Canada's Orca to Invest in Sudan's Gold

A man shows off his gold to potential buyers in Sudan (Reuters)
A man shows off his gold to potential buyers in Sudan (Reuters)
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Canada's Orca to Invest in Sudan's Gold

A man shows off his gold to potential buyers in Sudan (Reuters)
A man shows off his gold to potential buyers in Sudan (Reuters)

Canada's major gold producing company, Orca, discussed the great potential for gold production in Sudan, announcing a $350 million investment for explorations.

The company intends to produce about 60 tons of gold annually in its exploration area in northeastern Sudan.

Orca Gold CEO Richard Clark discussed the company's production plans in Sudan and said the geological potential in the country is enormous, making Sudan the second or third country to produce gold in Africa, Suna reported.

According to Clark, Orca is determined to produce more than 228,000 ounces of gold annually in its concession area in the far northeast of Sudan.

In a television interview reported by Bloomberg, Clark said that Sudan's geological potential is vast. The country's political and economic conditions witnessed a steady improvement following the transitional government's removal of extremist groups.

As a result, Sudan was removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and approved for debt relief.

He explained that Sudan expects to write off its over $55 billion debt as part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative (HIPC), which means its eligibility for development aid and economic aid.

According to Clark, a feasibility study for the projects in Sudan revealed the possibility of producing about 228,000 ounces of gold annually at the cost of $751 per ounce.

He explained that Sudan currently produces more than 100 tons of gold, most of which comes from traditional mining.

Ocra company will invest $350 million in mining operations as the most prominent and first specialized company to enter this market in Sudan.

According to Clark, his company operates in a mining area located within the "Nubian Gold Belt," extending from Egypt to Saudi Arabia and Eritrea.

Ocra Gold is one of the largest gold mining companies globally and is working on developing the 14th project for gold in Sudan, which is about 200 km north of Dongola.



Gold Hits Four-week Peak on Safe-haven Demand

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
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Gold Hits Four-week Peak on Safe-haven Demand

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold prices rose to a near four-week high on Thursday, supported by safe-haven demand, while investors weighed how US President-elect Donald Trump's policies would impact the economy and inflation.

Spot gold inched up 0.4% to $2,672.18 per ounce, as of 0918 a.m. ET (1418 GMT). US gold futures rose 0.7% to $2,691.80.

"Safe-haven demand is modestly supporting gold, offsetting downside pressure coming from a stronger dollar and higher rates," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

The dollar index hovered near a one-week high, making gold less appealing for holders of other currencies, while the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield stayed near eight-month peaks, Reuters reported.

"Market uncertainty is likely to persist with the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump as the next US president," Staunovo said.

Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a series of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Trump will take office on Jan. 20 and his proposed tariffs could potentially ignite trade wars and inflation. In such a scenario, gold, considered a hedge against inflation, is likely to perform well.

Investors' focus now shifts to Friday's US nonfarm payrolls due at 08:30 a.m. ET for further clarity on the Federal Reserve's interest rate path.

Non-farm payrolls likely rose by 160,000 jobs in December after surging by 227,000 in November, a Reuters survey showed.

Gold hit a near four-week high on Wednesday after a weaker-than-expected US private employment report hinted that the Fed may be less cautious about easing rates this year.

However, minutes of the Fed's December policy meeting showed officials' concern that Trump's proposed tariffs and immigration policies may prolong the fight against rising prices.

High rates reduce the non-yielding asset's appeal.

The World Gold Council on Wednesday said physically-backed gold exchange-traded funds registered their first inflow in four years.

Spot silver rose 0.7% to $30.32 per ounce, platinum fell 0.8% to $948.55 and palladium shed 1.4% to $915.75.