On October 24, 2002, EAGC Ventures Corp. acquired from Petra Mining, a number of South African gold mines. The value of the transaction was US$67 million. Related transactions included a financing facility with Standard Bank London and Standard Bank South Africa for US$40 million and an equity offering of special warrants by EAGC for $65 million. The three transactions closed concurrently in late October 2002.

Fasken Martineau in London represented Standard Bank with a team led by John Elias and including Frederic Boucher and Jodi Katz.