the new Newmont (US) has become the world's largest gold producer by acquiring or amalgamating with Normandy Mining Limited (a.k.a. Newmont Australia) and Franco-Nevada (Canada) on February 20, 2002. The number of other gold mining companies that have been consumed by these giants at the top of the food chain are too high to count, but include Battle Mountain Gold Company (which itself had previously merged with Hemlo Gold), Santa Fe Pacific Gold Company (all acquired directly by the old Newmont).

Prior to this last mega- consolidation with Newmont & Normandy, Franco Nevada had already amalgamated with it's sister company Euro-Nevada.

Newmont Mining Company     NEM   (NYSE)

Joint-Venture Partners in several projects in Mexico with Peñoles through Compania Minera Penmont S.A. de C.V. Newmont holds the minority position in this 44/56 Newmont/Peñoles JV.

La Herradura, Sonora (44%). Au deposit near Caborca discovered in 1991. A 1.68 M oz (prov+prob) reserve at 0.031 opt w/production starting in July 1998. Newmont's share comes to 740,000 oz. Total deposit resources (all catagories) listed at around 2.15 Moz. Cia. Minera Penmont controls 18,000 ha. and committed $6.9 M for engineering for a 7 yr mine. Plans were to start with 90,000 oz first year then ramp up to 250,000 oz for final 3 years of mine. Engineering plans call for production at less that $200/oz. 

La Herradura consists of an open pit mine with a two-stage crushing and heap leaching facility using a Merrill-Crowe gold recovery circuit. Total project cost was $72 million. La Herradura produced 114,800 ounces (50,500 equity ounces) at a total cash cost of $146 per ounce. Reserves at $300/ounce gold as of 12/31/00 were 1.3 Moz (575,000 equity ounces).

MBD July, 1997
MBD March, 1997
LAMR, v3, #9 Sep 96

Bermejal-Mezcala, Guerrero (44%). Au-bearing magnetite-hemetite skarn deposit near Iguala located around 4 km SE of the Nukay (Los Filos) deposit of Teck-Cominco. Newmont reported 1.08 Moz in resources as of 1997. According to MBD (03/97) Newmont's 44% interest comes to 648,000 oz which would put the total reserve figure closer to 1.47 million ounces. Another figure for Bermejal mineable reserves is 34 M tonnes at 1.11 gpt Au and 15 gpt Ag

At $300 gold Newmont considers Mezcala a resource. Newmont carries the deposit in their resource inventory as 69,464,000 Tonnes at 0.026 opt Au at $325 gold prices. 

wwwinfo on newmont.com
CSW 30May97 (Miranda Industries)
MBD March, 1997
MBD February, 1997

Battle Mountain Gold Company  (Acquired by Newmont July 2000)

Merged with Hemlo Gold and then was merged into Newmont Gold Company in July 2000

BMG's Mexican operating company was Minera BMG de Mexico S.A. de C.V. In Mexico BMG's exploration program was focused on discovery of large gold deposits on the western side of the Mesa Central in central Mexico and on the western side of the Sierra Madre Occidental along the Pacific coast. Projects acquired have characteristics of large sediment-hosted deposits or central Nevada.

LAMR May, 1997

El Castillo Property, was evaluated critically in 1999 from a mineability perspective. Whereas a portion of the deposit appeared mineable even at an assumed $250 gold price, overall the deposit as presently defined is too small at a $325 gold price to meet the company's criteria. Some studies indicate that the RC drilling may be underestimating grades and a drill program is planned to examine this issue. BMG is currently seeking a JV partner to fund this work. The table lists resource numbers at 1.25Moz. (NOTE: This could be the same project previously referred to as El Cairo - see below)

Annual Report, 1999

El Cairo, Durango. Located in northern Durango NW about 2 hrs N of Durango City and just west of the highway. In 1996 extensive surface geochem and trenching led to 8 RC holes in this large intrusive-hosted target in early 1997. Of these 7 encountered significant widths of anomalous mineralization with the best assays bearing 0.031 opt over a thickness of 350 ft. and bottoming in mineralization. (The Old Prospector heard that BMG filed a "protection claim" of 120,000 hectares surrounding this project - they must really like it!!)

LAMR May, 1997

Olvidada Property, Durango is contiguous with East Durango property of Laminco/Sino-Pacific. Located at eastern end of Sierra Palotes Range. Exploration for skarn-hosted Au in southern Mexico. Porphyry-related targets in Sierra Madre. Recently finalized formal agreement with International Northair Mines on the Las Minas Cu-Au skarn property in Veracruz.

Randol Mexico Mining '97 Exhibitor: Booth #23
CSW (Northair) 29Nov96
NMN v82#21 07/22/96
GCN #142 23Jul96
Newsmine 1Aug96

Las Minas, Veracruz. Located 270 km east of Mexico D.F. Originally optioned from International Northair; however, dropped option and terminated interest in this property in mid 1997 after 840 sample program with repectable Au and Cu results. Property position was three claims covering 5 km by 2.25 km area over old Cu-Au skarn district.

MBD August, 1997
LAMR December, 1996

Santa Fe Pacific Gold Company: Acquired by Newmont March 1997

Successfully acquired Santa Fe Pacific Gold Company in March, 1997 and received shareholder's approval in May (NMN v83#11 12May97). The deal is done - gone the sun....Adios Sante Fe. Now the question of how Santa Fe's Mexican assets will fit into Newmont's exploration plans in Mexico. Santa Fe Pacific Gold had appointed W. Vernon Kramer as exploration manager for Mexico as a result of June, 1993 asset-swap with Gold Fields Mining Company. They had an office in SLP and several projects on the blocks. Because Newmont already exists in Mexico, both independently and in certain projects as a JV partner with Peñoles in Compañia Penmont, it will be interesting how the Mexican assets of Santa Fe are digested by another mega-gold corporation. Ex -assets of Santa Fe are available for JV (see below)

MBD August, 1993
MBD July, 1993
SMR 17July93

Coronado Au Project, San Luis Potosi. (Santa Fe Project) A 11,500 ha property located 30 km east of Charcas Cu-Zn-Ag mine in old Hg district along the eastern margin of the Sierra Coronado. Anonmalous Au-As-Sb mineralization is associated with jasperoids in Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous limestones and calcareous siltstones. Property has been track-drilled to shallow depths.

JV Literature at PDAC '97

El Pocito Zn-Pb-Ag-Au Project, San Luis Potosi. . (Santa Fe Project) A 27,106 ha property (presently being reduced to 5552) located 75 km NE of SLP and 100 km S of Matehuala. Additionally, 258 ha of core concessions are under option. Good infrastructure - located near Hwy 57. Potential for 20,000,000 tonnes of acid-soluable oxide zinc along NW-strilking regional structure. Also potential for deep contact-skarn mineralization. Property has seen gradient IP survey and a dipole-dipole line, mapping, trenching and initial RC drilling.

JV Literature at PDAC '97

San Bartolo Au Project, San Luis Potosi. (ex-Santa Fe Project) A 9,665 ha property located 20 km south of Cerro Fraile Au-Cu mine and Real de Catorce Ag-Pb-Zn mine. Anomalous Au-As-Sb-Hg mineralization occurs over a 10 km NS-trending zone in quartz latite porphyry dikes and associated jasperoids in Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous limestones and calcareous siltstones. Property has seen IP and first phase RC drilling. (Property was abandoned and now belongs to Minera Cascabel S.A. de C.V. who picked it up in a sorteo.)

JV Literature at PDAC '97