Ice drilling at Regnault target, Frotet project, Quebec

At a time where markets are weighing Federal Reserve comments about being hawkish towards rate cuts as inflation remains persistent, two major conflicts deepen (Russia-Ukraine) or seem to spread out (Israel-Hamas), the BRICS expand with new members, and recession fears are looming large in the background, gold remains trading above US$2,000/oz.

Platinex Inc (PTX:CSE)(9PX:FRA) had to manoeuvre carefully on their fully permitted flagship W2 copper-nickel-PGE project, a district scale land area in Northern Ontario, but finally managed to acquire the two missing pieces of the puzzle in the centre of their claim package.

After a busy summer of prospecting, mapping and VTEM surveys, EGR Exploration (EGR.V) is ready to commence the next phase of exploration at their flagship Detour West Gold property in Ontario. The project is on trend and directly west of the giant Detour Lake gold mine.

Introduction

After spending almost 1.5 years assembling and permitting several significant projects in Ontario, junior explorer Platinex Inc (PTX:CSE)(9PX:FRA) commenced reconnaissance exploration work in August at their gold and lithium projects, with assays for the lithium project called Muskrat Dam being expected around in January 2024.

Preview:

You don’t come across explorers like Vior (TSXV:VIO)(FRA:VL51) too often, with district scale prospective projects in its portfolio, strong backing (Osisko Mining, SOQUEM, Quebec funds) and high-quality core investor base for a small free float. The stock has been side-ranging since September, and is at an attractive entry point for new investors.

Lots of things are happening in the world around us recently, as the Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies to a degree that the rest of the world gets increasingly worried to see Israel crossing some lines regarding the use of proportional violence. Besides this, the Russian invasion isn’t done yet after Ukraine failed to break through Russian lines and conquer Crimea, the BRICS nations intending to move away from the US Dollar as a reserve currency, Argentina just elected a president that makes Trump look like a sophisticated bookkeeper, and lots of areas around the world are recovering from numerous wildfires, although now it is Brazil’s turn.

Just as the Federal Reserve decided to pause their record-breaking rate hiking streak, with gold hovering around US$2,000/oz on a weaker US Dollar and fear for escalating Middle East tensions, Goldshore Resources (TSXV:GSHR)(OTCQB:GSHRF)(FWB:8X00) finally found their strategic partner they were looking for all year.

As Dolly Varden Silver (DV.V)(DOLLF.US) has completed their 55,000m drill program at Kitsault Valley a month ago, the treasury could use some freshly incoming capital, and since the company has no shortage of strong backers, this time shareholder Hecla Mining (HL.US)

Aztec Minerals (AZT: TSX-V, OTCQB: AZZTF) did a good job raising C$1.55M , after announcing the non-brokered placement on August 8, 2023 for an amount up to C$1M, and upsizing it to C$1.2M on August 29, 2023 due to additional interest from investors.

In uncertain times, where the Fed gradually seems to be pushed closer and closer to a rate hike pause, potentially followed by rate cuts somewhere in 2024, the Russian conflict keeps aggrevating, and the Chinese government keeps coming with soft measures to restart their economy, Dolly Varden Silver (DV.V)(DOLLF.US)