Sean Mason | March 21, 2016 | SmallCapPower: To paraphrase an old mining adage, if want to find a big discovery go to where other big discoveries have been found. If it’s gold and silver you’re looking for, then, Nevada would be a great place to start.
Nevada mines about 80% of all the gold produced in United States. Much of that gold comes from the Carlin trend in the northern part of the state. But there’s another Nevada trend, Pequop, that’s smaller but could still be lucrative for those companies exploring and drilling there.
About one third of Newmont Mining’s (NYSE: NEM) global gold production comes from Nevada, and the gold giant thinks so highly of Pequop’s potential that it stepped up with a $2 billion plus purchase of Fronteer Gold’s Long Canyon Project there back in 2011.
While there’s been some buzz building about Gold Standard Ventures Corp. (TSXV: GSV), with its large land holding on the Carlin Trend, following investments from both Goldcorp and OceanaGold (See more insight here), Viscount Mining Corp. (TSXV:VML) (OTCQB:VLMGF) (TSXV: VML) could also attract investor attention in the coming months given that its Cherry Creek property on the Pequop trend is comprised of more than 9,000 acres and includes more than 20 past producing mines.
Despite being caught in the jaws of a brutal resource bear market, Viscount shares have managed to bounce nearly 200% off its 52-week low to its current price of $0.47. The Company is not only surviving but thriving thanks to an exploration earn-in agreement with Sumitomo Corporation, in which the Japanese integrated trading and investment company can earn in up to a 75% interest in Cherry Creek by producing a feasibility study as well as spending a minimum of US$10 million in exploration and development expenses within eight years.
By entering into this agreement, Viscount Mining has managed to keep its issued and outstanding shares at a relatively modest 35.2 million, yet is able to continue to explore and drill the property, thanks to Sumitomo.
Summit Mining Exploration, Sumitomo’s wholly-owned subsidiary, made it known to Viscount in the fall of 2015 that the Flint Canyon area of Cherry Creek exhibits alteration and mineralization characteristic of Carlin-type gold deposits, and has made “Flint Canyon is a very high priority target area” in 2016.
Outside of Flint Canyon, on February 4, 2016, Viscount Mining reported what it called “large intervals of silver mineralization,” which included 27.5 metres of 52.0 grams per tonne (g/t) silver.
Future upside for this Company could come from its Silver Cliff Project in Colorado, which lies within a silver district where numerous mines produced high-grade silver during 1878 to 1894, and between 1967 and 1984, more than 350 holes were drilled on the property. Thus, Viscount seems to be positioning itself smartly as a prospect generator and should be one to watch if the precious metals market continues to improve.
For more insight on Viscount Mining see Jay Taylor’s commentary here >>