Silver Wheaton

Silver Wheaton Corp. is a pure play silver mining company, the largest in the business of silver streaming. It produces over 26 million ounces and sells over 29 million ounces of silver mined by other companies (including Barrick Gold and Goldcorp) as a by-product of their main operations. Large silver streaming contracts have also meant that growth doesn't require capital expenditure (low risk).

History

Silver Wheaton was established in 2004. It was previously controlled by Goldcorp until December 7, 2006 when Goldcorp's sale of 18 million shares reduced its ownership to 48%. On February 14, 2008 Goldcorp divested itself completely of Silver Wheaton, selling 108 million shares for C$1.566 billion.

Silverstone Resources, acquired in 2009 previously traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol SST (delisted May 25, 2009 just after the takever) as a Tier 1 stock (the exchanges premier tier).

Contracts

Although most agreements it makes are short-term contracts, at least one with the Penasquito mine in Mexico lasts the length of the mine's life. Until the third quarter of 2012 all of the gold it sold came from the Minto Mine in the Yukon, acquired in mid-2009 following the Cdn $190 million acquisition of Silverstone Resources Corp. In 3q2012 it started receiving gold from HudBay's 777 polymetallic mine in Manitoba . In 2013 it began receiving gold from 3 new mines: Sudbury (33,000 oz), Salobo (29,100 oz), and Constancia. Average realized price for gold produced at 777 was $1390 which is similar to Minto however, average realized cash cost is 32% higher at mine 777 ($400 vs $303).