Record Gold Prices Create Unprecedented Opportunities for Near-Term Producers

NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold has reached a new record high as the U.S. dollar weakens and investors price in expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. At more than $3,500 an ounce, the yellow metal is shining brighter than ever, buoyed by concerns over inflation, currency debasement and slowing global growth. With the market environment pointing toward continued strength, companies with near-term production potential stand to benefit disproportionately. LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (Profile) is one such company. Transitioning from explorer to producer, LaFleur's timing could not be better. With a fully permitted, recently refurbished gold processing mill in excellent condition and strategically located assets in one of Canada's most prolific mining belts, the company offers a unique value proposition for investors seeking to leverage rising gold prices. LaFleur is part of an impressive group of savvy players in the mining sector, including SSR Mining Inc. (TSX: SSRM) (OTC: SSRGF), New Gold Inc. (TSX: NGD) (NYSE: NGD), Nicola Mining (TSX.V: NIM) (OTCQB: HUSIF) and West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX.V: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF), that recognize the eye-popping potential in the gold space.

• LaFleur's flagship Swanson Gold Project is an advanced exploration-stage, district-scale asset with significant upside and potential for discovery.
• LaFleur launched a 5,000-meter diamond drilling program in July 2025, targeting more than 50 prospects across Swanson, Bartec, Jolin and Marimac.
• Permitting is progressing as LaFleur prepares to evaluate a ~100,000 mt bulk sample at Swanson, along with finalizing a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), which will evaluate the potential for open-pit mining and processing at Beacon mill.
• LaFleur's fully permitted 750 tpd mill is central to its near-term production strategy.
• LaFleur's vertically integrated positioning, anchored by the Swanson Project and Beacon Mill, offers a compelling investment case in a gold market that continues to break records.

Click here to view the custom infographic of the LaFleur Minerals editorial.

Gold's breakout above $3,500 per ounce underscores its enduring role as a hedge against currency erosion and economic uncertainty. Analysts point to the Fed's anticipated policy shift as a catalyst for further gains. Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding nonyielding assets such as gold, fueling investor demand. At the same time, global central banks continue to diversify reserves into gold, enhancing its long-term demand profile.

Legendary resource investor Rick Rule added weight to this bullish outlook during the 2025 Rule Symposium in Boca Raton. In an interview with Kitco Mining's Paul Harris, Rule argued that gold prices could potentially triple if the U.S. dollar repeats its 1970s decline, when it lost 75% of its purchasing power. Rule emphasized that despite gold equities doubling in value recently, many remain "dirt cheap" on a historical basis. Rule characterized the current setup as a generational opportunity for precious metals investors, particularly in a world where inflationary pressures persist and central banks face credibility challenges.

These macroeconomic tailwinds play into LaFleur's strategy. The company holds an entirely permitted and recently refurbished gold processing mill in excellent condition, a rare asset among junior miners. Despite this advantage, LaFleur trades at a discount to its asset value, giving investors an opportunity to participate in a story years ahead of peers that still lack production-ready infrastructure. This positioning highlights the company's significant upside potential as gold prices climb.

LaFleur's flagship Swanson Gold Project is an advanced exploration-stage asset with significant upside. Located near Abitibi's prolific gold operations, Swanson has more than 36,000 meters of historic drilling and a current mineral resource estimate of 123.4 Koz Au Indicated and 64.5 Koz Au Inferred, with strong potential to increase resources beyond one million ounces. The property covers more than 18,300 hectares, including a mining lease and 445 claims, making it a dominant land position in one of Canada's most productive gold belts.

The project's exploration potential is supported by multiple gold-bearing regional structures and opportunities to expand the known resource base. LaFleur's land package has grown steadily, more than three times since its acquisition, and the company continues to consolidate claims in the area to create a district-scale exploration play. This approach is designed to maximize resource potential while leveraging the nearby Beacon Gold Mill, giving LaFleur the ability to fast-track production once sufficient resources are proven.

Swanson's proximity to the Beacon Gold Mill sets LaFleur apart from its peers. While many explorers face long development timelines, LaFleur's integrated asset base means it can potentially advance from drilling to processing with minimal delay. This integration, paired with a strong land position in a tier-one jurisdiction, strengthens the company's transition into a near-term producer.

LaFleur launched a 5,000-meter diamond drilling program in July 2025, targeting more than 50 prospects across Swanson, Bartec, Jolin and Marimac. The campaign is designed to test high-grade zones and expand mineralization long strike to evaluate open-pit potential. Early surface sampling results have been encouraging, including assays of up to 11.7 g/t Au at Jolin, suggesting strong potential for near-surface, high-grade mineralization.

To date, LaFleur has completed seven holes, totaling 1,764 meters, with assays currently underway. The company also acquired an adjacent mineral claim from Globex for only C$2,500, subject to a modest 2% Gross Metal Royalty, further expanding its footprint.

In July, LaFleur filed an updated NI 43-101 Technical Report reaffirming 2024 resource estimates and incorporating new exploration data. The drilling program is expected to lay the foundation for resource expansion toward the company's long-term goal of defining more than one million ounces of gold at Swanson. This milestone would enable large-scale bulk sampling and eventual trucking of ore to the Beacon Gold Mill.

Permitting is progressing as LaFleur prepares to evaluate a ~100,000 mt bulk sample at Swanson. The program is expected to yield an average grade of 1.89 g/t Au, representing approximately 6,350 ounces of contained gold, about 3% of the current resource estimate. This initiative will help validate mining and processing assumptions while generating valuable operational data.

The company is also preparing a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) to evaluate an open-pit mining scenario with ore processed at the Beacon Gold Mill. The timing could not be more favorable, with gold trading at record highs. Bulk sampling represents a crucial step toward commercial production, de-risking the project while demonstrating LaFleur's ability to capitalize on current market dynamics.

Environmental closure plans are being finalized with Québec regulators, reinforcing the company's commitment to responsible resource development. Successful permitting would pave the way for scaling up operations as the Beacon Gold Mill restart comes online.

LaFleur's fully permitted Beacon Gold Mill is central to its near-term production strategy. Purchased out of Monarch Mining's CCAA process in 2024, the mill boasts a processing capacity of more than 750 tonnes per day. Importantly, it underwent approximately C$20 million in upgrades as recently as 2022, leaving it in excellent condition.

The company recently commissioned Bumigeme Inc., a Montreal-based engineering firm, to produce an independent valuation report. The study pegged the replacement and rehabilitation costs for the mill and its tailings facility at C$71.5 million, highlighting the high value of the asset. By comparison, restarting the mill is expected to cost approximately C$5–6 million, with Bumigeme estimating rehabilitation costs of only ~C$4.1 million. This difference between the significant replacement value and low restart costs underscores the capital efficiency of LaFleur's strategy, anchoring a highly capital-efficient path to near-term gold production.

With no royalties or encumbrances, and backed by a C$2.4 million reclamation bond, the Beacon Mill is a strategic advantage that supports both the Swanson project and potential custom milling of regional ore. Its location, with access to road, power, and skilled labor, further enhances its value as a regional processing hub.

LaFleur has finalized a restart plan for the Beacon Gold Mill, budgeting C$5–6 million to bring the facility online over six to eight months. The goal is to begin production ramp-up by Q4 2025 and reach full commercial operation by early 2026, generating positive cash flow within 12 months. The plan allocates approximately C$3.8 million for mill equipment upgrades and C$1.8 million for tailings facility repairs, ensuring the operation meets modern standards.

Strategically located in Canada's largest gold-producing belt, the Beacon Gold Mill is surrounded by more than 100 historical and operating mines. This position makes it an attractive option for toll milling, potentially generating additional revenue streams beyond LaFleur's own Swanson mineralized material. The company is in active discussions with neighboring deposit holders, exploring tolling and custom milling arrangements that could increase throughput and maximize profitability.

To support financing, LaFleur engaged FMI Securities Inc. (Canada) and FM Global Markets Inc. (U.S.) as advisors for a proposed C$5 million secured debt financing aimed at the Beacon Gold Mill restart. Concurrently, the company has closed a fully subscribed C$2.88 million LIFE Offering of up to six million units at C$0.48 each, with warrants exercisable at C$0.75, along with an additional hard dollar equity raise of over C$553,000. The company's capital strategy has also been strengthened with the appointment of respected mining financier, CEO and operational leader of gold producing company Nicola Mining, Peter Espig, as LaFleur's newest advisor.

With a strong asset base, a clear production path and favorable market conditions, LaFleur Minerals is positioned years ahead of many peers in the Abitibi region. Its integrated mode, anchored by the Swanson Gold Project and Beacon Gold Mill, offers a compelling investment case in a gold market that continues to break records.

Momentum continues to build across the gold sector as leading miners report new production milestones, exploration successes and project advancements. These updates underscore how companies are strengthening operations and unlocking value in a market supported by robust gold prices.

SSR Mining Inc. is reporting that in the first full quarter of operations within the SSR mining portfolio, Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V) gold mine produced more than 44,000 ounces of gold. SSR Mining acquired CC&V earlier this year, positioning SSR Mining as the third largest gold producer in the United States. "The CC&V integration has continued to progress positively, with the mine generation nearly $85 million in mine site free cash flow since the close of the acquisition," the company reported. "CC&V remains on track for full-year guidance metrics, and a technical report for CC&V based on existing mineral reserves remains on track for publication in 2025."

New Gold Inc. provided an update on its ongoing exploration programs at the wholly owned, Canada-based New Afton and Rainy River mines. The company noted that at New Afton, new underground drilling has confirmed the width and continuity of previously reported mineralization at K-Zone and discovered additional copper-gold porphyry mineralization emanating from the roots of the zone, which have more than doubled the known extent of the system. At Rainy River, surface drilling has extended the NW Trend mineralization and underground drilling has extended underground mining zones, which continues to remain open at depth.

Nicola Mining announced that it has commenced shipping of gold concentrate via a partnership with Talisker Resources Ltd. Under a mining, milling and smelting agreement, the parties sold 707 ounces of gold in August, generating gross proceeds of approximately $2.3 million. The company also noted that production benefited from extensive upgrades that included automation of several aspects of concentrate production, for the purpose of flotation recovery. In addition, the company's installation of a large concentrator optimized free gold recovery, which is important for ore from Talisker and Nicola's Dominion Gold Project. 

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. has filed an independent preliminary economic assessment (PEA) technical report for its 100% owned Rowan project located in the Red Lake Gold District of northwestern Ontario, Canada, with an effective date of June 30, 2025. According to the company, the technical report was prepared in accordance with the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101 by Fuse Advisors Inc., an independent consulting firm, and supports the disclosure made by the company in its July 8, 2025, news release announcing the results of the PEA.

Taken together, the latest announcements demonstrate how established producers and emerging players alike are positioning themselves for long-term growth in the gold market. With production scaling, exploration expanding and technical assessments validating project economics, these companies are contributing to the continued strength and opportunity that define today's global gold sector.

For more information, visit LaFleur Minerals Inc.

Qualified Person Statement: All scientific and technical information contained in this article has been reviewed and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

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