Thursday, March 31, 2011

Gary and Minefinders (MFN)

What i like about Gary BiiWii is that he's nobody's fool, stands his corner and follows no track but his own. Your humble scribe and the BiiWii dude often bicker about differences (after all, he is a freakin' charty) but on the odd occasion when he and I agree on a subject, or more importantly a stock, it's a signal I take very seriously indeed.

We came to a view on Minefinders (MFN) (MFL.to) a while back at almost the same time, he coming from his starting point and this humble corner of cyberspace from its own murky world of spreadsheets and mumbojumbo. But we called it the same. And so far......well, go see Gary's chart and his words for yourself.

Moral: Do like me and associate yourself with way smart people, because it makes you look far more intelligent than you actually are. DYODD.

Marin Katusa front-runs and screws his Casey Research sheep...again

Hey dudettes and dudes, remember East West Petroleum (EW.v), the Marin Katusa pumped scam that zoomed higher late last year on his incessant pumping? Well IKN does and so we thought it was a good time to see how Marin's bigshot hot tip was getting on since it ran its $30m dollar financing in December. So here's the chart:

Oh looky, the thing has dropped like a stone and is back to the pre-pump price levels. Now there's a shocker. Y'know, I think we should name this kind of chart action after Marin, as I know he'd be pleased to have a moniker out there in TA. So as Bollinger has his bands and Mac has his Dee, what about the Katusa Krush?

Let us remember at this point that East West Petroleum (EW.v) is the very same company that 1) is being pumped by Casey Research and 2) gave fat finder's fees to KBH Capital, the entity comprised of Casey Research's Marin Katusa, Casey Research's Marc Bustin and Casey Research's Joe Hung and also let's note how 3) Marc Bustin was put in as a director of EW.v last year. More details on the sordid connections to Duggie's self-serving empire right here (along with reminders of how Katusa's similar foray with TCF.v ended very very badly).

And the cherry on the cake is that the company chairman is a guy named David Sidoo, a Vancouver restauranteur and buddy buddy of....roll on the drums....yes...you've guessed already havent you?...Marin Katusa! Sidoo dude, you shudda stuck to waiting on tables.

Mengenal Petrel–3D Seismic Visualization, Modeling, and Simulation

petrel1

Apa Itu Petrel?

Petrel adalah aplikasi berbasis Windows untuk 3D visualzation, 3D mapping dan 3D reservoir modeling dan simulation. Aplikasi Petrel ini sendiri dibuat dengan memanfaatkan .NET Framework. Untuk aplikasi Petrel 2010.1, aplikasi ini dibuat dengan menggunakan .NET Framework 2.0. software ini lebih dimanfaatkan untuk pemodelan subsurface penambangan minyak...!!!

Berikut ini system requirements aplikasi Petrel:

petrel2


Berikut ini tampilan aplikasi Petrel 2010.1

petrel3

1. Petrel dalam Pemodelan Geologi 

a. Menyatukan Geologi, Geofisika, dan Teknik Reservoir

Mengidentifikasi dan hidrokarbon pemulihan memerlukan model akurat, resolusi tinggi dari struktur geologi dan stratigrafi reservoir. Kemampuan geologi Petrel, semua  bersatu dengan alat-alat teknik geofisika dan reservoir, memungkinkan studi yang terintegrasi dengan menyediakan deskripsi reservoir yang akurat  yang berkembang dengan reservoir.



b. Petrel Geoscience Core

Sebuah suite lengkap modul karakterisasi reservoir mencakup kemampuan untuk menghasilkan panel korelasi yang baik, dan melakukan pemetaan, teknik merencanakan dan 3D modeling reservoir, yang terintegrasi dengan metode simulasi. Alat Workflow Editor memungkinkan untuk otomatisasi alur kerja dan pembaruan model dengan cepat, mengurangi waktu siklus dan memaksimalkan efisiensi perolehan project.

c. Kerangka Struktural Petrel

Konstruksi dan otomatisasi kerangka fault kompleks memungkinkan transisi dari kerangka kompleks untuk grid titik sudut tradisional, termasuk IJK IJK hibrida baru dan total (tangga-langkah) model, dan memberikan representasi yang lebih akurat dari data yang ditafsirkan untuk mengevaluasi ketidakpastian di volumetrics, porositas , permeabilitas, struktur atau properti lain yang relevan untuk definisi prospek yang lebih baik dan ditingkatkan dengan baik penempatannya.
  
2. Petrel sebagai Geofisika Software

a.   Unified 2D dan 3D Perangkat Lunak Interpretasi Seismik

perangkat lunak geofisika Petrel menyediakan spektrum penuh workflow geofisika, termasuk 2D dan 3D interpretasi, set lengkap volume kompleks dan permukaan atribut termasuk pelacakan semut untuk identifikasi kesalahan dan patah tulang, interpretasi volume (deteksi geobody) dengan seismik crossplotting dan klasifikasi, domain konversi, dan model-sementara-fungsi menafsirkan, yang memungkinkan penterjemah untuk membangun kerangka struktural saat melakukan interpretasi mereka. geofisika Petrel adalah solusi Skalabilitas yang mendukung data seismik dari sistem koordinat yang berbeda, membawa Anda mulus dari eksplorasi daerah untuk pembangunan reservoir.



b.  Petrel eksplorasi geofisika

  • Belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya akses ke sangat besar bekerja seismik-dataset dengan ratusan gigabyte volume seismik 3D dan 2D ribuan baris, semua dalam sebuah kanvas 3D
  • interpretasi Scalable pada desktop Anda-untuk memvisualisasikan dan menafsirkan data
  • Modeling-sementara-menafsirkan kemampuan-untuk menghasilkan interpretasi yang lebih tinggi berkualitas dengan membangun sebuah kerangka struktural di latar belakang saat Anda menafsirkan
  • Peningkatan volume-interpretasi untuk mengidentifikasi dan ekstrak fitur geologi oleh pencampuran dan patung volume
  • Ketidakpastian dan volumetrics penilaian-untuk mengevaluasi potensi risiko dalam satu aplikasi

c. Interpretasi Seismik Petrel

d. Petrel Rendering Volume seismik & Ekstraksi Geobody

e. Petrel Analisis Atribut Seismik

f.  Petrel Domain Konversi

g. Petrel seismik Sampling

h. Petrel Interpretasi Otomatis Struktural

C. Petrel Software Rekayasa Reservoir

a. Preprocessing dan postprocessing Data Simulasi

Komponen Reservoir Teknik Petrel seismik-ke software-simulasi memungkinkan para ahli untuk menyatukan kekayaan informasi mereka domain-spesifik dan pengetahuan yang menjadi representasi tunggal bawah permukaan model-sentris, sementara juga memberikan simulasi reservoir yang komprehensif preprocessing dan postprocessing lingkungan. Sekarang, perubahan dalam interpretasi seismik atau model geologi mudah cascade melalui model simulasi reservoir dan punggung. Anda dapat mengevaluasi dampak dari perubahan pada tingkat produksi atau cadangan-di sebagian kecil dari waktu sebelumnya dicapai. Kompatibel dengan seluruh keluarga perangkat lunak simulasi reservoir simulator ECLIPSE dan industri lainnya, Petrel Reservoir Engineering (RE) workflow memungkinkan analisis dinamis untuk memenuhi kebutuhan bisnis Anda atau keperluan operasional.

b. Kompleks sumur

Petrel RE memungkinkan Anda untuk merancang sumur canggih dengan desain multisegmented, desain penyelesaian maju, penempatan otomatis, dan optimasi selesai.

c. Simulasi gridding

Petrel 2010 kemampuan gridding termasuk grid lokal logaritmik sekitar patah tulang hidrolik dalam sumur, grid coarsened lokal, grid kotak-kotak untuk mengurangi jumlah sel, gridding struktur geologi yang kompleks, dan tangga-langkah gridding untuk menghormati Y kesalahan.

d. Thermal simulasi

Petrel perangkat lunak RE mendukung minyak hidup workflow termal cairan yang memungkinkan Anda untuk mengatur up, lari, dan menganalisa data dimana proses pemulihan termal yang terjadi.

e. Pengembangan strategi

Proses pengembangan-strategi mencakup seperangkat aturan untuk mengendalikan reservoir dan sumur yang memungkinkan Anda untuk menggunakan lebih dari fungsi ECLIPSE perangkat lunak dalam perangkat lunak Petrel.

f. Akuifer pemodelan

Petrel 2010 menyediakan alat untuk akuifer pemodelan-untuk presisi dan kekokohan dalam menangani koneksi akuifer.

g. Workflow Terpadu

perangkat lunak alur kerja terintegrasi Petrel sekitar simulasi, membuat data flow transparan, dan membuat antarmuka yang mudah untuk belajar.


Bagi teman-teman yang membutuhkan cara instalasi dari petrel 2009, ane udah buat tutorial instalasinya...silahkan teman-teman download link dibawah ini  dan contoh tutorialnya :    



1. instalasi Petrel 2009 di win. XP
2. Sinkronisasi server Petrel 2009 dan ArcGIS 9.3



Salam Tambang !!!

Kinross (K.to) (KGC) in LatAm and that old deja vu all over again feeling

 Oh, that's impressive. Bugger all PPS growth in a major gold miner over five 
years during the biggest baddest bull run for gold....like...ever

Last night we had news out of Kinross:
QUITO, March 30 (Reuters) - Canada's Kinross Gold (K.TO: Quote) will invest $1.1 billion in Ecuador's Fruta del Norte gold project until 2016 and could begin digging an underground mine next year, a company executive said on Wednesday.
Dominic Channer, a vice president of the Toronto-based firm, said gold production could begin at the site in 2014.
Kinross says Fruta del Norte has proven and probable mineral reserves estimated at 6.8 million ounces of gold and 9.1 million ounces of silver, and that it should produce 410,000 gold equivalent ounces on average each year during yada yada continues here

All glorious thrusting stuff from Kinross and it immediately reminded your author of another Reuters news story he'd read....back in April 2007.

Kinross Gold expects Cerro Casale development- CEO
(Reuters) - Kinross Gold Corp. (K.TO) expects to develop the big Cerro Casale gold and copper deposit in Chile, with remaining questions centering on when and how, not if, the company's chief executive said on Wednesday.
The Canadian miner acquired a 49 percent stake in the property when it acquired Bema Gold earlier this year. It is one of the world's largest undeveloped gold and copper deposits, with estimated reserves of 23 million ounces of gold and 6 billion pounds of copper.
"I think realistically if it takes a year to get sorted out on the plan, then it takes two years in construction, so you start thinking about it in production terms 3-4 years out," CEO Tye Burt told Reuters in yada yada continues here.

Golly gosh, Cerro Casale must be producing gold and selling it at $1400+/oz now, right? We're almost exactly four years on from that "3 to 4 years out" prediction from Kinross CEO Tye Burt, after all.

What's that you say? Surely not! They sold a chunk to Barrick and only own 25% now, you say? And still no build decision made on Cerro Casale? That's strange, because it's hardly likely that the CEO of a world class gold miner would SPOUT UTTER BULLSHIT TO FOOL HIS AUDIENCE,  is it? 

But this time at Fruta del Norte it's different. Of course. Oh yes yes yes yes.

Chart of the day is....

...Bolivia's Natgas exports in dollar value per month, January 2006 to date.

I was sitting in the warmth of the office a little later than normal last night, letting Mrs. Rock get on with watching The Black Swan (sorry, tried and couldn't hack it), when it suddenly occurred to me that we hadn't heard much from the "OhMyGodBoliviaGoingDownTheDrainEvoBad" brigade recently. I wondered why that might be so off I trotted to the Bolivian INE Stats people's website and went to the dynamic econ stats charting page (go see for yourself, it's tricky at first but once you've cracked the system it's lots of fun...for nerds that is) to check on Bolivia's top export (41.4% so far this year and beats out metals by about $50m a month).

And sure enough, on checking the figures (then putting that above chart together) I quickly saw why we were hearing nothing from the Evohaters about the state of Bolivia's economy. Bolivian natgas is back, kicking tush, taking names and has just put in the best single month of sales (U$266.2m in Feb'11) since the heady days of that fuel price bubble just before everything went down the crapper in late'08 (seems so long ago now, doesn't it?).

So Bolivia was paid U$310 per capita for natgas by Brazil (mainly) and Argentina (its other client) in 2010. That'll pay for the free school breakfasts, I think.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Annals of opinion poll predictions, Luis Castañeda edition

Part one: In this report dated today and timed 07:40am, one-time frontrunner for the Peru Presidential election assures the world that he will not drop any further in the polls than his current 15.0% rating.

Part two: In this report dated today and timed 08:36am, Castañeda polls 13.8%.
 

For what it's worth, today's IMA poll (margin of error +/- 4%) has Alejandro Toledo in the lead at 23.9%, Ollanta Humala in second spot at 21.9% and Keiko Fujimori in third at 17.6%. Then comes PPK with 16.9% and bottom of the five Castañeda with the aforementioned 13.8%. But be careful from now on, as the polls coming between now and Sunday 3rd are likely to be....errrr......how to put this diplomatically?...errr....to the taste of the owners or commissioners of the surveys.

Mining PRs and the Ottotrans™, Part 37



Today's example of Ottotrans™, bravely taking mining NR gobbledygook and valiantly returning it to a version of the English language that normal, well-adjusted people can finally grasp, comes from the keyboard of the IR department over at Torex Gold Resources (TXG.to). 

This is what they wrote:
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - 03/30/11) - Torex Gold Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Torex") (TSX:TXG - News) reports that it is working very closely with Mexican authorities and security measures are being discussed that will permit the Company to resume its exploration and drilling activities at its Morelos Gold Project in Mexico.
Fred Stanford, President and CEO of Torex stated, "I can confirm we have been in close discussions with the Economy Ministry of Mexico, who are spearheading efforts to ensure a timely and authoritative response to the temporary suspension of drilling activities at our Morelos Gold Project announced in our press release dated March 24, 2011. We are truly appreciative of the concern, interest and timely response shown by Minister Ferrari and his office as well as other Federal, State and Municipal officials."
"Action is underway and we are confident that Federal and State authorities will help facilitate the appropriate safeguards and security measures to allow us to recommence our exploration programs as soon as possible. We believe that this, along with new Company security measures, will result in a security presence that will provide long term stability for the Morelos Gold Project", he added "We could not have asked for better cooperation from government officials and plans are being developed for a timely return to the site."

And this is what it means:
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - 03/30/11) - Torex Gold Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Torex") (TSX:TXG - News) reports that it still isn't drilling, its staff are scared crapless after being robbed of their 4X4 vehicles at gunpoint last week and that the salary bill for security going forward is going to cost an arm and a leg, what with the Morelos property being in the middle of freakin' nowhere and a sitting duck for further violent criminal attacks. I mean, it's not like Mexico has a problem with organizaed crime at the moment is it?

The price of silver is so high right now that....

...even Minera Andes (MAI.to) can put together a decent profit. Just goes to show how many cracks a good market price can paper over, doesn't it?



Qtr EPS
4q08 -5
1q09 -2
2q09 0
3q09 2
4q09 1
1q10 1
2q10 2
3q10 2
4q10 7

Here's the MAI NR, brought to you by a humble scribe looking forward greatly to seeing quarterlies from one certain US based junior silver producer.

Chart of the day is....

...the Gold/Silver ratio and i'll try to put it up later, but right now we have a Internal Server Error code 500 and that nice Mr Google doesn't want to post images on the interwebnetpipes. So click through here for the chart.

Today's reading as this post is written stands at 37.81X, a few clicks lower than yesterday's close shown on the chart. Deflationary event? I see no deflationary event.

UPDATE: Ah, that's better.


Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Blogs don't matter, Pacific Rubiales (PRE.to) edition

Here's a five chart of Pacific Rubiales (PRE.to) that shows the end of last week's action and the two days of this week.


And just so things are clear, this one shows PRE.to matched up against ^XOI, the Amex Oil Index, to show how the stock has done compared to the industry benchmark.


A 10% gap between the industry benchmark and PRE? Wowsers, so what's changed? Well, there was this superlative post about PRE.to by Setty that hit the wires on Sunday March 27th which pointed out the recent issues over at the company and especially how management has been playing the mushroom politics card...as well as making significant insider sales on info of bad production numbers that it held back from the world. And if you haven't worked it out already, Setty is a dude read by anyone who needs to keep in touch with the LatAm O&G scene .....due mainly to his brilliance.

The thing is, as Setty pointed out in his post last weekend it would have been much easier for the PRE.to IR department to have answered his mails and calls for replies to his queries and presented its side of the case that (knowing the fair-handed Setty as I do) would have made it into print to balance things up, but that never happened. We can only assume that the mighty and rich PRE.to Public Relations people were too busy lunching and couldn't be bothered to talk to a pissant little blogger. But hey never mind that, PRE.to IR department, you've only lost over $510m in market cap since Monday. What's half a billion between friends these days?

Bolivia's deterioration: A first-hand account

This arrived in your humble scribe's mailbox this morning, in its original French version and in the English translation you see before you. The author of the letter has given specific instructions to publish the words as widely as possible and so your author is pleased to do just that.

That crimes are committed in any country is a sad but clear reality. But if crimes are left uninvestigated by the country's police forces and, even worse, the victims are treated with total disrespect, the result is something far more dangerous for the future. IKN leaves you with the words of long-resident academic in Bolivia, Mme Demélas.

Dear friends and colleagues,
Last Tuesday at 9 o'clock in the evening, my eldest daughter Bertille was attacked by three men, raped and beaten up. The police thereupon kept her in their station from 10 o'clock  till 4 in the morning, without giving her the slightest attention nor informing her family or the consular services.

Like any mother whose children have been treated like this in a town where delinquency is constantly growing, such behaviour raises doubts as to whether any investigation will be carried out, or the guilty men ever be punished.

Therefore, since strikes and protest marches are not part of my culture, and considering that I have worked for 38 years to provide Bolivia with the results of my research in the service of her past, I have resolved not to write a line, not to give another course nor a single lecture in the service of this country until this crime has been punished.

I trust to those among you who manage Spanish as well as French the care of translating this announcement, and I thank them in advance.

Marie-Danielle Demélas
Honorary Member of the Bolivian Academy History
Chevalier e la légion d'honneur
 
Chers amis et collègues,
Mardi dernier à 9h du soir, ma fille aînée, Bertille, a été attaquée par trois hommes, violée et passée à tabac. La police l'a ensuite gardée dans ses locaux de 10h à 4h du matin, sans lui donner le moindre soin ni aviser sa famille et les services consulaires. 

Comme toutes les mères dont les enfants sont ainsi traités dans une ville où la délinquance ne cesse de croître, un tel comportement peut faire douter qu'une enquête soit menée, et que les coupables soient un jour châtiés.

Aussi, comme la grève de la faim ni la "marcha" ne font partie de ma culture, et rappelant que depuis 38 ans j'ai travaillé à offrir à la Bolivie le résultat de mes recherches au service de son passé, j'ai résolu de ne plus écrire une ligne, ne plus donner un cours ni une conférence au service de ce pays tant que n'aura pas pris fin l'impunité du crime.

Je confie à ceux d'entre vous qui manient aussi bien l'espagnol que le français le soin de traduire cette annonce et les en remercie par avance.

Marie-Danielle Demélas
Membre honoraire de l'académia de la historia de Bolivia
Chevalier de la légion d'honneur

CIBC on Fortuna Silver (FVI.to) this morning

This link takes you to the note published by CIBC's Brian Quast this morning on Fortuna Silver (FVI.to). It looks like Quast is keeping things conservative and has only raised his target to $6.25 (from $5.50), but if you check what he says about the stock it's pretty clear how much he likes FVI going forward.

Anyway, less of my incoherent burbling, click here and read the words of somebody worth reading for a change.

Mercer Gold (MRGP.ob) does what all scams do in the end

The typical junior mining scam such as Mercer Gold (MRGP.ob) that's pumped by paid newsletter tripe suddenly swandives and dumps out on no apparent newsflow. This is because the scum behind it, in this case previously convicted securities fraudster Gordon Brent Pierce, decide to pull the plug and get out with whatever's left over. Meanwhile the poor bagholder innocent are left wondering WTF is going on.

and don't say we didn't warn you about this stupid, obvious junior mining BS play headed up  on paper at least by the unspeakable Rahim Jivraj. Because we did. Over and over and over again.

Chart of the day is....

..the Peru IGBVL 'general' index from the Lima Stock Market:

16 VIDEO TUTORIAL SURPAC 6.12 DAN 1 VIDEO TUTORIAL KOMBINASI ARCGIS 9.3 DAN SURPAC 6.12

Hai blogger mania….kali ini postingan ane berkaitan sama salah satu software tambang yakni Surpac 6.12, ane rasa byk yg butuh video tutorial ini, makanya kemaren ane buat deh tutorialnya. Cakupan materi dalam tutorial ini meliputi database geologi dan perhitungan cadangan dengan menggunakan menggunakan metode estimasi inverse distance (sebagai follow up praktikum Pemodelan Dan Evaluasi Cadangan Jurusan Teknik Pertambangan Universitas Hasanuddin Makassar – pembelajaran Tambang UH sekarang mengarah ke pembelajran berbasis E-Learning (belajar jarak jauh dengan fasilitas dunia maya)) dan mungkin ini juga kebutuhan dari teman-teman atau adik-adik di Jurusan Geology Unhas yang sedang mengerjakan tugas Geology Eksplorasi.

Nah, untuk mendownloadnya kamu harus memperkenalkan diri kamu dengan format nama, universitas (klo masih kuliah), alamat, serta alamat email (krn file video tutorial ane kompress pke winrar (KRN KLO aslinya brukuran 433 MB) n berpassword yg cukup panjang biarpun kamu pke generator password apapun, ane jamin kagak bakal terbuka…hehehe….n nti dikirim via email kmu passwordx). Dalam tutorial ini ada 17 video tutorial original buatan ane, berikut daftarnya n salah satu contohnya :



1. Lesson 1 DATABASE GEOLOGY SURPAC 6. 12 (download)

2. Lesson 2 BLOCK_MODEL1 (download)

3. Lesson 3 CREATE_TOP_BOTTOM_ORE (download)

4. Lesson 4 CREATE_DTM_TOP_AND_BOTTOM_ORE (download)

5. Lesson 5 CREATE_CONSTRAINT_ORE (download)

6. Lesson 6 ADD_ATRIBUT_ IN BLOCK MODEL (download)

7. Lesson 7 ESTIMATION ASSIGN_VALUE_ORE_DENSITY (download)

8. Lesson 8 COLOURING_AND_CALCULATE_VOLUME_TONASE_ORE (download)

9. Lesson 9 CALCULATE_VOLUME_FROM_CONSTRAINT (download)

10.Lesson 10 VIEW_TABLE (download)

11.Lesson 11 GRID_3D (download)

12.Lesson 12 IMPORT_CSV_DATA_CREATE_TOPOGRAPHY

13.Lesson 13 SECTION_DRILL_HOLES

14.Lesson 14 COMBINE_ARCGIS 9.3_SURPAC 6.12 (download)

15.Lesson 15 CONSTRAINT_OB (download)

16.Lesoon 16 VOLUME_OB (download)

17.Lesson 17 MODIFIED_DRILLHOLES (download)

DATA assay, collar, geology dan survay (Here)

Download all video tutorial (Here)

Ane fokus ke bijih (ore) nikel laterit, so, klo bwt batubara ane smentara buat dengan asumsi terdapt banyak seam batubara dengan litology yg kompleks disertai pengaruh struktur geology yg bekerja…n insya allah akan ane posting disini…..tutor ini ane ngasihnya ikhlash so, jgn diperjual belikan ya…hehe…satu lagi klo dalam mempelajari tutorial ini, ada kesalahan mohon dikoreksi ya…namanya juga manusia….hehehe…..ane juga menyertakan datanya lho (klo punya data sendiri ya monggo) hehehe…

Salam tambang !!!! Ayo kita pekikkan kalimat inspiratif ala sang pemimpi…hehe

Man jadda wa jadda, pasang niat kuat, berusaha keras dan berdoa khusyuk, lambat laun, apa yang kalian perjuangkan akan berhasil, ini sunatullah-hukum Tuhan (negeri 5 menara).

Monday, March 28, 2011

So what does the whacky world of markets think about Ollanta Humala leading the polls in Peru this weekend?

Well, the Lima IGBVL is currently down 4.4% 4.7% 5.1%, the Nuevo Sol (PEN) currency has lost over 1% to the dollar and stands at U$1 = S/2.815 right now, BMO has decided to dump FVI at any cost and that's just one stock of many Peru exposed miners feeling the pinch today (check RIO.v, BVN, DNT.to, SCCO, plenty of others).

I love it when you gringos panic about things you pretend to understand, so I'd just like to say thank you, once again, for giving me your money. Good of you.

Today's retail mining shareholder quiz question

First, the background.

1) On Jan 1st 2011 the Executive Chairman of Great Panther Silver (GPR.to) (GPL), Kaare Foy, owned 117,400 shares of GPR along with 75,000 options priced at 70c.

2) On Feb 22nd he exercised those options, leaving him with 192,400 fully paid up shares.

3) Then he did this:

Date filed operation type no.of shares traded price shares held
24/02/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -29,300  $3.20 163,100 
24/02/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -45,700  $3.21 117,400 
24/02/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  +1,000  $3.22 118,400 
23/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -44,200  $4.12 100,000 
23/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -5,000  $4.19 95,000 
23/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -5,000  $4.19 90,000 
23/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -5,000  $4.20 85,000 
23/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -15,000  $4.22 70,000 
23/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -10,000  $4.23 60,000 
23/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -10,000  $4.24 50,000 
23/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -10,000  $4.25 40,000 
27/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -10,000  $4.23 30,000 
27/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -5,000  $4.35 25,000 
27/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -10,000  $4.40 15,000 
27/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -5,000  $4.42 10,000 
27/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -5,000  $4.45 5,000 
27/03/2011 10 - Acquisition or disposition in the public market  -5,000  $4.50 0


Yup, in a touch over one month he sold the lot of them (and this is the exec chair we're talking about here, not some IR guy who got lucky and wants to buy his first 4X4 or something) and the dude now owns zero shares of GPR and zero options (according to SEDI at least).

And now, the promised question for all you out there in retail investorlandia:
x
CAN YOU TAKE A HINT?

dyodd, dudettes and dudes.

Just another day in the TSX Venture exchange

Argentex Mining (ATX.v) is today's example of just another grubby day in the world's sleaziest mining market. 

So maybe when those lazy donothings over at the BCSC have finished their second latte of the morning, they might want to take a bracing morning stroll down to 1100 Melville suite 835 and ask the brass at ATX.v if they know anything about the sheer coincidences mapped out in the above chart. 

Or probably not. We're bored asking you wastes of regulatory space, really.

How Richard Fifer of Petaquilla Minerals (PTQ.to) treats his business partners

This month we've already seen the conviction papers that explain in clear detail how Richard Glenn Fifer Carles of Panama (and not some homonym in Miami) was convicted of narcotrafficking back in the 1970s, with half a dozen or so examples of  cocaine and marijuana pushing brought before the court, his conviction, his time locked away and his probation. So yes, despite his denials on the matter (he's now trying to play with his own name, call himself "Richard Carles Fifer" and confuse people into believing it's not him, FWIW) we know he's a convicted felon. But as a few mailers have pointed out, it was a long time ago, he did his probation and kept out of trouble afterwards and perhaps there's good reason to give him the benefit of the doubt and not to assume that leopards never change their spots.

Fair enough, so let's move on and see how Richard Fifer of Petaquilla (PTQ.to) treats people he goes into business with, shall we? This link will take you to a court decision in Panama dated May 4th 2000 regarding the case brought against Richard Fifer (via his company Minamerica Corporation) by Julio Benedetti (via his company Inversiones Geologicas SA). The court decision is in Spanish, but it's pretty clear stuff for those versed in the language and the main judgement is that Fifer (via his company) was ordered to pay back U$475,000 to Benedetti (via his company).OK, so Fifer lost his case, but the details of the action show Fifer in his true light. By way of a brief summary of the case, here are a few bullet points:

  • In 1994, Inversiones Geologicas (the Benedetti company) lent Minamerica (the Fifer company) U$400,000 at a rate of interest of 9.25% annual. This interest was calculated to 1998 and explians the $475,000 total judgement against Fifer. 
  • Fifer then got his company to lend him the money. In other words, he cleaned out Minamerica of all cash assets and we assume lived his own style of highlife on the $400k. And hey, that kind of wedge buys more than a single round of mojitos.
  • When Benedetti (via his company) asked for his money back (we assume he went through the normal protocolar channels to do so), Fifer said something to the effect of "Minamerica is bankrupt, it has no money left, it's not my problem, sorry dude, you lose".
  • So Benedetti then somehow finds out that Fifer asset stripped the company, pulled a fast one and was living on the money borrowed out of a company that he himself bankrupted.
  • Then to the courts. Benedetti won.

Listen, those bullet points above are a mix of the facts of the case and a tad of interpretation of what probably went on, so I highly recommend you download your own copy and get the full info yourself. But even if the interpretation is a bit loose, we're really not going to be far away from the substance of Richard Fifer's idea of doing business. This very same dude now runs a gold mine in Panama! FerCryinOutLoud, you must be mad to put your cash to work under the auspices of a scumbag drug dealing fraudster like this. DYODD.

Chart of the day is....

...gold, hourly candles.
OHMYLAWDWEALLGONNADIE! Gold's down a full TWENTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS because of...err, what was it again?...err...oh yeah, the Fed isn't going to run QE3. and that must be true because they said so and I read it in the newspaper. Well I had a good chortle about that one, but then again my sense of humour has always been a burden to me. Oh how I used to laugh after being fired by yet another dumbass boss in a badly tailored suit just because I couldn't help a) laughing at his suit or b) explaining his dumbassery to him in words that even he would understand.

BUT I DIGRESS! Yeah, gold's down this morning so don't forget to dump-panic-sell all those gold miners you have in your port selling at 6X earnings....after all, how could they possibly make money at $1.4K Au?* Y'all be having one of them there nice days now y'all.

*yes, that's irony

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Greystar Resources (GSL.to) and the upcoming shareholders' revolt

Your author has heard on good authority that there are many unhappy shareholders of Greystar Resources (GSL.to) out there in investment land. In fact they're so unhappy that on May 18th, at the company's Annual General Meeting, enough big shareholders of GSL have already agreed to pool their votes, take over the meeting from the floor and kick the current board of directors out of the company once and for all. Your humble scribe also hears that the unhappy holders have already got together more than 51% of the voting shares so get ready for the fireworks because this one is going to happen, folks.

And quite right too, considering the utter balls-up GSL.to has made of its 15 years in Colombia and the mushroom politics it's employed to the people who pay them good money for zero results. Welcome to capitalism, Kesler. All that's left to consider is how this will play out. So will GSL;
  • Try to pretend the threat isn't serious and have a really bad day at the office May 18th?
  • Try to do the sneaky deaky and postpone the AGM?
  • Do something that may equate to honourable (even at this late stage) and resign en masse before the fateful day arrives?

Inquiring minds, etc. Anyway, remember where you heard it first, people. At your caring and sharing IKN.

The IKN Weekly, out now

cold like a polar bear and laden with yummy memories

IKN99 has just been sent to subscribers. Meanwhile, in other news blog reader 'PS' writes this mail (redacted):
"Hi Otto, I have been reading your blog for a few months now and wanted to ask you about the discounted subscription. Does the $25 monthly subscription fee only apply when paying annually or can I subscribe now and pay $25 monthly as long as it is continuous? Hope that makes sense. As you can tell from this email, I really enjoy the blog. Thanks, PS"

The best answer I have to that is 1) to write it here so more readers than just PS get the message and 2) explain the following:
  • Next Monday April 4th, the price of The IKN Weekly is going up to $40 per month or $400 per year for all new subscribers.
  • That means that anyone subscribed before April 4th will pay the current rate of $25/month or $250/year
  • But to get to your point and answer your question PS, if you subscribe now at $25/month (or $250/year) you will not be asked to pay the new rate once it's in place. You will be grandfathered indefinitely at the old rate as long as you're on board before April 4th. By way of a clear example, if you subscribe on April 3rd, come May 3rd you'll be charged $25 for the next month's editions (and the same for all following months). But if you subscribe on April 5th, you'll pay $40 in May (and all following months). That also applies to the $250 yearly subscription price.

That answer your Q, PS? Thanks for writing by the way, as it might help others too.

Calling BS on Pacific Rubiales (PRE.to)

Setty does it again with a top post on Pacific Rubiales (PRE.to), Colombia's biggest private oil company and purveyor of bullshit numbers to the market. You just have to read the whole thing over there cos there are dynamite facts and snippets all through the article, but here's a section to whet your appetite for the corporate Shenanigans as exposed.

"...reading through the last few weeks’ news, I don’t see anyone saying publicly the three things that were most completely screwed up about this situation. 

1. The company giving 220,000 barrels a day as their figure for year-end oil output as late as February, even though they should have known a month earlier that the number was fiction.
2. Board members front-ran the bad news with millions of dollars in stock sales, during a period when they should have known about the bad news to come.
3. Executives are refusing to buck up and accept responsibility for missing on oil output and reserves replacement.

So go read "Pacific Rubiales (PRE.to): like Alange, but bigger" right now. Super Sunday fare and kudos to the Settydude.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

A swooshy Bloomie copper vid

Reader RK sent this in. Quite fun he thought, and so do I. Also find it here at the original page

Friday, March 25, 2011

The Friday OT: Phish; While my guitar gently weeps

Here's Trey building up to and then shredding a solo back in the 90s.


This Friday OT was brought to you by reader AS, as your humble scribe is still on the road and lacking time to think too much about music. That changes tonight so have a good weekend as well, folks.

Chart of the day is.....

...silver, daily candles.

Jeepers, that's a run.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

IKN Recommends....

...this new blog on the Japanese tsunami and nuclear situation. Site friend Ryu has done a fine thing and has started blogging in English about what's going on in Japan, so if you like your news unspinned by either side and direct from the people that matter, check out his blog now. It's also found on our linklist as of today. You rule Ryu.

Minefinders (MFN) (MFL.to) update

I'm happy with the way this trade is going. Not only that, but we got the timing right too:


Y'see, even a dumbass like your humble scribe gets one right occasionally. Disclosure, long (reco'd to subscribers since November 3rd 2010) and still holding, because the target price is much higher (and it'll get there too).

John Icke of Cue Resources (CUE.v), Juan Ocampo of Canaccord and dumbasses of all shapes and flavours

It was surprising to note that while your author was out and about doing about'n'out type things, the world didn't stop and news from LatAm Junior Mining World continued (no respect these days...humph). Among the newsflow was this report from Mike Caswell at Stockwatch and here's how it starts:

John Icke, the chairman of Cue Resources Inc., has filed a defamation suit against a Canaccord Genuity Corp. employee over posts on the Stockhouse forums. Mr. Icke says that Juan Ocampo, who works as a stock market quotes administrator at Canaccord's downtown Vancouver office, was responsible for a message that accused him of extortion. Mr. Icke is seeking general damages for the post, which he claims was false and defamatory.
Mr. Icke filed a brief notice of civil claim against Mr. Ocampo on March 16, 2011, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. According to the suit, Mr. Ocampo was responsible for an Aug. 27, 2010, post on Stockhouse written under the user name "scuba2223." It was titled "Paraguay going after John Icke." The body of it read: "Paraguayan Authorities are looking for John Icke regarding Cue Resources. The news said he is involved in stealing documents and extorsion [sic]!"
As Mr. Icke sees it, the post meant that law enforcement officials were looking for him in Paraguay, and the media had reported that he was involved in theft and extortion. The post damaged his reputation by "implying that he is involved in criminal wrong-doing and conduct unbecoming management of a public company, and [is] otherwise untrustworthy."
In addition to the defamation allegations, Mr. Icke claims that Mr. Ocampo was looking to profit from the message. "At or about the time he posted statements ... Mr. Ocampo traded in the stock of CUE, with the intent of profiting from a decrease in the price of the stock," the suit reads. Mr. Icke does not provide any further details. (Trading records show that Cue closed at six cents on the day of the post, slightly down from 6.5 cents the day before.) CONTINUES HERE



OK, so we can start pointing fingers at dumbasses and the first finger points to Juan Ocampo, who apparently has nothing better to do with his time than trawl the next to useless world of bullboards and post silly messages thereon. Second finger points to the Human Resources department at The Can of Corn who can't spot a waste of space when they see one and hire any old fool (mind you, we've noticed that previously so no surprise there).
But a third finger also points tentatively and nervously in the direction of John Icke  (after all, he might get busy with his legal beagles and slap a suit on IKN) and in a very quiet whisper of a voice nervously suggests he's guilty FREAKIN DUMBASSERY AS WELL. Firstly, has this dude got nothing better to do than worry what they say about him on a freakin' bullboard? Y'know, like run a junior mining company and add shareholder value via exploration and suchlike?


Hmmmm...by the looks of things, he hasn't been too successful at that so far with or without bullboard critics of CUE's Paraguayan affairs. Then there's the practical side of it all, because if every company CEO or director took to heart every little thing written on bullboards about them and  filled up their time with legal actions to heal their wounded egos, I doubt a single drill rig would get to turn anywhere. So take a bit of friendly advice John; you now know who your slagger-offer is and he's obviously a jerk. You got your name, he's got his shame, Can of Corn has its egg on face. So just drop it, yeah? I mean, if you insist that Ocampo was trading round CUE.v in this period and trying to influence the share price.....


...you're just going to turn your mini-crusade into a laughing stock and your strategic judgement about what matters and what matters not is far more important to CUE.v than your personal bleeding heart. So don't graduate from potential dumbass to full-scale dumbass and pursue this any further dude, cos if you do you're slapping Permanent Avoid on any company you're ever involved in.

new buy reco Sunday

Roadtripping is fun in some ways and a drag in others, but it's all worth while when you find a gem of an undervalued under-radar junior miner. To cut a long story short, we got one on this trip and it's getting the buy call on Sunday, subbers. Enough said.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

MineScape Mine Planning and Design Software

Bagi praktisi software tambang, berikut review singkat software pada endapan-endapan yang bersifat stratigrafic/berlapis yaitu Minescape...bagi yang mau terjun ke dunia "Kohle" atau coal atau batubara, koleksi ane ada Minescape 4.114 support windows NT/2000, Minescape 4.115c support windows 2000/XP dan Minescape 4.116a support windows XP/Vista, sedangkan yang terbaru Minescape 4.117 dan 4.118 yang disinyalir support dengan OS win7 (tpi ane kagak punya) nanti dacarilah...bagi yang mw download Minescape 4.116a, klik disini berikut review singkat Minescape secara umum dan postingan selanjutnya akan kita pelajari contoh data dan bgmn input kedalam minescape....keep "learnen"...until you get more than another...
  
MineScape dikembangkan untuk memenuhi berbagai tuntutan dalam industri pertambangan, dan digunakan di lebih dari 100 perusahaan pertambangan di Indonesia. Minescape adalah solusi lengkap bagi operasi tambang open cut dan underground. MineScape memiliki fungsi pemodelan geologi dan desain tambang yang luas sehingga menjadi solusi pertambangan terkemuka di Indonesia. Dengan berbagai macam fitur yang dimiliki, Minescape menawarkan kemudahan penggunaan melalui:
  • Graphical Task Interface (GTi) yang menggabungkan berbagai macam fungsi Minescape
  • Tampilan yang intuitif
  • Semua data dan model 3D dapat diakses oleh banyak user secara bersamaan
  • Menyediakan CAD 3D
  • Tersedianya MineScape Explorer untuk melihat project dan mengolah data.
  • Dapat digunakan oleh banyak user dalam suatu network
  • Memiliki fungsi pemodelan stratigraphy yang kompleks termasuk patahan naik.
  • Gabungan antara database geologi dengan pemodelan dan grafis 3D
Semua produk Minescape telah terintregasi dan dapat diakses oleh banyak user dengan database tunggal dalam suatu network. Setiap produk melakukan pemrosesan data tertentu disertai dengan fungsi perencanaan pertambangan lainnya.

Fitur-fitur MineScape

Core MineScape

Core MineScape, merupakan inti dari semua produk MineScape dan terdiri dari:
  • Sistem 3D CAD yang terintegrasi dan berbasis mining
  • Programming yang disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan
  • Fungsi dokumentasi yang lengkap meliputi fasilitas-fasiltas pengolahan surface, gridding, manajemen transaction dan spreadsheet
  • Sistem pelaporan yang disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan
  • Menampilkan secara langsung file-file dalam bentuk AutoCAD ESRI
  • Fungsi plotting yang lengkap

Block Model

Melakukan pemodelan endapan non stratigraphy dalam bentuk 3D yang akurat dan efisien dengan menggunakan sistem CAD yang terintegrasi untuk menampilkan dan mengolah model. Menghasilkan model deposit 3D dengan menginterpretasikan data geology untuk mendefinisikan solid-solid  wireframe dan mengeksport hasilnya ke produk optimasi pihak ketiga  seperti Whittle 4D.
Block Model screenshot

Geological Database (GDB)

Menyimpan data downhole survey, litologi dan kualitas, menghasilkan rangkuman standar dan laporan yang dapat disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan, dan menampilkan data downhole secara grafis. GDB dapat menampilkan litologi, interval, geofisik and korelasi serta menyediakan fungsi compositing dan washability.

Stratmodel

Melakukan pemodelan stratigraphy yang kompleks termasuk patahan naik. Mengolah elemen-elemen model 3D secara interaktif termasuk tampilan 3D ke segala arah.

Drill & Blast

Menggunakan sistem 3D CAD untuk mempercepat pengaturan pola letusan, perhitungan lubang di permukaan dan mengirimkan laporan pola lubang untuk pemasangan bor yang dilengkapi dengan GPS. Drill dan Blast terintegrasi untuk menentukan zona-zona diluar letusan secara cepat.

Roads

Mendesain haul roads secara interaktif dalam 3D. Menentukan kebutuhan cut dan fill untuk keseimbangan dan optimasi secara masal. Secara otomatis menghasilkan laporan dalam bentuk grafis atau teks untuk para personel survei dan konstruksi.
Drill & Blast screenshot

Open Cut

Menghasilkan dan menguji desain tambang untuk operasi produksi jangka pendek dan studi kelayakan jangka panjang. Menggunakan perangkat 3D CAD dari Minescape untuk memvisualisasikan desain tambang dan berinteraksi dengan desain tersebut secara grafis dalam berbagai tahapan.

Grade Blocking

Secara interaktif menghasilkan grade blocks dengan menggunakan informasi paling akurat yang ada untuk mengkalkulasikan cadangan dan mengisyaratkan perencanaan  produksi secara grafis.

Survey

Menghasilkan instruksi survei secara otomatis dari rencana pertambangan. Memasukkan hasil survei dari perekam maupun buku lapangan langsung ke database Minescape. Menghasilkan laporan dan rencana produksi, serta menggunakan informasi dari database untuk perencanaan jangka pendek selanjutnya, reklamasi dan rekonsiliasi.

Schedule

Mengoptimalkan metode pertambangan beserta tahapannya dengan menyediakan perkiraan pergerakan materi dan aktivitas mesin untuk pengoperasian jangka pendek maupun panjang.

Where were you yesterday?

I was here:

Photo taken at around 10,000 feet above sea level on the way to your humble scribe's destination (which was around 13,000fasl). As well as educational and potentially very profitable, being on the road this week has also been visually beautiful so far...and there's loads more to see. Hope your week's going well too, catch you tomorrow.

Chart of the day is...

....zinc.

Because your humble scribe stared at some really nice rocks with some really nice zinc yesterday. Might even change the blogname to ZincaKolaNews for a week to celebrate.

Monday, March 21, 2011

SOMP Annual General Meeting


http://www.mineprofs.org/

Sunday, March 20, 2011

On the road


Posting will be lighter than normal over the next week at this humble corner of cyberspace but it won't be left at zero, either (oh the wonders of wi-fi). For the time being I'll leave you in the capable hands of Jack, from part two chapter ten of the book everyone needs to read:
"And for just a moment I had reached the point of ecstasy that I always wanted to reach, which was the complete step across chronological time into timeless shadows, and wonderment in the bleakness of the mortal realm, and the sensation of death kicking at my heels to move on, with a phantom dogging its own heels."

The IKN Weekly, out now


IKN98 has just been sent to subscribers. Next week looks like being a good one for junior miners. I hope you're long out there, whatever your fave pick might be.

Advice for English language commentators trying to sound smart on Peru politics and how the upcoming election might affect the mining industry

1) Read IKN

2) Rip off all ideas you read

3) Re-hash the texts read and present in your own words

4) Fake that you know WTF you're talking about

After all, that's what you've been doing up to now without the plain common decency of even a simple hat tip, isn't it you plagarizing lowlifes? So as from today and until the election is over the Peru political risk assesssments and potential investment advantages thereof will only appear in the subscriber IKN Weekly. So either sign up and spend $25 or.....

Studienkolleg, Sekolah Persiapan Perguruan Tinggi di Jerman

Studienkolleg adalah program persamaan yang diwajibkan untuk calon mahasiswa asing sebelum memasuki kuliah di Jerman. Studienkolleg berlangsung selama dua semester atau satu tahun. Pemerintah Jerman memberikan batasan maksimal dua tahun untuk menyelesaikan program persamaan Studienkolleg tersebut.
Sekolah tersebut terbagi dalam 5 program, yaitu Technik-Kurs atau T-Kurs untuk jurusan teknik dan kimia, Medizin-Kurs atau M-Kurs untuk kedokteran dan biologi. Wirtschaft-Kurs atau W-Kurs untuk jurusan ekonomi dan Geisteswissenschaften/Sozialwissenschaften-Kurs atau G/S Kurs untuk jurusan sosial ataupun bahasa.
Patut diperhatikan, sebelum calon mahasiswa mendaftarkan diri di perguruan tinggi di Jerman, mereka harus tahu jurusan apa yang benar-benar diinginkan. Karena di Jerman selain terdapat dua jenis Studienkolleg yaitu Studienkolleg yang diperuntukkan untuk masuk universitas serta Studienkolleg yang disediakan untuk Fachhochschule. Fachochschule yakni sekolah tinggi ilmu terapan yang program kuliahnya lebih bersifat ilmu praktis ketimbang universitas yang lebih menggali teori.

Persyaratan Kemampuan Bahasa Jerman
Untuk bisa melamar ujian masuk Studienkolleg, salah satu persyaratannya adalah memiliki sertifikat kemahiran bahasa Jerman tingkat dasar (Grundstufe) dengan Zertifikat Deutsch (ZD) yang dikeluarkan lembaga bahasa Goethe Institut. Namun, persyaratan itu dapat saja berbeda, sesuai dengan Studienkolleg setempat atau jurusan yang akan dimasuki.
Tak jarang, persyaratan untuk memasuki Studienkolleg jurusan M-Kurs atau G/S Kurs, diperlukan kemampuan Bahasa Jerman tingkat menengah atau Mittelstufe dengan sertifikat Zentrale Mittelstufe Prüfung yang dikeluarkan Goethe Institut.
Ujian Masuk Studienkolleg
Ujian untuk memasuki Studienkolleg atau yang dikenal dengan Aufnahmeprüfung biasanya hanya tes Bahasa Jerman, tapi yang akan memasuki urusan ilmu pasti dan sains akan ditambahi dengan tes matematika sebagai salah satu persyaratannya. Tes untuk memasuki Studienkolleg jangan dianggap sepele karena banyak juga yang tidak lolos.
Selain itu ada taktik bagi calon mahasiswa asing agar melamar ke berbagai Studienkolleg di sejumlah kota, sehingga kesempatan untuk berhasil lulus Aufnahmeprüfung lebih besar. Ujian masuk ini hanya berlangsung dua kali dalam setahun dan tidak berlangsung serempak di semua Studienkolleg.
 
Hal Penting Selama Menjadi Siswa Studienkolleg
Satu sisi yang penting untuk diperhatikan adalah peraturan kelulusan dan kuota jumlah mahasiswa asing disetiap Studienkolleg berbeda-beda. Sesudah lolos dari ujian masuk Studienkolleg (Aufnahmeprüfung), calon mahasiswa dapat langsung mendapatkan ijin untuk bisa menghuni kamar di asrama mahasiswa yang disebut dengan Studentenwohnheim. Serta mendapatkan tiket transportasi yang berlaku di negara bagian, di mana kita tinggal. Biaya sewa asrama terjangkau bagi kantong mahasiswa Di situ pun tersedia berbagai kemungkinan bagi calon mahasiswa untuk bisa berinteraksi dengan mahasiswa dari lain berbagai negara.
Hal penting lainnya yang harus diperhatikan adalah asuransi, karena tidak semua perusahaan asuransi mau menerima kliennya yang masih mengikuti Studienkolleg. Biasanya premi asuransi untuk mahasiswa berkisar 50 Euro atau 600 ribu Rupiah per bulan.
Selama menempuh Studienkolleg, calon mahasiswa tidak diperbolehkan bekerja. Izin kerja hanya diberikan kepada mahasiswa. Peraturan kerja yang berlaku untuk mahasiswa adalah maksimal 90 hari dalam setahun, jika melebihi ketentuan maka dia harus memohon izin kerja yang lebih panjang atau dianggap melanggar peraturan sebagai pekerja gelap.
Jadi, selama menjadi menempuh Studienkolleg, siswa diharapkan berkonsentrasi belajar agar lulus dalam dua semester dan setelahnya dapat menikmati pendidikan di perguruan tinggi.

Tawaran yang Berbeda di Masing-masing Studienkolleg
Setiap Studienkolleg di berbagai negara bagian Jerman, memiliki peraturan yang berbeda. Mata pelajaran yang diberikan di Studienkolleg, sama halnya seperti pelajaran sewaktu kita di Sekolah Menengah Atas. Ada beberapa Studienkolleg yang menyediakan program Vor-Kurs. Program Vor-Kurs yakni semacam kursus pendahuluan sebagai persiapan menempuh ujian masuk. Program Vor-Kurs ini mengajarkan juga trik-trik soal ujian untuk menghadapi ujian masuk yang sangat efisien. Selain itu juga terdapat perkumpulan mahasiswa Indonesia yang menawarkan kegiatan belajar bersama.
Direktor Studienkolleg Bonn, Dr. Jochen Bartsch, mengungkapkan pengalamannya menangani calon mahasiswa asing.
"Saya mempunyai gambaran yang positif dengan murid-murid asing yang ingin menuntut ilmu di Jerman begitu juga keinginan mereka untuk mengenali bahasa dan kultur Jerman. Masalah terutama terjadi karena perbedaan kebiasaan dan kultur di Jerman terutama dengan murid-murid yang terdidik secara konservatif atau dilatarbelakangi agama. Tetapi sejauh itu hubungan antara murid-murid satu dan yang lain tidak ada masalah.”

Studienkolleg di Indonesia
Selain itu terdapat juga Studienkolleg Indonesia di Jakarta yang bekerjasama dengan salah satu Studienkolleg Universitas Hannover di negara bagian Jerman Niedersachsen. Di situ calon mahasiswa dapat mengikuti ujian akhir Studienkolleg yang dinamakan Feststellungprüfung.
Salah seorang mahasiswi yang kini kuliah di Universitas Köln, Ni Nyoman Agnes Tri Widhyadyani, sempat mengenyam Studienkolleg Indonesia di Jakarta.
Ia menceritakan pengalamannya, "Waktu pertama kali saya mendengar bahwa adanya Studienkolleg di Indonesia, saya merasa itu ada banyak keuntungannya dari segi waktu dimana Studienkolleg Indonesia hanya ditempuh selama 9 bulan sedangkan di Jerman berlangsung selama satu tahun, itu 12 bulan. Studienkolleg Indonesia lebih nyaman dari segi bahasa, biaya hidup. Serta biaya untuk masuk ke Studienkolleg sendiri juga tidak mahal, jika dibandingkan dengan Jerman. “

Lulus Studienkolleg, Lalu Apa?
Setelah lulus dari Studienkolleg, sebaiknya para calon mahasiswa langsung mencari informasi mengenai jurusan serta langkah-langkah apa dibutuhkan. Institusi semacam ini dinamakan Zentral Studienberatung atau Pusat Konsultasi.
Selain itu, diperlukan sifat keingintahuan yang tinggi dan rajin. Tentu saja dalam hal mencari universitas atau Fachhochschule dengan bidang studi yang cocok dan memang menjadi impian calon mahasiswa.
Jangan ragu untuk mengirimkan e-mail ke bagian penerimaan mahasiswa baru. Bagi calon mahasiswa asing, bisa menghubungi biro konsultasi mahasiswa asing di tiap perguruan tinggi yang disebut Akademisches Auslandamt (AAA). Atau, calon mahasiswa dapat meminta informasi mengenai suatu bidang studi, langsung ke sekretariat jurusan yang diinginkan di perguruan tinggi yang bersangkutan.

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