Gold

One of Canada's most successful, historic gold mines is poised for a renaissance following a new resource estimate that outlines 1.26 million ounces of gold. The updated NI-43101, filed Wednesday by Ottawa-based PC Gold, says the gold is contained in 10.15 million tonnes of ore averaging 3.9 g/t Au. The deposit has a higher-grade underground component of 1.1 million ounces averaging 5.4 g/t Au, with almost half — 600,000 ounces — contained in high-grade veins grading 9.3 g/t Au. Image by PC Gold Inc.

Zimbabwe's Newsday reports the National Mine Workers’ Union has complained about the working conditions at Chinese-owned chrome and gold mines dotted around the Midlands region, saying they were inhuman and unsafe. At a meeting to commemorate the death of 427 Hwange miners at the Kamandama underground mine in 1972, national organising secretary Cotten Ndlovu said miners at Chinese-run companies were being forced to work long hours without incentives and protective clothing and accused Chinese mining firms of flouting the country’s labour laws.

Taseko Mines is inviting public discussion on its revised plan for developing a controversial gold-copper mine in British Columbia. Information on the project and a commentary section are found at http://www.newprosperityproject.ca. Taseko announced in February it is taking another run at Prosperity after the federal government rejected it last fall. Under the revisions, the company plans to spend another $300 million, pushing the project's capex to $1.1 billion. Image by Taseko Mines Ltd.

African Barrick Gold said it was not aware of plans by the Tanzanian government to impose a "super tax" on mining profits, responding to reports that the country could introduce a windfall levy. Worries over the tax helped drag the miner's shares down 7.8 percent by 1125 GMT, underperforming a sector battered by fresh concerns over the economic recovery.

The top 40 global mining companies are poised to break through the US$1 trillion asset mark this year, due to record levels of cash, property and equipment on balance sheets, says a new PwC report. In their report Mine 2011: The game has changed, PwC called the financial results of the top 40 "spectacular" as total revenues increased 32% to US$435 billion, breaking the $400 billion mark for the first time.

Edward Lee, President of Molycor Gold, reported that drilling has commenced on its 100% owned Beaverdell Silver property, located 4km southeast of Beaverdell, British Columbia. The exploration program will be focused on the North Kokomo – Tiger and Duncan Bounty vein areas where high grade rock chip samples were taken during an assessment program carried out during fall 2010 up to 61.98 oz/ton silver.

Chieftain Metals has initiated an important step in its 2011 operations plan by transporting heavy machinery and equipment via barge to the Tulsequah Chief mine site in north-western British Columbia.

Barrick Gold is suing Goldcorp over the El Morro copper mine in Chile, the Globe and Mail reported yesterday. According to the newspaper: Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp., (ABX-T44.24-0.39-0.87%) the world’s largest gold producer, is fighting Goldcorp Inc. (G-T46.82-0.59-1.24%)after the Vancouver company scooped up a majority stake in the El Morro development, one of the largest known copper and gold deposits in South America. Barrick alleges Goldcorp’s deal to buy Swiss miner Xstrata PLC’s 70-per-cent stake in El Morro was done illegally and is suing both parties, along with New Gold Inc., (NGD-T9.09-0.06-0.66%) which has a 30-per-cent stake in the project.

Profit margins for the world’s top 40 mining companies are below the historical peaks of 2006 and 2007 as higher costs outweigh […]