If I'm not mistaken, Golden Minerals is not a producer but an explorer with many exploration projects, about 40, according to the website. It had a net loss of 33.3 million in calendar year 2010. Though it has cash totaling around 106 million, it lost 15.9 million first quarter 2011.

At the moment, and by considered choice, most of my mining companies are producers or near producers, which I tended to perceive ECU as close to being one. I was hoping that sooner or later a big producer would merge or acquire ECU and not an explorer.

For quite some time I have felt much more comfortable knowing some cash flow is being generated through mining and not having to endure just watching a continuing drain on the finances needed to advance exploration targets with no mining income. Especially so in this market. I do not know how strong a company like AUMN can be considered, if it has only potential with no mining income expected for the foreseeable future.

I cannot tell, so far, how close to production any of AUMN's projects are or whether there are any interested buyers, but it appears a huge amount of money will be spent over the coming months and possibly years as ECU and AUMN continue to upgrade these projects and either commence mining or look for buyers. At a 15 or 16 million quarterly burn rate, how long will 100 million last.

Interested in more details like everyone else, but as it stands at the moment, it looks as if it might be too long a wait for me.