TSX Venture Exchange (July 18-24, 2006)

Investors may be enjoying the lazy days of summer, but mining companies seem more focused on deal-making, with a flurry of merger proposals being floated by both junior and major companies. Despite the increased corporate activity, trading on the TSX Venture Exchange was sluggish over the report period July 18-24, with the S&P-TSX Venture Composite Index shedding another 52 points to close at 2,500.

Diagem International took top spot as the most-active trader, losing more than a penny to close just below a dime. The company closed a $6.5-million financing to continue its diamond exploration efforts in Brazil.

IMA Exploration took another hit, down 13 to 57, after losing a legal battle over its Navidad silver project to Toronto-listed Aquiline Resources. IMA intends to appeal the British Columbia Supreme Court ruling that awarded ownership of Navidad to Aquiline on much the same principles used to determine the Corona versus Lac Minerals case in 1989. The court found that IMA had breached a confidentiality agreement and unlawfully used confidential information to stake Navidad, which currently hosts a resource of 93.4 million tonnes at 102 grams silver per tonne and 1.41% lead.

Plexmar Resources dropped a cent as it moved to third place on the most-active list. The company is exploring the Bolsa del Diablo gold property in Peru.

UC Resources see-sawed in active trading after the junior released drill results, including a 15-metre interval averaging 44.6 grams gold and 1,564 grams silver per tonne, from the Copalquin property in Durango State, Mexico. The company is testing depth extensions of old mine workings in the historic silver district. The company fell 1 to 47.

The biggest value gainer was Altius Minerals, which climbed a dollar to $7.95. The company has attracted strong investor interest because of its diverse portfolio of projects, including uranium projects in Newfoundland and Labrador. The company also holds a 30% interest in Rambler Metals and Mining, which recently reported 6 metres of 14.4% copper and 1.8 grams gold and 14.3 metres of 4.71% copper from its Rambler project in Baie Verte, Newfoundland.

Aurelian Resources has been basking in investor attention for several months now, based on spectacular results from a gold-silver discovery at its Condor project in southeastern Ecuador. The company was up 85 to close at $21.35 over the session.

Diamond explorer Hudson Resources gained 35 to $1.75, reflecting recent success at its projects in coastal Greenland.

Pacific Booker Minerals has arranged private placements to develop of its Morrison property near Granisle, B.C. Late last year, the company filed a project description with the government for a proposed 25,000-tonne-per-day mine that would produce an estimated 130,000 tonnes of concentrate per year containing 37,000 tonnes of copper (plus by-product gold). The project is near the past-producing Bell and Granisle copper mines. Pacific Booker was ahead 75 to close at $6.25.

TSX-V most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Diagem Intl	DGM	7330	0.115	0.095	0.105	-0.015
IMA Exploratn	IMR	6772	0.73	0.50	0.57	-0.13
Plexmar Res	PLE	5331	0.43	0.38	0.41	+0.01
UC Res	UC	4426	0.56	0.43	0.47	+0.01
Spider Res	SPQ	4219	0.06	0.045	0.055	0.00
Boulder Mng	BDR	4208	0.195	0.105	0.155	+0.055
Bayswater Vent	BVE	4048	1.47	1.07	1.22	+0.12
Yukon Zinc	YZC	3619	0.285	0.245	0.26	-0.02
Simberi Gold	SAU	3084	0.13	0.10	0.12	+0.015
Sola Res	SL	2370	0.34	0.29	0.29	+0.005

TSX-V greatest percentage change

		VOLUME	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Marifil Min wt	MFM.WT	38	0.30	0.12	0.30	+150.0
Thor Expl	THX.H	135	0.28	0.26	0.28	+55.5
Boulder Mng	BDR	4208	0.195	0.105	0.155	+55.0
Exmin Res	EXM	2060	0.29	0.195	0.27	+42.1
Prospctr C Res	PRR	68	0.12	0.09	0.12	+41.1
Emerald Isle	EIR	30	0.345	0.345	0.345	+38.0
Wind River Res	WRR	224	0.30	0.20	0.30	+36.3
New Dimen Res	NDR	100	0.34	0.25	0.34	+36.0
Kansai Mining	KAN	40	0.21	0.19	0.19	+35.7
Orbite Expl A	ORT.A	843	0.24	0.16	0.21	+31.2
Cascadero Copp	CCD	177	0.165	0.11	0.11	-37.1
San Telmo Res	STA	55	0.70	0.66	0.67	-33.0
AMI Res	AMU	84	0.33	0.23	0.245	-30.0
Gossan Res	GSS	74	0.22	0.215	0.22	-26.6
Iciena Vent	IIE	741	0.095	0.07	0.07	-26.3
Monroe Minls	MMX	131	0.11	0.10	0.10	-25.9
Stratabd Mnr	SB	772	0.40	0.20	0.225	-25.0
Western Warr R	WWR	23	0.30	0.30	0.30	-24.0
Strike Minls	STK	35	0.09	0.08	0.08	-23.8
Rockgate Cap	RGT	56	0.40	0.32	0.32	-23.8

TSX-V greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Altius Mnrls	ALS	410910	7.95	+1.00
Aurelian Res	ARU	1079792	21.35	+0.85
Pac Booker Min	BKM	30546	6.25	+0.75
Seabridge Gold	SEA	125719	14.00	+0.60
Hudson Res	HUD	608825	1.75	+0.35
Pan African Mg	PAF	57500	2.50	+0.30
Urbana Corp	URB	18000	2.00	+0.30
Birch Mountn	BMD	1597922	4.90	+0.29
Cons Thomp-Lnd	CLM	760010	2.65	+0.25
American G Cap	AAU	607690	1.71	+0.21
Palmarejo Gold	PJO	26437	7.26	-0.99
Northern Dyn M	NDM	381355	8.69	-0.65
Osisko Explora	OSK	185033	4.90	-0.45
Bear Creek Mng	BCM	400673	6.40	-0.43
First Majestic	FR	95264	4.36	-0.37
Dynasty Met&Mn	DMM	156175	5.80	-0.35
San Telmo Res	STA	54500	0.67	-0 .33
Triex Minerals	TXM	51238	1.77	-0.27
Mexgold Res	MGR	124958	7.18	-0.26
Mishibishu Gol	MGO	60200	3.05	-0.25