- The first in person Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention since March 2020 was held earlier this month
- More than 1,700 investors, analysts, mining executives, geologists, and government officials attended
- The Market Herald interviewed dozens of the world’s mineral exploration and mining industry leaders
The world’s premier mineral exploration and mining convention, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) welcomed a massive crowd of more than 17,000 back to Toronto for its first in person convention since March 2020.
Confirming the mining sector’s hunger for returning to business, the 90th annual convention was a robust and busy affair with a jammed packed line-up of speakers and workshops.
The mining sector has been enduring and overcoming challenges this year, chief among them geopolitical challenge like revolving governments and resource nationalism.
Even so, a recent survey of miners found that an overwhelming majority expect royalties to increase.
How would operators mitigate future risks and work to stabilize the supply chain? What of the other factors bucking the trend when it comes to the mining industry? These were the questions on the minds of many PDAC 2022 attendees and The Market Herald Team caught up with dozens of leaders and executives from top mining companies working in various corners of the world to learn more about the potential they seek to unearth.
Highlights:
Tonno Vahk, CEO of Aton Resources (TSXV:AAN) discussed the latest results of their diamond drilling program.
Developing the Mon Gold Property in the Yellowknife Gold Belt District, 60 North Gold (CSE:SXTY) Vice President, Corporate Development, Ronald Handford, spoke about recent bulk samples taken to give the team a sense of mineral grades.
Engaged in the business of mineral exploration, CAVU Energy Metals (CSE:CAVU) has been drilling since early May 2022 at its Yukon Copper Project, home to its porphyry copper, gold, silver and molybdenum project with first assays at lab. The company’s CEO, Jacob Verbaas, spoke about the large copper systems at its Yukon Copper and Star Projects.
Chris Eager, President and CEO of Resouro Gold (TSXV:RAU), spoke about mobilizing a team and drill rig for its Novo Mundo Gold Project in Brazil.
CEO of Atex Resources (TSXV:ATX), Raymond Jannas, spoke about new and impressive gold-copper results from the Valeriano Project in Chile.
Search Minerals (TSXV:SMY) plans to be in production of Critical Rare Earths Elements (CREE) in three years, specifically permanent magnet REEs. The company’s President and CEO, Greg Andrews, spoke about his team’s next steps.
President and CEO of Millrock Resources (TSXV:MRO), Gregory Beischer, sat down to discuss the company’s upcoming second drilling campaign at the 64 North Project.
Paul Sun, President and CEO of Eminent Gold Corp. (EMNT) noted that sample results from Spanish Moon Project, show the potential for a large gold deposit.
Chris Frostad, President & CEO of Purepoint Uranium (TSXV:PTU) discussed the upcoming drill program at Red Willow Project in Saskatchewan.
Heritage Mining CEO, Peter Schloo talked about the company’s flagship the Drayton-Black Lake Project, which boasts 100 years’ worth of data which has never been digitized or looked at from a low-grade high-tonnage perspective.
JP Vargas de la Vega, Managing Director of Galan Lithium (ASX:GLN), spoke about a brand new pegmatite discovery at the Greenbushes South Project. While at the PDAC, the company announced its discovery at its lithium hotspot project in Western Australia, roughly five kilometres south from the largest lithium mine in world. The company generated 12 targets and found pegmatite discovery on the first one.
i-80 Gold (TSX:IAU) CEO, Ewan Downie talked about the first gold ore shipment out of Granite Creek and how the company is currently processing the ore at Nevada Gold Mine’s facility.
Cameron McCall, Executive Chairman and President of Macarthur Minerals (TSXV:MMS) sat down to discuss the optimistic feasibility study results on the Lake Giles Project.
Atac Resources (TSXV:ATC) President and CEO Graham Downs talked about its ongoing copper and high-grade gold exploration programs at its Nadaleen Gold Project in Yukon.
Managing Director of Rafaella Resources (ASX:RFR), Steven Turner, spoke about the opportunities and challenges of growing its presence in Canada.
Vancouver junior mineral explorer Faraday Copper (CSE:FDY) President and Chief Executive Officer, Paul Harbidge talked about rebranding, the company’s plans over the coming 12 to 18 months, and developing a pair of projects in mining-friendly U.S. jurisdictions.
Tesoro Gold (ASX:TSO) holds one of the largest and most prospective gold projects in Chile. Geoff McNamara, a Non-Executive Director with the company spoke about its El Zorro Project, a 1.1 million oz. open pittable project looking to grow to 2 million oz. gold in the next 24 to 36 months, drilling to start in next couple of weeks, scoping study out in 4 weeks.
Brunswick Exploration (TSXV:BRW) Chief Executive Officer Robert Wares discussed the company’s current lithium exploration plans, its inventory targets and future prospects.
Tara Christie, President and CEO of Banyan Gold (TSXV:BYN) discussed the drilling program underway at the Aurmac Property, Yukon. The updated Resource Estimate comprises a total inferred mineral resource of 3,990,000 ounces of gold on the property.
Peter Clausi, VP of Capital Markets for Silver Bullet Mines (TSXV:SBMI) discussed bringing the Buckeye Mine online is the company’s primary focus. The fully funded mill is being commissioned.
Monument Mining (TSXV:MMY) President and CEO, Cathy Zhai shared news about its Selinsing Gold Property near Kuala Lumpur.
Managing Director of Golden Rim (ASX:GMR) Craig Mackay spoke about the company’s new project, acquired last year during the COVID pandemic.
Focus Graphite (TSXV:FMS) is developing two of the most promising high-purity flake graphite projects in North America, both located in Quebec and its CEO Marc Roy spoke about the need to depend less on foreign countries for EV battery minerals.
Green River Gold (CSE:CCR) CEO and President. Perry Little spoke about the company’s magnetic survey, having just completed the second portion with results that showed a lot of nickel on their Quesnel nickel property.
Cassiar Gold (TSXV:GLDC) President and CEO, Marco Roque discussed recent drilling on the company’s flagship Cassiar Gold Property in northern British Columbia.
Richard Murphy, CEO of Manitou Gold (TSXV:MTU) provided an overview of the company’s projects, including the Goudreau Project in Ontario, where two past-producing mines bookend the project.
Mario Stifano, CEO of Galantas Gold (TSXV:GAL) discussed the company’s upcoming gold production planned for its Omagh project, which is located west of Belfast in Northern Ireland.
ArcPacific Resources (TSXV:ACP) is an exploration play with 100 per cent ownership of the LMSL Copper Gold and Silver Project in British Columbia.
Base metals focused company, Osisko Metals (TSXV:OM) is moving into feasibility for 2 projects. The company’s CEO, Robert Wares spoke about the Pine Point project, an assemblage of more than 50 open-pit and underground mines containing as much as 7b lb of lead and zinc proposed to be developed in Northwest Territories.
Macarthur Minerals (TSXV:MMS) CEO, Joe Phillips, spoke about its prospective Lake Giles Iron Project and its 1.3 billion tonnes magnetite resource.
Joel Freudman, CEO, Co-Founder and President of TRU Precious Metals (TSXV:TRU) spoke about building long-term shareholder value through exploration, potentially leading to exciting mergers and acquisitions opportunities. TRU is building copper-gold-silver assets in the Newfoundland in the highly prospective Central Newfoundland Gold Belt and has an option with TSX-listed Altius Minerals to purchase 100 per cent of the Golden Rose Project.
Perth-based resource exploration company Winsome Resources (ASX:WR1) turned to its Managing Director, Chris Evans to shed some light on the company’s flagship project as it moves towards expanding its maiden resource.
Lomiko Metals (TSXV:LMR) CEO, Belinda Labatte, talked about the company’s ongoing work at the La Loutre Project in Quebec. The project’s recently completed preliminary economic assessment indicated a mine life of 15 years producing 100,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate every year.
Ross McElroy, president and CEO of Fission Uranium (TSX:FCU) discussed the company’s uranium feasibility study that is currently underway at the Patterson Lake South Project in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin.
Sitka Gold (CSE:SIG) is a junior gold, silver and copper explorer based in Canada. The company’s VP of Corporate Development, Mike Burke spoke on the company’s new discovery in Yukon. The RC Gold Project is an exploration venture highlighted by 220 metres of 1.17 g/t Au in the Tombstone Gold Belt region.
New Pacific Metals (TSX:NUAG) Founder and CEO, Dr Rui Feng, spoke about the start of drilling at its Silverstrike Project in Bolivia.
Xanadu Mines (TSX:XAM) Managing Director Colin Moorhead discussed the Kharmagtai Mine lies within Mongolia’s South Gobi porphyry copper province, which hosts most of the region’s known porphyry deposits, like the similar Oyu Tolgoi Mine operated by Rio Tinto.
Orange Minerals (ASX:OMX) Non-Executive Director, Conrad Karageorge, sat down with The Market Herald to talk about the latest completed drilling campaign at its Wiseman’s Creek Project in New South Wales.
Snowline Gold (CSE:SGD) CEO, Scott Berdahl, spoke about the company’s recent gold discovery at the Rogue Project in Yukon, which showed visual gold in a drill core sample.
Elmer Stewart, President and CEO of Copper Fox Metals (TSXV:CUU), talked about commencing development work on the Eaglehead Project as the exploration crew readies for drilling.
Silvercorp Metals (TSX:SVM) Vice President Lon Shaver spoke about the company’s two mining districts in China; the flagship Ying Mining District and the GC Mine.
David Christie, President and CEO of Orford Mining (TSXV:ORM), spoke about several key projects in Quebec and shared results from the company’s winter drilling program at the Joutel Eagle Property.
Baselode Energy (TSXV:FIND) CEO, James Sykes, spoke about the company’s encouraging intercepts from ongoing drilling at the Hook Project in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin.
Peter Dembicki, President and CEO of Tier One Silver (TSXV:TSLV) discussed the upcoming drill program at its flagship silver-gold project, Curibaya in southern Peru, comprised of approximately 16,800 hectares in a copper porphyry belt that hosts some of Peru’s largest porphyry deposits.
Northstar Gold (CSE:NSG) President and CEO, Brian Fowler, spoke with The Market Herald about the highly prospective opportunity at its Miller Gold Property near Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
Steve Robertson, President and CEO of Infinitum Copper (TSXV:INFI), spoke about three brand new discoveries at its flagship high-grade Cu-Au-Ag La Adelita Project in Sonora, Mexico.
Max Porterfield, President and CEO of Callinex Mines (TSXV:CNX), spoke about the Rainbow Deposit discovery at the Pine Bay Project, one of the highest grade copper discoveries in the world.
Mawson Gold (TSX:MAW) CEO, Ivan Fairhall, spoke about the company’s flagship Rajapalot Gold-Cobalt Project, based in Finland, which features an August 2021 Inferred Resource of 1.04 Moz grading 3 g/t AuEq.
Debuting its first discovery of 6.64 g/t gold over 30.48 metres from its flagship Reliance Gold Project in B.C., Endurance Gold Corporation (TSXV:EDG) President and CEO, Robert Boyd, spoke about the company’s acquisition, exploration and development of highly prospective North American mineral properties.
Altaley Mining Corporation (TSXV:ATLY) operates two 100-per-cent owned projects in Mexico covering gold, zinc, lead and silver, its flagship Tahuehueto Project in Durango, which will be one of the top 3 high-grade gold mines in the country once finalized, as well as its Campo Morado Mine in Guerrero.
Dominic Duffy, CEO, of Mandalay Resources (TSX:MND) spoke about the Björkdal mine in Skellefteå, Sweden with processing capacity of 1.3 million tonnes per annum, and production in 2021 of around 45,236 oz Au.
Alexandra Woodyer Sherron, CEO & President of Empress Royalty (TSXV:EMPR) introduced the company’s Manica Gold Mine in Mozambique, which had just moved into pre-production.
Investors don’t prosper on potential. Investors prosper on returns.
After several very lean years, mining investors (and mining companies) may be starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.