to $18.55 and settling at $18.60.
Clearly there were unnatural exogenous forces that pressured the metals lower during NY trading hours, especially given that the dollar was annihilated on Monday. In fact, the dollar fell off a cliff at the same time gold and silver were slammed lower, thereby reinforcing the view that there was likely motivated official intervention in the trading of paper precious metals.
The mining stocks jumped along with the stock market, with the GDX up 3.2%. Apparently the gold and silver price sheriffs don't care about the mining stocks. In addition, the sentiment in the miners went bearish again, as the Hulbert Gold Newsletter Stock Index went negative on Friday for the first time in weeks. The Mining Stock Journal continues to be convinced that the precious metals sector is poised for a big move higher.
We will get to the news from the miners and explorers in a moment, but first a word about today’s sponsor.
This episode of Mining Stock Daily is brought to you by…Western Copper and Gold.
Western Copper and Gold is focused on developing the world-class Casino project in Canada's Yukon Territory. The Casino project consists of an impressive 11 billion pounds of copper and 21 million ounces of gold in an overall resource. Western Copper and Gold trades on the TSX and the NYSE American with WRN. Be sure to follow the company via their website, www.westerncopperandgold.com.
And here’s what you need to know this morning….
Blackrock Silver announced drill results from ongoing step-out and in-fill drilling programs on its Tonopah West project in the Walker Lane trend in Nevada. It said the results demonstrate continued expansion of the key known mineralized structure on the project, the Denver vein system, by an additional 600m, which has now grown to over 3km of drill-defined strike. Assays also encountered a new zone of mineralization to the south, including the company’s highest-grade and shallowest intercept at the project to date with 91cm grading 37.86 g/t Au and 2,740 g/t Ag or 6,526.7 g/t AgEq in hole 57 within 1.52m grading 22.88 g/t Au and 1,654.1 g/t Ag or 3,942.2 g/t AgEq. Blackrock has a 25,000 metre drilling programme underway. Blackrock Silver trades on the TSXV under BRC and on the OTC under BKRRF. News release
IAMGOLD entered into an agreement with Zijin Mining Group to sell its 95% interest in the Rosebel Gold Mines in Surinam for US$360 million cash and release of IAMGOLD's equipment lease liabilities, which amount to about $41 million. Rosebel holds a 100% interest in the Rosebel Gold Mine and a 70% interest in the Saramacca Mine. The remaining 5% interest in Rosebel will continue to be held by the Government of Suriname. The existing royalty on Rosebel held by Euro Ressources will remain an obligation of IAMGOLD. This is another asset sale to cope with the massive cost overrun at Iamgold’s Côté Gold project in Ontario which is due in production in early 2024. IAMGOLD trades on the TSX and NYSE under IMG. News release
G Mining announced results from its recently concluded delineation core drilling program at the Tocantinzinho Gold Project located in the State of Pará, Brazil. The company says the campaign has successfully confirmed the continuity of higher-grade gold in the main pit area, confirmed that the mineralization extends below the existing pit shell, and increased the definition of areas to be mined during pre-production. Highlights included 193.6m of 1.48 g/t Au, 144.7m of 1.70 g/t Au and 175.9m of 1.03 g/t Au. While the company is primarily focused on mine construction, upcoming exploration drilling will be conducted on the near-mine Castor target, where successful sampling and reconnaissance drilling has also returned strong results. G Mining trades on the TSXV with GMIN and on the OTCQX with GMINF. News Release
Probe Metals provided the fifth set of results from the 2022 drill program on its Val-d’Or East Monique property near Val-d’Or, Quebec. Results from forty-five new holes demonstrate continued strike and depth expansion. Highlights included 7.4m grading 15.1 g/t Au in hole 419 at Monique. The 2022 drill program aims to convert, expand, and discover new gold resources within and surrounding the conceptual pits from the 2021 PEA. Results from 263 holes are pending. Probe is advancing rock mechanics, ground geotechnical, metallurgical and baseline studies which are required for the completion of the Prefeasibility Study scheduled to be released in the September quarter of 2023. Probe Metals trades on the TSXV under PRB and on the OTCQB under PROBF. News release
Skeena Resources announced drilling results from the 2022 regional and near mine exploration programs at the Eskay Creek gold-silver Project in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia. At the 21A West Zone, drilling returned 2.21 g/t Au, 4.6 g/t Ag (2.27 g/t AuEq) over 50.00 m. Due to the lack of historical drilling in this portion of the 21A Zone, the area was considered as barren waste rock for both the 2022 Resource Estimate and Feasibility Study. This recently discovered feeder-style mineralization occurs within the footwall Rhyolite sequence immediately below the Contact Mudstone and will be incorporated into the future resource and economic updates for the Eskay Creek Project. The limited drilling to date in the 21A West Zone indicates that precious metal tenor typically increases vertically up stratigraphy with closer proximity to the Contact Mudstone. The Company is currently performing expansion and infill drilling with six helicopter supported drill rigs at the Eskay Creek Project. The focus is to expedite not only the organic growth of open pittable resources in the 23, 21A West and 22 Zones, but to infill these new zones for ultimate conversion to Probable Reserves. Skeena Resources trades on the TSX and on the NYSE with SKE. News Release
Faraday Copper announced results from an additional three drill holes for 2,540m of its 6,000m Phase I diamond drill program at its Copper Creek project in Arizona. The company said it intersected significantly higher-grade mineralization in the underground footprint at the Keel zone compared to the Mineral Resource Estimate with a highlight of 361.7m grading 0.87% copper and 6.63 grams per tonne silver in hole 7. This hole included 19.3m grading 4.37% copper below the underground footprint used for the 2022 resource estimate and demonstrates the potential to increase the mineral resource at depth. Mineralization was also expanded at the American Eagle zone. A resource update and preliminary economic assessment are planned for the June quarter of 2023. Faraday Copper trades on the CSE under FDY and on the OTCQX under CPPKF. News release
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