AngloGold Ashanti has agreed to sell a package of more than 2000sq.km of exploration titles and applications in Colombia to Toronto-listed Royal Road Minerals.

Royal Road will pay an initial US$4.7 million upon completion of the transaction with a series of contingent payments that provide AngloGold the opportunity to collect up to another $35 million per project should any advance towards production.

AngloGold put out a tender in 2018 to sell its extensive exploration portfolio in Colombia divided into three blocks as it focused efforts on three advanced projects: La Colosa, Quebradona and Gramalote. AngloGold entered Colombia in 2004, one of the first foreign companies to do so in modern times.

Royal Road picked up the southern and northern of the three blocks. A third block near AngloGold's La Colosa deposit in Tolima is yet to find a buyer.

The southern block is contiguous to Royal Road's existing 3,500sq.km of exploration rights in Nariño and was a priority part of the acquisition to boost its landholdings in the region.

Goldcorp has mailed the management information circular and voting materials related to its merger with Newmont Mining to shareholders.

A special meeting of shareholders to vote on the deal is due to be held on April 4.

Goldcorp will receive 0.328 Newmont shares and 2c for every share held, representing a 17% premium to the 20-day volume-weighted average price before the deal was announced in January.

Meanwhile, Newmont has optioned a project in Canada, as the next step in an exploration alliance with Evrim Resources Corp.

Newmont has designated the Astro project, in the Northwest Territories, for option and can earn an 80% interest by making staged cash payments of $600,000 and sole-fund exploration until it has completed a prefeasibility study on a minimum gold resource of 2 million ounces.

"The designation of the Astro project has met the alliance's original goal; generating quality greenfield targets in terranes favourable for large scale gold deposits," Evrim president and CEO Paddy Nicol said. 

"This summer Newmont and Evrim have planned a $1.2 million exploration and drilling program at Astro." 

Late last week, Barrick Gold reported the death of director María Ignacia Benítez in Chile.

The company extended its sympathies to her family and friends.

"Ms Benítez joined Barrick's board of directors in April 2018, and quickly became a trusted advisor and cherished friend to the Company," Barrick executive chairman John Thornton said.

"We will greatly miss her sage counsel, her leadership, and equally, her deep sense of kindness and decency."

Finally, Endeavour Mining managed to surpass its production and all-in sustaining cost guidance for 2018, the first full year including output from the Houndé mine in Burkina Faso.

Endeavour produced 612,000 ounces of gold, up 562% year-on-year and above the 555,000-590,000oz guidance.

The gold was produced at an AISC of US$744 per ounce, down $25/oz from 2017 and below the $760-810/oz guidance.

Adjusted net earnings was steady at $53 million, while adjusted EBITDA for the year rose 54% to $265 million and operating cashflow before non-cash working capital jumped 64% to $261 million.

Endeavour aims to increase production to 615,000-695,000oz of gold in 2019 at an AISC of $760-810/oz.