China consolidating position as world No.1 gold producer

Monday , 05 Jan 2009
China's gold output is still rising, but probably at an insufficient rate to counter the falls in production elsewhere in the world.

Mineweb's gold guru of the year

Monday , 05 Jan 2009
Readers will recall that in January we launched our 2nd annual Mineweb gold price competition and the various section winners and our overall Gold Guru of the Year are noted below.

Oil and gold may be best commodities prospects in 2009

Friday , 02 Jan 2009
It is a hazardous business trying to predict positive investment sectors in the current financial climate, but some commodities more than others do look as though they offer potential.

Year-end leap in oil price could bode well for gold in 2009

Friday , 02 Jan 2009
With OPEC seemingly determined to drive oil back to around $100 a barrel, this should be very positive for the gold price as the dollar suffers.

Construction at Anatolia's Turkish gold project halted on employee death

Thursday , 01 Jan 2009
A contract employee working on Anatolia's developing gold project in turkey was killed in a bulldozer accident and work has been suspended while an investigation takes place.

The year ahead Part 2 – Base metals prospects

Wednesday , 31 Dec 2008
The prospects for base metals in the year ahead may be better than generally foreseen by the markets, although any recovery is likely to be relatively slow.

Gold price hits new record in sterling, but still falls back in dollar terms

Tuesday , 30 Dec 2008
With traders taking profits after gold reached an 11-week high and oil falling back, the gold price lost a little ground in US dollar terms, but achieved a new record in its pound sterling price.

The year ahead Part 1 - What now for gold, silver and platinum group metals miners?

Tuesday , 30 Dec 2008
A look at what may be in store for precious metals and precious metals miners in the year ahead.

Coal output up but most metals down in Indonesia in 2008

Tuesday , 30 Dec 2008
Indonesia, which has a globally significant mining sector, reports coal output rising in 2008, but most metals output fell due to low metals prices and technical problems at Freeport's Grasberg mine.

Copper/cobalt miner Katanga in Glencore's grasp

Monday , 29 Dec 2008
Katanga Mining, with major ongoing copper and cobalt mining and metallurgical developments in the DRC, but which is in severe financial straits, has been granted a lifeline by Glencore - but at a cost!

Guinea gold miner told to halt production – then to restart!

Monday , 29 Dec 2008
Crew Gold reports that its Guinea subsidiary had been told to stop gold mining by the new post-coup government, but then almost immediately was told it could restart operations on Dec 29.

Australia's Golden Cross secures China alliance

Tuesday , 23 Dec 2008
Sydney-based junior Golden Cross Resources has walked away from the gathering line of Australian explorers preparing for the corporate guillotine by striking an alliance with a Chinese resource investment company.

India’s NALCO signs deal to build aluminium smelter and coal fired power plant in Indonesia

Monday , 22 Dec 2008
India's National Aluminium Co (NALCO) and UAE’s RAK Minerals and Metals Investment (RMMI) have signed a preliminary deal to build $4 billion worth of projects in Indonesia. Under it they will build a $2.5 billion aluminium smelter, and a $1.5 billion 1,250 megawatts power plant.

Europe’s No. 1 copper smelter in strong financial position

Monday , 22 Dec 2008
Europe’s largest – and World No. 3 – producer of copper metal remains in a strong financial position and would only need access to finance if it contemplates a large acquisition.

Deloitte itemises the hurdles ahead for Australian mining in 2009

Monday , 22 Dec 2008
The crystal ball for senior analysts for global accounting firm Deloitte has picked up a few more potentially dark clouds for mining than have been portrayed by some of Australia’s stock market analysts – including challenges with power shortages.

VM predicts further short term base metals price decline, but some recovery by end-2009

Friday , 19 Dec 2008
The latest metals monthly report prepared by VM Group for Fortis Bank anticipates further metals price weakness in 1Q 2009 followed by at least a degree of price recovery.

Gold ETF: the lifeboat in 2008's stormy seas - and has oil bottomed?

Friday , 19 Dec 2008
The latest Commodities Review from ETF Securities points out that precious metals still generally outperformed the general stock market, with gold particularly strong.

Volatile highly leveraged mining stocks offer bottom fishers the strongest potential returns

Friday , 19 Dec 2008
Reuters columnist Eric Onstad finds the view that it is the highly leveraged mining stocks which will likely outperform their more financially stable peers in any upturn.

Gold - positives outweighing negatives for bullion and stocks

Friday , 19 Dec 2008
Gold is showing continuing signs of strength amidst volatile general stock and commodities markets and gold stocks have done particularly well over the past two months, but there are some negative signs around in the important Middle Eastern and Indian jewellery/investment sectors.

Mining cutbacks to pave the way

Thursday , 18 Dec 2008
Mining cutbacks could pave the way for the next metals rally in two to three years.

The mining stocks picture is picking up strongly

Wednesday , 17 Dec 2008
Big rises from mining stock price bottoms, a resurgence in M&A activity, and an indication that finance may be becoming available again may make the mining sector shake-out survivors much stronger than before.

Rio Tinto's selling, but who's buying?

Wednesday , 17 Dec 2008
Rio Tinto is hiving off some of its stakes to pay down $40 billion in debt and market speculation is rife as to which assets are for sale and who might buy.

Swiss gold bullion in huge demand as trust in banks dives

Wednesday , 17 Dec 2008
Swiss gold refiners are having great difficulty in keeping up with demand for gold bullion leading to long delivery times as investors wary of other stores of wealth.

Top copper smelter Norddeutsche expects sharply weaker Q1 2009

Wednesday , 17 Dec 2008
Norddeutsche Affinerie sees weak Q1but expects business to stabilise at lower level over year after higher than predicted 2007/2008 pre-tax profits.

Eldorado completes São Bento gold mine sale to AngloGold Ashanti

Tuesday , 16 Dec 2008
Eldorado Gold is expected to use the $70 million in AngloGold Ashanti shares it gains from the São Bento gold mine sale to help complete the Efemçukuru gold project.