Value Microcaps Junior Miners

[Lone Clone]

I checked in with Bobwins. He has been having health problems which ahve led him to concentrate on holding physical metal rather than stocks, hence his recent absence from this forum.

Last year I traded in my B2Gold aka BTO shares for Endeavour Mining aka EDV for two main reasons: 1) a better growth profile; 2) a lower risk profile due to which parts of West Africa the companies operate in. That switch is now starting to bear fruit as BTO is dealing with a number of problems. They seem to have dodged the any effect on their Fekola gold mine in Mali due to a national strike by mineworkers, but then out of the blue one of their concessions was awarded instead to an obscure Malian company. The Malian PM then reversed the decision, but was himself arrested in the wake of the military coup earlier this week, leaving a tangled web with unknown consequences.

BTO continues to put on a brave face and say the right words, but the Mali operations are now at the core of the company and its plans. EDV does have one project under development in Mali, but it is still at feasibility stage and much less material to the overall operations of the company.

https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=33336831
https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=33336845

Canada Silver Cobalt Works aka CCW announced they have found another 'mid-grade' silver vein during drilling in their Castle Mine property in Ontario, situated a past-producing cobalt-silver camp. Yes, when you can call an assay of 2208 g/t Ag and 0.38% Co 'mid-grade' that's pretty impressive, but the intercepts is very narrow, less than half a metre, and very deep, over 500M down. They will continue with more followup drilling here and at nearby veins that have yielded much higher grades.

I originally bought my position in CCW when it was TKK, exploring for gold in Tanzania, and have held a residue through TKK's conversion to CSR and then CCW. They appear to have a decent property with a high grade resource which could be brought back into production, but I am not yet convinced they have the ability to pull this off.

https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=33334257&srchtxt=canada%20cobalt%20works

Alexco Resources aka AXU released an updated report on their Keno operations in the Yukon, which they are currently bringing back into production as a silver producer with lead, zinc, and gold byproducts. Reserves have more than doubled to 1.44Mt at 1035 g/t AuEq. They also received an updated mine plan which extends mine life to 8 years with robust economics. It should be noted that this will be extended further in the wake of current ongoing exploration, particularly in the Bermingham Deeps.

This is certainly good news, but the key to AXU's share price the next while, beside the price of silver, will be how the mill startup works out, particularly as new source of mill feed come on line.

https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=33336899

The core of Centamin aka CEE's operations lies in their producing Sukari gold mine in Egypt, but that also have a foothold in West Africa thanks to portfolio of development/exploration assets in Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire. Today they released updates on these projects.

The priority among them is Doropo in Cote d'Ivoire. It contains a number of gold deposits which form the basis for a recently-released PEA with robust economics over a 13-year mine life. On this basis they are pursuing a PTBS, including 70k metres of drilling, due to be delivered in the middle of next year.

Head 460km west from Doropo and you come to ABC, another set of gold deposits, this time still at exploration stage. More drilling plus metallurgical testing are underway.

Battie West, another gold project, is located in the southwest corner of Burkina Faso, the safest part of the country. The property does have a completed PEA with decent numbers, but CEE has deferred further development at this point unless they can find a partner.

https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=33336915

I-80 Gold aka IAU announced that EQX has maintained its ownership level in IAU at at around 30% by subscribing for over $14M worth of shares, further reducing the necessity for IAU to go back to the market to raise more money. I really need to top up my holdings of this one.

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/80-gold-announces-c-14-100000669.html