Decided to start this since the above seems to have had a great start this year and have the potencial to outperform the other sectors. All your inputs and reserch is always welcome. Here are my speculative picks.

African Diamonds (AFD)
Jubilee Platinum (JLP)
African Eagle (AFE)
African Gold (AFG)
Caledon Resources (CDN)
Minco (MIO)
Mano River (MANA)
Eurasia (EUA)
Brazilian Diamonds (BDY)
Petrel Resources (PET)
Emerald Energy (ENN)

This appeared a week ago

Posted: 2004/02/04 Wed 19:09 Mineweb


LONDON (Mineweb.com) – Not content with being chairman and chief executive of no fewer than three AIM listed companies – one of them still a cash shell nearly a year after it started trading - Phil Edmonds is about to launch yet another on London’s Alternative Market.
And once again it seems that Thomas Kaplan will be providing some of the cash to get the new company, Central African Gold, up and running.

(While we are name-dropping, Roy Pitchford, chief executive of Zimbabwe Platinum, Bruce Rowan, the UK based Australian serial investor in resource stocks, and Brian Moritz, head of Grant Thornton’s capital markets group, will get a mention later because they all figure in the Edmonds’ story).

Kaplan first contacted Edmonds by telephone, apparently out of the blue, towards the end of last year and then put money into two of Edmonds’ companies in September. Since that time shares in both of them, Capricorn Resources (LSE:CIR) and Southern African Resources (LSE:SFU), have rocketed in price for no other apparent reason.

For those who don’t recognise the name, Kaplan is not your average mining man. He is an American with a doctor of philosophy degree in history from England’s Oxford University who made his first big bucks by using strategic forecasting in US fund management. His speciality is an analytical method that attempts to identify and assess global trends in politics and economics and the way these trends relate to the international financial markets.

One trend he thought he had identified in the early 1990s was a coming shortage of silver. He looked round for a suitable company to invest in and, when he couldn’t find one, set up his own – Apex Silver (ASE:SIL). George Soros, who has accumulated a fortune from international investment and is well known for his forays in the international currency markets, and his brother Paul, put their personal money into Apex. Paul Soros is still a director of that company and Kaplan remains chairman.

Kaplan brought together some of the best people in silver exploration and it was not long before Apex identified the huge San Cristobal deposit in Bolivia (the obvious country to look for silver). But several years later Apex has not started development because Kaplan is waiting for the silver price to go up to what he considers to be a reasonable level. Detractors suggest San Cristobal is really a zinc deposit with silver as a by-product and that transporting metal to the coast would be very expensive. Apex is not short of cash, it had US$42m in the bank and recently raised another $165.6m by issuing more equity. So something might happen soon.

Edmonds has also been around the mining scene for many years. His cv mentions first of all that he once played cricket for England and he seems to have been more successful with bat and ball than with his early choice of mining vehicles. Philippine Gold, in particular, had a disastrous time when he was in charge.

While cynics suggest that he and his fellow directors probably want four companies because that means more fees and options for all involved, Edmonds says there is logic to it. The first company he launched on AIM, Central African Mining (known colloquially as CAMEC), exports copper and cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo and tantalum from Namibia and Mozambique.

CAMEC, through its contacts, also got the opportunity to become involved in a platinum project on South Africa’s Bushveld. But it was thought better to put that project into a separate company – so Southern African Resources was set up. It is very early days, but using inferred resource figures, the Snowden Group suggests SAR’s Leeuwkop project on the western limb of the Bushveld, might produce 300,000 ounces of platinum a year for 24 years.

This estimate apparently attracted Kaplan’s attention. Edmonds believes Kaplan had been tracking potential platinum investments via the internet. After the out-of-the-blue telephone call from Kaplan, Edmonds flew to meet the American in Saint Tropez in the south of France and they began what seems set to be a long term relationship.

Edmonds says he wants to build CAMEC into a substantial mining business with copper, cobalt and tantalum operations of its own and investments in other entities. CAMEC already has a 10 percent stake in SAR, received in exchange for the platinum project.

After CAMEC and SAR came Capricorn. Edmonds says the objective is for Capricorn to invest in late-development, single commodity, natural resources projects – he mentions diamonds and oil but the former seems more likely. Capricorn raised 400,000 at 1p a share in February last year before listing on AIM but so far no projects have materialised. Edmonds explains: “Things always seem to take longer than anticipated. But in eight to twelve weeks we should have something interesting to say.”

Meanwhile, gold is very much in favour at present so the fourth single-commodity company, Central African Gold, was to be launched on AIM today (February 4). But there has been a delay because, according to Edmonds, potential American investors want changes to the structure and that means a new prospectus must be produced.

Also, he says it has been difficult to satisfy demand for Central African Gold stock, so the cash to be raised ahead of the listing has been increased from 700,000 to 1m.

Thanks to the Kaplan connection, Edmunds’ companies are riding high at present. Shares in CAMEC were drifting along at 1.5p less than a year ago. It raised 2.48m on January 19 at 4p a share. In the following ten days the shares peaked at 13.25p, giving CAMEC a market value of 43m.

Shares in SAR and Capricorn have been motoring since September 12 when it was announced that Kaplan’s Bermuda based family trusts had put cash into them. He paid 1.5p a share for 16 percent of Capricorn, a total cost of $150,000. Last week the shares reached 13p. His investment in SAR totalled 400,000, giving him 6.1 percent of that company, at 4p a share. Last week the price went up to 33p.

By an amazing coincidence, shares in all three of the Edmonds’ AIM companies reached their peak prices almost exactly at the same time, on January 27 and 28. At that time he was in the US talking to potential investors in Central African Gold.

The Australian Stock Exchange would almost certainly have asked for an explanation but AIM leaves supervision of its listed companies to the nominated advisers (nomads). Grant Thornton is nomad to SAR and Capricorn, as well as to Central African Gold. And Brian Moritz, head of Grant Thornton’s capital markets group, is also a director of all three companies. Some say this represents a big conflict of interest, but Edmonds disagrees and so, we must assume, does the AIM team.

Bruce Rowan is also on the boards of SAR and Capricorn and previously was probably the biggest single investor. He is on the board or an investor in several other natural resources stocks as well as manager of Tiger Resource Finance (LSE:TIR) which, of course, invests in mining/exploration stocks. Rowan is not on the CAMEC board but he owned 26 percent when it listed on AIM in October 2002 and there has been no record of any sale since. Rowan is also expected to put some cash into Central African Gold.

Apart from Edmonds, one other person is on all four of his boards, a 34 year old Zimbabwean, Andrew Groves, who is described as development director. Groves, who was born in Harare and educated in South Africa as well as Zimbabwe, obviously played a key role in finding the African assets. According to his cv he
has significant experience in operations management in Southern and Central Africa, and has extensive knowledge of the mining industry in Namibia and Mozambique

He also played some part in introducing Roy Pitchford, chief executive of Zimbabwe Platinum, now part of Impala Platinum, who joined the SAR board last month and is also a director of Central African Gold. The SAR appointment met with Kaplan’s approval, says Edmonds, because the American was one of the biggest private investors in Zimplats.

Edmonds hopes Pitchford eventually will take over as chief executive of SAR. That company expanded in January by paying A$4.7m for 52 percent of Tau Mining, owner of the Molopo Farms platinum project in southern Botswana.

This is all part on a plan to introduce key professional management to the Edmonds’ companies so that he can relinquish the chief executive’s role in all but CAMEC.

Meanwhile, further work on the AIM launch of Central African Mining as another Edmonds cash shell will probably have to wait until he returns from Cape Town on February 14. Like many others in London he is off to the Indaba at the weekend.

Juzzle: try www.oilbarrel.com

many thanks for the links. Keep and eye on EEN. I feel is a buy, just waiting for that dip.

Thanks xm.

Very good news from Mano River.

Company Mano River Resources Inc
TIDM MANA
Headline Holding(s) in Company
Released 16:28 12 Feb 2004
Number 3561V


RNS Number:3561V
Mano River Resources Inc
12 February 2004


MANO RIVER RESOURCES INC.

HOLDING IN COMPANY

Mano River Resources Inc. ("the Company") was informed on 11 February 2004 that
on 12 December 2003 City Natural Resources High Yield Trust PLC purchased
10,000,000 common shares in the Company. City Natural Resources High Yield Trust
PLC now holds 10,000,000 common shares in the Company representing approximately
4.75% of the issued share capital.

On behalf of the Board of Mano River Resources Inc.
Tom Elder
President and CEO

For further information on Mano River Resources and its exploration programme,
you are invited to visit the Company's website at www.manoriver.com or contact
one of the following:

Tom Elder President and CEO UK +44 (0) 1235 810 740
Guy Pas Chairman Switzerland +41 22 758 2151
Anthony Rhatigan Vice-Chairman Mobile +44 (0)7785 297 348
Dru Edmonstone Seymour Pierce UK +44 (0) 20 7107 8000
Gary Middleton Capital PR UK +44 (0) 207902 0703


The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not take responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release




This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

Anyone have an interest or opinion on Galahad Gold ?-sorry don't know the epic.

African Gold (AFG) is looking sexy for next week!!!

What do u know Sue Helen?? You inputs are alwasy welcome?

See AFG thread.

Press Comment: Independent Market Report

African Gold, which recently unveiled the purchases of gold assets in Ghana's Ashanti Belt, ticked 0.12p higher to 14.37p on whispers that another acquisition is on the cards. According to yesterday's market gossip, the deal would be quite substantial for the AIM listed company, which is presently valued at 30m. A source close to African Gold confirmed that the group was looking at a major acquisition but indicated that a deal is by no means imminent.

Thanks SH. your inputs are always greatly appreciated. Yes AFG is looking good, I bought some last Friday when it was 10% down to 12.5p. Most mining companies in the Gold trade have been either down or sideways trading. Not to panick as Gold prices are on the move up again.

PET have put forward their tenders for oil survey in Iraq. The shares took a massive dip few days before the announcement, and after the RSN and in two days the shares managed to score nearly 70% upward movement. If one tender is awarded then those who invested early will see lots of money but if none is awarded just abandon the shares asap. It is all or nothing wiht this one.

I am looking to purchase CDN, EEN & MANA Any views.

Xm,

MANA look a reasonable bet, (I hold), but why is everyone ignoring Firestone Diamonds, (FDI)?

Last year their turnover was in excess of 1 million, and profit came in at 162,000, a fall on the previous year due to the strength of the S.African rand.

Firestone are due to open their BE JV Bonte Koe mine very soon, and they have two very interesting procpects in Groen River, South Africa, and Mopipi in Botswana.

Firestone have no debt to speak of.

Their 14 million market cap compares,imho, VERY well with AFD, 34 million per ADVFN!

Minmet are about to fly, all the signs are their, any comment welcome, what do you lot think?

xmortal
Did you add CAN to your portfolio a couple of days ago?? I commented on a thread a few weeks ago that I was looking at this company because I missed CFM and CAG and knew they were going to float and asked for any comments. There was no great responses so I'm new to this and thought well what do I know! However I've been busy last couple of days and 'forgot' BIG mistake, just saw they went from 3p to 9.5p. Sob, sob. Hope you bought as this seems to be your field. Regards, Amber

xmortal
Did you add CAN to your portfolio a couple of days ago?? I commented on a thread a few weeks ago that I was looking at this company because I missed CFM and CAG and knew they were going to float and asked for any comments. There was no great responses so I'm new to this and thought well what do I know! However I've been busy last couple of days and 'forgot' BIG mistake, just saw they went from 3p to 9.5p. Sob, sob. Hope you bought as this seems to be your field. Regards, Amber