Reading some news while eating lunch, and found this article on the Reuters website...

"PARIS/TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran is turning to barter - offering gold bullion in overseas vaults or tankerloads of oil - in return for food as new financial sanctions have hurt its ability to import basic staples for its 74 million people, commodities traders said Thursday." (emphasis added)

This is interesting in light of the previous discussion on China's use of gold bullion to pay for Iranian oil... as highlighted above, the physical gold can be stored in "overseas vaults" rather than needing to worry about the logistics of shipping!

When I look at this, and combine it with the warm reception in China (then stir in the rumoured displeasure of some major holders in the USA at the mere thought of Chinese involvement) I think that there may well be some informal bidding happening betwen Chinese and American interests as they vye for control of what may be the single largest gold play in history.

All this is only IMO, but if the resource is as large as I believe it to be through my own DD, then this is a play that will impact not just the major mining companies, but NATIONS!

NW