Although Silver Wheaton is not a mining company, its business model makes it very vulnerable to volatility in the prices of precious metals.

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Charbonneau said they looked at the model used by Mining Association of Canada, which was a partner in the event, to stimulate interest in the mining industry.

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The data-mining software is partly based on a model the SEC developed to trawl through hedge fund returns for signs of Bernard Madoff-style chicanery.

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Some might be tempted simply to invest in the data mining companies themselves, now that their business model has received such rousing support from the highest court.

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His mission to find Manono, a 1950s model town built by a Belgian mining company in the rarely visited interior of eastern Congo, is illuminated as much by the detours as the destination.

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As a result, they can do what-if analysis, model data, and run sophisticated data mining and forecasting algorithms that return answers within minutes, enabling them to fine-tune and refine their offers and service bundles to accurately reflect the needs of their subscribers.

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The business model is to provide some of the necessary capital to other mining companies via an upfront payment to assist in the building of the mine.

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