- Two executives with near-term gold producer LaFleur Minerals recently appeared on CEO.CA’s Inside the Boardroom podcast to discuss activity at their Swanson Gold Deposit, in the globally recognized Abitibi Gold District of Quebec
- LaFleur is exploring approximately 18,304 hectares (45,230 acres) at Swanson, with the potential of expanding its land package to follow mineral structures crossing the site
- LaFleur is distinctive in that it has drilling infrastructure on site, a tailings facility, and a 750-metric-ton-capable mill for processing ore at its nearby Beacon Gold Mill, along with positive returns from its initial diamond drilling program at Swanson
- The company recently closed a fully subscribed equity offering, and is exploring other financing structures and additional opportunities as it completes a PEA and prepares for restart of its wholly owned mill that was idled by a previous owner following the post-pandemic gold plunge, offset now by gold’s record highs
Gold exploration and development company LaFleur Minerals (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) is on the cusp of realizing its verticals-driven strategy for mining and processing gold ore from its Swanson Gold Deposit in the prolific Abitibi Gold District of Quebec – Canada’s largest gold producing district.
“There are two major structures that run through Swanson that host gold and even base metals,” LaFleur CEO Paul Ténière said during a recent interview with CEO.CA’s Inside the Boardroom podcast (https://ibn.fm/LYcjm).
LaFleur Minerals has drilled 24 holes to date on the approximately 18,304-hectare (45,230-acre), district-scale Swanson site. As of the end of September, six of the holes had been assayed and showed high-grade, near-surface intercepts, according to company statements.
In a district where several gold projects are in process, LaFleur is excited about its prospects and anticipating its potential for growth.
“We’ve done a pretty good job of consolidating originally around the Swanson deposit and have grown it to as it is,” Ténière told Inside the Boardroom’s host. “There are other opportunities, especially to the south and southeast of Swanson. … And so, what we’re looking at doing is consolidating and adding claims from adjacent properties into (Swanson) to continue to expand. And the good news with that is that once we consolidate, we also have a rig available that we can actually start drilling on right away. And some of (the) known gold showings and base metal showings are quite exciting.”
The company’s true strength is in the vertical integration of its own fully permitted and recently refurbished gold mill, tailings facility and its advanced exploration project and gold resource as source of material, positioning it competitively in the current high gold price environment. The company expects to use the mill for processing its ore in-house, but also anticipates the potential of contracting for custom milling work with a number of other nearby gold projects in need of such milling to drive near-term revenue.
“We do need money to restart the mill,” LaFleur Chairman Kal Malhi acknowledged alongside Ténière during the interview. “We’re talking to several opportunities, either with royalty companies or forward sales of the gold production and that will hopefully bring in some very strong gold industry partners to the deal as well.”
LaFleur completed a non-brokered private placement equity round last month and is also finalizing flow-through financing, bringing the company closer to 80 million shares, Malhi said.
LaFleur also expects to wrap up a comprehensive Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) for Swanson around the end of October, which is led by reputable global consulting firm Environmental Resources Management (“ERM”) and brings a highly experienced technical team to deliver a robust mining and economic study for the restart of the Beacon Gold Mill using mineralized material primarily supplied from the company’s Swanson Gold Deposit.. Gold’s record prices topping $4,000 an ounce recently, in a remarkable comeback from 2022’s $1,600 level (https://ibn.fm/yGllm), are generating enthusiasm for the market and LaFleur’s verticals-driven strategy.
“Our mill alone is valued at $70 million, our market cap now is about $42 (million)-$43 million. Again, the totality of the deal really is I think an exciting investment opportunity,” Malhi said.
For more information, visit the company’s website at LaFleurMinerals.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LFLRF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/LFLRF
Qualified Person Statement:
All scientific and technical information contained in this article has been reviewed and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.
