ALROSA – ANGOLA – JV
AK ALROSA signed off registered capital of ESCOM-ALROSA Ltd. which was incorporated jointly with Portugese Escom Mining Inc. for financing of ALROSA’s project in Angola, RIA Novosti reported.
ESCOM-ALROSA Ltd. owns 45% share in capital of exploration enterprise Luo-Camatchia-Camagico.
ALROSA’s share in joint venture was reduced from 44% to nil, according to the data provided by the diamond miner.
RIA Novosti failed to get comments from ALROSA on the reasons for its disaffiliation with the venture.

YAKUTIA – GOLD DEPOSITS – AUCTIONS
Four gold deposits located in the Republic of Yakutia remained unclaimed following the results of auctions on rights for subsurface use conducted on 1st of March. The reason was insufficient number of applicants, SakhaNews reported.
The call for bids was finished on 29 January, a total of 8 bids were registered but consequently not all companies were allowed to participate in the auctions.

ZIMBABWE – KP – NAMIBIAN EXPERTS
Zimbabwe has brought in Namibian experts to provide training and to help clean up its diamond industry to meet the requirements of the Kimberley Process (KP), Secretary for Mines Thankful Musukutwa told members of parliament on Tuesday, Antwerpfacetsonline reported.
He said the Namibians had been hired to help ensure that the two companies the government approved to mine diamonds in the disputed Marange diamond fields claims were acting in line with KP standards.
His comments appeared to be aimed at striking a more conciliatory note during the March 1-3 visit of KP monitor Abbey Chikane to Zimbabwe on a fact-finding mission.
President Robert Mugabe has threatened to withdraw from the KP, while Mines Minister Obert Mpofu last week said the country could sell diamonds outside the KP process if the regulator decided Zimbabwe's efforts were insufficient.
Musukutwa told parliament: "We have brought in Namibians who are the consultants in diamond mining, they are also training some Zimbabweans, so that we can have a 100 percent compliance with the KP," according to Zim Online.
Human rights groups have been pushing for a ban on Zimbabwean diamonds, but the KP last November decided against suspending the country and instead opted to give Harare a June 2010 deadline to make reforms to comply with its regulations.

POLYUS GOLD – MERGER – KINROSS GOLD
Mikhail Prokhorov, the owner of 29.9% shares in OJSC Polyus Gold recently stated the possibility of merger with an international gold miner, Finam.ru reported.
“In general the idea looks quite good and perspective for both parties to the deal. Polyus has extensive resource base but relevantly low dynamics of gold mining activities (gold production slightly improved after consolidation with KazakhGold). On the contrary, foreign players see their reserves coming exhausted therefore they might be interested in gaining access to Polyus’s gold reserves,” – IFD Kapital analyst Olga Mitrofanova said.
Polyus may get a partner for development of complex deposits, particularly Natalka gold deposit. However Polyus might face some issues due to this transaction – its assets being treated as strategic objects which are restricted for foreign companies.
“We consider Canadian Kinross Gold Corp. as the most probable candidate for merger with Polyus Gold,” – Mitrofanova added.
Last year Kinross Gold and Polyus Gold signed interim agreement on joint development of Nezhdaninskoye deposit. Moreover, Canadian miner operates a number of projects in Russia.

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