LBMA shines a light on the gold in London’s vaults

Gold producer Newmont Mining Corp's (NMC.TO: Quote) board has approved funding for its estimated 7.2 million ounce Akyem gold reserve project, the company said in a statement on Thursday. Newmont's director for investor relations Monica Brisnehan declined to say how much funding was approved, but pointed to previous numbers released by the company in February which estimated capital expenditure for the project at between $700 million to $1 billion. Image from Newmont's Resettlement Action Plan

Franco-Nevada forecasts revenue this year to be between US$325 million to $350 million this year, using consensus commodity price assumptions of US$1,400 gold, $1,750 platinum, $575 palladium and $80 oil. However, the company warned its expenses will be significantly higher in the first quarter of the year, as transaction costs associated with the acquisition of Gold Wheaton will be expensed under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Yellowhead Mining has raised $20 million through bought-deal financing, the B.C.-based company exploration company announced earlier this week. Under the deal, Yellowhead is selling 13.8 million shares at CDN$1.45 per unit, with each unit including a common share and one-half of a warrant. The warrants may be exercised at a price of $2.00, for two years after the deal closes.

Crocodile Gold announced today that it closed a Can$85 million bought-deal closing of 81 million units at Can$1.05 per unit. Each unit consists of one common share of the company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. The syndicate of underwriters was co-led by GMP Securities L.P. and Cormark Securities Inc.

Shares in South African gold miner, Harmony Gold, rose just over 5% on the back of a positive investment rating by RBC Shares in Harmony Gold Mining (HARJ.J: Quote) rose by over 5 percent in early trade on Thursday with dealers attributing the rise to an

Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX:K)(NYSE:KGC) announced today that it has sold its approximate 8.5% equity interest in Harry Winston Diamond Corporation ("Harry Winston"), consisting of approximately 7.1 million Harry Winston common shares, on an underwritten block trade basis, for gross proceeds of CDN$100 million. On August 25, 2010, Kinross announced that it had completed the sale of its former 22.5% interest in the partnership holding Harry Winston's 40% interest in the Diavik Diamond Mines joint venture to Harry Winston for US$50 million cash, 7.1 million Harry Winston common shares, and a note payable in the amount of US$70 million maturing 12 months from the date of the sale.

Gold Fields (GFIJ.J), the world's fourth-largest listed gold miner, said on Tuesday rising commodity prices were putting cost pressures on gold miners even as the price of the precious metal itself climbed. "We are concerned about what we've seen on the commodities front," Chief Executive Nick Holland told the Reuters mining summit, citing oil's recent rally but also other rising costs for key things such as timber and steel.

AngloGold Ashanti's (ANGJ.J) top executive said on Tuesday the company hoped to keep its global cost increases to half the industry average but the situation in South Africa was "a lot tougher." Mark Cutifani, the chief executive of Africa's top gold miner, cited increasing depths, reduced grades and input inflation as structural increases putting upward pressure on the costs of gold mining.

Using a gold price of $1,000 per ounce, the Kumtor open-pit LOM plan has been used to project the net cash flow for the open pit operations for the period of January 1, 2011 to 2021. Total gross revenue from the sale of gold and minor silver credits are estimated to be nearly $5.0 billion while direct operating costs are estimated to be $1.9 billion or $385 per recovered ounce of gold produced.