Kinross (TSE:K) (NYSE:KGC) Thursday announced it has appointed J. Paul Rollinson to the role of CEO, replacing Tye W. Burt.

Kinross Gold's (TSX:K, NYSE: KGC) shareholders have given the acquisition of African-focused gold producer Red Back Mining (TSX: RBI) a thumbs up, after the deal met some concern from critics over its US$7.1 billion valuation.

The merged company will have 10 mines and 4 development projects, operating across 8 countries, and in combination with the longer term production increases, the transaction will give Kinross two well established mines

Kinross has cut its 2009 production guidance to between 2.3 million and 2.4 million GEO, due to delays on the expansion of the Paracatu gold mine in Brazil.

For now, the stock is leading the global Tier 1 global gold mining group, on signs that heavyweight investors are active in the background.

The new DFS for Aureus's New Liberty gold mine in Liberia has increased the net present value of the asset, and points to lower operating costs and improved proven plus probable reserves.

Amid declining gold prices, several miners are struggling to keep costs down, but Sacre-Coeur Minerals (CVE:SCM) (OTC:SCRMF) is not one of them. The company boasts all-in cash production costs of less than $500 an ounce at its alluvial/elluvial operations in Guyana. 

Sunridge Gold Corp. (CVE:SGC)(OTCQX:SGCNF) has done exactly what it set out to do last year in releasing a feasibility study for its Asmara project in Eritrea that minimizes the capital exposure in a challenging time for Canadian juniors, with the company now having a plan to start initial production almost one year earlier than the preliminary report. 

Jennings Capital analyst Dan Hrushewsky has highlighted what he called Asanko Gold's (TSE:AKG) "good project economics" at the Esaase gold project in Ghana, saying the company ranks first of all Canadian gold companies on its radar in terms of cash as a percentage of market cap. 

Gold, silver and antimony miner Mandalay Resources (TSE:MND) has issued a strong message of intent with a promise to pay 6% of net future revenues in dividends. Mandalay announced a dividend for the quarter of C$0.769 in line with this new policy.