“The red earth that dusts the lush vegetation around Simandou marbles the mountain rock is worth a fortune.” A few weeks ago New Yorker published an amazing story: Burried Secrets: How an Israeli billionaire wrested control of one of Africa’s biggest prizes. The article covers businessman Beny Steinmetz’s takeover of the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea,… Continue Reading

Brazilian billionaire promoter Eike Batista regrets using the public markets to finance his activities, he writes in an op-ed to Valor Thursday. “More than anyone, I wonder where I went wrong. What should I have done differently? A first question might be linked to the funding model I chose for the companies. Today, if I could go… Continue Reading

Here’s a promoter’s map of the Western Athabasca Region in Northern Saskatchewan showing Fission/Alpha’s discovery in the middle. Update: Comments from Twitter: @tommyhump Thats the people who paid 2B on map. CIN has a great land position which the mkt will figure out — Cdn Intl Minerals (@CIN_TSXV) July 19, 2013 @tommyhump cut my teeth in… Continue Reading

LIBERTY METALS & Mining Holdings continues to take stakes in emerging gold and metals producers. This one has Karma. The unit of the large insurer, Liberty Mutual, came across my screen about a year ago, when it gave Red Eagle Mining in Colombia (RD in Canada) $8 million in exchange for a net smelter royalty… Continue Reading

Alpha Minerals (TSXV:AMW) shares have been on a tear since last fall when they discovered high grade uranium close to surface at the Patterson Lake South project in the Western Athabasca Region of Saskatchewan and analysts believe this trend will continue over the coming months. Here’s the 12 month chart: Today, the company announced more impressive… Continue Reading

Yesterday Petroamerica Oil Corp (C:PTA), an emerging light oil producer in Colombia, received a buy recommendation and a $.45 price target from Canaccord Genuity energy analyst Christopher Brown in Calgary. Canaccord Genuity now joins CIBC World Markets, TD Securities, Haywood Securities, Raymond James, and others in recommending Petroamerica’s shares. Mr. Brown cited PTA’s attractive valuation… Continue Reading

Looking at this week’s photographs of a convoy of trucks heading out on the first delivery run of exports of copper and gold concentrate from the Oyu Tolgoi mine, I am reminded that it was almost exactly 12 years ago that Ivanhoe Mines announced the first of a series of five world-class mineral discoveries at… Continue Reading

Octogenarian self styled ‘treasure hunter’ Dave Lowell, who we called Mining’s Greatest Explorer in a January, 2013 short film about the legend, has launched a new copper exploration and development company, Lowell Copper, and subsequently raised $11.4 million in a financing in which we participated (details). The company’s principal asset is the Ricardo project in… Continue Reading

It’s a different reality for the Lundin’s, an extremely successful, and well financed oil and mining exploration and development group. Chairman Lukas Lundin tells Mineweb’s Kip Keen his copper companies intend to keep their exploration budgets intact, and expresses optimism for continued, high commodities prices. You should read the full article over at Mineweb. Here are a few excerpts:… Continue Reading

Court documents shed light on the manoeuvrings of Shell and ENI to win a huge Nigerian oil block and on the dilemmas of their industry. Read the article -> Source: Economist H/t D’arcy

To make great content, have incredible experiences, Ryan Holiday argues. VICE’s Portrait of a Russian Oligarch is an example. After the collapse of Communism in Russia, as state assets were divvied up and privatized, a few individuals stepped in to take the reins of this entrepreneurial experiment. Rewarded with massive fortunes and fame, they came… Continue Reading

Well-known Toronto-based mining and energy promoter Stan Bharti of Forbes and Manhattan has opened up to Mineweb’s Kip Keen. Here’s a link to the article. Excerpts include: “At Forbes & Manhattan we always tell people, find good assets in emerging markets so you don’t overpay for them. I mean any fool can go and pay… Continue Reading

Today we learned that PI Financial Corp. has updated coverage on Silver Bull Resources (TSX: SVB) (NYSE: SVBL), one of the few junior mining names we own. Following the release of positive test results from the silver mineralization zone at the company’s flagship project in Mexico, analyst Philip Ker reiterated his buy recommendation, maintaining his 12-month target… Continue Reading

Yesterday I had another opportunity to hear Frank Giustra speak — this time at BCBusiness Magazine’s Top 100 event at Hotel Vancouver. In front of a crowd of 1,200, he was interviewed on stage by BCBusiness chairman Peter Legge. Frank Giustra became a millionaire in his early 20s financing small mining and energy companies. As Chairman… Continue Reading

From yesterday’s Stockwatch Energy Summary: Pacific Rubiales and Ecopetrol hold the largest interests in the $4.2-billion (U.S.) Bicentenario pipeline, with 32.88 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively. Petrominerales Ltd. (PMG), up 10 cents to $6.16, holds 9.65 per cent, and Canacol Energy Ltd. (CNE), up nine cents to $2.90, holds 0.5 per cent. The 960-kilometre pipeline will carry… Continue Reading