Miners frozen out as South Africa readies empowerment rules

Alto Group Holdings, a mining and commodities trade company headquartered in New York, announced on Monday the acquisition of the Great Excelsior Mine in Washington State. The Great Excelsior Mine, located in Washington State, was a gold-silver producer which was forced to close in 1918 due to falling metal prices and a shortage of supplies. This mining property has been explored by numerous mining companies over the years.

Gold demand surged in the first quarter of this year as purchases of the precious metal for investment climbed 11% to 981.3 tons in the first three months according to the latest World Gold Council report. Much of the increase was as a result of buying of the physical metal – purchases of gold bars and coins shot up 52% year on year to 366 tons, representing a virtual doubling in value to $16bn. The report from the association of gold producers comes as the biggest producers sound warnings on Monday that any major pullback in the metal’s price below $1,000 could jeopardize the primary supply of gold.

Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX:K)(NYSE:KGC) said today that a brief work stoppage at its Tasiast gold mine in Mauritania on May 19th had ended. Normal operations at the site have resumed and all unionized workers are back to work following the resolution of certain issues related to working conditions and pay. Constructive dialogue with the union is continuing with the aim of improving working conditions to Kinross standards, and to negotiating a collective agreement with unionized employees. Production at Tasiast was not affected by the work stoppage, which lasted less than a day. In the first quarter of 2011 Tasiast produced 51,321 gold equivalent ounces.

Oraco Resources, Inc. (“Oraco”) announced today that it has acquired the contractual rights for the disposition of diamonds, gold, and any other minerals recovered in both the Zimmi Town, Pujehun District and the Gbense Tailings No. 5 reserve in the Koidu Town, Kono District of Sierra Leone through the acquisition of 100% of the ownership of Oraco Resources, Inc., a Canadian corporation (“ORI”), and Jyork Industries, Inc., a Sierra Leone company (“Jyork”). “Oraco’s main focus in Sierra Leone is to locate, prospect, and mine for diamonds, gold and other natural resources, while at the same time purchasing and exporting rough gem quality diamonds for sorting, polishing, cutting and sale”

Fast-growing Danish jewellery maker Pandora (PNDORA.CO: Quote) missed forecasts with a 55 percent rise in first-quarter profit as price rises failed to […]

Assays in from one of two new diamond drill holes into the WKP West gold prospect on the Coromandel Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island has given further proof of a large epithermal system for Newmont Mining and boutique gold miner and active explorer Glass Earth Gold Ltd. Glass Earth Gold Ltd (TSX-V & NZAX: GEL) said that drill hole WKP 27 on the WKP West prospect had produced a 152.4 metre section grading 1.16 grams/tonne gold and 2.22 g/t silver, within which the best section of 1.4m went 30.7 g/t gold and 77.7 g/t silver.

China's gold output in the first three months of 2011 totalled 73.412 tonnes, up 4.63 pct from the same months of 2010, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Friday. It said gold mining output was 60.262 tonnes, up 5.18 percent, while another 13.15 tonnes was obtained from smelting base metals, up 2.21 percent from a year earlier.

Anaconda Mining Inc. ("Anaconda") - (TSX: ANX) is pleased to announce that, on May 4, 2011, it shipped a record amount of gold, 344.2 troy ounces, in a single pour at its Pine Cove gold mine ("Pine Cove"). The production was during an approximately 7-day period from April 25ththrough May 1st. In addition, overall recovery rates at the Pine Cove mill continue to improve. In the press release dated May 2, 2011, Anaconda reported that overall recovery had reached the low to mid 70% range. During the period from May 1st through May 15th, overall mill recovery was approximately 80%.

Mitchell Adam, President and CEO of Vancouver-based Pan Terra Industries announced on Thursday it has entered into a deal to acquire 80% of Namibia’s Congo Namibia Trading, a private gold and copper exploration company. Under Thursday's letter of intent, TSX-Venture listed Pan Terra will pay C$300,000 in cash and issue 3m shares as well as 3m share purchase warrants priced at C$0.73. Congo Namibia Trading holds 100% interest in five exclusive prospecting licenses in the Tsumeb Copper Belt in Namibia as well the rights to acquire 51% stake in an Angolan and a Zimbabwean gold joint venture.