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February 2012
Editorial
Editor Gareth Tredway T +44 (0)20 7216 6084 E gareth.tredway@mining-journal.com
Production editor / designer Tim Peters
Sub editors Vickie Johnstone / Woody Phillips
Editorial enquiries T +44 (0)20 7216 6060 F +44 (0)20 7216 6050 www.mining-journal.com
Advertising production Sharon Evans E sharon.evans@aspermontuk.com
Subscriptions and circulation Stuart Balk T +44 (0)20 7216 6064 E stuart.balk@aspermontuk.com
Subscription enquiries T +44 (0)20 8955 7050 F +44 (0)20 8421 8244 E subscriptions@aspermontuk.com
PO Box 1045, Bournehall House, Bournehall Road, Bushey WD23 3ZQ, UK
Editorial director Chris Hinde
Chief executive officer David Nizol
Chairman Andrew Kent
EXPLORATION SPECIAL
Uncertain times as prospectors
and developers meet
AS USUAL, this Exploration
Supplement is timed to coincide
with the annual convention of the
Prospectors and Developers
Association of Canada (PDAC)
in Toronto (see city map on p8 for those of you
lucky enough to be attending).
It is hoped that this year’s PDAC convention will
establish yet another record attendance following last
year’s astonishing 27,000 delegates.
Moreover, over 600 exhibitors are again
booked into the Investors Exchange (with
140 companies making presentations), with a
further 340 exhibitors in the Trade Show.
However, PDAC will open on March 4 to
a still uncertain investment environment.
Although Greece has been granted a second
huge financial package, the euro crisis is far from
over. Many European economies are still tottering on
the brink between recovery and a dip back into
recession. Moreover, the picture is far from rosy
elsewhere, and experts are divided on the likely rate
CONTENTS
Uncertain times 3
Boom in non-ferrous exploration 4
Where to find companies in Toronto 8
Core exploration decisions 10
Leading the search for minerals 16
The search hots up 22
Responsible search for minerals 31
Metals markets poised 35
Company profiles:
Baja Mining Group 24
Batero Gold 26
CSA Global 28
EMED Mining 20
Lydian International 30
Mineral IRL 32
Moly Mines 34
Sika Resources 36
Advertisements:
AMEC cover
Augustine Louie 25
Aurizon Mines 38
Azmiuth Exploration 17
Blake, Cassels and Graydon 11
BMP Greenland 12
CSA Global 29
Fortuna Silver inside back cover
Paul Rizzo Associates 14
Primero 15
Schlumberger 5
Snowden Mining 9
SRK International 35
Stewart Group back cover
Thomas Mining Association 19
Centerra (TMP Worldwide) 2
TSX Inc 7
Cover design: Tim Peters
of growth in China, which remains the engine
for much of the world’s metals demand.
The difficult environment for prospectors
and developers was put into perspective in
this year’s PDAC brochure by Joe Hinzer (the
president of Watts Griffis and McOuat Ltd)
(left), who is again co-chair of the PDAC’s
Convention Planning Committee. He writes that “the
second half of 2011 was a period of political turmoil
in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa”, and
investors have been faced with “ever-increasing waves
of uncertainty”.
Advertising
Display sales executives
Leon Walton
T +44 (0)20 7216 6095 E leon.walton@mining-journal.com
Tom Peck
T +44 (0)20 7216 6085 E tom.peck@mining-journal.com
Aspermont UK, Albert House, 1 Singer Street,
London EC2A 4BQ, UK
Mr Hinzer notes: “The increasing price of gold is a
reflection of this turmoil.” Other metals have been
more vulnerable to the market conditions (see p35).
Nevertheless, the exploration sector has made
a strong recovery from the depths experienced at
the start of the global financial crisis. This improvement
is charted in an article on p4, and in the
summary of recent exploration activity on p22.
Advice on the selection of drill rigs is contained in
an article on p10.
Meanwhile, Mr Hinzer draws attention to a need
for “governments, financial institutions and companies
to adjust their strategies and ways of doing business
to accommodate the demands of citizens everywhere.
Societal risk has now become the greatest challenge
to any successful venture.” Some of these issues are
explored in a recent report from the World
Economic Forum (see p31).
Mr Hinzer notes that Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) has become the new catch-phrase,
encompassing all aspects of interaction between
society and business.
He adds that PDAC’s advocacy work “seeks to
address the fundamental issues affecting our industry
on both the local and global stage”. Part of this effort
has come through developing and distributing the
CSR e3 Plus Framework for Responsible Exploration.
Much still needs to be done, but the speakers,
exhibitors and delegates at this year’s PDAC will be
aware of the tasks ahead. They will hopefully learn
something to everyone’s long-term advantage.
This supplement is published with Mining Journal,
published weekly, which is available only as part of a
subscription with Mining Magazine and Mining, People
and the Environment, plus online access.
Annual subscription –
UK and Europe £360 (580 euros)
Rest of the world US$650
Published by Aspermont UK, Albert House,
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directors, officers, employees, advisers and agents and related entities do not make
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© Aspermont UK 2012 ISSN 0026-5225
Mining Journal special publication – PDAC
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