Can you describe your company and say what it does?
Xmet (TSX: V.XME, Stock Forum) is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on advanced gold projects located near existing infrastructure. Our flagship project, the Duquesne-Ottoman Property is located on the Porcupine-Destor fault between three historic gold producers.
What distinguishes your company from others in your space?
Xmet published in 2010 an inferred resource of 525,000 ounces on its Duquesne-Ottoman property and recently completed a 13,000 meter diamond drill program, which has added significantly to the existing resource base. Moreover, this resource is adjacent and between the Clifton-Osisko joint venture where it is anticipated that they have outlined up to five million ounces of gold.
Can you explain why you have chosen to work in Quebec and Newfoundland?
Both Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador are considered by the Fraser Institute as very mining friendly jurisdictions. Moreover both provinces have long histories of mining activity and well-developed infrastructure to help keep exploration and mining costs down.
What are your flagship projects?
The Duquesne-Ottoman property contains an inferred resource of 525,000 ounces of gold and is still growing.
What community issues must you deal with on your principal project?
Our Duquesne-Ottoman Property is located on crown land and is about 10 km from the village of Duparquet, which is the site of the Beattie-Donchester project currently being explored by the Osisko-Clifton Star Joint Venture. We think that good community support for that project will inevitably translate to support for Duquesne-Ottoman since the property is easily accessible from existing roads, is located well removed from major lakes and streams and could eventually be developed without the need to build a mill complex.
What are the company’s short and long-term objectives?
We are currently compiling all the results of our latest round of drilling on the Duquesne-Ottoman property and hope to have enough additional intersections to justify a new resource estimate. Our next drilling program, scheduled to start in August, will focus on expanding the resource to around a million inferred ounces and will look at improving the classification of some of the existing near surface resource ounces. We will also continue to investigate the potential for near surface bulk minable mineralization. This objective is particularly important in case the price of gold rises significantly above current levels. In the longer term our objective is to either delineate an open pittable resource or enough near surface high grade mineralization to justify the construction of a ramp and underground exploration to convert sufficient resource to reserves in order to justify a mining decision.
Who are the major shareholders of Xmet?
Management, directors and business partners own approximately 20% of the company. A group of seven funds control another 40% of the stock.
How much cash do you have on hand and what is your monthly cash burn rate?
We currently have approximately $3 million on hand and are current expenditures, G&A included, are about $120,000 per month. When drilling we add another $100,000 per drill per month.
Who are the key players on your management team?
Alex Stewart, the Chairman and CEO, is a former corporate/securities lawyer with over 35 years experiences in financial and public markets. Charles Beaudry, President and COO, a geologist with 30 years’ experience in exploration project management and business development and a Qualified Person. Bill Yeomans is a geologist with over 25 years of field experience in all stages of gold exploration, development and production throughout the Americas and Asia.
What kind of experience do they bring to the table?
The Xmet management team has the skills necessary to quickly identify and acquire the right opportunities for Xmet to move the company along the path of gold project development. The senior management team is complemented by an able and experienced staff of geologists and technicians at its exploration office in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.
Disclosure: Xmet is a Stockhouse client