Silver

Arabian American Development Co, announced over the weekend it has completed construction of the gold, silver and copper mine in Saudi-Arabia which it is developing with Saudi's Al-Kobra Mining Company (Amak). The Texas-based company, which owns 37% of Amak, said it will turn the facility over to the Chinese surface operator to begin operations end-November. In July Arabian American Development got a $37m injection from a fund controlled by the League of Arab States. Shareholders in the Nasdaq-listed company saw the value of their investment rise a cool $107m as a result of the transaction and over the last month stock in the 44-year old company has risen 28.5%. The mine in a Yemen border province is the only non-government mine in the Saudi kingdom and is scheduled to begin production early next year.

The Guardian reports the approval for Britain's only commercial goldmine despite opposition from environmental groups has sparked fears for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park national park. The mine is around 1 kilometre inside the park boundary. It was the second time Sydney-listed mining company Scotgold had applied to mine gold and silver at the Cononish site, which it bought in 2007. It was turned down last year over concerns about waste – 400,000 tonnes will be produced over the mine's 10-year life – and rehabilitation. At current prices, Scotgold believes there could be around $275 million of the precious metals at the site and it could start producing ounces early in 2013.

Klondike Silver has been acquiring over 80% of the Sandon, BC silver camp over the past 20 years and its land position is now at 23,000Ha. Historical output from Sandon area mines starting in 1890s is over $35 billion (at today's mineral value) of lead zinc and silver. Klondike owns a 100 TPD fully operational flotation mill in Sandon which processes material from local mines. In its prime Sandon had 29 hotels, 28 saloons, 3 breweries, theatres, opera houses, cigar factory, soft drink plant, 3 sawmills, 3 churches, x2 newspapers, a schoolhouse, hospital, numerous lodges, clubs, organizations and a curling rink and bowling alley (in addition to one of the largest ‘red light’ districts in Western Canada). Klondike Silver is also reviving the Gowganda and Elk Lake silver camps in Ontario.

Perilya Limited, an Australian base metal miner, plans to raise $110 million to delever the company's balance sheet and fund the company's ongoing activities. The company said on Wednesday that it plans to issue 263,037,782 ordinary share at 42 cents per share. UBS AG is the underwriter. Perilya Limited has a zinc, lead and silver mine in Broken Hill, New South Wales. Perilya's operations also include the Flinders Project in South Australia and the Mount Oxide Project in Queensland.

Ongoing labour unrest at Freeport-McMorran's Grasberg mine in Indonesia has forced the American company to declare force majeure. The announcement made Wednesday effectively allows Freeport to stop shipments from its gold and copper mine so that it can avoid liability on existing customer orders. About 8,000 workers — a third of the mine's workforce — have been on strike since September 15th and earlier this month vowed to shut down the mine if hourly wages of $1.50 are not upped 8-fold. The strike recently turned ugly with reports of sabotage and injuries.

As Occupy Wall Street protesters continue to linger around town squares across North America and Europe, precious metals commentator Peter Schiff wades into the maelstrom.

In a move that seems certain to slow foreign investment, the government of Argentinian President Fernandez de Kirchner has passed a law requiring oil, gas and mining companies to repatriate future export revenue. The Vancouver Sun reports: "President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in her first move since being re-elected Oct. 23, changed a 2002 decree requiring companies such as Repsol YPF SA, Total SA, Petroleo Brasileiro SA and Pan American Energy LLC to to keep at least 30 percent of their export revenue in the country." Effective immediately, resource companies will have to repatriate (convert into pesos) all of their export revenues.

Gold mining in Scotland? Acch, you don't say. The BBC is reporting that Scotgold Resources Limited (ASX:SGZ) is seeking to develop Scotland's first commercial gold mine in Loch Lomond National Park. Planning officials have recommended that the plan to extract £50 million worth of gold and silver from a hillside near Tyndrum, be approved. The project has undergone a revision since being rejected by the park authority in August 2010. If the mine goes ahead, it wil be the first gold mining operation in 500 years, in a nation better known for Scotch and haggis than nuggets and bullion.

Silvercorp Metals, China’s biggest silver miner, was changing hands for $9.72 in Toronto on heavy volumes shortly after the open Monday, up almost 19% after a report by the forensic accounting arm of KPMG showed no truth to allegations of $1 billion in accounting fraud at the company. Shareholders who held onto their Silvercorp stock during the rollercoaster ride that started on September 2 when the company had to go public with the accusations, believed to be the work of shortsellers that had built up a massive position in the stock, are now able to show a handsome profit for their loyalty. The company is suing two New York-based websites – Chinastockwatch.com and Alfredlittle.com – for spreading false information and is seeking punitive and compensatory damages.