Top Bloggers
Dr. Willem Smuts's Blog (15)
The jungle takes more
July 15, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
On 19 June, a chartered plane with 11 people on board, among them the entire board of Sundance Resources, went missing on a flight between Cameroon and Congo.
“No sweet outcome here... methinks!” was a comment by an old Africa hand at the time. Unfortunately, he was right. The ... read more
Electrons and erogenous zones to make the world go round
June 2, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
Gold peaking?
Global market strategist Don Coxe, chairman of Coxe Advisors, says he believes in "a hitherto-undiscovered erogenous zone in gold bugs: peak gold, which could be the latest ‘big thing’ since peak oil."
He goes on to blame Barrick’s clever new CEO, Aaron Rege... read more
Looming in the background
April 30, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
Just a stone’s throw south-west of where the Bisha mine is under construction, Nevsun continues exploring the Harena deposit.
Nevsun recently reported the final assays from the 17 infill diamond drill holes at the Harena deposit within its Bisha exploration licence in Eritrea. Harena... read more
Power play
April 21, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
Not so much in love anymore?
Back at Indaba 2008, and just after that black week in January of that year when Eskom managed to ground much of South Africa to a halt, Anglo’s Cynthia Caroll told participants she doesn’t see the power crunch as a problem – many in the indus... read more
Koka continues to shine for Chalice Gold
March 30, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
Results from infill drilling continue to confirm the continuity and high-grade nature at the rich Koka Gold Deposit at the Zara Project in Eritrea.
Close to 80% of infill drilling programme is now completed with further assays pending. A geotechnical drilling programme is about to commence... read more
Nevsun leaves twitchy bankers gasping
March 23, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
Nevsun and the Eritrean National Mining Corporation (ENAMCO) have concluded that the debt facilities are sufficiently unreliable and inconclusive for their project and took the necessary steps to remedy the situation.
Nevsun Resources has raised US$110 million through a share placement to ... read more
Mumbwa Leapfrogs Ahead with BHP in Zambia
March 5, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
Blackthorn Resources’ joint venture partner BHP Billiton has elected to manage and fully fund the next exploration stage (phase 4) at the Mumbwa Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) project in Zambia.
Blackthorn mid-2009 engaged the MSA Group from South Africa as an independent consultant t... read more
What does the year of the tiger hold for Africa?
February 8, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
February 14th is the date in the 2010 calendar when the year of the Tiger starts – the year of the metal tiger - symbolizing toughness, generosity and wealth earned with hard work. Word has it that this is a big, bold year filled with extremes. Unpredictability is in the air; fortune... read more
Zara – it’s a golden chalice
January 20, 2010 by Dr. Willem Smuts
Australian listed gold company, Chalice Gold Mines, recently upgraded and enhanced the regional exploration potential at its 80%‐owned 944 000 oz Zara Gold Project in Eritrea, East Africa after completing the first phase of a regional exploration programme.
The exploration programme also... read more
It’s those cycles man
December 11, 2009 by Dr. Willem Smuts
Lately New Agers and other clever entrepreneurs are making a mint on books and TV programmes, what with the world going to end in 2012 with the end of a major cycle in the Mayan calendar. They hold that the year 2012 will be the end of a 5 126 year cycle (end of the 13th of 13 Baktun). It ... read more