Nickel

Malcolm Bucholtz B.Sc, MBA Analyst

Trading Note

Turkey – Taking its Place on the World Stage of Mining and Exploration

Mention mining and mineral exploration and Turkey is probably one of the last places that comes to mind. But, Turkey has quite a long history of mining and investors should now be starting to pay closer attention.

To give you an idea of this long history, the Bronze Age actually began in Turkey and the first Iron may also have been refined in Turkey. For decades now, Turkey has provided the world with a host of industrial type metals and minerals. To cite one example, Turkey is the world's largest producer of Boron- an alloy additive to steel to enhance its strength. So, why is Turkey not better recognized? Well, it would appear that Turkish politicians may not have kept pace with other nations in adapting policy to encourage expansion and development of its mineral industry. But that is all changing – and quickly. The Turkish economy is now stable and Government is now solid. There is a strong likelihood that Turkey will join the E.U. in the near future. Mining laws were revamped in 2004 and royalty rates are very attractive. Corporate tax rates are similar to what one would find in other jurisdictions around the world. There are several major gold mining firms active in Turkey and a growing list of smaller up and coming players. One of these players is Aldridge Minerals. Aldridge trades in Canada under the ticker symbol TSXv:AGM and in Frankfurt under the ticker A0CAPB. Read more »

(TSXv: KNP)

Malcolm Bucholtz B.Sc, MBA
Mention the word Nickel and thoughts of the Sudbury mining area immediately spring to mind. But, what few investors realize is, there is another area equally as lucrative that the smart money is now gravitating towards. The Cape Smith Mineral Belt in north-western Quebec is now emerging as one of the most prospective areas in the world to discover new deposits of Nickel-Sulfide mineralization.

Of particular note is the West Raglan project, a 720 square kilometer joint venture between Knight Resources and Anglo American Exploration (Canada). This area is located some 90 kilometers from Xstrata's producing Raglan Nickel Mine. With the Raglan Mine boasting a reported resource of 32 million tonnes averaging 2.8% Nickel, the old adage about finding a new mine next to an existing one definitely applies here. In fact Nickel mineralization in the Cape Smith Belt occurs in two different settings – the Raglan Formation and the Delta Horizon. Both settings extend some 65 kilometers onto the West Raglan project which is why investors are now starting to take a serious interest in Knight Resources. Read more »