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Pieter Bakker of Vatic Ventures Provides Insights on its Gold & Critical Minerals Projects in Canada

In this InvestorIntel interview, Tracy Weslosky talks with Vatic Ventures Corp.’s (TSXV: VCV | OTCQB: VCVVF) CFO Pieter Bakker about Vatic’s portfolio of gold and critical minerals projects in Canada. Pieter says that they are currently focused on their gold exploration property known as the Hansen prospect located in the Chibougamau area of northern Quebec but the company also has a critical minerals project in New Brunswick that includes copper, molybdenum, nickel, platinum group elements (PGE), rare earths (REE), tin, and tungsten.

The Hansen property is located in the northeast corner of the Matagami-Chibougamau Greenstone Belt and previous work delineated a mineralized zone 15 meters (m) wide over a strike length of 250m.

With an I.P. geophysical survey set to commence soon, followed by drilling on the Hansen Gold Project later on in the year, Pieter discusses that previous work on the project has shown exceptional gold values, including surface grab samples of 33.25 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) and 34.92 g/t Au, and drill intersections of 12.8 g/t Au over 1.05m, 7.94 g/t Au over 1.05m, and 75.29 g/t Au over 0.3m.

He remarks that the Hansen prospect is located in “the most promising area for gold exploration”, according to Quebec Geological Survey.

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About Vatic Ventures Corp.

Vatic Ventures Corp. has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Hansen gold property in the Chapais area of Northern Quebec, strategically situated in a very active and emerging gold exploration area with over 6.7 million ounces of gold produced in the greater Chibougamau district. The Company has an option to acquire a 100% interest in a Rare Earth Elements (REE) and polymetallic claims package known as the Sisters Mountain critical metals project located in Southwestern New Brunswick.

To learn more about Vatic Ventures Corp., click here

Disclaimer: Vatic Ventures Corp. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorIntel Corp., (IIC), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all the material information concerning the “Company” being interviewed. IIC offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on Sedar.com and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

If you have any questions surrounding the content of this interview, please contact us at +1 416 792 8228 and/or email us direct at [email protected].




Terry Lynch of Power Nickel Discusses High-Grade Nickel Drill Results & Summer Exploration Plans

In this InvestorIntel interview, Chris Thompson talks with Power Nickel Inc.’s (TSXV: PNPN | OTCQB: PNPNF) CEO Terry Lynch about its latest high-grade nickel drill results that expanded the central high-grade zone at its Nisk Project in Quebec, Canada. Power Nickel reported drill results included a hole with 14.4 meters of approximately 1.5% nickel equivalent (Ni EQ) grade (1.01% nickel, 0.27% copper, 0.07% cobalt, 0.88 g/t palladium, 0.13 g/t platinum, 0.03 g/t gold), including 7.8 meters of nearly 2.5% grade Ni EQ (1.69% nickel, 0.37% copper, 0.12% cobalt, 1.59 g/t palladium, 0.22 g/t platinum, 0.04 g/t gold).

As a major nickel sulfide deposit (compared to nickel laterite deposit), Terry discusses how the Nisk project is a North American, environmentally friendly, and low-cost source of class one nickel used in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles. The company’s high-grade nickel sulfide deposit is considered superior to other low-grade nickel sulfide deposits in terms of capital requirements and potential returns.  

Terry also provides an update on Power Nickel’s newly discovered high-grade copper and PGM (platinum group metals) mineralized zone on their Nisk Project. Located five kilometers northeast of the main deposit and now called the “Wildcat” zone, Terry discusses the “bonanza grades” discovered at the zone with significant amounts of platinum, palladium, and gold. The company plans to explore the connection between the main deposit and the Wildcat zone through further drilling and using Ambient Noise Tomography technology, which correlates sound maps with scientific data, to identify potential targets.

Finally, he mentions that Power Nickel expects a steady flow of positive news, including upcoming assay results, airborne electromagnetic surveys, metallurgical studies, and an updated 43-101 report, all contributing to the company’s growth and value.

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About Power Nickel Inc.

Power Nickel is a Canadian junior exploration company focusing on high-potential copper, gold, and battery metal prospects in Canada and Chile.

On February 1, 2021, Power Nickel (then called Chilean Metals) completed the acquisition of its option to acquire up to 80% of the Nisk project from Critical Elements Lithium Corp. (CRE: TSXV).

The NISK property comprises a large land position (20 kilometres of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts. Power Nickel is focused on expanding the historical high-grade nickel-copper PGE mineralization with a series of drill programs designed to test the initial Nisk discovery zone and to explore the land package for adjacent potential Nickel deposits.

Power Nickel announced on June 8th, 2021, that an agreement had been made to complete the 100% acquisition of its Golden Ivan project in the heart of the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle has reported mineral resources (past production and current resources) in a total of 130 million ounces of gold, 800 million ounces of silver, and 40 billion pounds of copper (Resource World). This property hosts two known mineral showings (gold ore and Magee), and a portion of the past-producing Silverado mine, which was reportedly exploited between 1921 and 1939. These mineral showings are described to be Polymetallic veins that contain quantities of silver, lead, zinc, plus/minus gold and plus/minus copper.

Power Nickel is also 100-percent owner of five properties comprising over 50,000 acres strategically located in the prolific iron-oxide-copper-gold belt of northern Chile. It also owns a 3-per-cent NSR royalty interest on any future production from the Copaquire copper-molybdenum deposit that was sold to a subsidiary of Teck Resources Inc. Under the terms of the sale agreement, Teck has the right to acquire one-third of the 3-per-cent NSR for $3 million at any time. The Copaquire property borders Teck’s producing Quebrada Blanca copper mine in Chile’s first region.

To learn more about Power Nickel Inc., click here

Disclaimer: Power Nickel Inc. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorIntel Corp., (IIC), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all the material information concerning the “Company” being interviewed. IIC offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on Sedar.com and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

If you have any questions surrounding the content of this interview, please contact us at +1 416 792 8228 and/or email us direct at [email protected].




Scott McLean of Transition Metals Discusses Advancing a Battery Metals Project in Ontario

In this InvestorIntel interview during PDAC 2023, Tracy Weslosky talks with Scott McLean, CEO, President, and Director of Transition Metals Corp. (TSXV: XTM) about its pipeline of 20 different projects in seven jurisdictions across Canada that include battery metals and precious metals.

He focuses on two key projects: the Maude Lake Property, a nickel, copper, cobalt, and PGM property near Schreiber, Ontario, and Pike Warden, an emerging epithermal gold and silver porphyry copper system in the Yukon.

He discusses catalysts for the year that include advancing its flagship projects, with plans to start drilling Maude Lake in late spring and Pike Warden in early summer.

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About Transition Metals Corp.

Transition Metals Corp. is a Canadian-based, multi-commodity explorer. Its award-winning team of geoscientists has extensive exploration experience which actively develops and tests new ideas for discovering mineralization in places that others have not looked, often allowing the company to acquire properties inexpensively. Joint venture partners earn an interest in the projects by funding a portion of higher-risk drilling and exploration, allowing Transition to conserve capital and minimize shareholder’s equity dilution.

To learn more about Transition Metals Corp., click here.

Disclaimer: This interview, which was produced by InvestorIntel Corp., (IIC), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all the material information concerning the “Company” being interviewed. IIC offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on Sedar.com and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

If you have any questions surrounding the content of this interview, please contact us at +1 416 792 8228 and/or email us direct at [email protected].




Nicole Brewster of Renforth Resources on the Battery Metals Surimeau Project in Quebec

In this InvestorIntel interview during PDAC 2023, Tracy Weslosky talks with Nicole Brewster, CEO and President of Renforth Resources Inc. (CSE: RFR | OTCQB: RFHRF) about the Company’s 330 km2 Surimeau District Property in northern Quebec, Canada. The property has good access to road and hydro-electric power.

Nicole says Renforth has a “spectacular battery metals property” in Quebec and the property has “29 kilometers of mineralization” with one section being a continuous 20 kilometers of strike length. Key metals along the 20-kilometer mineralization include nickel, cobalt, and platinum group elements. The Property also has VMS fingers with zinc, copper, silver, and gold.

Nicole states there is a lot of mineralization yet to be drilled and that “we will be drilling in a couple more weeks”. Answering the question of what sets Renforth Resources apart, Nicole says: “We are ultra active, we are in the field, we are putting the money in the ground.” She also says: “The time is definitely now, we are brownfield, we are beside Canada’s largest open pit gold mine, mineralization is on surface, we will build an open pit.

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About Renforth Resources Inc.

Renforth is focused on Quebec’s newest battery metals district, our wholly-owned ~330 km2 Surimeau District Property, which hosts several known areas of polymetallic “battery metals” mineralization, each with various levels of exploration, as well as a significant amount of unexplored ground. Victoria West has been drilled over a strike length of 2.2km, within a 5km long mineralized structure, proving nickel, copper, zinc, and cobalt mineralization, in the western end of a 20km magnetic anomaly. The Huston target, during initial reconnaissance, resulted in a grab sample grading 1.9% Ni, 1.38% Cu, 1170 ppm Co and 4 g/t Ag. Additionally, the Lalonde, Surimeau, and Colonie Targets are all polymetallic mineralized occurrences which, along with various gold showings, comprise the areas of potential of this NSR-free property.

In addition to the Surimeau District battery metals property Renforth wholly owns the Parbec Gold deposit, a surface gold deposit contiguous to the Canadian Malartic Mine property in Malartic, Quebec. In 2020/21 Renforth completed 15,569m of drilling which successfully twinned certain historic holes, filled in gaps in the resource model with newly discovered gold mineralization, and extended mineralization deeper. Based upon the success of this significant drill program the Company considers the spring 2020 MRE, with a resource estimate of 104,000 indicated ounces of gold at a grade of 1.78 g/t Au and 177,000 inferred ounces of gold at a grade of 1.78 g/t Au to be out of date. With the new data gained Renforth will undertake to complete the first-ever structural study of the mineralization at Parbec, as well as additional total metallic assay work in order to better contextualize the nugget effect on the gold mineralization.

Renforth also holds the Nixon-Bartleman property, west of Timmins Ontario, with gold present on the surface over a strike length of ~500m.

To learn more about Renforth Resources Inc., click here.

Disclaimer: This interview, which was produced by InvestorIntel Corp., (IIC), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all the material information concerning the “Company” being interviewed. IIC offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on Sedar.com and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

If you have any questions surrounding the content of this interview, please contact us at +1 416 792 8228 and/or email us direct at [email protected].




Byron King with Clean Air Metals’ Abraham Drost on the ‘hot metals right now’

In this InvestorIntel interview, Byron W King talks to Clean Air Metals Inc.’s (TSXV: AIR | OTCQB: CLRMF) CEO and Director Abraham Drost about why platinum and palladium “are hot metals right now.” As key elements used in production of green hydrogen and fuel cells, Abraham explains why platinum and palladium are important for the hydrogen economy to help us achieve net zero emissions target.

Speaking about the non-Russian sources of platinum and palladium, Abraham provides an update on Clean Air Metals’ Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project in Ontario, Canada. In addition to having platinum and palladium in 1:1 ratio, Abraham says that their Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project also has copper and nickel.

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About Clean Air Metals Inc.

Clean Air Metals’ flagship asset is the 100% owned, high grade Thunder Bay North Project, a platinum, palladium, copper, nickel project located near the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario and the Lac des Iles Mine owned by Impala Platinum. The Thunder Bay North Project hosts the twin magma conduit bodies which host the Current and Escape deposits forming the basis for a robust preliminary economic assessment (PEA) filed January 12, 2022. The PEA of a ramp access underground mine and on-site 3600 tpd milling complex and the 2-year trailing average price deck delivers an NPV5 NAV of $425m in fully discounted cash flows, a pre-tax IRR of 31% and a post-tax IRR of 25% on initial capital of $367 million.

Executive Chair Jim Gallagher, P.Eng. and COO Mike Garbutt, P.Eng. lead an experienced technical team who are using the Norilsk magma conduit stratigraphic and mineral deposit model to guide ongoing exploration and development prefeasibility studies for a low-carbon, all-electric sustainable mining operation at Thunder Bay North. As the former CEO of North American Palladium Ltd. which owned the Lac des Iles Mine prior to the sale to Impala Platinum in December 2019, Jim Gallagher and team are credited with the mine turnaround and creation of significant value for shareholders.

To learn more about Clean Air Metals Inc., click here

Disclaimer: Clean Air Metals Inc. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorIntel Corp., (IIC), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all the material information concerning the “Company” being interviewed. IIC offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on Sedar.com and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

If you have any questions surrounding the content of this interview, please contact us at +1 416 792 8228 and/or email us direct at [email protected].




Clean Air Metals’ Abraham Drost on Thunder Bay’s North Critical Minerals Project

In this InvestorIntel interview, Byron W King talks to Clean Air Metals Inc.’s (TSXV: AIR | OTCQB: CLRMF) CEO and Director Abraham Drost about an update on their Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project in Ontario, Canada. As a platinum, palladium, copper, nickel project, Abraham discusses how the project has “extremely high grades” and is located in close proximity to several operating mines and key infrastructures.

Speaking about the strength of their exploration team, Abraham shares how Clean Air Metals has 260,000 meters of drilling database “in one of the richest ore-bearing zones in North America”. He goes on to provide an update on Clean Air Metals’ C$15 million royalty financing agreement on Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals Project with Triple Flag Precious Metals Corp.

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About Clean Air Metals Inc.

Clean Air Metals’ flagship asset is the 100% owned, high grade Thunder Bay North Project, a platinum, palladium, copper, nickel project located near the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario and the Lac des Iles Mine owned by Impala Platinum. The Thunder Bay North Project hosts the twin magma conduit bodies which host the Current and Escape deposits forming the basis for a robust preliminary economic assessment (PEA) filed January 12, 2022. The PEA of a ramp access underground mine and on-site 3600 tpd milling complex and the 2-year trailing average price deck delivers an NPV5 NAV of $425m in fully discounted cash flows, a pre-tax IRR of 31% and a post-tax IRR of 25% on initial capital of $367 million.

Executive Chair Jim Gallagher, P.Eng. and COO Mike Garbutt, P.Eng. lead an experienced technical team who are using the Norilsk magma conduit stratigraphic and mineral deposit model to guide ongoing exploration and development prefeasibility studies for a low-carbon, all-electric sustainable mining operation at Thunder Bay North. As the former CEO of North American Palladium Ltd. which owned the Lac des Iles Mine prior to the sale to Impala Platinum in December 2019, Jim Gallagher and team are credited with the mine turnaround and creation of significant value for shareholders.

To learn more about Clean Air Metals Inc., click here

Disclaimer: Clean Air Metals Inc. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorIntel Corp., (IIC), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all the material information concerning the “Company” being interviewed. IIC offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on Sedar.com and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

If you have any questions surrounding the content of this interview, please contact us at +1 416 792 8228 and/or email us direct at [email protected].




The Colombian sun rises for Auxico Resources with a mining permit for its rare earths and PGM project

A pleasant surprise is always a nice thing. These days it seems that any time you see the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq in positive territory on the day it’s considered a pleasant surprise. But that’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m referring to is a situation where you are a junior mining company in hot pursuit of a valuable and globally in-demand commodity, like rare earths, and you come across decent grades of gold, platinum and titanium, at surface no less. I believe that is what you call “having your cake and eating it too”, if you are at all familiar with that expression. If that phrase means nothing to you, then let’s stick with a pleasant surprise.

The company that looks like it’s blessed with an abundance of riches is Auxico Resources Canada Inc. (CSE: AUAG), a Canadian company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are a combination project generator, miner, processor and marketer all rolled up into one, with a focus on the production of critical minerals and high-value metals, including niobium, tantalum, platinum group metals (such as platinum and iridium), and rare earth elements. Additionally, Auxico is the exclusive trade agent for rare earth concentrates from the DRC. The Company owns directly or through joint ventures, mineral rights in Colombia, Bolivia, and Brazil, with access to close to 4 million tonnes of critical minerals and rare earth elements – the largest deposits outside of China.

But today we are going to focus on their Minastyc Property in Vichada, Colombia, where Auxico recently announced the granting of a mining permit (specifically a Work Plan Authorization) from the National Mining Agency of Colombia. This is a very significant development for the Company because Auxico will now be able to move forward with the formal purchase of the Minastyc Property from its current owner. The approval of the Work Plan was the last condition in the purchase agreement. This leaves one step left, a site visit by representatives of Corporinoquia (the Colombian environmental agency), before the Company will be able to move equipment on site, including heavy machinery for bulk sampling and a processing facility, which will enable Auxico to move towards making a production decision for small-scale mining operations.

In the meantime, Auxico has been busy at the Minastyc Property having previously announced a NI 43-101 Technical Evaluation Report on March 28th of this year with highlights including a 3.2 tonne bulk sample from two locations of the Area 50 pit resulting in a 7.7 kg fine concentrate returning Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) grading 68.32% and 65.67% respectively from the two locations. Back in October 2021 the Company reported the discovery of platinum group metals (PGM’s) in samples including Sample 1 with 42.8% titanium, 25.4% niobium, and 8.3% tantalum while Sample 2, found in a different zone on the property, originating from a rock sample containing 30.4% tantalum, 23.3% niobium and 24.5% titanium.

But the fun doesn’t end there. The latest results published by Auxico show gold, platinum, titanium, zirconium and hafnium test results on samples taken from the Area 50, TA Area and two other areas from the Minastyc property. At this point, it’s almost easier to talk about what metal or mineral they don’t have on this property. All joking aside, highlights from the latest fourteen samples, taken from pits in the first metre from surface in these areas, gave an average head grade of 9.5 g/t of gold, and 13.5 g/t of platinum from 8 of the 14 samples that returned grade. Additionally, the Company reported the discovery of 24.5% titanium, 7.8% zirconium, and 2.4 kilograms of hafnium. And if those grades aren’t enough to get your attention, then perhaps the fact that the Company suggests that based on these field observations and from the satellite interpretation, an estimated minimum of 250,000 tonnes of material is represented by this Ferricrete layer in the first metre from surface at Area 50 and the TA area.

All this explains why Auxico is presently coordinating the site visit with Corporinoquia and expects the visit to occur near term. With these kinds of grades literally at surface they could be generating a decent revenue stream in short order to help finance further exploration, a preliminary resource estimate or whatever they determine is the best use of funds.

With a market cap of C$55 million, this isn’t one of those undiscovered companies that provides an almost free option on their exploration. However, with almost every valuable hard rock commodity on the planet concentrated in one spot with pretty impressive grades, any expansion in size could be a boon to shareholders. And I didn’t even touch on the myriad of other interesting opportunities going on at Auxico Resources that you can explore on your own at their website.




Jack Lifton on how the Tesla effect is driving platinum, palladium, and rhodium around the bend

“Those of you who want to ‘speculate’ or invest in platinum and palladium can, besides physical ownership of coins and bars, buy futures in London, New York, and other markets. The futures markets have the advantage of being very liquid.” — Jack Lifton

The principal Platinum Group Metals (pPGMs), the platinum, palladium, and rhodium are among the most critical of the critical metals that support our health and well-being. This is for two reasons: First of all, the electronic properties of the pPGMs cannot be duplicated by any other known less expensive or more effective substitution, and second, the pPGMs are very rare. The total annual production of all three combined does not exceed 500 tons. The overwhelming use for these PGMs is as the active agents (catalysts) in automotive exhaust emission catalytic converters, in which they catalyze the complete combustion of hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline, kerosine [diesel fuel]), and the reduction of acid forming nitrous oxides to inert nitrogen. Catalytic converters cannot function economically or efficiently without PGMs, so that the rarity of the PGMs ensures that they are among the most recycled industrial metals, since the total annual new production of platinum and palladium is insufficient to meet demand.

It should be noted that the current annual production for the US OEM automotive industry alone uses 200 mta of PGMs for catalytic converters. Yet the US industry produces only 20% of global automobiles and trucks. Both China and Europe produce more cars annually than the US, and until recently the use of pPGMs in Europe by the OEM automotive industry there used a large enough amount of platinum to severely skew its price relationship to that of palladium creating a palladium shortage that has driven up palladium’s price to more than double that of platinum, a historically unusual situation.

In general, the very large demand for pPGMs by the US OEM automotive industry arises from the very large proportion of large internal combustion engines (ICEs) used in North America for personal trucks, SUVs, and freight carriage. These ICEs require substantial exhaust emission catalytic converters to comply with increasingly stringent air pollution control regulations.

Until recently the even more stringent European Union air pollution control regulations were thought to be being met by the use of diesel engines rather than gasoline powered ones. Diesels, the large ones used on freight vehicles in particular, require a relatively large amount of platinum to manage their exhaust emissions. In the last two years however, it has been discovered that diesel engines exhaust measurements were manipulated by manufacturers to give the appearance of exhaust emission compliance. Diesel sales in Europe, by far their largest market, have plummeted releasing enough platinum into the market to drop its price even though it takes more palladium than platinum on a weight basis to manage the hydrocarbon exhaust of an ICE.

I think this demand skew is temporary and the price rises and price differentials among the pPGMs also an artifact of the sudden interest by investors in “doing a Tesla” with the pPGMs. The pricing of the pPGMs, palladium and rhodium in particular, is increasingly divorced from their industrial value, and ironically by increasing the cost of exhaust emission catalyst they help to hasten the conversion of vehicular transport from dependence on ICEs to batteries. This, the lowering of the principal demand for pPGMs, will of course lower the price of the pPGMs. The bright spot in the future may be the use of platinum and palladium in fuel cells, which look to be the electric generators of choice for heavy freight carrying trucks that will utilize hydrogen to power the fuel cells, which will themselves need platinum and/or palladium to produce electricity by catalysis of hydrogen “fuel.”

The most absurd of the latest “investment vehicles” for pPGMs are the one and five-ounce “certified” bars of rhodium, the very rarest of the pPGMs, being offered to “investors.” There is no agreed standard for rhodium purity and, even if there were, there is no other market for such bars other than the offerors “guarantee” to buy it back in the future for some price calculated by them as a “market” price. Rhodium bars have no industrial use other than as a feedstock to make the rhodium chemicals used in the application of the pPGMs to the wash coats of automotive exhaust emission converters; the high temperature apparatus involved in the manufacture of high purity glasses and fibers; and the industrial production of nitric acid. Manufacturers using rhodium for the above do NOT buy individual bars of “investment grade” rhodium from private parties. Nor do they inventory rhodium in such a form.

Platinum has been used for jewelry and even coins almost since its discovery in native (placer) form in South America in the late eighteenth century. Palladium jewelry and coins have been tried but have never caught on with the public. Massive rhodium is not suitable for jewelry manufacturing, but a thin coating of it on silver has been used to prevent tarnish. This source of “value” is what drives the nonindustrial market for these metals. There is no liquid market for trading small quantities of these metals. Like gold, pPGMs must be analyzed before any industrial use and this analysis is too costly for small lots. National coins can be traded using posted prices on the London Platinum and Palladium Market, but this is purest reasoning by false analogy. Coins have no use as industrial feedstocks.

Those of you who want to “speculate” or invest in platinum and palladium can, besides physical ownership of coins and bars, buy futures in London, New York, and other markets. The futures markets have the advantage of being very liquid.

Let’s look at the supply of pPGMs, also, of course, an investment, if realized through the purchase of shares of publicly traded miners, juniors, and fabricators on major high-volume exchanges.

The majority of the world’s platinum comes from Southern Africa. The Republic of South Africa and Zimbabwe are fairly recent as independent states ruled by their indigenous peoples, but pPGM mining and refining were introduced nearly a century ago by Europeans for whom costs such as labor, safety, and health held little interest when measured against the profits obtainable by ignoring them. The transfer of majority ownership of the mines and smelters to the “native” populations has added costs of improving health and safety as well as of empowering labor to seek wage increases. These factors have increased the costs of producing pPGMs and have reduced the output of the mines and smelters. These factors have naturally increased the market prices of the pPGMs as their already small supply and regular delivery has been further reduced or impaired.

The world’s other two relatively large sources of pPGMs, Russia and North America, produce primarily just palladium. The only producing American mine and smelter, at Stillwater, Wyoming, is owned by Russia’s Norilsk Nickel, Russia’s main producer of palladium as a companion metal to its nickel production, and, in fact, Stillwater produces more pPGMs from automotive exhaust emission catalyst scrap than from its ore body. In Canada, Vale, Sudbury, produces palladium also only as a companion metal to its nickel production. Thus, for non African produced pPGMs the amount produced depends on the nickel market.

If and as now looks likely when the production of ICE powered vehicles declines the demand for new pPGMs will also decline, but it is likely also that the demand for pPGMs used in catalytic converters may be replaced by a demand for them (other than rhodium) for use in fuel cells, which look like the best candidates for generating electricity onboard for freight carriage by wheeled transportation and even by tracked transportation. A typical fuel cell today uses an ounce of pPGMs as the catalytic materials that transform hydrogen gas into water and generate electricity (at room temperature) by doing so. Thus, if new production of pPGMs today were to be used entirely for fuel cell manufacturing some 13 million fuel cell powered (hydrogen powered) vehicles per year could be manufactured globally. In the USA, which scraps 15 million vehicles per year, the recovered recycled pPGMs could be used to produce up to 4 million fuel cell powered cars per year until the supply of scrap ICEs were exhausted in 20 years.

It looks likely now that Class 8 freight hauling trucks will be converted to fuel cell operation rather than battery operation as a weight and resource saving measure. In the long term this use for pPGMs will become dominant.




Harry Barr on ‘the largest undeveloped primary palladium project of its kind in North America’

Recently during PDAC 2019, Harry Barr, Chairman, CEO and Director of New Age Metals Inc. (TSXV: NAM | OTCQB: NMTLF), shared updates on the palladium market with InvestorIntel’s Tracy Weslosky.

Harry said: “Palladium market is at an all time high, crossed over US$1,500 an ounce. 82% of it is used in tailpipe of cars in auto catalyst, so it is a green metal. There are only two producers in North America, and we have the largest undeveloped primary palladium project of its kind in North America.”

New Age Metals Inc. is a Mineral Exploration Company focused on the discovery, exploration and development of North America’s largest undeveloped primary Platinum Group Metals (PGM) deposit, the River Valley PGM Project that is located in the Sudbury Region of Northern Ontario. The Company also has a Lithium (Li) Division with 8 Li Projects, of which 2 are drill ready.

To access the complete interview, click here

Disclaimer: New Age Metals Inc. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.