West Vault Mining Inc.
West Vault Mining Inc. (formerly West Kirkland Mining Inc., renamed July 2020) owns 100% of the fully permitted Hasbrouck Gold Project (Three Hills and Hasbrouck deposits) near Tonopah, Nevada. An independent NI 43-101 Pre-Feasibility Study prepared by RESPEC Company LLC (filed January 2023, updating a September 2016 PFS) reported Proven and Probable Reserves of 44.0 million tons at 0.017 oz Au/ton for 753,000oz gold (plus 10.5M oz silver), a 51% after-tax IRR and US$206M NPV at $1,790/oz gold, with low initial capex of US$66M and a 15-month construction timeline. The project is construction-ready but construction has not yet been formally sanctioned.
Notable vs. Peers
- Jurisdiction risk score of 10/10 is meaningfully safer than the peer average of 7.8/10.
Lifecycle Milestones
A relative ranking of how closely this company matches the profile of juniors that have actually been acquired — not a probability, and not a reason to buy. Acquisitions are rare: only a few dozen significant deals happen a year across a universe of thousands of juniors, so even a high score here describes a long shot. The strongest signal the underlying research identifies — whether a major already holds a JV, earn-in, or 5–19.9% strategic stake — isn't tracked yet and is absent from this score.
Your Rankings
Management Team
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of West Vault Mining Inc., confirmed as CEO at the company's AGM on June 23, 2022. Joined the company in November 2012 and was instrumental in acquiring and advancing the Hasbrouck Gold Project. Over 30 years' experience in management of underground and surface mines, and mine and heavy civil construction, across Canada, the USA, the UK and Africa. P.Eng., PMP, MSc.
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (with the company since its 2002 inception, serving as CFO and Corporate Secretary until becoming President & CEO in 2021), and Director, Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Secretary of West Vault Mining Inc. (founder, 2007). Co-founded and served as CFO & Director of MAG Silver Corp. (1999-2014) and as a founding Director of West Timmins Mining Inc. (2006-2009) and Director of Lake Shore Gold Corp. A Chartered Professional Accountant, formerly an auditor in PwC's public mining practice, with a BBA from Simon Fraser University and over 30 years of experience as an operator, principal and founder in the mining, minerals and petroleum industry. (Task #526 merge; sourced from Platinum Group Metals' and West Vault Mining's own investor materials.)
Insiders, Investors & Smart Money
Notable shareholders and insiders whose involvement is worth knowing about, plus what we're seeing from institutional/large-investor activity.
Sun Valley Gold, a dedicated precious-metals investment fund run since 1998 by Peter Palmedo (who also chairs the company), is by far West Vault Mining's largest shareholder at roughly 46%. Ruffer LLP, a UK multi-asset generalist wealth manager with no particular resource focus, separately holds a real 16.64% stake.
No notable insiders tracked for this miner yet.
Reports, Presentations & Documents
NI 43-101 'Technical Report and Updated Preliminary Feasibility Study: Hasbrouck and Three Hills Gold-Silver Project, Esmeralda County, Nevada' (RESPEC), Jan 2023, effective-basis gold price the 3-year trailing London Fix average at 17 Jan 2023 = US$1,790/oz (same PFS underlying this miner's existing ouncesFound=753,000 oz). Base Case: post-tax NPV(5%) = US$206 million, post-tax IRR = 51%, initial capex US$66M (Phase 1, Three Hills Mine), payback 2.9 years (previously 43% IRR / US$120M NPV in the 2016 PFS). Not used: a separate US$2,600/oz spot-price scenario quoted elsewhere on the company's site (~US$500M NPV5% / 110% IRR) -- base case preferred per this DB's convention. Mine life: 8 years combined (First pit -- first 2 years; Second pit -- final 6 years, per West Vault's Aug 2026 corporate presentation mine-plan slides); cross-checked against 561,000 oz total recoverable gold / ~71,000 oz/yr average annual production implied by the PFS = ~7.9 years, consistent.