Can you describe your company and say what it does?
Cornerstone Capital Resources (TSX: V.CGP, Stock Forum) is a prospect generator. We find properties of merit, bring them to the drill-ready stage, and then seek a partner to fund additional work while retaining a minority interest. Right now we're focused on a number of highly prospective gold and copper properties in Ecuador and Chile and on the Little Deer underground copper project in Newfoundland.
What has Cornerstone done since we last spoke in October?
We completed a National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) at Little Deer in Newfoundland, continued our exploration program at the Shyri gold-silver-copper project in Ecuador, and advanced our La Fortuna copper-silver project in Chile to the drilling stage.
How advanced is Little Deer?
Little Deer is the company’s most advanced project in Canada. We have a 50% interest in the project, which is a joint venture with Thundermin Resources Inc., the operator of the joint venture.
The Little Deer PEA estimates an initial capital cost of $110 million over two years, a 9 ½ year mine life with total revenues of $829 million, after-tax net cash flow of $166 million, and a payback of pre-production capital in 3 ½ years. The project would have an average operating cost of about $1.16 per pound copper, an after-tax NPV of $87 million, and an after-tax IRR of 21.5%.
How close are you to production?
The PEA indicates that there is potential to develop the deposit on an attractive economic basis at current metal prices, but more drilling needs to be done before we will be in a position to consider commissioning a pre-feasibility study.
The Little Deer deposit contains NI 43-101 compliant mineral resources of almost 100 million lbs. of copper in the indicated category at an average grade of 2.37%, and an additional 175 million lbs. of copper in the inferred category at an average grade of 2.13%. In addition to the ongoing Whalesback drilling, future work programs will include infill drilling at Little Deer to move a large portion of the inferred resource into the indicated category.
More recently, Cornerstone and Thundermin intersected some high-grade copper mineralization at the 100% owned, past producing Whalesback Copper Mine adjacent to the Little Deer deposit. Drilling there intersected 2.8% copper over a core length of 18.2 metres, including 5.2% copper over 4.2 metres and 3.4% copper over 3.5 metres. Drilling continues at Whalesback, and we expect to have additional results to announce in the second quarter.
Last month, your company released trenching results at the La Fortuna copper-silver project in Chile. What is the significance of these results?
In August of last year Cornerstone announced the first trenching results at La Fortuna, highlighted by 1.34% copper and 58 g/t silver over 19.5 metres in trench TH1.
On February 22, we released a second batch of trench results, which confirm that the potential for copper and silver mineralization is widespread over the La Fortuna property. Results from one trench, TH8, are particularly interesting as they confirm the potential for breccias, a porous unit, to host disseminated copper and silver mineralization over significant widths. Our geologists believe that this breccia may be located on the same stratigraphic horizon as the breccias hosting copper and silver mineralization at the neighbouring Cerro Negro mine. This hypothesis will have to be tested but La Fortuna continues to deliver very encouraging results, and we expect to have several promising drill targets defined in the coming weeks.
What is the next step?
The next step will be a first phase drilling program, and we are actively seeking a partner to help us fund that.
Can you give us an update on the Shyri property in southern Ecuador?
The project area covers 30,000 hectares, contains four highly prospective target areas, Gama, Vetas Grandes, Cañaribamba and Yanasacha, and is located about 15 kilometres to the west of Iamgold’s multi-million ounce Quimsacocha gold deposit near Cuenca in southern Ecuador. Shyri is optioned to Intrepid Mines of Australia who are spending US$6 million over five years on the property to earn an initial 60% interest.
The limited drilling completed so far on the Gama prospect in the northwestern portion of the Shyri property has confirmed our initial exploration model of a high-sulphidation epithermal system centered on porphyry intrusions, but more work is required to better define drill targets in this very large system and follow up on some mineralized drill intersections. Thirteen holes have been drilled on the property since drilling began in March 2011. Hole 2 intersected 45 metres at 0.71 g/t gold within a broader zone of 101 metres at 0.41 g/t gold, hole 11 intersected 26 metres at 0.45 g/t gold, and hole 13 intersected 22 metres at 0.17 g/t gold and 0.03% copper. Ongoing ground exploration surveys, which include soil geochemistry and detailed magnetic surveys, are identifying new drill targets.
Once we have agreed the next phase of exploration work at Shyri with Intrepid we will announce details of the upcoming program for the remainder of 2012. As well, we continue to expect to receive the environmental permits required to commence drilling on the Vetas Grandes and Cañaribamba prospects located on the southern portion of the Shyri property by end of the first half of 2012.
Can you be more specific about your agreement with Intrepid?
After earning an initial 60% interest in Shyri, Intrepid can elect to go to 80% on specific project areas up to 5,000 hectares each by making a $750,000 private placement in Cornerstone, completing a bankable feasibility or spending an additional US$20 million, whichever comes first, and making a payment to Cornerstone of up to US$5 million based on the gold equivalent ounces in the mineral reserve.
Why is Cornerstone Capital Resources involved with so many projects in eastern Canada and South America? Is it not better to spend more effort on fewer properties?
Our project generator strategy allows us to participate in more good projects, increasing the chances of being involved in a significant discovery. At Shryi, for example, Intrepid is currently funding 100% of the exploration expenditures.
What are the main challenges that you face in operating your business?
There are a variety of challenges that early stage exploration companies face including political, exploration and financing risks. Today the most significant one of these is obtaining ongoing funding from capital markets. Many investors have temporarily left the market and are “sitting on cash.” We believe they will return in the longer term when they more fully appreciate the significant rewards that come from exploration success in this sector.
Disclosure: Cornerstone Capital Resources is a Stockhouse client