SolGold on a roll in Ecuador, extends mineralization at Cascabel

Astur Gold's Salave gold project in northern Spain got a boost last week when National Bank initiated coverage on the Vancouver-based junior explorer.

With the price of silver near 30-year highs, analysts and investors are beginning to question the underperformance of silver mining and streaming stocks.

Agnico Eagle Mines (TSE:AEM) announced on Monday that it had acquired Grayd Resources (CVE:GYD) for $275 million. Grayd is a junior exploration and development company with gold and silver projects in Mexico. Agnico said the offer price of $2.80 per Grayd share represents a premium of 65.7% to the volume weighted average price of Grayd shares on the TSX Venture Exchange for the 20-day period ended September 16, 2011.

Acadian Mining (TSX:ADA) shares were up 32% in mid-day trading on Monday after the company announced strong drill results from its Fifteen Mile Stream gold project in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The "very slow-moving train wreck" in Greece and Europe is taking down gold and the markets. Worries that Greece may default on its debt led to the Australian stock market, measured by the S&P/ASX 200, to close down 1.64%. The Hang Seng Index was off 2.76%. Mid-day, both the Dow Jones and S&P 500 are off 1.7%.

Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE: NEM) ("Newmont" or the "Company") today announced enhancements to its industry leading gold price-linked dividend policy, announced initially in April 2011. Under the enhanced policy, Newmont's annual dividend has the potential to increase to $4.70 per share if the Company's average realized gold price reaches $2,500 per ounce. The enhanced policy will continue to link the quarterly dividend rate to changes in the gold price but will also provide an additional step up of 7.5 cents per share when the Company's realized gold price for a quarter exceeds $1,700 per ounce and a further step up of 2.5 cents per share (10 cents in total compared to the existing policy) when the Company's realized gold price for a quarter exceeds $2,000.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 19, 2011) - Aurizon Mines Ltd. ("Aurizon") (TSX:ARZ)(NYSE Amex:AZK) is pleased to report the discovery of two new high grade mineralized gold zones at the Marban Block property, located in the Malartic gold camp, Abitibi region of Quebec. "These are extremely encouraging results for us," said George Paspalas, President and CEO of Aurizon. "The original premise for entering into the Marban joint venture was to test for both extensions of the current known gold mineralization in the top 300 metres, and to test for vertical extension at depth. These results confirm that premise." VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 19, 2011) - Aurizon Mines Ltd. ("Aurizon") (TSX:ARZ)(NYSE Amex:AZK) is pleased to report the discovery of two new high grade mineralized gold zones at the Marban Block property, located in t...

Adelaide Now reports BHP Billiton wants to "future-proof" its massive Olympic Dam project, including using driverless haulage trucks and this week put out a recruitment ad for an executive to oversee the high-tech initiative. The system would mean operators can be in a control room on the site or even in the comfort of a city office hundreds of kilometres away. BHP Billiton is in the final stages of the approval process for the $30 billion expansion of its existing underground operation at Olympic Dam to create a new open pit mine that would be the worlds biggest – trucks will haul overburden 24/7 for five to six years just to reach the ore body. The combined operations would mine 72 Mt ore per year and would produce 750,000 tonnes refined copper, 19,000 tonnes uranium oxide, 800,000 gold ounces and 2.9 Moz of silver per year.

Research firm Metals Economics Group reports gold continues to be top exploration target accounting for more than 50% of global exploration of non-ferrous metals for the second consecutive year in 2011. Latin America is set continue to be the industry's favorite regional exploration destination in 2011, while Canada will remain the top overall country. Copper will account for roughly a fifth of 2011 nonferrous exploration budgets that is expected to exceed US$17 billion for expenditures related to precious and base metals, diamonds, uranium, and some industrial minerals. It represents an increase of about 50% from the 2010 total and a new all time high.