jim willie tells us that some mining companies have had enough of the charade of price discovery on the comex and are now selling their metal directly to funds:

Confirmation has come that mining firms are bypassing the COMEX. They choose to sell Gold & Silver mining output to investment funds like the Sprott Fund. The COMEX will find itself in increasing isolation. Their artificially low price paid for metal has sparked a wide reaction. Unknown is the amount paid in premiums over spot prices by the funds in order to facilitate the purchases. The premium prices indicate the true price, not the nonsensical price discovery at the COMEX under suppression, cash settlement, and other crooked devices.

http://news.goldseek.com/GoldenJackass/1300910400.php