TSX Venture Exchange December 9-15

A modicum of confidence managed to infiltrate the TSX Venture Exchange during the Dec. 9-15 trading session. The Venture board climbed 18.73 points out of the high 600s to close at 716.81 points. Higher than usual volumes helped it muscle through the week and away from a low not seen in over a decade. Two days during the session broke 100 million shares traded and the average daily volume was a strong 95 million.

Still, many companies reached new lows. The week saw 467 companies scratch bottom while only two, African Queen Mines and Venture board newcomer Pachamama Resources, reached highs.

Exploration results paid off this week. News of the potential for diamonds beneath the sands of Botswana’s Kalahari Desert lifted African Queen’s share price 150% to close up 16¢ at 25¢. Operating in the country’s northwest on an extension of the Archean Congo craton at its Okavango property, African Queen announced it had sampled G10 garnets and other kimberlitic indicators from bull’s-eye targets developed through aeromagnetics. The company says it will start drilling next year.

On the last day of the session, Exeter Resource’s share price got a 32¢ bump to $1.95. Drill results from the Escondida vein on its Cerro Moro property in Argentina excited investors. One hole hit 3 metres grading 72.76 grams gold per tonne and 6,471 grams silver. Exeter says it is set to release a resource estimate in the second quarter of 2009. Overall, the company was up 48¢ during the week.

Likewise, drill results from its Million Mountain property in Guyana buoyed Sacre-Coeur Minerals, lifting it 30¢ to 55¢ per share. Among the highlights was a 309-metre section grading 0.22 gram gold, 0.07% copper, 0.01% molybdenum and 1.3 grams silver in Zone 3. So far, Sacre-Coeur has calculated a resource estimate for Zone 1 of the property that comes in at 12.1 million measured tonnes grading 1 gram gold and 2.2 million indicated tonnes grading 0.9 gram gold.

And International Tower Hill Mines also benefited from drill results. It hit 127 metres grading 1.2 grams gold at its Livengood property in Alaska. That helped Tower Hill gain 21¢ to close at $1.38.

Some other notable movers on the plus side, though without news, were SouthGobi Energy Resources, gaining 39¢ to $5.69, Chesapeake Gold, up 38¢ to $2.95 and Rainy River Resources, adding 33¢ to finish at $1.10.

Of notables on the minus side were: PacificBooker Minerals, down 30¢ to $4; Tatmar Ventures, sinking 23¢ to 20¢; and Northern Platinum, dropping from 50¢ to 17¢. Northern Platinum fell on an announcement that it would try and raise $1.5 million through a non-brokered private placement consisting of 10 million units at 15¢ a unit. Each unit consists of one common share and a purchase warrant for an additional share at 25¢ in the first year and 40¢ in the second.

DECEMBER 9-15

TSX-V most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Andina Mnls ADM	11398	0.92	0.67	0.89	+ 0.22
Gold Hawk Res CGK	8654	0.02	0.01	0.01	0.00
MBMI Res MBR	8435	0.04	0.03	0.04	0.00
Terrane Metals TRX	7109	0.13	0.10	0.12	-0.01
San Gold Res SGR	6909	1.23	0.91	1.20	+ 0.25
MacDonald Mns BMK	5910	0.06	0.03	0.06	+ 0.03
Normabec Inc NMB	5630	0.06	0.03	0.06	+ 0.03
Axmin Inc AXM	5397	0.07	0.04	0.06	+ 0.01
Dumont Nickel DNI	4987	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.00
Tribute Minls TBM	4793	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.00

TSX-V greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Aura Silver Rs	AUU	331	0.11	0.03	0.06	+200.0
Golden Harp	GHR	39	0.12	0.07	0.11	+175.0
Lund Gold	LGD	268	0.05	0.03	0.05	+150.0
African Queen	AQ	1146	0.25	0.09	0.25	+150.0
Hansa Res	HRL	63	0.05	0.03	0.05	+150.0
Terraco Gold	TEN	666	0.07	0.03	0.07	+133.3
Pro-Or Mng Res	POI	487	0.21	0.10	0.20	+122.2
Sacre-Coeur Ml	SCM	599	0.68	0.23	0.55	+120.0
Barker Mnrls	BML	570	0.03	0.01	0.02	+100.0
Copper Ridge	KRX	1089	0.02	0.01	0.02	+100.0
Superior Can R	CAD	80	0.05	0.01	0.01	-90.0
Diamond Frank	DOD	14	0.10	0.04	0.05	-77.2
Northrock Res	NRK	948	0.05	0.01	0.03	-76.9
Island Arc Exp	IAX	118	0.04	0.01	0.01	-75.0
Lomiko Res	LMR	265	0.05	0.01	0.01	-75.0
Alder Res	ALR	24	0.06	0.05	0.06	-73.9
Nevgold Res	NDG	70	0.08	0.05	0.05	-68.7
Thunder Sword	THU	38	0.10	0.03	0.03	-66.6
Orsa Vent	ORN	171	0.03	0.01	0.01	-66.6
Celeste Copper	C	22	0.07	0.01	0.01	-66.6

TSX-V greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Exeter Res	XRC	1306639	1.95	+ 0.48
SouthGobi Engy	SGQ	754115	5.69	+ 0.39
Chesapeake Gld	CKG	97055	2.95	+ 0.38
Rainy River Rs	RR	747951	1.10	+ 0.33
Pediment Expl	PEZ	1011464	0.78	+ 0.31
Sacre-Coeur Ml	SCM	599021	0.55	+ 0.30
Bear Creek Mng	BCM	446165	1.20	+ 0.27
San Gold Res	SGR	6908973	1.20	+ 0.25
Andina Mnls	ADM	11397782	0.89	+ 0.22
Intl Tower Hil	ITH	607839	1.38	+ 0.21
Northern Plat	NTH	16000	0.17	-0.33
Pac Booker Min	BKM	24550	4.00	-0.30
Tatmar Vent	TAT	87000	0.20	-0.23
Alder Res	ALR	24000	0.06	-0.17
Diamond Frank	DOD	13871	0.05	-0.17
Western Uran	WUC	441170	0.52	-0.12
Nevgold Res	NDG	70000	0.05	-0.11
Belvedere Res	BEL	1065560	0.08	-0.11
Grizzly Diamnd	GZD	38700	0.40	-0.11
Polar Star Mng	POS	144368	0.28	-0.11