TSX Venture Exchange September 12-18

With gold’s recent price plunge levelling out at the US$580-per-oz. level, the S&P-TSX Venture Composite Index continued its decline over the Sept. 12-18 trading session to close down 26.91 points at 2,577.52. Average daily trading volumes dried up over the week at 48.8 million shares.

The bearish market sentiment was reflected in trading records showing that only 22 companies managed to reach new annual highs over the week, while 50 exploration companies dropped to 52-week lows.

Plexmar Resources continued to top the most-active trading list, with 21.4 million shares changing hands over the week, closing up a penny at 80. Investors are keeping an eye on the company’s Escondida project in southern Ecuador where a due-diligence program has returned some high-grade gold values from bedrock and boulder sampling.

Blue Note Metals was up two pennies at 32 over the session, based on the company’s plans to revive the past-producing Caribou and Restigouche lead-zinc mines in the Bathurst mining camp of New Brunswick.

SearchGold Resources also edged up two pennies to close at 32 over the session. The Montreal-based junior is exploring various gold and diamond projects in several nations of francophone Africa, and is also active in Canada, including at the Belleterre gold property in northern Quebec.

Aurelian Resources continued its dizzying climb again this week, up $3.69 to $29.89, which gives the junior a higher market capitalization than some mid-tier producers. The junior’s shares shot into the stratosphere based on drilling results from the Fruta Del Norte epithermal gold-silver discovery at its wholly owned Condor project in southeastern Ecuador. The latest results include 107.5 metres grading 5.01 grams gold and 7.1 grams silver per tonne, and 173 metres of 4.73 grams gold and 6.8 grams silver.

The largest percentage gainer was Skeena Resources, another junior actively exploring a high-grade gold project in Ecuador. Previous trenching and sampling at the El Corazon project returned encouraging results, including 19.84 grams gold over 24.4 metres and 2.94 grams gold over 42 metres. Initial results from a drilling program launched in mid-August are expected shortly. Anticipation of positive results has more than doubled the junior’s share price to 72.

Bear Creek Mining jumped ahead 75 to $10.05 after reporting more positive drill results from its cornerstone Corani project in Peru. The latest highlights include 70 metres at 92 grams silver per tonne (including 20 metres at 181 grams silver and 1.6% lead) and 108 metres of 84 grams silver, 1% lead and 0.4% zinc.

El Nino Ventures posted a 40% gain to 80. The junior is exploring various properties in the Bathurst camp of New Brunswick, and is also looking for uranium near Bancroft, Ont.

Press reports suggesting that the Mongolian government may reconsider its onerous windfall tax gave a boost to Western Prospector Group, which holds a number of advanced uranium projects in the landlocked nation. The company’s shares gained 50 to close at $2.35.

TSX-V greatest percentage change

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Skeena Res	SKE	5159	0.74	0.46	0.72	+53.1
El Nino Vent	ELN	102	0.80	0.60	0.80	+40.3
J.A.G. Mines	JML	20	0.175	0.125	0.175	+40.0
New World Res	NW	4721	2.05	1.12	1.59	+38.2
Strategic Metl	SMD	777	0.49	0.38	0.49	+36.1
Rupert Res	RUP	222	0.44	0.29	0.375	+33.9
Forsys Metals	FSY	2421	2.40	1.68	2.40	+33.3
RJZ Mining	RJZ	72	0.145	0.11	0.14	+33.3
Midlands Minls	MEX	41	0.24	0.15	0.24	+33.3
Sedex Mng	SDN	1319	0.25	0.175	0.225	+32.3
Great Sthn Ent	GSR	65	0.10	0.095	0.095	-42.4
Telkwa Gold	TKW	160	0.12	0.08	0.08	-33.3
Luxor Ind	LRL	64	0.11	0.08	0.08	-27.2
Midasco Gold	MGC	100	0.13	0.10	0.10	-25.9
Regent Vents	REV	647	0.42	0.32	0.32	-25.5
Navasota Res	NAV	429	0.11	0.09	0.09	-25.0
Selkirk Metals	SLK	563	0.73	0.52	0.55	-24.6
Molycor Gold	MOR	253	0.20	0.16	0.16	-23.8
Endurance Gold	EDG	70	0.21	0.175	0.175	-22.2
First Point	FPX	205	0.15	0.125	0.125	-21.8

TSX-V greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Aurelian Res	ARU	1851274	29.89	+3.69
Bear Creek Mng	BCM	505370	10.05	+0.75
BRC Diamond	BRC	153400	5.25	+0.75
Forsys Metals	FSY	2420672	2.40	+0.60
Western Prospc	WNP	1221700	2.35	+0.50
New World Res	NW	4720554	1.59	+0.44
Andina Mnls	ADM	781729	2.05	+0.40
Mag Silver	MAG	178091	3.15	+0.38
Seabridge Gold	SEA	214942	13.09	+0.29
Franconia Mnls	FRA	816515	1.68	+0.28
Coral Gold	CGR	142200	3.20	-0.55
Dynasty Met&Mn	DMM	180191	5.45	-0.49
Arizona Star	AZS	38332	10.86	-0.34
First Majestic	FR	787983	3.12	-0.33
Palmarejo Gold	PJO	41415	8.28	-0.32
Primary Metals	PMI	167590	1.95	-0.30
Midway Gold	MDW	130184	2.88	-0.30
Energy Fuels	EFR	854956	1.55	-0.30
ECU Silver Mng	ECU	4721648	2.92	-0.29
Everton Res	EVR	927350	1.12	-0.27

TSX-V most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Plexmar Res	PLE	21409	0.96	0.78	0.80	+0.01
Blue Note Mtls	BNT	8268	0.36	0.29	0.32	-0.02
Searchgold Res	RSG	7910	0.18	0.14	0.165	-0.005
Nortec Vent	NVT	7009	0.475	0.285	0.345	+0.075
Skeena Res	SKE	5159	0.74	0.46	0.72	+0.25
ECU Silver Mng	ECU	4722	3.35	2.75	2.92	-0.29
New World Res	NW	4721	2.05< /td>	1.12	1.59	+0.44
UC Res	UC	3560	0.74	0.61	0.62	-0.02
Cons Gold Win	CGW	3557	0.115	0.095	0.095	-0.015
Tagish Lk Gold	TLG	3192	0.325	0.225	0.315	+0.06