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1. Gold has traded between $1,585 and $1,594 so far today as it closes in on $1,600…as of 7:00 am Pacific the yellow metal is up $9 an ounce at $1,590…Silver has jumped 16 cents to $17.92…both Gold and Silver are looking increasingly bullish from a technical perspective as they start to push through key resistance on short-term charts…Palladium has jumped another $23 an ounce to $2,424 while Rhodium has shot up $200 an ounce to $10,500…base metals are off slightly with Copper, Nickel and Zinc at $2.59, $5.85 and 96 cents, respectively…the U.S. Dollar Index continues to shine, up more than one-third of a point to 99.40 while Crude Oil has retreated 92 cents to $51.13…investment professionals now see China’s $12.2 trillion economy rising an average of just 5.2% over the next 3 years, according to the Bank of America Global Research Fund Manager Survey for February…while that’s a level that much of the developed world would envy, it’s well off China’s average quarterly gain of 6.6% over the previous 3 years and well below the 10.6% gain of a decade ago…it’s also the weakest outlook since September 2015…
2. Chinese officials are celebrating a drop in the number of new coronavirus infections and deaths, though the World Health Organization warned against complacency as global health authorities continue to battle the virus…China’s National Health Commission today reported 1,886 new confirmed coronavirus cases in mainland China yesterday, the first time the daily tally has fallen below 2,000 since the beginning of the month…the daily number of confirmed cases outside Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, also fell to below 100 for the first time this month, while the number of new deaths across mainland China – 98 yesterday, all but 5 of them in Hubei – fell to less than 100 for the first time in nearly a week…of course we have to assume that China’s communist government is providing accurate numbers…the debate over whether the coronavirus has peaked has consumed health authorities and policy makers over the past week…across China, some policies have called for tighter controls to contain the spread of the virus, while others are designed to pave the way for a return to normalcy as the economic toll of the outbreak intensifies…
3. The optics aren’t good for Canada: President Trump is focused like a laser beam on the U.S. economy, a shining light in a rather gloomy world…meanwhile, as Canadian infrastructure came under attack by anarchists and eco-terrorists (not “land defenders”), Prime Minister Trudeau was galavanting around the globe last week to promote his failing globalist agenda in an attempt to win Canada a useless seat on the useless UN Security Council…he even cozied up to the rogue regime of Iran, warmly embracing Iranian foreign minister Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the 56th Munich Security Conference on Friday (video that Iran happily used for propaganda purposes)…back home where he belongs, Trudeau now says his government is committed to finding a “quick and peaceful” resolution to the blockades that have shut down swaths of the country’s rail system and temporarily blocked bridges and highways…those who are determined to “shut down” Canada surely sense the weakness in this country’s political leadership…in fact, there is a massive leadership vacuum…even “Conservative” Ontario Premier Doug Ford, all hat and no cattle as they would say out west, has hardly said a word about the disruptions that have carried on for more than a week…the national interest has no defender and the rule of law simply doesn’t exist…who’s even standing up for the democratically elected First Nation bands in northern British Columbia, all of whom support the Coastal GasLink pipeline?…every day the rail stoppages continue, the loss to the Canadian economy is staggering…with very rare exceptions (Jason Kenney in Alberta, for example), this country’s political leadership is an unmitigated disaster…
4. Palladium has quickly built on last week’s sharp gains, climbing more than $100 an ounce already this week to break above a bullish symmetrical triangle on the short-term chart…next measured Fib. resistance is near $2,800…the Palladium market was in a supply/demand deficit of more than 1 million ounces in 2019, and the shortage is expected to be even worse in 2020, according to Johnson Matthey in a report issued yesterday…analysts generally have cited strong auto-catalyst demand that is causing a continuing wide supply deficit…“The Palladium market deficit widened to over 1 million ounces in 2019, as combined primary and secondary supplies grew only modestly, while auto-catalyst demand surged higher on the back of new (emissions) legislation in China and more stringent testing regimes in Europe,” Johnson Matthey noted…the company said that average Palladium loadings rose by 14% in gasoline-powered cars…this drove automotive demand for Palladium to a record high of 9.7 million ounces, despite lower auto production in most regional car markets…all forms of Palladium demand amounted to 11.5 million ounces in 2019, up from 10.2 million in 2018, Johnson Matthey said…mine production eased to 6.89 million ounces from 7 million, hurt by lower shipments from Russia…however, recycling climbed to 3.42 million ounces from 3.12 million…investment demand remained negative, although the pace of liquidations slowed considerably from the previous several years…some 700,000 ounces of Palladium were in ETF vaults at the start of 2019, down from a peak of nearly 3 million in 2015…by August, the total fell to 590,000 before some moderate ETF buying in the final quarter of 2019, leaving them at around 660,000 ounces at the end of the year…imagine if ETF buying were to accelerate…“The Palladium deficit is likely to deepen in 2020, as an increasing number of Chinese and European vehicles meet China 6 and Euro 6d legislation, respectively,” Johnson Matthey added…“This is expected to drive up global average loadings on gasoline catalysts and could lift world automotive demand above 10 million ounces”…
5. Silvercrest Metals (SIL, TSX) is pushing higher in early trading after this morning’s confirmation of a new discovery at its Las Chispas Project in Sonora, Mexico – the Babi Norte southeast faulted extension named the “Area 200 zone”…expansion drilling has significantly increased the strike length of the Babi Norte Vein from 1.2 km as previously announced on February 25 to over 2 km…39 drill holes in this area have established an initial high-grade footprint of 500 m x 125 m…drill results from these 39 holes in Area 200 show an average estimated true width of 1.5 m with a weighted average grade of 16.1 g/t Au and 2,166 g/t Ag, or 3,375 g/t AgEq…Area 200 is not included in the current resource estimate….with this discovery, the Babi Norte Vein becomes the highest-grade vein currently known on the property…Babi Norte now has a total of 274 drill holes, including Area 200, which will be part of the updated resource and initial reserve estimate for the Feasibility Study to be released around the middle of this year…the cut-off date for drill data to be included in the FS is the end of this month…CEO Eric Fier remarked, “Since the high-grade discovery in January, 2018, of the Babicanora vein, Area 51 zone, the Silvercrest technical team has been systematically testing out its theory of the nature of multiples for the potential to discover parallel high-grade precious metal veins and zones similar to Area 51. With the high-grade discoveries of Las Chispas vein, Area 118, in November, 2019, and now the Babi Norte vein, Area 200, this work has proven effective. Area 200, approximately 500 m in strike length, is now considered the highest-grade discovery to date at Las Chispas and, combined with the remaining 1.5-km strike length of the vein, is the longest mineralized vein in the district, surpassing the Babicanora vein. Area 200 is proximal to the Santa Rosa decline, suggesting it could be easily accessed with minimal underground development”…SIL is up $1.31 at $10.08 as of 7:00 am Pacific…
6. The Dow has fallen 89 points through the first 30 minutes of trading…Apple (AAPL, NASDAQ) is under pressure after the company said the fallout from the coronavirus will cause it to miss its sales targets this quarter, sending shockwaves across tech stocks globally…meanwhile, Walmart reported fiscal 4th-quarter earnings this morning that fell short of analysts’ estimates…the retailer saw weak demand for toys, apparel and video games during the holiday season..in Toronto, the TSX is up 20 points with the Gold Index gaining 3 points to 264…exploration and production companies in the S&P/TSX Composite Index are collectively trading 70% below their 2014 peak…a resurgence in the Canadian energy sector is still nowhere in sight, leading more and more investors at home and abroad to the conclusion that the Oil patch is investable given Trudeau’s National Energy Program 2.0 (capital will always flow to where it’s wanted, and it’s increasingly flowing from Canada to the U.S.)…the Venture is up 3 points at 573…heavy volume in 1911 Gold (AUMB, TSX-V) in early trading on a major cross…it’s an attractive Gold junior we’ve been highlighting…AUMB is up a penny-and-a-half at 36.5 cents as of 7:00 am Pacific…Amex Exploration (AMX, TSX) has added 7 cents to $1.86 following last week’s new high-grade Gold discovery at depth at the Perron Property near Rouyn-Noranda…the stock confirmed a fresh breakout above $1.60 with a 27-cent gain last week…Palladium One (PDM, TSX-V) announced this morning that drilling will commence next week at its Palladium project in Finland…PDM is up a penny at 16 cents…other Palladium plays to keep an eye on include Canadian Palladium (BULL, CSE) and Transition Metals (XTM, TSX-V)…Sixth Wave Innovations (SIXW, CSE), which made its debut on the CSE with impressive volume and price action last week, has a major partner to crow about – the company announced last Thursday that Sumitomo Corporation of Americas is acting as sales representative for its IXOS®-Au product line…Sumitomo will introduce and promote IXOS® to its extensive customer base in the Gold mining industry and receive a 5% commission on applicable sales…Sumitomo completed a rigorous analysis and assessment of Sixth Wave’s disruptive IXOS® molecular imprinted nanotechnology used for Gold extraction, and is also interested in future Sixth Wave technological advancements for the extraction of other metals and contaminants associated with mining activities…SIXW raised nearly $14 million at 75 cents with no warrants…
7. As young adults from Generation Z start to carve out their career paths, they should not overlook the mining industry…there are 79,680 positions that will need to be filled in the mining field in Canada over the next decade, according to The Mining Association of Canada recently released annual report…a retirement wave is coming to the mining sector in the next decade which will see 25% of the industry’s current workforce retire by the year 2030, which represents around 57,000 positions…“The mining industry, both in Canada and abroad, faces a number of human resources challenges. The 2020 edition of the Canadian Mining Labour Market Outlook estimates that the Canadian mining industry will need to hire 79,680 new workers over the next decade to 2030. These new hires are required to replace retirees and fill new positions to meet baseline production targets”…on top of the retirement problem, the Canadian mining industry is facing an increasing brain drain when it comes to skilled workers…“Companies in other countries are actively recruiting Canadian graduates and workers, making retention challenging and recruitment highly competitive,” the report pointed out…
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Kindergarten class has begun on parliament hill, I guess all of us who voted conservative are all racist now. Strength through weakness will never work.unfnbelieveable.
Comment by Laddy — February 18, 2020 @ 11:19 am
Btw, that’s what jughead sing said this morning about Andrew shears comments that he is decisive and racist, guess that makes me one… just curious Jon, mts is sure looking like one to be adding to at this level, do you still have a position?
Comment by Laddy — February 18, 2020 @ 1:37 pm
You see it in the U.S., Laddy – the left is so discombobulated and devoid of positive ideas and policies, their only strategy is to accuse their opponents of racism, homophobia and xenophobia – it won’t work in November and that strategy will (I hope) ultimately fail in Canada when effective leadership forms on the centre-right…so in Canada now, you stand up for workers, stand up for democratically elected First Nation groups, stand up for the rule of law, stand up for the resource sector, stand up against anarchists, climate change fanatics and eco-terrorists, and you’re a racist…wow!…
Comment by Jon - BMR — February 18, 2020 @ 7:57 pm
Yes it’s getting a little crazy already, I just sit and wonder about future projects that I’m invested in, maybe you had it right the other day about the cowboys and Indians, could we be trading horses instead of trading stocks, hope not!!!
Comment by Laddy — February 18, 2020 @ 9:40 pm
WESDOME ANNOUNCES THE CONTINUATION OF THE KIENA DEEP A ZONE DOWN PLUNGE TO 830 METRES LONG, INCLUDING DRILL RESULTS CONTAINING 106.3 G/T AU OVER 10.5 METRES, AND DRILLING UP PLUNGE COMMENCES FROM THE NEW EXPLORATION RAMP
Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. has provided additional results from the continuing underground definition and exploration drilling at its 100-per-cent-owned Kiena mine complex in Val d’Or, Que.
Seven underground drills are now in operation completing the infill and up and down plunge extension drilling of the Kiena Deep A Zone. This drilling has continued to confirm the overall continuity of the geometry and the high grade gold mineralization of the Kiena Deep A Zone and identify additional mineralization outside of the most recent resource estimate. Recent drilling, including Hole 6580 and its associated wedge holes, have extending the gold mineralization of the A Zone an additional 100 metres (“m”) down plunge and now extends a total in excess of 830 m (see Figure 1 and Photographs 1 & 2). A total of 40,850 m in 136 new drill holes have now been drilled since the latest resource estimate, which is expected to be updated later in 2020.
Kiena Deep A Zone Down Plunge
Highlights of the down plunge drilling are listed below:
– Hole 6580: 114.8 g/t Au over 10.0 m core length (32.8 g/t Au cut, 5.6 m true width)
– Hole 6580W1: 25.3 g/t Au over 17.2 m core length (21.0 g/t Au cut, 11.6 m true width)
– Hole 6580W2: 86.5 g/t Au over 9.7 m core length (31.7 g/t Au cut, 4.2 m true width)
All assays cut to 90.0 g/t Au. True widths are estimated.
Kiena Deep A Zone Definition Drilling
Highlights of the definition drilling are listed below:
– Hole 6592: 66.8 g/t Au over 9.2 m core length (16.8 g/t Au cut, 7.0 m true width)
– Hole 6593: 106.3 g/t Au over 10.5 m core length (37.8 g/t Au cut, 8.5 m true width)
– Hole 6606: 30.5 g/t Au over 10.9 m core length (19.0 g/t Au cut, 8.0 m true width)
All assays cut to 90.0 g/t Au. True widths are estimated.
79 Level Exploration Ramp
The 79 level drift, consisting of 576 m of down ramp development and drill platforms, has now been completed and two drills have been mobilized to commence drilling of the potential up plunge extension of the Kiena Deep A Zone. Previous limited drilling into the up plunge area from 67 level returned a number of good intersections that require follow up. In addition, drilling from this ramp will allow drilling of the down dip extension of the VC zones. Based on recent drilling from 67 Level, it is interpreted that the VC zones are folded as they extend down plunge to connect with the Kiena Deep A Zone (Figure 1 and Photograph 3).
Additionally, a new zone has been discovered on 79 Level between the S50 and VC zones. As the 79 Level exploration ramp was being finalized, there was an opportunity to place the drill part way down the ramp to test the potential extension of the previously mined S50 zone northward towards the VC zones. This area has never been tested and of the 3 holes drilled, one hole intersected two zones of gold mineralization in the footwall mafic volcanics (Figure 2). The drilling intersected quartz plus or minus tourmaline plus or minus fuchsite veins within sheared basalt near the contact with basaltic komatiite and quartz-carbonate stockwork and although not a focus at this time, the intersection does represent additional mineralization for follow up drilling.
Assays from Hole 6627 returned:
– 21.5 g/t Au over 1.1 m (A Zone style of mineralization); and
– 6.7 g/t over 3.0 m (VC Zone style of mineralization).
Mr. Duncan Middlemiss, President and CEO commented, “We are extremely pleased with the recent infill drilling results from the Kiena Deep A Zone that continues to confirm the grade continuity and will be used to convert inferred resources to indicated resources in the updated resource estimate later this year. The PEA study is ongoing and expected to be completed in Q2 2020; which will be based on the latest Kiena Mineral Resource Estimate from September 2019. Ongoing drilling of the A Zone continues to expand the size of this zone and is expected to grow the resource base.”
“We are also pleased with the completion of the 79 Level Ramp. Not only does it provide optimal drill platforms for testing the up plunge extension of the Kiena Deep A Zone, the ramp would also serve as a haulage drift for any future production from this area as it accesses the main shaft level dump pocket. Any additional resources found in this area could greatly enhance the project restart time line and reduce initial capital investment. Although preliminary, we are encouraged to see initial drilling on 79 Level intersected a new zone of gold mineralization in a previously untested area along strike from the S50 Zone. This zone definitely requires follow up drilling but it illustrates the potential of discovering more gold horizons in the immediate area around the Kiena mine with focussed exploration.
“We plan to drill a total of 75,000 m, continue the down ramp development this year in order to enhance our drill platforms probing the lower extents of the A Zone. In addition, metallurgical and environmental detailed studies are continuing; in conjunction with the installation of hydrostatic barriers to secure previously mined out areas of the mine and shaft area; and ongoing ventilation improvements in the preparation for a possible mine restart.”
TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE
The technical and geoscientific content of this release has been compiled, reviewed and approved by Bruno Turcotte, P.Geo., (OGQ #453) Senior Project Geologist of the Company and a “Qualified Person” as defined in National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Analytical work was performed by ALS Minerals of Val-d’Or (Quebec), a certified commercial laboratory (Accredited Lab #689). Sample preparation was done at ALS Minerals in Val d’Or (Quebec). Assaying was done by fire assay methods with an atomic absorption finish. Any sample assaying >3 g/t Au was rerun with by fire assay method with gravimetric finish, and any sample assaying >10 g/t Au was rerun with the metallic sieve method. In addition to laboratory internal duplicates, standards and blanks, the geology department inserts blind duplicates, standards and blanks into the sample stream at a frequency of one in twenty to monitor quality control.
ABOUT WESDOME
Wesdome Gold Mines has had over 30 years of continuous gold mining operations in Canada. The Company is 100% Canadian focused with a pipeline of projects in various stages of development. The Company’s strategy is to build Canada’s next intermediate gold producer, producing 200,000+ ounces from two mines in Ontario and Quebec. The Eagle River Complex in Wawa, Ontario is currently producing gold from two mines, the Eagle River Underground Mine and the Mishi Open pit, from a central mill. Wesdome is actively exploring its brownfields asset, the Kiena Complex in Val d’Or, Quebec. The Kiena Complex is a fully permitted former mine with a 930-metre shaft and 2,000 tonne-per-day mill. The Company has further upside at its Moss Lake gold deposit, located 100 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Company has approximately 138.0 million shares issued and outstanding and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “WDO”.
Comment by Jon - BMR — February 19, 2020 @ 5:36 am
Palladium up another $132 to $2,648 as of 5:45 am Pacific…fresh drill results soon from Sunday Lake Project…most recent results were the thickest and highest-grade yet and included 9.1 g/t PGM over 15.8 m within 41.2 m grading 5.5 g.t PGM…Transition Metals (XTM, TSX-V) more than doubled in price from 9.5 cents on those results from April 2019…now at 17.5 cents with Palladium at much higher levels…XTM holds a 25% free-carried interest in Implats Canada Sunday Lake PGM Project, plus a 100% interest in multiple other PGE projects in Northern Ontario…BULL and PDM also looking good on the Palladium front, and BEX…GGI could soon report some hot Palladium numbers to go with more world class Nickel grades…
Comment by Jon - BMR — February 19, 2020 @ 5:45 am