Replies to post #166 on Barrick Gold Corp (ABX)

[NYBob]

johnsyn welcome to Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX :-)
good to see you here :-)

Decision on Barrick/Antofagasta 3.3 bn Reko Diq gold/copper project imminent
The province of Baluchistan in Pakistan, located next to thge borders of Iran and Afghanistan is now expected to decide on issuance of Reko Diq copper/gold project mining lease next week.

Author: Gul Yousafzai
Posted: Thursday , 26 May 2011

QUETTA (Reuters) -


Pakistan's Baluchistan province is expected to decide on issuing a mining lease for a $3.3 billion copper and gold project owned by Chile's Antofagasta (ANTO.L) and Canada's Barrick Gold (ABX.TO) next week, officials said on Thursday.

The two companies are partners in the Tethyan Copper Co (TCC) joint venture, which has a 75 percent interest in the Reko Diq project in the southwestern province, and hold the exploration licence for the site.

Reko Diq holds an estimated 5.9 billion tonnes of mineral resources with an average copper grade of 0.41 percent and an average gold grade of 0.22 grams a tonne, according to data released by Antofagasta.

The TCC says it has the right to mine at Reko Diq under Baluchistan's 2002 Mineral Rules, but the provincial government last year warned that it would cancel the project amid growing anger over outsiders exploiting natural resources in Pakistan's biggest but poorest province.

The Pakistan Supreme Court had barred the Baluchistan government from giving approval for the Reko Diq mining lease until it rules on an investigation over the awarding of the concession to TCC.

But on Wednesday, the Supreme Court allowed the provincial government the right to decide on the granting of the lease. The court investigation will continue.

"We have called a meeting in the first week of June. The representatives of TCC will also be invited ... to renegotiate the issue," chief secretary of Baluchistan Ahmed Bakhsh Lehri told Reuters.

"We want them to set up their refinery here. We hope that the government will take the decision by next week."

TCC was granted the exploration licence for Reko Diq in 2006.

Separatist guerrillas in Baluchistan on the border with Iran and Afghanistan have been fighting a low-level insurgency for decades for control of the provincial gas and mineral resources, which they say unfairly exploited by the country's richer and more powerful provinces.
thanks for good info :-)

[NYBob]

Barrick Reviews Zambian Clearance for Equinox Acquisition
May 27, 2011 (Marketwire Canada) --
TORONTO, ONTARIO --
All amounts expressed in US$ unless otherwise indicated

Barrick Gold Corporation
(NYSE:ABX)(TSX:ABX) ("Barrick" or "the Company")
announced today that the Zambian Competition and Consumer
Protection Commission (the "CCPC") has disclosed that it
has issued a conditional authorization for Barrick's proposed
acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares
(the "Equinox Shares") of Equinox Minerals Limited
(TSX:EQN) (ASX:EQN) ("Equinox").
Barrick appreciates the timeliness of the CCPC approval
process to date and notes that discussions with the
CCPC relating to modifying the terms of its
conditional authorization are ongoing.

The Offer is open for acceptance until 5:00 p.m.
(Toronto time) on June 1, 2011 (the "Expiry Time"),
unless the Offer is extended or withdrawn.

This press release does not constitute an offer to buy or an invitation to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or an invitation to sell, any of the securities of Equinox. Such an offer is only made pursuant to the Offer and take-over bid circular, the letter of transmittal, the notice of guaranteed delivery and other related offer materials which the Offeror has filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and mailed to holders of Equinox Shares. The Offer is not being made to, nor will deposits be accepted from or on behalf of, Equinox shareholders in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance of the Offer would not be in compliance with the laws of such jurisdiction. Furthermore, the information contained in this press release does not constitute financial product advice. It has been prepared without reference to the investment objectives, financial situation, taxation situation and particular needs of any individual Equinox shareholder. Equinox shareholders should consider consulting with their investment, financial, taxation or other professional advisor before taking any action in relation to their investment in Equinox.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain information contained in this press release, including any information as to our strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance, constitute "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words "believe", "expect", "will", "anticipate", "contemplate", "target", "plan", "continue", "budget", "may", "intend", "estimate" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The Company cautions the reader that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual financial results, performance or achievements of Barrick to be materially different from the Company's estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to: changes in the worldwide price of gold, copper or certain other commodities (such as fuel and electricity); inaccuracies or material omissions in Equinox's publicly available information or the failure by Equinox to disclose events or facts which may have occurred or which may affect the significance or accuracy of any such information; the ability of the Company to complete or successfully integrate an announced acquisition proposal; legislative, political or economic developments in the United States, Canada, Zambia, Saudi Arabia or elsewhere; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; availability and costs associated with mining inputs and labor; the risks involved in the exploration, development and mining business. Certain of these factors are discussed in greater detail in the Company's most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities.

The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, further events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

INVESTOR CONTACT: Deni Nicoski

[phone]

[e-mail]

MEDIA CONTACT: Scott Brubacher

[phone]

[e-mail]

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