White Gold to create critical explorer focused on minerals in Yukon

[Ben Graham]

White Gold (TSXV: WGO) will spin off its critical minerals projects located in Canada’s Yukon Territory in a bid to “unlock” the value of its non-gold assets amid a supportive policy environment.

The spin-out will hold six properties that host several large-scale targets prospective for copper, molybdenum, tungsten, antimony, zinc and bismuth, the Yukon-focused explorer said in a statement on Wednesday.

Together, they comprise approximately 15% of White Gold’s claim holdings, estimated at 3,051 km² covering 21 properties in total.

Some of the key exploration targets – such as the Bridget, Isaac, and Mascot – are situated within the Dawson Range, a prolific mineral belt that hosts several significant copper-gold porphyry deposits in the region, including the Casino deposit, one of the largest undeveloped projects in Canada.

“Spinning these assets into a dedicated vehicle allows them to be advanced more effectively with the technical focus and disciplined exploration strategy they warrant,” commented Dylan Langille, vice president of exploration for White Gold.

“Assets such as Bridget, Isaac and Wolf exhibit the size, metal zonation, and geophysical signatures typically associated with large, fertile porphyry systems, yet remain largely untested by drilling,” he added.

Shares of White Gold rose by 4.7% to C$1.57 apiece by midday Wednesday, taking its market capitalization to C$311.6 million ($230 million).

Mo-Cu target

In its news release, White Gold highlighted the Bridget target as the most significant to date. It comprises a standout molybdenum-copper porphyry anomaly covering a 3 x 3.5 km area, enriched with tungsten, bismuth and silver.

An initial technical report on this property will be filed in connection with the spin-out, White Gold said.

The other projects offer additional upside potential for antimony and bismuth as secondary metals across orogenic gold, intrusion-related, epithermal and porphyry systems, it added.

Government support

The spin-out process is currently underway and would require shareholder as well as regulatory and court approvals.

“The timing of this proposed spin-out aligns exceptionally well with the strong and growing support we are seeing from both the Yukon and federal governments for the responsible development of critical minerals,” CEO David D’Onofrio said.

“Recent initiatives focused on advancing critical mineral exploration, improving infrastructure, streamlining permitting, and strengthening collaboration across Western and Northern Canada reinforce Yukon’s position as a globally desirable jurisdiction for discovery and development.”

The move would also allow the company to focus solely on advancing its flagship gold project, which hosts four near-surface gold deposits that collectively contain an estimated 1.73 million oz. of gold in indicated resources and 1.27 million oz. in inferred resources.