| Abstract: | This analysis compares the gold mining industry investment climate in the USA to the investment climate in Australia. These two major gold producing nation's industries share many similarities; in both the USA and Australia, there is evidence of a maturing gold mining industry. Each country has experienced a dramatic increase in gold production and, more recently, greater mining of refractory ore and development of more underground operations. In the 1980s both nations experienced a pronounced rationalization trend that consolidated some gold producing operations and eliminated others. Each country commands a disproportionately large share of exploration expenditures. Land access, a major concern in the USA, has also become a critical issue in Australia as well. For all their similarities, however, the two countries have differences that are significant enough to influence mining company investment decisions. This paper explores those differences and how they may affect the future course of these nations' gold mining industries. Both effective government policy making and corporate strategic planning will occupy a major role in the future course of the two nations' gold mining industries . |
