Topic: How To Invest

Dear Pat, can you please comment on Energold Drilling? Thank you. Regards.

Article Excerpt

Energold Drilling Corp., $2.18, symbol EGD on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 34.1 million; Market cap: $74.3 million), sells contract-drilling services to the mining industry. The company has a fleet of 79 rigs operating in 19 countries. It specializes in highly portable drilling rigs that it believes have a smaller environmental impact than traditional rigs. The company gets the majority of its revenue from developing countries, where labour costs are lower and there is little competition for drilling services. Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America account for roughly 55% of Energold’s revenue, followed by South America (35%) and Africa and Asia (10%). Energold also owns 13.8% of Impact Silver Corp. (symbol IPT on Toronto), which operates silver mines in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. At the current price of Impact’s shares, this investment is worth $6.3 million, or 8% of Energold’s market cap. In the three months ended June 30, 2009, Energold’s revenue fell 45.1%, to $6.3 million from $11.4 million a year earlier…