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SEPTEMBER 16–29, 2019 / VOL. 105 ISSUE 19 / GLOBAL MINING NEWS · SINCE 1915 / $3.99 / WWW.NORTHERNMINER.COM
Economic uncertainty drives gold higher INVESTMENT
| Portfolio holdings ‘tilt aggressively’ into gold BY BRENDA BOUW
T
Special to The Northern Miner
he gold industry feels optimistic for the first time in years, as the price of the precious metal steadily rises amid fears of a global economic downturn. Gold miners, in the meantime, vow to stay disciplined to avoid becoming overleveraged, as some were during gold’s last run-up. At around US$1,525 per oz., gold is trading at its highest level since 2013, and is up about 20% so far this year. Gold hit a sixyear high of US$1,550 per oz. in late August, as investors sought a haven from the intensifying U.S.–China trade dispute. Recession fears, trade wars, political uncertainty around Brexit and easing monetary policy by various central banks around the world are also fuelling the price of gold and gold investments. Sprott Gold Miners ETF (SGDM) and VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDX) are each up by about 40% year-to-date. “People are responding to gold as a safe haven and portfolio diversifier,” Rohit Savant, vicepresident of research at CPM Group, said in an interview. He forecasts gold will average US$1,410 per oz. in 2019, up 11% from last year, and rise to an average US$1,600 per oz. in 2020. “We definitely see prices going up,” Savant says. “If you have a combination of longer-term investors and short-term investors, as well as central banks buying … that combination will propel prices higher. That’s what we expect will happen in 2020.” Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities, also forecasts gold will average US$1,600 per oz. next year, with some volatility along the way. “The bulls who want to know when and how far gold prices will rally need only be patient for a short while longer. But they also need to be ready to see a modest See GOLD / 6
Continental Gold CEO Ari Sussman (centre) at the Buritica gold project in Antioquia, Colombia. PHOTO BY DAVID PERRI
Continental stays on track SITE VISIT
| Optimized Buritica mine plan to come ahead of 2020 production
BY DAVID PERRI dperri@northernminer.com BURITICA, COLOMBIA
I
t has been one year since The Northern Miner last toured the Buritica gold project, and the interim has been a critical period for Continental Gold (TSX: CNL). “We’re fully permitted and on schedule for 2020 production,” says Donald Gray, Continental’s chief operating officer, on a spring site visit, 65 km northwest of Medellin in Colombia’s Antioquia department. Next to a gold-rich mountain in the Andes, surface infrastructure is taking shape in the Higabra valley, including the primary crusher, grinding building, leach circuit, CCD circuit and Merrill–Crowe plant. Buritica is scheduled to deliver 253,000 oz. gold per year on average over a 14-year mine life. The company estimates all-in sustaining costs of US$604 per oz. gold. Initial mining will focus on the proven and probable reserves in the Yaragua and Veta Sur vein systems, which total 13.7 million
tonnes grading 8.4 grams gold per tonne and 24.3 grams silver per tonne, for 3.7 million contained oz. gold and 10.7 million oz. silver. Continental plans to update its mine plan for the first three years of production before commercial production in 2020. Broader resources for Yaragua and Veta Sur hold more than 11 million oz. gold in 16 million measured and indicated tonnes of 10.3 grams gold and 40.8 grams silver. An estimated 5.2 million oz. gold reside in 20.3 million inferred tonnes of 8.6 grams gold and 37.3 grams silver. The US$512-million mine is 75% complete, according to an August update from the company, and construction has proceeded as planned, for the most part. Gray says underground conditions have been more difficult than expected. Workers learned to slow down, identify bad ground and provide support before moving forward. Nonetheless, underground crews have been advancing ahead of schedule, averaging more than 1,000 development metres per month. Drier-than-expected conditions
were a pleasant surprise for Continental, which could mean less water through the treatment plant. “We permitted for more than twice the water we’re seeing today,” CEO Ari Sussman says. In 2019, the company is completing 55,000 metres of definition drilling, focusing on stope preparation ahead of production. Another 18,500 metres of infill drilling will target recently identified broad mineralized zones (BMZs). Buritica’s mineralization occurs in narrow, porphyry-related veins. The BMZs formed where the brittle interference between structures has resulted in wider mineralization footprints around the veins. “The BMZs are simply the intersection of northwest structures with the main vein structures,” says special advisor David Reading. “They are the lower-grade halos — grading 3, or often 4 grams — surrounding high-grade veins.” As such, the BMZs could be mined more efficiently and deliver more gold. Continental has released a resource estimate for BMZ1 in the
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LITHIUM: IS CHILE’S BRINE LOSING ITS SHINE? / 3
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