Freeport Indonesia workers to extend strike for a month – union

Harmony Gold (HARJ.J: Quote) said on Wednesday that its gold production for the March 2011 quarter would likely be two percent lower than the previous quarter mainly due the impact of the Christmas break. It did not give figures in a brief guidance to investors but it said cash operating costs remained steady and capital expenditure was contained during the quarter.

Cutting some hefty gold intercepts, Revolution Resources is following in the footsteps of Romarco Minerals and its multi-million ounce Haile gold mine in the Carolina Slate Belt. Image by Revolution Resources

Osisko Mining (TSX: OSK) poured its first gold at the Canadian Malartic open-pit gold mine in Quebec on Wednesday, April 13, 2011. The act ushered in not only one of Canada's newest miners, but one of its largest, with production at Malartic planned to hit 600,000 ounces gold a year, over a 12-year mine life.

Reuters reports: Canadian gold miner Northgate Minerals Corp expects production at its Young-Davidson mine in Northern Ontario to start in late first quarter of 2012.

GFMS says that investment demand will continue to drive gold higher, and analysts at the firm would not be surprised to see gold break through $1,600 before the end of the year. The findings were published in GFMS's Gold Survey 2011 that were released today. "Investors continue to be concerned about the outlook for inflation, with governments in general showing little appetite to tighten monetary policy significantly," says Philip Klapwijk, chairman at GFMS, in a news release.

Each year, Dr Murenbeeld chooses this event to present his views and forecasts for gold for the year ahead, and over the years he has proved to be one of the most accurate forecasters out there - but with three scenarios - cautious, middle and optimistic - he usually comes close with one or more of these - but he does give weighted likelihoods for each of his prediction scenarios.

An organisation operating out of Dillon in Nevada has been formed as "Jewelers for Japan" to raise funds for the thousands of victims in Japan and it is asking jewelers and consumers to donate scrap gold and silver jewellery in lieu of cash. The refiner Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico will refine the gold and silver scrap without a fee with all proceeds going directly to the American Red Cross.

Maudore Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V:MAO) reported the highest drilling intercept ever obtained on the Comtois property, along with several other new high-grade gold assays and more broad near surface intervals from ongoing exploration and definition drilling on the property, located north of Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada.

Thunder Mountain entered into an agreement with Newmont to advance the company’s Trout Creek project in Nevada. The agreement allows Thunder Mountain to conduct exploration activities on Newmont’s land around the company’s Trout Creek claims.