Morning Briefing: Turquoise Hill Rejects Rio Tinto Bid
Welcome to Mining Stock Daily. I’m Trevor Hall. And I’m Paul Harris.
Today is Monday, August 15th
Last week gold rose $29 per ounce from the previous week. It's now up $135 from July 21st. Silver closed the week at $20.70 per ounce, up nearly $2 from its recent low from July 15th. The Mining Stock Journal said that, while it looks like from recent economic data that the Fed may be forced to reverse its current monetary policy and begin printing more money, the precious metals sector appears to have reached a cyclical low from the two-year downtrend that began in August 2020. The newsletter added that, irrespective of the current or prospective Fed policy stance, it expects a pleasant, if not somewhat surprisingly robust bull move in the precious metals sector this fall.
Aside from economic data and Central Bank actions, the physical market may force the banks to back off of their price control efforts. The latest data shows that gold is currently being removed from the Comex at a historically high rate. In addition, research from Bullionstar's Ronan Manley shows that the supply of physical silver on the LBMA has dropped to a six-year low. Finally, India will soon begin its massive importation of physical gold in preparation for and during its wedding and festival season this fall. As a side note, the mid and large cap mining stocks have had a nice move higher since the end of July which, for now at least, confirms the move higher in the metals.
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….
Turquoise Hill is rejecting the acquisition bed by Rio Tinto. The special committee of independent directors of Turquoise Hill has advised Rio Tinto it is terminating its review and consideration of Rio Tinto’s proposal to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of the Company it does not own for cash consideration of C$34 per share. The Special Committee concluded Rio Tinto’s offer price of C$34 per share does not fully and fairly reflect the fundamental and long-term strategic value of the Company’s majority ownership of the Oyu Tolgoi project. In assessing the Rio Tinto Proposal, the Special Committee also considered the risks facing the Company’s investment in the Oyu Tolgoi project, as well as the progress that the Company has achieved in recent months on the underground project, including the firing of the first three drawbells ahead of schedule and current expectations that sustainable production will be achieved earlier than previously forecast. Turquoise Hill trades on the TSX and the NYSE with TRQ. News Release
Giga Meals announced today the company has entered into a binding agreement with Mitsubishi to form a new joint venture company, Hard Creek Nickel Corp, to jointly pursue the development of the Turnagain Nickel Deposit in northern British Columbia, Canada. MC will acquire a 15% equity interest in Hard Creek in exchange for cash consideration of Cdn $8 million. Giga will receive an 85% equity interest in Hard Creek in exchange for contributing all related assets for the Turnagain project. Pursuant to the terms of a shareholders' agreement governing Hard Creek, Giga, with support from MC, will operate the joint venture, reporting to the board of directors of Hard Creek, and will work on a Pre-Feasibility Study for the Turnagain project with completion expected in the first half of 2023. Giga Metals trades on the TSXV with GIGA. News Release
Taseko Mines announced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publicly issued a draft underground injection control permit for its Florence copper project in Arizona. The EPA has stated that the public comment period for the draft federal permit will last 45 days, ending on September 29, with a virtual public hearing to be held on September 15. The company said Florence is expected to have the lowest energy and greenhouse gas-intensity of any copper producer in North America, and will reduce the US’ reliance on foreign producers for a metal considered to be critical for the transition to a low-carbon economy. Florence will have an average annual output of 85 million pounds of copper over 20 years. Taseko has raised the majority of the US$227 million required for construction including refinancing some $400 million in bonds. Taseko Mines trades on the TSX and LSE under TKO and on the NYSE American under TGB. News release
Maple Gold Mines reported initial assay results from the first drill hole of its Phase II drill program at its Eagle Mine property in Québec. The Phase II program consisted of four master diamond drill holes and one daughter drill hole totalling ~4,700m to test potential extensions of mineralization along and beneath the past-producing, high-grade Eagle-Telbel mine trend. Highlights included 3m grading 11.4 grams per tonne gold in hole 9 including 1m grading 24.4g/t to the north of the modeled main Eagle-Telbel mine horizon in the hanging wall microgabbro. Maple has drilled ~16,450m out of 30,000m planned this year across its Québec portfolio. Maple Gold Mines trades on the TSXV under MGM and on the OTCQB under MGMLF. News release
Prospector Metals identified a second gold bearing structural corridor at its Savant project in Ontario with bedrock grab samples yielding values up to 99.6 g/t gold at the Snowbird-Shoal deformation zone. A total of 594 grab samples were collected during the Phase 1 program for which all assays have now been received. Assays from the Wiggle Creek prospect which represents a strike length of 1.3km of known gold bearing structure confirm the presence of a gold bearing shear zone. A new LiDar survey was completed in June and data is being processed. Prospector Metals trades on the TSXV under PPP and in the OTCQB under ETHOF. News release
That concludes today’s morning briefing.
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