This item is part of Stockwatch's value added news feed and is only available to Stockwatch subscribers.

Here is a sample of this item:

by Will Purcell

The diamond and specialty minerals stocks box score for Wednesday was an encouraging 45-36-164. The TSX Venture Exchange gained one point to 534 while polished diamond prices gained 0.4 per cent. Lukas Lundin's Lucara Diamond Corp. (LUC) traded actively, falling three cents to $2.48 on 1.51 million shares. Lucara had another solid year at its Karowe mine in Botswana, generating over $92-million (U.S.) in cash flow despite falling rough diamond prices.

Ken MacNeill and George Read's Shore Gold Inc. (SGF) gained one cent to 20 cents on 540,000 shares. The company has started a core drilling program at its mammoth Star-Orion South diamond project in central Saskatchewan. Up to 24 holes, about 5,000 metres, are planned on the Orion South pipe and the western portion of Star -- perhaps coincidentally the parts of the project where Shore does not hold a 100-per-cent interest. The company's now reluctant co-venturer, Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM: $25.58 (U.S.)), paid about $200-million in 2006 for a 40-per-cent interest in the Fort a la Corne joint venture that owns Orion South and the western part of Star. Newmont stopped contributing to the project in early 2009 and its interest is now down to barely 30 per cent.

The remainder is available to Stockwatch subscribers.
Sign-up for a FREE 30-day Stockwatch subscription and SEE NO ADS