Tertiary Minerals plc, the AIM-traded company building a multi-commodity project portfolio, announces its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 31 March 2020.
OPERATIONAL SUMMARY:
Pyramid Gold Project, Nevada, USA
· The Company’s first drill hole on the project was successfully completed ahead of schedule and drilled to a total depth of 137m
· Intersection of 0.55m grading 2.01 g/t Au from 82.6m down hole, confirming that the target zone is gold-mineralised
· Further planned exploration work: Soil sampling to fully delineate the gold, silver and multi-element soil geochemical anomaly and to define further drill targets
Paymaster Polymetallic Project, Nevada, USA
· A US based consulting geologist with a background in the evaluation of skarn deposits has now completed an extensive programme of mapping and sampling and to help define potential drilling
New Project Acquisitions
· Three new projects acquired by low costs claim staking – Peg Leg, Mt Tobin and Lucky
MB Fluorspar Project, Nevada, USA
· Following the recent fundraisings, the Company has re-commenced the Scoping Study level metallurgical testwork at SGS Lakefield in Canada
Storuman Fluorspar Project, Sweden
· The Mine Permit appeal process is ongoing with the Swedish Government with no commitment to a decision timeframe.
Kaaresselkä and Kiekerömaa Gold Projects, Finland
· The Company retains pre-production and net smelter royalty interest in two gold projects owned by Aurion Resources
· Aurion is a Canadian listed exploration company with primary focus on the development of its Finnish gold projects, several of which are under joint venture with B2Gold. Kinross Gold Corporation is a significant shareholder of Aurion
Strategic Relationship with Possehl Erzkontor GmbH & Co. KG
· The Company signed a fluorspar marketing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2017 with leading global commodities trading group, Possehl Erzkontor GmbH & Co. KG (“Possehl”), a wholly owned subsidiary of CREMER
· The MOU remains in place with Possehl
FINANCIAL SUMMARY FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDING 31 MARCH 2020:
· Operating Loss of £278,934 comprises:
o Revenue of £94,691; less Administration costs of £352,914 (which includes non-cash share-based payments of £25,224); and
o Pre-licence and reconnaissance exploration costs totalling £20,711
o Total Group Loss of £278,780 is after crediting Interest income of £154
· Project expenditure of £43,513 was capitalised during the quarter.
Funding and Cash Position:
· The Company has completed two fundraisings in the period with Bergen Global Opportunity Fund, LP (Bergen) and through Peterhouse Capital Limited
· The closing cash (and cash equivalent) position at the end of the period was £407,807
· Since the period end, a subsequent lump sum investment of £600,000 was made by Precious Metals Capital Group LLC on 7 April 2020, further strengthening the Company’s cash position (circa £800,000 on 26 May 2020) during the current challenging times as well as enabling the Company to progress its planned exploration on its Paymaster Polymetallic and Pyramid Gold Projects in Nevada.
About Tertiary Minerals plc
Tertiary Minerals plc (ticker symbol ‘TYM’) is an AIM-traded mineral exploration company building and developing a multi-commodity project portfolio – Industrial minerals, base and precious metals.
Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure
Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.
For more information please contact:
Enquiries
Tertiary Minerals plc Patrick Cheetham, Executive Chairman Richard Clemmey, Managing Director
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+44 (0)1625 838 679 |
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SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker Richard Morrison/Caroline Rowe
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+44 (0) 20 3470 0470 |
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Peterhouse Capital Limited Joint Broker Lucy Williams/Duncan Vasey |
+44 (0) 207 469 0930 |
Chairman’s Statement
I am pleased to present our Interim Report for the six-month period ended 31 March 2020.
During this reporting period we have seen a significant improvement in market sentiment for junior mining companies, particularly in relation to precious metals, which has allowed us to improve our financial position and to kick-start work on a number of our existing projects. Much of this activity has taken place since the period end and has focused on our projects in Nevada, USA.
At Pyramid, the Company is targeting high-grade epithermal style gold mineralisation. An initial drill hole designed to confirm a high-grade gold intersection made by a previous explorer demonstrated the target zone to be gold bearing but did not deliver the same high-grade results. The target zone is defined by an extensive gold-in-soil anomaly and widespread gold bearing surface samples and warrants further work over the next few months.
Mineral exploration is high risk and the process of discovery is not linear but high rewards can come from successful discoveries. Recent mapping and sampling at our Paymaster Zinc-Silver Skarn Project by a specialist consulting geologist has confirmed a large-scale target for zinc skarn mineralisation and drawn analogies with the setting and style of the large Taylor Zinc discovery, in the neighbouring state Arizona, now owned by South 32 after the $2 billion takeover of Arizona Mining in 2018. We are now awaiting the report and recommendations for further work.
We seek to spread the risk of mineral exploration and increase our chance of discovery through a portfolio-based approach. In line with this strategy we are steadily re-building our portfolio of projects with a continuing focus on Nevada. We have recently staked additional ground on three new projects targeting precious and base metal deposits – the Peg Leg, Mt Tobin and Lucky Projects. In each case the projects have been acquired at low cost by staking claims and they share the characteristics that they can be evaluated with low cost programmes initially and brought to the drill stage relatively quickly. Programmes are being designed and permitted and will be executed over the coming months.
At our large MB Fluorspar Project in Nevada we have commenced a programme of scoping level metallurgical testwork at SGS Lakefield in Canada aimed at improving recoveries and concentrate grade for fluorspar mineralisation in the Central Zone of the deposit. To date, this has been problematic and a breakthrough is needed if the potential of this large low-grade resource is to be realised.
There is nothing substantive to report on our Storuman Fluorspar Project in Sweden, where the mine permit appeal process is ongoing with the Swedish Government, or on our Lassedalen Fluorspar Project in Norway which is a low priority for further work.
The Company’s financial results for the half-year are in line with expectations and reflect the Company’s project and administration expenditures. The financial markets have shown remarkable resilience in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and this has allowed us to continue funding our activities and improve the Company’s financial position at the year end through a £600,000 fundraising with US Precious Metals Capital Group in April 2020.
The mining industry in Nevada has continued to operate as an essential industry and our programmes have so far been unaffected. Our staff continue to work effectively from home. The future of this pandemic is, however, unpredictable and has potential to affect our operations and the markets in which we operate in the future. We will continue to operate in line with World Health Organisation and Governments’ advice and to manage our expenditure prudently.
I would like to thank all of our employees and directors for their hard work during the reporting period and to wish Richard Clemmey well as he leaves the Company at the end of June to return to employment in the UK quarrying industry. I will continue to act in an executive capacity until the time is right to make a new executive director appointment.
Patrick L Cheetham
Executive Chairman
29 May 2020
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