A business combination would create a mid-tier gold miner with a market value of almost $4 billion and an annual production of more than 1.2 million ounces.
Metals from copper to aluminum fell again Friday, and were heading for their worst week of the year, after data showed Chinese factory activity shrinking at the fastest pace since 2009.
New techniques for tailings treatment and sulfide ore recovery will see low-cost environmentally friendly heap leaching take another giant leap forward.
Carsten Ringler, analyst and founder of Ringler Consulting and Research in Germany, strongly believes that precious metals prices will move sharply higher over the next few years and discusses some ratios that point that way.