Nativo Resources (LON:NTVO) is a Peru-focused developer and soon-to-be producer of artisanal gold and silver in Northern Peru. Echo Energy was recently renamed Nativo, and senior management have refocused the business on artisanal mining in Peru, moving on from legacy energy assets in Argentina.

In an in-depth interview with Ticker TV, Nativo Resources Non-Executive Chairman Christian Yates and CEO Stephen Birrell discussed the new Peru-focused artisanal gold and silver strategy for the company, which they have been developing since taking control in November 2023.

This is divided into two strands: Nativo has bought a 50% stake in the Tesoro Gold Concession in Northern Peru for $750,000, and the strategy there is to kick-start this artisanal gold mine quickly, to develop production and to reinvest revenues. The company believes this is where the quick wins are, and options to buy land and create a processing plant to process ore from Tesoro (60 tonnes per day) and from other artisanal producers has recently been signed.

The second, medium-term focus for the business is to develop a separate revenue stream clearing up legacy polymetallic tailings dumps in Southern Peru, extracting gold and silver from these and sorting out any hazards as part of the clean-up process. Three sites in close proximity to one another have been identified, with tailings of around 5 million tonnes in total.

Christian Yates and Stephen Birrell were interviewed by Donald Leggatt, Head of IR Media at Ticker TV.

0:00 Introduction

0:57 Change of name and sector

5:17 What do you get out of the Tesoro deal

6:10 Tesoro, a long history of gold production and data

8:49 High grade assays and 5 main gold veins announcement

11:36 Mining plan; how will Tesoro be mined

13:48 Agreeing offtake terms with third party producers

15:33 Next steps for the Bako 50:50 JV

16:28 Funding and development of the new processing plant

24:57 Capex and funding requirements

26:58 The vision for Nativo Resources; two years time