Prehistoric bling: Research uncovers factors behind the development of earliest copper alloys

WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA--(Marketwire - Sept. 27, 2011) - Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. (NYSE Amex:PZG)(TSX:PZG)(FRANKFURT:P6G)(WKN:A0HGKQ)("Paramount Gold") announced today new high grade assay results from 10 core holes drilled on its 100% owned San Miguel Project in northwestern Mexico. Four holes drilled on the San Miguel Vein returned multiple high-grade gold and silver intercepts including 9.2 meters grading 5.56 g/T of gold and 120.14 g/T of silver and 21.95 meters grading 2.79 g/T of gold and 325.07 g/T of silver. These results are expected to upgrade inferred resources to higher categories and improve the average grade of the resource in this area.

A statement put out by Ivanhoe Mines on Monday telling investors that its Oyu Tolgoi project remains on track and pooh-poohing rumours about the Mongolian government reneging on the deal that Ivanhoe and partner Rio Tinto spent five years negotiating did little to ease the fears of investors. By lunchtime Ivanhoe had plummeted more than 21.3%, crashing through the $10 billion market valuation level and taking the week's losses to 33%, with the number of shares changing hands already exceeding the daily average. Ivanhoe also appeared to have patched things up with Rio Tinto on Monday after it said last week it's unhappy that the world's number two miner told investors about possible delays to the mega-project.

Gold for December delivery dropped $40, or 2.5%, to just under the $1,600 an ounce level in midday trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Monday, but had recovered from sharp losses which saw the metal reach a low of $1,535 shortly after the open. Talk that a bailout for the Eurozone could top 2 trillion euros failed to boost the demand for gold as an inflation hedge. Gold has now declined more than $300 since setting an intraday record of $1,923.10/oz in the second week of September, but is well clear of its year low of just under $1,300/oz and most analysts remain positive about gold's long term trend.

Detour Gold (TSE:DGC), a gold and exploration company located in northeastern Ontario, announced that it will acquire Trade Wind Ventures, which owns a property adjacent to the Detour Lake project, for $84 million. Announcing the deal on Monday, Detour Gold said Trade Winds shareholders will receive 0.0142 of a Detour Gold share and C$0.0001 in cash for each Trade Winds share held.

Ivanhoe Mines said in a statement today that the investment agreement for the Oyu Tolgoi Project remains a fair and legally binding contract that deserves and requires the unqualified support of all parties. Media reports during the weekend quoted Mongolia's Mineral Resources and Energy Minister D. Zorigt as indicating that Ivanhoe Mines and Rio Tinto would receive a letter from the Mongolian government asking the companies to consider entering into discussions to address a possible change to the investment agreement. A reported potential proposed change would see acceleration of the government's right to increase its current 34% interest in Oyu Tolgoi to 50% by purchasing an additional 16% at fair market value at some future point, after Ivanhoe Mines and Rio Tinto recoup their capital investments in the project.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM--(Marketwire - Sep 26, 2011) - Lone Star Gold, Inc. (OTCBB: LSTG) ("Lone Star" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the Company signed a letter of intent (LOI) on September 23, 2011, committing to the acquisition of an option to purchase a 70% interest in a gold-silver project consisting of 2 properties in Mexico: San Luis and La Colorada. The ~1409-acre (570-hectare) project is located in the municipality of Ocampo, 192 miles (310 km) from the capital city of Chihuahua, in southwest Chihuahua State. Access to the project is by paved roads with the exception of the final 19 miles (31 km).

The Ottawa Citizen reports that the Ontario NDP, which is fighting a provincial election and challenging the incumbent Liberal Party, want to change the provincial mining act so more mine processing work stays in the province. The Liberal Party says such legislation would ultimately hurt the industry.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 26, 2011) - Empire Mining Corporation (TSX VENTURE:EPC) ("Empire") is pleased to report that an ongoing sampling program at the newly-identified Southwest Zone of the Demirtepe wollastonite-hosted copper-gold-silver and molybdenum project in Turkey, has identified a continuous copper-gold anomalous zone currently about 1.8 km long and up to 800 metres wide and still open to the southwest. The new Southwest Zone is located approx. 1 km to the southwest of the Main Zone.

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 26, 2011) - Romios Gold Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RG)(OTCBB:RMIOF)(FRANKFURT:D4R) ("Romios" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from the initial portion of the 2011 drill program on the Trek Property in northwestern British Columbia. The property is located 12.0 km southeast of the Galore Creek copper-gold-silver porphyry deposit and adjacent to the Galore Creek Mining Corporation's proposed mill and tailings facilities.