TSX Venture Exchange Dec. 18-19

Over a truncated Dec. 18-19 trading session, the S&P-TSX Venture Composite Index lost 6.47 points, or 0.25%, closing at 2,601.48. Despite the looming Christmas lull, the average daily trading volume remained strong at 92.8 million.

In the space of only two days, however, a whopping 177 juniors fell to new low share prices. Only three Venture board companies reached new highs over the short session.

Carmax Explorations was the period’s volume leader, with 20.4 million shares exchanged. On Dec. 14, the company announced drill results from the Eaglehead gold project in northwestern B.C., highlighted by 16.6 metres grading 1.7 grams gold per tonne from the bottom of a hole. The news prompted a significant loss over the week; during the session, Carmax lost 7 to close at 14.5 per share.

Blue Note Mining traded 11.7 million shares over the period, closing down 4.5 at 29. Yukon Zinc was another volume leader, moving 6 million shares to close up 2 at 10.5. Neither company released news.

It was a big week for Goldcliff Resources, a Vancouver-based junior with gold, silver and uranium projects in B.C. Trench sampling results from the company’s Panorama Ridge gold project propelled Goldcliff to a new all-time high of 65 in mid-day trading. Over the session, the stock gained 14 to close at 34 on record volumes totalling 5.8 million.

Visible gold in drill core from the Paso Yobai project, in Paraguay, drove Latin American Minerals up 36, or 118%, over just two days of trading with 5.6 million shares traded. The boost was a welcome change for Latin American, which has lost 80 over the last five months.

Xemplar Energy gained 61 over the session to close at $6.41 on 5.4 million shares traded. The company released an exploration update for the Warmbad uranium project in Namibia, where it has identified 14 mineralized alaskitic bodies. Assay results from 13 drill holes are pending.

More strong drill results from the Sabodala gold project in Senegal pushed Oromin Explorations up 30 to close the session at $3.55. Similarly, results from Rockcliff Resources’ Snow Lake VMS project in central Manitoba boosted that junior 22, or 25%, to close at $1.09 per share.

Kodiak Exploration lost 26 over the session to close at $4.14, on no particular news. Pearl Exploration and Production also lost ground, falling 24, or 19%, to close at $2.21 per share. And Salazar Resources dropped 23, or 13%, to close at $1.50, having only announced the mobilization of a second drill rig to test the Las Naves zone at its Curipamba gold-silver project in Ecuador.

TSX-V greatest percentage change

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE		CHANGE
Latin Am Mnls	LAT	5553	0.86	0.38	0.80	+	158.0
Goldcliff Res	GCN	5838	0.65	0.25	0.34	+	70.0
Rockgate Cap	RGT	857	0.65	0.40	0.60	+	48.1
Sigma Vent	SVX	83	0.25	0.175	0.25	+	42.8
Mano River Res	MNO	13	0.24	0.20	0.24	+	41.1
Strike Minls	STK	10	0.11	0.11	0.11	+	37.5
Vast Expl	VST	270	0.355	0.30	0.35	+	37.2
Emgold Mng	EMR	1281	0.195	0.15	0.19	+	35.7
Beta Minerals	BMI	126	0.135	0.10	0.135	+	35.0
Silver Spruce	SSE	408	0.73	0.50	0.68	+	30.7
Great Quest Me	GQ	21	0.245	0.15	0.15	–	43.4
Carmax Expl	CMX	20411	0.225	0.14	0.145	–	32.5
Aurea Mng	MXA	54	0.28	0.21	0.21	–	27.5
Amera Res	AMS	164	0.21	0.15	0.15	–	26.8
Wind River Res	WRR	47	0.055	0.035	0.055	–	26.6
Am Copper	AJ	42	0.24	0.22	0.22	–	26.6
CMQ Res	CMQ	461	0.045	0.03	0.03	–	25.0
Gee-Ten Vent	GTV	111	0.085	0.06	0.06	–	25.0
Wellstar Enrgy	WST	154	0.06	0.06	0.06	–	25.0
Buchans River	BUV	53	0.36	0.36	0.36	–	24.2

TSX-V greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE		CHANGE
Whitemud Res	WMK	65264	10.50	+	0.90
Xemplar Energy	XE	5369971	6.41	+	0.61
Pan Oce Exp	POE	712495	13.16	+	0.58
Latin Am Mnls	LAT	5552820	0.80	+	0.49
SouthGobi Engy	SGQ	43755	8.74	+	0.44
Oromin Expl	OLE	324161	3.55	+	0.30
Exeter Res	XRC	13730	5.01	+	0.26
Rockcliff Res	RCR	69500	1.09	+	0.22
Sanatana Diam	STA	1718094	1.99	+	0.21
Rockgate Cap	RGT	857090	0.60	+	0.195
Kodiak Expl	KXL	881300	4.14	–	0.26
Pearl Ex & Pr	PXX	1016164	2.21	–	0.24
Salazar Res	SRL	49427	1.50	–	0.23
Asian Minl Res	ASN	60900	1.40	–	0.22
Bear Creek Mng	BCM	523838	6.80	–	0.20
Anglo Mnrls	ALM	86248	4.65	–	0.20
Nevada Geo Pow	NGP	185003	1.11	–	0.18
Bralorne Gold	BPM	85850	0.98	–	0.18
Noront Res	NOT	1451840	3.94	–	0.16
Andina Mnls	ADM	594722	4.20	–	0.16

TSX-V most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE		CHANGE
Carmax Expl	CMX	20411	0.225	0.14	0.145	–	0.07
Blue Note Mng	BN	11674	0.335	0.28	0.29	–	0.045
Yukon Zinc	YZC	6055	0.11	0.085	0.105	+	0.02
Goldcliff Res	GCN	5838	0.65	0.25	0.34	+	0.14
Latin Am Mnls	LAT	5553	0.86	0.38	0.80	+	0.49
Xemplar Energy	XE	5370	6.49	5.42	6.41	+	0.61
Abacus Mng&Ex	AME	4719	0.34	0.28	0.34	+	0.02
Monte llo Res	MEO	4060	0.105	0.07	0.085	–	0.025
Bard Vent	CBS	3322	0.175	0.125	0.14	–	0.005
MacDonald Mns	BMK	2913	0.48	0.43	0.46	–	0.01