Maurice Jackson: Welcome to Proven and Probable. Today, we're going to highlight an early-stage exploration company focused on copper, gold and silver located in the Yukon, in Canada's prolific Minto Copper District, Granite Creek Copper Ltd. (GCX:TSX.V). Our featured company has seen its share price increase from $0.03 to $0.10 in less than 60 days. They're fully cashed up and ready to begin their 2020 field season. Joining us for a conversation is Tim Johnson, president and CEO of Granite Creek Copper.
Mr. Johnson, glad to have you back. It's been a while. And since that time, Granite Creek has achieved a couple of significant milestones, including a successful financing (click here) and the launch of your 2020 field season.
But before we get into that, Mr. Johnson, give us a basic overview of Granite Creek Copper and the Stu Copper-Gold project.
Tim Johnson: The Stu Copper-Gold project was acquired by the company in January of 2019. It was a land package that had been held by a Yukon prospector and he had, over the years since the 1980s, been acquiring claims and assembling this land package in a significant copper belt. GCX is located in central Yukon. The nearest town is the village of Carmacks, and we're on a paved highway from the capital Whitehorse, with good infrastructure. We have hydro within 20 kilometers of the property, along with good road access into the center of the property. We sit just south of the operating Minto mine and we are north and adjacent to the advanced-stage Carmacks deposit.
Maurice Jackson: In terms of progress to date, you've been rather aggressive, I should say, including securing an existing database containing some prior drilling, is that correct?
Tim Johnson: Shortly after acquiring the property, we were made aware of a private database that held information that had never been made public, and we were able to acquire that. And then, subsequently, we also acquired raw data from an airborne survey that was flown in 2008. And again, that survey had only a portion of it made public and no work had been done on that data. When you typically fly a geophysics survey. . .all sorts of post-processing work is done to help focus your efforts on the ground. None of that work had been done so it was quite a treasure trove of information that we were able to get and put together.
Maurice Jackson: Allow me to be the first, Mr. Johnson, to congratulate you and the entire team for successfully completing the financing and the beginning of your 2020 field work. What's the strategy there, and the plan, and take us through some of the geology that you're seeing and what that might mean in terms of opportunity for us.
Tim Johnson: Well, it all references back to that database that we acquired. So, the property was drilled in the 1980s, but the company that drilled at the time had the entire belt. What they discovered is that the Minto geology was much easier to figure out, as it was more exposed at surface. Therefore, their efforts were focused there and they never really completed their exploration program on what is now the Stu properties. They let that property lapse and, like I said, it's been held private since the 1980s. There was roughly 5,000 meters of drilling done and only 20% of that core was ever sampled. They only sampled the obvious high-grade material. There is a mineralized core on the property that's never been assayed.
What we've since discovered is that they weren't focused on precious metals and were using an in-house lab with very high detection limits on precious metals. Noteworthy to mention that a lot of stuff, say sub-gram gold material, wasn't even recognized. Granite Creek Copper's program this summer is going to focus on re-assaying as much of that core as we can using a modern lab with modern detection limits. And we hope that we're going to be able to bring some of those precious metals that we know likely are there, but had been previously below the detection limit, into our resource model.
Maurice Jackson: Let's go to the Stu Copper-Gold project. In terms of the district, it's all there. You've got highway, power access and an operator to the north. How does that all come together for the benefit of Granite Creek shareholders?
Tim Johnson: This is a key point for investors because it gives us three exit strategies. If we find a modest resource, we'll be able to do a toll milling or potentially some sort of an agreement with our neighbor to the north with an operating mill that we know is underutilized right now. They can take mill feed. If we find a larger resource, then we become a takeover target for them as they would want to secure that resource.
And if we find a larger resource yet, then we attract a major player to the belt. And we think probably the best value for investors, and the highest potential, is that we can show the larger players in the copper space the potential for the belt. We think there's multiple billion pounds of copper within the belt, from the Carmacks deposit to the south up to Minto, and that's what we want to prove up.
Maurice Jackson: Now that the financing is complete, please provide us with an update on the capital structure.
Tim Johnson: Granite Creek Copper has 60 million shares outstanding. We've got about a 100 million fully diluted, and that portion would bring in about $2.5 million in cash, should all those warrants be exercised. We have just about $1.5 million in the bank. And we also have, on top of that, securities of 30% ownership in Copper North Mining Corp. that gives our investors access to, or exposure to, an existing resource. We want to build on that resource on our own ground and see what the economics of putting those two resources together is going to look like.
Maurice Jackson: On March 23, the share price was $0.03. Fast forward 60 days later, Mr. Johnson, what is the current share price?
Tim Johnson: The current share price is $0.10. We're pretty pleased with that and we see upside potential for our share place.
Maurice Jackson: Last question, sir: What did I forget to ask?
Tim Johnson: You forgot to ask—or maybe I forgot to say—about the nature of our collaborative approach to development within the belt. We keep our neighbors informed of what we're doing, and they keep us informed of what they're doing. We think the best strategy here is to attract a large player to the belt. And we're only going to do that if we work together.
Maurice Jackson: Mr. Johnson, for readers that want to get more information on Granite Creek Copper, please share the contact details.
Tim Johnson: You can get a hold of us at www.gcxcopper.com.
Maurice Jackson: Granite Creek Copper trades on the TSX.V: GCX. Granite Creek Copper is a sponsor of Proven and Probable and we are proud shareholders for the virtues conveyed in today's message. Before you make your next bullion purchase, make sure you call me. I'm a licensed representative for Miles Franklin Precious Metals Investments, where we have several options to expand your precious metals portfolio. From physical delivery, off-shore depositories, and precious metal IRAs. Call me at (855) 505-1900, or you may email maurice@milesfranklin.com. Finally, please subscribe to Proven and Probable for mining insights and bullion sales. Subscription is free.
Maurice Jackson is the founder of Proven and Probable, a site that aims to enrich its subscribers through education in precious metals and junior mining companies that will enrich the world.
[NLINSERT]Disclosure:
1) Maurice Jackson: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Granite Creek Copper. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: Granite Creek Copper is a sponsor of Proven and Probable. Proven and Probable disclosures are listed below.
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