I find it interesting that a few comments from the US Treasury Secretary at the Davos gathering in Switzerland, more so than a nuclear threat on Hawaii, can spark an increase in the value of GOLD, & decline in the USD. I’m also hearing a lot of rumble about the US returning to a GOLD Standard, to underpin the currency. Apparently, the new Fed Chair appointed by President Trump is sympathetic to that notion. Is there enough GOLD in the world to do that? Enhancing the GOLD landscape even further is the growing fear of a minimum 5% correction on the major US indices, believed by most experts to be about two years overdue. Taking a quick look at major indices around the world, most listed equities trade at roughly 15 to 20 times earnings. However, the major US indices are running 30-40 times earnings, or severely ‘overbought’, by anyone’s standards.

With three Open Pit zones, the 1,000,000oz GOLD resource at Explor’s Timmins Porcupine West property becomes more attractive with each uptick of the price of GOLD. The Delineation drilling plan has been completed, and management has been working tirelessly to finalize funding for the plan. Dupont believes all the pieces will be in place shortly, and is hopeful the project will be well underway as the 2018 PDAC event in Toronto commences in early March. Further, the drilling program on the Company’s East Bay property is now complete, with initial assays due any time now. Dupont is in constant contact with the lab, and has been assured that he will have the results in hand, by no later than the end of next week. Those results will include the heavily mineralized second hole that management seems to be quite excited about.

During my recent discussion with Dupont, he also indicated progress is being made in regards to the Chester Copper resource in New Brunswick. A Delineation drilling plan has been developed, and he seems quite positive about ongoing discussions with potential suitors.