Posted by AGORACOM
at 10:58 AM on Friday, May 22nd, 2020
SPONSOR: American Creek owns a 20% Carried Interest to Production at the Treaty Creek Project in the Golden Triangle. 2019’s first hole averaged 0.683 g/t Au over 780m in a vertical intercept. 2020 drilling plans 18,000 to 20,000 metres from 7-10 drill platforms with four diamond drill rigs. The Treaty Creek property is located in the same hydrothermal system as the Pretivm and Seabridge’s KSM deposits and is fully funded for exploration in 2020. Click Here For More Info
The global economy was flashing danger signs long before the pandemic. For one thing, many countries were clamouring to get hold of as much gold as possible. For the past decade, they have been buying new reserves and bringing it home from overseas storage to an extent never seen in modern times. Then just before the pandemic, there was a pause. What does all this mean?
Central banks added 650 tons to their reserves in 2019, the second highest shift in 50 years, after the 656 tons added in 2018. Before the 2007-09 financial crisis, central banks were net sellers of gold worldwide for decades. Leading the recent spree has been China, Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Central bank gold buying 1971-2019
We have also seen a large effort by central banks to repatriate their gold from other countries, mostly from storage in New York and London.
Gold has enthralled humanity since ancient times. Still it glitters from central bank vaults to jewellery bazaars the world over. The Conversation brings you five essential briefings by academic experts on the world’s favourite precious metal. For more articles written by experts, join the hundreds of thousands who subscribe to our newsletter
Venezuela started repatriating its gold in 2011, shipping 160 tonnes from New York. A third of its holdings remain in London, but only because the Bank of England won’t repatriate them – declaring it doesn’t recognise the government in Caracas. Venezuela has now made this the subject of a legal claim.
Then came Eastern Europe. In 2018, Hungary announced it would repatriate nearly 3 tons of gold from London, while greatly boosting its reserves. Poland repatriated 100 tons from London a year later, about half of its national reserve. Next was Romania, while Slovakia and Serbia have been considering moving gold home from England too.
Why it is happening?
This dash to gold is about geopolitics and economics. Gold serves as a patch mark of nationalist identity. To quote Adam Glapinski, governor of the National Bank of Poland, “gold symbolises the strength of [a] countryâ€.
Stocking up has made sense to many countries in the populist climate. It is also a sign of countries diversifying from dollars. The likes of Russia, China and even countries in Western Europe want to break the US dominance of the financial system, having seen it used as leverage in everything from economic sanctions to trade threats.
Following the last financial crisis, many also feared there was more to come. When former Slovak prime minister Robert Fico last year urged his parliament to compel the central bank to repatriate gold from London, he argued that overseas reserves could be at risk in a new global economic crisis.
Citing the 1938 Munich pact between France, Britain, Italy and Germany that allowed the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, he said that “sometimes your international partners can betray youâ€.
Countries also seem unnerved by the row over Venezuela’s gold, plus the fact that Germany’s repatriated bars from the US appeared different to what it thought was in store. This suggested the Federal Reserve was trading them.
Fiat vs gold
In an era where everything is digital, fast and smart, it might sound strange that a static piece of metal could still have a major monetary role. Central banks abandoned the gold standard in the 1970s, led by US President Richard Nixon, which meant that paper currencies were no longer exchangeable for gold. This was necessary because there were too many dollars in the international system and too many countries exercising their right to exchange them for US gold reserves.
After Nixon’s decision, currencies became fiat, meaning that countries could freely decide how much to have in circulation. Currencies now had value not because they were backed by gold, but because the state standing behind them said they had value. Central banks effectively declared gold to be a relic. Fiat money was seen as superior, thanks to central bankers’ supposedly scientific oversight of monetary policy.
The new dash for gold makes economists pause and wonder what is happening. It seems to show many countries looking for a safe haven in these years in which interest rates have been very low and central banks have been printing large amounts of money to stimulate the global economy. Gold continues to have intrinsic value, so it reassures countries – especially if they fear inflation and downturns.
And yet, just as economic uncertainty was about to move to a whole new level with the pandemic, this trend lost momentum. Additions to the gold holdings of central banks and other international institutions in the three months to January 2020 – the most recent figure available – were just 67 metric tons, the least since August 2018.
In truth, this was not entirely surprising. Purchasing bullion at close to a seven-year high, and after a month of prices fluctuating plus or minus about 13%, is no particularly prudent way to consolidate economic and geopolitical power.
It will be a few months before we see how the pandemic has affected central banks’ attitude to gold. It could yet convince them that gold will still move higher. So don’t be surprised if this dash to gold has resumed in recent weeks – in a leading indicator of troubling times ahead.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:27 AM on Thursday, May 21st, 2020
Gratomic has formulated a concrete plan to complete the final 10% of mine construction and begin commission by October of 2020.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 21, 2020 / Gratomic Inc. (“GRAT” or the “Company”) (TSXV:GRAT)(FRANKFURT:CB81)(WKN:A143MR) is pleased to announce an update on the purchase agreement between the Company and TODAQ where Gratomic’s Aukam mined graphite will be utilized as a backstop to underpin the value of deployed TODA Notes (“TDN“). TODA Notes are a payment and loyalty asset which are backstopped by a mixed basket of digital economy commodities, land and monetary assets with graphite among the first underlying commodities, which will be supplied by Gratomic Inc.
The Companies are pleased to announce that they are planning to extend delivery schedules against TODAQ’s current Purchase Orders for Aukam graphite, to be supplied by Gratomic Inc., and that they are continuing to work together to execute on the existing off-take agreement.
Co-Founder and CEO of TODAQ, Mr. Hassan Khan, states that “In spite of the upheaval in the markets this year, we’ve been pleased to see overall demand increase for digital assets backed by ‘digital economy’ commodities like graphite. We look forward to working alongside our partner Gratomic in moving this project forward to delivery.”
Gratomic is currently completing its financing, which is intended to bring the mine into commission.
The Company has formulated a concrete plan to complete the final 10% of mine construction and begin commission by October of 2020.
The Commissioning Phase will lead the company into full production capacity of 20,000 tonnes per annum.
“We are very pleased at the progress of our purchase agreement with TODAQ and the coming completion of our processing facility at Aukam. We anticipate a long and successful business relationship with our partners at TODAQ” ~ President and CEO, Arno Brand
The Company will deliver TODAQ’s Product to an onsite warehouse beginning in November 2020, to fill the first three purchase orders totalling 1800 tonnes. Concurrent with the first delivery, both companies will be working together to implement an interoperable, transparent supply chain tracking solution powered by TODA for graphite along its entire lifecycle. The end goal is to provide the manufacturing, commodity trading or securitization markets a graphite digital asset that is fractionable, self-recording and self-validating with respect to its authenticity and provenance, and can be transacted peer to peer.
Gratomic wishes to emphasize that the supply of graphite pursuant to any off-take or supply agreement referred to in this Press Release is conditional on Gratomic being able to bring the Aukam project into a production phase, and for any graphite being produced to meet certain technical and mineralization requirements. Gratomic continues to move its business towards production and as part of its business plan, expects to obtain a National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects technical report to help it ascertain the economics of the Aukam project.
Presently the Company uses its existing pilot processing facility to produce certain amounts of graphite concentrate from accumulated surface graphite.
Risk Factors
No mineral resources, let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam Property. The Company is not in a position to demonstrate or disclose any capital and/or operating costs that may be associated with the processing plant.
The Company advises that it has not based its production decision on even the existence of mineral resources let alone on a feasibility study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit.
Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved.
Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s cash flow and future profitability.
About TODAQ
TODAQ is a technology company headquartered in Toronto, with offices throughout the globe, creating a new digitally-driven economic ecosystem that is intended to serve everyone. To date, the company has effectively partnered with enterprises, financial institutions, and governments as our primary customers. TODAQ has created a new Web 3.0 ‘Adot Browser Agent’ with integrated digital asset services. The browser agent provides seamless access to a level playing field for anyone to directly create, own, and trade unique digital assets.
TODAQ has developed two new Web 3.0 protocols: a decentralized digital asset ownership management protocol; and a new internet application protocol. The first protocol is the TODA protocol, a distributed data architecture that allows for the creation, ownership management, and settlement of unique digital assets. Second is the Adot protocol, an internet application protocol that can use the existing internet transport and network layer (TCP/IP) to ensure mass interoperability of digital asset ownership and trade; analogous to what HTTP has done for two-way communication.
TDN is a digital asset designed to offer a global, long-term and stable economic utility that is seamless, borderless and can be used for a truly broad variety of economic and market use cases.
About Gratomic Inc.
Gratomic is an advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene-based components for a range of mass market products.
Gratomic holds a Joint Venture collaboration agreement with Perpetuus Carbon Technology, a leading European manufacturer of graphenes, to use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GRAT.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 3:46 PM on Tuesday, May 19th, 2020
Production of battery metals such as graphite, lithium and cobalt will need to ramp up in a big way
Production of so-called battery metals, such as graphite, lithium and cobalt, will have to increase by nearly 500% by 2050 to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies, the World Bank said on Monday.
According to the global lender, over 3 billion tonnes of minerals and metals will be needed to deploy wind, solar and geothermal power, as well as energy storage required for transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
Many of the critical minerals used to make batteries for electric vehicles are found in developing nations. The World Bank’s goal is to help those nations to mine those commodities in a sustainable way to avert major ecological damage.
Mining the vast amount of key commodities the world will need in 30 years is seen as the only path to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The accord seeks to limit global warming to 2°C or less.
Source: World Bank 2019.
Getting to that point, the World Bank said in a new report, will require global carbon emissions of greenhouse gases to be deeply reduced by 50% by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050.
The latest findings confirm the premise of a report published in 2017, which warned that the more ambitious the climate targets become, the more minerals and metals will be needed.
While renewables and energy storage technologies require more minerals, the carbon footprint of their production — from extraction to end-use — would account for only 6% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by fossil fuels, the study said.
The Minerals for Climate Action report also calls for more recycling and reuse of minerals, saying it will play a key role in meeting increasing mineral demand.
It also noted that, even if recycling rates for minerals like copper and aluminum are scaled up by 100%, recycling and reuse would still not be enough to meet the demand for renewable energy technologies and energy storage.
Virus ambush
Some minerals, like copper and molybdenum, will be used in a range of technologies, the report noted. Others, such as graphite and lithium, may be needed for just one technology: battery storage.
That means that any changes in clean energy technology deployments could have significant consequences on demand for certain minerals, it said.
The lender warned about the disruptions COVID-19 is causing and will continue to trigger in the global mining industry.
In addition, developing countries that rely on minerals are missing out on essential fiscal revenues.
As their economies start to reopen, the bank said, they will need to strengthen their commitment to climate-smart mining principles and mitigate any negative impacts.
“COVID-19 could represent an additional risk to sustainable mining, making the commitment of governments and companies to climate-smart practices more important than ever before,†said Riccardo Puliti, World Bank Global Director for Energy and Extractive Industries and Regional Director for Infrastructure in Africa.
“This new report builds on the World Bank’s long-standing expertise in supporting the clean energy transition and provides a data-driven tool for understanding how this shift will impact future mineral demand,†he said.
The World Bank’s predictions echo a February report by Moody’s, which indicated that green, social and sustainability bond issuance is expected to hit a combined record of US$400 billion in 2020 alone. That’s up 24% from the previous record of US$323 billion achieved in 2019.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:18 AM on Tuesday, May 12th, 2020
Cardston, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – May 12, 2020) – American Creek Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AMK) (“the Corporation”) (“American Creek”) today announced that it has executed an agreement with Tudor Gold Corp. (“Tudor”) whereby Tudor is buying out the Corporation’s 40% interest in the Electrum Project Joint Venture located near Stewart, British Columbia.
Tudor will pay American Creek $250,000 cash and issue 1,400,000 Tudor shares upon the transaction closing. The shares are subject to a standard four month hold period and a voluntary eight month hold as well.
This transaction is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.
Darren Blaney, American Creek CEO stated: “We think this transaction makes sense for American Creek and its shareholders as we are trading a minority interest in the Electrum property for non-dilutive operating cash as well as a substantial share position in Tudor which gives us more exposure to the upcoming Treaty Creek developments which we believe will be very significant.”
About American Creek
American Creek holds a strong portfolio of gold and silver properties in British Columbia.
Three of those properties are located in the prolific “Golden Triangle”; the Treaty Creek and Electrum joint venture projects with Tudor (Walter Storm) as well as the 100% owned past producing Dunwell Mine.
The Corporation also holds the Gold Hill, Austruck-Bonanza, Ample Goldmax, Silver Side, and Glitter King properties located in other prospective areas of the province.
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 11:05 AM on Monday, May 11th, 2020
The length of the northeast axis of the Goldstorm System is over 850 meters
The Southeast axis is at least 600m
The system remains open in both dimensions, as well as to depth.
The strongest mineralization encountered to date is from two consecutive 150m step-out holes at the northeast end of the drill grid: GS-19-42 yielded0.849 g/t Au Eq over 780 m with the 300 Horizon averaging 1.275 g/t Au Eq over 370.5m and GS-19-47 yielded 0.697 g/t Au Eq over 1,081.5m with the 300 Horizon averaging 0.867 g/t Au Eq over 301.5m.
Program focused on expanding the mineralized area from these two very encouraging step-out holes.
Furthermore, we plan to continue advancing along the NE axis with yet another 150 meter step out hole. The best results from the southeast dimension came from GS-19-52 which yielded 0.783 g/t Au Eq over 601.5m with 1.062 g/t Au Eq over 336.0m within the 300 Horizon.“
Cardston, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – May 11, 2020) – American Creek Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AMK) (“the Corporation”) is pleased to report that its JV partner Tudor Gold Corp has begun this season’s diamond drill hole program at its flagship property, Treaty Creek, located in the heart of the Golden Triangle of Northwestern British Columbia. Diamond drilling has begun with two drill rigs on the Goldstorm Zone which is on-trend from Seabridges’ KMS Project located just five kilometers to the southwest. These first two drills have begun drilling the initial holes of the 20,000 meter exploration program.
Tudor Gold’s Vice President of Project Development, Ken Konkin, P.Geo., states: “We are very proud of the hard work and dedication that our crews exhibited during the weeks prior to the start of drilling. Due to their diligence in preparing the camp we have been able to start our drill program a month earlier than last year’s program. The priority is to continue to expand the Goldstorm System to the southeast and to the northeast.”
“The current known length of the northeast axis of the Goldstorm System is over 850 meters, and the southeast axis is at least 600 m; the system remains open in both dimensions, as well as to depth. The strongest mineralization encountered to date is from two consecutive 150m step-out holes at the northeast end of the drill grid: GS-19-42 yielded0.849 g/t Au Eq over 780 m with the 300 Horizon averaging 1.275 g/t Au Eq over 370.5m and GS-19-47 yielded 0.697 g/t Au Eq over 1,081.5m with the 300 Horizon averaging 0.867 g/t Au Eq over 301.5m. Our program will be focused on expanding the mineralized area from these two very encouraging step-out holes. Furthermore, we plan to continue advancing along the NE axis with yet another 150 meter step out hole. The best results from the southeast dimension came from GS-19-52 which yielded 0.783 g/t Au Eq over 601.5m with 1.062 g/t Au Eq over 336.0m within the 300 Horizon.“
(The above results were from Tudors news release dated March 3rd, 2020,, in which the following metal prices were used to calculate the Au Eq metal content: Gold $1322/oz, Ag: $15.91/oz, Cu: $2.86/lb. Calculations used the formula Au Eq g/t = (Au g/t) + (Ag g/t x 0.012) + (Cu% x 1.4835). All metals are reported in USD and calculations do not consider metal recoveries. True widths have not been determined as the mineralized body remains open in all directions. Further drilling is required to determine the mineralized body orientation and true widths.)
Tudor Gold and its associated service companies have taken extreme measures to maintain the highest professional standards while working under COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Only essential personnel are permitted to enter the camp and staging areas. An on-site certified paramedic conducts strict daily monitoring of temperatures and general health conditions of personnel and service providers who are working at the project site and the staging area.
Walter Storm, Tudor President and CEO, stated: “I am very pleased with the safe start-up of the 2020 exploration program thanks to the hard work and dedication of our crews. The Company’s intent is to advance the Treaty Creek Project with full recognition and confidence in the recommended COVID-19 safety protocols. The goal for this year is to complete enough drilling that we can begin to delineate a first resource estimation at Treaty Creek.”
Darren Blaney, American Creek President and CEO stated: “2019 was a very successful year at Treaty Creek and this year looks to be far better with an extension of the drilling season and a drill program that is over twice as big as last years. With the recent announcement of working towards a resource calculation along with baseline studies and metallurgical work for an initial economic assessment, Mr Storm was right in calling this a transformational year at Treaty Creek.”
Qualified Person
The Qualified Person for this news release for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is the Company‘s Vice President of Project Development, Ken Konkin, P.Geo. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release.
Treaty Creek JV Partnership
The Treaty Creek Project is a Joint Venture with Tudor Gold owning 3/5th and acting as operator. American Creek and Teuton Resources each have a 1/5th interest in the project creating a 3:1 ownership relationship between Tudor Gold and American Creek. American Creek and Teuton are both fully carried until such time as a Production Notice is issued, at which time they are required to contribute their respective 20% share of development costs. Until such time, Tudor is required to fund all exploration and development costs while both American Creek and Teuton have “free rides”.
Treaty Creek Background
The Treaty Creek Project lies in the same hydrothermal system as Pretium’s Brucejack mine and Seabridge’s KSM deposits with far better logistics.
American Creek is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company with a strong portfolio of gold and silver properties in British Columbia. Three of those properties are located in the prolific “Golden Triangle”; the Treaty Creek and Electrum joint venture projects with Tudor Gold/Walter Storm as well as the 100% owned past producing Dunwell Mine.
The Corporation also holds the Gold Hill, Austruck-Bonanza, Ample Goldmax, Silver Side, and Glitter King properties located in other prospective areas of the province.
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 9:54 AM on Wednesday, May 6th, 2020
Securing the mining licence is a critical step towards moving the Aukam Mine into commercial production
Gratomic can now produce a concentrate of up to 98% Cg
A PEA on the Aukam Processing plant to be undertaken
Diamond drilling will resume at Aukam Graphite mine
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2020 / Gratomic Inc. (“GRAT” or the “Company”) (TSXV:GRAT)(FRANKFURT:CB81)(WKN:A143MR) is pleased to announce, further to its Press Release dated March 26, 2020, that it has received confirmation from the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Namibia that the Minister has issued Mining Licence 215 (ML215) for the Company’s Aukam Graphite Property in Namibia. The Licence covers Base and Rare Metals, Industrial Minerals and Precious Metals. The Licence area falls within the proximity of the Aukam Processing Plant and the Graphite bearing shear zone for a total of 5002 hectares (5002 ha). Securing the mining licence is a critical step towards moving the Aukam Mine into commercial production.
The Company has completed 8 months of pilot testing on historically mined product and conducted an internal study on the efficiency of the pilot processing facility on this material. Through rigorous testing and adjustments to the plant, Gratomic can now produce a concentrate of up to 98% Cg. Management has subsequently decided to build a 20 000 tonne per annum processing plant. To date, 90% of construction is complete. Upon completion of the remaining 10%, the Company will initially start processing material from historical workings left at the surface when the mine last operated in 1974.
The Company has recently appointed Dr. Ian Flint to complete a preliminary economic assessment on the Aukam Processing plant. The study, its recommendations, and their subsequent implementation, will ensure the scale up of the existing pilot plant to a commercial scale processing facility that will provide the desired concentrate grades and production rates.
With respect to site exploration, in the coming months diamond drilling will resume at Aukam Graphite. The drilling will be conducted utilizing Company owned drilling equipment, focusing on areas proximal to graphite mineralization, depicted by previous diamond drilling, underground excavation and surface outcrop sampling. The drill targeting will be systematic with the expectation of producing an NI 43-101 resource estimate.
Arno Brand, President and CEO of the Company stated that “we are thrilled to receive the official mining licence for the Aukam Graphite Mine in Namibia. This is a monumental milestone for Gratomic, which took an extensive amount of effort to accomplish. Once the funding is secured, Gratomic will be able to move into the commercialization phase of development.”
Risk Factors
No mineral resources, let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam Property. The Company is not in a position to demonstrate or disclose any capital and/or operating costs that may be associated with the processing plant.
The Company advises that it has not based its production decision on even the existence of mineral resources let alone on a feasibility study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit.
Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved.
Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s cash flow and future profitability.
Steve Gray, P. Geo. has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release and is the Company’s “Qualified Person” as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Gratomic Inc.
Gratomic is an advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products most notably high value graphene-based components for a range of mass market products. We have a Joint Venture collaboration with Perpetuus Carbon Technology, a leading European manufacturer of graphenes, to use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GRAT.
For more information: visit the website at www.gratomic.ca or contact:
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:53 AM on Wednesday, April 29th, 2020
SPONSOR: Gratomic Inc. (TSX-V: GRAT) Advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. Collaborating with Perpetuus, Gratomic will use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. For More Info Click Here
The initial programme will use the state-of-the-art chemical vapour deposition (CVD) equipment located within the GEIC.
The collaboration will look to explore, understand and create technological advances surrounding the use of graphene and other 2D materials used in wiring for next-generation aerospace engine systems.
The work will seek to use the unique properties of these 2D materials to reduce the weight of electrical components, improve electrical performance and also increase resistance to corrosion of components in future engine systems.
The programme aims to present potential economic benefits, through the possibility of significant cost reductions, and global environmental benefits, through the reduction of energy use and lower emissions from electrification.
Neill Ricketts, Chief Executive of Versarien, said: “The pursuit of sustainability has become an important goal for many companies in recent years. Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s leading industrial technology companies and today, the size and impact of the markets its serves makes this task more urgent than ever.
“Taking advantage of advanced materials such as graphene, has the potential to revolutionise these markets and add real benefit.
“The partnership with Rolls-Royce is a significant endorsement to 2-DTech’s work over the years and we are delighted it has been chosen by such a renowned business and look forward to working together.†“It’s great to see a company like Rolls-Royce partner with us and our other Tier 1 member, 2-DTech, to capitalise on our world-leading expertise and experience, along with specialist equipment, which will accelerate the product and process development and market entry. James Baker, CEO Graphene@Manchester” Dr Al Lambourne, Materials Specialist at Rolls-Royce, said: “Partnering with the GEIC and its members makes perfect sense to Rolls-Royce as we explore the opportunities and properties of a new class of 2D materials.
“Using the unique capabilities of 2-DTech and the GEIC we hope to address some of the challenges facing materials in the global aerospace industry, as we pioneer the electrification of future aircraft.â€
James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester, said: “The GEIC is intended to act as an accelerator for graphene commercialisation, market penetration and in the creation of the material supply chain of graphene and 2D materials.
“It’s great to see a company like Rolls-Royce partner with us and our other Tier 1 member, 2-DTech, to capitalise on our world-leading expertise and experience, along with specialist equipment, which will accelerate the product and process development and market entry.â€
Advanced materials is one of The University of Manchester’s research beacons – examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:54 AM on Tuesday, April 28th, 2020
SPONSOR: American Creek owns a 20% Carried Interest to Production at the Treaty Creek Project in the Golden Triangle. 2019’s first hole averaged 0.683 g/t Au over 780m in a vertical intercept. 2020 drilling plans 18,000 to 20,000 metres from 7-10 drill platforms with four diamond drill rigs. The Treaty Creek property is located in the same hydrothermal system as the Pretivm and Seabridge’s KSM deposits and is fully funded for exploration in 2020. Click Here For More Info
COVID-19: The Pin that Punctured the Credit Balloon
Gold is on the cusp of breaking out to all-time highs in U.S. dollars and has already done so in virtually every other currency. Gold mining stocks continue to lag the metal and, in our opinion, represent a compelling investment opportunity at this moment. The COVID-19 pandemic panic was merely the black swan that punctured a financial market asset bubble that took almost a decade to inflate.
Think of the pandemic as the pin that punctured the credit balloon. In a few months, the pandemic will ease (hopefully) with the formulation of a COVID-19 vaccine, widespread testing and other responses that will surely come from the healthcare industry. However, the fiscal and monetary policy damage committed by all governments to save the world has created a debt hangover that will linger for years. Economic growth will rebound but only to subpar levels once extreme health-related restrictions are lifted and “stimulus†kicks in.
The requisites for robust economic growth most likely to misfire are investment confidence and bank lending. Both have been severely compromised. Whether this landscape evolves into a long stretch of deflation or combusts into untamed inflation remains to be seen. What seems quite apparent is that traditional Keynesian stimulus measures are in their endgame. They will most likely deliver only steadily diminishing returns. Starkly opposite economic outcomes are possible from this policy morass; both would be positive for gold but negative for real returns on fixed income or equities.
Q1 Marks a Pivotal Turning Point for All Asset Classes
As of this writing, gold is trading about 10% less than its all-time high of US$1,900 attained nine years ago (September 2011). In effect, it has gone nowhere for a decade despite a tectonic shift in the investment and economic outlook. A lengthy correction lasting until 2016 and subsequent churning resulted in the establishment of a powerful multi-year basing structure. From this base and with strong macroeconomic tailwinds, we believe new highs well above $1,900 can be achieved over the next four years.
Despite enthusiastic advocacy and much chatter from investment luminaries, including Ray Dalio, Jeff Gundlach, Seth Klarman and others, gold remains severely and inappropriately underrepresented in the portfolios of fiduciaries, endowments and family offices. Flows into channels such as gold-backed exchange traded funds (“ETFsâ€) have been strong relative to previous low levels, but must still be considered a trickle in terms of what could still come.
Figure 1. Gold-Backed ETFs Reach Record Levels Global gold-backed ETFs added 298 tonnes and net inflows of US$23 billion in Q1 2020 — the highest quarterly amount ever in absolute U.S. dollar terms and the largest tonnage additions since 2016. Source: World Gold Council. Data as of 3/31/2020.
In our opinion, the first quarter of 2020 will mark a pivotal, secular turning point for all major asset classes including equities, bonds, gold and currencies. A return to the pre-2020 financial market normalcy and investment complacency is unlikely. In our view, consensus hopes remain high that the credit smash is only a temporary repercussion of the health scare. We disagree and suggest the effects will be long lasting.
Despite the solid price gains achieved by gold in the past two years, there is much more upside to come as investors gradually give up on repeated equity market bottom fishing and the hope of a return to financial market normalcy. A full reversal to the previous complacency cannot take place following a brief crash. The mood change will more likely become pervasive after grueling stretches of disappointing returns from previously successful investment strategies.
Unprecedented Central Bank Monetary Expansion
In our view, the decade preceding 2020 was characterized by the systematic stifling of price discovery for interest rates and the appropriate dependent valuations for financial assets. Such distortion was made possible only by unprecedented central bank balance sheet expansion that encouraged, abetted and rewarded risk taking in the form of ever greater leverage.
The prolonged somnolence of gold was among the most egregious price distortions of the previous decade and this suppressed interest in the metal as a risk mitigator and portfolio diversifier. Disinterest was fed in large part by the nearly universal expectation that the past would always be prologue and that highly leveraged financial and economic structures would perpetually result in outsized returns. In our view, the greatest change stemming from the credit bust will be a mood shift or paradigm change in the opposite direction.
At gold’s previous peak in 2011, the combined balance sheets of the U.S. Federal Reserve (“U.S. Fedâ€) and the European Central Bank (“ECBâ€) totaled approximately US$5.5 trillion. Today, that number is more than $11.4 trillion and rapidly moving higher. The USD gold price is still lower than nine years ago. In our view, gold price is still well below where it should be and will likely trade higher in the new macro landscape.
Figure 2. Pandemic Policy Response Pushes Global Balance Sheets to Record Levels Source: Bloomberg. Data as of 3/31/2020.
Gold Mining Stocks are Inexpensive
If gold is not correctly priced for what has transpired and what lies ahead, gold mining stocks are even more inappropriately priced. Based on current metal prices, most companies are generating positive earnings and cash flow and in many cases, free cash flow that can be applied to higher dividend payouts. Compared to other sectors of the economy, the gold mining industry stands almost alone in looking forward to strong 2020 earnings and a positive outlook for 2021.
2020 free cash flow yields for large-cap producers range from 3%-7% and 6%-25% for intermediate producers based on conventional sell-side research. The stats are similar or better for 2021 based on spot gold prices. As Figure 3. shows, mining stocks are inexpensive in absolute terms and have never been so cheap relative to the gold price.
Figure 3. Gold Equities Are Undervalued Relative to Bullion Ratio of XAU Index to Spot Gold (12/23/1983-3/31/2020) Data as of 3/31/2020. Source: Bloomberg. 12/23/1983 represents the inception of the XAU.
Since 2008, the relative valuation of gold equities to gold bullion has fallen 75% from the prior 25-year average. The ratio of the XAU Index to spot gold averaged 0.2497x for a quarter century through 2008. As of 3/31/2020, the ratio was 0.0501x.
It is undoubtedly true that the industry will suffer health-related mine shutdowns and other shortfalls this year. Much of the disruption potential has already been broadcast and priced into the market. Some downside news may still have yet to surface. However, most miners are not financially levered and should be able to survive a few quarters of lower or no production. Unlike the airline, leisure, retail and manufacturing sectors, gold not produced today should grow in value and be produced at higher prices and lower costs next year and those beyond. It is not the same story for many other sectors of the economy. Based on fundamentals, gold stocks are inexpensive. By contrast, several other sectors of the economy could face long stretches of poor earnings, bad news flow and financial woes.
The gold mining sector registered a decline of approximately 20% in Q1 (as measured by GDX2) as shares did get battered by indiscriminate liquidations during March. However, as of this writing, two weeks after the close of the quarter, most shares trade near to where they stood at the beginning of the year, and have certainly registered outstanding performance in relative terms. It is remarkable that the largest sector ETF, GDX, suffered outflows of $381 million3 during the quarter at what could be the threshold of an upside breakout. In a favorable cycle for the gold price, mining stocks have historically delivered outperformance 3 to 5 times that of the metal itself.
Gold mining shares continue to be viewed by investors with deep skepticism as reflected by valuation and flows. When we scan Figure 4, it appears to us that the sector is on the verge of an upside breakout from a multi-year base should our assessment of the macroeconomic environment prove correct.
Figure 4. NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index (HUI4) Source: Bloomberg. Data as of 4/20/2020.
Monetary and Fiscal Policy Going Ballistic
There is no need to belabor the obvious. However, the consequences of these actions have yet to be priced into the financial markets or gold. The risk parity trade has fallen short, partly because bonds were caught up in the indiscriminate liquidations of Q1. Looking forward, bonds may no longer be able to play the safe haven role they traditionally filled to balance equity risk. The vacuum could be filled in part by increased gold exposure for all classes of investors. Sovereign credit liquidity injections are likely to remain significant and permanent. The bond market has become socialized. Owning Treasury bonds of any duration could become akin to parking Treasury bills, with little upside and considerable risk of impairment through inflation. Gold is the antidote to the fixed-income investor’s dilemma.
Gold is extremely under-owned, under-represented, and poorly thought of in the circles of conventional investment thinking. It is still considered to be a fringe asset. Just ask Goldman Sachs which recently advised its clients:
“We concluded then (2010) that gold does not have a role as a strategic asset class in clients’ already well-diversified portfolios. We have updated the research and the evidence is even more compelling today than it was then.” (4/5/2020; Goldman Sachs Investment Strategy Group)
We remind the reader that Goldman is the same firm that in December 2019 declared the U.S. economy to be “recession proof†and then in March 2020 cautioned that stocks had substantial further downside:
“Overall, the changes underlying the Great Moderation appear intact, and we see the economy as structurally less recession prone today.†(12/31/2019; Goldman economists Jan Hatzius and David Mericle)
“Goldman Sachs on Friday dramatically cut its U.S. economic forecast, saying it now expects GDP to decline by 25% in the second quarter of 2020 because of the coronavirus panic.†(3/20/2020; Business Insider)
“What is your estimate for the S&P 500 by yearend 2020? David Kostin, “3400.†(1/2020; GS Podcast, David Kostin Goldman, U.S. chief equity strategist and Jake Siewert)
“Kostin thinks the market goes lower. ‘In the near term, we expect the S&P 500 will fall towards a low of 2000.’†(3/22/2020; Yahoo Finance)
Goldman’s commentary is, in our opinion, a reasonable proxy for conventional wisdom. One could easily find other embarrassing examples of mainstream thinking ignorant of the best-performing asset class (by far) versus equities and bonds since 2000.
Contrarians and value investors, take note! The secular gold bull that began in 2000 and corrected for a few years has returned to life with renewed vigor. Pullbacks — price declines during this uptrend — should be bought. The setup for gold and gold mining shares ticks every box for highly rewarding investment returns.
Figure 5. Gold Has Outperformed Stocks, Bonds and USD over the Past 20 Years Returns for Period from 12/31/1999-4/13/2020 Source: Bloomberg. Period from 12/31/1999-4/20/2020. Gold is measured by GOLDS Comdty; US Agg Bond Index is measured by the Bloomberg Barclays US Agg Total Return Value Unhedged USD (LBUSTRUU Index); S&P 500 TR is measured by the SPX; and the U.S. Dollar is measured by DXY Curncy. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Figure 6. Gold Provides Portfolio Diversification Gold provides diversification in a portfolio, and has low correlation with other asset classes. The period measured is April 1, 2015 to April 1, 2020. * Source: World Gold Council. Period from April 1, 2015 to April 1, 2020, based on monthly returns. Gold is measured by the LBMA Gold Price; stocks by the S&P 500 Index; commodities by the Bloomberg Commodity Index; Bonds by the BarCap Treasuries and Corporates.
1
The S&P 500 or Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of the 500 largest U.S. publicly traded companies. You cannot invest directly in an index. TR, “Total Return”, represents the index with dividend income reinvested.
2
VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) seeks to replicate the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR), which is intended to track the overall performance of companies involved in the gold mining industry.
3
Source: ETFtrends.com.
4
The NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index (HUI) is a modified equal dollar weighted index of companies involved in gold mining.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:20 AM on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
JV partner Tudor Gold Corp has initiated metallurgical studies
Study will focus on the mineral characteristics and the prospects of developing Treaty Creek as a bulk tonnage mining target
Metallurgical test results will be used as part of the initial economic assessment for the project.
Cardston, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – April 23, 2020) – Â American Creek Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AMK) (“the Corporation”) is pleased to report that its JV partner Tudor Gold Corp has initiated metallurgical studies for the JV flagship project, Treaty Creek, located in the Golden Triangle of north-west British Columbia. This study will focus on the mineral characteristics and the prospects of developing Treaty Creek as a bulk tonnage mining target using conventional processing techniques. The test work will be conducted on material selected from the extensive continuously mineralized drill core intervals encountered in the 2019 exploration program. The metallurgical test results will be used as part of the initial economic assessment for the project.
The metallurgical study will be managed under the direction of Frank Wright, P.Eng., of F. Wright Consulting Inc, of Delta BC. The related laboratory test program will be conducted at Bureau Veritas Minerals – Metallurgical Division of Richmond, BC (BV). BV is a globally recognized and certified testing facility with customers ranging from small independent operators to large multi-national mining firms and consultants. Mr. Wright has over 30 years of experience consisting of both operations and consulting in the fields of mineral processing and hydrometallurgy. His career has included the last 20 years as a qualified independent professional engineer managing process advancement for projects worldwide, although primarily focused in BC. His work includes oversight of test programs leading to the selected process flowsheet and design criteria, related technical reporting, supervision of detailed engineering, and assisting in project commissioning.
Tudor Gold also announced an agreement with RTEC (a joint venture partnership between ERM Consultants Canada Ltd. (ERM) and the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC)), to begin preliminary baseline studies that will be required for provincial permitting of the Treaty Creek project. These baseline studies will focus on surface water quality, hydrology, atmospherics, wildlife and archaeology.
Tudor Gold’s Vice President of Project Development, Ken Konkin, P.Geo., states: “The metallurgical test work and baseline studies will provide crucial data to further our project development plans. These studies will serve as templates for on-going studies aimed to carry the project forward to more advanced stages. Both studies will begin in conjunction with the 2020 diamond drill hole exploration program that is planned to start this spring. In addition, our geologists will select representative composite samples from last year’s drill holes as the basis for our preliminary metallurgical studies.”
The safety and wellbeing of Tudor Gold employees, contractors, and communities they work in is of upmost importance. Tudor Gold has developed new operational guidelines to reduce the chance of spread of the COVID-19 virus while conducting our work, which has been deemed as essential service by the Provincial Government.
Tudor Gold’s Covid-19 policy and guidelines are available on their website at:
Walter Storm, President and CEO of Tudor Gold stated: “2020 is poised to be a transformative year for our company. The agreement with RTEC to begin preliminary baseline studies, necessary for potential future mine permitting, together with the initiation of the metallurgical studies, demonstrates our commitment to further advance the Treaty Creek project. These studies as well as the upcoming drill program are fully funded. We are particularly pleased that we were able to further strengthen our partnership with the Tahltan First Nations through the RTEC agreement.”
About the RTEC Joint-Venture partnership
RTEC is a joint venture partnership between ERM Consultants Canada Ltd. (ERM) and the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC). With more than 5,500 people, ERM is a leading global provider of environmental, health, safety, risk, social consulting services and sustainability related services. The Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC) is the business arm of the Tahltan Nation. TNDC pursues sustainable and responsible business and economic development opportunities in the region that lead to employment, training and business opportunities for Tahltan members.
Qualified Person
The Qualified Person for this news release for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is the Company‘s Vice President of Project Development, Ken Konkin, P.Geo. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release.
Treaty Creek JV Partnership
The Treaty Creek Project is a Joint Venture with Tudor Gold owning 3/5th and acting as operator. American Creek and Teuton Resources each have a 1/5th interest in the project creating a 3:1 ownership relationship between Tudor Gold and American Creek. American Creek and Teuton are both fully carried until such time as a Production Notice is issued, at which time they are required to contribute their respective 20% share of development costs. Until such time, Tudor is required to fund all exploration and development costs while both American Creek and Teuton have “free rides”.
Treaty Creek Background
The Treaty Creek Project lies in the same hydrothermal system as Pretium’s Brucejack mine and Seabridge’s KSM deposits with far better logistics.
American Creek is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company with a strong portfolio of gold and silver properties in British Columbia. Three of those properties are located in the prolific “Golden Triangle”; the Treaty Creek and Electrum joint venture projects with Tudor Gold/Walter Storm as well as the 100% owned past producing Dunwell Mine.
The Corporation also holds the Gold Hill, Austruck-Bonanza, Ample Goldmax, Silver Side, and Glitter King properties located in other prospective areas of the province.
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 2:04 PM on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020
SPONSOR: Gratomic Inc. (TSX-V: GRAT) Advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. Collaborating with Perpetuus, Gratomic will use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. For More Info Click Here
Graphene, a dynamic material made of a one-atom-thick sheet of linked carbon atoms, was previously shown to stop steel from rusting. But soon it will also see use stopping bacteria from corroding metal pipes, according to a study published in the journalACS Nano.
Graphene can stop bacterial corrosion of metal pipes
Within wastewater-processing facilities like sewage treatment plants, microbes called sulfate-reducing bacteria often colonize the inside surfaces of pipes and other equipment, reports New Atlas. Bacterial colonies take the form of what scientists call “biofilms,” and can develop in just 10 days after the pipes have been cleaned — after which they degrade metal pipes into primary ways.
First, the bacterial microbes remove electrons from the surface of the metal while they respire (or breathe). Second, while the bacteria consume organic matter from the water, they produce hydrogen sulfide, a corrosive chemical to metal pipes.
Overcoming limits of bacteria in metal tube coating
While protective polymer coatings may be applied to the interiors of metal pipes, the coatings themselves can become degraded as the bacteria consume their internal plasticizers. Additionally, such protective coatings may become brittle over time, cracking and flaking right off of the pipe surface, after which it enters the water stream.
Because of these limitations, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology research scientist Govind Chilkoor is considering the use of graphene as an alternative primary coating. During lab testing, Chilkoor found that even a single graphene layer — measuring less than 1 nanometer thick — was highly effective at preventing sulfate-reducing bacteria from latching on to the interior surface of metal pipes.
“Graphene can be very antimicrobial,” said Chilkoor, reports New Atlas. “It can induce oxidative stress and the bacteria will die.”
Source: Bloomberg. Data as of 3/31/2020.
Data as of 3/31/2020. Source: Bloomberg. 12/23/1983 represents the inception of the XAU.
Source: Bloomberg. Data as of 4/20/2020.
