Lithium Universe (LU7:AU) has announced Change of Management Role
Download the PDF here.
Lithium Universe (LU7:AU) has announced Change of Management Role
Download the PDF here.
Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Questcorp’) is pleased to announce the commencement of the first phase work program at its La Union carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) project, located in Sonora, Mexico. Questcorp is earning a 100% interest from Riverside Resources Inc. in the 2,520 ha (25 km sq) property by making a series of cash payments and share issuance and completing a series of exploration expenditures.
The initial stages of phase one will concentrate on finalizing the location of drill targets and drill pads for the upcoming drill program. Field activities are underway and include:
‘We are extremely pleased to initiate the fully funded first phase work program at La Union,’ commented Questcorp President & CEO Saf Dhillon. ‘We are first concentrating on de-risking the upcoming 1,500 metre drill program scheduled for mid to late Q3 through alteration mapping and IP geophysics,’ he continued. ‘Under the technical expertise of John-Mark Staude and the Riverside team we are confident we are maximizing every exploration dollar being invested at La Union,’ he concluded.
Riverside Resources Inc. President & CEO John-Mark Staude stated ‘The work program is going well, I have been in the field this past week with the exploration team and pleased to see the safe, high quality focus of good work and diving into careful review of the planned drill sites and now the IP program is underway. It is great to work with Saf, Tim and the entire Questcorp organization.’
The La Union Project
The La Union Project is a carbonate replacement deposit (‘CRD‘) project hosted by Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks (limestones, dolomites, and siliciclastic sediments) overlying crystalline Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Caborca Terrane. The structural setting features high-angle normal faults and low-to-medium-angle thrust faults that sometimes served as mineralization conduits. Mineralization occurs as polymetallic veins, replacement zones (mantos, chimneys), and shear zones with high-grade metal content, as shown in highlight grades of 59.4 grams per metric tonne (g/t) gold, 833 g/t silver, 11% zinc, 5.5% lead, 2.2% copper, along with significant hematite and manganese oxides, consistent with a CRD model (see the technical report entitled ‘NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Union Project, State of Sonora, Mexico’ dated effective May 6, 2025 available under Questcorp’s SEDAR+ profile). These targets also demonstrate intriguing potential for large gold discoveries potentially above an even larger porphyry Cu district potential as the Company’s target concept at this time.
Questcorp cautions investors grab samples are selective by nature and not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization on the property.
Riverside, the operator of the La Union Project, is currently lining up the various geophysical contractors to immediately undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets.
The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P. Geo (BC), a director of the Company and a ‘qualified person’ under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Questcorp Mining Inc.
Questcorp Mining Inc. is engaged in the business of the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in North America, with the objective of locating and developing economic precious and base metals properties of merit. The Company holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 1,168.09 hectares comprising the North Island Copper Property, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, subject to a royalty obligation. The Company also holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union Project located in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation.
Contact Information
Questcorp Mining Corp.
Saf Dhillon, President & CEO
Email: saf@questcorpmining.ca
Telephone: (604) 484-3031
This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking statements’ under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to Riverside’s arrangements with geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the ability of Riverside to secure geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets as contemplated or at all, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the geophysical surveys will be completed as contemplated or at all and that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/256556
News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia
Canada’s tech sector saw momentum this week, with announcements spanning venture capital and quantum computing, as well as global policy leadership news out of the G7 summit.
On Tuesday (June 17), Axl, a newly founded Canadian venture studio, announced plans to help launch 50 artificial intelligence (AI) companies in Canada over the next five years, supported by a C$15 million fund led by co-founder Daniel Wigdor, a computer science professor at the University of Toronto.
The venture’s other founders are Tovi Grossman, another University of Toronto professor, entrepreneur Ray Sharma and former Telus (TSX:T,NYSE:TU) executive David Sharma. Mining magnate Rob McEwen of McEwen Mining (TSX:MUX,NYSE:MUX) and Smart Technologies co-founder David Martin are also investors.
According to Wigdor, Axl will tackle practical business problems and connect them with promising academic research in a bid to keep Canadian innovation at home. “The social contract academics believe we have with society is that we invent these technologies and inspire people,” he told the Globe and Mail on Tuesday. “The tragedy is that the foundational technologies we’re inventing in Canada are not accruing capital for Canada.’
Wigdor pointed to his own career as a cautionary tale, explaining that the iPhone’s multi-touch interface was presaged by research he conducted in the early 2000s for his University of Toronto thesis, which itself built on concepts pioneered by University of Toronto professor Bill Buxton in the 1980s.
Other University of Toronto AI breakthroughs fueled the international rise of figures like Geoffrey Hinton, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and xAI’s Jimmy Ba, all of whom took their expertise to US-based companies.
Initiatives like Axl’s signal a proactive approach to Canada’s challenge of retaining tech talent and capitalizing on its world-class research; however, its success will hinge on broader public support.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled that fostering tech innovation at home is a priority. He told G7 leaders that driving the digital transition, led by AI and quantum computing, would be one of his top goals at the summit.
Quantum technology was reportedly discussed at length during the two day meeting, which took place in Kananaskis, Alberta. In addition, a joint statement from members released by the prime minister’s office indicates that Canada will launch the G7 GovAI Grand Challenge and host a series of Rapid Solution Labs “to develop innovative and scalable solutions to the barriers we face in adopting AI in the public sector.”
That emphasis echoes longstanding concerns from the research community.
A 2024 letter acquired by the Logic and sent to then-innovation minister François-Philippe Champagne by the Quantum Advisory Council cites the significant sums that other countries have invested in quantum technology.
“The cost of inaction is tremendous,” the group wrote at the time, pointing to Canada’s history of “inventing core technologies,” but letting other countries “grow industries around our inventions.”
The council proposed a C$1 billion program that would mirror the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), which fosters domestic quantum computing in the US. The QBI has selected 18 companies for its first phase, including three from Canada; firms that demonstrate the ability to build a functional quantum computer by 2033 will be eligible to receive up to US$316 million, making it a potential “kingmaker” program.
The second phase of the program is set to launch in August 2025. While no relocation demands have been made, concerns exist that later-stage QBI terms could force Canadian winners to the US.
The Quantum Advisory Council said its proposed program would be run by the National Research Council, which would independently assess firms to accelerate the development of competitive domestic quantum companies.
It would build on a C$360 million national quantum strategy announced in April 2021.
The council’s recommendations include increased grants for scientific and social science research into quantum technologies, and a new federal clusters program to foster regional quantum ecosystems encompassing research, development and training, alongside ethical and secure use. It also calls for significant investment in quantum-safe software certification and the development of other security systems.
In a speech at the Quantum Now conference in Montreal on Thursday (June 19), Canada’s AI minister, Evan Solomon, emphasized the need to protect Canada’s talent pipeline. “We cannot allow short-term funding opportunities to hollow out our domestic capabilities or transfer generations of Canadian innovation outside our borders,” he said.
Earlier this month, the minister said he would move away from “over-indexing on warnings and regulation” and instead focus on finding ways to unleash the economic potential of AI. The ongoing collaboration between government initiatives and private ventures will be key to unlocking Canada’s full potential in the new digital era.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
DY6 Metals Ltd (ASX: DY6, “DY6” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the initial visual estimations from the reconnaissance exploration program at the Douala Basin HMS Project, Cameroon. Desktop studies incorporating detailed geological mapping, geophysics, and known mineral occurrences, were used to define initial, high priority targets for ground- truthing. The reconnaissance programme, which consisted of hand auger and channel sampling, was successful in identifying high estimated concentrations of heavy mineral (HM) mineralisation across all the six tenements that make up the project. Additionally, the Company’s consultants have observed the presence of natural rutile grains within panned concentrates.
HIGHLIGHTS
Samples collected from this initial exploration programme are currently being prepped for dispatch to the Company’s laboratory for analysis in South Africa, with results expected in the September quarter.
Technical Consultant, Cliff Fitzhenry, commented:“While the Company’s primary focus is on the Central Rutile Project, where we have recently reported the presence of wide-spread residual natural rutile mineralisation, we believe that the Douala Basin HMS project has significant potential. The reconnaissance programme has over the last few weeks demonstrated the potential of the area, with the identification of high concentrations of visible heavy mineral sands across the project tenements through a mixture of auger, channel, and soil sampling work. Pleasingly, we have also observed natural rutile grains at Douala Basin.
We look forward to the assay results of the reconnaissance programme in the coming months.”
Reconnaissance exploration at the Douala Basin HMS Project
As announced on 5 June 2025, the Company commenced reconnaissance auger and grab sampling programmes at the Central Rutile and Douala Basin HMS projects, Cameroon. At the Douala Basin project, the Company has completed 12 hand auger drill holes (refer Figure 1), collecting 53 samples in the process, as well as collected 38 channel samples from 11 surfaces for analysis (refer Tables 1 & 2).
Cautionary Statement:
The Company cautions that, with respect to any visual mineralisation indicators, visual observations and estimates of mineral abundance are uncertain in nature and should not be taken as a substitute or proxy for appropriate laboratory analysis. Visual estimates also potentially provide no information regarding impurities or deleterious physical properties relevant to valuations. Assay results from the drilling and sampling programmes will be required to understand the grade and extent of mineralisation. Initial assay results are expected in August 2025.
Click here for the full ASX Release
Gold was on the decline this week, closing just below US$3,370 per ounce, after tensions in the Middle East pushed it past the US$3,430 level toward the end of last week.
All eyes were on the US Federal Reserve, which in a widely expected move left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday (June 18) following its two day meeting. The central bank cut rates in December 2024, but has kept them steady for its last four gatherings.
US President Donald Trump wasn’t pleased, calling Powell ‘too late’ in a Thursday (June 19) post on Truth Social. While speculation that Trump will fire Powell has died down, the president did recently say he intends to announce his next pick for the Fed leader position ‘very soon.’
Of course, Fed meetings are never just about rate decisions — experts often look to Powell’s post-meeting commentary to read between the lines of what’s said (and not said).
Tariffs were definitely in focus this time around, with Powell emphasizing that it’s still soon to tell how much of an impact they will have and how the Fed should react.
‘We have to learn more about tariffs. I don’t know what the right way for us to react will be. I think it’s hard to know with any confidence how we should react until we see the size of the effects’ — Jerome Powell, US Federal Reserve
Chris Temple of the National Investor, who offered another perspective on Powell’s comments.
He noted that while Powell didn’t say the Fed is going to abandon its 2 percent inflation target, it may be leaning in that direction. This is what he said:
The consensus still — although it was extremely close — is barely still for two 25 basis point rate cuts in the balance of 2025. Whether we get them or not, who knows, (but) that’s the current snapshot, which may well change. But that’s against a backdrop of admitting for the second SEP, summary of economic projections … in a row that inflation is going to continue to move back higher — that we’ve seen the best numbers for inflation — at the same time that GDP slows a bit.
So okay, you just told us that your favored inflation number, which is a lot of smoke and mirrors to begin with, is going to go back up to north of 3 percent, which is what they said yesterday. And yet you still — the consensus is you’re going to lower interest rates twice in 2025? So he did everything but come right out and admit that the 2 percent inflation target isn’t going to be reached.
Stay tuned to our YouTube channel for the full interview with Temple.
Gold has stolen the precious metals spotlight in 2025, but this month silver is shining.
The white metal has been on the rise since the beginning of June, and this week it broke the US$37 per ounce mark for the first time in 13 years.
While silver is known to lag behind gold before playing catch up, it’s also known for its volatility. Its move has created excitement, but market participants are also wary of a correction.
When asked what factors are driving silver, Peter Krauth of Silver Stock Investor he said he sees a ‘perfect storm’ emerging. Here’s how he explained it:
You’ve got the macroeconomic picture that is I think certainly bullish for silver, like it is for gold and a lot of the other commodities. But I think at the same time you’ve got the market kind of coming to terms with the fact that silver is in a deficit, (and) it’s unlikely to be able to rectify that deficit for several years — in fact, the Silver Institute thinks we’re going to see record deficits at some point over the next five years.
And silver supply is unable to grow. We saw a peak 10 years ago in mined silver, and overall silver supply is essentially flat.
So flat supply, growing demand — demand that’s nearly 20 percent above supply — and our ability to meet those deficits is shrinking because we’re tapping into these aboveground stockpiles that have shrunk by about 800 million ounces in the last four years, which is the equivalent of an entire year’s mine supply. So it’s the perfect storm, it’s really all coming together. And I think that the market’s realizing that.
But does that necessarily mean silver is ready for a big breakout? Krauth has a target of US$40 by the end of 2025, but said silver could potentially go 10 percent above that.
For his part, Jeffrey Christian of CPM Group attributes the silver price boost to increased demand from investors, especially when it comes to exchange-traded funds and wholesale products.
He’s projecting a bumpier path forward for the metal:
You also have — the last time I looked it was like 490 million ounces of open interest in the July Comex futures contract. And that’s two weeks from first delivery. So most of the people (who) have those shorts – those are hedges of their physical inventories. They keep those hedges in place, but they roll them forward. So they’ll be buying back their Julys and selling September futures to keep that hedge in place with the next active futures contract. That buying back of the Julys could push silver prices higher.
So if you really want to talk granular prices, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the price of silver fall to US$33, US$34 an ounce, and go up to US$40 an ounce and then back to US$33 an ounce over the next four weeks.
Click the links above to watch the interviews with Krauth and Christian.
The uranium spot price made moves this week after the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust (TSX:U.U,OTCQX:SRUUF) announced a US$100 million bought-deal financing on Monday (June 16).
It was bumped up to US$200 million the same day due to strong demand.
Spot uranium has been in a consolidation phase since hitting triple-digit levels in early 2024, creating frustration among those who are waiting for the industry’s strong long-term fundamentals to be better expressed. This week’s move past US$75 per pound has helped reinvigorate investors.
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
This week, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and OpenAI’s once tight alliance showed signs of strain, while Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) continued to source artificial intelligence (AI) talent from rival companies.
Meanwhile, SoftBank’s (TSE:9434) CEO is considering a new chip and robotics venture in Arizona, and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is looking to bring AI solutions to American cities.
Read on to dive deeper into this week’s top tech stories.
Microsoft and OpenAI’s once-close partnership is reportedly entering a tense period of renegotiation as OpenAI restructures into a public-benefit company and seeks more autonomy.
According to sources for The Information, recent negotiations have centered on reducing Microsoft’s long-term revenue share in exchange for a 33 percent stake in the newly formed entity. Additionally, OpenAI would like to limit Microsoft’s access to future models such as Windsurf, which OpenAI acquired in May.
The company has competitive concerns with Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot, according to the people.
Tensions have risen enough that some OpenAI executives are even weighing antitrust action against Microsoft, according to sources for the Wall Street Journal. In a joint statement, both companies maintained they want to continue working together; however, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday (June 18) that if they can’t reach an agreement, Microsoft is prepared to walk away and rely on its existing contract with the startup, which extends until 2030.
SoftBank is reportedly interested in a trillion-dollar infrastructure project and has reached out to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) as a potential collaborative partner.
Sources for Bloomberg revealed on Friday (June 20) that SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has approached the Taiwanese chipmaker to play a “prominent role” in a manufacturing park in Arizona codenamed “Project Crystal Land,” which may serve as a major production facility for AI-powered industrial robots.
The sources said SoftBank has also approached Samsung Electronics (KRX:005930) and other companies with the idea. SoftBank officials have reportedly engaged in discussions with federal and state government officials, including US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, to explore potential tax incentives for companies onshoring high-tech manufacturing.
In other semiconductor news, Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) said on Wednesday that it will spend more than US$60 billion building seven new semiconductor facilities across the US. Meanwhile, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced over the weekend that it will invest AU$20 billion to expand data center infrastructure in Australia by 2029.
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is reportedly set to implement substantial layoffs, impacting 15 to 20 percent of its factory workforce, according to an internal memo distributed on Saturday (June 14) and obtained by the Oregonian.
This move comes amidst continuing efforts to overhaul a company lagging behind its peers.
For some time, Intel’s offerings have struggled to compete effectively against those of key rivals in the highly competitive market of AI products and chip divisions. In a concerted effort to address this gap and reinvigorate its innovation pipeline, Intel has also been actively recruiting top-tier engineering talent.
On Wednesday, Intel expanded its sales and engineering leadership team to include experienced professionals from Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ:CDNS), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google.
These strategic hires are intended to inject fresh perspectives and expertise into crucial engineering departments, directly contributing to the company’s ambitious plans to develop more competitive and advanced AI solutions.
On Friday, Google announced that it has partnered with the US Conference of Mayors to help speed the adoption of city-wide AI strategies. With the announcement, the company released a playbook titled A Roadmap for America’s Mayor that provides a framework for city leaders to develop and host an “AI Adoption Workshop,’ which would be structured to help cities identify and explore how AI can support specific needs, drawing on experiences from other communities.
The roadmap suggests cities conduct a general survey to tailor workshop content by gathering information on current AI usage, as well as concerns and ideas for AI applications. Various approaches are suggested for drafting the strategy document, including a dedicated working group, an appointed lead drafter, a hybrid model or engaging external expertise, with a recommended deadline of four to six weeks post-workshop for the first draft.
Sources for the Information indicated on Wednesday that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is bringing Daniel Gross, CEO of Ilya Sutskever’s startup Safe Superintelligence, and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman onboard.
According to the report, Gross and Friedman will both join Meta, with Gross leaving his startup to focus on AI products at Meta and Friedman taking on a broader role. Both are expected to work directly with Zuckerberg and Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, who signed a US$14.3 billion deal to join Meta last week.
In exchange, Meta will get a stake in NFDG, the venture capital firm co-owned by Gross and Friedman that has backed companies such as Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN), Figma, CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV), Perplexity and Character.ai.
On the most recent episode of his brother’s “Uncapped” podcast, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that Meta has also offered signing bonuses as high as US$100 million and large compensation packages to OpenAI employees.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Rogers Communications (NYSE:RCI) have activated Canada’s first underground private 5G network at the Northern Center for Advanced Technology’s (NORCAT) Sudbury mine.
The move is part of a bid to transform traditional mining operations with cutting-edge connectivity.
At the heart of this innovation is the Ericsson Private 5G system, which the company says delivers seamless, high-performance, low-latency coverage from the surface to depths of more than a mile.
Built on Ericsson’s EP5G technology and integrated with Rogers’ private network expertise, the setup is designed for smart mining applications that Wi‑Fi cannot adequately support. These include autonomous haul trucks, remote-controlled drilling rigs, environmental monitoring sensors and real-time asset tracking.
‘The NORCAT Underground Centre provides an extraordinary platform for companies worldwide to showcase their cutting-edge technologies in a real operating mine, shaping the future of the mining industry,’ said NORCAT CEO Don Duval in a Thursday (June 19) press release, calling it an ‘ecosystem like no other in the world.’
Duval also emphasized the importance of collaboration in making sustainable impacts in mining. Adam Burley, director of IoT and wireless private networks at Rogers, stressed the collaborative roots of the breakthrough as well:
“Rogers and Ericsson have worked together for more than 35 years … Every industry is looking for operational efficiency, and if you develop or rely on technology for mining, NORCAT is where you go to test and certify products that work within a real-world environment.”
The company’s private 5G setup is scalable and future proof, allowing agile adaptation as new technology needs emerge — from integrating 4G systems to deploying large-scale sensor networks.
Ericsson views the network as an extension of its quality of service features — ideal for mission-critical mining operations where data reliability matters — that apply in different facets of the mining process.
Industry forecasts validate the broader relevance of private networks.
A McKinsey report indicates demographic shifts in mining workforces that make modernization a priority — aging employees are nearing retirement and younger workers are expecting digital environments.
Around 71 percent of mining leaders cite talent shortages as barriers to production targets, reinforcing the dual mandate of digital adoption and workforce transformation.
Beyond workforce and safety, remote operations and asset management benefit from the technology.
Remote control centers with scalable data pipelines and robust connectivity eliminate the need for staff to occupy large numbers of underground positions while maintaining compliance with environmental and safety regulations.
Similarly, data-centric asset management, powered by sensors, HD video cameras and predictive analytics, brings down costs, extends equipment lifespans and reduces unplanned downtime.
Mining contributes an estimated US$1.5 trillion to the global economy, per World Mining Data 2020.
As these operations move toward automation, private 5G networks may prove foundational, enabling safer, faster and greener production systems. NORCAT’s smart mine could become a template for the future, demonstrating how next-generation connectivity can bridge the gap between current operations and fully digitalized mining.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Jeffrey Christian, managing partner at CPM Group, shares his latest thoughts on gold, silver and platinum-group metals, outlining potential price scenarios for the months ahead.
He also discusses his broader outlook for the US economy.
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Coelacanth Energy presents strong growth potential in the Canadian light oil and natural gas sector with encouraging well test results, a robust infrastructure buildout, and a management team with a track record of repeated success, making it a compelling growth story.
Coelacanth Energy (TSXV:CEI) is a junior oil and natural gas exploration and development company, focusing primarily on the prolific Montney region in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. With a substantial landholding of approximately 150 net sections in the Two Rivers area of Montney, Coelacanth is strategically positioned to harness the potential of one of the most resource-rich natural gas basins in North America.
Coelacanth distinguishes itself with a two-pronged strategy: near-term production growth and long-term resource development. Supported by advanced geological delineation and a robust infrastructure buildout, the company is poised to scale efficiently as it transitions from exploration to production.
Backed by a management team that has built and sold six successful oil and gas companies, Coelacanth is focused on delivering returns through disciplined capital deployment and operational execution.
The Montney Formation spans British Columbia and Alberta and is known for its high levels of recoverable natural gas and liquids. Montney has attracted numerous large oil and gas producers, including companies like Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), Shell, ARC Resources (ARX), Tourmaline Oil Corp (TOU), and ConocoPhillips (COP). The presence of such large players highlights the importance of this region in contributing to both the Canadian and global energy markets.
Coelacanth’s landholdings are strategically located in the Two Rivers area of Montney, giving it access to a highly productive portion of the basin. Unlike many junior exploration companies, Coelacanth is drill-ready, positioning it favorably among its peers. By securing significant infrastructure and landholdings, Coelacanth ensures its ability to tap into the natural gas and oil resources that lie beneath its properties, a key advantage in the competitive Montney region.
The Two Rivers Montney development is the cornerstone of Coelacanth’s growth strategy. This multi-zone resource play features Lower, Upper, Basal and Middle Montney formations, offering significant running room for future development. The company has drilled and tested nine wells on the 5-19 pad (seven Lower Montney, one Upper, one Basal), yielding impressive flush production test rates totaling more than 11,000 boe/d, on a combined basis. Some wells tested at over 1,200 boepd with 50 percent light oil, highlighting strong liquids yields.
Two Rivers Asset Advantage
Two Rivers East started first production in June 2025, with production to be systematically ramped up over the summer. This production is supported by a new Phase 1 facility capable of processing 30 mmcf/d of gas and associated oil. Phase 2, planned for late 2025, will double capacity with added compression.
The Two Rivers West project, already in production, complements the East project with upside in the Upper Montney and delineation potential across additional benches. Test wells have demonstrated commercial deliverability and support long-term production sustainability.
Coelacanth has secured long-term gas takeaway for its growing production base. The company holds firm commitments for up to 100 mmcf/d of natural gas takeaway capacity and has secured processing capacity of up to 60 mmcf/d at a third-party facility. Oil and condensate produced from the Montney light oil window can be trucked to regional terminals or connected via infrastructure to major hubs including Fort Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Prince George.
On the gas side, Coelacanth has egress options through pipelines such as NGTL, Westcoast and Alliance, and is strategically positioned to benefit from future access to LNG Canada via the Coastal GasLink system.
Rob Zakresky has a significant background in the oil and gas sector, previously serving as the president and CEO of Leucrotta Exploration as well as five additional predecessor companies. He has been with Coelacanth Energy since its inception and is recognized for his strategic leadership and focus on enhancing shareholder value. His expertise in financial management and operations is reflected in his approach to driving the company’s growth.
Bret Kimpton joined Coelacanth Energy in 2022, bringing a wealth of experience from his previous role as vice president of production at Storm Resources, where he contributed to significant production growth. He has a strong background in construction and operations, especially in the Montney region of British Columbia, managing various fields. His role at Coelacanth focuses on overseeing operational efficiency and implementing the company’s growth strategies.
Nolan Chicoine has also been with Coelacanth Energy since its inception. His responsibilities encompass financial oversight, including financial planning, reporting, and analysis. He plays a crucial role in aligning the financial strategies with the company’s operational goals. His background includes significant experience in financial management as CFO for Leucrotta Exploration, Crocotta Energy, and Chamaelo Energy.
Jody Denis is the former drilling, engineering & operations engineer at Leucrotta Exploration. Prior to that, he was senior operations advisor at Black Swan Energy, drilling manager at ARC Resources, and drilling and completions manager at Birchcliff Energy.
John Fur is the former manager, exploration of Leucrotta Exploration, and former senior geophysicist at Crocotta Energy, Chamaelo Energy, Chamaelo Exploration, Viracocha Energy, Canadian Natural Resources, Post Energy, Amber Energy and Husky Oil.
Friday (June 20) was the last day for the spring session of Canada’s parliament before its summer break.
On the agenda for the day was a vote on bill C-5, “The One Canadian Economy Act,” which was introduced on June 5.
The bill is in part a response to the recent shift in US trade policy under Donald Trump’s administration. It will provide a new framework to fast-track projects of national interest, including mining and energy projects, to boost Canada’s economy.
However, it hasn’t been without controversy. Primarily, it has been met with opposition from some Indigenous groups, who feel it will override treaty obligations and environmental review processes.
In parliament, it also met some resistance from the conservative opposition, who amended the bill to close loopholes they felt would allow the government to skirt conflict of interest and lobbying laws.
The bill is widely expected to pass the House of Commons and the Senate, with broad support from the Conservative Party.
Also on Friday, Statistics Canada released April’s monthly mineral production survey.
The data shows across-the-board declines in both production and shipments of copper, gold and silver from the previous month.
Copper production dropped the most in April, down to 35.1 million kilograms from 40.1 million in March, while shipments slipped to 30.1 million kilograms from the 50.5 million recorded the previous month.
Gold and silver production fell slightly, with gold declining from 17,059 to 16,708 kilograms, and silver declining from 26,700 to 25,412 kilograms. However, shipments of both fell more precipitously between March and April. Gold shipments dropped from 19,049 to 14,848 kilograms, while silver shipments fell from 29,578 to 22,106 kilograms.
In the United States, the Federal Reserve held its fourth meeting of the year to determine the direction of the benchmark Federal Funds Rate on Tuesday (June 17) and Wednesday (June 18).
The central bank decided to hold the rate at the current 4.25 to 4.5 percent range, which it last set in November 2024. The decision comes as it awaits the effects of tariffs to be felt more broadly in the economy, noting uncertainty whether it will be a one-time shock or be more persistent through the rest of the year.
The decision fell in line with analysts’ expectations, who are not predicting a rate cut until the Fed’s September meeting.
In Canada, major indexes were mixed at the end of the week. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) was largely flat, posting a small 0.14 percent loss during the week to close at 26,497.57 on Friday. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) fared worse, losing 2.18 percent to 711.18, although the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) jumped 1.58 percent to 117.36.
US equities were all in negative territory this week, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) losing 0.55 percent to close at 6,967.85, the Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) slipping 0.23 percent to 21,626.39 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) sinking 0.88 percent to 42,206.83.
The gold price was down this week, losing 0.42 percent to US$3,371.39 at by Friday’s close. Although it jumped to a high of US$37.29 mid-week, the silver price pulled back and ultimately lost 0.82 percent to end the week at US$36.02.
In base metals, the COMEX copper price gained 1.88 percent over the week to US$4.88 per pound. Meanwhile, the S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) posted a gain of 5.47 percent to close at 580.99.
How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.
Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.
Weekly gain: 183.33 percent
Market cap: C$24.75 million
Share price: C$0.085
Royalties Inc. is a company focused on building cash flow through the acquisition mineral and music royalty assets.
The company has a 100 percent interest in the Bilbao silver property in Zacatecas, Mexico, which hosts silver, zinc and lead deposits. As silver prices improve, the company is seeking to monetize the property.
Shares in Royalties Inc. surged this week after its 88 percent owned subsidiary Minera Portree won its lawsuit against Capstone Copper (TSX:CS), asserting its ownership of a 2 percent net smelter return royalty on five mineral concessions at the Cozamin copper-silver mine in Zacatecas.
The protracted legal dispute began after Capstone re-assigned the royalty to itself through a 2019 contract without informing or paying Minera Portree.
Under the terms of the judgment, the 2 percent NSR will revert back to Minera Portree along with royalties for the exploitation of concessions between 2002 and 2019. The amounts for those royalties will be set at the execution phase. Capstone Gold is also ordered to pay royalties from the Portree 1 concession from August 2019 to present.
Earlier in the week, Royalties Inc. increased its stake in Music Royalties, which pays a 7.2 percent annual yield from 30 music catalogues. The company will now receive royalties of C$102,000 per year from its investment.
Weekly gain: 100 percent
Market cap: C$21.14 million
Share price: C$0.42
Altima Energy is a light oil and natural gas exploration and development company with operations in Alberta, Canada.
Its primary asset is the Richdale property in Central Alberta. The property consists of five producing light oil wells and sits on 5,920 acres of long-term reserves. According to a company presentation from April 2025, the property hosts combined proved and probable reserves of just under 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, with a pre-tax net present value of C$25.8 million.
The company also owns two wells at its Twinning light oil site near Nisku, seven producing wells at its Red Earth property in Northern Alberta and two multi-zone wells at its Chambers Ferrier liquid gas production property.
Although Altima hasn’t released news in the last few months, its share price surged mid-week.
Weekly gain: 71.43 percent
Market cap: C$11.62 million
Share price: C$0.06
Trillion Energy is an oil and gas producer focused on supplying the European and Turkish markets.
The company owns a 49 percent share in the SASB gas field with Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) owning the remainder. The field is located in the southwestern Black Sea, and covers a license block area of 12,387 hectares. Trillion also owns a 19.6 percent interest in the Cendre oil field, with TPAO owning the majority 80 percent.
On April 26, the company released its 2024 year end reserve report. In the announcement, Trillion reported that its attributable total proved and probable reserves at the SASB gas field increased to 62.3 billion cubic feet of gas and 247 million barrels of oil, with a pre-tax NPV of US$363.6 million.
Trillion Energy’s share price climbed in the second half of the week. Although it did not put out a press release, the company stated in posts on X Wednesday and Friday that the partners are “actively engaged on-site” advancing gas lift operations through “carefully managed on-platform efforts.”
Weekly gain: 52 percent
Market cap: C$18.81 million
Share price: C$0.380
Search Minerals is a rare earth element exploration and development company working to advance its flagship Deep Fox project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
The project is located near the port of St. Lewis on the Southeast Labrador coast and consists of 63 mineral claims covering an area of 1,575 hectares. The company also owns the nearby Foxtrot deposit. A May 2022 technical report reported a combined indicated mineral resource estimate for the two properties of 375 parts per million (ppm) praseodymium, 1,402 ppm neodymium, 185 ppm dysprosium and 32 ppm terbium from 15.09 million metric tons of ore.
Search Minerals released a corporate update on June 13 announcing that its shares were being reinstated for trading on the TSXV. The update detailed how, under previous management, the company’s TSXV listing was subject to a cease trade order in April 2024 due to the previous management team failing to file annual financial statements for 2023. Search’s new board and management team, elected and appointed in mid-2024, brought the company back into compliance.
Search recommenced trading Monday, and its shares climbed on June 19 after the company announced unreleased assay results from a 2022 Phase 4 drill program at Deep Fox. Highlighted assays included one hole with a 29.92 meter interval grading 256 ppm dysprosium, 1,848 ppm neodymium, 496 ppm praseodymium and 43.5 ppm terbium.
The company said the results validate their belief in the mineralization at the site, and that it would drive forward development of Deep Fox, which it called a generational asset, without delay.
Weekly gain: 50 percent
Market cap: C$12.26 million
Share price: C$0.06
Homeland Nickel is an exploration company with projects in the US and Canada.
The company owns four nickel projects in Oregon: Cleopatra, Red Flat, Eight Dollar Mountain and Shamrock. The projects are in the early exploration stage, with the company being guided by historic work at each property.
Homeland is also working on the Great Burnt copper-gold project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The project is a 30/70 joint venture with Benton Resources (TSXV:BEX,OTC Pink:BNTRF), which earned its stake in the property through an earn-in agreement with Homeland in July 2024.
While the company did not release any news, on June 11, Noble Mineral Exploration (TSXV:NOB) and Canada Nickel’s (TSXV:CNC) announcement on June 11 of positive assay results from their joint venture Mann nickel project in Ontario. Homeland owns 2.95 million shares in Canada Nickel and 9.96 million shares of Noble.
The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.
As of February 2025, there were 1,572 companies listed on the TSXV, 905 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,859 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.
Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.
There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.
The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.
These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.
Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.
Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.