Posted by AGORACOM
at 10:23 AM on Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
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Increasing demand for lightweight, versatile and renewable products with lengthy lifespan are a few variables driving worldwide graphene market growth.
Nanotechnology demand in the electronic products sector also pumps
graphene market growth. The global energy market is shifting towards
clean energy sources, which in turn drives demand for products with
greater effectiveness.
Products like solar panels can improve battery efficiency by using
graphene, another driving factor for the worldwide graphene industry.
Other types of graphene such as graphene oxide (GO) are one of the types
of graphene that drive graphene market growth in areas such as North
America as applied to electronic instruments, catalytic oxidation,
biotechnology, and others.
Due to its flammable nature, graphene needs unique processing,
regulatory compliance for flammable goods are few other considerations
restricting graphene production. Because of its diverse spectrum of
characteristics, product innovations as well as new applications
findings of graphene by significant producers in electronics sectors are
performed. Lack of mass production and high-priced machinery, however,
are few considerations that restrain worldwide graphene development.
Increasing investment in brand research and development will drive
worldwide graphene market growth throughout the prediction time frame. A
two-dimensional transparent carbon allotrope discovered in 2004. The
item resistance surpasses steel almost 200 times and is a very useful
heat and electricity conductor. Product-related characteristics such as
outstanding thermal resistance, elevated electron motion and
permeability have led in increased use in many apps such as consumer
electronics, supercapacitors, RFID equipment, composites, detectors,
coatings, conductive inks, etc. Product-based research journals rose to
over 9,000 in 2013, from just over 125 in 2005. It will boost business
development as growing sector study operations will lead to multiple
fresh consumer apps.
Due to its distinctive features and broad variety of applications,
R&D expenditure on the industry has risen considerably. The European
Commission invested around $1.4 billion in the Graphene Flagship
initiative to increase market growth, resulting in consumer development
and fresh apps. Private businesses from multiple sectors including
specialty chemicals, consumer electronics, steel and energy also invest
in research and development operations to preserve their competitive
market benefit. American and Chinese entities have over 1,750 and 200
patents respectively on product and its various uses. These developments
have led in fresh consumer apps like graphene-based transistors,
detectors, conductive movie, etc. and will drive consumer demand
throughout the time frame prediction.
High material-related manufacturing costs may hinder worldwide market
growth in the future. Product marketing is hampered by costly and
complicated manufacturing procedures. Furthermore, standard
manufacturing procedures have negative economic and health impacts,
which could hinder item supply throughout the prediction time frame as
it could lead to better alternatives in the future.
Asia Pacific is anticipated to experience the highest demand
development over the forecast period. Booming electronics was a
significant factor driving regional product supply. Increasing
investment in renewable energy generation is also anticipated to
increase demand in the future. China is anticipated to emerge as a
successful economy over the forecast period, given favourable public
assistance for manufacturing sector investment. China’s state has placed
forward powerful measures to promote research and growth. The state has
created a domestic graphene park, which contributes to the region’s
quantity of material manufacturing.
According to Acumen Research and Consulting, the global graphene market
is estimated to grow at CAGR above 38.2% over the forecast time frame
and reach the market value around US$ 552.6 million by 2026.
Key Players & Strategies
The worldwide graphene industry is semi-consolidated among the top
few. With ongoing and active research and graphene growth for fresh and
developing apps, many fresh competitors are entering the industry,
leading to a divided industry among tiny but powerful competitors. Some
vital players in the graphene market include Global Graphene Group, XG
Sciences Inc., Sixth Element (Changzhou) Materials Technology Co. Ltd.,
Ningbo Morsh Technology, and Perpetuus Advanced Materials, among others.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:09 AM on Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
SPONSOR: Spyder Cannabis (SPDR:TSXV)
went public just a couple of months ago and hit the ground running
with 5 operating Canadian retail locations – and a 6th one on the way
via an 8,000 sq ft super store in Alberta. Most companies would be
ecstatic to have this number of locations – but Spyder just announced a
major move into the United States, with a 5 location deal for boutique
stores up and down the US Eastern seaboard. The news gets better. If
all goes well with these 5 locations, the US outlet partner has a total
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(TSX-V: SPDR)
Statistics Canada releases a bong full of new cannabis data
Statistics Canada released a whack of statistics on August 15 that shed some insight into the almost five million Canadians who consumed cannabis during the first half of 2019.Â
About 77% of Canadians who said they used cannabis during the first half of 2019 consumed dried cannabis, while 26% consumed edibles. Other reported ways of consuming cannabis were as liquid concentrates (20%), cannabis oil cartridges or vape pens (19%), and hashish or kief (16%).Â
Among the findings were that more men consume cannabis than do women,
and that men consume cannabis more frequently than women. Men also
consume cannabis for non-medical reasons more than women do.
Cannabis/Shutterstock
Another big takeaway was that 42% of Canadians who consumed cannabis
said that they bought at least some of their cannabis from black-market
dealers in the first half of the year.
The stats were all part of Statistics Canada’s National Cannabis
Survey (NCS), which continued to show that males and females older than
age 15 differ in how they obtain and consume cannabis products.
Females, for example, more often reported getting cannabis from
family and friends than their male counterparts, That may explain why
fewer females said they paid for the cannabis they consume. The study
didn’t go into how many people stole cannabis, although it noted that 4%
got their cannabis in an unspecified way.
Females are more likely to use an alternative method to consume cannabis, such as putting it on the skin or under the tongue.
Males are more likely to report consuming dried cannabis and hashish.
To monitor cannabis consumption before and after Canada legalized
cannabis last October, the nation’s number cruncher has been conducting
the NCS every three months since 2018.
Males almost twice as likely as females to have consumed cannabis
Males (21%) were almost twice as likely to have used cannabis in the
first half of 2019 as females (12%), according to the NCS. This held
true for every age group except seniors aged 65 and older.
Almost three in five females reported never having consumed cannabis (59%), compared with just over half (51%) of males.
About one-third of Canadians reported having tried cannabis in the past but are not current users.
Males more likely to use cannabis daily or almost daily
Statistics Canada said in its August 15 release that research has
shown that using cannabis regularly and over a long period of time has
been associated with the “risk of dependence and poor mental healthâ€
According to combined data from the first half of 2019, males (8%)
were twice as likely to report daily or almost daily use as females
(4%). Males were also more likely than females to consume cannabis on a
weekly and a monthly basis but equally as likely to report occasional
use (defined here as once or twice over the three-month reference
periods).
Males are more likely to use cannabis for non-medical reasons
Statistics Canada asked Canadians to say whether they used cannabis
for medical purposes and had a medical document, for medical purposes
without a medical document or simply for fun, or what some call
recreational use.
Just over one-fifth of males aged 15 and older reported consuming
cannabis in the first half of 2019. More than half of these males (52%)
reported using cannabis exclusively for non-medical reasons, while
about 30% reported using it for both medical and non-medical reasons,
and about one-fifth reported medical reasons (with or without medical
documentation).
Meanwhile, 12% of females said that they consuming cannabis in the
first half of 2019. Their reasons were fairly evenly split, between
those who said it was for non-medical use, medical use or a mix of
both.
Cannabis products and consumption methods
About 77% of Canadians who said they used cannabis during the first
half of 2019 consumed dried cannabis, while 26% consumed edibles. Other
reported ways of consuming cannabis were as liquid concentrates (20%),
cannabis oil cartridges or vape pens (19%), and hashish or kief (16%).
More males (82%) said they consumed dried cannabis, compared with
females (67%). Males (19%) were also more likely to have consumed
hashish or kief, compared with females (12%).
While a majority of both males and females use dried cannabis, for
49% of males and 41% of females, it is the only form of cannabis that
they consumed.
Conversely, females (23%) were almost twice as likely as males (12%)
to report using only products other than dried cannabis. Other products
include edibles, oil cartridges and vape pens.
Smoking remains the most common method of consuming cannabis, with
68% of males and 62% of females choosing this method in the first half
of 2019, according to Statistics Canada.
At 14%, females were almost three times more likely than males (5%)
to have consumed cannabis through methods such as the application of
products on the skin or under the tongue.
Buying cannabis
Males are more likely to purchase cannabis while females are more likely to get it from family and friends for free.
Approximately one-quarter of Canadians who consumed cannabis in the
first half of 2019 did not pay for it, with female consumers (29%) more
likely than males (22%) to consume it without having paid for it,
according to the survey.
Nearly half of all cannabis consumers (48%) reported buying at least
some of their cannabis from a legal source, such as a legally authorized
retailer or an online licensed producer.
There was 42%, however, who said that they bought at least some of
their cannabis from illegal sources, such as a drug dealer, while 37%
said that they used cannabis that they got from, or shared among,
friends and family.
Growing cannabis, either by the users or by someone else, was a
supply source for about 8% of consumers, while 4% reported another
source, although Statistics Canada did not specify what that source
might be.
For the first time, analysis of the sources of cannabis by type of
consumer (those who obtained it from one source and those who obtained
it from multiple sources) is available. This more detailed examination
revealed that 29% of all current users got their cannabis exclusively
from legal sources.
In general, males and females access cannabis from the same sources
and in similar numbers, but with one notable difference: a relatively
larger proportion of females (42%) than males (33%) report friends and
family as their cannabis source.
Quality and safety remain foremost consideration when deciding where to buy cannabis
Three-quarters of Canadians (76%) who consumed cannabis in the first
half of 2019 said quality and safety was an important consideration when
buying it, while 42% primarily considered price.
Other important factors when buying cannabis were accessibility, location and availability of a preferred potency.
While both males and females share many of the same considerations
when obtaining cannabis, there are a few differences. For example,
females (22%) were twice as likely as males (11%) to cite sales support
as being important, while proportionally more males (19%) placed a
higher value on anonymity and discretion than did females (12%). More
males (20%) said that availability of a preferred strain of cannabis was
important than did females (11%.)
Males are more likely to report that they will use cannabis in next three months
More males (25%) than females (16%) said they thought that they would
use cannabis in the next three months. That is higher than the 21% of
males and 12% of females who currently consume cannabis.
Virtually all Canadians (99%) who reported having never consumed
cannabis indicated that they will not use cannabis in the next three
months. In contrast, most daily or almost daily (94%) and weekly (87%)
users think that they will continue to consume cannabis over the next
three months and at a similar pace.
Former users (12%) and those who use cannabis less than once a month
(27%) were more likely to report that they will increase their
consumption in the coming three months than were people who have never
used cannabis (1%).
Second quarter 2019: Almost five million Canadians report using cannabis
From mid-May to mid-June 2019, about 4.9 million or 16% of Canadians
aged 15 and older reported using cannabis in the previous three months,
according to Statistics Canada.
This was unchanged from data collected from provinces a year ago,
when recreational cannabis use was illegal. It is also unchanged from
the last time estimates for from territorial capitals were collected.
In the second quarter of 2019, 24% of Nova Scotians and 20% of
Albertans reported using cannabis in the previous three months. That is
above the average for the rest of Canada (other provinces and
territorial capitals combined).
Cannabis use in the previous three months was also above the national
average in all three territorial capitals: Whitehorse (24%),
Yellowknife (30%) and Iqaluit (32%). Meanwhile, current use was lower
than the national average in Quebec (10%).
Cannabis consumption in the second quarter of 2019 was essentially
unchanged from the same quarter in 2018, prior to legalization. However,
the number of Canadians aged 65 and older reporting cannabis use
increased from 3% to 5% over this period, while cannabis use among 15-
to 64-year-olds was stable (ranging from 10% to 25%, depending on the
age group).
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:19 AM on Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
Announced that its common shares will begin trading on the OTCQB Venture Market at the opening of the market on August 20th, 2019 under the stock symbol (OTC: EPWCF)
VANCOUVER, Aug. 20, 2019 – EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE: CBDT) (Frankfurt: 8EC) (OTC: EPWCF) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life sciences company, and a multi-state operator of medical health & wellness clinics in the U.S., today announced that its common shares will begin trading on the OTCQB Venture Market at the opening of the market on August 20th, 2019 under the stock symbol (OTC: EPWCF).
Empower Clinics Inc. (OTCQB: EPWCF) now trades on the OTCQB Venture
Market for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies.
Companies are current in their reporting and undergo an annual
verification and management certification process. Investors can find
Real-Time quotes and market information for the company on http://www.otcmarkets.com.
In addition, Empower’s shares will continue to be listed on the
Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the ticker symbol “CBDT,” as
well as on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “8EC.”
“Our listing on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States
complements Empower’s listings on the Canadian and Frankfurt Stock
Exchanges, respectively, broadening our investment base as we accelerate
our growth strategy in the global medical cannabis and wellness
sectors,” said Steven McAuley, Empower CEO. “This is a
timely milestone, as we have a robust pipeline of activity tied to
product development, business development, M&A and, overall company
expansion.”
ABOUT OTC MARKETS GROUP INC.
OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX:
OTCM) operates the OTCQX® Best Market, the OTCQB® Venture Market and
the Pink® Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through
OTC Link® ATS and OTC Link ECN, the company connects a diverse network
of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. OTC
Markets enables investors to easily trade through the broker of their
choice and enable companies to improve the quality of information
available for investors. To learn more about how OTC Markets creates
better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.
ABOUT EMPOWER
Empower is a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life
sciences company, and a multi-state operator of medical health &
wellness clinics, operating the Sun Valley Health™ clinic brand www.sunvalleyhealth.com, for its nine corporate locations and for franchises in the United States. As a CBD product manufacturer under the Sollievo™
brand, the company distributes its lines through clinics, online and
through retail partners. Extraction operations are currently being
developed in the Company’s new extraction facility in Oregon.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Steven McAuley Chief Executive Officer
DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements”
or “forward-looking information” (collectively “forward looking
statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All
statements, other than statements of historical fact, are
forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and
projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements
can frequently be identified by words such as “plans”, “continues”,
“expects”, “projects”, “intends”, “believes”, “anticipates”,
“estimates”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar
words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will”
occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include
statements regarding; the Company’s intention to open a hemp-based CBD
extraction facility, the expected benefits to the Company and its
shareholders as a result of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships;
the terms of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; the
effectiveness of the extraction technology; the expected benefits for
Empower’s patient base and customers; the benefits of CBD based
products; the effect of the approval of the Farm Bill; the growth of the
Company’s patient list and that the Company will be positioned to be a
market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019
and beyond. Such statements are only projections, are based on
assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks
and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or
developments to differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements, including; that the Company may not open a
hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that the hemp-based CBD extraction
facility may not be fully operation by Q2 2019 if at all; that
legislative changes may have an adverse effect on the Company’s business
and product development; that the Company may not be able to obtain
adequate financing to pursue its business plan; general business,
economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; failure to
obtain any necessary approvals in connection with the proposed
acquisitions and partnerships; and other factors beyond the Company’s
control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by
the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what
benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this release,
which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.
The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any
intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking
statements in this release, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable
laws.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:00 PM on Monday, August 19th, 2019
STAR-A.D.S.® (Airborne Data Service)
Real-time on-board, tracking, flight monitoring and analysis system that provides a virtual window into an aircraft
STAR-A.D.S. ® system installed on a major VVIP private operator in
the Mid-East has been operating for more than one year now, to the
satisfaction of the customer.
Discussions are being finalized to expand the installation of the
STAR solution of real-time monitoring to the rest of the customers’
fleet
Contract for 5 aircraft installations with a scheduled flights airline in Egypt has been implemented
First installation is scheduled for Fall 2019 as scheduling permits,
with the balance of fleet installations to match the C-check schedule
of the remaining aircraft in the fleet.
Production of 27 STAR-A.D.S.® System units has commenced in order to meet ongoing requirements
FULL DISCLOSURE: Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:45 AM on Monday, August 19th, 2019
SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More
EGLX: TSX-V
Prize pot of $30 million at Fortnite World Cup shows eSports’ rapid growth
The recent Fortnite World Cup had a total prize pool of $33m and the top winners took away several million each.
By: Federico Winer, PhD researcher, Loughborough University
The American teenager took home the largest-ever payout for a single player in an eSports tournament.
His win reflects the growing popularity of the game and the power of the eSports market. British teenager Jaden Ashman shared $2.25m with his teammate as the runners-up in the doubles competition.
The finals, at the end of July, followed ten weeks of competition involving more than 40m competitors and a total prize pot of over $30m. The tournament packed out the 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe stadium at Flushing Meadows, New York’s largest tennis arenas.
Fortnite Battle Royale is emerging as one of the most popular
computer games with an estimated 250m players around the world.
Essentially, it is a First-Person Shooter game where players fight to
survive in a battle against other human players. Unlike some other games
in this genre, such as PUBG or Counter-Strike,
its graphics are cartoonish, which means parents of teenage players are
less likely to object to the content – it doesn’t look violent of
feature excessive blood, bullets and bombs.
Fortnite is rising to prominence in an increasingly lucrative market.
Out of 7.6 billion people on the planet, there are approximately 2.2 billion gamers.
This includes social gaming, mobile gaming, as well as free-to-play and
pay-to-play multiplayer gaming. Of these players, there are about 380m
eSports viewer fans – 165m of them regular viewers and 215m occasionals.
Epic Games, publisher of Fortnite, attracts players by making the game itself free to play. But they also sell “V-Bucks†to the players, which cost US$9.99 per 1,000 and can be spent on a variety of customisation and enhancements for players’ characters.
Evolution of eSports titles’ popularity, breakdown by searches in Google, 2004-present. Google Trends, 2019b, Author provided
None of these influence the actual performance of the character in
the battle – accuracy and pace still depend on the skill of the
individual competitor. This is similar to most eSports titles. But according to research firm Superdata, between its release in July 2017 and May 2018 Fortnite netted US$1.2 billion in revenue.
Competitive edge
So what exactly are eSports? They are defined as competitive
tournaments involving electronic games – especially among professionals.
Players compete in leagues or play for an audience on a live-streaming
service in exchange for payment, which can range to several million
dollars for the most successful players.
Top players and teams are well remunerated. Forbes
reported that the “average starting North America League of Legends
Championship Series (NA LCS) player salary is now over US$320,000, with
over 70% of the players performing on multi-year contractsâ€. An article in Business Insider
in 2018 reveals that top teams such as Evil Geniuses earn more than
US$10m a year in revenue. This is almost the same budget as a top second division team from La Liga, in Spain.
The recent Fortnite world cup had a total prize pool of $33m
and, as we have heard, the top winners took away several million each.
Even players who ranked as lowly as 65-108 took away $50,000 for their
pains.
When it comes to training for competition, you could be forgiven for
thinking that eSports players are not like traditional athletes,
building strength and endurance over long hours in the gym or pounding
the streets. But, as the growth in prize money means the potential
rewards for success grow ever larger, a new generation of eSports
professionals is finding that fitness aids concentration. Some of the
more successful teams are even drafting in coaches from other sports.
I have connected with several teams and, even in those with low
budgets, they are aware of the importance of their physical and mental
well-being through nutrition and exercise to perform better in games.
What’s next?
ESports look to be here to stay, but the degree of success will
depend on a variety of factors, including general entertainment trends,
industry governance and the possibility of government censorship in
certain regions. To help the various players in the market understand
consumers better and react proactively to changes in the business
environment, it is essential to highlight the critical value of eSports
data – something that I have been researching for some time.
The huge and rapid growth of eSports – and the massive revenues this
promises – are thought by many industry insiders to be indicative of a
bubble. Commenting on headlines which implied that gaming tournaments
were “bigger than the Superbowlâ€, Sebastian Park, vice-president of
eSports with the Houston Rockets (which owns a majority stake in
professional League of Legends team Clutch Gaming) said recently: “When I read a lot of these papers, I don’t know where they derive 50% of those numbersâ€.
For the health of the industry, it’s critical to be able to establish
how different esports industry stakeholders are collecting data and
information from the fans to understand their behaviour and consumer
trends. There has been speculation that Nielsen, which has been
collecting data on TV viewing since the 1950s, is working on a solution. This could be the next big step in establishing eSports credibility.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:31 AM on Monday, August 19th, 2019
SPONSOR: Bougainville
Ventures Inc (CSE: BOG) provides strategic capital to the thriving
cannabis cultivation sector through ownership and development of
commercial real estate properties. The company also offers fully built
out turnkey facilities equipped with state-of-the-art growing
infrastructure to cannabis growers and processors. Click here for more info.
—————–
The CBD boom is reshaping America’s farmland
As the CBD boom continues, farmers across the country are ditching their former crops in favor of something more chill: hemp.
According to US Department of Agriculture data, the amount of farmland planted with hemp quadrupled in the past year, Quartzreports.
How did this all happen so fast?
Two words — decriminalization and demand.
First, the 2018 Farm Bill made hemp farming legal last year, allowing
farmers to start producing hemp plants as long as they are less than
0.3% THC by dry weight.
Then, when the first CBD products appeared — mostly in pain-relieving wellness products — they were hugely successful.
Demand for CBD-infused everything soon followed… Now, shoppers can buy CBD-infused fast food burgers (thanks, Carl’s Jr.),
tea, honey, beer, chocolate, dog treats, bath salts, deodorants,
protein powders, hot sauce, coffee, gummy candy, shampoo, and face
creams… and the list goes on.
But all that CBD comes from hemp…
And all that hemp has to be grown
So farmers are scrambling to grow the newest, chillest cash crop.
Even farmers who formerly had no interest in hemp are starting to grow
it.
Why? Consider this: An acre of soybeans will make a farmer $500. An acre of hemp could make them as much as $30k.
For now, hemp farming may be a great deal for farmers. But regulators have yet to develop proper oversight practices, and some industry groups worry that hemp prices are still too volatile to take seriously.
No one knows when the high (prices) will wear off…
“The boom is coming mostly from word-of-mouth reports about hemp’s profitability,†reports the Hemp Industry Daily.
For now, growth is poised to continue: Planting of industrial hemp
increased 368% from 2018 to 2019, outpacing all other crops, and some
big producers — like Ben & Jerry’s — have expressed interest in buying CBD but are holding off until federal laws become more clear.
But if it turns out that the market for CBD dog treats isn’t as big
as it’s being billed, the CBD boom could quickly go bust for the farmers
who put all their hemp in one basket…
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:19 AM on Monday, August 19th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)
Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14
million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has
interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro
Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information
After dropping below US$5 a pound at the end of 2018, metal reaches US$7.31 Friday
Worries about supply and expected demand for electric cars kept pushing up the price of nickel this week
Metal staying above US$7.31 a pound on the London Metals Exchange on Friday.
Prices are up by 50 per cent the start of the year, when nickel was
struggling to stay above US$5 a pound. Prices haven’t risen this fact in
a decade. Indonesia, one of the biggest suppliers in the world, plans
to ban exports in 2022, and rumours the ban could be imposed sooner has
accounted for some of nickel’s recent strength, analysts say.
Kieran Clancy, assistant commodities economist at UK-based Capital Economics, told Bnamericas on Friday that global supply shortages are expected to worsen since no major mines are coming into operation any time soon.
“What’s more, there are a number of tail risks, the most notable of
which being the prospect that Indonesia implements a ban on nickel ore
exports sooner than 2022, although they now have significant domestic
smelting capacity which would cushion the blow somewhat,” Clancy said.
And in a livewiremarkets.com
story Friday, Eddy Haegel of BHP said demand for high grade nickel
(which is mined in Sudbury) for electric car batteries will really take
off sometime next year.
“We do not expect to see a meaningful impact on the nickel market
from batteries until the mid – late 2020s,†Haegel said. “Only then, do
we expect to see serious industry investment by Class 1 nickel
producers.
“However, we will not rest waiting for that day to arrive. We are
actively developing options to position ourselves for this
once-in-a-generation opportunity.’’
Posted by AGORACOM
at 11:42 AM on Friday, August 16th, 2019
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals LMR:TSX-V – A Canadian exploration-stage company discovered high-grade graphite at its La Loutre Property in Quebec and is working toward a Pre-Economic Assessment (PEA) that will increase its current indicated resource of 4.1 Mt of 6.5% Cg to over 10 Mt of 10%+ Cg through a 21 hole program at the Refractory Zone. Click Here For More Information
The emergence of graphene technology back in 2004 sent physicists and
electronics engineers into euphoric spasms about its operational
potential.
But as always with ground-breaking, technologies that old
bean-counting devil called financial viability raised its head when it
came to integrating graphene into commercial applications.
Challenges With Graphene
One of the problems during those pioneering days was the fact the
graphene technology had so many varied and attractive properties and
this meant it’s possible applications were numerous, to say the least.
However, in the enthusiastic rush to use the technology pragmatism
took a back seat and some developers drastically overlooked the
practical challenges in applying graphene to certain commercial areas.
But those days are disappearing and graphene is starting to fulfil
its promises in a whole raft of applications from both technical and
financial perspectives.
Graphene Technology Breakthroughs
More on those later but firstly let’s take a look at a couple of the
latest and very exciting graphene breakthroughs that have a direct
impact on the electronics industry. Over at the Danish funded Centre for
Nanostructured Graphene at DTU and Aalborg University, researchers have
finally cracked a well-known problem with graphene which focuses on how
holes are made in the material.
This may sound simplistic but the pattern of holes dictates how the
electrons in the material behave and this has direct relevance to how
graphene can be designed into certain applications.
For years the nub of the problem has been that making the incredibly
tiny nanoscale holes in graphene can cause contamination in the material
which detrimentally alters its operational characteristics.
However, the team of scientists at the Centre have solved that
problem by encapsulating the graphene inside another two-dimensional
material, hexagonal boron nitride. This is a non-conductive material that can protect graphene’s properties.
Electron beam lithography
was used to create the pattern in the protective layer of boron nitride
and graphene. And to give you some idea of just how complex this work
is the holes have a diameter of about 20 nanometres and there are only
12 nanometres space between them. Don’t forget, one nanometre is a
billionth of a metre, or put another way a human hair is approximately
80,000 nanometres wide.
So why is this breakthrough such a big deal? One of the advantages of
graphene is its potential application versatility, particularly in
electronics but this versatility has until now been thwarted by the
difficulty of introducing bandgap which is the difference between the
top of the valence band, and the bottom of the conduction band.
We know that graphene is an incredibly good conductor but without an
integral bandgap, it can’t be switched off which is an essential element
in semiconductor-related applications. Now though, and thanks to this
breakthrough, the bandgap problem has been overcome and in addition to
that, the flow of electrical current through graphene has been increased
a 1000-fold.
In another ground-breaking graphene development researchers at
America’s Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
have created a graphene device that easily switches from a
superconducting material that conducts electricity without losing any
energy, to an insulator that resists the flow of electric current, and
back again to a superconductor.
The researchers feel this material could help scientists further
understand high-temperature superconductivity where material can conduct
electricity without resistance at temperatures higher than expected,
although these temperatures are still hundreds of degrees below
freezing.
Innovations in Graphene Application Progress
So what about all those applications I mentioned earlier where
graphene is starting to fulfil both its technical and financial
promises?
Let’s start with batteries and energy storage products. With the environmental push towards electric vehicles (EVs), graphene can now help with lithium battery
technology because it can reduce electrode resistance without
decreasing active material content. This characteristic translates into
batteries have increased performance at high discharge rates, something
that designers of EVs like.
According to a report by IDTechEx Research graphene conductive inks
are also becoming a reality. These had to prove that they offered both a
performance and price advantage over carbon and metal-based products.
However, these days graphene conductive inks are finding many
applications in radio-frequency identification (RFID) antenna
materials.
Graphene Uses
Graphene is also proving successful in thermal applications and is doing particularly well as a thermal spreader in cell phones. It provides much better thermal conductivity to copper at a lower weight.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:30 AM on Friday, August 16th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)
Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14
million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has
interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro
Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information
EV’s will make nickel a once-in-a-generation investment opportunity, says BHP
More EVs and more nickel in each of them will drive nickel demand through the roof, says the head of BHP’s Nickel West arm.
His forecast is great news for those juniors with large nickel deposits awaiting development, such as the Jaguar project just acquired by Centaurus from Brazilian giant Vale.
The display of oomph at last week’s Diggers & Dealers conference in Kalgoorlie was not restricted to the gold stocks.
The nickel stocks made sure of that, with none other than BHP leading
the charge in a presentation by its Nickel West president, Eddy Haegel.
Nickel West is the formerly unloved BHP unit that has come into its
own in response to what Haegel described as a once-in-a-generation
opportunity presented by the gathering nickel-rich battery boom.
Haegel said that in addition to the rapid growth in electric vehicles
sales, BHP expects nickel-in-vehicle demand to surge, driven by three
factors.
The first is batteries are becoming bigger to improve vehicle range
and performance. Next, nickel-based cathodes are taking market share
from non-nickel cathodes because they’re “simply betterâ€.
And finally, increasing nickel in battery chemistries increases energy density, delivering better performance and lower costs.
“It is important to understand that a 60kwh NMC811 battery needs 9kg
of cobalt, 11kg of lithium and a massive 70kg of nickel,†Haegel said.
While stainless steel still accounts for about 70% of nickel
consumption, batteries is the fast growing subset, to the point where
EV’s alone could account for all of the current production in the late
2020s.
Haegel sounded a note of caution about the here and now. While BHP
thinks there is going to be a significant increase in global nickel
demand, it is a case of not just yet.
“We do not expect to see a meaningful impact on the nickel market
from batteries until the mid – late 2020s. Only then, do we expect to
see serious industry investment by Class 1 nickel producers,’’ Haegel
said.
“However, we will not rest waiting for that day to arrive. We are
actively developing options to position ourselves for this
once-in-a-generation opportunity.’’
It is against that backdrop that the nickel price has been a strong
performer of late. The current price of $US7.17/lb compares with the
2018 (calendar) average of $US5.95/lb, and the 2017 average $US4.72/lb.
CENTAURUS METALS:
Talking about once-in-a-generation opportunities, Centaurus Metals
(CTM, trading at 0.9c for a market cap of $24m) has just seized one
which gives it a ticket to the battery-led nickel party discussed above.
In what was probably the most significant announcement by a junior at
D&D, Centaurus made everyone sit up and take notice when it
revealed it had struck an option deal to acquire the Jaguar nickel
sulphide project in Brazil from Vale, no less.
Jaguar comes with a foreign resource estimate of a near-surface
40.4mt grading 0.78% nickel for a total of 315,000t of contained metal
across a cluster of deposits, with lots of exploration upside to boot.
It is a lot of nickel for a company with a $24m market, particularly,
as was mentioned here on May 31 when Centaurus was trading at 0.8c, its
market value is pretty much covered by its Jambreiro iron ore project
in Minas Gerais state.
Assume long-term-term iron ore prices of $US60-$80/t, Jambreiro could
be good for $A20-$A25m in pre-tax operating cashflow. But it is not in
production and it has to be said its importance to Centaurus has been
overwhelmed by Jaguar.
Jaguar sits in the western portion of the Carajas mineral province
and covers 30sqkm of land containing the known foreign resource estimate
(based on 55km of diamond drilling by Vale) and at least four
exploration targets.
To complete the acquisition, Centaurus is up for a $US250,000 upfront
cash payment, the transfer of its Salobo West copper-gold exploration
tenements to Vale, two deferred payments totalling $US6.75m and a
production royalty of 0.75%.
Vale will have offtake rights (its Onca-Puma nickel mine is in the
region) and importantly, preliminary metallurgical testwork by Vale has
indicated a high-grade and quality nickel concentrate can be produced
from Jaguar’s sulphide mineralisation.
It is not a deal that would have been available to others as it
reflects both Centaurus’ long-term commitment to Brazil and Vale’s
interest in Salobo West, which is near its Salobo mine, its biggest
copper operation.
Centaurus hits the Eastern States next week to promote the Jaguar
deal and assuming a good reception, raising some funds to get cracking
on Jaguar’s near-term potential as an open-cut producer from higher
grade sections of its resource base will a key talking point.
VENTUREX:
Venturex boss AJ Saverimutto had a good reason to be wearing a sharp
suit at an investor lunch at the Palace Hotel on the opening day of the D
& D conference.
AJ had just announced Venturex (VXR, trading at 18c for a market cap
of $54m) had locked away a $100m senior debt funding package with
commodities trader Trafigura for its Sulphur Springs copper-zinc project
in the Pilbara, 145km south of Port Hedland.
The debt deal means that Sulphur Springs is pretty much on its way –
once the equity component of the $169m capex project is locked away – to
becoming Australia’s next base metals producer in an ASX market where
leveraged investment opportunities for copper in particular are thin on
the ground.
As much as nickel is needed for batteries in the electric vehicle and
the storage of renewable energy revolution, copper is even more so.
About 80kg of the red metal is required for an EV alone, a fact that
underwrites expectations that the world will be short about 4mpta of
copper come 2025.
Sulphur Springs’ high-grades – it nets out at about 3.3% copper
equivalent – from five years of open cut mining, followed by five years
of underground mining as the starting point, makes it a development for
the times.
Based on realistic metal price assumptions, the 1.2mtpa operation
(easily expandable to 2mtpa on the conversion of exploration upside to
additional resources/reserves) will generate revenue of about $209/t and
a before-tax margin of $65/t.
Multiply that out and Sulphur Springs is good for about $80m in
average annual free cashflow, or $800m over the initial 10 year mine
life. That’s why Venturex has been able to lock away the $100m in debt
funding in a market where debt funding for projects held by juniors is
virtually non-existent.
Northern Star has been a supporter of the story since 2012 and is Venturex’s biggest shareholder with a 19.8% stake.
AJ said a number of equity options would be looked at to complete the
financing, including the possible introduction of a strategic partner
who would be happy with Trafigura’s 100% offtake for the first 11 years,
50% thereafter.
Broker valuations of the stock which pre-date the debt component of
Sulphur Springs, a major de-risking event if there ever was one, were
multiples of the current price.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:11 AM on Friday, August 16th, 2019
EGLX: TSX-V
Adds over 2 million followers to combined network of over 200 million
Signed international Fortnite influencer, Yelo, to its roster of over 50 professional esports players and video gaming influencers.
Yelo’s combined social network reaches over 2 million followers across all social channels, a substantial addition to the 200 million plus fans the combined organization currently reaches.
TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2019 — Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSXV: EGLX) (OTCQB: EGHIF), (“Enthusiast†or the “Companyâ€), one of the largest vertically integrated video gaming media companies in North America, is excited to announce that Luminosity Gaming (“Luminosityâ€) has signed international Fortnite influencer, Yelo, to its roster of over 50 professional esports players and video gaming influencers. Yelo’s combined social network reaches over 2 million followers across all social channels, a substantial addition to the 200 million plus fans the combined organization currently reaches.
The amalgamation of Enthusiast and Luminosity creates one of the
largest esports organizations in the world. The organization is
comprised of the top players and content creators in the esports
ecosystem. Yelo joins Luminosity’s team of players and influencers which
currently reaches over 60 million followers across social media.
Combined with Enthusiast’s network of over 150 million monthly visitors,
the collective reach totals over 200 million gaming enthusiasts across
85 websites, 900 YouTube channels, 8 professional esports teams and over
50 social influencers.
Steve Maida, President of Luminosity commented, “We
are excited to sign Yelo to our talent roster and social audience of 60
million followers. With over 2 million social media followers, he is
rapidly growing into one of the biggest Fortnite influencers on the
scene. Yelo joining the Luminosity and Enthusiast Gaming family
of players is further validation of the Luminosity brand power as one
of the fastest growing esports organizations in the world, attracting
top talent in the industry.â€
About Enthusiast Gaming
Enthusiast Gaming is one of the largest vertically integrated video
game companies and has the fastest-growing online community of video
gamers. Through the Company’s organic and acquisition strategy, it has
amassed a platform of over 150 million monthly visitors across its
network of websites and YouTube channels. Enthusiast also owns and
operates Canada’s largest gaming expo, Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo,
EGLX, (eglx.ca) with approximately 55,000 people attending in 2018. For more information on the Company, visit www.enthusiastgaming.com.
About Luminosity Gaming
Luminosity Gaming is one of the largest globally recognized esports
organizations in the world, with over 60 million registered active
users. Luminosity has 8 world class esports teams competing across top
games such as Fortnite, Apex, Rainbow Six: Seige, Counter Strike, Call
of Duty, Madden, Smite, etc. For more information visit www.luminosity.gg
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Investor Relations: Julia Becker Head of Investor Relations & Marketing [email protected] (604) 785.0850
This news release contains certain statements that may constitute
forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All
statements, other than those of historical fact, which address
activities, events, outcomes, results, developments, performance or
achievements that Enthusiast anticipates or expects may or will occur in
the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking
information. Such information may involve, but is not limited to,
comments with respect to strategies, expectations, planned operations
and future actions of the Company. Often, but not always,
forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such
as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”,
“estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or
variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or
statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain
actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will”
(or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or
come to pass. Forward-looking information is based on currently
available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans,
strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors
that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Enthusiast to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
information. Such factors may be based on information currently
available to Enthusiast, including information obtained from third-party
industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on
management’s current expectations or beliefs regarding future growth,
results of operations, future capital (including the amount, nature and
sources of funding thereof) and expenditures. Any and all
forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly
qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of
the Company should be considered highly speculative.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
The securities of the Corporation have not been and will not be
registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended
and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration
or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press
release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful.
