Gold

Vancouver-based African Queen Mines announced on Friday that it has now commenced its 2011 core drilling program covering approximately 3000m at its King Solomon Project, located north of Lake Cahorra Basa in western Tete Province, Mozambique. The project is the subject of the earn-in and joint venture with Switzerland's Opti Metal Trading, covering exploration, development and exploitation. African Queen has so far earned an interest of 51% in the project and may earn up to 85% by funding additional prescribed stages through feasibility. The company is exploring properties in Mozambique, Kenya and Ghana for gold and other metals and it is undertaking exploration in Botswana and Namibia for diamonds, gold and other metals – the licenses in Botswana comprise approximately 2890 sq km of diamond prospects.

Columbus Gold Corporation announced on Friday the acquisition of three new projects in the Greater Mahogany Hills, bringing its total gold property portfolio in Nevada to 26, covering approximately 37,000 acres. Columbus Gold plans to complete mapping and further sampling with plans to drill target areas in late 2011 and 2012. Columbus Gold is a gold exploration and development company operating in French Guiana and Nevada. In French Guiana, Columbus Gold recently acquired an option to earn a 100% interest in the Paul Isnard gold project, which has a 43-101 compliant 1.9 million ounce inferred gold resource and substantial expansion potential.

Orvana Minerals announced the commissioning of its El Valle-Boinás/Carlés ("EVBC") gold-copper mine in northern Spain by Kinbauri España S.L.U. ("Kinbauri"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Orvana. EVBC initiated the start-up and commissioning of the mill May 31, 2011, with the first shipment expected in June. EVBC will initially produce at 70% capacity, increasing to its full annual target production levels of over 100,000 ounces gold, 3,900 tonnes copper and over 150,000 ounces of silver once the shaft is completed in early 2012.

Gold slid more than 1 percent on Thursday to post its biggest one-day decline in a month as the yellow metal was sold along with other commodities. "With the discussions in the market about lower commodity prices if China's slowing. And we've also had an outright decline in crude oil as well as base metals. I think that has sapped some of the vigor from the bullion market," said HSBC metals analyst James Steel in New York.

Canada's Sabina Gold & Silver Corp said on Thursday it would sell its Hackett River property and certain claims on the Wishbone Greenstone Belt in Nunavut, Canada to Xstrata Zinc Canada for C$50m in cash and a silver production royalty, lifting its shares almost 5% in early Toronto trade. In addition Xstrata has agreed to incur not less than $50m on exploration and other expenditures on the properties over a four year period. The transaction could take up to six months to complete and will position Sabina as purely a precious metal player.

Merrex Gold announced on Thursday a private placement worth $1.75m with Iamgold, its earn-in partner on the Siribaya Gold Project in Mali, which is potentially a 5m ounce deposit. Merrex's agreement with Iamgold will see the company take a 50% stake in Siribaya with Iamgold spending $10.5m on exploration over four years. In a note to investors Merrex said that spending on the 800 square km Mali project which kicked off in 2005, is being accelerated.

Colombia Crest Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE:CLB)(PINK SHEETS:ECRTF)(FRANKFURT:EAT) is pleased to announce the discovery of porphyry gold-style alteration in the first of nine target zones being explored on the Fredonia and Venecia properties (see news release dated April 12, 2011). Alteration mapping of the highest-priority target, now named "Arabia", has delineated an area of quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration with dimensions 700 meters east-west by 900 meters north-south which is surrounded by a halo of propylitic alteration. Image by Colombia Crest Gold Corp.

Bloomberg reports gold may decline for a second day in New York as speculation that Greece’s debt crisis is closer to being resolved curbs demand for precious metals. The market news is quoted as saying, Palladium for September delivery was little changed at $781.50 an ounce. Platinum for July delivery was 0.2 percent lower at $1,830.80 an ounce.

Osisko Mining official inaugurated the Canadian Malartic gold mine, a large-scale open pit mine located in Malartic, Abitibi. Canadian Malartic is Osisko's first mine to go into production. Osisko estimates it will extract more than 9 million ounces of gold at Canadian Malartic from now until 2027. The mine currently employs 465 people.