The global economic and financial crisis of 2007-2009 has had, and will continue to have, important implications - both positive and negative - for gold and silver prices. Jeffrey Nichols will discuss the impact of the crisis on gold and silver markets with special emphasis on the unfolding U.S. and global economic situation, central bank monetary policy in the United States, prospects for the U.S. dollar, and price inflation. In addition, changing official sector attitudes and actions with respect to gold, structural changes in private gold investment, Chinese and Indian demand trends, and the importance of jewelry scrap as a source of supply will also be discussed.

In the middle of the ongoing international financial crisis that is affecting global markets, Esteban C. Buljevich will dive into the different financing alternatives and strategies - both equity and debt - available to developers pursuing mining projects in Argentina in the local and international capital and financial markets.

The recent global financial crisis and high volatility in metals prices has made it more challenging than ever for small and middle sized mining companies to raise capital to develop and expand mining projects. Credit has become more expensive and difficult to access and equity valuations are still much lower than a year ago despite a recover from their low points earlier this year. John Ashburne reviews current market conditions for debt and equity capital and discusses developing trends in alternative financing tools that mining companies may use in this difficult market.

What does Latin America offer an investor/financier in this competitive mining world?: 1. Politics and judicial stability in many countries. Active encouragement to invest in most countries; 2. Excellent Geology – the whole continent is highly prospective and often referred to as “elephant country” – many large orebodies are yet to be found; 3. Geography – projects attractive to North American investors especially, as in the same time zones; 4. Communications – excellent modern communications in all respects; 5. Excellent human resources potential, with a long history of mining; 6. Common sense approach to environmental issues in most places; 7. Latin America still offers those investors looking for exploration “excitement” the opportunity to participate in projects that can fire the imagination and produce great reward at lower risks than many other “competitive” parts of the world.

He studied in the National Engineering University of Peru, and he holds a Master in Geology from Missouri University and an MBA of the Krannert School of Management from Purdue University. Isac joined the Hochschild Group in 1995, and has filled the positions of Exploration Geologist, Exploration Manager in Mexico and Corporate Manager of Business Development.Currently, he is Vice-president of Business Development for the Group. Jorge Patricio Jones, Canadian Gold Hunter Corporate Exploration Strategies in Latin America. Compañía Suramina Resources Inc.

The Lundin Group has been exploring in Argentina for 10 years, through the Suramina Resources Inc (SAX) and through its subsidiary Desarrollo de Prospectos Mineros S.A. (Deprominsa). Some of its personnel has been part of companies that performed previous mining businesses in Argentina, and have been part of the group for almost 20 year. In the middle of 2008 Suramina had an approved budget of u$s 16 Million and also financing plans for December of that year, which would allow to complete their budget and cash flow for the period 2008-2009. The market crisis in September-October of 2008 prevented the financing. Some incorporated strategies, corporative policies, works carried out and the expansion of the Company in South America are described.

The lessons learned in times of crisis and the new social requirements, make necessary to understand that there are challenges to be met and needs to be fulfilled by the industry, both within itself and in front of the communities. If the mining industry wants to have peaceful and conducive spaces for its investment processes along with the safety of a social environment that receives them and sees us as their own it must act to avoid uncertainty and social restlessness which promptly evolve into political and legal instability.

Chile is one of the more important mining countries in the world. Its competitiveness is based on a series of natural factors, but also on its economic, political and social situation. Nevertheless, it participation in exploration expenses suffered an important reduction in the first part of the present decade. Behind this phenomenon there are diverse variables, that are not necessarily associated to a diminution of geological potential or to a decline of the conditions of investment in the country. This presentation will provide the background in order to understand the historical tendencies of the exploration in Chile. In addition the key elements that show the potential for the exploration in the country will be analyzed, and the most important challenges that this activity faces for its future development will be reviewed.

The Brazilian Fertilizers Industry has recently experienced a un-precedented period of growth driven mostly by increased agricultural activity and bio-fuels. The accelerated demand growth was halted in the second half of 2008 by a worldwide liquidity shock, but demand fundamentals for phosphate and potash are very strong in the mid- to long-term. Brazil has great growth optionalities in agriculture, but it depends to a large extent on imported raw materials for fertilizers. Large mining corporations and Brazilian para-statals with a long term view are now concerned by security of supply because the aggressive expansion of industrial minerals production in the last few years depleted worldwide mineral resources quite significantly.

In the last 10 years, the mining industry in Colombia has increased its production remarkably, allowing it to enter worldwide rankings of coal, ferronickel and, in the near future, gold. Also, the interest in the exploration and production in the country went from being marginal to meaningful. This presentation provides a brief analysis of the circumstances that made this growth possible.

This presentation provides a quick overview to the mining occurrences in Peru, its contribution to national production – present and future –, its potential and current exploration trends in the country.

After a year of the financial Tsunami that struck to the world-wide economy and the activities related to the mining exploration in particular, Argentina continues being a country with attractive opportunities of exploration of several commodities, for the companies that survived and were able to keep their assets. New players, new financing sources, new minerals in sight and apparent changes in the perception of laws and needs of the provincial governments promise a dynamic scene in the Argentinean mining exploration in the coming years.