The Geopolitics of Gold

Between 1994 and 2003, 400 mergers and acquisitions
took place globally in the gold mining industry.
During this time, the gold price fell to its lowest
level since the closing of the Gold Standard in
1972. In response, exploration budgets were slashed,
R&D projects shelved and production halved. Many in
the industry questioned the future of gold under
globalising conditions and began diversifying into
other minerals. Some in the industry suggested there
would no longer be a role for small to medium gold
producers in the future. The research in this book
examines what has happened since that prediction in
the late 1990s. It also examines the extent to which
globalisation as an idea is understood in business
circles and how this has filtered through to the
global gold mining industry. By Utilising case
studies which consider new emerging regions as
potential gold sources and stories gathered from
producers within the industry, this book should
provide mining professionals, geographers, resource
managers and students alike with a better
understanding of how old-world commodities such as
gold, compete in a globalising market place.