Pop goes the value
AngloGold, the biggest of the South African mining houses, has at last taken another run at consolidation with its bid on Ashanti Goldfields. Having lost out to Newmont Mining in the bidding war for N…
BHP Billiton
Almaden, BHP Billiton kick-start JV
Junior Almaden Minerals (AMM-T) has staked two gold properties in Mexico’s southern state of Oxaca as part of a joint venture with BHP Billiton (BHP-N).Under terms of the deal, inked a year ago, each …
Miramar expands Suluk zone at Hope Bay
Vancouver — The latest results have prompted Miramar Mining (MAE-T) to drill an additional 8,200 metres in the Madrid area on the Hope Bay gold property in Nunavut.President Anthony Walsh says the Su…
Consolidation affects exploration
You don’t need hyperspectral imaging or the latest in magnetotellurics to figure out that the impact of consolidation on exploration has been substantial. The last half-decade has been one of the hars…
Miners have volatile week
U.S. stock markets advanced modestly over the five trading days May 7-13, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 index up 7.91 points at 942.30 and the Dow Jones industrial average 90.89 points higher at 8,67…
BHP Billiton gains foothold in Nunavut diamond plays
Hunter Exploration Group, a private exploration and prospecting firm based in Vancouver, has agreed to sell its minority interest in a couple of promising diamond plays in Nunavut to BHP Billiton (BHP…
Subdued demand for copper and lead
The following is the third of four instalments culled from The Commodity Refiner, published by London, U.K.-based Barclays Capital Research. This week we offer an overview of copper and lead markets.C…
Miners in retreat
Despite a stronger performance by base metals, the share prices of the base metal giants took a pounding during the April 23-29 report period.Investors are concerned about base metals’ exposure to any…
Alcoa trims more workers
The biggest news of the week was Alcoa’s announcement it will cut production and staff at three smelters, in Rockdale, Tex., Massena, N.Y., and Ferndale, Wash.After cutting 10,000 jobs in 2002, the co…
South Africans target platinum in Zimbabwe
Vancouver — Over the past decade, platinum miners have been eager to advance known deposits on Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke, home to the world’s second-largest reserve of platinum. However, a strong nationa…
Northern Orion dilutes self for Alumbrera purchase
Northern Orion Explorations (NNO-T) is cranking up the printing press to fund its partial acquisition of the Bajo de la Alumbrera gold-copper mine in Argentina.The Vancouver-based junior recently team…
Busy week for base metals
The base metal miners took the spotlight away from the golds during the report period ended April 15.BHP Billiton rose 20 to US$11.56 as it launched a 10-year, US$850-million global bond, part of whi…