Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) may be one of the few true mineral exploration companies on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). When you digest the content of this sector, there are few companies that were created for discovery. However, there is a big divide in terms of how you make money "investing" into these companies.
As we approach 2025, is art of making money in mineral exploration a deep mystery, and backing the right horse is more about knowing the owners, trainers, and jockeys than understanding the horse or the track.
I have looked at Miramar since February 2021 when we first made the first Coffee with Samso. It was a prized discussion for me as Allan Kelly was the man who discovered the Andy Well Gold Mine. The vehicle Allan used for the discovery was Doray Minerals Limited, which was eventually taken over by Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR).
The fortunes of Miramar has taken a tumble since that first Coffee with Samso. The market capitalisation of Miramar is now sitting at AUD1.75M (as of 13th December 2024). It is a far cry from its listing valuation of AUD 14M when they first came on the ASX scene. The original investors and those that have come along the ride during the period will be questioning their wisdom at this stage.
The Miramar story has been one of my favourites to cover over the five years of creating the Samso platform. Those who have watched the Coffee with Samso series would have seen the great interaction between Allan Kelly, the company's Executive Chair and myself.
As we are both from the exploration side of our geological journey, it was very easy to have a great conversation about the ins and outs of all the projects in Miramar. What has been the biggest change is the company's changing fortune over the last two years. Miramar has not been singled out, as the last two years have not spared the majority of the small-cap ASX companies.
The bottom has fallen out of Miramar. It now trades at AUD $0.005, a true penny stock (see below).a genuine
Miramar Resources Limited share price as of 13th December 2024. (Source: Commsec)
Allan Kelly is still the man in charge, but the lack of success and wealth destruction of participants in this sector of the ASX over the last two years have meant that there is next to no strength in any bulls that may be in the stock.
This is definitely not good for the souls of management and the supporters, but that is what this side of the ASX is all about and has been the case since I entered the industry in 1992.
To understand my thoughts, lets first look at what business are we in.....
1.0 The ASX Small-Cap Mineral Exploration Conundrum?
The whole small-cap mineral exploration ASX sector is commonly described as a casino where investors accept the high risk and the incredibly unpredictable nature of the investment. As a long term partitioner and participant in this sector of the ASX, I resonate with that description because most people who invest in these companies don't care about the inner technical parts of the story. They are merely keen on how credible the story is and how it will excite the market, leading to a surging share price.
This kind of thinking is not wrong, as it has made many people a lot of money, and personally, in the early part of my "investing" episodes, I have also made a few good bets. For the readers who are golfers, this is that feeling of having a really bad 17 holes and that last perfect drive off the last tee makes you come back with gusto to do it all over again.
However, as we mature in the "wisdom of life," my views have changed after making many short-term investments that have become long-term holding investments, for which I am sure there will be many people who share this view.
Hence, the issue with this investment strategy is that we are not always part of the inner group that control the ins and outs of the company, either on the technical or the corporate side which I call the "Purple Circle". The filtering or the unravelling of the story often leads to us, the retail part of the game, holding the baby when the "Purple Circle" have already excited.
Over the years of learning on the job, my thinking has changed. Now, I like to think that the way to measure our interest in putting our hard earned money into a company must have some resemblance of "truth" or "high probability" that the project has some form of upside. I would also like to think that the guy looking after the operations knows what he or she is doing and is putting his hand on his heart in being sincere with his messaging.
As we all know, this is also not a guaranteed winning method of investing, but for me, it allows me to have some tangible way to measure my entry and exits from the stock.
A company like Miramar gives me the "feeling" that there is a genuine attempt to make an economic discovery, and when I speak to Allan Kelly, there is sincerity in his message. Don't get me wrong, I understand very well that Allan's best intentions are mutually exclusive to his ability to create reality.
2.0 Early Thoughts
Is Miramar Resources a good company with upside for discovery, absolutely. The company has good management and the projects are all prospective, from an exploration point of view. Allan is the driving forces of the exploration and he has a team of very competent people. The journey of discovery has always been challenging which is always at a conflict with the general shareholders and the brokering fraternity. When an exploration geologist look at the task at hand, which is to make a discovery, they are never under any misunderstanding that the prize of discovery is always measured in anything other than years.
This concept of measuring discovery in years is the major hurdle in maintaining a constant market capitalisation for companies such as Miramar. Exploration companies are a form of what I call a Spending Company with no income stream. Hence there is a continuing need to raise funds which inevitably falls into a cat and mouse game for brokers in the form of the source of funding and the entry price. The price of the company share price is always at the mercy of this game and those that take the blame are the likes of Allan.
Over the journey that Samso has been covering Miramar, I think the level of difficulty for the company to make a discovery has gone up a few levels. The company has now shifted focus from the Kalgoorlie Goldfields to the Gascoyne as it starts exploration activities in the Bangamall and Whaleback project regions.
Lets have a look at the company and get some context into the discussion to come with this compilation of details. Lets work through the projects that the company started with and understand the journey till now. Please be aware that the compilation of information is at the best I could do and its more to do with the setting of context of the discussion than the details.
3.0 How It All Started?
Miramar Resources Limited (Miramar) was admitted into the ASX on the 21st October 2020. There was 42,227,520 fully paid ordinary shares quoted on the first day of trading and the lead Manager was Shaw and Partners.
Table 1 below are some details of the restricted securities at the time of listing. These can can viewed as the incentive milestones for the receiving participants in the company. It is a good guide for the level of "eagerness" to make discoveries and hence create an uplift in the share price. On the downside, it is also a guide on the timing when a load of shares may come onto the register and potentially deflate the price at that time or slow down the rising share price.
Table 1: Restricted Securities [ Annoucnement 21st October 2020]
No. of Shares | Details | Escrowed Period | Details |
4,987,500 | Fully Paid Ordinary Shares | 26 June 2021 | |
6,495,080 | Fully Paid Ordinary Shares | 22 October 2022 | |
1,350,000 | Fully Paid Ordinary Shares | 22 October 2021 | |
3,000,000 | 20c Options | 22 October 2022 | On or Before 26th June 2025 |
6,650,000 | 20c Options | 26 June 2021 | On or Before 12 months after listing. |
1,560,000 | 20c Options | 22 October 2022 | On or Before 24 months after listing. |
6,000,000 | 25c Options | 22 October 2022 | On or Before 24 months after listing. |
For those who are interested in the Top 20 List at the time of the admission, check this link: [Top 20 List - 21st October 2020].
4.0 Management
When you are looking over the credentials of a typical mineral exploration company, you like to see the credentials listed within the Miramar corporate snapshot. Leading the list is Allan Kelly with over 25 years of experience in the industry with credentials and he was the Founding Managing Director of Doray Minerals. Doray made the discovery of the Andy Well Gold Mine about 45km north of Meekatharra.
Figure 1: Miramar Resources Limited - Corporate Snapshot - 21 October 2021. (Source: Market Index)
The presence of Marion Bush on the list makes two geologists on the Board which is a rare sight these days. The concept of a mineral exploration company without a strong technical presence appears to be common these days. As I mentioned earlier, the art of managing an exploration company on the ASX is more than having geologists on the Board. There is a lot of merit in having an experienced ASX small-cap practitioner on the Board leading the story.
There are many names in the industry that are non-geologists, who have made many investors wealthy. My point is that in the case of Miramar, the leadership with geological skills is a positive.
Another feature of management is that Allan has a strong presence on the share register which aligns people with the direction of the company. The mutual interest in making the share price and the market capitalisation of the company to go upwards is a good thing.
5.0 The Projects
One of the biggest dilemma in a small cap mineral explorer is how many projects is too many or too little. As an exploration geologist myself, I feel that companies like to have the spread of projects to re-risk. In the case of Miramar, the spread of projects does look at stretching the budget but as it has turned out, the shifting of focus to the Gascoyne may have its benefits.
From the recent announcements and the latest presentation, you are in no doubt that there is a shift in the direction of the company. Miramar is now all about the Capricorn Orogen Projects, Whaleshark and Bangemall (See Figure 2).
Interestingly, these two projects were what got me interested in Miramar. Contrary to the trends in the small cap mineral explorer sector, the companies that make the impact are those that make discoveries of size. There are too many companies making discoveries that are not scalable. Investors need to back companies that are chasing Elephants and the downside to that is the Risk-Reward of these kind of projects.
Jon Hronsky recently spoke on an episode of Coffee with Samso in 2021(see link below) about the need to examine the Risk-Reward position of investors who back well-balanced grassroots portfolios and brownfield projects.
Jon recently repeated this thought on an episode of Money of Mine, where he talks about how, when you look at the real picture, the actual risk is lower for a grassroots story than that of a brownfield concept. This has to be taken in context of his discussion, but many punters forget this or, in many cases, they don't care because their investment concept is based on following the money :-).
My initial thought on Miramar was that the Gidji JV was a hidden gem because it was a good-sized portfolio right in the Kalgoorlie goldfields. To have that kind of size in that region was a big surprise for me. The surprise I had during the episode of Coffee with Samso was a legitimate realisation of why Miramar was so actively working on that project.
Figure 2: Miramar Resources Limited - New Strategy - 21 June 2021, Gold Coast Investmentstory. Showcase. (Source: Market Index)
Lets have a quick reminder of the projects to get some context and background of the company.
5.1 Gidji JV - Eastern Goldfields Projects - Western Australia
(See Table 2 for a list of related announcements)
The Gidji JV Project is located within the Eastern Goldfields approximately 15km north of Kalgoorlie. The Project has 15km of strike along a major structure, the Boorara Shear Zone, and is underexplored despite proximity to numerous gold operations.
The Gidji JV (Figure 3) is one of the few projects that a 100,000 to 300,000 ounces discovery would be sufficient to monetise. The Miramar's approach to exploration is all about the commercial viability of the potential exploration discovery. Hence, the concept is that is always about the discovery of an economic discovery.
Figure 3: Miramar Resources Limited - Gidji JV Project . The figure highlight the prospectivity of the neighbouring mining centres. (Source: Miramar Annoucnement - 10th August 2022)
When I first looked at the Gidji project, I thought it was a small tenement and I was puzzled why was the company focusing on the Gidji JV. I did not realise that it had a 15km segment of a major shear sone, the Boorara Shear Zone. The fact that this is a piece of land in a very rich mineral province makes this a project.
Figure 4: A drilling history of the Gidji JV showing the different prospects within the project. (Source: Miramar RIU Explorers Conference - February 2023).
This kind of property do not come on the market often. The fact that Miramar has its hands on the tenements is a major win. Figure 4 highlights the prospective ground with the drilling history.
If you look at Figure 4 closely, you will see that Miramar has done a lot of work. If anyone has watched the Coffee with Samso with Allan Kelly you would have felt his excitement and optimism for the project. Mineral Exploration is in my blood and I resonate with everything Allan has said. I also understand that frustration when the results are not helping you sell the merits of the project.
We will discuss the merits of the Marylebone Exploration Target in the deeper part of this discussion.
Table 2: Announcements Related to Gidji JV Project.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | DATE |
2nd February 2023 | |
5th December 2022 | |
10th August 2022 | |
1st August 2022 | |
30th June 2022 | |
29th June 2022 | |
26th May 2022 | |
3rd May 2022 | |
13 April 2022 | |
8th April 2022 | |
10th March 2022 | |
4th March 2022 | |
10th January 2022 | |
10th January 2022 | |
22nd December 2022 | |
7th October 2022 | |
23rd September 2021 | |
13th September 2021 | |
2nd August 2021 | |
29th June 2021 | |
3rd June 2021 | |
11th may 2021 | |
6th May 2021 | |
15th April 2021 | |
12th April 2021 | |
16th March 2021 | |
11th February 2021 | |
1st February 2021 | |
1st December 2020 |
Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talk Chapters:
Discovery of the Primary source at Gidji : Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX: M2R) - Rooster Talk 63 - Published
The Gidji Story - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - Coffee with Samso - Episode 146 - Published 27th May 2022
A New Gold Camp in the Kalgoorlie Goldfields - Gidji Gold Project - Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX: M2R) - Published 20th February 2022
Mineral Exploration Success - Discovery at Marylebone - Miramar Resources Limited - Episode 118 - Published 1st November 2021
5.1.1 Nickel Potential at the Gidji JV.
On the 19th January 2023, Miramar announced significant PGE results at the Gidji JV promoting the nickel sulphide potential of the project. Now this is not a surprise as the Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone Belt is one of the richest mineral province in the world. It is home to several large nickel deposits. The immediate Kalgoorlie region is also a host to several nickel Sulphide and lateritic nickel deposits (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Gidji JV showing nearby nickel occurrences. (Source: Miramar Resources Limited, Annoucnement 19th January 2023)
The lack of historical results for nickel in the Gidji JV is probably the main hurdle in promoting the nickel sulphide area. Good results (Figure 5) are present for the company but with the lack of interest in nickel in Australia will make this concept not worth mentioning.
Figure 5: A plan showing aircore holes from the Gidji JV showing maximum nickel in hole over UAV magnetics.
5.1.2 Marylebone Exploration Target - Potentially a Red Herring to Pursue Gidji JV.
On the 2nd February, Miramar released an Exploration Target for the Marylebone prospect within the Gidji JV indicating an initial shallow gold target of 1.3 to 3.1 million tonnes, at a grade of 1.2 1.5g.t Au (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Drill plan of the Gidji JV project outlining the Exploration Target. (Source: Annoucnement 2nd February 2023)
As the exploration rolled on in Gidji, it became apparent that the Marylebone prospect was going to become the highlight with consistent drilling results. One of the issue with Gidji is the lack of a solid intersection that could bring substance to the smoke. There just needs to be more work required.
I understand that the Exploration Target at Marylebone is justified and has some merits. However, without the obvious smoking gun, I would caution spending more money here. The lack of funding and the lack of love for a gold story makes this path dangerous. It appears that management may have already moved on which is probably a good move.
5.1.3 The Gidji JV Quandary.
When exploration was happening in a big way at Gidji, I was really optimistic for a discovery. The theories were good and optimistic. However, missing smoking gun put an end to the hopes for Miramar.
The results that kept coming out was typical of projects that had been worked but lacked substance. The Eastern Goldfields are littered with these projects. As usual, I still had optimism because I have seen so many projects that was showing all the signs of no discovery but suddenly, the persistence lead the team to a discovery.
The Gidji JV optimism was all about being surrounded by over 20 million ounces of gold production with a radius of less than 30 km (Figure 3). Allan Kelly says "it is the cheapest house on the on the best street". The optimism is on song and has merits. The Kalgoorlie gold system is a proven system so the promise of Gidji having the potential to accumulate a reasonable resource either from supergene enrichment, alluvial or otherwise is not incorrect.
There is no doubt that the upside for Gidji lie in its location. As I mentioned earlier, if Miramar could find a minimum of 100,000 ounces, it would be easy to monetise in that region. The potential to find something in the 1M ounce range looks good too. As Miramar accumulated data (Figure 6), there is clear evidence of some form of gold mineralisation occurring.
Figure 6: Miramar Resources Limited - Gidji JV highlighting significant results from the new “Highway” target. . (Source: Miramar Annoucnement - 10th August 2022)
The last annoucnement that mentioned Gidji was way back on the 10th August 2022 and they released the results below:
GJAC717 – 5m @ 0.87g/t Au from 48m, including 1m @ 1.87g/t Au
GJAC718 – 1m @ 2.9g/t Au from 52m
GJAC721 – 4m @ 2.95g/t Au from 48m, including 3m @ 3.78g/t Au
GJAC725 – 8m @ 0.77g/t Au from 48m, 4m @ 1.13g/t Au
GJAC727 – 1m @ 2.53g/t Au from 51m
The issue for management and major shareholders is that one can take only that much teasing. You can see in Figure 6 that there are a few purple results (high grade) and you have to wonder what do we do there ? They are still not data points that are leading to an economic discovery.
In geology, we always say that there are three factors that make a potential discovery. The first is the Source, the second is a need for a Pathway and the third is the need for a Trap. At the moment, Miramar is missing all three here in Gidji.
5.1.4 Current Status of the GidJi JV
As it turned out, at the moment, Lady Luck was not at Gidji and the discovery remains elusive. Currently, it appears that the market forces have influenced the move away from Gidji to the Gascoyne projects. I dont see this as a bad move, nor is it a consolidatory strategy.
In fact, Allan himself mentioned this in the Coffee with Samso. Allan is realistic on what can be achieved. Allan is a believer of the the golden rule in this game, one must never fall in love with your project.
5.2 Glandore - Can It Make The Grade?
(See Table 3 for a list of related announcements)
The Glandore project to me was an odd project. It was one that had some prospect but I could not see the real potential. Sometimes, potentials in the game of mineral exploration do not come in a standard form. This area of the Kalgoorlie Goldfields has had a lot of attention. One of the frustrating part of the region is gold is everywhere.
Figure 5: Miramar Resources Limited - Glandore Gold Project. (Source: Miramar Annoucnement - 4th October 2022)
Once you have worked in this part of the region for long enough, you will understand that this region has been uncovering gold for a long long time. You become complacent to the hidden giants.
Hence, the exploration geologist in me will acknowledge that there is something at Glandore that could become an economic discovery. The first indication of potential mineralisation was released on the 12th September 2022, and is listed below and the cross-section of the drilling can be seen in Figure 6.
According to the release, GDDD001 was subsequently terminated at 78.66m after testing the interpreted position of the two high grade veins seen in the historic drilling.
Significant results from GDDD001 are as follows:
2.0m @ 2.45g/t Au from 32m, (includes 0.46m interval of lost core)
1.3m @ 3.34g/t Au from 47m (followed by 0.3m interval of lost core)
0.7m @ 13.85g/t Au from 65.98m (includes coarse visible gold)
0.8m @ 3.58g/t Au from 71.2m
Glandore could be a Maxwell or Randalls (Figure 5) which are now being mined by Silver Lake Resources Limited (ASX: SLR). The number of drill intercepts in the follow up announcements is a testament to the prospectivity of the project.
Figure 6: Glandore East cross section 6590320mN showing drilling at that stage. (Source: Miramar Annoucnement - 12th September 2022)
On the 4th October, Miramar released an annoucnement that "GDDD002 was drilled approximately 40m south of GDDD001 and intersected granodiorite, intruded by multiple felsic porphyry dikes and quartz veins (+/- sulphides) and coarse visible gold in a quartz vein at 152.5m, before being terminated at 169.06m."
Figure 7: GDDD002 showing visible gold in quartz vein within altered granodiorite at 153.17m. Main cluster of gold is approximately 1mm across with several smaller grains on and beneath the surface of the core. (for scale, blue circle is approximately 7mm across). (Source: Miramar Annoucnement - 4th October 2022)
Glandore, like most of the gold exploration projects all suffer from the lack of excitement in the market. Gold has been off the dancing table for a while now and this makes it hard to get market traction. Technically, I have learnt to like this project and at the same time, I understand the difficulty in promoting the upside.
The last announcement to date on Glandore was on the 19th December 2022 which is still giving some indication that there is a mineral system yet to be uncovered (Figure 8). However, I have a feeling that the small intercepts at this stage may be encouraging hope but the reality is that the race to discovering a major project may be running out of funding.
Figure 8: Glandore East showing diamond drilling and aircore gold footprint (red outline). (Source: Miramar Annoucnement - 19th December 2022)
As I see the outcome of Glandore, the search for something that will mimic Majestic (Figure 9) is credible but it is not going to happen soon. The lack of resources to pursue this search will determine the fate of the project. As we have mentioned in the early parts of this discussion, this is one of the reasons there are so many projects which showed promise but are left languishing in the never never.
Figure 9: The potential of the Glandore project. (Source M2R 19th December Annoucnement)
Table 3: Announcements Related to Glandore Project.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | DATE |
8th December 2022 | |
1st December 2022 | |
3rd November 2022 | |
4th October 2022 | |
4th October 2022 | |
19th September 2022 | |
12th September 2022 | |
30th May 2022 | |
15 January 2022 | |
1st December 2021 | |
8th September 2021 |
Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talk Chapters:
The Glandore Gold Project Story - A Discussion : Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX: M2R) - Rooster Talk - Published 22nd August 2022
The Glandore Story - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - Coffee with Samso - Episode 146 - Published 3rd June 2022
5.3 LangWell
(See Table 4 for a list of related announcements)
The Lang Well Project (Figure 10) is located in the Murchison region of Western Australia, roughly halfway between the Deflector (Silver Lake Resources Limited) and Golden Grove (29 Metals Limited) mining operations.
The Project consists of one granted and one pending Exploration Licence, covering 291 square km, and is considered prospective for gold and/or REE mineralisation.
Table 4: Announcements Related to Lang Well Project.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | DATE |
27th February 2023 | |
8th February 2023 | |
31st January 2023 | |
20th September 2022 | |
17th June 2022 | |
21 April 2022 | |
5th April 2022 |
Coffee with Samso Chapter:
The Lang Well Story - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - Coffee with Samso - Episode 146 - Published 10th June 2022
Figure 10: The Lang Well project. (Source Miramar Resources Limited 31st January 2023 Annoucnement)
The results coming out from the drilling program towards the end of 2022 has pretty much sealed the fate of this project. I think the company has divested the project and life has moved on.
5.4 Whaleshark - The Potential Real Gem for Miramar
(See Table 5 for a list of related announcements)
The Whaleshark Project (“Whaleshark” or “the Project”) is located approximately 40km east of Onslow, in the Ashburton region of Western Australia. The geology is a large folded Proterozoic Banded Iron Formation and granite complex under approximately 100m of later Carnarvon Basin sediments.
Miramar considers Whaleshark as an IOCG potential. Iron Oxide Copper Gold deposits are a highly prized discovery and are made famous by the likes of Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill, Carrapateena and Hillside in South Australia, and Ernest Henry and Mount Elliot in Queensland.
BHP Billiton, the owner and operator of Olympic Dam, claims that the site is the world’s largest multi-mineral deposit, valued at around US$ 1,000 billion. The total resources exceed 9 billion tonnes of ore, containing an average grade of 0.8 % copper, 280 ppm uranium oxide, 0.76 g/t gold and 3.95 g/t silver. This massive ore body also holds the title of hosting the world’s largest known deposit of uranium. (Source: Geology for Investors)
Geology for Investors has a good description of IOCG style deposits - Click Here.
Figure 11: The Whaleshark project. (Source: Miramar Resources Limited 7th November 2022 Annoucnement)
On the 7th November 2022, Miramar announced that a recently completed aircore drilling program had confirmed the presence of copper mineralisation which indicated that there are some resemblances to the Earnest Henry IOCG deposit.
The drilling program had outlined large copper and multielement anomalies suggestive of buried iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) mineralisation (Figure 12).
Allan Kelly Comments:
“The first pass aircore drilling at Whaleshark has successfully outlined large multi-element anomalies in several elements generally associated with IOCG mineralisation,” Mr. Kelly said.
“The scale, magnitude, and suite of elements seen at Whaleshark is very similar to the large Ernest Henry IOCG deposit in Queensland, which is our target at Whaleshark.
“We are therefore eager to get back to Whaleshark next year and refine targets for deeper RC and/or diamond drilling,” he said.
Figure 12: Whaleshark aircore drilling showing maximum copper in hole over 2VD magnetic image. (Source: Miramar Resources Limited 7th November 2022 Annoucnement)
In the announcement released on 14 December 2022, Miramar commented that the comparison of results from air-core drilling at Whaleshark with published results from research carried out at the Prominent Hill IOCG deposit in South Australia indicate the potential for the rare earth element (REE) anomalism seen at Whaleshark to be related to buried IOCG mineralisation.
Table 5: Announcements Related to Whaleshark Project.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | DATE |
4th September 2023 | |
7th August 2023 | |
14th June 2022 | |
21 April 2023 | |
14th February 2023 | |
14th December 2022 | |
7th November 2022 | |
19th August 2022 | |
13th December 2021 | |
3rd September 2021 | |
9th February 2021 |
The latest release on the 4th of September has given the project some evidence of finding the elusive copper mineralisation. Allan makes the comment that the drilling results confirmed the presence of bedrock sulphide mineralisation (Figure 13) at Whaleshark because this indicates that the MMI and air-core anomalies have a bedrock source.
Figure 13: Chalcopyrite “seam” in shear zone within biotite granodiorite (WSDD002 – 231.6m). (Source: Miramar Resources Limited)
Allan continues to say,
" This is the most significant evidence of the potential for IOCG mineralisation at Whaleshark since the project was first highlighted by WMC Resources in the mid-1990’s”.
Given the strong relationship between copper mineralisation and iron oxides in this style of deposit, our next step will be to drill test the other MMI, gravity and air-core anomalies associated with the Banded Iron Formation at each end of the NW-trending structure”
Here are some Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talk conversations with Allan where he describes the ins and outs of the Whaleshark project.
Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talk Chapters:
IOCG - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) | Coffee With Samso Ep. 164 - Published 16th December 2022
The Whaleshark Project Story - A Discussion : Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX: M2R) - Rooster Talk - Published 19th August 2022
Developing a Ni-Cu-PGE, Uranium and REE Story - The Whaleshark - Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX: M2R) - Published 21st February 2022
Whaleshark is a true mineral exploration project. It is born to be a conceptual play. The upside of discovery is the prize of an IOCG however, the level of difficulty level is many times more than a Gidji or a Glandore. The discovery is difficult and the verification and the resource-building exercise is just a difficult and will be measured in years.
However, if the company succeeds in striking the core or can show evidence of a fertile and endowed system within the project with a large intercept (for example, something in the range of >100m with >0.5% Cu), then we will see great capital appreciation in the value of the company. Investors need to realise that any discovery, especially at this stage will require patience. It is important to remember that discoveries of any type will take many stages for confirmation.
You don't hear of the stages of discoveries because in most cases, the market sentiment or the company's endurance changes focus and the project is left languishing. For these reasons, I do feel that chasing an IOCG style of mineralisation can be a double-edged sword. The prize is great but the journey is long and expensive.
As a reminder of the probability of success, there are many companies chasing this dream in South Australia and there is still only one operating IOCG mine and two that are near production. Olympic Dam was discovered in 1975 and the first production was in 1988.
If Miramar continues to gain market support, then Whaleshark may see the production table, if not, the initial drilling better be good.
5.5 Bangamall - A Dark Horse within the Miramar Stable.
(See Table 6 for a list of related announcements)
The Bangemall story is little known as exploration activities has just begun. It has taken the company a long time to get on the ground and of all the projects, I like this one the most.
Table 6: Announcements Related to Bangemall Project.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | DATE |
24th July 2023 | |
25th May 2023 | |
17th January 2023 | |
14th November 2022 | |
3rd October 2022 | |
23rd June 2022 | |
3rd February 2022 | |
25th January 2022 | |
1st September 2021 | |
6th January 2021 |
Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talk Chapters:
Bangemall – Other Commodities? - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - 14th December 2022
Bangemall – Is this a Misunderstood Mineral System? - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - Published 12th December 2022
Significance of Uranium-Thorium Anomalies - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - Published 9th December 2022
The Bangemall Ni-Cu-PGE / Carbonatite project - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - 7th December 2022
The Bangemall Story - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - Coffee with Samso - Episode 146 - Published 17th June 2022
The Ingredients for a Ni-Cu-PGE discovery - The Bangemall Project - Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX: M2R) - Published 21st February 2022
6.0 Conclusion - The Samso Blueprint for the Miramar Story
So what do I think about Miramar? From a project point of view, the path that is being taken is fated. What I mean is that the state of the market and the rate of success at Gidji JV has made the company take a natural path toward Whaleshark.
Allan Kelly would be the first to agree. There was a lot of work that had gone into Gidji and the lack of success has taken its toll on the company. The state of the equity market has not helped the cause of the company. The rising monetary policies that we have seen in Australia and the rest of the world have pretty much-taken risk out of the funding equation.
With the incoming of President Trump and the incoming tarrifs will make funding mineral exploration very difficult. The atypical risk-reqard issues is ahrd enough diuring the good times, but with the impending tarrif war, it may just be a bridge too far. Miramar has felt the decreasing support for mineral exploration plays on the ASX and this is what the small-cap industry is all about for investors. This sector is all about the roller-coaster ride of boom and bust.
7.0 What Does It Mean for Investors?
Investors can take comfort that the projects were not "hot air". The exploration strategy, in my humble opinion, was not inconsistent with any other company. The market sentiment since the company was listed has been what I would call anomalous. What I mean is that the two years after COVID-19 have been extraordinary. In my 30+ years in this industry, the amount of money raised during that period was definitely not normal.
The market sentiment in the last 24 months is typical of the boom-bust cycle in the small-cap minerals exploration business. There is nothing "different" about the market.
The recent announcements are clearly now chasing the Gascoyne projects but the dwinbdling market interest is not a good thing for Miramar.
There is no going back to Gidji JV and Glandore, in my opinion. I really cannot see any value, for the moment, in going back there as another "failed" program in those projects will definitely put them to bed permanently. Unless there is surplus funding that cannot to allocated to Whaleshark or Bangamall, there will be no further work on those projects.
In this business, there is always the acquisition factor which is always being considered by management. I am sure that the Miramar management is evaluating other prospects constantly and if there is something that appears to be value-adding to the Miramar story, that will be considered.
8.0 Samso Concluding Thoughts
Miramar is in a state of flux in that it is now trying to make good of what is left in the portfolio. The search for an IOCG discovery is going to be hard and it will be costly. The latest announcement that talked about bedrock copper mineralisation is a small glimpse of the potential. What that new information also reveals is that there is a lot of work ahead.
Allan Kelly is an experienced operator and I am sure that there may be other irons in the fire as we conclude this discussion. As for now, my thoughts are that the remaining projects that Miramar is working on look promising but how far the company goes with the projects will be determined by a combination of drilling success, funding appetite, equity market status, and the resolve of directors to remain active in finding other potential new projects.
With such a low market capitalisation, the corporate vultures will be out there and I am sure the conversations are already happening. Investors may want to look at taking positions for a corporate play rather than a technical benefits. This is very typical of the lifespan of companies such as Miramar.
The recent mergers and acquisitions in the sector is very typical of the changing cycle of boom and bust. It is a repeating historical cycle and it is easy to google lots of content out there that will show we are at the eve of the next bull run. Will this mean that Miramar will be a target for a redirection for new investors, will this mean that new life is required for the current investors to recoup their previous investments, this is something that will pan out over the coming months.
Historical events may also show that a discovery from existing project will propel the fortunes and this is why serious and experienced investors in the sector call this the only game in town and the Casino is always full of surprises.
Further references
Coffee with Samso
Mineral Exploration - Creating Value Organically - Miramar Resources Limited (ASX: M2R) - Episode 68
Rooster Talk
Miramar Resources Ltd (ASX: M2R) Exploration Update: Gidji - Glandore - Whaleshark - Rooster Talk 63
About Allan Kelly
Executive Chairman
Mr. Kelly is a geologist and manager with over 25 years’ experience in mineral exploration, development and production throughout Australia and the Americas.
Mr. Kelly graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science (with honours) in Applied Geology from Curtin University. He has been involved in targeting early-stage exploration of gold, nickel and copper deposits in Australia, Alaska and Canada and has previously held senior exploration positions within Western Mining Corporation and Avoca Resources Limited. He has also served as an Executive Director of Riversgold Ltd and a non-executive director of Alloy Resources Ltd.
In 2009, Mr. Kelly founded Doray Minerals Limited, which listed on the ASX in early 2010. Under Mr. Kelly’s management, Doray discovered the high-grade Wilber Lode gold deposit within the Andy Well Project in the Murchison Region of Western Australia, which moved from discovery to production within three and a half years, and subsequently funded, constructed and commissioned the Deflector Gold-Copper Project within 14 months of completing the takeover of Mutiny Gold Limited in 2014.
In 2014, Mr. Kelly was awarded the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) ‘Prospector Award’, along with Doray’s co-founder Mr. Heath Hellewell, for the discovery of the Wilber Lode and Andy Well gold deposits.
Mr. Kelly is a Fellow and Former Councillor of the Association of Applied Geochemistry (AAG), a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) and a Member of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD).
About Miramar Resources Limited (ASX:M2R)
Miramar Resources Limited is a Western Australian focused mineral exploration company with projects in the Eastern Goldfields, the Murchison and Gascoyne regions. The portfolio of exploration projects has high potential for new gold discoveries within trucking distance of existing operations and for the discovery of nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) mineralisation.
Miramar aims to create shareholder value through discovery and the Board has a proven track record of successful discovery, development and production.
Latest ASX Announcements
Disclaimer
The information or opinions provided herein do not constitute investment advice, an offer or solicitation to subscribe for, purchase or sell the investment product(s) mentioned herein. It does not take into consideration, nor have any regard to your specific investment objectives, financial situation, risk profile, tax position and particular, or unique needs and constraints. Read full Disclaimer.
Share to Grow: Your Bonus
Samso has just released an eBook: How to Add Value to your Share Portfolio
A lesson on geological models sought by mining companies that gives insight and an understanding of which portfolios are better - and potentially more lucrative – investments. Click here to download this eBook.
If you find this article informative and useful, please help me share the information. I try and write about topics that are interesting and have the potential to be of investment value. It is not easy to find stories that fit those parameters. If you or your organisation see the benefit of what Samso is trying to achieve and have a need to share your journey, please contact me on noel.ong@samso.com.au.
Comments