MINING MARKETS & INVESTMENT NEWS — INSIDER TRADING — Barrick Gold insiders exercise options, sell shares

In September, eight executives of Barrick Gold (ABX-T) took advantage of the company’s resurgence in market value by collectively selling 643,100 shares.

• Charles Birchall, director, sold 160,000 shares at US$16.38-21 to hold 115,000 shares; Angus MacNaughton, director, exercised 60,000 options at US$14.25 and sold those shares plus an additional 10,000 at US$18.38-20.69 to hold 140,000 options, zero shares directly and 10,000 shares indirectly; David Welles, officer, sold 2,000 shares indirectly at US$17.31-18 to hold zero shares indirectly; Howard Beck, director, sold 202,100 shares at $30.70-32.05 to hold 264,144 shares; Vincent Borg, officer, exercised 14,000 options at $14.25 and sold those shares at $28.15-32.50 to hold 112,000 options and zero shares; Alan Hill, officer, exercised 50,000 options at $14.25 and sold those shares at $29.70-29.75 to hold 5,000 shares and an unspecified number of options; Joseph Rotman, director, sold 95,000 shares indirectly at an unspecified price to hold 155,000 shares indirectly; and Gregory Wilkins, director, exercised 50,000 options at $14.25 and sold those shares at $27.30 to hold 500,000 options and 10,000 shares.

  Other transactions recently reported by the Ontario Securities Commission in its OSC Bulletin include the following:

• Asia Pacific Resources (APQ-T) — John Darch, director, bought 7,000 shares directly at $3-3.10 and another 37,900 shares indirectly at $2.99-3.09, and sold 21,000 shares directly at $3.60 plus another 148,700 shares indirectly at $3.50-3.60 to hold 220,992 shares directly and 5.28 million shares indirectly; Gerald Wright, director, bought 37,900 shares indirectly at $2.99-3.09 and sold 123,700 shares indirectly at $3.54-3.60 to hold 4.67 million shares indirectly and 409,460 shares directly; and Crew Holdings, holder of more than 10% of the company and in which both Darch and Wright are directors, bought 37,900 shares at $2.99-3.09 and sold 123,700 shares at $3.54-3.60 to hold 4.14 million shares.
• Dia Met Minerals,/C> (DMM-T) — Dia Met Minerals purchased 26,100 Class A shares at $18.75-20.75 and 13,000 Class B shares at $19.75-22.50 to hold 26,100 Class A shares and 13,100 Class B shares; and James Eccott, director, exercised 25,000 Class A options at $9.25 and sold 7,300 shares at $20.50-20.75 to hold 320,000 options and 52,100 shares.
• Falconbridge (FL-T) — Noranda, owner of more than 10%, bought 300,000 shares at $15-15.20 to hold 88.31 million shares; and Joseph Laezza, officer, bought 2,000 shares directly at $16.40-19.05 and 1,500 shares indirectly at $15.10 to hold 22,000 shares directly and 23,500 shares indirectly.
• Farallon Resources (FAN-T) — Jeffery Mason, director, sold 65,000 shares at $1.04-1.45 to hold 104,550 shares; David Jennings, director, sold 10,000 shares indirectly at $1.32 to hold 418,197 shares indirectly; and Robert Hunter, director, sold 10,000 shares indirectly at $1.51-1.52 to hold 592,724 shares indirectly and 128,100 shares directly.
• Golden Star Resources (GSC-T) — Robert Minto, director, was granted 10,000 options at $1.55 to hold 60,000 options; Philip Martin, director, was granted 10,000 options at $1.66 to hold 50,000 options; Robert Stone, director, was granted 10,000 options at $1.66 to hold 50,000 options; and Richard Winters, officer, acquired 2,667 shares at an unspecified price to hold 25,409 shares.