Gold demand fragile

The Perth Mint released just 500 units.

Output rose to 284 tonnes in 2014, the highest in 11 years, speeding up the depletion of high-grade mine reserves.

Silver Wheaton (NYSE:SLW, TSX:SLW) has doubled down on the gold stream it currently has in place at Vale's (NYSE:VALE) Salobo mine in Brazil.

Gold remains the most-targeted commodity by volume, according to EY’s latest report.

New World Gold Corp. executives say that since the discovery several companies, including a Chinese group, have approached them with offers.

The company said it has been blocked from completing construction of a processing plant at the site.

Global exploration spending dropped 26% in last year, compared with 2013, as several juniors threw in the towel and producing miners slammed the brakes on capital and exploration expenditure.

A gold mine that straddles three provinces in northern Thailand has been given the go-ahead to reopen, following a month-long halt due to health concerns believed to be the result of heavy metal contamination.

Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX, TSX:ABX), the number one producer of the precious metal, is hoping to raise up to $1.1 billion through the sale of two mines in Australia and Papua New Guinea.