LATEST NEWS

RBCCM MEETING

Power issues predominate at platinum presentations

Saturday , 17 May 2008
The South African power situation and its likely effect over the next few years on new and existing platinum developments was the common issue noted by the speakers at RBCCM's first annual platinum conference in London.
DOLLAR DROPS

Gold ends the week over $900 again - platinum strong too

Saturday , 17 May 2008
With the dollar falling, renewed strength is being seen in the gold market, while platinum strong in anticipation of bullish research report from Johnson Matthey
CENTRAL BANK GOLD SALES SLOW

Big Q1 drop in gold hedge book, but end of dehedging in sight

Friday , 16 May 2008
The quarterly Fortis Hedging and Financial Gold report says the first quarter of 2008 saw a “huge” drop in gold hedging, but the market support from producer buybacks is coming to a close.
CORRECTIONS EXPECTED

Base Metals - A selective bull market

Friday , 16 May 2008
Commodity analysts for French bank Natixis reckon that recent experience of markets in some base metals highlights that it only takes a minor change in sentiment/fundamentals to generate a very different price environment.
REVALUING NEW RUSSIAN DIAMOND MINE

Archangel diamond mine hinges on girls and Igor Sechin

Friday , 16 May 2008
De Beers report heightens geotechnical and political challenges in Archangel diamond mining project.
EXCITING NEW DISCOVERY

Global zinc giant Zinifex details new Tasmanian discovery

Friday , 16 May 2008
Global zinc giant Zinifex today showed the value of its decision last year to step up exploration near its mining and mineral processing facilities in Australia. A new name in the company’s resource inventory is Tasmania.
SECOND STUDY IN 4 YEARS

CFTC still finds no evidence of silver futures market manipulations

Friday , 16 May 2008
Despite silver bugs, who insist the price of silver has been artificially depressed, the second study by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in four years finds no evidence supporting the allegations.
PIRQUITAS START-UP 4Q08

Silver Standard expresses confidence in Argentinean export tax talk outcome

Friday , 16 May 2008
As Silver Standard anticipates the start-up of its first major mine late this year in Argentina, the company is confident of its liquidity and negotiations concerning mining export taxes.
MINISTRY INTERVIEW

More bad news for Crystallex and Gold Reserve

Friday , 16 May 2008
Venezuela stops open-pits and gold mines.
$6 BILLION PROJECT

Rio Tinto eyes Chinese investors to partner it in Guinea iron ore project

Friday , 16 May 2008
Rio Tinto has already spent US$300 million on its Simandou iron ore project but the company still eyes investors from China to partner it as it moves to develop the 170 million tonne per annum mine.
HONEYMOON SUPENDED

Uranium One upbeat about Kazakhstan, but spends capex on Dominion woes

Thursday , 15 May 2008
Uranium One interim CEO Jean Nortier says the company has upside at its uranium mines in Kazakhstan and pledges higher production and grades at Dominion mine in SA, but suspends the Australian Honeymoon project pending a strategic review..
LOSSES REDUCED

Paladin confident on uranium mines after Q3 losses

Thursday , 15 May 2008
Paladin Energy has posted a third quarter after-tax loss of US$8.4-million, which it has attributed to activities aimed at improving performance at its properties.
OUTPERFORMING ANGLO

BHP Billiton now the JSE’s top dog too

Thursday , 15 May 2008
BHP Billiton’s market value, which is only 40% recognised by the JSE, has, even so, overhauled Anglo American’s full market value.
AGREED ANOMALIES

Tanzania to announce new mining tax regime in next month’s budget

Thursday , 15 May 2008
There are all indications that Tanzania will be raising its mining taxes this year despite warning by the Tanzania Chamber of Mines that raising taxes could be tantamount to stifling the mining industry.
APPROACHING END OF LIFE

No buyer for AngloGold’s Morila stake

Thursday , 15 May 2008
AngloGold wasn’t able to find the right price for the first of its Mali assets up for sale.
NO PROBLEMS FORESEEN IN BOLIVIA & PERU

Pan American Silver's "best quarter in the company's history"

Thursday , 15 May 2008
As Pan American Silver shattered most corporate records during the first quarter, CEO Geoff Burns predicted that the company should continue to be breaking records for the rest of the year.
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FAST NEWS

FEATURED MINING COMPANIES
BID REJECTED

Xstrata takeover tilt annoys Philippines project partner

Thursday , 15 May 2008
Richard Laufmann heralded his ascension to management of Melbourne-based explorer Indophil Resources NL (ASX: IRN by announcing a takeover bid last month for parent, investment company Lion Selection Group but now finds the shoe is on the other foot. There is now a bigger predator in Indophil's corporate jungle,
PwC SURVEY

Low coal prices, reduced shipments hurt BC mining 2007 revenues

Thursday , 15 May 2008
Strong base metals prices and growing global demand helped the BC mining industry last year, despite a 48% decrease in net earnings.
GLOBAL RESOURCES STRATEGY

Rotations continue: gold vs. potash

Wednesday , 14 May 2008
Looking at listed stocks, global portfolio flows continue positively into potash, iron ore and coal, and increasingly away from base metals, precious metals and grains.
HUMAN RESOURCE STRATEGY TASK FORCE

15,000 mining employees needed for BC in 10 years

Thursday , 15 May 2008
The BC Mineral Exploration and Mining Labour Market Task Force Tuesday released a human resources strategy to attract new employees to the sector with an already declining workforce.
SOME GOOD NEWS

Zimbabwe’s 1Q08 platinum output rises – and nickel surges

Wednesday , 14 May 2008
Despite the trials and tribulations affecting the Zimbabwean mining sector, first quarter 08 platinum output has risen and nickel has jumped 80.5 percent.
450 MT/Y BY 2013

$4.4 bn iron ore expansion by Vale this year on way to boost output by 50 percent by 2013

Wednesday , 14 May 2008
Brazil’s Vale, the world’s largest iron ore miner, will spend $44 billion on expanding output this year on the way to raising it by 50 percent by 2013 – and has 26 other projects which could expand output even further if strong demand from China continues to grow.
COMMODITY MANIA ROADMAP

From dawn to dusk to dawn

Wednesday , 14 May 2008
The Bank Credit Analyst asks whether commodity mania has entered “the dangerous terminal phase”, and answers on each of five of its favorite signposts.
EXPORT CRACKDOWN

DRC suspends cobalt concentrate exports – again

Wednesday , 14 May 2008
The Governor of the DRC’s Katanga province has suspended trans border exports of cobalt concentrates to Zambia, initially for at least a week as he says companies have been avoiding a ban on raw ore exports.

COMPANY RELEASES
   Ivanhoe Mines releases Q1 financial results - Friday , 16 May 2008
   RCR awarded $10M Worsley expansion contract  - Friday , 16 May 2008


CONFERENCES
    -
   Mines and Money Asia 2008  -Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong  -
   2008 World Resource Investment Conference  -Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, Vancouver, Canada  -
   SEG-GSSA 2008 Conference  -Misty Hills Resort, South Africa