pure speculation

'Porgera joint venture in PNG: Barrick's share of 2012 production was 436,000oz at a cash cost of $US955/oz. Remaining in the ground there is 6.2m ounces.'

That's from Robin Bromby's 'Pure Speculation' column in The Australian, 22 March. The article is called 'Local gold shake-up could be on its way'. Good read - and one great point was 'real cost' could be as much as 50% higher than reported 'cash cost'...We all know that cash costs are more than a little fudged.......I won't post the article..The Australian probably wouldn't like it....But it's cheap to subscribe to the newspaper online and Bromby's columns are always a good read (worth the subscription alone for me). If gold drifts down to the $12-1300 region as the world economy improves....a lot of mines are in serious non-profitable trouble....

So yes, I reckon Barrick would swoop on a nearby multi-million ounce resource with great grades, handy silver credits, and no digging to Paraguay to get to it....Soon as it's all proved up in my opinion.....we are toast.....or toasting....