Curious interest in silver, expropriation

David McKay | Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:12

[miningmx.com] -- A CURIOUS case of mineral expropriation, and the prospects of an often neglected metal, silver, were among the top read articles published on Miningmx in 2009.

Less surprisingly, it was articles on gold, and its price prospects, that were also popular with Miningmx readers.

Miningmx is able to track interest in its own stories because it keeps records of when each article is downloaded. It also records the number of individual readers - the numbers of which doubled for Miningmx in 2009.

Jessica Cross, CEO of the UK-based consultancy, told Miningmx’s managing editor, Allan Seccombe, in November that the price of silver was set to thrive in the article 'Is silver's salvation upon us?'. The view was based on expectations that recycling of silver could be drawing to an end amid fresh technological uses for silver.

Her thoughts proved to be Miningmx’s best read article of the year.

In the article, Cross said that the days of huge recycling of silver could be drawing to an end.

She pointed to a host of technological advances requiring use of silver, including wound care, food hygiene and water, wood preservatives, textiles, solar panels and radio frequency identification tags.

“These new end uses for silver are set to pick up the demand slack left by the shrinking photographic industry,” Cross said. “But, unlike photographic film, these end uses do not generate vast amounts of recycled metal. In general... the metal is going to be taken off the market for good.

“Silver’s time has come.”

Gold, mineral rights

It was a highly prescient forecast by GFMS director, Paul Walker, published in the second week of January, 'Paul Walker calls gold to $1,100'. That was the second most read article on Miningmx.

With gold around $874/oz at that time, Walker told Miningmx he could see the gold price moving to $1,100/oz before the year end.

He also told Miningmx reporter, Brendan Ryan, there was an “outside chance” of the metal reaching $1,200/oz during the year. The gold price is currently $1106/oz, but reached $1,226.60 in early December.

Walker said at the time: “Gold is looking a very attractive proposition for those people looking for a safe place to put their cash.

Interestingly, Walker has been “on the money” with predictions for both gold and platinum during 2008. In December 2007, he stated his belief that gold would not reach $1,200/oz by the end of 2008 and, in April last year, he turned negative on prospects for the platinum price contrary to conventional platinum industry wisdom at the time.

Equally prescient is Martin Murenbeeld, the US economist and gold price guru, who was reported by Miningmx to have said gold would scale $2,300/oz in time – another popular story.

But for pure oddity, it was an article that a descendent of a once acting South African president wanted to sue the state for expropriation of land that was Miningmx’s third most read article. 'President's progeny sues for expropriation'. The article, produced by City Press journalist, Andile Ntingi, described how a great-grandson of former apartheid-era president, Tom Naude, had approached the Constitutional Court in an attempt to wrest back mineral rights his mother lost after the introduction of the current mining legislation in 2004. Jozua Francois (Tom) Naude was acting state president of South Africa from 1967 to 1968.

Here is the list of Miningmx’s top ten most read articles in 2009.

Is Silver Salvation upon us?

Paul Walker calls gold to $1,100

President's progeny sues for expropriation

Global Gold hedge heads below 10moz

Mandela, Zuma plan to list gold firm

Copper entering a bull phase

Ex-CEO slams Eskom board

Murenbeeld reckons gold will reach $2,300

Gold edges towards $1,000