Trading Summary (February 19, 2004)

Losses by Toronto’s mining sectors help the S&P/TSX Composite Index 18.74 points lower to 8,699.09 on Thursday. The golds shed 0.07 of appoint to 215.83 while the diversified miners lost 0.08 of a point to make 230.77.

St Andrew Goldfields put in a rare appearance as the TSX’s most traded mining issue with about 12.7 million shares dropping a penny to 25. The company recently began dewatering underground workings at the past-producing Stock mine, near Timmins, Ont. Between 1989 and 2000, the Stock mine poured more than 137,000 oz. gold. In 2000, the mine produced its last batch, 12,276 oz., at a cash operating cost of US$232 per oz. The bulk of ounces were derived from two main ore shoots: N1 and N2. In all, the company intends to sink some $3 million into the revival effort, which is slated to wrap up by September.

On Thursday, Diamond Fields International (DFI-T) said an agreement with Samicor Mining Services will allow it to resume diamond mining off the coast of Namibia by the end of May. Shares in the marine diamond miner finished a nickel, ore more than 7%, higher at 73.

Corona Gold jumped a dime, or about 17%, to make 70, after reporting results from seven holes on the Sugar Zone property 60 km east of the Hemlo gold deposit near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Corona owns 51% of the project; Harte Gold holds the balance. Shares in Vancouver-listed Harte climbed 7 to $1.04. God grades run from less than 1 gram to more than 70 grams over narrow intervals typically less than 2 meters.

High River Gold Mines stood out among the golds falling 14, or 6.4%, to $2.05 after reporting that its gold production slipped by 15% to 118,182 oz. in 2003, as operations at the 50%-owned New Britannia mine in Snow Lake, Man., wind down.

Breakwater Resources was the most traded base metal miner gaining a penny to hit 76 on 3.1 million shares. Swedish miner Boliden jumped 79, or 11.5%, to $7.65. Breakwater recently said it will buy Boliden’s Myra Falls zinc-copper mine on Vancouver Island for 18 million shares and 5 million warrants each exercisable into one share at $1 apiece.