Posted by AGORACOM
at 11:35 AM on Thursday, January 10th, 2019
Collaborating with Perpetuus Carbon Technologies Ltd. to develop and market material-enhancing-graphite-derived graphenes and graphene hybrids for tire elastomers
Gratomic and Perpetuus are currently in collaboration to build on Perpetuus’ capability to initially provide 500 tonnes of surfaced modified graphenes per annum to support the volumes required by the tire manufacturing industry
Currently shipped 2.25 tonnes of Graphite concentrate to Perpetuus
Perpetuus undertook to build three specialized process tooling chambers (“Chambersâ€) to be used solely for processing Graphite from Gratomic’s Aukam Graphite mine in Namibia.
Exploring options to exploit polymer composites, energy capture and storage applications markets.
63% interest in The Aukam vein graphite deposit with an option to earn an additional 10% for USD 180 000
The only jurisdiction outside Sri Lanka with foreseeable lump graphite production and competitive grade
Existing mine infrastructure (open pit and adits) allowed for rapid restart of operations
Construction started on 10,000 tonne per annum processing plant
Bulk sampling of dump material over 2 months resulted in stockpile of graphitic material grading up to 82.1%
Letter of intent to provide up to 5,000 tonnes of graphitic material a year for graphite anode market
Developing graphitic foil market
Long term lease agreement in place with land owner
Aggressively developing other industrial applications such as Lubricants, special rust proof coatings
FULL DISCLOSURE: Gratomic is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:17 AM on Thursday, January 10th, 2019
Investment Highlights
Kenbridge property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper
17.5 (21.8 fully diluted) percent equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property
Kenbridge Ni Project (ON, Canada)
Advanced stage deposit remains open in three directions, is
equipped with a 623m deep shaft and has never been mined.
Preliminary Economic Assessment completed and updated returned robust project economics and operating costs including a NPV of C$253M and cash costs of US$3.47/lb of nickel net of copper credits.
Plans for Kenbridge include updating PEA,
advancing the project through to feasibility and exploring the open
mineralization at depth
FULL DISCLOSURE: Tartisan Nickel Corp. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:11 AM on Thursday, January 10th, 2019
Collaboration with the University of Victoria opens the pathway to three FDA applications
Leading the way to a release of artificial intelligence enhancements to CardioComm’s Global ECG Management Solution and reporting software technologies
Toronto, Ontario–(January 10, 2019) – CardioComm Solutions, Inc. (TSXV: EKG) (“CardioComm” or the “Company“), a leading global provider of consumer heart monitoring and electrocardiogram (“ECG“) acquisition and management software solutions, confirms completion of a six month collaborative project with researchers at the University of Victoria, Canada, leading the way to a release of artificial intelligence (“AI“) enhancements to CardioComm’s Global ECG Management Solution (“GEMS™”) and reporting software technologies (“GEMSTMRhythm“).
GEMS™ Rhythm will support the management of largeâ€scale, long-term ECG data recordings on computers and smartphones.
CardioComm provides innovative software solutions for information management systems in cardiovascular medicine, telemedicine and consumer markets supporting near real-time ECG transmitting devices for a range of ECG monitoring use cases including recording periods from a few seconds to up to 30 consecutive days. CardioComm’s software is device-agnostic providing a market advantage by allowing it to be plug and play with many different approved outpatient and over-the-counter (“OTC“) ECG recording devices. Not all such devices are capable of ECG arrhythmia classification and so the burden of analysis will reside server-side in the hands of ECG technicians and physicians or on Smart devices as point of care diagnostic tools. New generations of wearable and smaller devices with less firmware based processing capabilities are being developed that will place more ECG management responsibility software side.
GEMS™ Rhythm will provide fast and accurate review of very large ECG
data pools and will address important challenges in the denoising and
processing of ECG data where recording quality is not optimal or where
ECGs are recorded from different devices with different sampling rates.
While GEMS™ Rhythm classifies ECGs for the presence of
clinically-relevant abnormalities, it will do so while using much less
computational power, allowing it to be run much faster on weaker
platforms such as embedded microcontrollers. GEMS™ Rhythm will also be
capable of running on smartphones, removing the need for immediate
access to cloud-based systems for the collection and interpretation of
ECG data.
The work conducted with the University of Victoria was funded in part
by the Government of Canada through an Engage Grant set up to
facilitate university-industry partnerships. Under the terms of the
grant, any intellectual property (“IP“) arising from
the project belongs to CardioComm. The Company expects to use the IP in
three separate FDA software-as-a-medical device applications. The first
application will be for GEMS™ Rhythm itself, which will provide a full
suite of arrhythmia detection tools designed to support hospital and ECG
scanning service installations of GEMSTM. The second and third
applications, named GEMS™ AF and GEMS™ QT, will both be marketed as
smartphone applications used for AF detection and QT interval
determination, respectively. QT interval abnormalities are seen simply
as aberrantly shorter or longer parts of an ECG trace that is associated
with sudden cardiac death. These interval abnormalities are sometimes
seen in athletes and in patients prescribed certain medications.
To learn more about CardioComm’s products and for further updates
regarding HeartCheck™ ECG device integrations please visit the Company’s
websites at www.cardiocommsolutions.com and www.theheartcheck.com.
CardioComm Solutions’ patented and proprietary technology is used in products for recording, viewing, analyzing and storing electrocardiograms for diagnosis and management of cardiac patients. Products are sold worldwide through a combination of an external distribution network and a North American-based sales team. CardioComm Solutions has earned the ISO 13485:2016 certification, is HIPAA compliant and holds clearances from the European Union (CE Mark), the USA (FDA) and Canada (Health Canada).
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information with respect to the financial condition,
results of operations and business of CardioComm Solutions and certain
of the plans and objectives of CardioComm Solutions with respect to
these items. Such statements and information reflect management’s
current beliefs and are based on information currently available to
management. By their nature, forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information involve risk and uncertainty because they
relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the
future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and
developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by
these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.
In evaluating these statements, readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.
The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking
statements and forward-looking information contained in this release
other than as required by applicable laws, including without limitation,
Section 5.8(2) of National Instrument 51-102 (Continuous Disclosure Obligations).
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Tags: EKG, tsx Posted in All Recent Posts, CardioComm Solutions | Comments Off on CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca Completes Work on Arrhythmia Detection Algorithms with Artificial Intelligence-Based Learning
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:47 AM on Thursday, January 10th, 2019
U.S. Navy has reached an agreement with the shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), to move forward with the purchase of two Ford-class aircraft carriers.
“This is great news for PyroGenesis as we are the proud supplier of plasma-based waste destruction systems to the U.S. Navy. We are in the design of the aircraft carrier, and have delivered two systems to date,†said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “
MONTREAL, Jan. 10, 2019 — PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX-V: PYR) (OTCQB: PYRNF) (Frankfurt: 8PY: FRA)  a TSX Venture 50® high-tech company, (the “Company”, the “Corporation†or “PyroGenesis”) a Company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma atomized metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch products, is pleased to announce today that, further to an earlier press release dated October 10th, 2018 on the topic (PyroGenesis Announces US Congress Support For the Purchase of Two Aircraft Carriers), the U.S. Navy has reached an agreement with the shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), to move forward with the purchase of two Ford-class aircraft carriers. This transaction will cover CVN 80 (the Enterprise) and CVN 81 (yet-to-be-named), which are the third and fourth carriers of the Gerald R. Ford-class.
“This is great news for PyroGenesis as we are the proud supplier of plasma-based waste destruction systems to the U.S. Navy. We are in the design of the aircraft carrier, and have delivered two systems to date,†said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “The original schedule envisioned ordering one aircraft carrier in 2018. Amending this schedule for a two-ship buy required various approvals causing some minor delays which, as we see from today’s press release, have all been overcome.â€
According to the Daily Press,
“The Navy has reached an agreement with HII for a block purchase of two
aircraft carriers. James F. Geurts, the Navy’s chief weapons buyer,
told Congress in November that he expected a decision on a two-carrier
purchase by year’s end (2018). The deadline was made with a few hours to
spare, with first word of the deal coming Monday afternoon, New Year’s
Eve. That day, the Defense Department notified select members of
Congress, in a letter, that it had reached an agreement. Capt. Danny
Hernandez, a spokesman for Geurts [the Navy’s chief weapons buyer],
confirmed the agreement and said more details would be forthcoming after
the contract award.1
HII spokesperson Beci Brenton said in a statement that a two-ship buy
is “a significant step toward building these ships more affordably…it
is important to note that the multi-ship purchase of aircraft carriers
helps stabilize the Newport News Shipbuilding workforce, enables the
purchase of material in quantity, and permits a fragile supplier base of
more than 2,000 in 46 states to phase work more efficiently.â€
“The U.S. Navy, and the shipbuilder, have effectively come to an
agreement to build two aircraft carriers at the same time, instead of
one,†said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “The
order is for approximately $12.5MM and will represent the largest
commercial contract to date. The Company has been put on notice that an
order is imminent. One system typically takes between 12-15 months to
build so we would expect a two-order contract to take a few more
months.â€
PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a TSX Venture 50® high-tech company, is the world leader in the design, development, manufacture and commercialization of advanced plasma processes and products. We provide engineering and manufacturing expertise, cutting-edge contract research, as well as turnkey process equipment packages to the defense, metallurgical, mining, advanced materials (including 3D printing), oil & gas, and environmental industries. With a team of experienced engineers, scientists and technicians working out of our Montreal office and our 3,800 m2 manufacturing facility, PyroGenesis maintains its competitive advantage by remaining at the forefront of technology development and commercialization. Our core competencies allow PyroGenesis to lead the way in providing innovative plasma torches, plasma waste processes, high-temperature metallurgical processes, and engineering services to the global marketplace. Our operations are ISO 9001:2015 certified and have been since 1997. PyroGenesis is a publicly-traded Canadian Corporation on the TSX Venture Exchange (Ticker Symbol: PYR) and on the OTCQB Marketplace. For more information, please visit www.pyrogenesis.com
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements,
including, without limitation, statements containing the words “may”,
“plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”,
“expect”, “in the process” and other similar expressions which
constitute “forward- looking information” within the meaning of
applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the
Corporation’s current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited
to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the
market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the
capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research
and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new
product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory
approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the
Corporation with respect to future events and are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in
the Corporation’s ongoing filings with the securities regulatory
authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com, or at www.otcmarkets.com. Actual
results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update
or revise any forward- looking statements either as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as required by
applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) nor the OTCQB accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this press release.
Tags: tsx Posted in All Recent Posts, Featured, PyroGenesis Canada Inc. | Comments Off on PyroGenesis $PYR.ca Announces that the US Navy is Moving Forward with a Two-Ship Buy; 12.5 Million Dollar Contract Imminent
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:22 AM on Thursday, January 10th, 2019
Clone production for the 2019 season at their Scio, Oregon High Yielding CBD Hemp project is now in high gear, in preparation for an “as early as possible†planting this year
Unlike 2018, which had a late start to planting due to delays in finalizing the acquisition of the project’s 109 acre farm, preparations are underway so that planting of this year’s crop can begin in late May to early June.
ESCONDIDO, Calif., Jan. 10, 2019 – via NetworkWire – MARIJUANA COMPANY OF AMERICA INC. (“MCOA†or the “Companyâ€) (OTC: MCOA), an innovative hemp and cannabis corporation, and its Joint Venture partner Global Hemp Group Inc. (CSE: GHG/ OTC: GBHPF/ FRA: GHG) are pleased to announce that clone production for the 2019 season at their Scio, Oregon High Yielding CBD Hemp project is now in high gear, in preparation for an “as early as possible†planting this year. Unlike 2018, which had a late start to planting due to delays in finalizing the acquisition of the project’s 109 acre farm, preparations are underway so that planting of this year’s crop can begin in late May to early June. This will provide an additional 45 to 60 days of growing time compared to last year, allowing time for the hemp plants to get considerably larger, which will generate a greater quantity of biomass.
For 2019, the project will cultivate three hemp strains which will
offer high CBD content, substantial biomass yield, and ultra low THC
levels, along with superior pest resistance and disease tolerance. These
strains also have a shorter flowering period, which will allow for an
earlier harvest, before the usual Fall rainy season begins in the
region.
The hardiest phenotypes were selected for mother plants that will
feed the cloning process, which began back in November 2018 soon after
the recent harvest and drying operation was complete. This cloning
operation will produce the approximately 40,000+ clones required to
plant on the farm’s lower 35 acres.
The Scio team is now upgrading the lighting and electrical in the
greenhouses for continued expansion of the cloning operation. It is
expected that the cloning operations will produce an excess of clones
beyond what is required for the Scio project, which will allow for the
sale to other farms in the area. The team continues to talk with local
farmers that are interested in partnering to cultivate hemp for the
coming season. On-site clone operations will eliminate the need of
capital outlay to purchase clones from other growers as was required in
2018 as the result of the late start, an expense of over US$200,000.
In addition, the project’s operating company, Covered Bridge Acres
(CBA), has received its registration to cultivate hemp for 2019 from the
Oregon Department of Agriculture. Also, for the 2019 season, CBA is now
registered to produce or handle agricultural hemp seed, so that the
company can establish a breeding program that will potentially generate
additional revenue for the project.
Management is currently searching for an offsite warehouse to store
biomass and complete hammer mill processing of the material produced
from the 2018 harvest. Once the location has been secured, CBA will
complete its Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) and apply for its
2019 Industrial Hemp Handler registration that will enable CBA to
further process (extract) its material. Management is in ongoing
discussions with several potential off takers and processing partners in
an effort to monetize the 2018 biomass and prepare for the upcoming
2019 season which will produce significantly more material.
About Marijuana Company of America, Inc. MCOA is a corporation which participates in: (1) product research and development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name “hempSMART™â€, that targets general health and well-being; (2) an affiliate marketing program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products containing CBD; (3) leasing of real property to separate business entities engaged in the growth and sale of cannabis in those states and jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized and properly regulated for medicinal and recreations use; and, (4) the expansion of its business into ancillary areas of the legalized cannabis and hemp industry, as the legalized markets and opportunities in this segment mature and develop.
About Our hempSMART Products Containing CBD The
United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized CBD
as a safe and effective drug for any indication. Our products containing
CBD derived from industrial hemp are not marketed or sold based upon
claims that their use is safe and effective treatment for any medical
condition as drugs or dietary supplements subject to the FDA’s
jurisdiction.
About Global Hemp Group Inc.
Global Hemp Group Inc. (CSE: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF) (FRANKFURT: GHG), is
focused on a multi-phased strategy to build a strong presence in the
industrial hemp industry in both Canada and the United States. The
Company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with hemp
cultivation operations in New Brunswick and Oregon. The first phase of
this strategy is to develop hemp cultivation with the objective of
extracting cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, CBN & CBC) and creating a near
term revenue stream that will allow the Company to expand and develop
successive phases of the strategy. The second phase of the plan will
focus on the development of value-added industrial hemp products
utilizing the processing of the whole hemp plant, as envisioned in the
Company’s Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone (HAIZ) strategy.
Forward Looking Statements This
news release contains “forward-looking statements” which are not purely
historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans,
expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking
statements include, among other things, the development, costs and
results of new business opportunities and words such as “anticipate”,
“seek”, intend”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, or
similar phrases may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual
results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking
statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others,
the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S.
and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company’s
reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of
cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of
the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update
the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual
results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking
statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations
and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can
be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or
intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of
the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk
factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-12G, our
quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from
time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more
information, please visit www.sec.gov.
For more information, please visit the Company’s websites at:
Tags: CBD, mcoa, Scio project, tsx, tsx-v Posted in All Recent Posts, Featured, Marijuana Company of America | Comments Off on Clone Production at Marijuana Company of America’s $MCOA Scio Oregon Hemp Project Underway – Hemp Growers License Renewed for 2019 $AERO $CBDS $CGRW $APH.ca $GBLX $ACG $ACB $WEED.ca $HIP.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:08 PM on Wednesday, January 9th, 2019
SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE) Led by
legendary financier, Sheldon Inwentash, ThreeD is a Canadian-based
venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed small-cap
companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More than just
lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest small-cap
exits. Click Here For More Information.
———————–
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced federal funding of up to $4.8 million for universities working on R&D projects, including those related to blockchain.
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced federal funding of up to
$4.8 million for universities working on R&D projects, including
those related to blockchain.
Announced
Monday, the funding is being made available through the department’s
Office of Fossil Energy as a part of the “University Training and
Research†initiative aimed to develop fossil energy applications.
Projects under the initiative are aimed at achieving various
objectives, including the development of early-stage technologies for
more affordable domestic energy resources and improved electric grids,
the department said.
One of the areas being targeted for funding is blockchain technology
that would “secure process signal data and other information flows
within distributed sensor networks for fossil-based power generation
systems.â€
Other potential projects not necessarily including blockchain include
those that would explore advanced computing resources for coal plants
to generate analytical results, improve water reuse processes, and
investigate physical and biological sciences to measure chemical
elements within coal fly ash.
The department said it funds research and development projects to
reduce the “risk and cost†of advanced fossil fuel-based energy
technologies and make more sustainable use of fossil resources in the
U.S.
This is not the first time that the department has looked to explore
blockchain for technological improvements. Last January, it partnered with BlockCypher to develop solutions allowing energy transactions to be settled across multiple blockchains.
And, in July 2018, the department awarded a grant of nearly $1 million to a Colorado-based blockchain startup Grid7 in a move aimed to advance the development of a decentralized energy grid.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:41 AM on Wednesday, January 9th, 2019
SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc.
(TSX-V: NAM) The company’s new Lithium Division has already made
significant acquisitions in Canada and the USA. The company also owns
one of North America’s largest primary platinum group metals deposit in
Sudbury, Canada. Learn More.
NAM: TSX-V
——————————
The Palladium Play – Part 1
Palladium: The White-Hot Metal Climbed 18% in 2018 and Doubled in Three Years
BY John Ciampaglia
Part 1 in our palladium series provides a primer; Part 2 will explore the unique supply/demand fundamentals that support our bullish outlook.
Palladium has been on a multi-year run that shows few signs of
abating. For the tumultuous market year 2018, spot palladium gained
18.6% and is up 124% since the beginning of 2016. In comparison, spot
gold, platinum and silver all declined last year (1.6%, 14.5%, and 8.5%,
respectively), while U.S. equities lost 4.4% in 2018, as measured by
the S&P 500 Total Return Index.1
Palladium is close to becoming the most “precious†of precious
metals. Palladium passed the $1,000 per ounce mark in late 2017 for the
first time since 2001. Palladium’s momentum accelerated in 2018, with
its $1,262 price-per-ounce edging close to gold’s $1,282 price by
year-end.Palladium was named by its discoverer William Wollaston in 1803, after the asteroid Pallas.
While the escalating U.S.-China trade war hurt many commodities in
2018, it couldn’t dent palladium’s rise. The white metal is primarily
used in catalytic converters that reduce pollution from gasoline
internal combustion engines (ICEs). Demand for palladium was especially
robust last year, as environmental concerns have prompted a global shift
from diesel to gasoline and hybrid vehicles. Not even the 2018 slowdown
in China’s auto market, the world’s largest, dampened demand.
Palladium (chemical symbol “Pdâ€) is primarily used as an industrial
metal and is considered a “precious†metal along with platinum, gold and
silver. Both palladium and platinum are far rarer than gold and
represent smaller markets. Recent world production of palladium and
platinum has averaged about 200 and 175 tonnes per year, respectively,
while gold production tallies approximately 3,000 tonnes per year (Read more about Platinum).
Also known as “white gold†or the “bright white metals,†palladium
and platinum are members of the Platinum Group Metals (also known as
“PGMs,†which also include ruthenium, rhodium, osmium and iridium) and
typically co-occur in ore deposits. Their shared chemical origins give
palladium and platinum similar characteristics, such as being relatively
inert and having high melting points – part of their appeal as
catalysts in industrial and automotive applications.
Figure 4. The Automotive Industry is the Largest Pd Consumer – Catalytic Converters
Automakers, who have little flexibility to produce cars without
palladium, are being forced to push the price higher to secure their
critical supply.
Source: Johnson Matthey.
Palladium’s primary application is within the auto sector. Though
historically more expensive than palladium, platinum was long the
primary metal used in catalytic converters, partly because of its
stability at the high temperatures required to achieve the conversion.
However, in the past decade, automakers have developed technology to
achieve nearly the same results with palladium, at a significantly lower
cost, causing the automotive industry to transition to palladium.
While palladium is also used in jewelry, electronics, chemical and
dental applications, the automotive industry’s need for catalytic
converters is the primary factor driving palladium demand. If
palladium’s price continues to outpace platinum’s, automakers may return
to using platinum. However, analysts predict that any move back to
platinum would take at least 18 to 24 months.
Palladium’s Supply Constraints
Supply shortages continue to support palladium’s performance, with
strong multi-year growth in palladium demand now straining a fixed
supply. Palladium is especially scarce and its supply is inelastic since
it is usually a by-product of ores that are being mined for other
metals, like platinum and rhodium. It is rarely mined on its own. Russia
is the world’s largest palladium-producing country, followed by South
Africa, Canada, the U.S. and Zimbabwe.
The official level of palladium reserves in Russia is a state secret
and many industry participants believe that Russia’s stockpiles of
palladium have been largely sold, constraining supply. Supply concerns
were further heightened in April 2018 when the U.S. levied more
sanctions against Russia.
Figure 5. Palladium Mine Production by Country (Metric Tonnes) 2012-2017
Source: U.S. Geological Survey.
Global demand for palladium, net of the supply provided through
recycling, was expected to reach 7.1 million oz. in 2018, exceeding a
total supply of 6.9 million oz. This shortfall extends a seven-year
trend leading to a current total deficit in the market of 801,000 oz.,
according to the chemical company, Johnson Matthey.2
Shifting Automotive Demand but Positive Outlook
While no country has outlawed new combustion engines, Norway, China
and Germany, among many countries, have implemented frameworks to
discontinue long-term ICE production and encourage demand for electric
vehicles (EVs) and hybrid-electric vehicles.
The growth of EVs3 could pose a risk to the palladium sector since
EVs do not require catalytic converters. On the other hand, the rise of
hybrid-electric vehicles could drive palladium demand, since they too
require palladium to control pollution. The mining company Norilsk
Nickel forecasts that combined palladium use in hybrid and plug-in
hybrid — or rechargeable — vehicles in 2019 will be nearly triple that
of 2016.
Today, catalytic converter demand accounts for 70% of the palladium
demand worldwide. While any threat to palladium’s role within catalytic
converters could impact its long-term price outlook, our view is that
palladium’s fundamentals should remain strong for at least the next 24
months.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:54 PM on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019
SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc.
(TSX-V: NAM) The company’s new Lithium Division has already made
significant acquisitions in Canada and the USA. The company also owns
one of North America’s largest primary platinum group metals deposit in
Sudbury, Canada. Learn More.
Best metal of 2018 now commands $500 an ounce more than rival
Substitution in autocatalysts still seen as unlikely: Norilsk
Palladium’s premium to platinum jumped to a record, building on its ranking as the best-performing metal of 2018.
Shortages of the metal used in autocatalysts for gasoline-fueled
vehicles sent its price to yet another all-time high, widening the price
difference with rival platinum to more than $500 an ounce on Tuesday. Most analysts don’t see supply relief for palladium anytime soon.
Both metals are used in catalytic converters to reduce vehicle
emissions. Platinum, the more expensive of the two for most of this
century, has seen usage decline from its key consumers, diesel
carmakers. Demand slid as consumers turned away from diesel vehicles in
the wake of Volkswagen AG’s emissions-cheating scandal.
Platinum is now trading near a 10-year low, at about $821.35 an ounce, while palladium is near its highest, $1,325.13 an ounce.
The widening price gap has spurred speculation that petrol-carmakers
may switch from palladium to cheaper platinum. Anton Berlin, head of
analysis and market development at Russia’s Norilsk Nickel PJSC, says
this is unlikely. Palladium has some features that make it more suitable
for gasoline or hybrid cars, like better resistance to higher
temperatures.
Switching to platinum would take at least two years and would need
additional work and costs to adjust engines and car-exhaust systems,
said Berlin, whose company is the world’s biggest palladium miner and
fourth in platinum. Manufacturers also need to use more of the precious
metal than is needed with palladium, he said.
Berlin believes that overall demand for platinum will recover anyway.
The market may even face a deficit if investment demand is sufficient,
including bar and coin sales, he said. The World Platinum Investment
Council predicted in November that platinum will remain in surplus in 2019, albeit a smaller one than last year.
Tags: palladium, PGM, tsx Posted in All Recent Posts, New Age Metals | Comments Off on New Age Metals Inc. $NAM.ca – #Palladium Just Smashed Another Record $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:09 PM on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019
SPONSOR: Monarques Gold Corp. produced 4,695 ounces of gold in the recent quarter with revenues of $10 million. Monarques owns close to 300 km² of gold properties, including the Wasamac deposit (measured and indicated resource of 2.6 million ounces of gold), the Beaufor Mine, the Croinor Gold, McKenzie Break and Swanson advanced projects and the Camflo and Beacon mills. Click here for more information.
MQR: TSX-V
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Gold price likely buoyed by safe haven demand: HSBC
Gold price gains will likely be driven by fresh safe haven demand on equity concerns, higher financial volatility and economic uncertainty, said HSBC, leading the bank to lift its 2019 average dollar price for the yellow metal to $1,314/oz Tuesday.
London — Gold price gains will likely be driven by fresh safe haven demand on equity concerns, higher financial volatility and economic uncertainty, said HSBC, leading the bank to lift its 2019 average dollar price for the yellow metal to $1,314/oz Tuesday.
The original estimate was $1,292/oz, according to HSBC’s chief precious metals analyst James Steel.
“Gold prices are recovering from heavy investor liquidation and
losses throughout much of 2018. Recent equity market declines, higher
financial market volatility and other risks are triggering renewed
investor demand for bullion,” Steel said. “Geopolitical and trade risks,
which unusually did not lift gold last year (due to the strong US
dollar), also appear to be turning positive. We believe gold is set to
move higher in 2019, especially if the global economic outlook remains
uncertain.”
Gold has been toying with the $1,300/oz marker so far in 2019,
although for now that target has alluded bullion. Gold was spot bid at
$1,284/oz as of 1420 GMT Tuesday.
“Our FX view is for a stronger USD, which may present the greatest
threat to gold and will at the least limit rallies. Gold is inversely
related to US equities, and we believe an important price driver in 2019
will be equity direction and volatility. Recent equity weakness has
buoyed gold,” Steel added.
Looking at positioning, Steel noted that COMEX was net short in 2018
for the first time since 2001, which has since been scaled back.
“Further short-covering and builds in longs are likely in 2019,” the
analyst said.
Industry lobby group the World Gold Council said Tuesday that
gold-backed ETFs continued to rally in December against a backdrop of
market volatility, marking the third consecutive month of inflows.
Global ETFs increased 3%. or by $3.1 billion, driven by North American
and European fund activity, WGC said.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:18 AM on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019
SPONSOR: Good Life Networks (GOOD:TSX-V)
Video advertising is the future! Company’s A.I. makes 80,000
calculations / second, targeting 750 million users to deliver higher
prices and volume. Revenue was $10,000,650 for the nine months ended
September 30th, 2018, a 142% increase from $4,133,231 reported for the
six months ended September 30th, 2017. Click here for more information.
Innovid will use a $30 million investment from Goldman Sachs Private Capital Investing to further its interests in the connected TV sector by building what it claims will be the industry’s only “end-to-end CTV platform†and further its global footprint.
Innovid will use a $30 million investment from Goldman Sachs Private
Capital Investing to further its interests in the connected TV sector by
building what it claims will be the industry’s only “end-to-end CTV
platform†and further its global footprint.
Innovid was unable to provide insight on when any potential IPO might
take place, or which stock exchange it could choose to list on, by the
time of publication. Any such listing would buck the trend of ad-tech
outfits coming off the public markets, such as when Taptica purchased the buy-side of Tremor Video and Sizmek acquired Rocket Fuel in 2017.
In a statement, Zvika Netter, Innovid CEO, said, “With this funding,
Innovid will complete the development of the first end-to-end CTV
platform creating a more efficient workflow, while solving industry
measurement challenges and expanding its global footprint to meet the
evolving needs of its international client base for brands, media and
creative agencies, and publishers.â€
Innovid works with advertisers including Bank of America, Campbell’s
and L’Oreal to help deliver video ads across a host of different
platforms including Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Roku and Samsung TV, with an
emphasis on interactive ad units.
In particular, it also works with the industry to help advertisers
scale how they create, deliver and measure ads across different
platforms, with Innovid hoping to use the $30 million to further its
footprint in the fast-emerging connected TV space.
Hillel Moerman, head of Goldman Sachs’ Private Capital Investing
group, added, “Innovid has differentiated video advertising software and
technology, and has the scale and the reach to succeed, with access to
significant supply beyond CTV, including platforms such as Facebook,
Instagram, YouTube, Snap and others.â€
