TSX Venture Exchange December 5-11

The S&P-TSX Venture Composite Index took a breather over the Dec. 5-11 trading session, following slight pull-backs in bullion, copper and zinc spot prices, to close down 32.15 points at 2,805.52. Average daily trading volumes remained strong over the session at around 81.8 million shares.

Despite the dip in the index, the venture market exhibited a strong bullish trend over the week, with 62 junior board explorers rising to new 52-week highs compared with 37 that slipped to yearly lows.

Noront Resources again topped the most-active chart with almost 41.5 million shares changing hands, gaining 28% to close at 96 per share. A high-grade intercept of 4.8 metres grading 1,792.9 grams gold was recently returned from the company’s Windfall project in Quebec. Noront has also arranged a $15-million brokered financing.

Shares of Consolidated Gold Win Ventures rallied 53% to close up a nickel at 14.5 apiece on trading volume of over 32.5 million. The company released a visual description of drill core from its South Dolly Varden gold-copper project, in Elko Cty., Nev., describing several zones of altered mineralization.

Penny junior IBI Corp. notched up a cent to close the week at 5 per share on volume of 20.2 million shares. The company is gearing up exploration on its Ugandan gold projects and has also expanded its uranium holdings in the country.

Uranium producer UrAsia Energy pulled back off its high to trade down 5 at $4.20 per share on volume of 13.4 million shares. The company recently boosted resources by 69% at its South Inkai uranium project in Kazakhstan, where it also operates the Akdala mine.

Shares of Red Lake, Ont.-area gold explorers Cypress Development and Skyharbour Resources both notched down, following investor disappointment on summer drill results from their Broulan Reef JV. Deep drilling at the project failed to turn up any economic gold grades. Cypress closed at 18.5 on trading volume of 9.6 million shares and Skyharbour at 12.5 on volume of 8.1 million.

Strateco Resources remained near its high to close the week up a penny at $2.57 per share on volume of 7.5 million shares. Drilling at its Otish Mountain-area Matoush project recently cut significant uranium-mineralized intervals.

Junior uranium explorer Santoy Resources saw almost 7.4 million shares change hands over the session, closing up 8 at 60 per share. The company recently released a number of U3O8 mineralized grab samples from its Fish Hawk Lake project in Labrador’s Central Mineral Belt.

Seabed exploration company Nautilus Minerals gained $2.18 on the week to close up over 50% at $6.50 per share on volume of 2.6 million. Teck Cominco invested US$25 million in the company and entered into joint-venture agreements with the junior.

Shares of Aurelian Resources gave up $2.89, closing down at $28.00 apiece on trading volume of over 2 million shares. Drilling continues at the company’s Fruta del Norte epithermal gold-silver project in southeastern Ecuador.

TSX-V greatest percentage change

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Kings Bay Gold	KBG	9510	0.80	0.285	0.72	+121.5
Serengeti Res	SIR	2828	0.345	0.175	0.32	+88.2
New Cantech Vn	NCV	4928	0.95	0.50	0.93	+78.8
AMI Res	AMU	1609	0.35	0.18	0.345	+72.5
Pershimco Res	PRO	786	0.53	0.33	0.53	+53.6
Cons Gold Win	CGW	32577	0.17	0.125	0.145	+52.6
Shear Minls	SRM	4170	0.78	0.465	0.64	+52.3
Nautilus Minls	NUS	2644	7.39	4.71	6.50	+50.4
La Quinta Res	LAQ	286	0.44	0.275	0.44	+49.1
Linear Metals	LRM	739	1.15	0.70	1.10	+44.7
Janina Res	JAN	131	0.155	0.13	0.155	-38.0
Duncan Park H	DPH	19	0.50	0.455	0.455	-35.0
Groundstar Res	GSA	289	1.20	0.83	0.83	-30.8
Great Sthn Ent	GSR	960	0.075	0.04	0.05	-28.5
Altai Res	ATI	121	0.295	0.16	0.19	-26.9
Coronation Mnl	CMV	132	0.20	0.16	0.16	-25.5
Marifil Min wt	MFM.WT	50	0.12	0.09	0.09	-25.0
MacDonald Mns	BMK	1442	0.11	0.09	0.09	-25.0
Brazauro Res	BZO	272	1.40	0.96	1.00	-24.8
Micrex Devel	MIX	13	0.36	0.30	0.31	-24.3

TSX-V greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Nautilus Minls	NUS	2644401	6.50	+2.18
Osisko Explora	OSK	1468116	9.00	+1.80
Contintl Mnls	KMK	1234415	2.15	+0.50
New Cantech Vn	NCV	4927505	0.93	+0.41
Messina Minls	MMI	933519	1.50	+0.40
Uruguay Mnl Ex	UME	71025	4.00	+0.40
Kings Bay Gold	KBG	9509777	0.72	+0.395
Pitchstone Exp	PXP	946368	2.64	+0.39
Kit Res	KIT	249800	1.30	+0.38
Belvedere Res	BEL	818700	1.25	+0.35
Aurelian Res	ARU	2041443	28.00	-2.89
Pac Booker Min	BKM	15524	7.25	-0.70
Seabridge Gold	SEA	128498	16.38	-0.61
Esperanza Silv	EPZ	965161	3.37	-0.53
Bear Creek Mng	BCM	264737	10.54	-0.46
Groundstar Res	GSA	288763	0.83	-0.37
Thunder Sword	THU	75550	2.21	-0.34
Triex Minerals	TXM	260731	3.77	-0.33
Aranka Gold	ARK	27035	3.26	-0.33
Brazauro Res	BZO	271720	1.00	-0.33

TSX-V most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Noront Res	NOT	41458	1.07	0.58	0.96	+0.21
Cons Gold Win	CGW	32577	0.17	0.125	0.145	+0.05
IBI Corp	IBI	20283	0.06	0.03	0.05	+0.01
UrAsia Energy	UUU	13435	4.45	4.09	4.20	-0.05
Cypress Dev	CYP	9578	0.29	0.175	0.185	-0.015
Kings Bay Gold	KBG	9510	0.80	0.285	0.72	+0.395
Skyharbour Res	SYH	8108	0.155	0.115	0.125	-0.005
Strateco Res	RSC	7521	2.81	2.36	2.57	+0.01
Santoy Res	SAN	7386	0.74	0.51	0.60	+0.08