By Rachelle Younglai
Mining Reporter for The Globe and Mail
Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Mining Corp.’s chief executives still want to find ways to join forces in Nevada after the gold companies’ plans to merge dissolved spectacularly.
“There are opportunities to work together from an operating standpoint, particularly in Nevada, given we are partners there and given we are neighbours,” Barrick’s chief executive, Jamie Sokalsky, said in an interview. “Both myself and [Newmont chief executive] Gary Goldberg are very open to reopening those discussions,” he said.
It’s been a month since Barrick and Newmont’s merger talks imploded with the companies’ chairmen publicly accusing each other of ruining their $13-billion (U.S.) union. Since then, the world’s two largest gold producers have taken a breather from each other and are mending their relationship, with Mr. Sokalsky and Mr. Goldberg as de facto emissaries.