Diamonds outshine gold on TSX
The Feb. 11-17 report period saw the S&P-TSX Composite Index recover from a mid-period dip to end just 0.6 of a point lower at 8,767.1. The gold index mimicked the yellow metal’s performance, yo-yoing…
News
Breakwater eyes Boliden’s Myra Falls
Breakwater Resources (BWR-T) has agreed to acquire the Myra Falls zinc-copper mine on Vancouver Island from Swedish miner Boliden (BLS-T).Breakwater will issue 18 million shares plus 5 million warrant…
Falconbridge soars to higher perch in ’03
Thanks to a strong finish, Falconbridge (FL-T) nearly quadrupled its earnings in 2003.Falco pocketed US$194 million (or US$1.05 a share) on 2003 revenue of US$2.08 billion, compared with US$50 million…
Gold Fields battered by volatile rand
A tough operating environment at home has spurred Johannesburg-based Gold Fields (GFI-N) to step up a global diversification program.In the past few months, the company acquired the Cerro Corona gold-…
Hecla shatters silver record
The old dog is still learning new tricks: in 2003, U.S. silver miner Hecla Mining enjoyed the best year of silver production in its 113-year history. The company mined a record 9.8 million oz. at a to…
Editorial Cartoon (February 23, 2004)
Assaying
The following is an excerpt from the ninth edition of Mining Explained, published by The Northern Miner. The book sells for $30 plus $3 for shipping and is available by calling 1-800-668-2374. E-mail:…
Investment Commentary: Scotia Capital sees US$470-per-oz. gold
While many gold analysts have been criticized by gold bugs for bailing out of gold in a big way in December 2003, Scotia Capital stands out among the usually conservative, bank-owned brokerage houses …
Production up in South Africa
Total mining production in South Africa rose by 5.8% in 2003 after a tiny 0.8% increase in 2002, according to Statistics South Africa.The increase was due in large part to an increase of 9.4% in the p…
IMA arranges financing
Vancouver — IMA Exploration (IMR-V) has inked a deal with a syndicate of underwriters to raise $4.6 million on a bought-deal basis.The underwriters, Canaccord Capital and First Associates Investments…
Mining and the common good
It is far from unusual in this business to meet someone convinced he is the owner of fabulous mineral riches. In many cases, of course, the riches are fabulous in the narrow sense of the word — a fab…
Obituary: Arthur Fisher
Arthur Thompson Fisher, a mining engineer and principal of numerous mining companies, passed away suddenly in late January in North Vancouver, B.C.Fisher was born in 1938, in Edinburgh, Scotland; he a…