In recent weeks, Canada-based exploration company Gold’n Futures Mineral Corp. (CSE: FUTR)(FSE: G6M) announced various developments and plans to make noticable progress in the mining service. FUTR focuses on acquiring future precious metal properties with the aim of making new discoveries in established gold camps in Canada. Thanks to the recent announcements of a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Argonaut Gold Inc. (TSX: AR) and an upgrade of the technical report, an interview was conducted to discover what the company is focusing on and what their expectations are around the various projects.
PSN: For those who are not (or little) familiar with Gold’n Futures Mineral Corp. (CSE: FUTR), how can we describe your company and activities in the best way possible?
FUTR: Gold’n Futures is a Canadian based exploration company focused on acquiring prospective precious metals properties with the objective of making new discoveries in established gold camps.
PSN: What are the short and long term goals of FUTR? And what business strategy is or will be used to achieve these term goals?
FUTR: The short term is finalizing our option agreement with Argonaut Gold Inc. so that we take control of the Hercules project, and our long term goal is to prove the economic value of the Hercules deposit.
PSN: What arguments can be given for the non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Argonaut Gold Inc.? And how did it come to this statement, as in: which opportunities do you foresee?
FUTR: The LOI will lead to the signing of a definitive option agreement shortly. We believe we are paying a reasonable price for the opportunity to own 90% of this high prospective project.
PSN: For the location area – The Thunder Bay North Mining District – the work completed on the property forms an extensive database including reconnaissance grab samples. What specific developments are in the pipeline to add to this continuation? And how can this be profitable?
FUTR: Almost 700 drill holes were drilled by Kodiak Resources back in 2008 to 2011. A National Instrument 43-101 Mineral Resource currently classified as a “historical estimate” was completed by Watts Griffis and McOuat in 2010 who also completed a gold resource model on the project. Subsequent drilling (196 drill holes) in 2011 was completed but not included in the technical report. Our geologists plan on updating the 43-101 technical report and conducting a geological model including downhole surveys, with the goal of providing a more robust resource model. Once our option agreement with Argonaut is finalized, this should all be completed within 4 months.
PSN: The Hercules Project has a rich history and high potential. Still, the project failed in 2008 and has been resumed later. How does FUTR ensure that this high potential is achieved this time? And how much is the estimated output of this project?
FUTR: The project did not fail. The project was just taking off when the financial markets melted down in late 2008 and 2009. Kodiak’s market value went from $450M down to $50M following the financial collapse at which time they merged with Golden Goose Resources and became Prodigy Gold. Prodigy was acquired by Argonaut gold in 2012. The project was put on hold and placed in Argonauts inventory for the future. FUTR plans a four-year detailed drill program based on determining the source of all the gold showings on the extensive project. The long and the short of it is however, the project was mismanaged from the start by Kodiak who drilled to its hearts content looking for the motherload without properly modeling the project in advance. Kodiak failed to properly access the results of early drilling, whether at depth or along strike as, Kodiak was afforded initially excessive funding (i.e. $50M). Kodiak then went forward with four drills and excessive trenching expanding the footprint of the project with no discernible modeling to determine the source of the gold.
We will be initially updating the 43-101 prepared by Waats Griffis and McOuat (incorporating the 196 drill holes which were drilled subsequent to the 2010 resource model); then performing a geological assessment including downhole surveying; and finally, completing an updated resource model. At that point we will have a significantly better idea where to employ our drills to expand on the resource which happens to be open along strike and at depth and based on a 1 gm cut-off and 60 Gm cap when gold was $800 an oz. As much drilling that has previously been done, we believe that this project is a high grade deposit which has yet to be properly explored or advanced.
As per our Geo, Walter Hanych, “Kodiak failed to evaluate the sub parallel zones one of which was discovered subsequent to the 2010 resource model provided in the Watts Griffis and McOuat (“WGM”) technical report. 196 drill holes were drilled subsequent to the WGM report’s resource model and discovered the Lucky Strike zone which is subparallel to the Golden Mile. The interesting thing is the WGM report actually suggested targeting these zones to increase the resource. In addition, according to Argonaut’s geologists, the zones were wider than reported as Kodiak did not sample the shoulders of the intervals they sampled. So we will be returning to the well preserved original core and sampling the shoulders of the original cores as part of our remodelling of the resource.”
Among the recommendations in the 2010 WGM report:
- Any old core that is available should be re-sampled (or sampled more thoroughly within the mineralized zones). If this core is not available, possibly pulps can be re-assayed. Some of the new Kodiak drilling does not appear to have assaying through the potential mineralized zones and these zones should be completely assayed;
- WGM recommends that future Mineral Resource estimates, after more drilling is conducted, include evaluation of multiple capping strategies for individual zones and possibly different grade interpolation techniques; WGM also strongly recommends that considering some of the rocks are magnetic and many drillholes are deep, Kodiak use alternate down-hole surveying methods. The magnetic technique currently used can give rise to unreliable results and sample locations so WGM suggests that a nonmagnetic multi-shot downhole drillhole survey system be used for all future drilling, such as a gyro or optical system;
- The majority of the previous exploration programs have focussed on defining an economic resource on the GM and WLG zones where gold mineralization has been outlined with surface trenches and diamond drilling. These two main deposits have some upside potential, particularly at depth, however it is the other lesser known / understood deposits in the area that remain under-explored;
Drilling Programs
The drilling programs are designed to test the extensions of the known mineralized zones, other than the Golden Mile vein. This will be done by a combination of both “step-out” and “in-fill” drilling programs.
In consultation with Kodiak, the following areas have been identified for further delineation drilling:
- Lucky Strike: testing the zone along the structure and to test the down-dip extension of the high-grade zone;
- Bobby Ore: test for the eastern extension of the zone;
- Amede Zone: test the extension of the zone southeast of the intrusion which was previously thought to be the termination of the Golden Mile structure. This is to carried out in conjunction with the drilling program at the Bobby Ore Zone; also between the Amede/Golden Mile and Wilkinson Lake/Penelton zones (3 Kings);
- Marino: test the down-dip extension of the high grade zone and the extension along strike which the ground magnetic survey has identified as “lows”; and
- Golden Pond: test continuity of the structure. This was initially scheduled for as a winter program, but due to a milder than expected weather, it was re-scheduled and modified for a summer drill program. Drilling also has been budgeted to test another shear zone (Findian 3) which has been identified in the west central portion of the Property. This is a 2 to 5 km long shear zone with an east-west trend.
PSN: In addition to The Hercules Project, you said to expect an increase with the estimated mineral resources as the Technical Report is based on a gold price of $850 per oz and a 1 oz/gm. With the current gold price around $1900 per oz, that is a significant difference. To what extent does this have a positive effect on your new findings and figures?
FUTR: Significant! And in less than 4 months.
PSN: In addition to the former project, sufficient attention is also paid to the Cree Lake Gold Project. What are the ambitions within this project and in what format can we think when we talk in terms of the output again?
FUTR: Cree Lake is an earlier stage gold exploration project. It has had previous drilling but not enough to provide a resource. We are planning to model this project as well for another drill program, but our immediate focus is Hercules of which we know the value.
PSN: FUTR can earn a 50% stake in the property, if the terms of the LOI are met within a 4-year period. How does your company view the feasibility of these terms and on what lies your highest concentration in realizing these conditions?
FUTR: We plan on accelerating our earn in of 50%, once definitive documentation is executed, as we can work on the property through all seasons. The project has easy access from the highway. Our plan is to complete all the necessary expenditures in less than 4 years.
PSN: The figures from the Historical Estimate (Technical Report) date from 2005. How useful or relevant are these previous data and when will new figures be issued by FUTR?
FUTR: These are very reliable figures from the previous operators technical report. The WGM report had a number of recommendations which I noted above. We plan on performing the recommended work in due course. The new figures as noted above will be available within four months.
PSN: You have published plenty of information about the Golden Mile. Which data is the most important to focus on, and how does this location distance itself from similar areas of competitors?
FUTR: This project is in the middle of a highly prospective gold area in northern Ontario where numerous other gold mines have been discovered. The project was selected Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association as the discovery of the year in 2008. There are over 650 drill holes and technical data which must be reviewed and assessed before new drilling is to be done.
PSN: What is the current financial state of the assets, income and possible debts? In other words, how ‘healthy’ is FUTR in 2020?
FUTR: We are a new listing with just under $1M in the bank. We plan on raising another $5M shortly.
PSN: Why did FUTR enter the CSE stock market (August 20, 2020)? And how do you look back on this decision and the progress till today?
FUTR: I have listed numerous companies on the CSE, which is an excellent stock exchange for raising money for junior resource companies.
PSN: Based on the current world developments, what has FUTR experienced since the outbreak of COVID-19? How did the pandemic effect the business? And how did you respond to this?
FUTR: We have no issues with COVID-19 as we have done no field work to date. Our plan is to ensure safety above all else once field work begins in 2021. Hopefully a vaccine will be available by then.
PSN: For those being quite unfamiliar with this industry, what is the main incentive for a company like FUTR to make it profitable and interesting for new investors or shareholders?
FUTR: There should be a significant rise in the share price over the next few months as more data is interpreted and our updated resource model and 43-101 is completed and reported.
PSN: Why should potential shareholders or investors choose for FUTR on this market? What sets FUTR apart from the competition?
FUTR: We believe Hercules is a world class gold project that presents us with a huge opportunity. Poor decisions by previous operators did excessive drilling without looking for the source of gold i.e. previous operators did not look at the structural data to determine the source of the gold. This would have directed their drilling to different areas on the property. We are currently building a first-class management team to advance the project in a positive direction.
PSN: How or where can interested parties follow your developments in the best way?
FUTR: Through news releases on our website at ‘Goldnfuturesmineralcorp.com’. And also follow us on the Frankfurt exchange.
PSN: Finally, is there anything that hasn’t been discussed in this interview about FUTR that you would like to share with us?
FUTR: The founders of FUTR are very experienced investors. There plan is to create value for shareholders.
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