Barrick Gold’s plan to sell a cluster of Australian mines under its proposed $17.8-billion hostile takeover offer for Newmont Mining is set to spark a flurry of intense deal-making for the castoffs.
Toronto-based Barrick has already had “many conversations with interested parties” about assets that would be discarded should the combination of the two largest producers go ahead, CEO Mark Bristow said in an interview. “There’s a very good chance that some Australian operators will be involved.”