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Gold/Mining/Energy : Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bob Howarth who wrote (377)	5/21/2000 7:10:00 PM
From: Just G	Respond to of 529

Bob: I look at it this way, keeping in mind, this is not my strong area, this is more in Ptask's field of research. South Africa is the largest producer in the world and they continue to pick up potential properties to stay in the lead, therefore controlling the market. Not only platinum, but palladium, rhodium and other elements of the pgm family are used as a by-product to nickel because the prices of the pgm group have slowly but increased in value in a big way. No secret that Sudbury has been mining nickel for approximately 150 years, and at least 100 of those years, the pgm's are and continue to be used as a by-product. I would think or hope in the future that will change. And your final comment will depend on supply and demand in the future for this minerals, and they are being used more and more. Regards G

To: Bob Howarth who wrote (377)	5/22/2000 10:38:00 AM
From: Ptaskmaster	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 529

Russian PGM supply from the primary producer Norilsk, in a nutshell (or basket).- "This is not a tiddly winks exploration company. Norilsk is the world's largest producer of nickel, accounting for just under a fifth of global output, biggest miner of palladium, (almost half of world production) and second largest producer of platinum (14 percent).... "Norilsk is on an extraordinarily poor rating because of fears about the Russian political economy and its huge foreign debts, a sliding rouble, infrastructure and export problems, obfuscation, contradictory corporate statements, past losses and minimal transparency. The stock, with a 35 percent free float is also illiquid...." From 'The World's Most Undervalued Mining Major' by Neil Behrmann, full story in Miningweb on Moneyweb mips1.net

To: Bob Howarth who wrote (377)	6/8/2000 12:15:00 PM
From: Ptaskmaster	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 529

Stillwater: High PGM grades, low grades on technical and mining expertise.- "Lonmin, South Africa's third largest platinum producer has responded to the booming platinum market by speeding up its expansion plans. "It intends diversifying both within and outside SA. and hinted that it might mount a bid for Stillwater, the fast growing US palladium and platinum producer.... ----snip---- "..,there are two obvious targets outside the country - Zimbabwe and the Stillwater mine in Montana, US. Stillwater's platinum production dropped 8% to 409,000 ounces last year. Some South African platinum company executives believe that it needs "more competent technical and mining managers" to boost production. "'If Lonmin does not do a deal with Stillwater somebody else is going to,' comments a SA platinum analyst." From 'Lonmin's Platinum output to soar' by Brendan Ryan (with contributions by Neil Behrmann) on Miningweb in Moneyweb mny.co.za