Insiders weigh in with private placements

Recent insider-trading transactions reported by the Ontario Securities Commission include the following:

– Aurora Platinum (ARP-V) — Michael Winn, director, bought 27,600 shares at $2.82-3.29 to hold 210,000 shares directly or indirectly.

– Avalon Ventures (AVL-V) — Robert Andersen, officer, purchased 200,000 shares at 25 apiece and received 100,000 warrants with a strike price of 45 to hold 305,000 shares and 100,000 warrants; Donald Bubar, director, bought 40,000 shares at 25 and was granted 20,000 warrants with a strike price of 45 to hold 1.04 million shares and 20,000 warrants. In both cases, the shares and warrants were derived from units issued in a private placement.

– Caldera Resources (CDR-T) — Christopher Reindler, director, bought 2.05 shares at 0.095 and received 1.02 million warrants with a strike price of 12 to hold 4.25 million shares and 1.02 million warrants. Again, the shares and warrants were derived from units issued in a private placement of 2.25 million units.

– Crystallex International (KRY-T) — Luca Riccio, officer, exercised 50,000 options at 85 or $1.50 and sold 28,500 shares at $2.66-2.84 to hold 155,000 options and 28,500 shares directly or indirectly.

– Dianor Resources (DOR-V) — David McDonald, officer, bought 60,000 shares at 17 to hold 110,004 shares; and Alain Vezina, officer, bought 69,500 shares at 13-36 to hold 69,500 shares.

– First Quantum Minerals (FM-T) — Robert Watts, director, exercised 15,000 options at $1.03 and sold the resulting shares at $3.15 to hold 75,000 options and no shares.

– Fort Knox Gold Resources (FNX-T) — Robert Cudney, director, bought 48,700 shares directly at $1.21-1.50 to hold 207,700 shares; and Northfield Capital, owner of more than 10%, bought 44,800 shares directly at $1.30-1.48 and sold 4,500 shares at $1.54. Northfield also participated in a private placement of 300,000 units at $1 apiece, which translates into 300,000 shares and 150,000 warrants (having a strike price of $1.25) and increases the company’s total holdings to 3.8 million shares and 150,000 warrants.

– Maude Lake Exploration (MAU-V) — Anne Slivitzky, director, bought 176,640 shares at 8 or 12 to hold 486,470 shares; and Patrick Bradley, officer, bought 115,316 shares at 4 or 7 to hold 260,419 shares.

– NovaGold Resources (NRI-T) — Gerald McConnell, director, sold 120,200 shares directly or privately at $1.95-2.27 and another 59,500 shares indirectly at $1.80 or $1.95 to hold 771,707 shares.

– Twin Mining (TWG-T) — James Gray, director, bought 50,500 shares at 50-53 to hold 1.87 million shares.

– Pelangio Mines (YPM-V) — Jean-Pierre Colin, director, sold 542,500 shares at 14 to hold none directly and 220,000 indirectly; and John Filo, director, sold 8,000 shares indirectly at 12 to hold 20,700 shares indirectly and 452,388 shares directly.

– Western Copper Holdings (WTC-T) — Dale Corman, executive of a company that holds more than 10% of Western Copper, bought 200,000 shares privately at 78 to hold 359,520 shares.