British Columbia

Vancouver-based Jinshan Gold Mines Inc. announced that it has executed a memorandum of understanding with China National Gold Corporation and another partner to acquire a 100% interest in the Jiama property in China. The Jiama property, a polymetallic deposit consisting of copper, molybdenum, gold, silver and other minerals, is currently in the development stage and is owned by China National Gold. Jinshan is a mining company whose principal asset is the CSH Gold Mine located in Inner Mongolia.

Vancouver-based Centurion Minerals Ltd. announced that it has executed a Memorandum of Agreement to acquire a 77% interest in PT Tambang Mas Sable, a private company which holds a contract of work (COW) on the Sable gold project in Aceh Province, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Centurion will be responsible for assisting and funding the reactivation of the COW at a cost of US$60,000 as well as funding 100% of exploration costs to feasibility stage of the Sable project.

Vancouver-based International Gold Mining Limited, an exploration and development company engaged in the search for and development of gold in Australia, announced that it has signed a Heads of Agreement with Vancouver-based Salmon River Resources Ltd. Under the terms of the agreement, Salmon River may acquire the Eureka gold project, located 50km north of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, for $2 million payable in tranches of $500,000 over three years. The companies plan to sign a formal agreement by November 2, 2009.

Vancouver-based Lions Gate Metals Inc. (LGM) has reached an agreement in principle with AusNiCo Pty. Ltd. of Australia to merge the companies under LGM. AusNiCo, which is 79% owned by D’Aguilar Gold Ltd. of Australia, has nickel exploration tenements in Southeast Queensland. LGM will acquire all of the issued securities of AusNiCo in exchange for the issue of 10 million common shares and three million five-year warrants exercisable at C$1.10 per share. Each company will appoint three directors to a new LGM Board of six directors.

The Fall issue of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s newest publication, Asian Business Cases, offers insights into the way three major companies responded to the impact of the 1997 Asian financial crisis on their Asian operations. There are lessons for companies today as they struggle to cope with the global recession. The new issue of ‘Asian Business Cases’ looks at the experiences of Dharmala Manulife, Kodak’s Health Imaging Division in Asia, and First Pacific, giving an in-depth analysis of what worked and why.

Vancouver-based Eldorado Gold Corporation and Australia-based Sino Gold Mining Limited, which is focused on gold exploration and mining in China, announced that they have signed a Scheme Implementation Deed under which Eldorado proposes to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares in Sino Gold that it does not currently own via a Scheme of Arrangement under Australian law. Consideration for the transaction will be Eldorado shares, with Sino Gold shareholders offered 0.55 Eldorado shares for each Sino Gold share they own. The transaction values Sino Gold at approximately C$2.0 billion.

Export Development Canada (EDC) announced it signed a line of credit for US$30 million with China Gas Holdings Limited of Hong Kong, the first time EDC has signed a commercial line of credit with a Chinese buyer of Canadian exports. Under the terms of the deal, China Gas will purchase compressed natural gas (CNG) equipment from IMW Industries Ltd. of Chilliwack, BC.

Victoria-based Neverblue, a premier global lead generation network, announced that it has signed an exclusive agency agreement for Australia with the US-based It’s Just Lunch. It’s Just Lunch, a specialized dating service for busy professionals, has half a dozen offices in Australia and a presence in the US, Singapore, Thailand and Ireland. Neverblue is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vertrue Inc., an Internet direct marketing services company.

Elsa Japan, a developer of computer graphic and multimedia products, will team up with BC-based Teradici Corporation to develop a new 3D graphics board that will be released in August. The new product will process and transmit large-volume 3D data such as designs and medical images six times faster than existing products. It will use a chip developed by Teradici on a board developed by Elsa. The two companies are also considering joint development of chips for high-performance workstations.