Price Waterhouse Coopers has produced it’s first-ever report on Canada’s junior mining sector. The PwC survey examined the financial position of the top 100 of the 967 junior mining companies on the Venture board, based on market capitalization as of Sept. 30, 2006. 

It says the total market capitalization of junior miners increased by 86% to $27.6 billion from $14.8 billion in 2005. The survey found that exploration companies were able to raise $1.2 billion through issuing shares, a 206% increase over 2005. 

$409.4 million was put towards mineral properties and exploration. This was 79% more than in 2005. $103.9 million was spent on property, plant and equipment in 2006, more than double that from the year before. 

62% of companies were based in British Columbia. Accross the country however, mining tax incentives help make Canada the world’s premiere jurisdiction for junior mining companies. 

For full report click here:      

According to resourceinvetor.com, Canadian junior resource companies were forcast to spend the most ever at $1.12 billion in 2006. 

Resource Investor points out that “the proportion of spending between juniors and seniors continues to shift in favour of the former, and in 2006, juniors accounted for 50% of companies with spending commitments in excess of $10 million.”
 

The Canadian mining industry is still booming with much attention in the uranium and  base metals sectors, as well as increasing interest in the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
 

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Here are some interesting points, taken from the November 9, 2006 “Top of the Morning” Email letter, on the current consolidation occurring in the gold mining sector. (more…)

Financings Closed for the month of November:       
       
Total Amount Raised:   C$859,270,249.00      
Total Flow Through:   C$143,885,157.00      
Total Base Metals:   C$370,578,917.00  (Between  74 companies)   
Total Precious Metals:   C$617,019,832.00  (Between  117 companies, 27  specializing in Gold)
Total Diamond:   C$47,187,440.00  (Between 15  companies)  
       
Top Brokers: ABG Sundal, Collier & Pareto with C$115,045,000.00      
 GMP Securities with C$115,000,000.00      
       
Top Regions:  Canada with 92, USA with 25 and Latin America with 21     

   Information collected from the Canadian Financing Bulletin

Here is some information related to the global supply and demand of nickel from the Daily Report on October 19 

o Nickel prices are currently trading at $15.40 per pound, just shy of the all time high and nickel inventories are near historic lows.

o A presentation by Macquarie Research at this year’s LME Dinner indicated that this year’s nickel deficit is 27,000 tonnes.

For 2007, despite nickel being projected to be in a surplus position of 7,000 tonnes, nickel inventories will remain low.

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