Interview with Kiran Patankar – President, CEO & Director, Maple Gold Mines 

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/maple-gold-mines-tsxvmgm-drill-results-show-path-to-5moz-resource-7008

Recording date: 4 May 2025

Maple Gold Mines has emerged as a compelling turnaround story in Quebec's premier Abitibi gold region, demonstrating how operational discipline and strategic partnerships can unlock value in today's elevated gold price environment. Under CEO Kiran Patankar's leadership over the past 18 months, the Canadian exploration and development company has transformed from what he describes as "a stagnant and somewhat bloated company" into an efficient operation positioned for growth.

The operational restructuring has been dramatic. General and administrative costs have been slashed by 46%, with the company now operating on just $150,000 monthly cash burn while delivering improved exploration results. Drilling efficiency has improved 25%, reducing costs from $400 to $300 per meter and allowing expanded programs within existing budgets. These improvements have translated into renewed market interest, with daily trading volumes increasing from 150,000 to over 600,000 shares following recent drill results.

Central to Maple Gold's value proposition is its strategic partnership with Agnico Eagle, one of Canada's premier gold producers and the company's largest shareholder. This relationship provides technical expertise, potential processing solutions, and validation of project quality. "It's a benefit to Maple and Maple shareholders to have the strong partnership that we have," Patankar noted, emphasizing the alignment of interests.

The company owns 100% of 3 million ounces of gold resources across district-scale projects in Quebec's Abitibi region, representing a significant shift from previously owning only 50% of assets. Recent drilling has demonstrated expansion potential, with systematic exploration targeting both near-mine growth and district-scale discoveries.

Perhaps most intriguingly, Maple Gold is pursuing a dual strategy of continued exploration alongside development studies for smaller-scale production scenarios of 100,000-150,000 ounces annually. This approach could generate cash flow to self-fund future exploration, breaking the traditional junior mining cycle of continuous dilution.

Trading at $8 per ounce with a $40 million market cap despite gold prices above $3,300, Maple Gold appears significantly undervalued compared to historical metrics when the company traded at $150 million with only 50% asset ownership at $1,800 gold prices.

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/maple-gold-mines-ltd

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