Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:54 AM on Monday, August 12th, 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.
—————–
Using CBD Has Never Been More Popular For Americans
Reasons why Americans are turning to CBD vary across the board, but pain relief ranks highest at 40%.
Whatever notions that CBD was just another wellness fad are officially dead. Need proof? Look no further than a Gallup poll released earlier this week.
While federal regulations around CBD remain unsettled for now, the legalization of hemp in 2018
allowed access to CBD to explode throughout the country. The poll found
that younger Americans and those living Western states are more likely
to admit using CBD. However, it’s worth noting 50% of Americans still
don’t consume CBD, with another 35% confessing they have no familiarity
with CBD products at all.
Amongst those aged 30 or younger, CBD usage jumps to 20% and lack of
knowledge around CBD products drops to 26%. Those numbers reverse for
older demographics. Both these trends mirror what previous Gallup polls
found in marijuana usage, as younger people reporting more consumption
while older folks less.
The reasons why Americans are turning to CBD vary across the board,
with pain relief ranking highest at 40%. Other major reasons for
American CBD usage include anxiety (20%), insomnia (11%), and arthritis
(8%). That said, women were more likely than men to use CBD to relieve
anxiety symptoms (25% vs. 14%), while men turned to CBD as a sleep aid
more than women (15% vs. 8%).
And though the majority of Americans report using CBD for medical and
therapeutic relief, 5% of respondents admit to recreational usage of
CBD.
Though CBD proliferating through the United States
might give cannabis enthusiasts cheer, it’s equally important for
consumers to recognize whether they’re purchasing the real deal or
expensive snake oil. Remember, misinformation around CBD can be
life-threatening, especially when using for medicinal purposes. It’s
important to buy high-quality CBD
products and be able to spot fake CBD in the wild. While CBD oil might
be the most popular delivery vehicle, be sure to check out other forms
if curious.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:34 AM on Monday, August 12th, 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
Gold Is Hot But Nickel Is Hotter As Demand Grows For Batteries In Electric Vehicles
Gold is hot but there’s another metal which is hotter, nickel.
Up 30% over the past two months nickel has delivered more than double the performance of gold which is up 13% over the same time, and the gap could get a lot wider as the supply of nickel stagnates and demand accelerates.
The driving force behind the recent awakening of gold is well-understood and can be summed up as a flight to safety as the China v U.S. trade war slows global growth and values of conventional, or fiat currencies, are debased by governments resorting to quantitative easing or other forms of creating money.
Bags filled with nickel briquette and nickel powder sit in a
warehouse at the BHP Group Ltd. Kwinana Nickel Refinery in Kwinana,
Western Australia, Australia, on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019. The world’s
biggest miners, including BHP Group and Glencore Plc, are finally firm
believers in the electric vehicle battery revolution — what they don’t
agree on is which metals will deliver the best long-term exposure to the
developing global market. Photographer: Philip Gostelow/Bloomberg
Nickel’s drivers are different and far easier to understand and boil
down to a simple case of supply exceeding demand which, in past nickel
booms, was essentially a case of mines failing to keep up with the
requirements of steel mills making stainless steel, a material which has
traditional consumed close to 80% of the world’s nickel.
Demand Growing For Nickel In Batteries
Stainless steel remains the primary market for nickel but there’s a
faster-growing market which until a few years ago was insignificant;
lithium-ion batteries.A standard source of power in small appliances
such as cell-phones with their nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries, or
nickel-metal hydride (NiMh) rechargeable batteries the big game today is
in the battery packs which power electric cars such as the Tesla, Prius
and Leaf.
From being a metal easily described as a one-trick pony thanks to its
dominant end-use in stainless steel, nickel has suddenly become a
two-trick pony, and if electric cars take off as predicted then a
shortage in future years is possible.
What caused nickel to run from around $5.40 a pound two months ago to
$7.09/lb at the end of last week (and a high on Friday of $7.22/lb) was
a combination of strong demand from Chinese stainless steel mills and
speculation that a major source of the metal could be cut off sooner
than expected.
The source under threat is unprocessed nickel ore from Indonesia
which is shipped to China for use in steel mills as a material called
Nickel Pig Iron (NPI). Indonesia, and other countries which produce NPI
dislike the material because it does not require any value-adding in the
home market.
Previous bans on NPI have crimped the industry only for it to return.
But the next ban is expected to be permanent and while Indonesia has
said it will not be applied until the year 2022 it could happen sooner,
just as battery makers seek supplies of nickel to meet electric-car
demand.
ANZ, an Australian bank, warned two weeks ago that falling stockpiles
of nickel metal were a warning of a squeeze developing. Stockpiles in
warehouses managed by the London Metal Exchange (LME) have been falling
for the past four years, with an accelerating decline over the past two,
a time when reserve inventories dropped by 43% from around 250,000 tons
to 142,000t.
“Nickel inventories have declined steadily since early 2018, as the persistent market deficit takes a toll,” ANZ said.
“Some analysts suggest stockpiling by electric vehicle manufacturers
is behind the depletion. Whether this is the case or not, we see the
tight market meaning further inventory drawdowns are likely.
Talk Of Panic Buying
“Current LME stockpiles would meet less than two months of supply — so panic buying is a likely outcome.”
It is highly unusual for a bank like ANZ to use an expression as
emotive as panic buying but it was used largely because of concern that
speculators had become active in the nickel market ahead of Indonesia’s
reintroduction of a ban on NPI.
Pure-play Australian nickel mining companies are enjoying sharp share
price rises as the nickel price moves up. Western Areas has risen by
25% over the past month and Mincor, which has just re-signed a supply
agreement with BHP, a major producer of the nickel sulphate which
battery makers prefer, is up 28%.
If there is a squeeze developing on nickel supplies as a major new
market develops for the metal the price could go much higher than its
current $7.09/lb.
Back in 2011 when a supply shortage developed the nickel price hit
$22/lb, before falling rapidly as steel mills found substitutes for
nickel in their stainless steel, including manganese.
No-one is talking about a nickel boom as powerful as that in 2011 but
nickel has a long track record of extreme moves, up and down.
Tags: CSE, nickel, nickel demand, stocks, tsx, tsx-v Posted in All Recent Posts, Tartisan Nickel | Comments Off on Tartisan #Nickel $TN.ca – Gold Is Hot But Nickel Is Hotter As Demand Grows For Batteries In Electric Vehicles #EV $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:26 AM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
Initiated 2000m Drill Program on 100% owned Dunwell Mine project
Located in the heart of the Golden Triangle a few kilometers outside of Stewart, BC
Dunwell has multiple bonanza grade vein systems found scattered over several kilometers around the mine itself.
Cardston, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – August 12, 2019) – American Creek Resources Ltd.
(TSXV: AMK) (“the Company”) is pleased to announce that a drill has
been mobilized to the Dunwell Mine project and drilling has now
commenced. As part of an overall exploration program it is anticipated
that Phase I will include up to 2,000 meters of drilling on several
targets.
The 100% owned Dunwell Mine project is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle a few kilometers outside of Stewart, BC.
Darren Blaney, CEO and President stated: “We are very excited to
begin drilling on this project. We have had our eye on this property
since 2006 and now we finally get to start showing the market what we
have. The Dunwell is an incredibly prospective property and has
everything going for it from amazing access and logistics to multiple
areas with past high grade production. All indications are that these
multiple bonanza grade vein systems found scattered over several
kilometers around the Dunwell mine itself are all related and form part
of a much larger system underlying the property.”
Property Description and History
Through a series of strategic acquisitions American Creek was able to
purchase the past producing Dunwell Mine as well as several adjoining
very prospective properties, combining them into one large land package
that encompasses the best gold and silver mineral occurrences and
historic workings in the Bear River valley. The amalgamated property
spans 1,655 hectares covering the northern portion of the Portland Canal
Fissure Zone, an area first prospected in the late 1800’s and hosting
some of the earliest producing gold and silver mines in the Stewart
area.
The property is located 8 km northeast of Stewart with a road right
to the mine site and a major highway and power line also running through
the property. The Dunwell Mine adit itself is located only 2 km from
Highway 37A and the power transmission line. Stewart hosts a deep sea
port including modern ore loading and shipping facilities.
Unlike the majority of mineral properties located near Stewart and
within the Golden Triangle, the Dunwell is relatively moderate and at
low elevation (600m and lower). These features allow for year-round work
which typically isn’t the case for exploration programs conducted in
the Stewart region where projects are typically at higher altitude in
very rugged terrain, are accessible only by helicopter, and lack
critical infrastructure such as roads and power. The Dunwell project may
just have the best logistics of any project in the Golden Triangle.
Although there has been a substantive amount of small-scale historic
work (pre-1940) in this area given its close proximity to Stewart, very
fractured ownership of individual mineral claims greatly hampered
meaningful larger scale exploration resulting in very little modern
exploration being conducted on the property or in the immediate region.
The Dunwell Mine is the most significant mineral occurrence within
the Portland Canal Fissure Zone. Production at the Dunwell occurred
between 1926 and 1937. From historic reports, it appears that a total of
45,657 tons averaging 6.63 g/t gold, 223.91 g/t silver, 1.83% lead,
2.43% zinc and 0.026% copper (approximately 11.3 g/t gold equivalent)
were produced. In one such report (#23345 summary report) the Dunwell
shows initial production of 4,872 oz gold, 102,855 oz silver, 1.2M lbs
lead, and 1.64M lbs zinc from 27,067 tons of ore milled. A further
23,231 tons was milled in 1941 yielding 4,878 oz gold, 233,017 oz
silver, 511,082 lbs lead, and 789,854 lbs zinc.
Strong potential exists to develop more reserves along strike with
the present workings and at depth below the No. 4 level. A drill program
conducted by prior owners in 2010 revealed a zone at least 300 metres
long and 200 metres along dip with a true thickness of 6-7 meters,
suggesting an extension of the ore body vein system previously mined.
Eight holes drilled 150 meters underneath and to the north of the old
underground workings resulted in the discovery of a wide quartz breccia
zone with strong sphalerite, galena, pyrite and chalcopyrite. Due to
unfavorable market conditions at the time, the work was never followed
up on. Significant reported results from the 2010 drilling are displayed
in the table below:
Hole
From (m)
To (m)
Length
Au g/t
Ag g/t
Pb %
Zn %
Cu %
D4-10-09
215.55
222.26
6.71
14.27
37.81
0.25
0.63
0.02
D4-10-10
216.77
221.95
5.18
5.31
62.4
0.52
0.80
0.03
D4-10-11
217.07
222.93
5.85
4.74
55.88
0.09
0.72
0.02
D4-10-12
218.35
225
6.64
7.68
37.40
0.330
0.90
0.02
D4-10-15
208.84
213.14
4.3
15.62
42.0
0.04
0.40
1.44
The 2019 Phase I drill program is designed to confirm the promising results from the 2010 drilling and also to expand the known extent of the vein system with step out holes. Drill hole D4-2010-09 returned an impressive 14.27 g/t gold over 6.7 meters and along with similar results in adjacent holes, partially delineated a new high-grade vein system. The first hole to be drilled in the 2019 program will be located in close proximity to D4-2010-09. A series of holes will then be drilled to extend the known extent of this new vein system.
James McCrea, P. Geo for the Dunwell project, commented: “The
historic Dunwell Mine workings straddle a large shear zone that is
interpreted to be part of the Portland Canal Fissure Zone. The shear has
a surface expression of up to 3 km with a series of known vein
showings, along the shear, north and south of the Dunwell, that have an
extent of 2 km. The potential for further discoveries exists adjacent to
the shear in the area of the Dunwell Mine.”
In addition to the past producing Dunwell Mine itself, the property
package also contains other high-grade gold and silver occurrences and
historic small-scale gold/silver high-grading operations along a several
kilometer north/south trend that correlates to the fissure zone and
major faulting. A search of old reports produced an impressive number of
such occurrences on the property. The reported grades are even more
impressive. Some of these include the following:
Ben Ali: 5,000 tons yielding 3,000 ounces gold. 4,500 tons at 21.6 g/t gold.
Tyee (Mother Lode): Produced 8.2 ton of ore grading 124.4 g/t gold and 4,478.8 g/t silver.
Mayflower: produced a few tons of ore running about $60 a ton
in gold values (1918 values). An adit sample assayed 78.2 g/t gold and
1,961.2 g/t silver.
Silver Ledge: Quartz veins with up to 0.36 ounces per ton gold, 5.04 ounces per ton silver, 5.4% lead and 0.65% zinc.
Goldie: Historic grab sample from 2 tons of galena assayed 2,880 g/t silver and 80% lead.
Victoria (Main Reef): Two separate numbers reported; perhaps
an initial 6 tons of 20.6 g/t gold, 1028.6 g/t silver, 35% lead, and 10%
zinc ore was shipped, later totaling 11 tons grading 20.15 g/t gold,
775 g/t silver, 25% lead, and 5% zinc.
Mimico: Historic grab samples of galena have assayed up to 5,345 g/t silver and 87.2% lead.
For a summary about the Dunwell Mine project please click here: Dunwell Summary
Qualified Person
The Qualified Person directing the Dunwell exploration program is
James A. McCrea, P. Geo., for the purposes of National Instrument
43-101. He has read and approved the scientific and technical
information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this
news release.
About American Creek
American Creek holds a strong portfolio of gold and silver properties in British Columbia.
In addition to the 100% owned Dunwell project, the portfolio includes
two other gold/silver projects located in the heart of the Golden
Triangle; the Treaty Creek and Electrum joint ventures with Walter
Storm/Tudor Gold.
A major drill program is presently being conducted at Treaty Creek by
JV partner and operator Tudor Gold. There are now two drills working on
the Goldstorm zone with the objective of defining a significant maiden
gold resource. The last hole reported included a 780 meter intercept of 0.683 g/t gold including a higher grade upper portion of 1.095 g/t over 370.5 meters.
Other properties held throughout BC include the Gold Hill, Austruck-Bonanza, Ample Goldmax, Silver Side, and Glitter King.
For further information please contact Kelvin Burton at: Phone: 403 752-4040 or Email: [email protected]. Information relating to the Corporation is available on its website at www.americancreek.com
Posted by AGORACOM
at 2:54 PM on Friday, August 9th, 2019
SPONSOR: Labrador Gold – Two successful gold explorers lead the way in the Labrador gold rush targeting the under-explored gold potential of the province. Exploration has already outlined district scale gold on two projects, including over a 40km strike length of the Florence Lake greenstone belt, one of two greenstone belts covered by the Hopedale Project. Click Here for More Info
Recognizes a lack of early-stage development projects in the sector.
Blames consolidation in the mining sector for a steep decline in greenfield discoveries
“The industry as a whole needed to step up in the wake of a lost decade in exploration “
Rio Tinto has blamed consolidation in the mining sector for a steep decline in greenfield discoveries as it flags a steady build up of its much-hyped Winu copper-gold find in Western Australia.
The
mining giant’s head of growth and innovation, Stephen McIntosh, said
headwinds pushing against discovery success were stronger than ever as
he bemoaned a lack of early-stage development projects in the sector.
Mr
McIntosh said the industry as a whole needed to step up in the wake of a
lost decade in exploration. He said something had gone wrong as
exploration spending failed to translate into discoveries.
His warning, in a speech to the Diggers
& Dealers mining conference in Kalgoorlie on Monday, comes with Rio
drilling its largest number of greenfield targets in almost two decades.
The drilling includes the company’s Winu copper-gold discovery in WA’s Paterson Range.
Mr McIntosh said Winu was a “rare and exhilarating†case where the first drill hole was the discovery hole.
He
gave fresh insight into how highly Rio rates Winu, saying none of the
company’s existing tier 1 assets started life that way and some projects
needed ongoing development and exploration to grow into that status.
“It is important with Winu that we look for a case that is bankable, relatively low capital and low risk,†he said.
“As such, we are primarily focused on defining a potential open pit starter case.â€
‘Every hole is telling us something new’
Rio
released the latest set of drill hole results for Winu last week, which
continue to indicate wide intersections of vein-style copper
mineralisation associated with gold and silver beneath relatively
shallow cover.
Winu is named after the local Aboriginal word for
thirsty and Rio is just that for a big copper discovery now that is in
greater demand with the rise in renewable energy and electric vehicles.
“We have an extensive drilling program this year with 12 drill rigs on site and a 190-person camp,†Mr McIntosh said.
“Every hole is telling us something new and slowly we are pulling together the story of the Winu deposit.â€
Rio
increased its footprint in the Paterson Range from 1000 square
kilometres to 12,000 square kilometres after drilling just three holes
at Winu in 2017 in a sign of how excited it was about the potential
prize.
The company defines tier 1 assets as low-cost, expandable
resources that are profitable at all points in the price cycle and
deliver a sustainable competitive advantage.
Every bit of data
that points to Winu approaching that status will be welcome good news
for Mr McIntosh and his growth and innovation division that is in the
spotlight over its role in managing the troubled multibillion-dollar Oyu
Tolgoi project in Mongolia.
Rio spent $281 million on greenfield exploration in 2018 with a focus on copper and diamonds.
Decline in discoveries
Mr McIntosh said the reasons for a steady decline in discoveries across the industry were complex but included consolidation.
“The
industry consolidation through the 80s, 90s and into the early-mid
2000s saw the focus on early stage exploration start to fall away,†he
said.
“The new mid-tiers and super majors were driven to generate synergies from M&A or harvest opportunities in the orbit of their operations.
“The
downside is that slowly we saw fewer and fewer large regional
exploration programs, an overall lowering of domain expertise and a
reduction in professional development.
“So just when life gets
tough and we need to move beneath cover in the well-explored parts of
the world, we find very few companies with the requisite finances and
domain expertise to take this on.â€
Mr McIntosh said that post the
Global Financial Crisis there had been a steady and precipitous decline
in discoveries even though exploration funding peaked in 2012.
“Many
of the discoveries of the early-mid 2000s came from work done in the
prior decade. Based on this, we should now be seeing a solid pipeline of
early stage projects starting to emerge. We are not,†he said.
“So clearly something has gone wrong. The reasons are likely to be many and complex, ranging from industry capability, land access challenges through to gaps in our targeting capabilities.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:30 PM on Friday, August 9th, 2019
(CSE: CBDT) (Frankfurt 8EC) (OTC: EPWCF)
Why Empower Clinics
A leading owner/operator of physician staffed health and pain management clinics.
Patient database of over 165,000 patientsÂ
Proprietary technology platforms including Electronic Health Records portal and e-Commerce for CBD product distribution
Launching CBD extraction facility
First extraction system capacity = 6,000 Kg per year.
CBD based products are poised to be a $20B global industry by 2022
Medical cannabis is poised to be a $100B global industry by 2025
Recent Acquisition of Sun Valley Certification Clinics Holdings LLC
Created one of the largest clinic groups in the medical cannabis sector in the United States
Twelve (combined) clinic locations
Combined patient count of 165,000 patients
Platform generating $5MM USD in revenue annually (2020)
Operating in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada and California
According to the Brightï¬eld Group report the CBD market in the U.S. has grown over 700% in 2019
The CBD industry is becoming much more
saturated than it was before the passing of the U.S. Farm Bill late last
year, with new products entering the market, threatening to take a
slice of the CBD pie that the early producers of CBD have enjoyed until
this time.
Nevertheless, the top 20 CBD companies still hold a majority of the even bigger pie that is CBD in the cannabis industry.
Technology
Developed proprietary software to manage patients through the medical cannabis process
A HIPAA compliant Electronic Health Record (EHR) system and patient management portal.
Tele-medicine platform to serve and treat patients remotely.
Launching an e-Commerce platform for it’s Sollievo and Sun Valley CBD product lines.
Products
Commenced selling its proprietary line of CBD-based products called SOLLIEVO
Empower’s patient base and customers are
expected to benefit from access to high margin derivative products,
including CBD lotion, tinctures, spectrum oils, capsules, lozenges,
patches, e-drinks, topical lotions, gel caps, hemp extract drops and pet
elixir hemp extract drops.
Patients and customers will be able to access Empower’s home delivery and e-commerce platform.
CBD Extraction
Opening first CBD Extraction facility in Portland, OR.
5,000 sq. ft. leased building with first extraction system capable
of producing 20kg per day of 99% spectrum oil, isolate or distillate
Current wholesale pricing is $6,500 USD per kg with annual capacity of 6,000kg an estimated $39MM USD revenue.
Facility can scale to four extraction systems for up to 24,000kg of product and over $150MM USD revenue
Franchising
Completed it’s 2019 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and has commenced selling Sun Valley Health franchises in the United States.
Company is now selling Sun Valley Health franchises and is accepting franchise applications effectively immediately.
Invested in the development of a new
franchise trade show booth that showcases the Sun Valley Health
opportunity to perspective franchisees using dynamic, content rich
displays and four large format television monitors to present features
and benefits.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:09 AM on Friday, August 9th, 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
The world’s biggest miners, including BHP Group and Glencore Plc, are finally firm believers in the electric vehicle battery revolution — what they don’t agree on is which metals will deliver the best long-term exposure to the developing global market
“We’ll always say they are a lithium battery, but actually the weight is in the nickel — that’s the biggest volume of material,’’ said Wood Mackenzie’s Durrant.
BHP has revived a declining nickel unit in Western Australia to
target the sector, while Rio Tinto Group is accelerating work to enter
the lithium market. Glencore is focusing on cobalt and copper and Anglo
American Plc is examining prospects for platinum and palladium to be
deployed in future battery technologies.
“We did a review of all the battery input materials — nickel, cobalt,
lithium,†said Eduard Haegel, asset president at the BHP’s Nickel West
unit. “We think that in the medium-to-longer term there will be a margin
that will be sticky for nickel — we think it’s an attractive
commodity.â€
BHP, the biggest miner, this year reversed long-term efforts to seek a
buyer for the division, opting to retain Nickel West to benefit from
forecast growth in lithium-ion batteries and a scarcity of high-quality
nickel supply. From the second quarter of 2020, the unit will begin
production of bright-turquoise colored nickel sulphate — a premium raw
material for the battery supply chain — from a nickel refinery south of
Perth, with plans to potentially carry out the industry’s largest
expansion.
The outlook for battery materials is firming as governments set
targets on phasing out combustion engine vehicles, and as automakers
commit to expanding line-ups of electric models, according to Angela
Durrant, a Sydney-based principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie Ltd. “The
demand profile is certainly becoming more clear,’’ she said.
Deployment of more than 140 million electric vehicles by 2030 will
require 3 million tons more copper a year, 1.3 million tons of nickel
and about 263,000 tons of cobalt, according to Glencore Plc’s forecasts.
By 2040, almost 60 percent of new vehicle sales and about a third of
cars on the road will be electric, BloombergNEF said in a May report.
BHP sees an abundant global supply of lithium, and regards cobalt as
at risk of substitution, reducing the attractiveness of both
commodities, Chief Financial Officer Peter Beaven said in a May speech.
Rio also remains wary over cobalt, while Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg
said in 2017 the company has “zero interest’’ in lithium, in part
because of a lack of arbitrage opportunities.
Picking winners hasn’t been helped by price gyrations. Key battery
metals have faltered in the past year after dramatic gains. That’s
chiefly been on concern that incumbents and new producers have added too
much volume too quickly, as well as on short-term worries over a slower
pace of growth in China’s electric vehicle market, the world’s largest.
Lithium prices tripled between mid-2015 and May last year on fears of
shortages and have since slumped more than a third as new mines started
up. Cobalt in London quadrupled in the two years to March 2018 before
tumbling by almost three-quarters.
Even as they warm to the battery theme, major mining companies aren’t
yet prepared to move beyond familiar commodities and remain cautious on
acquisitions, said Robert Baylis, managing director at Roskill
Information Services Ltd. “They don’t want to stray too far from the
nest,’’ he said. “Some miners have instead concentrated on developing
their own existing projects.’’
Base metals are more traditional ground for the largest producers,
and nickel is increasingly in focus. Vale SA’s Indonesian unit and
partners have outlined plans to invest about $5bn on nickel projects, in
part aimed at the battery market, while Rio has expanded exploration
work to find new deposits in nations including Uganda and Finland.
BHP’s sales to the battery sector of nickel products now account for
more than 75 percent of the unit’s total production, up from less than 5
percent in 2016, according to Haegel.
“It makes sense that these companies are primarily focused on copper
and nickel,†said Sophie Lu, Sydney-based head of mining and metals for
BNEF. The companies typically already have producing assets and both
metals “display significant growth potential in the future from
batteries,†she said.
Nickel has jumped about a third this year as global inventories
decline amid better demand in traditional stainless steel markets and
expectations for longer-term battery growth. Battery-grade nickel may
face a deficit by 2024 as demand rises, according to BNEF.
“We’ll always say they are a lithium battery, but actually the weight
is in the nickel — that’s the biggest volume of material,’’ said Wood
Mackenzie’s Durrant.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 10:40 AM on Friday, August 9th, 2019
SPONSOR: Advance Gold AAX.v – Advance Gold controls 100% interest in the Tabasquena Silver Mine in Zacatecas, Mexico. A cluster of 30 Epithermal veins have been discovered, with recent emphasis on exploring a large anomaly to drill. Advance also owns 15% of the Kakamega JV attached to Barrick Takeover Offer for Acacia Mining Click Here for More Info
AAX.v
The model tells us that gold prices were inexpensive for the first five months of 2019 and are slightly undervalued at the end of July 2019. Gold prices should rise in the next five years
Breaking News: COMEX paper gold contracts closed on Wednesday, August 7, at $1,513, up from $1,274 on May 22. Gold bottomed at $1,045 in December 2015. The S&P 500 Index closed at a new all-time high on July 26.
We don’t know. Gold has disappointed for years, but central banks
must “inflate or die.†Expect more QE, lower interest rates and
excessive political and central bank manipulations.
But the more important question is: Are the COMEX prices for paper gold a fair value for the metal, or are they misrepresentative of what prices should be in this debt-based QE manipulated economy?
Should gold prices be higher or lower?
Consider the following graph of actual gold prices (each annual data point is the average of about 250 daily prices) and calculated gold prices based on an updated empirical model.
WHAT THIS GRAPH DOES NOT DO:
It is an empirical model, NOT a mathematical proof. It guarantees
nothing. While the model has worked for five decades, it could become
less effective tomorrow, next year, or never.
The model does NOT use gold or silver prices to produce calculated gold prices.
It is NOT a price prediction for paper gold contracts on the COMEX.
It is NOT a timing model. You shouldn’t TRADE based on this model.
WHAT THIS GRAPH DOES:
The model shows an estimated value for (annual average) gold prices based on macroeconomic variables. It is a valuation model.
The calculated gold model uses official national debt, crude oil, and the S&P 500 Index as input variables.
Test the Assumptions:
Gold prices rise, along with most other prices, as the banking
cartel devalues the dollar and pushes currency units into circulation. A
proxy for inflationary price increases is the official U.S. National
Debt adjusted for population growth.
Official National Debt in 1971 was $400 billion. Today it exceeds
$22,000 billion – over $22 trillion. Debt and prices will increase until
the financial system breaks or resets.
Gold prices rise along with crude oil, the most important global commodity.
Crude oil sold for $2.00 in 1971. Today it sells for $51.00. It
peaked at $147 in 2008. Crude oil prices rise because the banking cartel
devalues the dollar, changing supply and demand, and because
commodities are sometimes more desired than paper assets.
Over the long-term, commodity prices, including oil and gold, rise
and fall opposite to the S&P 500 Index. When investors favor stocks
(and paper investments) commodity prices are often weak. When commodity
prices are strong, stocks are often weak. The model assumes that gold
prices are mildly, but inversely, affected by the S&P 500 Index.
Gold is real money, unlike the digital and paper debts
(“fake-moneyâ€) issued by central banks. Gold will rise in “fake-moneyâ€
units as the banking cartel devalues currency units by issuing
ever-increasing quantities of “fake-money.†In many currencies, gold has
already reached new all-time highs.
Assumptions Summary:
Gold prices move higher as population adjusted national debt increases. (Dollar devaluation drives all prices higher.)
Gold prices move higher and lower with crude oil, another commodity.
Gold prices move opposite to the S&P 500 Index. (Investor preference for commodities versus paper assets.)
The model weighs and combines these macroeconomic variables to produce a “calculated gold price.†Call it a “fair value†price.
Examine the graph of gold prices and calculated gold prices for nearly five decades. Note that:
Calculated prices approximately match the annual average of daily gold prices.
Calculated prices may bottom and rally several years before the paper gold price bottoms and moves upward.
Calculated annual prices don’t reach gold’s high and low daily prices because daily prices spike too high and crash lower.
Buying for the long term makes sense when daily gold prices are low compared to the “calculated†price. (Think early 2019.)
Selling a portion of core positions is sensible when daily prices are well above “calculated†prices, such as in 2011.
Gold Prices in Five Years?
I don’t know, but almost certainly much higher.
The model depends upon national debt (will be much higher), crude
oil prices (higher in five years—probably) and the S&P 500 Index
(flat to higher—maybe).
National debt will rise rapidly. A 100-year average increase is
almost 9% per year, every year. Current economic conditions, no credible
spending restraints, “QE to Infinity,†and the coming recession will
boost deficits and debt into the stratosphere, even without more wars.
Crude oil prices rise and fall. They traded below $11 in 1998,
reached $147 in 2008, but moved below $30 in 2016. Mid-East tensions and
inflationary expectations are rising. It’s reasonable to expect crude
oil prices will not fall much from current levels and might rise
considerably.
The S&P 500 has risen from 100 in the 1960s. It is overvalued
today and likely to fall, but in the long-term it will rise as dollars
are devalued. Assume it corrects and then rises slowly. Remember, the
S&P 500 collapsed over 50% after its 2007 high.
“I think the crashing point is where
the Scottish economist Peter Millar puts it – where interest on debt
starts going exponential and consuming the real economy. In a paper
written in 2006 Millar wrote that fiat money systems based on debt
require periodic currency devaluations to reduce the burden of interest
payments. These devaluations require upward revaluation of the monetary
metals and all real assets relative to debt and currency.
“Indeed, the U.S. economists and fund
managers Paul Brodsky and Lee Quaintance speculated in 2012 that such a
devaluation of currencies and upward revaluation of gold was already
the long-term plan of central banks – that they were
redistributing world gold reserves to allow countries with excessive
U.S. dollar surpluses to hedge themselves against a dollar devaluation.
The resulting upward revaluation of gold, Brodsky and Quaintance wrote, would reliquify central banking around the world.â€
“In simplest terms, easy money blows up bubbles. Bubbles pop and set off a crisis. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.â€
“The economy is loaded up with
government, corporate and consumer debt. The stock markets have been
juiced to record levels. We also see other asset bubbles in high-yield
bonds, housing (again), and commercial real estate, along with a lot of
other assets you don’t hear as much about – such as art and comic
books.â€
“The bottom line is that we can’t
“fix†the economy by electing Republicans or Democrats. We can’t put the
country on sound economic footing by tweaking this or that policy in
Washington D.C. The only way to put the economy on a sound
footing is to deal with the root cause of the problem — the Federal
Reserve and its constant meddling.â€[In the meantime, expect larger deficits and higher gold prices.]
From Groucho Marx:
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.â€[The results include massive deficits, unpayable debt, consumer price inflation and higher gold prices.]
CONCLUSIONS:
The model tells us that gold prices were inexpensive for the
first five months of 2019 and are slightly undervalued at the end of
July 2019.
Gold prices should rise in the next five years. The model, depending
on assumptions for debt increases, crude oil prices and the S&P
500, suggests a fair value of $2,500 to $4,500 in five years. A spike
much higher, perhaps to $10,000, is not unlikely.
Daily prices could double or triple the fair value or fall 10% to 20% below fair value.
This model is not a prediction or guarantee. It is a valuation
model. It could lose accuracy tomorrow, but it has a nearly five-decade
history of success.
Correlation for the annual model since 1971 is 0.97. The R-Squared value is 0.95.
Buy when the market price is at or lower than the calculated gold price, such as now or after the next correction. Sell when market prices drastically exceed calculated fair value, such as in late 1979, early 1980, and July-August 2011.
Miles Franklin
will convert dodgy debt-based dollars into physical metal that has
preserved wealth for millennia. The gold valuation model says buy during
2019 because gold prices are below fair value. Call Miles Franklin at
1-800-822-8080 to purchase undervalued gold and silver bullion and
coins.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 10:20 AM on Friday, August 9th, 2019
Kootenay Cup – B.C. Buds Testing Confirms Wollastonite is Critical to Marijuana Growers
Vertical is researching the use of Wollastonite as a soil additive for optimizing marijuana growth
Phase Three trials involving cannabis grown with Wollastonite
(CaSiO3) as a soil additive at BC Bud Depot’s (BCBD) ACMPR-licenced
Research and Development facilities in Vancouver, BC
Phase Three trials measured and recorded significant improvements in root mass, powdery mildew control and pest elimination.
In every case the most optimal results occurred with an admixture rate of 10% to 15% Wollastonite to the growth medium
WOLLASTONITE
St-Onge-Wollastonite Deposit located approximately 90 kilometres
Northwest of the city of Saguenay, in St-Onge township, in the
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec, Canada.
Research and testing in the Phase 1 program for use in cannabis growth was managed and monitored by AGRINOVA, a highly-regarded Center for Research and Innovation in Agriculture in Quebec
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:59 AM on Friday, August 9th, 2019
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ESports: exciting, electronic and expanding
Dong Jun / SHINE
In the first six months of this year, eSports revenue in China rose 11 percent from a year earlier to 46.5 billion yuan. The industry draws in some 500 million people.
Visitors try new digital games at the ChinaJoy expo that closed earlier this week in Shanghai. ESports has become big business — a whirlwind of fans, professional players, gaming gear, prize events, broadcasting and training sessions.Â
Iamawater, a veteran player of the game Dota 2, said he is
considering paying about 10,000 yuan (US$1,429) for tickets and travel
costs to the International DOTA 2 Championships to be held in Shanghai
in two weeks.
It’s a top global eSports event and the first time the tournament is
being held in China. The prize pool has risen to a staggering US$32
million.
Tickets to the final tournament session sold out within seconds after
appearing in official sales channels. Scalpers are now hawking tickets
at up to 10,000 yuan, nearly fourfold of the official price.
“The tournament is equal to the World Cup to me and other players,â€
said Iamawater, a gaming name for a man who works as a manager at a
medical firm in Beijing. “It means even more when it’s held in Shanghai,
with some advanced Chinese squads participating.â€
ESports has become big business — a whirlwind of fans, professional
players, gaming gear, prize events, broadcasting and training sessions.
The phenomenon was called the “NBA or World Cup in the digital world†by
some officials at the ChinaJoy digital entertainment expo that closed
earlier this week in Shanghai.
In the first six months of this year, eSports revenue in China rose
11 percent from a year earlier to 46.5 billion yuan. The industry draws
in some 500 million people.
During the ChinaJoy Expo and Conference, firms like Tencent, Perfect
World, NetEase, Nvidia and Vivo all announced investment and strategies
in eSports.
“It’s no longer a sub-category of the gaming industry, said Chi
Yufeng, chairman of Perfect World, which assists in organizing the
coming TI9 event in Shanghai.
The location is fitting. Shanghai accounts for one-third of domestic
game market income and has plans to develop the city into a global
eSports hub within three to five years.
In 2018, the city’s eSports industry raked in 14.6 billion yuan in revenue.
The development of eSports is a “city-level strategy†that will fuel
the development of various industries and create a new business
ecosystem, according to Yu Xiufen, director of Shanghai’s culture and
tourism administration.
Ludwig Wahlberg spent his 22th birthday on August 5 in Shanghai,
several thousand miles from his home in Sweden. As a professional
eSports player on Team Secret, he and his team members have been
spending up to 12 hours a day preparing for the upcoming tournament at
the GeForce Boot Camp in Shanghai, Nvidia’s first and only GeForce
eSports studio in China.
The camp offers professional computers and gear, including chairs specifically designed for eSports gaming
Sun Yan
Swedish eSports player Ludwig Wahlberg (left) spent his 22th birthday
earlier this month in training with team members at the GeForce Boot
Camp in Shanghai, Nvidia’s first and only such camp in China.
Window into eSports
At Chinajoy, NetEase announced it will invest 5 billion yuan to
establish an eSports industrial park in the Qingpu District. It will
cover eSports research, venues, talent training and related sectors,
said Ding Yingfeng, president of NetEase Games.
Smartphone vendors, including Vivo and Oppo, and chip designer
Qualcomm displayed their latest technologies at the expo, with mobile
eSports a centerpiece. That sector has huge potential in China, with the
world’s largest mobile user base and its active development of 5G.
“5G will be a big boost for eSports, while its integration into many
platforms will open up many other possibilities,†said Chi of Perfect
World.
During ChinaJoy, Vivo launched its first 5G smartphone, with features
like cloud games and eSports, thanks to improved calculation capacity
and faster 5G speeds.
Vivo also displayed a virtual eSports team called Supex, with
artificial intelligence features. It was co-developed by Vivo, Tencent
AI Lab and Qualcomm.
At the expo, Shanghai officials announced guidelines for the
construction of eSports venues and the first eSport masters tournament,
to be held this November and December.
To become a global eSports hub requires development of top-tier
tournaments, professional players, venues, audiences, eSports leagues
and broadcasting and training facilities.
“Shanghai has most of those conditions and has made efforts to
improve the whole eSports ecosystem,†said Jams Zhang, general manager
of Nvidia China.
Nvidia, the world’s biggest computer graphic firm, has been a major
contributor to that progress. Besides offering powerful graphic devices
supporting eSports games, the company has offered tools for game
broadcasting and created a camp for eSports training.
According to Shanghai guidelines, eSports venues will be categorized
into four types based on size and capacity. A-level venues must be able
to accommodate more than 10,000 people and host world-class events.
Other venues will be used for national and regional game events, and
livestream videos and host tryouts.
Li-Ning Gaming eSports, a new division of the sportswear company,
said the potential of eSports in China will influence the industry far
beyond its borders.
“We want to offer team management and related services for eSports
tournaments and leagues, based on our long-term experience in the
industry,†said Stella Li, executive director of Li-Ning Gaming eSports.
Perfect World has also cooperated with local academies to train
eSports talent, including players, team managers and event organizers.
“I am looking forward to the event,†Iamawater said of the coming
tournament in Shanghai. “Even if I have to watch broadcasting events to
support my favorite team LGD.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:23 PM on Thursday, August 8th, 2019
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———————–
Esports exec: ‘Every day, a baseball fan dies, and two gaming fans are born’
“Every day, a baseball fan dies, and two gaming fans are born. And
there’s truth in that,†Ari Segal, IGC CEO, told Yahoo Finance’s On the
Move. “So, I think the greatest expansion is going to just come from the
generational kind of aging out of what you would currently think of or
characterize as adults, and the birth of young people, who grow up in a
world that’s digitally native.â€-
Professional esports is exploding and Immortals Gaming Club (IGC) has
its eye on the next generation of gamers as it expands its revenue
streams.
Launched in 2015, IGC reaches more than 35 million gamers and brings
them together to play on teams across every major league. It recently
bought Infinite Esports, OpTic Gaming parent company, for $100 million —
the largest deal in esports history.
“Every day, a baseball fan dies, and two gaming fans are born. And
there’s truth in that,†Ari Segal, IGC CEO, told Yahoo Finance’s On the
Move. “So, I think the greatest expansion is going to just come from the
generational kind of aging out of what you would currently think of or
characterize as adults, and the birth of young people, who grow up in a
world that’s digitally native.â€
The biggest segment right now in terms of esports growth is 13- to
17-year-olds., according to Segal. “We certainly expect that that
segment will continue to accelerate and adopting competitive gaming in
all forms. And that is new young people are born and mature, that they
will become the fastest growing segment pretty soon.â€
‘More like traditional sports’
While IGC continues to attract a younger audience, it also is moving
toward a direct-to-consumer model. So far, most of the company’s revenue
comes from sponsorships and media rights. IGC plans to host more events
like the Activision Blizzard’s LA home stand Overwatch League August 24
and 25 at LA Live, where it can sell tickets to consumers.
“Not only do we get the ticket revenue but there’s all the downstream
revenue. There’s merchandise and parking and food and beverage and also
access to first party data,†Segal explained.
Members of the teams ‘NAVI.GG.BET’ and ‘Ninjas in pyjamas’ compete
during the ESL ONE Counter-Strike video game tournament at the Lanxess
Arena in Cologne, western Germany, on July 5, 2019. (Photo by INA
FASSBENDER / AFP) (Photo credit should read INA FASSBENDER/AFP/Getty
Images)
Competitive gaming will look “more like traditional sports from a
monetization standpoint,†said Segal, adding that IGC’s deal with
K-Swiss “represents a little bit of a three dimensional approach to
monetization.â€
In addition to a sponsorship deal with the athletic shoemaker, IGC
has developed a performance shoe for gamers. “This is actually a shoe
developed by gamers for gamers and for use in competitive gaming. It’s
the first performance shoe in gaming,†he said. “It’ll give the player
complete control while they’re playing so that they never need to think
about their shoe, or their foot or anything else. They can focus purely
on the task at hand [game play].â€
