Flushed with raising £1 million in a lowly 0.8p placing, AIM listed Noricum Gold (NMG) says it could start production at its Bolnisi copper and gold project in the Caucasian republic of Georgia 'potentially as early as the third quarter of 2016'.
Uranium play Berkeley Energia (BKY) is trumpeting encouraging initial exploration results from the high-grade Zona 7 deposit within its wholly-owned Salamanca project, hosting an estimated resource of 90.5million lbs. of uranium U308 in central-western Spain. Entrepreneurial managing director Paul Atherley describes the Zona 7 results, which include 14 metres with 4,481 parts of uranium U308 per million of material and six metres with 3,274 parts per million, as 'transformational', while declaring another Salamanca prospect, Retortillo, is likely to face potential operating costs of some $15.60c (£10.90p) a lb., which is less than half the present 'market' price of uranium, at $34.75 a lb.
Bulk sampling by Stellar Diamonds (STEL), the German-backed West Africa-focused gem play at the Baoule kimberlite pipe in Guinea has turned up a 55-carat stone and encouraged the AIM-quoted concern to argue this 'confirms the presence of large stones' in the deposit, which Stellar hopes to develop to tap a potential low-grade resource of three million carats.
Russian gold, silver and copper producer Polymetal International (POLY) says it expects gold equivalent production to fall from an a flat 1.4 million oz. of gold equivalent in 2015 to 1.23 million this year, with likely all-in costs of $700 (£500) to $750 an ounce, against today's depressed market price of $1,095.64c an ounce. The fully-listed company, which is domiciled in Jersey and also quoted in Moscow and New York, has reported a 9% fall in gold output last year to 861,000 oz., along with a 12% increase in silver production to 32 million oz. and a 49% drop in copper extracted to 827 tonnes.
African gold producer Acacia Mining (ACA) says it lifted output a modest 2% to 731,912 oz. last year and indicates target production of 7650,000-to-780,000 oz. for 2016, with all-in costs anticipated to fall from $1,112 (£795) an ounce to somewhere between $950 and $980 an ounce, against a present market price of $1,108.45c.
Out-of-favour South American silver and gold producer Hochschild Mining (HOC) says it expects to increase production this year 28% to 32 million oz. of silver equivalent, with all-in costs pared to $12 (£8.50p) or $13 an ounce, still not far off a current market price of $14.15c an ounce.
East Africa-focused Shanta Gold (SHG) lifted output at its flagship New Luika gold mine in south-west Tanzania 20% to 29,139 oz. between the third and second quarters of last year and indicates full-year production for 2015 was 81,873 oz. That is down from 84,028 oz. in 2014 but ahead of more recent guidance suggesting between 72,000 oz. and 77,000 oz. for last year. Is this a recovery buy?
Long-term AIM loser Anglo Asian Minng (AAZ) has 'delivered on its turnaround strategy this year to return to profitability,' declares chief executive officer and 29% shareholder Reza Vaziri.
Alberto Lavandeiro, chief executive officer of unfashionable copper hopeful Atalaya Mining (ATYM), says the company is on schedule to begin commercial production on 1 February from Riotinto, its historic Spanish mine near Seville boasting a potential resource of 940,000 tonnes at a modest copper grade of nearly 0.5%.
US-focused AIM dog Great Western Mining (GWMO) has finally secured a reclamation permit enabling it to start drilling at Target 4 of its Black Mountain copper and gold projects in south-west Nevada's Excelsior mountain range. After an 18-month application process, the company, whose shares have halved since autumn in falling copper and gold markets to 0.33p, 97% down from their 11p float price in 2011, has secured the permit from the Nevada Bureau of Mining Regulation and says it can now drill on two of its prime objectives in the area, M2 and M4.
