Venture board closes out 2005 on a high

Gold’s late-year rally through the US$500-per-oz. level lifted the S&P-TSX Venture Exchange to finish 2005 at a more than 9-year high of 2,236.55, up 45.99 points or 2.1% over the year’s final week. Average daily trading volume over the holiday-shortened Dec. 28-30 period was 39.2 million shares.

The bulls posted a strong year-end performance with 64 companies touching new 52-week highs, well surpassing the 29 junior explorers dipping to annual lows.

Once again, Staccato Gold Resources came in as the top volume trader over the session with over 4.4 million shares changing hands and gaining 9 to close at 52 per share. The Nevada-focused junior continues to garner market interest from recent Lookout Mountain drill results at its South Eureka project. Both narrow high-grade gold intercepts and wider mineralized zones were encountered in the limited drill program.

Shares of Simberi Gold rallied 85%, trading up 11.5 to close at 25 on volume of 4.2 million. The company recently completed a $2.6-million private placement financing. With three current projects in western Australia, the company is aiming to acquire the Kakanda copper-cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Timmins, Ont., gold camp explorer Vedron Gold gained 6.5 to close at 43.5 on volume of over 4 million shares. Recent drilling on its Buffalo Ankerite project returned near-surface gold intercepts in the North mine area.

Yukon Zinc saw volume of almost 3.9 million shares, grabbing 3.5 to close the week at 39 per share. Results from recent phase-2 definition drilling on its Wolverine zinc-copper-lead deposit, in the eastern Yukon, returned precious-metal-rich intercepts along with base metal values.

Dianor Resources entered the most-active list with volume of over 3 million shares, trading up 15 to close at 58 per share. The junior diamond explorer recently announced recovery of numerous stones (mostly micros) at its Leadbetter project near Wawa, Ont.

Ecstall Mining traded almost 2.9 million shares over the week, gaining 7 to close at 23 per share. Results from the second drill hole on the Akie base metal project, in northeastern British Columbia, delivered further high grades of zinc, lead and silver. The project is operated by partner Mantle Resources.

Trading 3 million shares over the session, Strateco Resources saw a 68% gain, up 7.5, to close at 18.5. The company is raising $1.7 million in a series of financings that will be principally allocated towards its Quebec uranium and gold projects.

Shares of Dynasty Metals & Mining rallied 50 to close at $2.28 on volume of almost 600,000 shares. The company recently returned high-grade gold and silver values from drilling on its Dynasty Goldfields project in Ecuador.

Cardero Resources gained 74 to close at $5.25 on volume of over 300,000 shares. The company is advancing exploration on its iron, copper and gold projects in Peru, Argentina and Mexico.