GOLD – ATAC Resources Ltd. Aug. 26 reported initial from 2014 drilling and surface work at the Conrad, Sunrise and Anubis Zones, all located within the Nadaleen Trend at the eastern end of Atac’s 1,700-square-kilometer (656 square miles) Carlin-style Rackla Gold Project in east-central Yukon Territory. Highlights of the program include: Step-out hole OS-14-277 extends high-grade mineralization in the Conrad Lower Zone, returning 9.5 grams per metric ton gold over 30.79 meters; drilling extends mineralization to the west of 2013 drilling in the Sunrise Zone; and Anubis-area surface exploration outlines pathfinder elements plus gold anomalies with eight kilometers (five miles) cumulative strike length, similar in size and intensity to the Osiris area located 10 kilometers (six miles) to the east. Carlin-type gold mineralization at the Conrad zone is contained within several structural and stratigraphic settings. In the Conrad Upper Zone, gold mineralization occurs in an anticline fold hinge. Mineralization at the Lower zone has only been traced with limited drilling over a 300-meter strike length below the core area of the Upper zone. The Lower zone is characterized by strong alteration and mineralization localized within and adjacent to several flat-lying faults that may be primary mineralizing fluid conduits. Drilling is ongoing at the Conrad zone. “Step-out hole OS-14-227 further demonstrates the continuity and high-grade nature of the Conrad Zone which remains open in all directions. With only limited drilling having been completed at the Lower zone, significant potential exists to find new areas of mineralization and to expand the Lower zone and associated flat-lying mineralized fault breccias,” said Graham Downs, ATAC’s CEO. The company said this year’s drilling at the Sunrise zone has successfully expanded the mineralized area to the west of two of the final 2013 holes that returned 19.81 meters of 5.54 g/t gold (OS-13-214) and 16.76 meters of 6.76 g/t gold (OS-13-217). The higher grade part of Sunrise is a 100- to 150-meter-long, steeply south-dipping and southwest-plunging body of stratabound, structurally controlled Carlin-type gold mineralization that remains open at depth. Three holes were completed at the Anubis zone in 2014 to follow-up on the 2012 discovery hole, which intersected 8.51 meters of 19.85 g/t gold (AN-12-001). Two of the 2014 holes intersected the Anubis Fault on strike to the northwest and southeast of the discovery hole, while the third hole tested the Anubis Fault at depth. None of the 2014 Anubis holes intersected significant gold mineralization or identified the source of mineralization in the three previous holes. Additional trenching, test pitting and prospecting are ongoing to better understand the Anubis discovery zone outcrop and drill intersections in relation to nearby untested gold geochemical anomalies. Elsewhere along the Anubis Fault and the nearby sub-parallel North Fault, ongoing soil sampling, overburden drilling and excavator trenching has outlined a cumulative strike length of over eight kilometers of pathfinder elements and gold geochemical anomalies, most of which are hosted in the favorable limestone units that underlie the Anubis shales. Results of this and earlier work in the area are being compiled to select targets for diamond drilling.

GOLD – Cantex Mine Development Corp. Aug. 26 reported on progress at its Yukon gold project. Cantex has recently completed 48 rotary air blast drill holes in an area covered in alpine glacial tills highly anomalous in gold, arsenic and antimony. The anomalous gold in the tills is in all cases accompanied by arsenic and the other key pathfinder elements indicative of Carlin-style mineralization. The company is able to detect the presence of anomalous arsenic in the drill holes but gold and other pathfinder elements can only be quantified by sending the samples to an offsite analytical laboratory for sample preparation and analysis. X-ray fluorescence analyses conducted in the field have identified anomalous arsenic in cuttings from 23 drill holes. The anomalous arsenic has been encountered in carbonate bedrock and overburden samples. Cantex said this is most encouraging because the presence of arsenic as detected by XRF analyses in the field suggests that anomalous gold values will be present when analytical laboratory results are complete.

FINANCE –Alexco Resource Corp. Aug. 26 reported that the underwriter of a recent offering has provided notice of exercise of its over-allotment option to purchase an additional 915,000 units of the company at a price of C$1.15 per additional unit for gross proceeds of about C$1.05 million under the company’s short form prospectus dated Aug. 15. Each additional unit will consist of one common share of the company and one half of one common share purchase warrant. Each Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one common share of the company at an exercise price of C$1.40 on or before Aug. 21, 2016. The closing of the over-allotment option was scheduled to take place on Aug. 28. The underwriter will receive a cash fee equal to 6.5 percent of the gross proceeds raised and compensation warrants equal to 6.5 percent of the additional units, with each compensation warrant exercisable for one common share of the company at an exercise price of C$1.35 on or before Aug. 21, 2016. Alexco Resource Corp. owns the Bellekeno silver mine, one of several mineral properties, held by Alexco, which encompass substantially all of Yukon Territory’s historic Keno Hill Silver District. The net proceeds from the offering will be used by the company for exploration and development activities on the company’s Flame & Moth deposit within the Keno Hill district and for general working capital purposes.

COPPER – Western Copper and Gold Corp. Aug. 25 reported that the engineering, procurement and construction management contract for the Casino project has been awarded to M3 Engineering & Technology Corp., a Tucson-based engineering firm that has prepared two pre-feasibility studies for Casino as well as the feasibility study issued in early 2013. Western, which entered a memorandum of understanding with Siemens in May, is now working closely with the global engineering and electronics company to define the major electrical equipment required for Casino. Western also is working towards developing additional agreements with key major equipment suppliers for mining and milling equipment for the project. Western is currently evaluating several potential suppliers of liquefied natural gas for the Casino Project. Western said the permitting process for Casino is scheduled to restart on Nov. 28. Western submitted a project proposal to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board in January, but the assessment was put on hold in June as part of an agreement with Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation to engage in additional consultation. During this period, Western is preparing responses to early comments received from participants in the YESAB review process. These will be submitted when the assessment restarts. At June 30, 2014, Western had C$19.7 million in working capital, including cash, cash-equivalents, and short-term investments of $20.3 million. The company said these funds are expected to be sufficient for permitting and engineering activities over the next two years.

TUNGSTEN – North American Tungsten Corporation Ltd. Aug. 22 reported a net loss of C$400,000 million for the three months ended June 30 and a net loss of C$2.5 million for the nine months ended June 30. These results are substantially improved compared with a net loss of C$6.3 million and a net loss of C$13.7 million for the comparable periods in fiscal 2013. The company’s production decreased to 59,877 metric ton units during third quarter of fiscal 2014, driven primarily by lower grade mill feed and metallurgical recovery. Sales revenues totaled C$22.5 million for the quarter and C$66.0 million for the nine-month period. This was an increase of 7 percent and 15 percent, respectively, due to higher realized prices as compared to the comparable periods of fiscal 2013. There was a further significant benefit from the decline in the exchange value of the Canadian dollar. Cash flows from operations before change in non-cash working capital were C$2.7 million for Q3 2014 and C$8.6 million for the nine-month period, a significant improvement from an outflow of C$300,000 and C$500,000 respectively, in the comparable 2013 periods. During the second quarter of FY ’14, the Yukon Environment and Socio-economic Assessment Board issued its final screening report for the Mactung Project. YESAB recommended that Mactung be allowed to proceed subject to various terms and conditions. The company now awaits a decision document from the Yukon government, which is expected in the near term.

FINANCE – Goldstrike Resources Ltd. Aug. 22 reported that it has retained the services of Joon Hong to solicit expressions of interest from Korean-based firms for an agreement to fund a multi-year exploration and development program on the Plateau South mineral property in Yukon Territory. He also has agreed to provide post-closing advisory and liaison services with the potential Korean partner as required, as the proposal contemplates establishment of an exploration fund to be managed by Goldstrike over a period of up to eight years with the ultimate objective of taking a deposit on the property to feasibility, in return for which the investor would earn an interest in the deposit. Hong was instrumental in arranging similar financing for Petro One Energy Corp., announced on July 28. Goldstrike has agreed to compensate Hong for his introductory services, conditional on establishment of such a fund, by issuing to him Goldstrike shares having aggregate issue price equal to 5 percent of the funds ultimately advanced, or double that number of warrants, with pricing to be determined at the relevant time. In addition, to secure his assistance in post-closing dealings with the funding entity, Goldstrike has granted to Hong incentive stock options exercisable to purchase up to 1 million shares of the company at the price of C20 cents per share. Such options will not vest and become exercisable until such a fund is established. They will thereafter be exercisable for five years from the date of this news release. The arrangement with Hong includes an allowance for the grant of additional options if the funding continues over the contemplated eight year period. The arrangements with Hong, including the subject option grant, are subject to acceptance of required filings by the TSX Venture Exchange.

COPPER – Copper North Mining Corp. Aug. 21 announced the resumption of exploration at it Carmacks copper project in central Yukon. The exploration is focused on expanding the current measured and indicated mineral resources, as a first step in increasing potential mine life. Following a review of historical data at Carmacks, two areas were selected as having potential for a significant increase of mineral resources. The company said initial trenching of the Zone 2 target has been very successful. Previous exploration on the Carmacks property defined 16 mineral zones. A review of these zones and other anomalies identified two prime targets for the initial focus of resource expansion. The Zone 2 area is located about 2,500 meters to the north of Zone 1, the proposed open pit area at Carmacks. The northerly trending mineralization of Zone1 appears to be offset on a cross fault. If the sense of movement on the cross-fault is right lateral, the Zone 2 area may represent the continuation of the Zone 1 structural trend; if this interpretation is correct, it opens up a 2,500-meter-long target. Initial trenching has extended to the southeast, the known extent of Zone 2 mineralization from 100 meters to 500 meters. The oxide copper mineralization has been observed in five trenches. The full width of the mineralization is not yet determined due to permafrost restrictions. The discovery trenches will be extended as the permafrost melts with removal of the cover materials. Trenching is continuing in this area as the zone is open to the southwest; and to the northwest of the discovery trench area where the mineralized structure has been offset by a fault that has now been identified in a new trench. Three lines of induced polarization geophysics were completed south of the Zone 2 discovery area in 2007. The geophysics defined multiple sub-parallel zones of increased chargeability and low resistivity, characteristic of the sulfide and oxide mineralization in other zones. The Zone 2 showing and three geophysical lines define a southeast trending target. Geophysical survey work is planned to the southeast of the Zone 2 discovery area to provide a better understanding of the approximate remaining 2,000 meters of strike length to the interpreted cross-fault that is thought to offset the Zone 1 mineralization. It is also planned to complete several lines of geophysical survey to fill in gaps between previous geophysical data in the gap between Zone 1 and the 2000S zone. Copper North President and CEO Harlan Meade said, “The company is considering a drill program to commence in September to define new mineral resources. The expansion of oxide mineral resources would be a very positive development in the re-engineering of the Carmacks Project.”