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ECR Minerals #ECR MD Nick Tulloch on his trip to Victoria
ECR Minerals #ECR MD Nick Tulloch discusses his trip to Victoria with Andrew Scott. He covers the site trips with Adam Jones to the Company’s key projects, and the opportunities identified.
ECR Minerals #ECR – Approval of Two New Exploration Tenements in Victoria, Australia
ECR Minerals plc (LON: ECR), the gold exploration and development company focussed on gold exploration in Australia, is pleased to announce the granting of two gold exploration tenements in Victoria, Australia.
ECR Minerals plc has 100% ownership of the Bailieston Project (EL5433) and the Creswick Project (EL006184), both of which are currently undergoing intense exploration by ECR’s wholly owned Australian subsidiary Mercator Gold Australia Pty Ltd (“MGA”).
ECR Chairman David Tang commented: “On behalf of the board and our team on the ground in Victoria, I am very pleased to announce that we can confirm the award of exploration licenses EL006907 and EL007484. In particular, the granting of license EL006907 linking Creswick to Ballarat East-Nerrina goldfield was something our former CEO Craig Brown always viewed as a key step in developing our Creswick interests and our understanding of the Dimocks Main Shale. With the data and knowledge base we have amassed now, I know our team on the ground, headed by Adam Jones are very keen to start work in the new area and bring Craig’s vision to fruition.
Licence EL007484 is an important addition to our enlarged footprint to the east of Victoria in the Tambo region. With a second drilling machine due to arrive any day now, I look forward to reporting further exploration progress as our intensive exploration and drilling campaigns expand and develop.
Our board are actively engaged in a search for a new CEO, and I look forward to reporting back with developments here in the near term.”
SUMMARY:
- Two new tenements recently granted for undertaking exploration work within Victoria, Australia. ‘MGA’ now has a total of 523 km2 of ground granted for exploration for gold within Victoria.
- One tenement (EL006907) is strategically placed between the historical rich Ballarat East-Nerrina goldfield and the current exploration licence ‘EL006148’. This tenement is host to the continued strike of the Dimocks Main Shale (“DMS”) horizon, believed to host the source veining for much of the alluvial gold within the Creswick deep lead alluvial system.
- The second tenement (EL007484) is situated 50km north of Bairnsdale in the east of the state of Victoria encompassing the alluvial fields of Swifts Creek and the Mid to Upper reaches of the Tambo River.
EL006907 (Creswick)
MGA is pleased to report that Exploration licence 006907 was granted on 26/11/2021 for a period of five years, with the added possibility of an extension, provided expenditure requirements, (a minimum of $160,050 AUD over the five-year term), are met. The licence lies midway between the current Creswick lease of EL006184 and the Ballarat East and Nerrina goldfields, with a total ground area of 81km2.
EL006907 contains the southern strike extension of the DMS horizon believed to host the source rocks to the abundant historical alluvial gold production within the region. Although the true figures of alluvial gold produced are not known, the Geological Survey of Victoria estimates the region has produced in excess of one million ounces of gold, with most of the production occurring between the period of 1852-1930. Around 4km of DMS strike length is believed to be within this tenement.
Records of past exploration show that no known extensive drilling or geochemical surveys have been undertaken within the tenement.
EL007484 (Tambo North)
Licence EL007484 was also granted on 26/11/2021 for a five-year term. The total land area covers 374 km2, and covers the historic alluvial goldfields of the Tambo River and Swifts Creek. Exploration work for both precious metals and base metals has been undertaken previously, added to which the region is known for intrusives that may offer opportunity for discovering new deposits.
The figure showing location of both tenements are shown in the link below;
https://www.ecrminerals.com/images/fig1_mga_new_tenements_12_21.jpg
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
We are delighted that the long-awaited license grants for these two tenements have been awarded to MGA. MGA is still awaiting the final grant of EL006713 (Creswick) and EL007486 (Tambo South), which are both adjacent to the newly approved tenements. If approved, MGA will have exploration licenses covering the majority of the ground linking Ballarat and Creswick – an exciting and challenging prospect given the historical abundance of alluvial gold and under-explored nature of the region. Initially, the company intends to define geochemical patterns related to known alluvial gold dispersion to help define the optimum method to locate the ‘blind’ gold ‘shoots’ the central Victorian region is known for. Best outcomes will be followed up by drilling using MGA owned and operated equipment. The MGA team are very well aware that many of the gold deposits at Creswick are ‘spotty’ and coarse in nature, but this consideration is always in balance with the potential rewards.
MGA will continue to prioritise EL5433 (Bailieston) into the new year as this tenement is reaching maturity. Staff will be transitioning into exploration within the Creswick area which will include follow-up work on the recently drilled EL006184. Exploration opportunities are also available on the companies owned land also within EL006184.
REVIEW OF ANNOUNCEMENT BY QUALIFIED PERSON
This announcement has been reviewed by Adam Jones, a director of ECR Minerals plc. Adam Jones is a professional geologist and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG). He is a qualified person as that term is defined by the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies.
MARKET ABUSE REGULATIONS (EU) No. 596/2014
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service (RIS), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
| ECR Minerals plc | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7929 1010 | ||
| David Tang, Non-Executive Chairman | |||
| Email: | |||
| Website: www.ecrminerals.com | |||
| WH Ireland Ltd | Tel: +44 (0) 161 832 2174 | ||
| Nominated Adviser | |||
| SI Capital Ltd | Tel: +44 (0) 1483 413500 | ||
| Broker | |||
| Nick Emerson | |||
| Novum Securities Limited | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7399 9425 | ||
| Broker
Jon Belliss |
|||
| Blytheweigh | Tel: +44 (0) 207 138 3204 | ||
| Public Relations | |||
| Tim Blythe
|
ABOUT ECR MINERALS PLC
ECR Minerals is a mineral exploration and development company. ECR’s wholly owned Australian subsidiary Mercator Gold Australia Pty Ltd (“MGA”) has 100% ownership of the Bailieston and Creswick gold projects in central Victoria, Australia, has six licence applications outstanding including one licence application lodged in eastern Victoria. (Tambo gold project). MGA is currently exploring at both the Bailieston (EL5433) and Creswick (EL6148) projects and has an experienced exploration team with significant local knowledge in the Victoria Goldfields and wider region.
https://mercatorgold.com.au/
ECR also owns 100% of an Australian subsidiary LUX Exploration Pty Ltd (“LUX”) which has three licence applications covering 900 km2 covering a relatively unexplored area in Queensland, Australia.
https://luxexploration.com/
Following the sale of the Avoca, Moormbool and Timor gold projects in Victoria, Australia to Fosterville South Exploration Ltd (TSX-V: FSX) and the subsequent spin-out of the Avoca and Timor projects to Leviathan Gold Ltd (TSX-V: LVX), Mercator Gold Australia Pty Limited has the right to receive up to A$2 million in payments subject to future resource estimation or production from projects sold to Fosterville South Exploration Limited.
ECR holds a 25% interest in the Danglay gold project; an advanced exploration project located in a prolific gold and copper mining district in the north of the Philippines, which has a 43-101 compliant resource. ECR also holds a royalty on the SLM gold project in La Rioja Province, Argentina and can potentially receive up to US$2.7 million in aggregate across all licences.
ECR Minerals #ECR – Initial Success of ‘Phase two’ Drilling at HR3
ECR Minerals plc (LON: ECR), the gold exploration and development company focussed on gold exploration in Australia, is pleased to update shareholders on its initial successful results from recently commenced ‘phase 2 drilling’ within HR3 at Bailieston, Victoria, Australia.
ECR Minerals plc has 100% ownership of the Bailieston Project (EL5433), which is operated under its Australian wholly owned subsidiary Mercator Gold Australia Pty Ltd (“MGA”).
ECR Chairman David Tang commented: “We are pleased with the excellent results from hole BH3DD009 at HR3. As this intensive drilling campaign continues, so our understanding of the Maori Anticline continues to grow. With a clear picture of the HR3 goldfield structure starting to emerge, it is tragic that Craig Brown is no longer with us to see these latest developments. I do know that all employees and directors at ECR and Mercator Gold are working hard to ensure that Craig’s vision for ECR’s flagship projects come to fruition. We look forward to sharing further assay results and data with shareholders as they are released by the labs.”
“It is our intention to appoint a new CEO in due course, and in this regard our search has already begun. In the interim a committee of directors, including myself, Trevor Davenport and Adam Jones will continue to drive the business forward.”
SUMMARY:
- Following receipt of the necessary permissions, drilling has re-commenced within the HR3 Goldfields utilising two diamond drill rigs.
- Initial results have been received with the first hole completed, (BH3DD009) returning 0.7m @ 28.06g/t Au from 52.7m depth from the Maori Reef.
- Gold values correlate well to high arsenic and antimony (stibnite) pXRF values – proof of their importance as pathfinder elements within the Bailieston area.
- Drilling highlights the importance of the Maori Anticline as an important up-coming target.
PHASE TWO DRILLING HR3
Whilst drilling at Creswick and Cherry Tree ‘HR4’ mid-year, MGA submitted plans to government authorities requesting permission to drill from additional sites within the HR3 goldfield area. After meeting regulatory requirements, permission was granted early October 2021. Once drilling at nearby Cherry Tree and at the Creswick tenements had completed, drill rigs were mobilised to HR3 to commence phase two drilling. Drilling is being undertaken by two diamond drill rigs, one by a contractor and the second rig being MGA’s owned and operated ‘Midas’ drill rig. The contract rig is currently drilling broad holes perpendicular to the strike of the main mineralised systems throughout the HR3 goldfield and has approximately 250m of drilling to complete. Follow-up drilling is being undertaken by the ‘Midas’ drill rig and will continue to the end of the year.
A total of twelve drill sites have been approved across HR3. The sites have been well planned to ensure optimum drill coverage across the remainder of the goldfield. Particular focus will be directed at gathering structural data by use of diamond drilling to reconstruct the central and eastern mineralised systems known as the Scoulers and Maori Reefs. Extensions to the north and south of the goldfield boundaries will also be drilled. Drilling will also delineate structures drilled by previous historic percussion drilling during the 1980’s period.
To date, a total of 1478m of ‘phase two’ drilling has been completed at HR3. Between the two drill rigs, good meterage has been drilled (up to 80m per shift). Geological logging and interpretation will continue to the end of the year. A summary of drilling locations and their progression is shown in the link below;
BH3DD009
Phase two drilling commenced with BH3DD009 across the central portion of the Maori Reef. Drilling was targeted to follow up the down-dip of an historical Reverse Circulation drillhole intersection which returned 1m @ 11 g/t Au. BH3DD009 was successful in drilling mineralisation between 47m and 56.7m depth and the best intersection was 0.7m @ 28.06 g/t Au from 52.7m depth.
Drill core is routinely analysed for pathfinder elements during geological logging using an in-house pXRF unit to trace pathfinder elements associated with gold mineralisation. pXRF results are not used for reporting resources, only for tracing the pathways for gold mineralisation fluids. Plotting of antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) pXRF results correlates spatially with the initial high-grade gold intercepts. A similar zone of high Sb and As has been identified in other drillholes on the same section as BH3DD009 and on the projection of the Maori Reef structure (see fig 2). Gold assay are pending for these drillholes (BH3DD010 and BH3DD011) and whilst the XRF results can not be relied upon, we are anticipating good results.
The following is a link to a section sketch showing the main geological features of BH3DD009 and the spatial association of antimony and arsenic.
MAORI ANTICLINE
Drilling and subsequent 3D modelling of drillholes BH3DD005, BH3DD006 and BH3DD007 earlier this year revealed a moderate south plunging fold to exist underneath and along strike of the Maori Reef workings. This has been termed the Maori anticline. Observations show the historic mined portion of the Maori Reef coincides with the projected up-dip of the anticline near surface. The Maori Reef has been intersected midway between BH3DD009 and the historical workings by an historic percussion drill hole named BLP136. BH3DD009 intercepted 1m @ 34 g/t Au from 44m depth. These observations show the significance of the anticline. The drill rig is currently being set up to test this unexplored gap of the Maori anticline.
A long-section looking east through the anticline is shown in the link below;
Table 1. Summary of initial drill intercepts containing reportable levels of gold greater than 1 g/t Au for BH3DD009
BH3DD009
| From (m) | To (m) | Grade (g/t Au) | Interval (m) |
| 47 | 48 | 0.6 | 1 |
| 48.2 | 48.8 | 0.40 | 0.6 |
| 48.8 | 49.1 | 1.70 | 0.3 |
| 49.1 | 49.6 | 2.49 | 0.5 |
| 50.5 | 51.5 | 0.61 | 1 |
| 51.5 | 52.4 | 1.08 | 0.9 |
| 52.4 | 52.7 | 1.90 | 0.3 |
| 52.7 | 53.4 | 28.06 | 0.7 |
| 53.4 | 54.2 | 1.14 | 0.8 |
| 54.2 | 54.6 | 0.93 | 0.4 |
| 54.6 | 55.1 | 0.46 | 0.5 |
| 55.1 | 55.7 | 0.77 | 0.6 |
| 55.7 | 56.7 | 0.25 | 1 |
| 57.7 | 58.7 | 0.17 | 1 |
| 58.7 | 59.2 | 0.14 | 0.5 |
| 59.2 | 60.2 | 0.43 | 1 |
FUTURE WORK
The initial results for drill holes BH3DD010 and BH3DD011 are due shortly. Samples from these two holes are currently being processed at the laboratory, and we expect to deliver regular drilling updates in the run up to the Christmas period. While these results are still early in the campaign, the identification of the Maori anticline and its association with high-grade gold mineralisation will now be the main focus for the next drilling campaign.
Early observations of HR3 drill cores are revealing exciting structures that appear to correlate across the HR3 goldfield. Re-construction will be key to identifying gold mineralisation patterns. A 10cm solid antimony vein was observed in recently drilled BH3DD019 around 143m depth, and is on trend to be on the northerly strike of the Maori Reef at depth. MGA’s Bendigo-based geology department will continue to gather and assimilate project data.
REVIEW OF ANNOUNCEMENT BY QUALIFIED PERSON
This announcement has been reviewed by Adam Jones, a director of ECR Minerals plc. Adam Jones is a professional geologist and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG). He is a qualified person as that term is defined by the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies.
MARKET ABUSE REGULATIONS (EU) No. 596/2014
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service (RIS), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
| ECR Minerals plc | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7929 1010 | ||
| David Tang, Non-Executive Chairman | |||
| Email: | |||
| Website: www.ecrminerals.com | |||
| WH Ireland Ltd | Tel: +44 (0) 161 832 2174 | ||
| Nominated Adviser | |||
| SI Capital Ltd | Tel: +44 (0) 1483 413500 | ||
| Broker | |||
| Nick Emerson | |||
| Novum Securities Limited | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7399 9425 | ||
| Broker
Jon Belliss |
|||
| Blytheweigh | Tel: +44 (0) 207 138 3204 | ||
| Public Relations | |||
| Tim Blythe
|
ABOUT ECR MINERALS PLC
ECR Minerals is a mineral exploration and development company. ECR’s wholly owned Australian subsidiary Mercator Gold Australia Pty Ltd (“MGA”) has 100% ownership of the Bailieston and Creswick gold projects in central Victoria, Australia, has eight licence applications outstanding including two licence applications lodged in eastern Victoria. (Tambo gold project). MGA is currently drilling at both the Bailieston (EL5433) and Creswick (EL6148) projects and has an experienced exploration team with significant local knowledge in the Victoria Goldfields and wider region.
https://mercatorgold.com.au/
ECR also owns 100% of an Australian subsidiary LUX Exploration Pty Ltd (“LUX”) which has three licence applications covering 900 km2 covering a relatively unexplored area in Queensland, Australia.
https://luxexploration.com/
Following the sale of the Avoca, Moormbool and Timor gold projects in Victoria, Australia to Fosterville South Exploration Ltd (TSX-V: FSX) and the subsequent spin-out of the Avoca and Timor projects to Leviathan Gold Ltd (TSX-V: LVX), Mercator Gold Australia Pty Limited has the right to receive up to A$2 million in payments subject to future resource estimation or production from projects sold to Fosterville South Exploration Limited.
ECR has earned a 25% interest in the Danglay gold project; an advanced exploration project located in a prolific gold and copper mining district in the north of the Philippines, which has a 43-101 compliant resource. ECR also holds a royalty on the SLM gold project in La Rioja Province, Argentina and can potentially receive up to US$2.7 million in aggregate across all licences.
ECR Minerals plc #ECR – Property purchase within the Bailieston License Area
ECR Minerals plc (LON: ECR), the gold exploration and development company focused on Australia, is pleased to announce that its 100% owned Australian subsidiary, Mercator Gold Holdings Pty Ltd (“MGH”), has purchased a property at 127 Nagambie-Rushworth Road, subject only to payment of the completion monies. The property is located within the Company’s 100% owned Bailieston license area (“Bailieston”).
It is anticipated that monies will be paid, and completion will occur, on or around 8 October 2021 and further updates will be provided at that time.
Highlights:
- The property is adjacent to the Company’s Cherry Tree Project, located within the Bailieston license area in Victoria, Australia.
- Bailieston neighbours Kirkland Lake Gold’s multi-million-ounce Fosterville gold mine. Newmont Mining have also submitted an application for an exploration license immediately to the north of the Black Cat property within the Bailieston license area.
- The property consists of 297 acres of land (no buildings at this time), within the 24 square kilometre Bailieston license area, with ample exploration opportunity and the future potential for the construction of a mine decline, processing plant and tailings dam.
- The purchase price of the property is A$750,000, which will be settled in two tranches consisting of a A$75,000 deposit, which has already been paid, and the remaining balance which is to be paid 30 days from the date of sale. The purchase will be funded by the Company’s existing cash resources. As at the close of business on 9 September 2021 the Group had £3,874.779.94 (USD equivalent $5,362,695.44) in the bank after paying the A$75,000 deposit.
Craig Brown, Chief Executive Officer commented: “Following the recent highly encouraging early results from the maiden drilling programmes at the Bailieston HR3 and HR4 (Cherry Tree Project), on behalf of the board, I am delighted to announce the purchase of a considerable land package located in close proximity to Cherry Tree. Based on the gold mineralisation, geological findings and data acquired from the Bailieston drilling campaigns to date, our board have taken the decision to proceed with ECR’s second land package acquisition.
“The size and scale of this land package ensures that, equipped with our own drilling rigs we can now ramp up our drilling and exploration activities across the territory, and when appropriate can develop our own mine decline, processing plant and tailings dam.”
“This is an exciting period of evolution for ECR as a company as we grow our presence across the Victoria Goldfields. I look forward to reporting the next developments.”
The property was purchased from a private individual.
MARKET ABUSE REGULATIONS (EU) No. 596/2014
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service (RIS), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
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ECR Minerals plc |
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Tel: +44 (0) 20 7929 1010 |
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David Tang, Non-Executive Chairman |
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Craig Brown, Director & CEO |
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Website: www.ecrminerals.com |
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WH Ireland Ltd |
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Tel: +44 (0) 161 832 2174 |
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Nominated Adviser |
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SI Capital Ltd |
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Tel: +44 (0) 1483 413500 |
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Broker |
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Nick Emerson |
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Novum Securities Limited |
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Tel: +44 (0) 20 7399 9425 |
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Broker Jon Belliss |
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Blytheweigh |
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Tel: +44 (0) 207 138 3204 |
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Public Relations |
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Tim Blythe |
ECR Minerals #ECR CEO Interview – Alan Green talks to Craig Brown
Brand Comms CEO Alan Green talks to ECR Minerals #ECR CEO Craig Brown about the company’s flagship gold exploration projects in the heart of Australia’s Victoria Goldfields.
Craig talks about the recent placing to raise a further £2m with Novum Securities at 2.2p, and elaborates on the rationale behind it, before discussing the initial drilling results at the Bailieston Historic Reserve 3 prospect, that led to a fall in the share price despite identifying gold and gold mineralisation.
We look at slides from the current company presentation, and examine the scale of the operations and historic gold grades from the other Bailieston prospects including Blue Moon, Black Cat, HR4 (Cherry Tree, Cherry Tree South) and Yellow & Red Moon.
We move to Creswick and discuss the Dimocks Main Shale geological feature, the historical (2019) grades, license applications and JV implications and the upcoming drilling campaign. Craig then updates on the Tambo Project, and the connection with ECR’s Head Geologist Dr Rodney Boucher before we discuss the Bendigo HQ operation.
Alan and Craig then summarise by looking at the current company valuation vs. assets and work underway.
USD28tn COVID bill keeps the Gold bull case intact for ECR Minerals #ECR and the new Victoria Gold rush.
In October 2020 IMF economic counselor *Gita Gopinath described coronavirus as the worst crisis since the Great Depression, adding that the pandemic would leave deep and enduring scars from job losses, weaker investment and children being deprived of education.
In its flagship world economic outlook, the IMF said stronger than expected Q2 and Q3 performances would see global output fall by 4.4% in 2020 compared with the 5.2% drop forecast during the summer.
The groundbreaking news of a vaccine with high efficacy rates from both Pfizer and Moderna triggered strong rallies in global stock markets, and while this led to a downward correction in the gold price, most market analysts remained bullish on gold over the longer term.
US Investment Group Energy & Capital are of the view that gold remains in a bull market super cycle. Energy & Capital editor, Gold bug, and investment analyst Luke Burgess said “The historic gold run of 2011 actually began in 2001, when gold was trading around $300 per ounce.”
“The same exact gold super-cycle happened in 1971–1980, when gold ran from $50 per ounce to almost $700,” Burgess added. “The value of the U.S. dollar is being weakened every day and there is nothing that the Federal Reserve or politicians can do to stop it. This will continue to have a tremendous effect on gold prices and the gold market in general.”
Energy & Capital are ultra bullish in outlook, with a $6500oz target price for the yellow metal within 2 years. While other commentators are more circumspect, the view on the longer-term trend is clear.**
“It is worth recalling that the driver of investment flows into precious metals has ultimately been sourced from a powerful impulse lower in real rates,” TD Securities said in a note.
“The U.S. Federal Reserve’s continued attempt to spark higher inflation expectations should suppress real rates deeper into negative territory. This will continue to drive investment appetite for precious metals, as capital seeks to shelter itself from increasingly negative real rates.”
Junior Gold Miners Flourish
It has been an extraordinary year for junior gold miners. Despite the recent gold correction to $1860oz, global gold producers are under more pressure than ever to replace their depleting reserves. The major gold producing conglomerates face declines in production, shrinking reserves and a potential increase in production costs, which means it is cheaper (and faster) for these companies to buy developed or developing gold projects.
As a result, there has been a rush to develop and fast track quality assets, which for some junior miners has meant revisiting dormant mining projects. The latest tools, survey techniques and desktop assets available to mining engineers have proved invaluable in the search for precious metals within existing dormant assets and mines around the world.
As gold prospecting continues apace in far flung and remote areas, this year has seen the goldfields in Victoria, South Australia thrust into the limelight once again.
A major mining centre since the 19th century gold rush, modern technology has today has paved the way for another gold rush in the region.
Indeed the Geological Survey of Victoria estimates that some 75 million ounces of high-grade gold is currently awaiting discovery, and with grants available to mining companies operating in the region, it is no exaggeration to say that companies are literally queuing up for licenses.
As an incumbent operator owning some of the most fertile territory in Victoria, London listed ECR Minerals (LSE: ECR) is already at the front of the queue, with its 100% owned Bailieston and Creswick Victoria gold projects, plus the recently acquired Tambo Gold project.
ECR also has financial interests in the Avoca, Moormbool and Timor projects following the sale of those licenses to Fosterville South Exploration Ltd (TSX.V:FSX), raising $500,000 plus $1 for every ounce of gold discovered. ECR also has interests in projects in the Philippines and Argentina.
Creswick
Creswick is situated within the Dimocks Main Shale, a geological feature considered to be highly prospective for gold, and which extends to the Ballarat gold mine centre and further south. ECR’s exploration licenses cover approximately 7km of this region, and along with several other mining companies with licenses in the region, has applied for a further license covering a further 140 sq km between Creswick and Ballarat.
A recent study by pre-eminent consulting geochemist Dr Dennis Arne, whose experience includes extensive consultancy at the Fosterville mine, (now the largest gold producer in Victoria), underlined the significant gold exploration potential at Creswick, and ‘nuggety gold mineralisation’. Joint venture / earn-in talks are continuing at Creswick.
Bailieston
Bailieston is also at the centre of the current gold exploration boom in Victoria, sited as it is a few km east of the world class Fosterville mine. Fosterville has delivered spectacular investment returns over recent years for owner Kirkland Lake Gold, not to mention some of it’s now millionaire shareholders.
The Bailieston license areas include a raft of prospects, including HR3, Black Cat, Cherry Tree, Red Moon and Yellow Moon, and with drilling permissions now received, the company reported last Friday that its newly acquired drilling rig will shortly be en route to the HR3 prospect from ECR’s new operational base at Bendigo. Work also continues apace at the Cherry Tree prospect, with soil geochemistry and geological mapping recently completed.
ECR’s Baillieston project also has a high profile neighbour in the form of mining giant Newmont, which has a license application in for ground immediately to the north of ECR’s Black Cat prospect.
Tambo Gold Project – Local Knowledge
One of the key advantages lies in the fact that ECR’s principal geologist Dr Rodney Boucher was born and raised in Bruthen, East Victoria, and therefore has an intimate knowledge of the region. In September 2020, this area knowledge was further employed by ECR when it lodged two new license applications for the new Tambo gold project in eastern Victoria. ECR CEO Craig Brown highlighted Dr Boucher’s knowledge in the stock exchange press release.
“Good quality exploration ground available for direct application is very difficult to find in Victoria, so we are very pleased to have identified and applied for the Tambo project, which covers a sizeable area of prospective geology near historic goldfields and has received little contemporary exploration.”
Brown added “Our principal geologist, Dr Rod Boucher, was born and raised nearby in Bruthen. He grew up gold prospecting with his father throughout the application areas and has an in-depth knowledge of the gold potential in the small streams and gullies. He is a descendant of gold miners from a locality once known as Boucher Town between Cassilis and Swifts Creek and completed his third-year undergraduate thesis on the geology of the Tambo Crossing area.”
Untapped Potential
There is a sense that despite the rush of license applications in the region, the current day Victoria gold rush is still very much in its infancy.
As other leading mining companies, including Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM), Power Metal Resources (LSE:POW), Red Rock Resources (LSE:RRR), Fosterville South and a host of other smaller mining groups queue for licenses, their respective CEO’s will no doubt be harbouring ambitions for a Kirkland Gold–esque share price explosion. Indeed, Kirkland’s share price has rocketed over 2,200% in the past few years thanks to its ownership of the Fosterville Gold Mine and a 315% jump in annual gold production between 2014 and 2018 .
Despite movement restrictions in the Victoria region due to Covid-19, the foresight of the ECR board and CEO in securing the key licenses has not been lost on investors.
Following a further £600,000 fundraise in July, and further £400,000 from warrant exercises, ECR took the decision to acquire it’s own diamond drilling rig to press on with exploration Bailieston and Creswick. Investor bulletin boards are agog with anticipation, but despite the share price having nearly trebled between June and September 2020, in November the stock still trades on a ridiculously modest £13m market cap.
If, as all the pundits seem to be saying, we are at the start of a new Victoria Gold rush, then expectations that shares in small, incumbent explorers like ECR will deliver spectacular Kirkland-style increases in value may not be so far fetched after all.
*Source The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/oct/13/imf-covid-cost-world-economic-outlook
**Source Reuters: