Rio 2 Limited (TSX-V: RIO; OTCQX: RIOFF; BVL: RIO) has closed a $25 million private placement which saw 62,500,000 units (a share and 1/2 purchase warrant) issued at $0.40. The raise will be invested into to the Company’s Fenix Gold project in Chile to complete the EIA, engineering studies and review of financing options for future construction, permitting and social activities.

Filo Mining (TSX-V, Nasdaq First North: FIL) has more recently announced a $40 million financing but this August 8th news release gives more information as to where the investment would go on drilling and development at the Filo del Sol project in Chile. Backed by Lundin, Filo Mining is advancing one of the top copper deposits globally, with Filo del Sol’s resource estimate calculated as be 3.1 B lb Cu; 4.4 M oz. Au; 146.9 M oz. Ag (Indicated) and 1.1 B lb Cu; 1.8 M oz. Au; 34.8 M oz. Ag (Inferred) which with upcoming drill plan will be expanded.

Revelo Resources Corp. (TSXV: RVL) reveals the Arreiro property’s magnetic anomalies following a ground magnetics survey in the hope to attract a JV partner to drill the targets. The Arreiros project is between the giant Chuquicamata and Centinela porphyry copper mining districts and was separated by Revelo from the Montezuma project as deemed a project of its own.

AFTERMATH SILVER (TSX:AAG.H) had a positive reaction to the announcement it would be increasing its private placement up from 18.7 million units to 25, with its stock price bouncing up 20% on Friday. The company is building on the resources at the Challacollo and Cachinal projects in Chile through exploration programs.

ATICO MINING (TSX-V:ATY; OTC:ATCMF) has announced plans to acquire TOACHI MINING (TSX-V:TIM; OTC:TIMGF) which will add the La Plata project in Ecuador to the company’s El Roble mine in Colombia. The agreement will create an interesting value proposition for shareholders, with Toachi shareholders seeing an approx. 49% premium.

Great Panther (TSX: GPR; NYSE American: GPL) has approved a positive production decision for its Coricancha gold-silver-lead-zinc-copper mine in Peru, with commercial production looking likely to begin within the first half 2020. The decision was bolstered by the recent Bulk Sample Program, confirming assumptions made in the PEA. The production will be an important addition to the company’s other operations in Mexico and Brazil.

Kaizen Discovery (TSXV:KZD) has received permitting at the Pinaya Copper-Gold project in Peru, and will therefore begin work to expand the resource and test targets with drilling. Pinaya sits on the same belt as well known porphyry and skarn systems, including Las Bambas (MMG), Constancia (Hudbay) and Haquira (First Quantum). Kaizen will also be carrying out a financing and converting outstanding debt to equity, putting the company in a stronger position to advance Pinaya.

Orestone Mining (TSX:ORS) has started exploration at its Chile Resguardo copper-gold porphyry project where it has an option to earn 100%. For 2019 the exploration program will consist of geophysics to better define IP chargeability anomaly and test further southwestern extension, followed by drilling.

Hot Chili Limited (ASX:HCH) is known for its Productora project in Chile, and now the recent drill results at its Cortadera deposit has brought added value to the company. The drill results topped the global charts with 622m grading 0.6% copper and 0.2g/t gold from 204m depth including a New High Grade Zone comprising: 188m grading 0.9% copper and 0.4g/t gold from 516m depth which includes: 100m grading 1.0% copper and 0.5g/t gold from 530m depth. MD, Christian Easterday compares grade and depth of mineralization in new zone to Solgold’s Cascabel.

ERO COPPER (TSX:ERO) has released results from its recent drill program at the Vale do Curaçá Property at the Vermelhos Mine with high grade copper mineralization approximately 70m below the orebody. The company also discovered a new mineralized zone at the Pilar Mine below historic open pit. There are 26 drill rigs turning across the two districts with hopes to expand resources and extend mines lives.

Alicanto Minerals (ASX:AQI) has signed an agreement with Nordgold who can earn 100% of the Arakaka project in Guyana, the same project Barrick pulled out of in 2018. The international diversified gold miner, Nordgold, will fund US$3 million explorations expenditures and a further US$5 million to execute the option. This move will be Nordgold’s second position in South America, following the 2017 55% earn in to the Montagne d’Or project in French Guiana.

New Pacific Metals Corp.’s (TSX-V: NUAG) (OTCQX: NUPMF) recent assays at their Silver Sand project show considerable high grade including 144.2m @ 169g/t Ag from 65.22m to 209.44m, with 73.21m @ 243g/t Ag from 65.22m to 138.43m. Backed by Silvercorp and Pan American Silver, New Pacific have managed to maintain a steady exploration program and will continue to drill new targets in 2019. These initial holes from the 2019 drill program, however, are infill holes, bringing drill hole density to approximately 25 metre by 25 metre spacing.

Whilst new discoveries will be in high demand once the deficit sets in for many base metals, it is not getting easier nor cheaper to unlock the value of discoveries, often calling for more intensive exploration programs. The financing strategies to make these discoveries possible are therefore important to analyse. Kura does just that this week as we delve into financings over US$35 million carried out in the last 4 years in the base metals space, and explore how strategic investments can work well for all stakeholders if played right.

Filo Mining Corp. (TSX-V, Nasdaq First North: FIL) seven assays from its Filo del Sol project rank within the top results of the week according to Opaxe and mark the end of the 2019 drill program at the property, which is located on the Chile/Argentina border. All but one of the holes ended in mineralization, which has shown the project’s continued upside potential, complementing the encouraging production outlook from Pre-Feasibility Study.

CONTINENTAL GOLD (TSX: CNL; OTCQX: CGOOF) holds one of the largest and highest grade gold projects globally, the Buriticá Au project in Colombia, which has production scheduled to start in 2020. Once in full production the mine could double formal production levels of gold in Colombia. The team continues to explore upside at the property with recent new discovery at BMZ4 where they will continue to drill.

Great Panther Mining Ltd. (TSX:GPR; NYSE:GPL) have commissioned a supplemental modular liquid oxygen supply system at the Tucano Gold Mine in Brazil to process higher grade sulphide ore, and has to date processed ore as high as 2g/t Au with 94% recoveries. Before the supplemental oxygen, Great Panther were limited to processing lower grade oxide material. With recent reports highlighting the future of new discoveries likely to be fewer and at lower grade, technologies like this one are encouraging for making those new discoveries economic to mine.

Guyana Goldstrike Inc. (TSXV:GYA, OTC:GYNAF, FSE:1ZT) have identified previously unmapped outcrops along 1,100 metres of a magnetic quartzite-metachert trend north of its Mazoa Hill 43-101 resource. This news follows the trend of juniors focussing on brownfield exploration, and is encouraging for the company as they will work to expand the resource with exploratory drilling, adding to the 42,000 m historic drilling and working to add to the three mineralized zones.

Adventus Zinc (TSX-V: ADZN; OTCQX: ADVZF) reported a Mineral Resource Estimate update and robust PEA at their El Domo deposit at the Curipampa project in Ecuador. The PEA outlines development potential for production of copper, gold and zinc by open pit and underground methods. El Domo is economically attractive compared to development project peers and upside potential at Curipampa will continue to be explored by the Adventus team as they evaluate and drill new targets in 2019. Adventus also announced a strategic investment from the Noblis Group of Ecuador as part of a C$12.1 million private placement, see here.