February 5, 2010: Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) announced that it is in the process of negotiating six-day work weeks at Driefontein and Kloof in anticipation that work stoppages may be a continuing factor as a result of seismic activity and government imposed safety halts. GFI lost 76 days of production in 2009 as a result of unplanned work stoppages.

February 8, 2010: Harmony Gold Mining Ltd. (HMY) reported that it returned to profitability in the three months through December after benefiting from a higher rand gold price. In South African currency, HMY earned 264,774 rand a kilogram (2.2 pounds) for gold during the quarter, up 10.6% from the previous three months. In the second quarter, which ended December 31, 2009, HMY posted net income of 118 million rand, compared to a loss of 29 million rand in the previous quarter. Gold production during the quarter declined 1.2% to 11,569 kilograms because of the closure of the Evander 7 shaft in South Africa's Mpumalanga province and the Brand 3 shaft in the Free State province.

February 10, 2010: Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX) announced that Chilean authorities had approved an environmental impact study that clears the way for ABX to expand extraction to 260,000 tonnes per day from 200,000 tonnes per day from its Zaldivar copper deposit, nearly a 20% increase.

February 10, 2010: Goldcorp Inc. (GG) has entered into a binding Investment Framework Agreement (IFA) with Quaterra Resources Inc. (AMEX: QMM) that formalizes the terms of a previously announced Letter of Intent that provides GG with an option to acquire an interest in certain mining properties held or acquired by QMM in central Mexico, by funding a two-year exploration program through a private placement investment of $10 million. The first $4 million of the closed private placement consists of units at C$1.41, comprised of 3,001,418 common shares of QMM and 1,500,709 two-year share purchase warrants exercisable at C$1.76 per share. Under the IFA, GG has an option to acquire up to 65% in any property held by QMM in central Mexico, except for Nieves, by spending an additional $2 million over a two year period on advanced exploration on that property and by completing a Feasibility Study. Thereafter, GG will solely fund operations at the property until a production decision is made, at that point, QMM will be responsible for its proportionate share of expenditures.

February 10, 2010: Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) views Mali as a new frontier for gold exploration. GFI's West Africa head, Peter Turner said the company is focusing on the prospective Yanfolila belt, an under explored gold-rich part of southwestern Mali. GFI has been exploring properties in Mali acquired as part of the Glencar transaction. The flagship property is Komana, located in southern Mali which has provided gold grades up to 15.7 grams/tonne found near surface and contains visible gold. Early stage exploration is ongoing at Bokoro, Faliko, and Badogo, which are located within a 60 km radius of Komano. Ongoing drilling at Komano will continue until June 2010, and then a conceptual study will be completed in December 2010. GFI's West African operations in neighboring Ghana respectively produced 173,000 ounces at Tarkwa, and 45,000 ounces of gold at Damang in the December quarter. This production bodes well for future gold production from the region.

February 11, 2010: Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX) reported that it will begin field operations at Mt. Nakru and Simuku projects in New Guinea. These projects are copper-gold-molybdenum projects owned 100% by Australian listed Coppermoly Ltd., subject to a joint venture agreement with an ABX subsidiary Barrick (PNG) Exploration Ltd. ABX can earn a 72% interest in Coppermoly's three existing projects by spending A$20 million within 8 years. Diamond drilling will start at Nakru in the second quarter of 2010 and will test depth extensions of surface mineralization and copper related Induced Polarization geophysical targets

February 11, 2010: Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) reported that its Gold Fields Horsefly Exploration Corp. has resumed drilling on the 157 sq. mile Woodjam North Property (WJNP) at Williams Lake in central British Columbia. WJNP is part of the Woodjam Joint Venture (WJV) owned by Fjordland Exploration Inc. (60% interest) and Cariboo Rose Resources Ltd. (40%). This Phase 2 winter drilling program is a continuation of a budgeted $2.5 million, 12-month program which began in July 2009. GFI plans to complete 3,000 to 4,000 meters of drilling in 12 holes. This drilling is planned to follow up on positive results at Takom, Deerhorn, and Megabucks. Refer to the press release for details on the specific objectives of this drilling. GFI has the option to earn up to a 70% in the WJNP by spending $19 million in exploration by July 2016.

February 11, 2010: Silver Wheaton Corp. (SLW) has agreed to acquire all gold and silver resources from Augusta Resource's Rosemont Copper Project in Pima County, Arizona. SLW will pay Augusta $230 million in cash installments. Augusta expects to receive key operating permits for the project in the fourth quarter. Rosemont is expected to be a low costs, long-life, and large-tonnage producer. SLW believes that Rosemont could increase its silver production to 2.4 million ounces over a long term. Rosemont's gold production should increase by about 15,000 ounces.

February 16, 2010: Goldcorp Inc. (GG) announced the acquisition of a 70% interest in the El Morro project, an advanced stage copper-gold project located in the Atacama Region of north-central Chile. On a 100% basis, El Morro contains proven and probable reserves of 6.7 million ounces of gold and 5.7 billion pounds of copper. The acquisition was completed pursuant to a January 6, 2010 Acquisition Funding Agreement (AFA) between GG and New Gold Inc. (NGD), in which GG loaned a NGD subsidiary $463 million to fund the acquisition of the 70% held by Xstrata Chile S.A. Under terms of the AFA, GG acquires the 70% interest purchased by NGD, and also transferred $50 million to NGD. GG will also provide 100% of NGD's funding requirement for development and construction of the project through commercial production. GG becomes the operator of the project.

February 17, 2010: Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM) reported net income of $47.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to a net income of $21.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. AEM achieved record fourth quarter 2009 gold production of 163,276 ounces of gold at a cash cost of $297 per ounce compared to 89,360 ounces produced in the fourth quarter of 2008 at a cash cost of $463 per ounce. For the year AEM produced a record annual production of 492,972 ounces of gold and raised its reserves by 0.3 million ounces net of production to a record 18.4 million ounces. Refer to the press release for production and cost details at individual projects.

February 17, 2010: Goldcorp Inc. (GG) reported that as of December 31, 2009, the company had proven and probable gold reserves of 48.8 million ounces (a 5.3% increase over 2008) and proven and probable silver reserves of 1,300 million ounces (a 4.2% increase over 2008). Measured and indicated gold resources increased 3.2% to 22.7 million ounces in 2009, and measured and indicated silver resources increased 38.3% to 598.1 million ounces. All of the increases are the result of GG's successful organic growth programs and do not include any ounces acquired during the year. Refer to the press release for reserves and resources compiled by project and tabulations of copper, lead, and zinc reserves and resources. 

February 17, 2010: Yamana Gold Inc. (AUY) reported that a judge from Argentina's Catamarcha province has indefinitely suspended work on AUY's giant Aqua Rica copper-gold-molybdenum mine project following clashes between protestors and police. Environmentalists had been blocking a road servicing the site near the town of Andalaga since December. AUY has been conducting drilling to update a feasibility study with the goal of making a decision on whether or not to proceed with the project at the end of 2011. If developed, AUY's 100% owned Aqua Rica is expected to produce 12.5 million tons of copper and gold concentrate and 357,750 tons of molybdenum concentrate, resulting in average annual production of 365 million pounds of copper and 154,000 gold equivalent ounces in the first 10 years of production. Aqua Rica has an estimated mine life of 26.5 years.

February 17, 2010: Iamgold Gold Corp. (IAG) reported that its fourth quarter 2009 operating earnings more than doubled, driven primarily by strong gold prices. IAG reported adjusted Q4'09 earnings of $41.4 million, or $0.11 per share, which compared to a profit of $16.4 million, or $0.06 per share in the year-earlier quarter. IAG's latest quarter and the year-earlier quarter were impacted by impairment charges which resulted to net losses in both periods. IAG posted a net loss of $47.4 million, or $0.13 per share in the latest quarter, compared to a net loss of $96.4 million, or $0.33 per share in the year-earlier quarter. For the fourth quarter of 2009, IAG's revenue rose 27% to $265.3 million based on gold sales of 233,000 ounces at an average price of $1096 per ounce and strong niobium sales. Refer to the press release for exploration, development, operational, and financial details.

February 17, 2010: Kinross Gold Corp. (KGC) reported that it is considering the purchase of several assets in Russia, and sees its venture with OAO Polyus Gold as the optimal vehicle to pursue these acquisitions.

February 17, 2010: Kinross Gold Corp. (KGC) reported record fourth quarter 2009 gold equivalent production of 613,858 ounces, an increase of 12% over the year-earlier quarter. For the full year 2009, gold equivalent production was 2,238,665 ounces. Revenue for the fourth quarter was $699 million compared to $484.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, an increase of 44% based on an average realized gold price of $1,094 per ounce sold compared with $794 per ounce sold in the year-earlier quarter. For the full-year 2009 revenue was $2,412.1 million, a 49% increase over full-year 2008. The average realized gold price for the full year was $967 compared with $857 per ounce sold for the full-year 2008. KGC expects to produce approximately 2.2 million gold-equivalent ounces in 2010. Refer to the press release for details on operations, development, and exploration.

February 18, 2010: Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX) announced that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has approved ABX's plan to combine and expand its Bald Mountain and Mooney Basin mines in northeast Nevada by 3,920 acres. This approval could result in the addition of 130 more jobs.

February 18, 2010: Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX) plans to create the biggest U.K. based gold producer by spinning off its Tanzanian assets and listing them on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) next month. African Barrick Gold (ABG) will be created when ABX sells its 25% stake in ABG, which produced 716,000 ounces of gold in 2009.

February 18, 2010: Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX) reported for the fourth quarter net income of $215 million, which compares with a loss of $468 million in the year-earlier quarter. During the quarter ABX produced 1.9 million ounces of gold and realized $1,119 per ounce for the gold sold. The cash cost for this gold was $474 per ounce. ABX's revenue for the quarter rose to $2.4 billion from $2.1 billion in the previous fourth quarter. ABX expects to mine between 7.6 and 8 million ounces in 2010, excluding the gold produced at its African Barrick Gold unit, which will be spun-off. ABX also noted that the above results include a one-time charge of $241 million to eliminate its gold hedge, and the company is seeking permission to start mining at its Cortez Hills project while a Federal Court has ruled that a new environmental impact study needs to be conducted as a result of a suit by environmentalists and Shoshone Indians to block operations. Prior to the suit, the BLM had issued permits to ABX approving the mine. ABX expects to produce 1.08 million to 1.2 million ounces of gold at Cortez Hills in 2010 at a cash cost of $295 to $315 per ounce. ABX will revise its 2010 guidance at Cortez Hills if the court decision impacts planned operations.

February 18, 2010: Compania de Minas Buenaventura SA (BVN) announced that it expects an ongoing strike at three units of its precious metals mining operations to end early next week. The six day work stoppage has halted operations at the Orcopampa gold mine, the Uchucchacua silver mine, and crimped operations at the Antapite gold mine. Miners are demanding information about BVN's finances between 2006 and 2009. Peruvian law requires mining companies to share 8% of profits with workers. Miners say BVN has under reported its profits.