Best of Breed

[Tommy]

Junior Gold with a Major Mining Shareholder

http://juniorgoldminerseeker.blogspot.co.uk/p/gold-junior-explorers-with-major-mining.html

I believe the best approach to identify high potential Junior Gold and Silver Explorers, Developers and Miners is to identify great people and great projects.

A separate page on this blog is focused on key people, their past performance and current projects.

Another approach is to rely on the due diligence and expertise of the larger mining companies and to look at where they are investing their money and efforts. Many of the majors have to some degree "outsourced" their exploration efforts and will increase reserves by acquisition rather than discovery.
Equally companies like Barrick and the companies they acquired like Placer Dome have historical ownership and knowledge of vast areas which may have been sold or optioned during the 1990's when gold prices and profits were low, but that knowledge base may lead them back to some of these properties.

Past examples of majors taking early stakes in successful exploration would be Kinross taking a significant stake in Underworld Resources (UW.v) which they subsequently acquired after key discoveries had been made.

Here is a list of Larger Mining companies and investments or joint ventures they have made in Junior Explorers and Developers. This was from trying to follow insider info Jan 2012, please alert if you believe this is out of date.
I shall add a spreadsheet for tracking and link to more detailed posts

Major - Barrick Gold

Atna - Barrick sold its' 70% stake in Pinson mine leaving euity stake
Auriga Gold (AIA) (see old mines with new exploration)
Midway MDW.
Carpathian - (CPN.TO) - 9% stake
Novagold (NG.TO)
Allied Gold (ASX) no remaining stake. Interesting aggressive growth in Papua New Guinea.


Major - Newmont

Evrim Resources (JV) - JV 2012 Mexico - Paul Van Eeden
Eurasian Minerals (EMX.v) buying stakes during 2010/11
Fronteer - Acquired
Lydian (LYD.TO) purchases 2007/10 - Lydian purchases Newmont's interest - issues shares
Pilot Gold (PLG.TO) - As part of Fronteer acquisition)
Gabriel Resources (GBU.TO) (2005)
Loncor - (LN.v) - buying stakes 2010/11 - DR Congo >20,000 Km2 - political risk. Seeking Alpha article. Directors with BAA Banro.
Triple Plate Junction (LON:TPJ) JV Papua New Guinea
Premier Gold - JV on Rain/Saddle property consolidation - Premier 55% stake operator, utilise Newmont infrastructure into production.
Magellan Minerals stake, MNM.v


Major - Goldcorp

American Bonanza - 2004 now ?
Chesapeake - 2007 purchases
Evolving Gold - 2010 19m shares
Guyana Goldfields - sold out
Lexam - sold out
Madison Minerals -
Manitou - MTU.v - 7m shares 2010
Osisko (sold stake)
Planet Exploration 2003/4
Primero (floated)
Tahoe - (THO.TO) x40m 2010
Silver Wheaton - sale of silver by-product



Major - Anglo Gold Ashanti

Mariana Resources - Argentina
Silver Bull Resources
Evrim Resources


Major - Kinross

Underworld (UW.v) - Acquired
Red Back Mining - Acquired
Bema Gold - Acquired
Aurelian - Acquired
Alacer Gold - non insider 2007
BC Gold - Non insider 2011 -holding
Laurentian Gold Fields - non-insider 2009
Revolution Resources x6m Sept 2011 (ex Underworld team)
Ryepatch Gold - non insider 2010
Victoria Gold - buying 2008/9/10/11
White Bear Resources - (WBR.v) - x2.3m 2011
Sarama Resources (SWA.v) - 9% pres Oct 12




Major - Agnico Eagle

Golden Goliath - near Fresnillo / other properties. Richard Hughes.
Alexandria Minerals
Colibri Resource - 2011 x6m
Continuum - 2006
Cumberland - Acquired
Forum - 2008
Grayd - Acquired
Comaplex - Acquired
Queenston - Purchases stakes during 2010 - Acquisition proposed by Osisko
Stornoway
Western Troy (WRY.v)
Evolving Gold (EVG.TO) Joint venture on Rattlesnake Hills. Goldcorp insider at EVG also.
Rubicon - $70m stake



Major/Mid Tier - Iamgold

Avnel Gold - buy 2011
Carlaw Capital (CLW.P.v) x22m Aug 2011. shares 22>5c ?
Euro Ressources SA (chg nature ownership?)
Galane Gold
Merrex Gold (MXI.v) - (Buy 2011)
Mexican Silver Mines (? stock?)
Orezone - non insider 2010 - acuired original orezone
Oromin - (OLE.TO) x16m 2009
Columbia Crest (ex Eaglecrest) xxx (Columbia)
Bellhaven (BHV.v) 2011 (Columbia)
Bought Trelawny TRR.v



Major/Mid Tier - Osisko

Bowmore (BOW.v)
Brett Resources - Acquired
Threegold
Mexico Project
JV in Nevada
Bought Queenston QMI



Major/Mid Tier - AuRico Gold

Aurion Resources (Au.v) JV - Presentation Dec-2011 - The presentation shows that this was a Jim Dines Pick Jan 2011. This was also a Rick Rule investment, though no longer an insider through the Rule family trust since moving to Sprott.
Northgate - Acquired
Capital Gold - Acquired


Major - Couer D'Alene
See appendix of presentation for details

International Northair (INM.v) 11.8%
Silver Bull (SVB.TO) 12.7%
Huldra Silver (HDA.v) 9.5%
Commonwealth Silver - yet to IPO 6.8%
Cara Cara Silver (CSV.v) 3.4%
Apogee Silver (APE.v) - 9.7%
Pershing Gold (PGLC.OB) 4.3%
Soltoro (SOL.v) 7.6%
Bought out Mirasol's JV stake in

Major/Mid Tier - Hecla

Canamex in Nevada.
Dolly Varden in Canada