re:sydney herald 3.3.08, page-3

Here is MK

Boom for modern Goldsearcher
of Gerd brown
one Investments into the raw material exploration reach record heights. The obligation to replace shrinking reserves continues to advance the expenditures for exploration in opinion of experts. The world largest congress of the industry meets now in Toronto: Scarcely 18,000 participants out over 100 countries are expected.






TORONTO. Ever as strongly into the search for raw materials one invested as today. In the past year the budgets of the exploration enterprises amounted according to estimations of the Metals Economics Group (MEG) in the Canadian Halifax to more than ten billion US dollar - and only for not eisenhaltige metals and uranium. The obligation to replace shrinking reserves will still continue to drive the expenditures for exploration in opinion of the experts in this year. In Toronto therefore everything that has a name in mining industry and exploration, gives itself Stelldichein in this week. 18,000 participants out over 100 countries are expected for the four-day congress of the "Prospectors & Developers Association OF Canada". "this is world-wide the largest folder ion and conference of exploration of the world", says Rod Thomas, Vizepraesident of the Manicouagan of mineral Inc. and chairman of the conference. While the promotion of the bodenschaetze lies in the hands of financialstrong, international companies, to a large extent the investigation and search for raw materials (Prospektion and exploration) are operated by small enterprises. "the exploration may have still the image of the lonely prospektors, who looks for Thomas, who is active for over 30 years in the business with snow shoes in the wilderness for bodenschaetzen", says. "however the Prospektion is an important part of the mining industry." Today prospektoren are often trained geologists or at least experienced of many years "Schatzsucher", who are been versed with kinds of rock and can identify and evaluate ores. Before ten years about 5.2 billion dollar was put into the search for new resources. But 2002 was it only 1.9 billion dollar. The rising raw material demand turned around the trend. However 2007 was more invested approximately 40 per cent than in the previous year. With estimated 11.4 billion dollar was exceeded the point of the yearly 1997 around more than the double. However also the exploration costs - for personnel, fuel and material - rose strongly. It is remarkable according to industry observers that for some years the "junior enterprises" more moneys for exploration apply than the large and middle companies.
Read far on page 2: Which differentiates junior enterprises from racecourses.

Above all gold and base metals are looked for. From the expenditures for exploration were allotted approximately 40 per cent to gold and 36 per cent to base metals. Particularly the search for nickel, copper and zinc registers extreme investment increases; this reflects the rising prices for these raw materials. However two billion dollar were put 2007 into the copper search. Determines Jason Goulden of MEG: "the exploration added in all regions." A special role however plays Canada: There alone 20 per cent of the investments were transacted. If one examines the role of the enterprises, the weight is still larger. Nearly half of all world-wide investments Ontario came from enterprises, which have their seat in Canada, with an emphasis in the province. "we are a global guidance power with resources, Toronto are the center of the world-wide mining industry sector", say Ontarios minister for economic development, Sandra Pupatello, the trade paper. The weight Ontarios and Torontos is confirmed also by a view of the stock exchange in Toronto. The TSX group with the Toronto stick Exchange and the TSX venture Exchange for recent enterprises sees itself than energy and rohstoffhaltigste to stock exchange of the world. 57 per cent of all quoted mining industry enterprises and about half of all energy companies are there listed. Belonged to end of 2007 from the 3,738 listed enterprises 1,373 to the mining industry sector. The stock exchanges see a "dramatic rise" world-wide during the share financing. In the past year world-wide 50.3 billion dollar at the stock exchanges was financed, of it alone 35 per cent - approximately 17.5 billion dollar - in Toronto. At the TSX noted mining industry companies come together on a market capitalization of 337 billion US dollar and at the TSX venture on 34 billion dollar. Mining industry and energy are "key elements its that we are", mean TSX speaker Steve Kee. For the small enterprises the stock exchange is vitally necessary. They must set on the fact that investors believe in their success. "the exploration enterprises supply first of all only information", say Rod Thomas von Manicouagan of mineral. "it is a very risky business." But obviously a worthwhile. "one can go also on the racecourse and use its money. But the probability that one wins, is there worse than with the junior enterprises in the exploration business ", says Thomas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever more largely junior enterprises World-wide exist several thousands of the small exploration enterprises, which look for new stores for gold, silver, copper, zinc, platinum, uranium and other metals and minerals. In case of success the small ones are then often swallowed by the large ones or them to sell their prospecting licenses to the companies.