Chris Taylor, recognized for his success at Nice Bear Assets, is now turning his consideration to France.
Taylor has been appointed CEO of Aquitaine Metals, a Vancouver-based firm centered on gold and antimony exploration within the Limousin Mining District, a traditionally vital mining area in Southwest France.
With a Section 1 drill program set to start in early 2025, Aquitaine Metals is seeking to affirm historic high-grade gold zones and assess the antimony potential at its one hundred pc owned Limousin venture.
Underneath Taylor, Nice Bear made a district-scale gold discovery at what was then often known as the Dixie venture in Pink Lake, Ontario. The discover led to the corporate’s C$1.8 billion acquisition by Kinross Gold (TSX:Okay,NYSE:KGC) in 2022.
He is now bringing his expertise to Europe, the place France is in search of to revive its home mining sector.
Gold and antimony potential at Limousin
Chatting with the Investing Information Community, Taylor gave an summary of his endeavors over the previous couple of years post-Nice Bear, additionally offering a snapshot of what is to come back at Aquitaine Metals.
“I used to be searching for one thing huge,” he defined throughout the dialog. “Nice Bear was an amazing success story, and … if I used to be going to cost again into the fray and sit within the CEO chair once more, I wished to have one thing that will be vital — a major venture of measurement, one thing with clear tier-one potential.”
The Limousin venture is situated in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, about 40 kilometers south of Limoges. The world is thought for its historic gold and antimony manufacturing, with mining exercise relationship again to 500 BCE.
The area hosts greater than 900 historical mining websites, indicating a protracted historical past of extraction.
Aquitaine Metals has entry to a big historic database that features a big range of data, resembling 222,000 meters of drilling, in addition to over 66,000 drill core and 60,000 operational grade management assays.
Watch Taylor focus on Aquitaine Metals’ plans.
“It’s the greatest potential gold venture I’ve ever seen in a really, very very long time — if not ever,” Taylor remarked.
Aquitaine Metals’ Section 1 drill program will goal high-grade gold zones on the Laurieras and Moulin de Cheni mines, specializing in the Pierrepinet and Douillac ore zones. The corporate goals to confirm historic datasets and assess the financial viability of each gold and antimony extraction on the website.
Antimony, which frequently happens alongside gold in stibnite type, is a important mineral utilized in navy purposes, hearth retardants and high-tech optics. With provide chains more and more underneath scrutiny, the EU has recognized antimony as a strategic uncooked materials resulting from its financial significance and provide dangers.
France’s mining trade revival
France has traditionally been a major mining jurisdiction, with gold, silver and base metals extraction relationship again to the Roman period. The Limousin Mining District has been one of many nation’s major gold-producing areas, with business mining exercise persevering with into the twentieth century.
Nonetheless, declining commodities costs and regulatory hurdles led to the closure of many operations.
Taylor defined that regardless of the nation’s mining slowdown up to now century, its historic background within the area makes it a robust candidate for a manufacturing renaissance.
“At present, there’s no actual mining trade in France, however it’s one thing that the federal government and the EU are very wanting to get going once more, due to the current geopolitical modifications,” he mentioned.
Lately, Europe’s push for uncooked supplies safety has led France to rethink its strategy to home mining. The federal government has expressed assist for initiatives that align with strategic useful resource independence, significantly in important minerals like antimony. Furthermore, the nation has lately taken steps to streamline allowing and assist home useful resource improvement to cut back reliance on overseas mineral imports.
In 2023, the French authorities applied new insurance policies to revive home mining and speed up inexperienced power initiatives, together with plans to revive copper mining and quick monitor lithium and geothermal power initiatives to cut back import dependency and meet local weather targets. France, like different European nations, is more and more viewing important minerals as a matter of nationwide safety amid international geopolitical tensions and rising competitors for assets.
As a part of these efforts, France is contemplating slicing the allowing course of in half for mining, geothermal power and carbon dioxide storage initiatives. The nation can also be exploring the usage of depleted oil and fuel wells for carbon storage.
These coverage shifts sign a broader dedication to revitalizing the nation’s home useful resource sector — a pattern that might profit Aquitaine Metals and different firms in search of to develop new mining initiatives.
Subsequent steps for Aquitaine Metals
With Taylor on the helm, Aquitaine Metals is making ready to start drilling in early 2025.
As talked about, the corporate’s technique is to substantiate high-grade mineralization recognized in historic information and broaden its understanding of the Limousin venture’s gold and antimony potential.
If profitable, the venture may play a task in France’s broader efforts to determine a home mining trade able to supporting each native and European demand for important minerals.
For Taylor, this marks a brand new chapter — one which builds on his earlier success in Canada, whereas bringing fashionable exploration strategies to one in all Europe’s most traditionally vital mining areas.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, maintain no direct funding curiosity in any firm talked about on this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing Information Community doesn’t assure the accuracy or thoroughness of the knowledge reported within the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews don’t replicate the opinions of the Investing Information Community and don’t represent funding recommendation. All readers are inspired to carry out their very own due diligence.
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